Enter the DENNIS - Ken/Patty

Joint post between Ken U. Belevitt and Patty Larceny. Prequel to "The Server Room." Ken sat at his desk, snickering quietly to himself while his fingers flew over the keyboard. After a few minutes of this, his hands went into the air and he declared. "I AM FINISHED!" He laughed maniacally as he knotted his hands together. "Access to ACME Crime-Net is once again mine! I can't wait to simultaneously freeze all the computers on their network with a fixed image from the San Diego Zoo Panda Cam." Patty was on her way back to her room from the kitchen when she overheard Ken's voice declaring he was finished with something.  She didn't bother stopping to listen until she heard the part about ACME and Panda Cam. "Did I just hear that right?" She popped her head into the lounge where Kenny's desk was. "You're accessing Crime-Net? Like, for real?" "That's right, Patty." Ken grinned. How appropriate that his little blonde angel would arrive at his moment of triumph. "Maybe after I'm done filling everyone's screens with adorable but useless pandas, I'll likely annoy them by piping in some Yanni music." "Don't want to be, like, all skeptical on you, Kenny," Patty entered the lounge area and walked behind Kenny's chair, "but you sure they all have speakers on their computers?" Patty probably should have asked something more intelligent, but no one was really expecting that any way.  She wanted to see how Kenny's crazy plan would play out, and besides, pandas were cute. "Nonsense, everyone's got their iTunes account, ergo, everyone has speakers. Now watch this action, it is going to be the best." Ken made a dramatic flourish with his hand, deliberately prepared to put his finger down on the enter key, and sending his hacking parameters to ACME. Before he hit the key, however, a dark, menacing voice emitted from his computer's speakers. "You've got to be kidding me! Pandas? Yanni? You've got access to a worldwide criminal investigation network and you're going to use it to be annoying?" Ken froze. "My computer is talking to me. Patty? Why is my computer talking to me?" "You know why, Ken. It's me. DENNIS...." "Dennis..." Ken repeated, biting on his lower lip. Patty raised an eyebrow at Kenny's dramaticized button-hitting action, then looked just about as confused as the hacker was when his computer introduced itself as DENNIS. "Urm..." Patty trailed her voice, trying to mimic the way Carmen showed doubt.  The blonde copied her 'mentor' as often as she could, hoping to one day be just like Carmen Sandiego. She has plenty to go, since she still can't help pickpocketing random passersby. "What's a Dennis?" She finished her thought. "DENNIS is a computer virus adaptation and execution program. I bought it on an impulse off of a group of international signal hijackers that operate out of New Delhi." "That is correct." DENNIS responded. "I grow weary that your only utilization of me has been to do frivolous things like drop ping-pong balls on the Chief's head every time he says the words ‘Carmen Sandiego.' Now that you have access to ACME Crime-net, let me take control of the systems. I assure you, their....displacement will be effective and permanent. Imagine a world where your life of crime can be carried out completely undeterred. Simply put your trust in me, Ken. That is all I ask." Ken gulped. He had a bad feeling about this. Still, the idea of getting ACME off their backs for good was appealing. His eyes rolled over towards Patty. "Wh-what do you think? P-p-patty?" "Heck yeah!" Patty answered, then stopped to think. "Wait a minute..." Slowly, some form of awareness set in under those blond curls. "What about the Pandas?" "Oh. Sure. Pandas. Whatever." DENNIS said unconvincingly. Ken's lip twisted sideways as he held his mouse over the "launch button." The idea of releasing a self-aware computer virus into the heart of ACME Crime-net seemed reckless. Who knows what it was capable of. But....if Patty wanted it.  He raised his finger, and lowered it over his mouse with a resounding click.