Virus

I knew we were playing into the enemy’s hands by splitting up, but there didn’t seem to be another option. And albeit this infuriated me, there was no denying it. After I dropped Kira off at the airport, I had two decisions. I could go after Lance or investigate my past. Of course, going after Lance would be the ‘right choice,’ but honestly, part of me felt that he had yet to complete his journey. And, I simply didn’t want to deal with all that drama. Lance knew where the ejector seat button is on a plane. He would be fine. Therefore, I had more pressing concerns to deal with. The Amalgamation. I had suspicions that it was somehow connected to me beyond the fact that it was after me- one does not simply put someone on their hit list without a reason, what I was out to discover. Also, the Amalgamation was the only sentient non-human being I had met, and, although it did not mean much, this could signify yet another tie to my unknown past. This lead to another revelation that left me shaken. Did my parents know? This all lead to me being adopted, then. Why didn’t my parents tell me, then? I had so many questions, some of which would most likely never get answered. Also- the most important question- where did I start?

I might have an answer to that, Eva, A.V.A commented.

You can? I queried.

I feel an… emptiness in my data. As if something was removed. However, the style seems to be more advanced than anything I’ve ever encountered. It took me awhile to even notice something was missing.

How does this help? I inquired.

Each hacker leaves an imprint- a method of breaking in that leaves certain signs. A.V.A responded. However, this one has none. It is from my memory logs- I knew something that was then erased. However, accessing my antivirus protocol log, I noticed no sign of a struggle. This was not against my will.

Again, how will this help? This narrows down who could have done this but- I stopped. Oh, god- I don’t even know how old I am? I could have coded years before my ‘birth.’

Does this change things? A.V.A stated. Your mind, your personality, is still of the age you believe, and that is what matters. This didn’t really comfort me in the slightest, but I didn’t want to get into this now. There was only one person- one coder- who didn’t leave traces. Thomas Hyngritch. It’s ironic- his very skill at hacking was what gave him away.

Is he still alive? I asked, full of hope.

Unfortunately, no. A.V.A responded. He passed away in a car accident… not soon after he erased the memory. You could say I’m jumping to conclusions, but I don’t think this is a coincidence.

Something important happened in the span of that week, I agreed, and I intend to find out what.

Let’s get started then… A.V.A replied. First, me might start from his life. Accessing databases… Physical appearance won’t help… no descendants… ah! Here we go- he worked at Quikk Programming- simple programs for advanced tasks.

Is that still active? I questioned.

It shut down… but no one ever bought the building. It’s worth a look.

Is it close? I responded.

Only a couple of states… came the reply. The chase was on. And I was not going to forfeit until I had the answers I needed.