Cruising through the Net

((This is a transition thread for Machman.EXE Aera.SP, and Vector.SP. I will be using this thread whenever I travel from one network to the other.))
((From Scilabs))

Mach, Aera, and Vector stepped out of the portal from SciLabNet to the InternetCity Hub. The three continued forward towards the Yumland portal; they skimmed across the floor at a good pace, Mach and Aera did so with the help of their wing thrusters, while Vector just seemed to glide across the landscape with minimal effort. Vector was new to these surroundings, but though he remained silent, he tried to take as much of the sights in as he could before he followed the others into the Yumland portal

((To Yumland))
((From Mazer's House))

Mach, Aera, and Vector appeared out of the portal into the bustling NetSquare. Mazer's voice came in through their ear-pylons.

[Okay, the portal should be on your far right, supposedly it's actually recessed into the wall, kinda like a closet without a door.]

Understood, on our way.

The trio started to walk through the NetSquare and weaved their way around pillars and groups of programs as they got further and further away from the center of the square. Eventually the voices of the progs and Navis were just a dull hum, and they reached a completely vacant area of the NetSquare. The three looked around, and Aera pointed out a cut out area in the wall. They moved over to investigate, and sure enough, an odd looking portal was attached to the closest panel to the wall. The portal looked quite old, but it seemed barely used, so it looked more dusty than broken down. As they approached, the portal started to glow a dark crimson as dust started to swirl around. The portal still seemed to work after a seemingly long time since it's last use.

Mach looked back to Aera and Vector, who nodded at him, and entered the portal. Aera and Vector quickly followed, and were warped into the Undernet.

((To The Undernet))
((From the Undernet))

Mach, Aera, and Vector emerged from the portal, much to the relief of them all. Vector unjunctioned from Machman as Aera eased down to the floor of the NetSquare. Machman had a serious look on his face, and shook his head.

That's the first time I ran away. I know it was the right thing to do, but my heart feels like we could have survived in there.

I'm sorry, but I just felt this fear that I had never felt before when we were down there. I felt like I couldn't breathe.

Well, it's over now. We're not going back there for a long time, if ever.

[Well... now what? Should we head somewhere else?]

You know what? How about we go to that Cafe we went to with Red and Myun? We can sit down and calm our nerves for a while, have a drink or two, and decide where to go next.

Aera started to smile again, her body was no longer shaking.

I love that idea. Besides, Vector's never been there before, and we could show him around.

Vector's eye shone a little brighter, and he seemed to perk up a little and stand a little straighter. He didn't want to show it, but he was rather excited to see this "Cafe" that Mach and Aera were talking about. He hid his excitement by affirming Aera's comment with a nod.

[Sounds like a plan to me. I have some change lying around, it should be enough for drinks and a snack.]

Alright then, let's get going.

Aera grabbed Mach's hand, and Vector followed next to Aera as they walked back towards the more trafficked area of the square.
As the group stepped away from the telepad, the sound of the teleporter activating behind them echoed its way to them. In the silence following, a male voice with an old Netopian accent spoke up. "Hail travelers." The voice belonged to a Navi of average human height clad in a futuristic take of old ceremonial full plate armor, if the line work detailing was any indicator that is. The Navi's face was not visible behind a full face guard, complete with lighted visor. An odd feature was the cape of long, thin metal plates that appeared to hang from the Navi's back. The Navi opened his gauntleted hands to show he carried no weapons as he walked forward at a slow pace. As the Navi spoke again, his tone was very courteous, though his message was direct. "I wish to have a word with the Navigator among you, and your Operator, if I may."
The trio paused at greeting of the Navi, and turned towards him. He appeared quite calm, and held his hands out in a display of non-aggression as he slowly walked towards them. Mach and Aera looked over the armored Navi, and noted the complexity and detail of his knightly regalia.

Vector took a particular interest in the Navi, since he appeared to be a knight, just like Vector believes himself to be. He watched the Navi intently as he spoke again. Machman calmly replied to the armored Navi.

Good afternoon. My name is Machman.EXE, and my Operator is Mazer Patrovski.

