Chapter 36: Deletion

Chapter 36: Deletion Dikiyoba
The perfected rat entered the Tech Support Forum. It clawed Enraged Slith, killing him.

Filth Finder and Garbage Gatherer hurled themselves at a mung rat, hissing furiously. The mung rat had difficulty getting through their exoskeletons and its disease didn't affect them.

Dintiradan had his hands full trying to keep the rats from unplugging the Deth Ray or chewing through the cord. He smashed a red rat with Homeland. "Stupid outdated models. I need help, someone!" He hit another rat.

Wanderer stabbed a giant rat that was gnawing on the cord. The Lurker killed a blue rat that was sneaking up on Dintiradan.

"See, I knew you'd be back," Dintiradan said.

"No, I'm not," the Lurker said, "But if this Deth Ray is the only way to bring down the perfected rat, then I'll help you with whatever you need."

Dintiradan smashed another rat. "You and Wanderer keep the rats away from the cord. I'll aim the Deth Ray." Dintiradan fought his way through towards the Deth Ray.

Riibu sat invisibly in a corner with the nymphs.

"What are Mom and Dad and the rest doing?" Filth Filcher asked.

"They're fighting the rats," Riibu whispered.

"Because the rats are mean and scary?" asked Crud Collector.

"These ones are," Riibu said.

"Why aren't you fighting the rats as well?" Litter Locater asked.

"Because I... um, well... why aren't you?"

"The rats would eat us alive!" Rot Retriever said, "And that's not an exaggeration!"

"Exactly!" Riibu said.

"You look too big for the rats to swallow whole," Sewage Spotter said.

"I just mean that I'm not much of a fighter," Riibu said.

As Rakshasi battled the rats, his hands felt numb. He looked and saw that his fingers were slowly disappearing. "What's going on?" Rakshasi vanished.

Mysterious Man saw what happened. "Stareye, Drakefyre, Rakshasi's gone!"

"Gone? What do you mean gone?" Drakefyre demanded.

"He's been deleted, just like Imban," Mysterious Man said.

"I told you everyone was doomed!" Nikki threw down his weapon and ran screaming into the General Forum.

"Yes! I told you we would win! Fight harder, rats!" The perfected rat blasted Mysterious Man with a bolt of fire.

Alorael aimed his sniper rifle at the perfected rat. If he aimed just right, he should be able to kill the perfected rat in one shot. The only difficulty was that the perfected rat moved a lot faster than any pedestrian. If it would hold still for only a moment... Alorael didn't notice anything wrong until the moment he disappeared.

Jumpin' Salmon dove for the sniper rifle. "Mine again!"

The sniper rifle disappeared a moment later.

"Aw, shoot."

"Emperor Tullegolar and the perfected rat must have triggered something when they fought," Stareye said, "And since Imban was the first to go, everyone will go unless we can fix it."

"The perfected rat will be after us the moment we try and get to the Moderator Board," Drakefyre said.

Ash Lael disappeared.

Emperor Tullegolar burst into the forum with his slith spear in one hand and his flag in the other. "For the Concluding Resolution!" He drove the slith spear into the perfected rat and pressed the flag over the perfected rat's eyes. The perfected rat struggled to heal and free itself from the makeshift blindfold. It clawed Emperor Tullegolar a few times, but Emperor Tullegolar held on. Spiderwebbers attacked it from all sides.

"Get out of the way, I can't get a clear shot!" Dintiradan said.

Drakefyre and Stareye ran for the Moderator Board.

"Ooh! Ooh! Wait for me!" Jumpin' Salmon followed them.

The perfected rat freed itself from the flag and knocked Emperor Tullegolar aside. It killed Jewels.

Kelandon snatched up Enraged Slith's weapon and hurled the two-tined spear at the perfected rat's beady eye. The perfected rat gave one final, furious squeak and died.

Emperor Tullegolar coughed. "See? I told you all we weren't going to be beaten by a rat." Emperor Tullegolar died.

"And we didn't even need the Deth Ray," Nioca said.

The rats stopped attacking.

"Now what do we do?" one asked.

"Run!" said another.

The rats swarmed into the General Forum. One of them opened the door that led outside.

"No, don't do that!" Randomizer said.

Too late. A wave of water flooded in. Rats and spam were caught up in the deluge. Randomizer and Zorro sought safety on the stairs.

Nikki ran back into the Tech Support Forum. "Now we're all really doomed!" He disappeared.

The white rat started to glow again.

"Wha...?" Kelandon said.

The white rat stood back up, fully healed. It lashed out at Kelandon, sending him crashing into the Deth Ray. Kelandon was killed and the Deth Ray toppled over onto Dintiradan.

"Ow," Dintiradan said.

---

The red rat that Attorosi had sent to close all the doors entered the Geneforge 4: Rebellion Forum.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" one of the giant rats asked.

"There's water flooding in! It's starting to flood into the Avernum Trilogy Forum. I closed all the doors, but they opened up again for some reason and I can't get them closed."

"Water flooding in from below? Then we need to find a boat," the other giant rat said. They scampered into the Geneforge Series Forum and began looking around.

---

Drakefyre and Stareye reached the Moderator Board.

"Sheesh, what a mess. No wonder you don't let normal members in. You guys are slobs!" Jumpin' Salmon said.

"Salmon, what are you doing here?" Stareye demanded.

"Oh, just, you know," Jumpin' Salmon said.

Drakefyre flipped a few switches. "It seems that, somehow, Imban was deleted. Everyone else disappearing must be a result of that." Drakefyre pushed a button. "Fixed, for now. Once the perfected rat is deleted, we'll bring everyone back."

"Yes, and upgrade security as well." Stareye glared at Jumpin' Salmon.

Jumpin Salmon relaxed in a chair. "Man, can you imagine how mad Alorael is going to be when he has to start over with zero posts? You'll have to give him a custom title just to shut him up."