Epilogue

I woke up a few microseconds later. I was in the infirmary, Phong leaning over me with an X-ray vidwindow.

"Phong," I said, getting his attention.

The old sprite turned his tired, gray eyes on my face and collapsed the window. "You should be resting, my son," he said. "You have been through a considerable ordeal."

"The system didn't crash?" I asked.

"No. We're all still online, I suspect in no small thinks to you given your injuries."

I heaved my aching bulk off the examination table, cringed when my body tried to refuse, and moaned when I made it obey me. I got to my feet. I took one look around the infirmary and sighed. "It worked."

"Then you did trigger the system restore function?"

"Yes, but I had help from the team," I said. "Phong, where's my suit? I need to get home."

"You should rest before exerting yourself, Kevin," Phong said. "You have numerous fractures and lacerations. I'm afraid in your weakened state-"

"I'm well enough to make it home, Phong," I said, making sure my voice held a tone of finality.

As I approached the door, the sensors automatically tripped and the barrier parted. Outside, standing in the hallway, was everyone who'd been with me in the core room. They all looked blessedly back to normal.

"What do you think you're doing?" asked Dot.

"I was just leaving," I said.

"In your condition?" AndrAIa said. "Kevin."

I held up my hand. "I just want to go home. I can get treated there. But I guess before I go you want an explanation."

"We've already heard what happened," Bob said. "We found the professor in the core room and got him back into a spare null suit. He filled us in on the whole situation."

"Then you know about the virus," I said, suddenly growing angry. "Where is he? What happened to Sphinx?"

"He's disappeared," Matrix said. "We scanned the whole system. We think he opened a portal just before the restore kicked in. It almost pushed the crash past the point of reversal."

"Great," I said, slumping against the wall.

"Hey, it's not all bad," Enzo said cheerily. "You saved the whole fragging system, dude."

"Enzo!" scolded Dot. "Language."

The kid grimaced and shrugged. "Sorry. The point is, everybody's fine. You did good, man."

"We did good," I clarified. "I couldn't have done any of it without your help."

"That's what we were hoping to ask you," said Ray. "There are still a few blanks the prof couldn't fill in for us. The system restore wiped our memories of the past cycle."

"Figures, too," Enzo said. "Something exciting as a corrupted game cube takes over the system and we don't remember what any of it was like. And I was a superhero! Epic bummer."

Dot laughed. "There's just no justice. I still can't believe all those things really happened."

"You mean, none of you remembers anything?" I asked.

Bob said: "I remember bits and pieces, but its like trying to remember a dream. I think I remember a big, tall guy in a dark suit."

"Don't remind me," I grumbled.

"I remember being on a battlefield," said Matrix. "No...I was in a village or something." He turned to AndrAIa. "You were there, I think."

"I was?" she asked. "I honestly can't remember anything about it. What about you, Mouse?"

The mercenary had been leaning against the wall with her thumbs hooked through her belt. "I remember some, but its pretty much like the rest'a ya'll."

"Maybe that's for the best," I said. "Now, if you don't mind, I need to get ready to leave."

"Kevin," said AndrAIa, "you're a mess. At least let us finish treating you."

"I don't want treatment," I said, much too harshly than I'd intended. "I need a heavy dose of reality for a change."

I limped down the infirmary corridor toward the science lab. I made it halfway there when I noticed I was being followed.

"I'm fine, Mouse," I said. "It's not like I'm going to fall over dead while walking to get dressed."

She ignored me and made me put an arm around her for support.

"You must have gone through the Web," she said.

"You'd know," I said. "You were there...well, kind of."

"About that," she said as we reached the science lab. We stopped in the entrance. "I don't remember a whole lot. Like everybody else it's kind of like waking up from a long dream. All the details are fuzzy. I do remember one thing in particular, though."

Despite the pain in and around my head, I clinched my jaw. It looked like I wasn't going to get off that easily.

"What?" I asked dumbly.

She leaned forward and planted a brief, featherlight kiss on my lips.

I could feel my face growing red again, and for the first time I was thankful for the bruises that covered up the blush.

"I thought so," she said.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "Mouse, I'm sorry. You were...and I was...and...we...it just happened."

She smiled that sly, impish grin and shook her head. She was shaking with silent laugher. "Oh, Doc, when are you ever gonna learn?"

For a nanosecond I couldn't speak. "Learn what?"

"That I don't believe in regrets." She brushed one of my bangs aside and caressed my face. Then she patted my chest and turned around, walking back the way she had come. "By the way," she said, halting to turn my way again, "if you're interested in having more fun someday, wait until I'm single. Then give me a call." She winked then turned and disappeared around the corner.

I just stood in the door of the lab for a microsecond, letting her last few words really sink in. I remembered what I had said to Violet that night. I don't even think she looks at me the way you do.

"Guess I was wrong," I said aloud.

"After that I put on the pressure suit, said goodbye and came straight home," Kevin said.

He leaned back in his chair and sighed.

"Wow," Vivian said. "Just...wow."

"I know."

"Kevin, you realize-and I'm assuming you didn't embellish anything-that you shouldn't have survived at all, right?"

"I've been giving that a lot of thought, and you're right. If I had been in the real world, I'd probably be dead."

"Why should it matter?"

