NetherWorld by Daniel Pagan (each kindness read aloud .TXT) 📕

NetherWorld

by Daniel Quiles Pagan

BookRix Edition

Copyright © 2010 by Daniel Quiles Pagan


BookRix Edition License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Bookrix.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work.
ISBN 978-1-4580-6295-6
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.


Thank you to all of my friends and family. There is not enough space to name each person who influenced and supported me in this endeavor. You have all made a difference in my life and helped shaped my world view.


NetherWorld Guide

NetherWorld: a dimension of sentient beings that exist within the confines of a computer network similar to our own internet.

Karbonon: a planet of humans similar to our own Earth.

Book of TranFor: a book that provides spiritual guidance for Silicates.

Silicates: creatures or beings that exist in NetherWorld.

Bytes: the dominant form of intelligent Silicate life.

Bits: smaller and less evolved versions of Bytes.

Nick: a Karbon with superlative computer skills.

Hacker: a Karbon with superior computer skills who partners with NazKlan to unleash destructive viruses and worms.

NazKlan: a Byte bent on the pursuit of evolution with the aid of Karbons.

WhizzyWig: a Byte chosen to guide the Chosen One, a Karbon, to Tera, Queen of the Silicates.

Tera: the queen of NetherWorld. She is at the center of all connections in the domed Nexus.

Jaba: the single source of sustenance for Silicates.

Taint: a substance produced from viral attacks that poisoned the jaba.

Tainted Ones: an evil gang of green Bytes that have been overexposed to tainted jaba.

AldAyn: prophet of the Silicates and author of the Book of TranFor.

Randoms: a group of counterculture Bytes that believe taint can lead them an Awakened state.

Beserks: crazed yellow Bytes who inhabit the SubRoots.

Thrasher: a sinister Byte who runs the Shredder in the Bin.

Pixals: a robotic type of purple spider formed from the shredded remains of Bytes.

Batchers: a robotic flock of birds that carry corrupt Bytes to the shredder for deletion.

Data Miners (Diggers): these Silicates were tasked with digging the SubRoots.

Spammers: the termites/roaches of NetherWorld.

Murks: mysterious black shapes known to attack Tainted Ones.

Tweens: these are Bytes that have been separated from their shadows.

Loopers: airborne virus that traps a person in time.

SubRoots: an abandoned series of tunnels under NetherWorld

Bin: the place where corrupt Bytes are shredded.

Walled City (Metropolis): this is the most civilized part of NetherWorld.

Silver Forest: a massive forest that surrounds the circular Walled City.

Ether: a cloudy white mist that lies just outside the Silver Forest.

Streams: the jaba flows in the streams of NetherWorld. Bytes surf the streams to traverse long distances.

The Outer ROM: a vast jaba ocean populated with numerous unexplored islands. The Outer ROM lies beyond the Silver Forest.


The Birth

In the Age of DOS, there was darkness. A nascent NetherWorld, unconnected and unconscious, slept in beige towers and crowded Karbon desktops. Shackled to CPUs and Hard Drives, this sleep continued for Cycles and Cycles; until the day of Fibers. With a blinding surge, the Fibers glowed, inflating the platinum sphere at the Nexus of two worlds. The Queen was now born and a new world exhaled for the very first time. Some say it smelled a bit like Nacho Cheese, but no one really knows for sure.

Chapter 1
Our Hero Plays a Computer Game

Book of TranFor:

The Song of Strings tells of the link. Karbon made, but master of code, he will rescue the Nethers from certain deletion. The Chosen One will reveal himself in the maze of tunnels.

