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.hack//EVOLUTION Chapter 4 (Players)

The music of the arena was loud, busy, chaotic and filled with hard metal notes that existed no where else in The World. There were no excuses to be made, it was blatantly obvious that players had come here to watch humans battle each other. There was no artificial intelligence, no magical portals. It was a test of true human intellect and strategy. A massive floating island drifted in the midst of the arena, the platform covered with artwork from The World's official game story. Two swirling bands of purple light spun around the island to keep it afloat while smaller islands drifted around on their own orbits. Massive screens had been set up, showing every inch of the battlefield.

"Ladies and gentlemen, man and beast, players of all ages! We have a very special treat for you tonight! Brains versus brawn, man versus beast, the direst of lessons for anyone to teach!" The announcer's voice echoed over the arena as a whole.

The crowds roared and cheered even louder, though on one of the floating islands there was a sparkle before three blue helixes spiraled down, revealing Maso, Fianna and Blood Ohm. Maso stood the tallest, his green hair and beard blending in well with his armor. His hair blew in the breeze, but not nearly as much as Fianna's deep black locks. Her red leather dress glistened like blood in the lights, matching her lipstick perfectly. The crowd was mesmerized at her very presence, but the cheers grew even louder as they saw the last player, Blood Ohm.

While the character design options for The World were diverse and varied, few players stood out quite as distinctly as Blood Ohm. He stood at five foot eight, his skin a pale brown. His black hair was tied back into a braid that hung down to his waist and his arms were covered in intricate tribal tattoos. A simple blood red vest rested over his shoulders, exposing a muscled chest and his pants were loose and pitch black. The wolf paw gloves covering his hands revealed him as a tribal grappler long before team Tartarga's stats appeared on the screen.

"In this corner we have the legendary masters of badassitude, the teachers of torture, TEAM TARTARGA!!!!" The announcer cheered. The character stats were projected on the screen, listing Maso as a proficient heavy blade famous for teaching in R1 while Blood Ohm was a famous sensei in RX. Despite showing stats for the two teachers, the camera seemed drawn to Fianna's curves.

"They love us..." Hoshi purred.

"Why wouldn't they?" Masato replied.

"You're lucky you're in a new guild, you don't have to face the inter-guild division yet." Ohm replied. The two turned, watching another platform suddenly fill with three other players. The tallest of the group was a six and a half foot tall hedgehog man, his spines interrupted by thick silver metal plate armor around his torso. To his side was a slate gray colored snake covered with red wave symbols as part of his scales, and on the other side was a female fox with long white hair and shrewd golden eyes.

"Welcome to the jungle! This corner holds some of Zoo's most competive members! If they keep this up, they'll be kings and queens of the emperor's palace in no time! Teaaaam INSTINCT!" the announcer shouted. Masato's eyes darted over to the screens, watching as the player stats were displayed.

"Mobius88442 is a heavy blade like me... Evading is our best option."

"Erra4 is a long arm, her spear is a rare item as well. The blade can curse you." Ohm chimed in. Hoshi's lips slowly curved into a sinister smile.

"Mehen, the Naga... He is a shadow warlock, their healer." Hoshi whispered.

"That's not a very strong healer, they're better at attack magic." Ohm commented.

"Still, its their weak point." Masato said as the blue helix light swept up around them again, transporting them onto the central platform.

"The gallant fighters bravely enter the arena!!!!" The announcer exclaimed. Masato reached back, drawing out his punisher sword. Hoshi followed suit, her scythe appearing in her hands with the blade glistening like molten steel. Ohm's weapons were already out, the young man shifting his weight from side to side. Across the way, the naga was the first to withdraw his weapon, a floating spell book.

"Vak Rom!" Mehen shouted. The ground beneath the feat of team Tartarga sizzled before erupting into a tornado of crackling fire. Masato cursed his inability to get out of the maelstrom, his HP dropping, but Fianna looked up from the crackling fire with embers floating around her face. In the fire light she looked like a demon, and most surprisingly of all, everyone could see the words 'miss' appearing over and over again as the tornado failed to strike her.

