Future Quest
"Part One"
by Montage

Disclaimer: I don't own 'em...unless you don't recognize the name; then
their MINE!:)
All comments are welcomed and appreciated!

"I am quite sorry, my friend; but I am afraid he will most likely not
survive the night."

"No, he's gonna be okay," his companion cried.

He shook his head sadly, "I am sorry," he repeated.

"Sorry?" she looked away from the figure that lay dying on the bed
before her, "Sorry!?  Why should you be sorry?  Are you the one who
created the virus?  Did you expose him to it?  Did you..." she was
suddenly silent as she realized what she was saying.

"I'm the one who's sorry," she said softly.

"It was not your fault," he tried to comfort her.

"Yes it is.  If I hadn't challenged him..."

Hadji looked slightly shocked, "Jessie, that was nine years ago...there
was no way we could have known it would turn out this way."

She bit her lip and Hadji could tell that it was all she could do to
keep herself from sobbing.  It felt odd, he'd never seen her cry
before.  Not even when her mother had been killed at her dig in Peru
seven years ago.  Jonny had told him once that she'd cried for a long
time after Race's funeral.  Hadji still wasn't sure he believed him. 
He'd seen Jonny cry when he'd had to shoot...but it didn't matter now;
he was going to die and there was nothing they could do.

He exited the room, leaving Jessie sitting on the edge of Jonny's bed.

Five hours later, Jonothan Quest died.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"You know I'm gonna win, Jess...give up now and save yourself the
embarrassment of defeat."

Jessie Bannon scowled at his back and dodged a rather large tree that
she just happened to run into at about 70 miles an hour, "Not on yer
life, Jonny Quest!"

Jessie's hoverboard sped up as she manuvered the rocks and trees of
their forest surroundings.

Jonny, trying to maintain his lead, took a corner a bit to sharp.  He
lost his balance and was thrown from his board.

*Ow, my head,* he looked up in time to see Jessie whiz by him.  He
sighed and stood up.  He suddenly felt like he was being watched.  He
looked around, but didn't see anyone.  Jonny shrugged the feeling off
and grabbed his hoverboard.  He began to walk, since his board was
basically trashed.

"Jonny, are you okay?  That was some fall you took."

"I'm fine Hadj...just a little headache."

"Good.  Jessie's already won, why don't you just log off?"

"Um, Hadji?"

"Yes, my friend?"

"When did we program wolves into this game?" Jonny sounded somewhat
paniced.

"Wolves?" he heard Jessie ask.

"Jonny, I am afraid you've lost us."

"I swear to you that there are wolves here; please tell me you guys
programmed them in."

Jessie and adji exchanged a worried glance, "Jonny, get out of there,
now!" Jessie ordered.

"Holy..."

"Jonny?" there was a long silence.

"I can't get 'em off.  Guys, get me out of here."

"I can't...it seems to be locked up from the outside."

"OW!!"

"Jonny, are you okay?"

Jonny ripped the headset off and grabbed his arm.  Hadji and Jessie ran
over to him.

"Are you alright?" Jessie asked.

Jonny moved his hand and stared at his arm in bewilderment.  It was
bleeding.

"What happened?" Hadji inquired.

"He bit me," Jonny still looked confused.

"Who?"

"One of the wolves...they attacked me and one of them bit me."

Jessie and Hadji both frowned, "Jonny, that's impossible.  Questworld
isn't programmed to inflict phsical damage to your real life body."

"Tell that to my arm,"Jonny got up and grabbed the first aid kit.

Jessie snickered as she watched him try to wrap his own arm, "Need some
help?"

He handed her the bandage and she wrapped it neatly around the wound,
"Ta-da!"

"You related to Flourence Nightengale?" Jonny quipped.

"Jonny, aren't you the least bit interested in why the game was able to
inflict such a wound?" Hadji asked, nodding toward his friend's arm.

"Don't worry Hadj; probably just a glitch in the system,"Jonny called as
he left the room.

Jess and Hadji looked unconvinced, but followed him anyway.

Montage
montage@geocities.com

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