1. I come from the Net,
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2. through systems,
peoples and cities
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3. to this place, Mainframe.
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4. My format, Guardian.
To mend and defend.
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5. To defend my
newfound friends,
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6. their hopes and dreams.
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7. To defend them
from their enemies.
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8. They say the User
lives outside the Net
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9. and inputs games
for pleasure.
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10. No one knows for sure
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11. but I intend to find out.
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12. Reboot!
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13. True Stories
of Mainframe,
take 2004.
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14. Action.
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15. So much for me being
Mr. Save-the-Day.
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16. Want some used food?
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17. No, but thanks anyway.
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18. Bob!
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19. Enzo!
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20. It was rather
laborious and taxing
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21. to prefabricate
that magnet, Bob.
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22. I would really
appreciate it
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23. if you could be so kind
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24. as to return it to me.
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25. And the sooner,
the better.
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26. Keep your hair on.
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27. I was only going
to chuck it anyway, M.B.
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28. Here, catch!
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29. Ooh!
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30. Ahh! Eeh!
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31. Oof! Aagh!
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32. Oh, I've fallen!
Hack! Slash!
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33. To me!
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34. Coming...
boss!
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35. They're not even
close to Al's.
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36. No, not even close.
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37. To Al's.
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38. What you have
just witnessed is
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39. a simulation
of a true event.
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40. Only the names
were changed
to protect the guilty.
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41. No binomes were injured
during the recording
of this program.
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42. Next cycle
on True stories
of Mainframe...
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43. Arr! How do you know
that, then?
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44. I'm a gardener.
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45. I know everything!
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46. Psst...
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47. That's "Guardian."
"Guardian!"
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48. Enzo!
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49. Are you still sitting there,
watching Mike the TV?
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50. Why don't you go
play outside?
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51. Who with?
I've got no friends.
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52. You're always too busy,
and Bob's in that game.
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53. I don't believe it!
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54. They triggered
the detonator!
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55. How BASIC can you get?
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56. I'm supposed to save them
from the User,
not themselves!
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57. Com-stats,
how long have we got?
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58. Initial detonation complete.
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59. Ten seconds
to planet destruction.
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60. Oh, great.
A whole 10 seconds.
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61. I never get to go anywhere,
and you won't let me
into games anymore.
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62. I had fun with Bob
in the games.
Now I just...
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63. Enzo, games aren't
supposed to be fun.
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64. They're dangerous.
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65. You should never
go into one
without Bob or myself.
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66. Promise?
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67. Aw, Dot.
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68. Games are fun!
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69. I bet Bob's having
a great time right now.
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70. Brace yourselves!
She's gonna blow.
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71. Game over.
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72. You nearly
got us nullified!
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73. I can't believe
you did that.
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74. Bob!
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75. Hi, Bob.
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76. Problems?
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77. You could say that.
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78. These two booted
into the game
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79. and tried to win it
by setting off
an explosion
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80. capable of destroying
a planet.
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81. Bad idea.
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82. Yes.
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83. Especially when you're
inside the planet!
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84. Why'd you do it?
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85. I had to, mister!
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86. And all he did
was keep saying,
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87. "Make it so."
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88. And "Engage."
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89. I said "Engage"
more times than
"Make it so," actually.
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90. What am I going to do?
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91. What about a little
refresher course.
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92. You could base it on
that readme file of yours,
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93. "Games, a Survivor's Guide."
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94. Hey, that's not
a bad idea. Thanks.
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95. Now could you help me
with my little problem?
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96. What, Enzo?
I didn't even notice him!
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97. Exactly.
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98. We're both too busy
running businesses
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99. or saving Mainframe
to have time for him.
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100. And he hasn't got any friends
because there aren't
many small sprites
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101. left in Mainframe since
the Twin City was destroyed.
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102. Oh, I'm sorry, Dot.
I didn't mean to...
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103. No, I'm okay.
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104. It's just that talk
of the other city
reminds me of my father.
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105. It wasn't his fault, Dot.
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106. The experiment just
got out of control.
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107. I know, I know.
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108. I just wish he
were here now.
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109. I miss him.
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110. Come on. Let's see
if we can help Enzo.
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111. Tea Earl Grey?
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112. What in the Net
is Tea Earl Grey?
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113. Hi, Enzo!
What's processing?
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114. Huh?
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115. Oh, nothing.
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116. How was the game?
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117. It was terrible.
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118. I could've really used
your help in there!
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119. Why don't you go
and play with Frisket?
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120. Where is he, anyway?
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121. I don't know.
He's not my dog.
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122. He's feral.
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123. And you know
what that means.
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124. He could be anywhere,
doing anything.
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125. Blast 'em, mateys!