"Miu Lei." Fianna replied, the words echoing as they escaped her lips. The spell was not an elemental spell and she was not a magic caster, the spell taking a large chunk of her SP... but the spell worked. A pink mist fell down over Mobius, the hedgehog character's eyes dilating as his control was taken from him. His character had become charmed. The hedgehog wielded his massive blade, striking Erra4, sending the fox skidding across the arena ground. In one blow, a quarter of her health had been shorn off.

Mehen hissed, turning to cure his partner. He cast a spell to remove all status ailments, but that move had left him vulnerable. Ohm arched through the air, landing by the snake's tail before he opened up, slashing and punching. The naga tried to defend himself with his grimoire, but the book only shielded so much. The crowd had gone wild, not expecting the turn of events at all. Some cheered, others booed. There were fans on every side.

The opening gambit had cost both sides a large percentage of their SP, leaving them limited to physical blows. Maso and Mobius went strike for strike until Erra4 intervened. Masato was forced to retreat backwards, evading her cursed spear. She was so focused on chasing Masato that she didn't see the scythe coming. It hit her chest and knocked off a huge percentage of her health. The two women met eyes before Erra4 swept her spear to try and strike. Hoshi used her scythe handle to block the blade, the two weapons locked. Hoshi looked over, seeing that Ohm had nearly defeated the naga. Like all magic users, Mehen's health was limited. She turned to look at Masato before giving a faint nod, giving her permission. Masato took a deep breath.

"CALAMITY!" He exclaimed, his sword coming down with all the unyielding force he could muster. Fianna and Erra4 were both eradicated, their forms turning transparent turquoise as their HP was reduced to nothing. They lingered like ghosts on the battlefield.

"Unbelievable! A self sacrifice for the good of the team! What's this, while the lovely ladies were taken down, Blood Ohm has finished the job!" The announcer declared. Mobius gasped, turning to see his naga friend topple to the ground before turning transparent. Blood Ohm bore a small set of his own fangs before he charged. Mobius backed up but it was two against one now. Fianna watched with a grin as the men narrowed in, moving in sync with one another, casting a side glance. They were ready for a finishing combo move.

"Rengeki!" they shouted in unison, their bodies glowing with a sudden light as they shot forward at blinding speeds. Masato's blade knocked even Mobius' mighty form into the air where Ohm lunged up, hitting him with an unrelenting furry, chipping away until it was nothing. Mobius' body lost all color and the crowds erupted in massive cheers. The match had been won. Team Tartarga stood on the platform for a moment before all six players were swept up in blue light. The arena melted away from around them and the lobby appeared in its calm, cool simplicity. Hoshi took another breath as her character was restored to full health as if nothing had happened. She looked at her two partners with a mighty grin. It was good to win, but better to have fun doing it.

[Lamda Server - Cultural City Carmina Gadelica]

With the arena battle under way, activity in the root towns had died off quite a bit. The streets were calmer, only a few air ships graced the sky and the gondolas were still. The chaos gate spun endlessly, the faint humming tone sounding on each revolution. Members of Gabba moved about, comparing notes and preparing for another day of activity. Some had even invented games for the side streets, ranging from innocuous bouts of tag to full on gambling rings with Crimson Versus cards. It was a developing culture all its own, but as a new player gated in, the members of Gabba stopped what they were doing.

The player standing at the chaos gate was beyond unique. His long, pointed ears sloped back from his angular face, his skin was dark and earthy in tone and his clothes were no where on the character creation screens. He took long, confident strides through the street, giving a fang filled grin to those around. Jack had never felt better in all his life. Several of the members of Gabba scattered as 0ddStar moved towards them, afraid what a player character of such a high level could manage. There was no player killing in the root towns but 0ddStar was almost a hundred levels higher than anyone they had seen.

Jack followed a cat boy into an alley way, cornering him. The tall, lanky ginger colored cat boy looked at him with fear as his back pressed against a wall. The player character continued his walk backwards animation for a few seconds, the human connected to it not realizing there was no further back he could go. Jack grinned slowly.

"You're a member of Gabba, right? You people are supposed to know things?" Jack asked. The cat boy swallowed.

"Y-y-yes sir." He said weakly. Jack reached up and pet the cat boy's furry cheek.

"You're going to find out where Enkidu spends his time in game. You're going to send it to me in a flash mail... and I'll make sure you aren't harmed one time in a field of your choosing." Jack whispered.