"Because games are programmed to be winnable," Kevin said. "Haven't you ever played a video game? Nothing in a game can work the same way it does in real life. Everything from the physics engine to the environment, it's all a simulation geared to appeal to a person's sense of adventure. But above all, a game has to be interesting as well as beatable. That's why I survived. Even though at the time it seemed like I was playing against the house, the odds were always stacked in my favor."

"Good guys always win, bad guys always loose," Vivian said.

"Exactly. And the system's reality simulator simply amplified that principle across the whole system. I doubt even Sphinx was aware of what was happening."

"But the virus got away."

"And I didn't die. Win some, lose some." Kevin shrugged.

Vivian gathered her things and rose to leave. "Well, you had an interesting week to say the least. I'm almost sorry I wasn't there to see it myself."

"Maybe one day you will," Kevin said. "After all, I can't be the only cybernaut for much longer."

Kevin walked Vivian to the door. She said:

"What you said before, about needing a dose of reality, what did you mean?"

Kevin paused, as if contemplating his thoughts.

"It's easy to get lost in there," he finally said. "Mainframe isn't like our world, Viv. I wouldn't say it's better, just different in a way that makes it feel better. I can't really put it in words. It just occurred to me that I was paying too much attention to my life in there so that I was forgetting my life out here. As much as I want to belong in that world, I was born in this one, and I can't change that, no matter how long I stay in Mainframe."

"Kevin," Vivian said, "there's nothing wrong with wanting a better life for yourself. If you think you'd be happier in Mainframe, well, maybe one day it'll be possible for you to stay there permanently."

"It would be a nice way to escape," Kevin said.

"Escape from what?"

Kevin shook his head. "Never mind. Mainframe can wait. Right now, I've got to think of a nice, fat apology to Kelly Cleaver."

"Apology? For what?"

"I kind of blew up in her face the other day," Kevin said. "She was trying to make me go to this society dinner at the White House, said the President wanted to know why Virtual Man hasn't gone into full umbra status yet. I guess he needs to make sure his $4 billion a year is being well-spent."

"You mean nobody's told you?" asked Vivian.

Kevin cocked his head. "Told me what?"

"Cleaver has been holding up the recommendation personally," Vivian said. "I thought you knew, but what with you being back and forth between the lab and Mainframe lately I shouldn't be surprised."

"Why would she do that?"

"Its because of that fiasco with Martin MacDonald," Vivian said. "Cleaver felt she owed you a favor after what you did for her and Clark."

Kevin sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm going to need a really good apology."

Kevin was still technically on medical leave, but that didn't stop him from going into work the next day. He only needed to stop by for a few minutes and say what he needed to say.

Kevin entered the cafeteria and spotted Cleaver sitting by herself at a table in the middle of the room. He mustered up whatever humility he had left and walked over to her.

"Mind if I have a seat?" he asked.

She glanced up at him, said nothing, and returned to eating her Caesar salad. He took it as a sign of indifference and sat across from her. She continued to concentrate on her lunch, ignoring his presence completely.

Kevin sighed. Where should he start?

"I'm sorry about yesterday," he found himself saying. "I was out of line."

She seemed genuinely surprised by his apology. He went on:

"I'm apologizing because I've been giving you a hard time since you got here. I'll be honest, I wasn't happy when Clark assigned you to the project. I thought you were a spy sent to look over my shoulder, but it turns out you've been looking out for me ever since my second trip."

"How did you-"

"Vivian explained it to me. I had no idea you were the one keeping the project going into full operation." Kevin sighed again. This was taking too long. "So I'm sorry for being a jerk."

"Okay," she said plainly.

"Just, okay? As in, we're okay?"

"Well, I guess you could say you owe me one," she said.

"I guess so..." Kevin imagined a noose being tied around his neck.

"I meant what I said. You need to see the President, and the ball is a better environment than a situation room at the White House, especially after he's a had a few glasses of champagne."

"But what am I supposed to tell him?"

"Tell him the system still has bugs. Tell him whatever you want, just make it sound convincing. He'll decide to leave the final decision up to me."

"What about Clark?" Kevin asked.

"Let me deal with Carl. You've got bigger problems."

"Granted. Okay, so what's the favor you need?"

"You're my plus one," she said.

"I'm sorry?"

"Did you think you got invited to the ball personally? That invitation was addressed to my date."

"Wait a minute. You need me for a date?"

"I prefer to think of you as arm candy."

"You do realize I'm a Princeton-educated quantum physicist," Kevin said.

Cleaver rose to leave. "Who says all science nerds have to look like Steve Urkel? Do you have a tux?"

"I haven't worn it years, but it should still fit."

"Perfect. A car will pick you up next Tuesday at six. We'll catch a private plane to Washington from the airfield at Beaufort. I've already got a reservation for you at the Dulles Hilton. I'll see you then. By the way, take it easy for a while. You look like George Foreman's punching bag."

"You're concern is touching, madam."

After she left, Kevin sat around for a while but eventually went home. He decided to take Vivian's advice and get started on de-weeding his garden. He changed into loose work clothes, and was headed outside when the phone rang. It was probably Cleaver with the details on the ball.

He went into his study, and picked up the portable phone on his computer desk.

"Hello?" he said.

"Kevin, honey? Is that you?" came a voice on the other end.

Kevin's mouth dropped open slightly. He recognized the voice, even after not hearing it for over six years.

"Mom," he said slowly. "Hi. It's been a while."