After traveling through the 2 previous regions, with a lot of difficulty, hardship, and sorrow, I expected the Firewall to be the most dangerous of them all. Of course, the Firewall is impenetrable and I had no idea how we would cross it. I'm sure Mozart didn't know as well. We progressed further and further, but the Firewall never seemed to be getting closer. It seemed like hours had passed and we were not even halfway there yet. My stomach growled painfully. The last time I had eaten was just before we entered the Microsoft Mines and that meal was very small.
"Don't worry. I heard the empress had a grand palace filled with luxuries. I'm pretty sure the dining hall is way bigger than the Binary banquet hall we went to earlier", Mozart assured me when he realized how hungry I was. Well, that worked and the hope of luxurious and endless food in the empress' palace pushed me to move forward.
"The empress. What's her name?" I asked, realizing Mozart never told me her name since the beginning. "No one knows. There are rumors that she doesn't even have a real birth name. But, everyone calls her the 'Motherboard'", Mozart replied.
A motherboard. That made sense. It was the heart of every computer and the mastermind of all its functions and operations. Without it, a computer simply wouldn't work. I had never appreciated what a wonderful piece of technology the computer was. After this journey, I surely did appreciate the creativity and the brilliance in the computer realm. I almost completely forgot I was even stuck inside the computer. I took a moment to think about my first time in this world, landing in the recycle bin and my first time meeting Mozart. That seemed like months ago. Then, I realized the sun never set in this realm. As I looked up, there wasn't even a sun.
"I guess everything is different in this world", I thought to myself. "I wonder how much time has passed by in the real world. What might my mom be thinking right now? I really miss her. I miss home."
As these thoughts drifted through my mind, I finally saw it. The entrance or the gate of the firewall. It was truly magnificent. It looked like something straight out of a sci-fi movie. All the things I had seen earlier in this realm looked medieval compared to this gate. It almost felt unreal. It had a brilliant radiance and an intricate design. There was also a separate room outside the gate with a bed and pieces of furniture. It looked like the guard's room but it was empty.
But, as I looked closer, I noticed a group of figures standing right outside it. As my eyes were accustomed to the brightness, I saw several computer hardware parts standing there. There were many small and tall chips, while some were bulky pieces of hardware. They all seemed to be painted and stamped with a logo, a logo that looked familiar. Then I realized, it was the logo of my laptop. I remembered seeing it on the front of my laptop, in a shiny, silver color. They all stood there silently as if waiting for me to come forward. I looked at Mozart for an answer.
"They're the royal army of the Circuit Kingdom. It seems the empress has sent them to search for you. They're all looking at you. Looks like our problem of passing through the firewall is over." Mozart informed me with a relieved face.
We walked towards the army. Suddenly, they grabbed my arms and pulled me into the gate. I screamed in confusion and struggled to escape their grip. I looked behind to see Mozart being held back by them. They used a special device that looked like a USB to sedate him. He laid down unconscious and they brought him to the guard's room and laid him to sleep. After that, they hurried with the rest of the army and opened the gates. We walked in and the gates closed behind us. Just like, the Microsoft mines there was a sanitation zone where we stayed for a few moments before exiting again.
As soon as we left the sanitation zone, they let me go. I fell to the ground and I stood back up. Firstly, I saw my surroundings. It looked like a royal street with lush greenery on both sides. I could see the empress's palace far away. It had a golden dome and the walls were made of beautifully carved marble. There was a limo in front of me. It had a very beautiful design with nice wheels and an advanced look. I was staring at it for a long time until I suddenly remembered the several soldiers behind me. I looked at them and asked them why I was brought here.
"The Motherboard empress, long may she live, has summoned us to bring you to the palace. She wants to discuss with you about the virus that you have, unfortunately, brought into this peaceful realm. It is your duty, thus, to meet the empress and help her dispose of the intruder", someone who seemed like the general, said. "Then, why did you sedate my friend?" I asked in revolt. "We simply cannot trust anything online these days. It's how the virus got into this world and we cannot allow an unidentified individual to enter the motherboard", the general said. "Mozart is my friend. How can he be un-identified? He is the logo of Mozilla Firefox. You can check the logo now if you want. It has changed", I said. "Looks can be deceiving and out of all people you should know that" "Well, what about the sanitation area? I thought that would destroy any virus?" "That is simply the problem. This virus you have brought in is so powerful that a mere sanitation zone won't do anything. Usually, a virus is very fragile. Even if it somehow opened the gates of the firewall, it would suffer in the sanitation zone. Even if it passed that somehow, it would have to face us. But this virus is so resilient that we simply can't have it running around. So, we've contained it in the Far East Edge of the world. All that will be explained later by the empress herself in the palace. All you need to do now is to enter the limo which will carry you to the palace. Food will be served inside the vehicle"
Allured by the delicious amount of food inside and the realization that I had no other choice, I entered the limo. There were many servants inside who served me a variety of drinks and delicious food items. There was chicken drizzled with sauce and roasted to perfection, noodles with a special gravy mixed with vegetables, a cake layered with golden toppings and cream, and a special pudding that tasted like a piece of heaven.
"What a nice way to greet someone who has brought an alarming virus into their realm", I thought curiously. After the splendid meal, I looked at the scenery outside. Acres of carefully preserved and extravagantly designed land, trees, and flowers were spread out on both sides. As I was lost in the mesmerizing scenery, a voice startled me.
"You have reached the palace of the Circuit Kingdom", one of the servants informed me.