"How do I flash mail you? I don't even have-" the cat boy was interrupted as a chime sounded, a pop up window indicating he had obtained 0ddStar's member address. The cat boy continued to stare at the dryad character petting his cheek, wondering why he was lingering there. Jack had anticipated making his demand and leaving, but ever since the data modification... the game was so much more real. He could feel the cat boy's fur beneath his character's hand. Jack took a slow breath and grinned before he logged out, his character disappearing from sight.

[Delta Elegant Moonbeam's Phoenix]

Night stretched over the area with every semblance that a warm summer day had just lapsed. The crickets were chirping, the night birds sang from the trees and fish swam in the water beneath the torch lit bridges linking together the various islands. The moon lit field had been calm to begin with, but now it was absolutely tranquil. The monsters had been cleared, the symbol fragments collected and the beast statue reached. The map was empty, save for a few stray chims and a lucky animal puttering around... and the two players that had completed the area objectives.

Levi's character Tenjin was reclined on a hillside with his arms crossed behind his head, Nada in the same position at his side. Levi had switched into first person view, seeing the great silhouette of the Crest Gun in the distance, looming upwards and aimed at the heavens... and the many, many stars above. There were distant planets, shooting stars and every beauty of the real sky... except there were no satellites, no power lines, nothing but a simulation of nature in its most idealized form.

To be honest, the level was way too low of a level to be any challenge, but Levi liked the view. He liked being able to clear everything out and then enjoy himself... and he loved to be with Max. He turned his view over, looking at the player character of his companion. Between his messy rust colored hair and goggles, it looked like he was liable to take flight, or at least run a bad ass steam bike through town.

Neither man had said much. Without background music there was nothing but the sound of nature around them. Still, Max wouldn't have had it any other way. Despite his years of gaming, the idea of coming to an area just to be together was very sweet and romantic. They weren't thoughts Max had delved deeply into before meeting Levi, but together they made something better. Max gave a contented breath of joy.

Levi smiled, hearing the breath. He was just about to attempt a piece of conversation when something disrupted their scenery. A massive swirling vortex of blue light lifted up on the neighboring island, shimmering and crackling with energy. Levi slowly sat up at that, looking to Max and then back at the sight. The barrier had been part of R2, but the monsters in the current version were treated with an open environment. The barrier meant only one thing.

"Player killers..." Max whispered.

"In a level like this, they probably brought a new player." Levi said, standing up. Max stood up as well, looking to Levi, uncertain what he wanted to do.

"I guess you're going to get a challenge after all." Levi said. Max gave a resolute nod at that before they rushed forward across the bridge, their boots echoing on the wood planks before they hit the field. There was a moment of crackling resistance before they passed through. A large circle had been cordoned off. Player killer's didn't always use arena mode, but when they did they played for high stakes. In all likelihood they were trying to steal the new player's items to sell for cheap.

Two figures stood on one side of the electric arena, a five foot tall girl with brown pig tails down to her hips and a chain-saw sword as tall as she was, and a boy that looked like he belonged in some sort of street gang with a red beanie cap, a spiked red collar and two thick rings through his lower lip. His clothes were rather limited as well, his red top barely covering his nipples and his bottoms were barely long enough to consider shorts.

Across the way was a player that seemed to be in his twenties. He was tall and broad shouldered, his brown hair worked up into a fauxhawk with a bleached crest. His pierced ears were slightly pointed and his eyes were a hazel color... but the rest of his face was obscured. A teal cloth was wrapped around his nose and cheeks, covering his face like a bandit before spreading out across his shoulders. He wore tight black pants as well, but looked like someone out of the desert as a general design... a design that was a bit outside of the typical. Max hesitated, wondering if they'd stepped into a duel rather than a player killing.

"Repth!" Levi shouted, raising his staff. A wash of white light swept up the masked man, healing his HP.

"Who the hell are you two?" The nearly naked boy in red asked. Max didn't give him a chance to respond. Nada's moves were swift, drawing out his Gun Fu Yue. He opened fire, his shots hitting both player killers. The woman stumbled back but the boy pounced, revealing his status as a tribal grappler. Levi watched with stunned eyes as the grappler arched over, landing right on top of his character. The boy's legs wrapped around Tenjin's neck, getting a face full of crotch. The fighter flipped forward, lifting Tenjin off his feet, throwing him into the barrier.

