…how an ordinary schoolgirl became an

INTERNET VOYAGER!

"SSSSH - SHPLAT!"

"Oh KNICKERS!" said Ron.

"Ronnie!" went Deirdre. "Not in front of the girl, now!"

"Well - we've hit one of them bloomin' Open Port viruses now and kicked it right orf and away, haven't we?" said Ron. "Sorry, though, Dot! Hold tight everyone!"

Very quickly, he reached over and tapped the little screen in front of Deirdre, pulling back hard on the special steering control in front of him. "Ping-ding!" went the screen. "You have control!"

Dot's tummy seemed to turn right round inside her as the Mopple van zoomed upwards - and then started going over on its back. "Bark-bark-bark!" went Wizzie again. Then the van turned as it twisted the right way up again so it was facing back the way it had come. Dot's tummy jumped up and down again!

"There it is" said Deirdre, pointing through the windscreen. "Little devil!" She tapped on another part of the little screen in front of her. "Ping-ding!" it went again. "Identifying - ONE Open Port virus, 600 metres!"

"Gotcha!" said Ron, hunched forward over his control. He pushed his right back paw down hard on a little ledge just by his seat - Dot hadn't seen it before.

The "wheeee" sound of the Mopple van engine grew louder as it got faster and faster. Now Dot could see what they were chasing - she hadn't been able to do that before. It was just a little black spot against the changing colours of the Search Zone sky - she found herself wondering why it was changing all the time like that now, must ask Ron, she thought - but it was getting clearer all the time as they caught up with it. Then suddenly she could see its shape - just like a paper dart... it was an Open Port virus, trying to get away!

" 'S always worse if you hit one like that, or if it hits you" said Ron - he sounded really cross with himself. "Doesn't even give it a real knock, either! Sends it off in a new direction, see, which it can't do on its own. AND quicker, too. Silly boy me! Should have seen it coming and got out of the way!"

"Would have done if my screen hadn't been driving us just then!" said Deirdre. "I must get that Auto-Miss-Me loaded up on it, like on yours. Sorry Ronnie!"

"Ping-ding!" went Deirdre's screen again. "450 metres! 450 metres!"

"DARN IT!" shouted Ron. "It's got too much speed on, now! We aren't going to catch it!"

ZVIIIISSSHH!! Suddenly, over their heads, a red and gold shape shot past and above them, leaving the Mopple van bobbing up and down behind it as it overtook them, going at least twice the speed they were... They all ducked down - silly really 'cos it hadn't hit them - but you do don't you?

Red and gold thought Dot. RED AND GOLD! Could it be... it must be!

"It's Adrienne and Mr Mouse!" she said. "Look!!"

And when you looked you could see it was - only just, because they were looking at the back of the little steam train search engine - but there couldn't be another one like that, thought Dot.

There wasn't!

"Bonjour, mes amis!" said a little voice, through the Mopple van loudspeaker above Ron's head (that means "Good morning, my friends!" just in case you... oh you do? Sorry, just checking!) "In a moment we talk - but first Mr Mouse and I 'ave some business!"

"Yay-hey Dot!" came the familiar Canadian voice. "Catch ya later!"

Then with another ZVIIIISSSHH!! Adrienne shot away from after the open port virus.

"Take my pictures!" came Adrienne's voice over the loudspeaker again. Ron lent forward and tapped on the central screen in front of him - now they could see what Adrienne and Mr Mouse were seeing. They were catching up with the Open Port virus very fast.

Ron sighed. "Talk about rubbing it in!" he said. "We've always asked for more speed like what those search engines 'ave got - but will old Hieronymus let us have it? No he jolly well won't! Says it's all down to us Mopples being - being - what's that he always says Deirdre?"

"Cunning, crafty and courageous" said Daphne with a chuckle. "The old dear!"

Ron grunted. "Well cunning ain't quick, that's all I can say... look at that!"

By now Adrienne and Mr Mouse had caught up with the Open Port virus - the camera on the front of the search engine was so close to it now, the nasty little creature almost filled the screen. And when you saw it up close looked even more like a dart that gets you into trouble if you throw it in class.

Only, that kind of dart isn't covered in sort of scaly brown and green bumps like you see on the back of crocodile. Which seem to be moving. Ugh yeurrch!

But there wasn't time for Dot to be really disgusted because as she watched a kind of bright purple shape was growing round the virus and then suddenly there was a bright blue and white flash and a ZZZSSSTTT noise and - no more virus! For a moment the screen showing the camera from Adrienne's search engine was full of little silvery bits, coming down like a Christmassy kind of rain... and then - there was nothing.

Only that didn't last long either. Suddenly Dot realized that Adrienne had swung round, because she could see the Mopple van she was in - because Adrienne had turned her engine back towards them, and was coming back - very fast!!

As the search engine got larger and larger in the picture, a tune came out of the loudspeaker over their heads. It was the French national anthem, and Adrienne and Mr Mouse were singing along to celebrate zapping the open port virus.