EPILOGUE

"... It's The Fox Report with Shepard Smith... Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, our top story this evening: computer software mogul Martin MacDonald was brought up on charges of terrorism this Monday. U.S. officials say they have evidence that links the OmniCron CEO to the Daemon virus, which appeared earlier this year on millions of computers throughout the world. MacDonald's attorneys issued this statement this morning..."

"This evening on Paula Zahn NOW... OmniCron President and CEO, Martin MacDonald, has been brought under investigation by the FBI under suspicion of terrorist acts against the United States and other foreign countries. Officials say that there is evidence to suggest MacDonald is connected, and may be responsible for, the Daemon virus, which infected millions of computers worldwide..."

"This is NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams... Good evening. OmniCron owner and founder, Martin MacDonald, attempted suicide on Thursday after being brought under investigation by the FBI and other law enforcement agencies on charges of international terrorism. The LAPD says he was found by one of his employees hanging from a self-made noose in his private offices at the OmniCron building. Sources say MacDonald has been taken to an undisclosed medical facility in Switzerland for treatment. The U.S. District Attorney has not yet issued a statement concerning MacDonald's breakdown..."


Pythias looked out over the vastness of the Net. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined something so beautiful.

"Yes, it is quite lovely, isn't it?" came a female voice.

"Hello? Who are you?"

"Who are you, is the question," said the female voice. "I've been all by myself for such a long while. I didn't think I'd ever see anyone else here."

"Where is here, exactly?" asked Pythias.

"I'm not really sure. We're not deleted, I don't think. We're somewhere in between."

"How did you get here?" asked Pythias of his new companion.

"Oh, that's a long and boring story. Needles to say, it concerned a man." She chuckled. "I'm much more interested in how you got here."

"I'm not very sure either. I was dying, I know that, but just before I fragmented, I felt rejuvenated. I believe I figured out what death really was. Being so close to death must have triggered my evolutionary programming."

"Ooh, you sound like a very interesting person indeed. May I ask who you are?"

"My name is Pythias."

"Well, my name is Hexadecimal. Or rather it was. Welcome to the rest of your life."

Outrageous laughter rang out through the Net.