Levi's character shuddered on the field before hitting the ground like a rag doll. Max grimaced, charging forward to use the bayonet blade on his weapon. There was a sudden growl of machinery, however, as the woman charged with her blade. Max strafed to the side and then lunged back. His quick movements were impossible to keep up with for such a heavy weapon. The girl stumbled forward and Max drove his weapon forward. The girl grunted at that, looking over her shoulder.

"How DARE you harm empress!" She growled before swinging around wildly.

"Crazy bitch!" Max murmured, ducking under her wide swings. He stepped around behind her and brought the muzzle of his bayonet up before firing point blank range. To his surprise, the one move was enough to finish her off. Her HP dropped to zero and her body faded to transparency. Max took a breath and turned to see where Levi was, grunting as he realized the tribal grappler was trying to tea bag him while he was still down. Tenjin's grip tightened on his staff.

"RAI ROM!" Levi shouted out. The sky above them crackled and shuddered before a tornado of lightning came down. The yellow light crackled all around them both, but as the caster it had no effect on Levi. The grappler howled in frustration as he was both injured and unable to move until the effect wore off. Tenjin sprung back to his feet and backed up, casting his spell a second time and then a third. He didn't give the player killer a chance to respond and neither did Max. There was more gun fire, the two whittling down the player's health.

"Are you going to help out or not?" Max asked, looking over at the other player. The masked character considered for a moment before nodding. There was a flick of his wrists and the metal blades of two fans opened up, the blades ingrained with the depiction of a dragon. The player moved forward, spinning and weaving as he narrowed in. Levi's last lightning tornado wore off just as he went in for the finishing move.

"You bastard, you wouldn't have been so lucky if they hadn't been here to intervene!" The boy hissed before he was cut across the chest with the fan. The color drained away from his character, becoming transparent.

"Luckily we live in a world where players can choose to be good." The masked man murmured. With their party wiped out, the ghosts of the player killers faded away into nothingness and were gone from the area. The masked man composed himself for a moment before turning, "Thanks... to you both." he said.

"If you don't mind me asking, why did you go with those ass hats?" Max asked. The player shrugged.

"Their character designs looked tough, I thought we'd look bad ass." he replied.

"You joined them for looks?" Levi asked in surprise. The man shrugged.

"This game is about aesthetic. I mean the level of detail put into it is insane." The masked man said.

"Well... just be careful. People who look that far out there usually are." Max suggested. The masked man nodded.

"So I guess next time I'll need to pick my travel companions better. I know I'm not nearly as experienced as you, but maybe sometime you'd want me along." he said, offering his member address.

"Nothing wrong with making contacts." Levi smiled, exchanging. As the trade was made, the information popped up on his screen. The player's name was Epoch, a level eight macabre dancer. Max was a bit more hesitant to share information but he gave in, doing the same. Epoch smiled at that before nodding.

"Thanks! Catch you around sometime. Oh, I guess you deserve more of a reward than just me." Epoch added, gifting them each several recovery items and alchemy jewels before he gated out. Max and Levi looked at each other in surprise at the whole encounter before Levi chuckled at the randomness of it all.

****

The dull glow of the computer monitor shone into the messy room, the only source of light. Unlike most computer use, though, the player didn't need balanced light to avoid eye strain. An eighteen year old sat in the battered office chair, a seven year old FMD sitting over his face. The cable connecting it to his computer had electrical tape wrapped around points where it had frayed, matching the other items in the room that were used well beyond pristine condition.

The room was narrow, barely enough room to fit the twin bed in one corner with a woven blanket draped over it. There were piles of dirty plates on the table and three dream catchers hung in front of the window, the threads glistening in the afternoon sun. There were other items around the room that had cultural significance; stray feathers, a hand made drum with tight animal skin stretched over it, even a picture of a pow-wow.

If it hadn't been for the memorabilia it would have been easy to assume the player was latino with his slightly tanned skin and short black hair, but the character on the screen was distinctively native American. Unlike the life around the player, Blood Ohm had the best equipment in the best condition. He maneuvered his character around Naval Mond, keeping up with Maso and Fianna, still riding the high of the cheers of the crowds for their victory in the arena... at least until there was a pounding on the door.

"Hawk, you've been in there all day! Let me play!" came the whine of a ten year old voice. The player reached up, muting his microphone.

