She was a true citizen of the virtual world of the billions and billions of electronic pathways that link the Net together.

Right now though Dot didn’t know any of this. She just felt very confused – and frightened! She was trying hard to be brave, but she was sure everyone had noticed her trembly voice when she met Samson the Server - the biggest and most powerful server in the world.  He had just linked them to their route to America and Tommy’s Hamburger Heaven in Texas, through its URL ( which is what you call an internet address.)

Now Samson lit up the cable tunnel ahead with a big powerful sign that said ‘USA’.

Dot couldn't have said a word if she'd tried, but Mister Mouse was really enjoying himself! "Now we’re cooking,” he yelled, as he took off in the direction of the light. “WEEE – OOHHH! Tommy’s here we come!”

“Come on,” said Wizard "the mouse smells food! Better go or we'll never catch him up." He gave Samson the Server his biggest tail-wag. "Bye Samson! See you again soon!”

“You can depend on it!” boomed Samson in his huge voice.

“B..b..bye,”  stammered Dot, as she felt her feet lifting off the ground again. They rushed out of the server’s massive output door and back into the fibre optic cable pathways ahead.

Soon Dot and Wiz Mr Mouse were flying along again at what felt like an amazing speed – the sides of the pathway seemed to kind of breathe in and out to fit them all, as if it knew they were there. And everything they met coming the other way – data packets, e-mails, URL’s - seemed to know how not to hit them. It reminded Dot of those undersea films where you see huge shoals of fish glide incredibly close to the camera, rushing by in their thousands without even touching it. But she could hardly think as the warm, scented net-wind sped past her face. Then suddenly she realized she was actually enjoying herself. This was an adventure she could never even have dreamed about!

But just as she was starting to relax, she heard Mister Mouse yell in panic: “VIRUS ALERT! VIRUS ALERT! It’s the Cyber-rats! Get the kid and hit the deck!”

Dot felt Wizard pull her down onto the floor of the Internet. She bounced on the soft, rolling surface, feeling the cables beneath supporting her. The beautiful god, green and blue light show of the net, with the amazing display like an endless silent fireworks night, had suddenly faded into a dim grey twilight, like a misty winter evening. The sound of the electronic choirs had gone too, along with the rushing of the net-wind that had filled her ears.

Cyber-rats? What on EARTH were Cyber-rats? She opened her mouth to speak, but Wizzie turned with a frown and went “Sssshhh! Lie still Dot!”

Moments later she heard a high-pitched noise like the sound of a hundred police car sirens - and squeals of shrill, jeering laughter. The sky above her went darker still as a group of creatures on machines like motorbikes zoomed over their heads, whirling round and round in bigger and bigger circles - like a cloud of wasps getting ready to attack.

The vehicles had no wheels – just things like skis where wheels would be on a real motorbike. But they had handlebars and lights like motorbikes, and horrible smelly smoke came out of the back of them.

And – yuk!! - something long and scaly hung down from the back of each bike, twitching and waving from side to side.

As the bikes and their riders gathered together – 20,30, 50 of them – a flash of dirty grey-brown lightning lit up the net-sky above Dot and Wizard and Mr Mouse. For just a second, Dot could make out the shape of the creatures on the bikes.

Her heart leapt into her mouth at what she saw!