Mazer opened up a communication window, which appeared as a pop-up screen floating a foot or two next to Mach's head. Mazer nodded as he adjusted his glasses.

[Greetings.]

We were on our way to the NetCafe, but we are in no particular hurry. We'd be happy to speak with you, Mr...

Machman's voice trailed off and emphasized his request to learn the Navi's name.
The Navi's hands fell slowly to his side once dialog had been established. "Arbiter." The Navi supplied before continuing. "I do not wish to delay you, Machman, so I will be brief. Sir, I observed your party's reckless entry into the Undernet portal, and felt compelled to investigate. Pardon my personal curiosity, but I would like to inquire as to what reasons you may have had for venturing forth into the Undernet." It was impossible to read the Navi's face for emotional cues, but his tone suggested genuine curiosity while his manner remained formal.
Mach listened to the Navi, who introduced himself as Arbiter, speak. At first, he took a slight offense to the term "reckless," but he had a good point. Mach seemed to think the terms "naively" or "unknowingly" would have been more appropriate, but his focus was more on the Navi's knowledge of their adventure, not his opinion on how wise it was to do so.

The Navi continued by asking why they ventured there in the first place. Taking from how the Navi approached from behind, and how he knew exactly where they had been, Mach determined he had to have been following them, somehow. He couldn't think of any other way. Mach heard no hostility in his voice, and since so few people had even heard of the Undernet (from what Mazer had seen while looking for information), it seemed okay to explain the situation to this Navi.

Machman kept his composure and calmly explained to Arbiter.

We decided to seek out the Undernet due to some information we gathered from one of my SPs, Aera. We were attempting to find a place with powerful viruses we could truly test our limits against, and Aera mentioned the Undernet.

Aera stepped forward with slight nervousness, causing Machman to pause.

I don't know exactly how I know about it, but it just popped into my head when we were discussing powerful viruses and where we could find them. For some strange reason, I knew about this place, and felt it was where viruses originated.

Aera tried to remember more, and Mazer chimed in.

[You see, Aera's data originally came from one of the data anomalies that have been reported in several areas throughout the net. If what she's saying is true, I believe these anomalies may have had some sort of connection with the Undernet, and this knowledge survived the transition from anomaly to Support Program. She did not know how to get there, but I was able to eventually piece together some rumors on the boards and find the portal.]
Arbiter stood there and quietly listened to the group's collective explanation. As each person spoke in turn, he turned his head to look directly at the speaker. Once they were finished, he turned hsi head back to face Machman once again before speaking: "You may be vaguely aware of this already, but allow me to say that your swift return to the NetSquare was the best decision you could have made. The viruses of the Undernet are in a class of their own." Arbiter paused for a moment, and raised his arms to assume a thinker's pose. "However, the manner in which you learned of the Undernet, and the theories you've proposed intrigue me."

Almost as soon as Arbiter finished speaking, a chat window with a young Netopian lady with shoulder length almond colored hair, possibly in her early 20's and not at all hard to look at, appeared next to the Navi. "Same here. I'm thinking maybe we should look into it." The female operator spoke with a modern Netopian accent, and seemed to be a lot less formal than her Navi. "Hi, I'm Heather." She introduced herself in an 'oh, by the way' fashion that made Arbiter face palm. "Is there any way we can contact you guys to talk more about this later?"
Mach nodded as Arbiter affirmed his decision to retreat was a wise one, and was about to speak after Arbiter expressed his curiosity of how they knew, but was cut off as a NetOp window opened up next to Arbiter. A brown-haired woman, assumed to be Arbiter's operator, appeared on the window.

{Woah, didn't expect that. She's... pretty...}

Machman was also caught a little bit off guard by the appearance of the Netop, but not because of Heather's outward appearance, but due to her rather casual demeanor.

Hello, Miss Heather. We would be glad to contact you with more information.

Machman's neutral approach reminded Mazer to retain his composure.

[I'm Mazer. It's a pleasure to meet you, Heather. I'll have Machman pass on a file to Arbiter. It has my email ...and phone number, so feel free to get in contact with us at any time.]

Machman's deep blue eyes shifted towards Mazer's pop-up window, suggesting he sensed Mazer was acting a bit... odd. A small data file, shaped like a glowing business card, materialized in Machman's hand; which he handed to Arbiter.

