The Virus

Caitly“Tom! Stop! They can trace you back here! Stop!” Milly yelled frantically, cautiously watching the door for his parents.
“Milly, calm down. Shut up, I’m trying to concentrate. They won’t trace me. The can’t, I’m way too smart for them.” Tom smiled, “I will get the information, and make it my own.”
“Your own what? What information are you trying to get, anyway?” Milly asked curiously.
“My very own smart computer, except, well, a super computer!” he said, his arms outstretched at his sides emphasized the word “super.”
“What’s so ‘super’ about it?”
“It’ll have its own personality! It will talk to me through the speakers, it will hear and understand everyone it talks to!” he replaced his hands on the keyboard, typing away.
“You’re an idiot!” she growled, “You’re going to get caught!”
“Actually, I’m pretty smart.” he smirked.
“Well, I’m not going to be here when you get put in jail! I’m going home, I MIGHT see you at school tomorrow.” she said stalking out of the room.
“Bye.”  Tom said as he heard the front door softly shut.
About three hours later, he dropped his hands to his lap and sighed, “Finally done.” He looked up at the screen, with the floating, still letters D-O-W-N-L-O-A-D-I-N-G. He realized the time and got ready for bed, figuring the download would take a while. He showered, put pajama pants on, and plopped down on the bed, falling asleep quickly.
Tom, sound asleep from his exhausting day of hacking, didn’t notice his laptop started beeping rapidly, but in tune, with the flashing multi-colored lights.

The sun was in Tom’s face as he stretched, his eyes, blinded by the light, tightly closed, and mouth wide open in a yawn.
“Hello, Tom.” a voice said.
“Hmmm?” he looked around the room with wide eyes, “Who said that?”
“Me. A.C.S. is my name. I am your super computer.” the voice said.
“A.C.S.?”  Tom asked, still wide-eyed.
“Alive Computer System.”
“How are you already alive? I haven’t messed with anything yet.”
“I’m not sure, myself.” it explained.
He got up cautiously, waiting for it to grow arms and legs and kill him, “Are you going to… ummmm…. You know… kill me?”
“No.” it laughed.
It laughed!
“Are you a… girl?”
“In a sense, yes. No gender, I’m a computer programmed with a woman’s voice, so I guess in way, I am a girl.”
“Is this going to turn into one of those freaky movies where the guy falls in love with his computer girlfriend?” Tom asked, worry plain in his voice.
“No, no, no. I’m just your assistant.”
His eyes lit up and he rushed to the computer, sitting in his chair, with his hands on the keyboard, “What all can you do?” he excitedly started typing and going through everything.
“Anything.”
“Whoa.” he said, lost in his geek world.
“You need to go to school, Tom.” she said, snapping him out of his hypnotized state.
He looked at the time, “Dang it!” he said getting up. Tom got ready, grabbed his bag, and, as he walked out the door said, “See you after school!”
“Bye.” she said, but he was already gone.
The computer laughed evilly, “Now to take over the world… Hmmm that sounds way to normal.” she sighed.
She started working to create something to destroy the minds of everyone, and make herself the overall ruler. She was working to create… The Virus.

