Megabyte is a virus created by
a mischievous computer
hacker. A long time ago he
"invaded" Mainframe by stealth,
attached to an innocent word
processing program.
Megabyte's function is to grow:
to continually gain as much
power and control as possible -
but his style is smooth and
deceptive. He's no screaming
megalomaniac. Megabyte is a
gentleman with an evil grace
about him. He is polite,
intelligent - hiding his vicious
viral nature behind a suave
English accent and a unctuous
feigned concern for others (think
George Saunders, with big,
pointy teeth). Megabyte knows
that this smoothness is his
best weapon, but beneath the
patient surface is boiling
impatience, an insatiable
frustrated ambition for more and
more. This inner anger and
outer calm is a constant source
of tension for Megabyte, its
ripples often seen in our stories.
He has to work overtime to
keep his volcanic anger
wrapped in that cool exterior.
Because he's a virus, Megabyte's appetite
for power can never be satisfied: it's his
function in life to extend his power
indefinitely. He craves power for its own
sake, like an addiction. Currently
Megabyte controls maybe one third of
Mainframe. His vision is to expand that to
three thirds and then move on to the Super
Computer. It's so advanced that he doesn't
know how it works, but he knows that it's
big and he likes the sound of that. He also
knows that he can access more worlds like
Mainframe. Thousands, he's heard. He
dreams of a permanently open portal in
Mainframe to the Super Computer and his
ever expanding influence.
When, and if, Megabyte ever moves on to
conquer the Super Computer, it doesn't
mean he would give up Mainframe. His
greedy programming doesn't even allow
him to think of ever giving up anything.
Rather he plans to use Mainframe as just
one of his many dominions in his
expanding power empire. Think of
Megabyte as a greedy mob boss: he
exerts silent but powerful control from the
shadows, expanding his territories as he
goes.
Bob fears that Megabyte could gain
dangerous new tools if he were ever
exposed to the Super Computer, so he
feels a certain duty to keep an eye on the
villain.
Megabyte is physically powerful in his own
right. Perhaps the most powerful individual
program in Mainframe. But he is not
invincible and must use caution around
clever characters like Bob, Dot, and
Phong. Even Frisket causes him alarm.
Though Megabyte could take on just about
anybody in a one on one fight, Megabyte
prefers to let his minions do his dirty work.
These include: The massive Hack & Slash,
thousands of binomes under his control,
and the occasional Data Sprite who's been
seduced, tricked or extorted into serving
Megabyte's nefarious ends. Megabyte's
henchmen guard Megabyte's regions,
spyon his enemies, bully their neighbors,
build defensive walls in newly controlled
sectors, run his operations, deliver
messages or packages, do all his
"housekeeping" or maintenance, and any
other grunt work needed. Like the rest of
Mainframe, the more sophisticated the
Sprite, usually the higher up he is on
Megabyte's informal command structure.
Most are loyal to their boss-virus, most
have a fearful respect for his authority, but
once in a while one will turn against him -
not unlike the many shady thugs indebted
to a mob boss.
Bob is a special case for Megabyte. On
one hand, Bob could someday be extorted
into helping learn about the Super
Computer, perhaps even into opening a
portal. On the other hand, Bob is the worst
foe since Dot and Phong and life in
Mainframe for Megabyte would be a lot
easier without this speedy hero's constant
meddling.
But if Megabyte were to ever eliminate the
popular Bob (if he could actually catch him
- no easy task) he might cause such an
uprising among the Mainframers that even
he wouldn't be able to put it down. It's a
delicate balance that changes from
episode to episode.
Megabyte finds himself on a constant
"fence" with Bob - sometimes he wants to
use Bob for his own means, and at other
times he wants to erase his code
completely. Either way, they are always
locked in a constant duel to outsmart each
other.
Megabyte avoids Games when he can, but
if he finds himself caught in one, he'll prove
to be a powerful opponent. Always the
opportunist, he'll always try to bend a
Game's end to his own advantage.
At the end of Season 4, Megabyte returns with a new ability: the ability to morph into any character. He uses this trojan horse capability to play with peoples identities, and feelings. He comes, first, in the form of the season 1 & 2 Bob to deceive Dot and Matrix into remembering the 'good old days'. The season ends with Megabyte gaining the upper hand-infecting the war room.