"Shut up Spirit, you played all day when you were acting sick!" Hawk replied. There was a moment of silence and Hawk grinned, assuming that he had won... at least until there was a much louder banging at the door.

"Hawk, you never did the dishes!" His father's voice boomed. Hawk growled before he turned his microphone back on.

"Sorry, I've got to go. I'll catch you around some time later." Hawk said before he logged out. The screen blanked out of Naval Mond, replaced with the ivy gilded login screen. Hawk lifted his visor up, faced with his room once more. He sighed softly. Real life was so claustrophobic. Hawk stood up and moved across the room, wearing a red sports jersey that hung downt o his knees and sagging black basketball shorts. He opened the door and his rotund younger brother spilled in past, hopping into the chair.

Hawk turned, watching how fast Spirit got the FMD on and logged in. Spirit's character had been made as an alternate on the same account. It was cheaper to do it that way, though it meant only one of them could be playing at any one time. Spirit's character appeared in Mac Anu. Even his character was a little overweight, but there the similarities ended. Spirit's character was a black wolf, a shadow warlock. Hawk watched the wolf waddle through town before he shook his head and turned, moving to do the chores he'd been forced into.

[Theta Tactical Parched Hearth]

The air was hazy with smoke, the ground cracked and crispy. Even the river running through the area was black with ash. It was all a barren wasteland, though it hadn't been long before. A faint shimmer came as four gold rings dropped around Wotan's character. The purple clad, red haired wavemaster looked around in surprise and awe. He began to walk around, small clouds of ash kicked up as he walked, leaning on his wavemaster staff. Up ahead a gold ball dropped from the heavens, weaving its way over to him before it shimmered and resolved into a six inch tall fairy in blue clothing.

"Attention players: This area is temporarily closed for maintenance. We ask that you return to the root town until repairs are complete. CC Corp apologizes for the inconvenience." The fairy said.

"Admin login, King, Adam. Wotan's Spear." Wotan stated. The fairy flickered and dissolved into nothingness. Wotan lifted his staff and held it out, moving it in a half circle around himself. As his staff moved, it left behind it a holographic interface. The design parameters of the area were revealed, showing how the area looked on initial encounters. The game had always been realistic, but there were still limits to the computing power involved in such a large MMO. Still, the newest version of the game had pushed the boundary with fully interactive areas... at least in places.

Wotan began the restoration process, watching as a grid of hexagons spread out over the ground. the burned earth shimmered and flickered before it was replaced with dry prairie grasses. The river flickered next, the water disappearing before it came back crystal clear. One by one the fish soon populated the area again. The horizon illuminated brightly before a wall of white light swept outwards, coming right toward Wotan. As it passed over him, the air cleared. There was no trace of smoke anywhere. The moon dropped down beyond the horizon and the sun lifted up, taking the position of a six o'clock sunset. There were no clouds in the sky but a dull orange haze filled the horizon.

Hay bales began to appear around the area, then wood outposts. There was a faint flicker before massive spinning gold emblems appeared throughout the area, portals hiding away monsters. Wotan looked around, trying to ensure that he hadn't missed anything. The tactical fields were amazing works of art. The grasses could e burned, the water manipulated, the earth reconfigured. It was the most advanced aspect of the game that had ever been... Wotan was nominated for awards, but the idea hadn't come from him... It had been suggested by the game itself.

[Omega Hidden Forbidden End of Land]

The island was as calm as usual, the sweet smell of honeysuckle filling the air flowing around. The white haired boy floating above the bed had continued to grow, nourished by memories of The World. He had the appearance of a sixteen year old now, looking quite natural laying on his side, curled up in a half fetal position. At least it would have been normal if he wasn't floating several feet above the bed.

The columns around the bed were brighter than ever before. Each column had three circles in a vertical stack. The top circles had each filled in. The data gathered in the first version of The World had been loaded and used to form the developing AI, but there was still much work to do. The middle circles were slowly filling with light like grains of sand in an hour glass. The pools around the island were full of the images of the eight epitaph users, the battle with the AIDA computer virus and the plight of the users during the second age of the game... but one column was filling faster than the others... The third circle was starting to fill in as well, grain by grain. Morganna turned her attention to that column, one of the pools filling not with memories but with experiences in real time... the experiences of Iain. She watched him move around the root towns, spreading deceit while appearing so innocent. Most humans were so easy to manipulate.