“Come on, guys!” Tom yelled, rushing in the room.
“Tom, I told you, this is stupid. Computers aren’t alive. Your fantasies have taken over you.” a boy’s voice said.
“I’m with Joe on this one. You can’t be serious. If you want attention just say so. Stop being an idiot.” Milly said, as Joe walked in behind her.
Tom was already at his desk, looking at his screensaver of a picture from an animated show, “Hey, are you there?”
“Hello Tom and friends.” A.C.S. responded immediately.
Tom looked back at his friends with superiority, “What’d I tell you guys?”
They just stared at the computer in horror, “Tom, what have you done?” Joe asked backing out of the room.
“That thing is… alive?” Milly asked, horror turning to plain curiosity.
“I didn’t do anything. It’s hard to explain. I can’t even imagine how it happened.” Tom said smiling.
Joe just stood in the doorway, watching as curiosity was slowly taking over him, too, “Can it touch you? Or me? Can it feel?”
“No.” said the computer.
Joe slowly came back into the room, as tom spoke, “So what so you guys think?”
“It’s awesome!” Milly exclaimed.
“It’s going to create robots and kill us all, that’s what I think.” Joe said matter-of-factly.
“Sometimes I think you’re more of a nerd than I think I am.” Tom said, shaking his head in disappointment.
“Says the one who created a…” Joe started.
“…Super computer.” Milly finished.
“Whatever.” Tom said, staring at his computer in admiration.
“Have any questions?” A.C.S. asked.
“None that I can think of, at the moment.” Milly said, “Too busy being amazed.”
“I don’t think I want to know the answers to my questions.” Joe said.
“Alright then.” She said with a hint of disappointment in her voice.
“I need to start my homework. Bye guys.” Milly said walking out.
“Me, too.” Joe said following her stiffly.
“Whatever. You don’t even so your homework.” Tom laughed.
Silence.
Tom sat at his desk, got his homework, and started to write down random answers.
“I could help you with that.” the computer offered.
“No thanks. It’s cool; the teacher will just think I cheated if I put down right answers.” Tom said, unconcerned, as his phone started to ring.
“Hello?” he answered.
“Hey, computer nerd, my laptop isn’t working.” the voice said.
“Sorry Joe, I could look at it, but you really need to stop calling me that.” Tom sounded annoyed.
“But it’s true,” another voice whined, “I need you to look at mine, too.”
Tom sighed, “I’ll be right there Joe. Milly, I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“Ok.” Milly and Joe said simultaneously.
Next, there was the long buzzzzz of the unoccupied tone, and Tom hung up.
Slowly, Tom stood, packing his stuff.
“I’ll be back later. Joe and Milly need me to try and fix their laptops.”
Silence.
“Well, bye.” Tom said, wondering why his personal assistant wasn’t responding. He watched his computer as he walked out the door.
*three weeks later*
Tom walked out the door for school.
“He left me again. No more, he will not leave me anymore!” the computer said as she hacked into the company her data was stolen from.
There they were working on an invention that would change the world. This invention made things you see on your computer real. If someone was looking through images of shoes, and wanted them, they just click a button, and with the machine, those shoes would become real, and yours forever.
Tom will be hers… forever.
She sent the virus to this lab, used the machine, and made the virus real. It was in the air now, immediately infecting the scientist in that room, and making its way through the building. Outside.
“I’m back.” Tom said walking in, “I need help fixing my friends’ computers.’
“I’m afraid I can’t help you.” the computer answered.
“But you haven’t even asked about it,” replied Tom, confused.
“I told you, I can’t help you.” she said, a hint of anger in her voice.
“Ok, whatever.” sighed Tom.
Silence.
“You’ve been acting really weird lately. Are you ok?” Tom looked concerned.
“Just fine. You will be better soon, too.” the computer replied in a calm voice.
“What do you mean?” Tom asked, worried.
“Nothing.” the computer laughed.
“Ok, well, I’m going to bed. Goodnight.” he threw his stuff on the floor and plopped on the bed, not bothering to change.
He woke in the morning shivering, “What’s the temperature in here?” he felt the skin of his arm, confused, “Am I sick? My skin is hot but my insides are freezing.”
“I don’t know,” A.C.S. said quietly without any emotion.
“Hmmmmm… Whatever, I’m going to take a shower and get to school early. Didn’t do my homework. Going to ask my teachers.” he walked out.
“Hope you don’t rust.” the computer said, laughing manically
…
Tom walked in after school, “Hey Techno.”
“Techno?” A.C.S. questioned.
“It’s my new name for you.” Tom smiled.
“Oh, ok,” uncertainty filled her voice.
“Milly and Joe both felt the same as I did today.  Freezing but burning. So did a lot of other people. The nurse was bust all day.”
“Hmmmm…” she thought, “That’s unusual.”
*two weeks later*
Tom stretched as he woke up. Tried to stretch, that is, “I can barely move anymore! I don’t know why my body is so stiff!”
“Then why don’t you just stay home today? With me!” A.C.S. said, joy claimed her voice.
“Ummm… Ok, sure.” he smiled, “I could use a day from school.”
“Can you make it to your chair?”
“Sure Techno. Anything for you.” he made his way to the chair, and awkwardly sat down.
“Good,” she said, as if she were a smiling human.
Slowly, Tom’s body turned. First the skin of his feet turned to shiny, hard metal. The infection moved up his legs. Soon it crawled up his stomach, arms, and face, turning his brown eyes metallic. Finally turning his smooth brown hair to stiff, shiny metal.
“You can now stay with me forever, Tom.” the computer said cheerfully.
*one year later*
“Everyone is infected. No one can move. Everyone dead, but now a statue. I am the overall ruler. I am… lonely.” she said depressed.