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126. Everyone's having
a better time than me.
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127. I've got no one
to play with
and it's all Dad's fault!
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128. If he hadn't deleted
most of the sprites,
I'd have some friends!
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129. Enzo!
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130. So the golden fleece
was in the Forth chamber,
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131. guarded by a Hydra.
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132. Once Glitch had
removed all seven
of the Hydra's heads,
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133. as shown here...
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134. I simply touched the fleece
to end the game.
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135. So to recap,
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136. there are three basic rules.
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137. Rule one, do not enter games.
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138. A game cannot hurt you
if you are not in it.
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139. Do anything you
can to get out
of the cube's path.
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140. Rule number two,
fight or hide.
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141. If you do get
trapped in a game,
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142. help, or stay
out of the way.
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143. Leave it to the professionals.
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144. Finally, rule number three,
defeat the User.
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145. Either by destroying it
or winning the game.
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146. Now, any questions?
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147. Yes, you there, with the hat.
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148. Yes, is it always
a good idea
to reboot?
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149. Rebooting usually provides
equipment and knowledge
that help you in a game,
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150. but not always.
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151. Remember the story
I told you about Enzo
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152. rebooting as a damsel.
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153. Any other questions?
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154. How many types
of game sprites are there?
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155. There are five subsets.
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156. Aggressives, defensives,
passives, chaotics
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157. and a recent addition,
artificial-intelligents.
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158. Aggressives only
attack the User.
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159. Defensives try to block
or delay anything that
comes their way.
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160. Now, chaotics are
the most dangerous.
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161. They try to destroy
anything that moves,
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162. User or Mainframer alike.
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163. Passives tend to help
by revealing information
about the game.
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164. And artificial-intelligent
game sprites are programmed
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165. to alter their characteristics
to match changes
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166. in the User's playing ability.
In other words,
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167. they learn and become
better opponents.
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168. But please remember,
treat them all
as potential threats.
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169. Remember, there is no
substitute for experience.
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170. All known games are logged
in the Read Only Room.
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171. I suggest you download
chapters one through five
for next time.
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172. That's Pongthrough
to Space Invaders.
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173. Bob, Dot has told me
of young Enzo's troubles.
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174. Look, it's simple,
he needs a friend.
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175. Having no one his own age
to play with is really
getting to him.
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176. I have a schematic
for a robot friend.
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177. What do you think?
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178. Uh, nice, Phong,
but I think he needs
a real friend.
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179. Warning.
Incoming game.
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180. Oh, no! Not now!
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181. Phong, where's the cube
gonna land?
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182. Oh, this is bad!
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183. Is it very bad?
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184. The game is going
to land in Baudway.
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185. On the Diner, to be exact.
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186. Enzo!
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187. Yes, and in his current state,
who knows what he will do?
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188. Oh, no, it's a game.
Let's get outta here!
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189. Run away!
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190. What are you waiting for?
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191. Come on.
Don't be a ninny.
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192. Get out of here.
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193. No way.
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194. And miss all the fun?
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195. See ya.
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196. Come on, Dot.
We don't have much time.
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197. But I told Enzo not
to go into the games alone.
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198. Yes, but did you tell him
to move if one was
dropping on him?
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199. Come on, Bob.
We don't have much time.
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200. Reboot!
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201. Cool!
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202. Reboot.
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203. Reboot.
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204. Wow! Dot looks amazing.
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205. What a babe!
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206. I heard that!
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207. What? Did I say that
or just think it?
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208. You thought it.
We're telepathic.
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209. It's part of our
game character.
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210. Oh, sorry.
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211. I better be more
careful what I say...
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212. Uh, think.
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213. That'll be a first.
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214. So what is this?
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215. I don't know.
I've never seen
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216. this one before.
Glitch, game info.
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217. Right.
The User has to find
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218. the lost treasure
of Atlantis
to win the game.
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219. And it's our job
to stop him.
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220. What've we got
to help us?
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221. Apparently, I've got
electrical powers
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222. that can be used
offensively
and defensively.
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223. Whoa.
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224. And you have
a trident capable
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225. of generating vortices
and... Piranha mines?
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226. Nice.
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227. Hey! Watch where
you point that thing!
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228. Sorry!
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229. Come on. Let's end this
game before Enzo
gets into any trouble.
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230. Nice tail.
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231. I heard that, too!
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232. Oh, sorry.
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233. Just keep your mind
on the User!
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234. Pick on someone
your own size,
you big bully!
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235. There's the User.
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236. You ready?
Yeah, let's do it.
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237. What is a piranha mine,
anyway?
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238. Yes!
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239. Hang on, Dot.
The game hasn't gone away.
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240. What's going on?
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241. The User has
multiple lives.