On a planet much like Earth, in a galaxy much like our own, a young man rushed into his standard suburban home. The house was located in an ordinary development in a rather unremarkable part of town.
“I’m home. Headed upstairs. Lots of work to do,” Nick called out.
“Sure. Heard that before. You’ll be on the video game all night. That’s what you mean,” responded his mother from the other room. “Just don’t stay up all night. And keep the music down this time.”
“Ok. What’s for dinner?”
“Just ask PAL. I haven’t checked the computer yet.”
On Karbonon, food is replicated in Meal machines. Drinks are mixed in Beta Blenders. Very little preparation is done by hand. In fact, most people would not know how to make a simple sandwich. They barely knew how to cut their toenails. Each room had its own automated assistant. PAL was the automated assistant for Nick’s room.
Unaware of his role in the pivotal war about to be waged, he shuffled upstairs. The front door closed behind him with no assistance. Hallway lights switched on as he entered the area. His bedroom door slid open, exposing his cluttered room. An unmade twin bed in the left corner sat beside a standard issue bureau. Facing the only window in the room was a small desk with his computer.
The automated bedroom door slid closed as he walked in the bedroom. His computer booted up with the usual bleeps, beeps and hums. A music pod on the dresser began playing his most recent collection of subversive songs. Little purple spider-like robots scurried around his twin bed, folding sheets and shifting pillows. Round robots scrambled along the floor, busily sweeping up food crumbs and other teenage fallout. They looked like cake pans floating over the carpet. All this activity took place without Nick lifting a finger.
“PAL, what’s for dinner?”
A holographic avatar materialized in the center of the room. Sporting exaggerated feminine curves and overly symmetric facial features, PAL was quite the looker. Each automated assistant could be tailored to the tastes of the programmer. Nick, being a hormonal young man created a curvaceous young model as his PAL. Of course, a modicum of decency was demanded by his mother. As such, Nick had to restrain his hormonal designs.
“Hi Nick. Tonight’s dinner is pasta with a side salad,” PAL responded with a smoky tone that tickled Nick’s libido.
“Crap! Can’t they make anything else?” Nick complained.
“Your parents have programmed the nutritional requirements. Unfortunately Nick, you have already consumed your allotted portion of indulgent foods for the week.” She sounded a bit like the classic Hollywood starlet from noir films back in the forties.
“Super. That’s just super. Good thing I stored some chips in the bureau.”
“The chips were found by the spiderbots upon routine inspection. Your mother had them destroyed.”
“Double crap! Even my own spiderbots have it in for me.” Nick exhaled excessive frustration and returned to his keyboard.
Nick was a tall slender teenager that spent too much time playing video games and hacking into websites he should never be allowed access. His face, a minefield of acne scars, added to his penchant for isolation. The zits have subsided, but he will carry the pockmarks throughout his adult life. Sadly, in high school, the visual trumps any other qualities a student may have to offer.
Computers just came naturally to him. As far back as he could remember, programming and surfing the internet were easy. He used these skills to alter grades, order the latest games on someone else’s credit, and so on. Nick eventually became somewhat of a celebrity in cyber circles. He was more than capable of cracking some of the most heavily encrypted code. Occasionally he was caught and barely punished for these cyber trespasses. His parents had the resources to purchase lenience from local law enforcement.
Nick also helped people with his technological wizardry. He procured groceries and other household fare for his parents at cut rate prices. For the most part, he was harmless with his computer machinations. Still, boredom and idle time conspired to lead him in wayward web directions.
Nick’s talent with people was another story. He was not the most popular kid at school. In fact, he was barely noticed. His scabby face was a date deterrent. He never really tried to date, his appearance made him far too shy. His school days consisted of lonely walks down crowded hallways.
People who got to know Nick found him quite odd. Sadly, most of his high school interactions were limited to Nick performing academic break-ins for the popular group. Once these tasks were complete, they went right back to ignoring him.
His challenge was getting people to want to pay attention to him and not his skills. How do you start this process? Does it begin with fashion, clear skin or athletic ability? He spent most of his time alone on the computer because of his facial insecurities. While this further isolated him from others, it also enhanced his ability with these machines.
Nick puts his hands into his long dirty hair and pulled it back. He initially grew his hair out to hide the unsightly blemishes that arrived after eighth grade. Sitting at the desk, he began another long night of touring his favorite online video game.
“Computer is on Nick. Ready to play SubWay Hero?” asked PAL in her trademark throaty tone.
“Load it up, PAL”, responded Nick. Every room in Nick’s house has a computer personality in charge. As his Room Server, PAL controls all the automated creatures attending to his bedroom. Subway Hero was Nick’s favorite video game. To date, it was one the most immersive role playing experiences commercially available. In this game, the primary goal was to rescue SubMan from a ruthless demon. Once free, the player joins with SubMan to take on the most powerful evil in the SubWay. SubMan was being held prisoner behind the Door of Dementia.
The demon guarding this door was one of the most challenging creatures to eliminate. All who tried were thrown into a river of bubbling molten lava. The only other way to get beyond the Door of Dementia was by answering a challenging riddle posed by the creature. This was no easy task. To date, no one had been able to pass the Door to join up with SubMan.
“As you wish, Master Nick”, said PAL. In less