Browser City

Chapter 2: The Rookie

Aethelred went back to the Console Room with an aura of resignation. The Core was sealed, as much as his sister's fate.

If she had chosen to go after the spyware and malware threatening Browser City, it was her choice. He would need to accept that, begrudgingly. He loved his younger sister dearly, so it was only natural that he was worried about her.

"I hope your programming and extra training can help out there," he whispered to himself as if he was talking to her.

Outside the Core's closed doors, Shannon stared at them and frowned. She knew she was hurting her brother with her decision. She took a deep breath and realised that she had no time to lose.

She headed towards the main avenue of Browser City, the most frequented street. It was a long and wide promenade with imposing, skyscrapers made of precious metals and glowing in multicoloured neon lights.

She crossed the Core's square. Then, she began to walk down the avenue, where other programming functions, extensions, and add-ons were carrying on with their duties. Some were working as usual. Some were enjoying some free time that Sunday morning. She dived into the crowd and checked for threats left and right.

Wi-Fi was softly blowing in the air around her and the power was running smoothly in the city's canals on either side of the avenue. No threats, no explosions, no nothing. 

This is so weird, Shannon thought. Everything seems normal.

However, an explosion startled her. The Bookmarks Bar, one of the most visible and fashionable buildings of Browser City, had been targeted. The digital glass from the building broke and fell on the passers-by like glittering rain. Tongues of fire emerged from the broken windows. Some bookmarks escaped from the building screaming and ran away in panic. Their reaction made other passers-by turn their heads to the source of trouble and run as well. They ran away, but Shannon didn't.

She remained standing, bearing being bumped into while she tried to make out the identities of the perpetrators of such a crime. When the crowd cleared, she saw two malignant figures standing there while the main avenue became a horror scene. Their imposing figures were getting outlined by the engulfing light of the fire behind them.

So, these two are the unwanted newcomers in Browser City, Shannon thought with dread and frowning.

There was no mistaking them. One was a well-built male figure, and the other was a lean female. Despite seeing them, she couldn't make out their faces with detail because they were veiled by their own shadows.

A cry for help echoed from the inside of the building. The malware and the spyware fled the scene as if they were in a hurry, leaving Shannon alone with a burning doubt inside her core: go after them, or help a fellow add-on in need? 

She bit her lower lip, and chose the latter.

She tried to find a safe way inside the burning building, and when she got inside the hall on the ground floor, she tried to locate the source of the cry. 

"Hello?! Where are you?!"

Burning debris kept falling all around her, reducing her visibility. A few feet on her left, the fire cleared for a nanosecond. She saw an add-on trapped under a large beam.

He was lying face down on the floor, his torso partly crushed. His whole body was severely injured and his right arm was already depixelating as well, like most of the furniture around them. His black full-body suit with glowing white lines was quite torn and burnt.

"Oh, dear! Mark?!" Shannon exclaimed as she rushed to him. Mark was the bookmarks manager.

"Shannon?!" he asked, recognising her while squinting his eyes. "What are you doing here?"