"It sounds like team Tartarga is on the path to become pretty legendary after their arena win." JennBee's voice echoed from the puddle. Morganna considered the players for a moment.

"They may be pretty skilled, but I bet even they can't take on the unbeatable monsters at sigma Tactical Yearning Glory." Morganna said, but as the water in the pond rippled, Iain's voice emerged with the same words.

"Unbeatable monsters?" JennBee asked in shock.

"Didn't I tell you about them earlier?" Morganna asked, using Iain as a puppet, "OddStar is the only one to have come up against one and lived..." Morganna said, watching JennBee's excitement.

"Iain, this is a level one priority. We have to do more research!" JennBee said with great excitement.

"How are we going to do research when we don't go into the fields?" Iain asked, this time without Morganna's interference.

"We'll just have to find someone that we can convince to go exploring." JennBee said. In the other pond there was a change in the images, the water shifting before images of Milo and Uji appeared.

"There's one player who plays just to explore the world, to find every part. Maybe he'll do it if we ask him nicely enough." Morganna said through Iain.

"You mad genius!" JennBee said, moving to kiss Iain quickly. The winds on the island shifted, the smell of honeysuckle fading away before the image distorted, returning to normal water. Morganna shuddered at the human affection. She hadn't yet loaded enough information from the memories of Magus or Macha to understand why such things were even necessary, but it was only a matter of time now.

[Delta Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground]

The Hulle Granz cathedral sat in all of its majesty on the plateau in the middle of the died up lake bed, bathed in the amber light of a late sunset. It was a majestic place, unlike anywhere else in The World. The building was made of light sand colored stone with squared off sections, flying buttresses, massive stained glass windows and gargoyles peering down from the peaks. It would have taken a lot of craft to build, making it even more surprising that it predated the rest of The World. The cathedral was the first root town in the prototype version of the game, coming even before Mac Anu. It was the first home to the players... and it was for that reason that Milo had come.

Milo's character stood in the center of the cathedral, watching long pendulums swing back and forth from the ceiling, moving an unseen clockwork forward tick by tick. The colorful pattern from the stained glass windows bathed over his teal and black clothes. Milo looked at it all, taking screen captures to make desktop wallpapers out of, though Uji kept getting in his shots. The whale spiraled around him, watching him playfully.

"This is an amazing place." Milo murmured.

"Would you like me to take a three dimensional computer model for your computer?" Uji asked. Milo smirked at that.

"Maybe sometime later. Right now I just want some pictures that have personality to them, a touch of art." Milo said. He took a picture of the dais, the windows, the pews, but when he turned to take a picture of the door he nearly jumped. Standing in the doorway was an orange and black furred tamarin, a light wind blowing through his fur.

"Are you the only ones here?" Enkidu asked hesitantly. Milo nodded gently.

"Were you waiting to meet someone here?" Milo asked. Enkidu shrugged a bit.

"Something like that." he said. Milo gave a sad smile, knowing his respite was about to get interrupted. He couldn't blame them. It was a great meeting spot after all. Milo began walking for the door, his small whale swimming after him. Enkidu watched Milo as he passed, "I didn't catch your name." he added. Milo smiled a bit more.

"That's because I didn't give it... But its Adapa." Milo said, moving outside. Enkidu turned, peering out of the door after him.

"Adapa? The sage that passed up on immortality?" Enkidu asked in surprise. Milo hesitated.

"You know that legend?" Milo asked. Enkidu shrugged before pointing to himself.

"Enkidu." he said.

"The man that inspired Gilgamesh to immortality... Designed to rid him of arrogance." Milo replied softly, recalling the real world legends.

"So, do you wanna trade member addresses?" Enkidu asked curiously. Milo took another few steps back from the cathedral.

"Maybe another time." Milo said, gating out. The gold rings dropped around him and Uji both, the two disappearing. Enkidu stood there for a moment before he reached up, removing his glasses. He looked down at his phone, watching the information on Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground. The memory size of the area had grown to almost double its original size, but with Adapa gone it was returning to normal. There was something going on with that player... and that mystery was enough to hook the hacker's attention. He reached up and stroked his long goatee, bracing himself for an information gathering mission.