Twisted Fate
- Part [x]: Megabyte’s Genesis

A binome toddled into the throne room of Megabyte’s Tor and bowed down before his viral overlord.

Megabyte looked at the small creature and cocked a brow, inviting him to speak.

This didn’t click with the binome at first, but after some strenuous gesturing on Megabyte’s behalf, he got the gist in the end. Quickly coughing to clear his throat, the binome thus announced, “Professor Matrix, Ms. Matrix and Master Matrix, Lord Megabyte.”

The virus blinked slowly. “Very well,” he said, making a lazy wave of his hand. “Show them in.”

The binome got up and bowed his way out of the room, and then, escorted by another pair of viral binomes, the three Matrixes were shown in. First came Dot, who knew this place far better than she aught, followed by the younger version of her brother Enzo, and then finally their null-bot father, Welman Matrix.

Megabyte watched them all approach from the comfort of his great chair, his eyes passing between each of them. “My, my,” he said. “To what do I owe the honour?”

The three stopped short of his throne and Dot and Enzo both looked to their dad, who, with a short incline of his head, said, “Greetings, Lord Megabyte. I seek an audience with you to discuss the situation of my daughter.”

The virus smiled slowly. “What an admirable little speech. And I would be happy to oblige.” He waved a hand at one of the binomes, indicating that his legs were to be fetched at once. “Now your daughter’s presence here I can understand, but what of the boy? Does he seek some tête-à-tête with me as well?”

Enzo folded his arms and gave Megabyte what the virus could only call a very unsettling smile. “Just wanted to make sure we’re on good terms now that we’re practically gonna be brothers.”

The virus blinked at him. “What a delightful notion.”

Dot unwittingly snorted out a short laugh at this, attracting Megabyte’s attention to her. “I’m glad you find this amusing, Ms. Matrix,” he said.

She gave him a wide smile. “Well, if you don’t laugh, then you cry,” she said.

He nodded a little. “Yes. True.” He then turned to see his legs at hand and lifted himself into his trusty limbs. “Right then,” he said, once stood, “I am at your disposal, dear father.”

The words were heard by all, but nothing was said. Enzo and Dot found their smiles faltering at the insinuation, though, and Welman, now quite well aware of to what the virus referred, felt his shoulders shake a little, but he left it at that. He opened his hand to the side and invited the virus to walk with him. “Come, sir. Let us walk a while,” he said.

Megbyte bowed his head a little in concord and soon fell into step by the null-bot’s side.

“What’d he mean, sis’?” Enzo asked when their father and Megabyte were out of earshot. “Calling dad ‘father’?”

Dot rubbed his shoulders and watched after the pair. “Ignore him Enzo. It’s to do with something that happened a long time ago, and which doesn’t matter any more.”

---

Welman walked in silence at first until he knew he was far enough away from his children to not be overheard. “You have certainly made a mess of my daughter’s life, virus,” he then said.

“I have that general effect on people,” he rejoined.

“But I suppose I have only myself to blame. It was my invention that brought you here.”

Megabyte smiled. “Yes, it was. You saved the lives of my dear sister and I.” He suddenly turned to Welman and offered him a mocking bow. “We are in your debt.”

Welman didn’t indulge the virus by offering a response, or by reminding him of all the poor sprites that had been nullified in the same instant; he just continued walking. Yet he could not help but say, “So you will repay this debt by deceiving my daughter?”

“You do me great discredit, Professor,” Megabyte replied, “I may have deceived your daughter at first, under that Bob disguise, but not long since. She has come to me of her own free will.”

“Has she indeed? Have you been playing mind games with her and making her believe she was in love with you?”

“My good man, your daughter is one of the most determined and clearheaded sprites in Mainframe. Do you really believe it possible for me to delude her to such an extent?”

“Dot is as vulnerable underneath as any other sprite. You do not realise how she suffers.”

“So this is to be all my fault, I suppose? The big, evil virus corrupted poor, innocent Dot, leading her astray and infecting her with a wicked, mutant child.” He chuckled bitterly. “Yes, it is always my fault, is it not?”

“I have not come here to cross words, Lord Megabyte,” Welman said, stopping in his tracks and turning to the virus head-on. “I wish to know your mind on the situation, and nothing more. What is done cannot be undone, and we must deal with it.”

Megabyte rose his head and gave the null-bot a careful look. “Indeed. Then ask away.”

“Firstly, do you love my daughter?”

Megabyte grinned. “What a queer question. Does it relate to the situation at hand?”

Welman’s null-bot placed its metal hands upon its metal hips.

Megabyte nodded with an ever-present smile. “Very well. Yes, I feel an affection for your daughter. Why should it be otherwise?”

“That is not the same as love.”

“Love is a complex emotion, professor. We cannot all be programmed for it.”

“You are a complex virus, sir. I’m sure your mind can get around the concept.”

“Quite. But to suffer it is another thing.”

“So you do not love my daughter?”

The virus gave Welman a slight scowl. “I am rather enamoured by her, I must confess. Whether or not I feel love is something I cannot myself vouch for, because I frankly do not know.”

Welman settled with this. “Very well,” he sighed, his null-head nodding a little. “And of the present circumstances. She is to have your child.”

“I’m well aware.”

“And your feelings on the matter…?”

Megabyte gave him a curious look. “‘My feelings’?” he echoed. “You are a very peculiar fellow, Professor - asking me, a virus, about my feelings--?”

“You are the father of this child,” Welman firmly interceded, poking a finger into Megabyte’s robust torso. “Do not fool about with me - answer me. We are to be as good as related now, and I need to know where you stand.”

Megabyte looked a little aggravated by Welman’s rather condescending treatment of him, something he was entirely unaccustomed to, but he kept his cool, and once he had brushed the null-bot’s finger from his chest, replied, “I am quite excited by the prospect, my good man. It has never been done before and I am happy to be the engineer of such an event.”

“This is not a simple ‘experiment’, Megabyte,” Welman reminded him. “The product of your affair with my daughter--”

“‘Affair’? May I remind you that she is not married, Professor.”

Welman continued over the interruption; “--of your affair with my daughter shall live and breathe, and be a part of your life until, I dare say, it ends.”

“Yes, thank you for reminding me.”

“Will you be there for Dot? Will you be there for my grandchild? Will you, sir?”

“Be assured that I will, my good fellow, unless I am obstructed.”

Welman nodded. “And that you may very well be.”