Attached: M.Patrovski@PSAOM.org, Mazer's Phone #
Arbiter's gaze also shifted to Mazer's window right about the time Machman's did, though no-one could tell through the visor. ...And his phone number. By the Programmer, another hopeful suitor. Arbiter had been around a long time. He knew what this meant... and sort of wished Mazer luck, though he didn't plan to help the man at all.

Arbiter silently accepted the data file, which dematerialized as the Navi sent it to his PET.

"Thanks." Heather said with a smile. "We'll talk with you guys later, then. Bye." With that, Heather's window disappeared.

"I will now take my leave. Thank you for your time, and I bid you good day." Arbiter said with a nod of his head before turning and walking quietly into the bustling traffic of the NetSquare.
Mach nodded and Aera smiled as Heather bid the group farewell and closed the window. Arbiter also said his goodbyes.

You two, Arbiter. Feel free to contact us any time.

It was nice to meet you, Arbiter.

[Have a good day, both of you.]

Arbiter turned away and was quickly obscured from view by the multitude of progs and Navis moving about the NetSquare.

Mach turned towards Mazer's pop-up window, and crossed his arms.

Phone number? Who's the lady-killer now?

[sh... shut up, Mach. Don't we have a cafe to go to?]

Mazer's window promptly closed, which incited a chuckle out of Mach. The trio started to walk into the crowd and towards the Netopia portal. Aera was walking hand-in-hand with Mach, and turned her head towards Mach and whispered:

"Lady-killer?"

Mach turned to her and whispered back.

I'll explain later.

They had approached the portal and stepped in to warp through to the Netopia CyberCafe.

((To CyberCafe))
((From CyberCafe))

The trio emerged from the portal, and quickly got their bearings before following the signs towards the Dentech portal. Mach was first to speak up.

Sorry about that, Aera. I didn't want to make a scene.

No, you really helped me, both of you. There would likely have been a bigger scene if you arrived a second later, because I was just about to zap him.

Yeah, I doubt the manager wouldn't have appreciated us for toasting one of their waiters. He looked new, so he was probably some amateur hotshot

[Well, I probably wouldn't have threatened him with weapons, but at least you didn't cause a scuffle in there... I couldn't imagine what the damages would be like if that happened...]

We apologize for worrying you, Mazer.

[Eh, it's alright. Just don't do that again, okay?]

Understood, Mazer. We're here.

The portal sat a few feet away, and they processed one by one into the portal and warped down into the Dentech Rogue Network.

((To Dentech Rogue))
((From ACDC))

Mach, Aera, and Vector stepped out of the ACDCNet portal and into the bustling NetSquare. Navis of all shapes and sizes moved about their business in a flurry of movement that looked like controlled chaos. The three started to move forward, and found an abandoned table and set of 4 chairs near a column just outside of the main traffic zone. Mach gestured towards the table as he spoke.

How about we take a seat there, we can discuss our next course of action there, and Navi-watch as we do so.

Sounds good to me. Hopefully there aren't any over-confident waiters this time~.

Machman chuckled while Vector rolled his eye as they walked over to the table. Machman got there first, and grabbed a chair for Aera as she approached. He slid her chair in as she sat, then grabbed a seat for himself as Vector sat in another. Aera watched as the Navis and progs moved by at an almost blurring pace, and had a little difficulty tracking each one as they passed.

That's a lot of Navis... I wonder why we haven't run into more Navis on our travels.

Machman scratched his chin as the thought back during his reply.

Well, if you think about it, we've met quite a few Navis, especially since you joined us. I can think of XIII, EnigmaticEmperor, Magnus d'eon, RedRidingHood, Chefman, Twisted Albatross, Curseman, Splashman, Djinni, Rainfall, Gungrir, Arachne, Lau, Desperado, and Sylk; not to mention the multitude of NormalNavis, Progs, and HeelNavis we've encountered.

Hm... I remember most of them, but I haven't heard of the first three you mentioned.