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242. Fifteen, to be exact.
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243. Not good.
This is not good.
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244. Hey, that's my line!
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245. Be okay.
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246. Please be okay.
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247. Uh-oh...
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248. Four,
three, two, one.
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249. Yay.
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250. How many is that now?
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251. Six down,
nine to go.
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252. Come on.
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253. Wow! You're okay!
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254. I thought the User had
offlined you for sure!
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255. Hey! Cool spines!
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256. Are they acid,
or poison?
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257. Uh, not poison.
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258. They paralyze.
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259. Totally random!
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260. I bet they're really
useful in this game!
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261. When I Rebooted,
all I got was
this eye patch!
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262. Rebooted?
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263. Who are you?
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264. Me? I'm Enzo.
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265. Uh, a Guardian.
Yeah, that's it.
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266. I come from the Net.
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267. And who are you?
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268. I am AndrAIa.
I'm a...
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269. Cool! I haven't seen
you around Mainframe!
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270. AndrAIa.
That's a nice name.
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271. What's the matter?
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272. Quiet!
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273. What is it?
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274. Wolf eels ahead of us.
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275. Can you not hear them?
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276. Well, no.
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277. Quick, turn here.
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278. How are we doing?
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279. Not good.
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280. The User has still got
eight lives left and we're
on the final level.
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281. We're not going
to make it, Dot.
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282. No!
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283. Feel better?
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284. Yes, but I'm
out of power.
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285. Any ideas?
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286. Our only chance now is to beat
the User to the treasure.
Wait here.
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287. That'll slow it down.
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288. Okay. Which way?
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289. This way. But be careful.
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290. Now the game sprites will
be after us as well.
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291. And then my friend Bob
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292. 'booted as a damsel.
His legs didn't even
reach the ground.
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293. AndrAIa,
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294. this is the best time
I've ever had.
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295. I like you, Enzo.
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296. Uh...
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297. I like you too, AndrAIa.
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298. When we win this game,
you can come to the Diner
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299. and meet Bob and Dot.
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300. And you'll love Frisket.
He's my dog.
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301. Enzo! The User!
Just ahead of us!
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302. Uh-oh...
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303. Shoal torpedoes!
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304. I've got control.
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305. They run by a basic
flocking algorithm.
Hang on!
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306. Whoa!
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307. Alphanumeric!
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308. Come on! I'll take
the manta rays,
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309. you take the sting rays!
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310. We did it!
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311. Huh?
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312. Bob, why is the water
this color?
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313. I don't think
we want to know.
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314. Okay, seven degrees
to port.
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315. Elevation, minus 11.2.
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316. Good. What's next?
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317. We've got a 90 degree
hard to starboard on my mark.
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318. Mark!
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319. Here they come!
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320. You okay, Dot?
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321. Yeah, thanks.
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322. But don't worry about me.
I can look after myself.
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323. Bob! It's the User.
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324. Oh, no! We've cleared
the way for it.
There's nothing to stop it
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325. getting to the treasure.
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326. We've gotta try!
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327. It's Enzo!
And he's with someone.
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328. It's a game sprite!
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329. We've got to get him
out of there!
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330. There's no time.
We've gotta win the game.
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331. Quick, come on.
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332. Oh, no!
There's Bob and Dot,
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333. and they're trapped!
The User's gonna win
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334. and we're gonna
be nullified!
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335. Nullified?
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336. What is nullified?
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337. You know! Offlined!
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338. Deleted!
Quit-without-saving!
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339. You're a game sprite,
aren't you?
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340. Yes, I tried to tell you.
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341. I know, but I didn't
want to listen.
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342. I thought you could
be my friend!
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343. I am, Enzo.
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344. How? You're a game sprite.
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345. You leave with the game,
win or lose!
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346. We can never stay together,
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347. no matter what happens!
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348. We can be together, Enzo.
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349. No, what are you doing?
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350. The User's nearly there.
It's going to make it!
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351. Bob!
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352. Enzo!
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353. Goodbye, my friend.
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354. Game over.
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355. All right, Enzo!
You did it!
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356. You saved everyone!
Are you okay?
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357. Did the game sprite
hurt you?
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358. I'm okay.
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359. And that game sprite
was my friend.
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360. She helped save us all.
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361. Wait, what's that
on your icon?
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362. AndrAIa! You're here!
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363. I told you we'd
be together, Enzo.
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364. I downloaded a backup
of myself onto your icon.
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365. The game let me out,
thinking I was you.
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366. You can do that?
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367. Apparently!
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368. Cool.
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369. Now, Guardian,
who are your friends?
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370. It's a game sprite,
outside of the game?
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371. I don't believe it!
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372. Hey, what does she mean,
"Guardian"?
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