What happens to memory
when you can't remember?

"We have to go now!"

"OK, OK" said Mr Mouse, with a sigh. "But why does this stuff always have to happen when I'm having a nap?"

It could be because you're always having a nap, thought Dot.

But she didn't say anything.

They joined up together just like always, Dot holding onto Wizzie's lead (he's got a new one. It's red, with pictures of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel running along it. The collar's the same. VERY smart!)

"OK let's do it!" said Mr Mouse, He moved so that his pointer on the laptop screen was right over the little face - which was ghostly grey now, fading away faster than ever.

"Give us a click - and make it quick!" he said, turning his backpack towards Dot. "That puppy's on the way out all right!"

So she did - and ZIIIIIIIIIIISH!! They were off! Back into the world of the Internet!

NEOOOYOEOWWW! They were netvoyaging again, flying along together like three jet planes zooming through the sky - only this wasn't the sky, it was a world of data packets and router stations, e-mails and URL's, the funny name for website addresses which always made Dot think of some one saying "You Are Late!"

All the time the tunnel they were flying in twisted and turned, with little lights everywhere, twinkling on and off like fireworks in the sky. Every so often a portal would open - next to them, underneath them, or on either side, showing the huge net plain, stretching away into the distance under its blue and golden sky.

"All right guys" shouted Mr Mouse, about the roaring, rushing noise they made as they flew. "So - whadda we know? We know Dot saw these kids. We know they're sad about something. Is that it?"

It was really. But Dot thought she had to say something. "They gave us a clue" she said. "With that icon!"

"Yes, for where to go" said Wizzie, turning round to look at Dot with his ears streaming out behind him. "But what do we have to do?"

The three friends flipped slightly to the left, following Mr Mouse, as a bundle of text messages shot past, all chattering away to each other like a flock of birds in the sky. They changed their shape and their colour as the messages went out and came back.

"Tell you who'll know!" said Mr Mouse. "Our good friend Sam the Server, that's who! And looky right ahead - there he is!"

Right ahead, they could see the gleaming bank of computers and screens that made up Samson the Server - one of the millions of servers that make everything work on the World Wide Web, storing information and providing all the things the web does. Everything from e-mails to this website of Dot's!

It had been a while since Dot saw Samson. But she knew he'd remember them - servers remember everything, that's what they're for. And she'd always been a favourite of his anyway.

And from a distance, as the three friends zoomed towards him, he looked just the same - a big sun face looking straight at them.

From a distance, that is. Because as they all got closer, Dot could see something had changed.

Instead of the big happy smile that was usually on Sam's face, he wore a frown, as if he looked really puzzled about something.

And he wasn't smiling either. He was frowning.

Something's NOT right, thought Dot!

The three friends landed with a bump, in the middle of the whirring discs and flashing lights that made up Sam the Server's home.

"Don't forget his big loud voice" whispered Wizzie as they walked towards Sam. "Remember last time? It nearly knocked us all over!"

They stopped in front of the screen with Sam's face on it. Close up, he looked even stranger - and the golden light that usually came from his big sun face had changed, too.

It was kind of weak, like some yellow curtains Dot's Mum had left up in the spare room. When she took them down for cleaning, there were bits where they'd faded away because of the sun shining on them every day for years. That's what Sam's face looked like.

Dot pushed her glasses up on her nose so she could see better and swallowed - her mouth suddenly seemed very dry. She was worried. She couldn't help it.

Suddenly Sam's screen jumped - and so did he. Then he spoke - but his voice wasn't a big loud boomy voice at all. It was a tiny little voice, all scratchy and faint.

But it wasn't just that that made Dot's heart sink. It was what he said.

"Who... are you?" asked Sam.