Yeah, that was before I met you. I also sort of remember 1 Navi, but my memory is fuzzy. I don't remember his name, but his appearance was... wierd. I don't think he had eyes, just a big toothy grin. As a matter of fact, I think teeth was his theme. Maybe his name was... Teethman! I remember now! But... I don't remember why or how I met him, or anything else about him other than his appearance.

[Hey Mach... I've never heard of this Navi before, and I know I haven't seen a tooth-themed Navi before, let alone go busting with him.]

Then why do I remember him? It must have seen a picture or something, or I must have seen him passing by or something, and just remembered him because of his very odd appearance. Otherwise, I can't explain it.

Seems to make sense to me; he must have been on an advertisement or something, like a toothpaste commercial!

...
...
[...]

*sigh* You guys need a better sense of humor...

((Waiting for interaction))
With a beam of light, the spider made her way into the entrance of the Net Square, filled to the brim with varios navi's and programs alike as usual. As Sylk's eyes danced around the scenery, many things caught her attention, but most common were different things she had the urge to sink her teeth into; navis and programs amongst the possibilities. Rei was a little unsure wether Sylk saw the masses as a place to meet new friends, or an all you can eat buffet but until she caused trouble he didn't really mind one way or another.

This place is always so colorful. I just love the diversity when ever we stop by. We really should just relax here more often, k Rei? The navi smiled as she became engrossed watching the movement amongst the visitors, wandering the crowds herself for amusement wondering just what she would see.

"Fine fine. Just figure out what you want to do and let me know... and don't cause any ruckus, got it?"

Awww... can i atleast get something to eat?

"What did i just say?! Eating a navi would cause a ruckus!"

Sylk paused for a moment tilting her head, puzzled at the accusation. Who said anything about a navi? Geez Rei... i'm not THAT hungry. Not right now anyways, hehehe" Flashing a toothy smile back at her OP, Sylk quickly returned to wandering around the square aimlessly looking for something interesting to occupy her time. Anything was good really. She was just bored, and as usual, seeking some form of attention.
Mach, Aera, and Vector continued to watch the Navis pass by as they tried to think of new things to do.
[Well, we certainly shouldn't try the Undernet again.]

Absolutely, not until I'm much stronger. I think I'm getting close, but I don't want to risk it down there.

Vector, who had remained quiet nearly the whole time, chimed in as well.
I agree, sire; it is too dangerous to venture there at our current strength.[/b]

Hm... should we possibly try Dentech again? or maybe even go back to Yoka?

Mach scratched his chin as he tilted his head from side to side as he thought. Mazer adjusted his glasses as he looked at his group through his pop-up window.
Though Yoka sounds like fun, how about we save it for a real vacation, because I'm afraid it will lose its excitement if we go there often. I would be up for trying Dentech again, since we were only there for a short while.

Mazer continued to think, before his eyes lit up in a "eureka!" moment, and spoke excitedly to them.
[Hey, how about we get back together with Shin and RedRidingHood? We could congratulate them in person for winning the tournament!]

Aera's eyes lit up in a similar fashion as she remembered the little crimson cloak-wearing Navi and her cute brown bunny SP. She smiled with excitement as she spoke.
That sounds great! I'd love to see her again!

As do I. I bet she faced some really strong Navis on the way, and I'd like to hear about them; I wonder how strong she is now...

Vector's red eye shifted amongst the talkative Navi, SP, and operator while he himself remained silent. He felt like somewhat of a "5th Wheel" in the excitement, since he had never met this RedRidingHood.EXE, and knew nothing of the tournament. He was paying attention as the trio chattered about the meeting as he glanced into the crowd. His eye scanned the crowd before it stopped suddenly at the sight of a familiar face. It was Sylk, wandering in and out of the crowd, seemingly talking to herself as she was conversing with her operator. Vector turned towards Mach before he spoke.

Sire, Miss Sylk is amongst the crowd.

Machman immediately craned his neck up as he took a look around himself; Aera turned towards Vector excitedly.
Sylk!? She's here?

Vector pointed towards Sylk with his right arm.
Yes, m'lady; she is approximately 4 meters away in this direction.

Both Mach and Aera saw her in the crowd, though she wasn't exactly hard to find considering her unique appearance, and pushed their chairs back as they stood. Vector stood as well before he turned towards Sylk's direction. Aera called out to Sylk, just loud enough to be heard over the sounds of the bustling crowd.
Sylk!
As Sylk continued to weave through the mobs of the square, her ears picked up the sounds of a familiar voice. It even sounded as though it was calling to her. At first the spider just thought it was her own imagination running rampant as she slipped into boredom, but quickly decided that being as bored as she was she might as well check it out. Sylk spun her body back and forth trying to use all eight of her eyes to get some kind of glimpse, even a slight sight of someone she knew. The constant clutter of others, mixed together with the rapid movement of everyone moving past her made it more difficult than anticipated. She felt trapped for a brief moment, still unused to the feeling of large gatherings. It was that feeling which led her to snap slightly, bearing her fangs as her eyes seemed to glow in their deep crimson hue.

Move! The spider snapped with a venomous tone, her words echoing to those around her, giving off a feeling of impending doom to any standing too close. A portion of the group scattered in fear, whilst the rest of the crowd either paid her no mind or just didn't notice what was going on.

Such obedient little programs... Thank you, heehee~ Sylk chuckled to herself, whilst pretending like she hadn't just caused on seen. Still, it had given her enough room to finally see Mach, Aera and Vector. A smile quickly appeared on the arachnids face as she began to walk over to the three, trying not to have a mad outburst and tackle one of them from joy. Meeting up with them again made her nothing short of ecstatic, originally thinking it would be ages before they would get a chance to reunite after that last disaster of a battle. Yet here they were again, before her.

Hey~... Miss me? She tried to keep her cool, tilting her head slightly as she came to a stop. Sylk just smiled softly, as her right arms rested gently at her sides, each left gripping it's counterpart's bicep. She felt calm and at ease amongst their presence, and her boredom faded away.

Aera, Machman and Vector walked up to Sylk as she approached. Aera had a large smile on her face, and though Mach's smile couldn't be seen, and Vector was incapable of all facial expression, they were excited to see her again. Aera stepped forward away from the pair next to her as she reached towards Sylk.

I'm so glad you're alright!

She attempted to wrap her arms around their newest friend in a warm hug. As Aera hugged Sylk, Machman spoke up.
Sorry for letting you down, Sylk. I underestimated those two...
As Aera hugged Sylk, the spider was overcome with a multitude of feelings. On one hand, she was really happy. She felt more secure about herself in the sp's embrace. On the other hand, her fingers twitched with evil intentions, thinking about taking advantage of the situation. It was a nice chance, but in the end, her hand simply stayed itself. She couldn't bring herself to ruin the moment for her own selfish games, and simply just wrapped her arms gently around Aera, as Aera did to her. A calm and relaxed expression held on her face as she looked down at Aera, then to mach and vector.

Please don't worry about that anymore. You all did a wonderful job on your own; I was the one who wasn't pulling their own weight. What happened that day wasn't your fault, and no major harm came to me. Sylk had a look of remorse in her eyes, as she recalled how weak she had been, and still was. She always wondered what could have happened had she been able to keep up with the other navis that day. The chance would probably never come again though, sadly.

So, you didn't let me down. In fact, I'm just grateful you did as much as you had that day for me. We had only just met, after all..."

Sylk really had no clue what else she could say. She tried to smile, in order to reassure them that she held no ill thoughts towards them, nor did she blame them for the events. Her loss of words probably didn't help; she could only hope that they were convinced.
Machman felt a bit relieved that Sylk had no animosity towards Mach for not being able to hold up against the pair of Navis they faced. If he was in her situation, he would have felt at least a bit disappointed the stronger Navi was unable to stay in the battle. He was also still beating himself up inside for not being able to handle those two.

Aera gently loosened her grip as she released her hold on Sylk and took a step back.
Don't feel like you've burdened us, we were responsible for your safety when we decided to take you along.

Vector stepped forward, and bent down on one knee in front of Sylk before he spoke.
I apologize for not being there for you at the critical moment. My masters and I are continuing to become stronger, so we may regain our honor and prevent a similar situation from happening again.

At least, we think we're getting stronger. I bet you must have gotten much stronger since that last battle as well.