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Tron was the first to rerezz his lightcycle after Flynn had finished giving out the directions. He was about to ride off when he had realized he hadn’t heard the other cycles being formed. He glanced over his shoulder and saw that both Alan and Janelle were still standing there.
“What are you two doing?” Tron asked after a few nanos. “We have to go now.”
“What about Legion?” Janelle asked. “We have to save him.”
“Flynn,” Alan called out as he looked up. “Who are these allies and why do we have to meet at this theater house.” Flynn did not respond to him. “Why are you not telling us everything?”
“Maybe he wants to,” Janelle said. “It might be hard for him remain audible. I could never be heard out in our world and I could only be visible for a few minutes at most.”
“I wish he would just tell us more.” Alan sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.
“We can discuss this while we ride,” Tron said. “We wont be any help to anybody if we just stay here, waiting to be captured.”
Janelle activated her bike first and after she had hopped on Alan formed his.
“Follow closely,” Tron instructed and led them away from the spring.
As they approached the area that Flynn had directed them to, they had reduced their bikes back to batons. It was Tron’s suggestion. He did not want to rouse suspicion, certainly not do anything that would bring out a Recognizer. While the Users relied on him for stealth he had to rely on their eyes. He had no idea what a theater would look like. They did not have one in Flynn’s grid.
“That should be it,” Alan said as he pointed at the tall and wide building. The front of it was divided into three sections. The ones on the end were rectangular in shape and boxy on top. The one in the middle was topped with a curved half circle.
“Looks big enough,” Janelle agreed.
Tron was the first to reach the front door. It wasn’t open and he wasn’t sure if there wasn’t anyone inside and if they were then would they be friendly. They were still in the part of the system that was corrupted.
He was about to knock when the door opened and a hand grabbed his wrist and tried to pull him away from the entrance. Tron removed his disk from his back with his other hand and was ready to slice it into the arm of his assailant when he saw the knife trimmed in aquamarine light pointed at him.
“Tron, stop it,” Alan ordered.
“Easy, lady,” Janelle added. “He’s a bit on edge.”
Tron looked up to see a female program staring him down. Her slick black armor had the addition of a vest that had aquamarine circuitry on it that matched with those on her gloves, legs and chest. Her hair, that was the same color as her circuitry was styled in an unusual fashion. She had four round buns close to her head and two short pigtails placed high on the back of her head.
“You are not from around here,” the female program said.
“You are a security program,” Tron said as he recognized her. Her lights were a variation of blue. “I am also one.”
“Are you traveling undercover?” The female program asked.
“Yes we are,” Janelle said.
“We are looking for Pollux,” Tron said as he lowered his voice. “We were told he would be here.” His statement brought the point of the other program’s knife near his eyes.
“Tell her what we are,” Alan said.
“I’m traveling with two Users,” Tron said.
“Every program and their backup claims to be a User.”
“Alan-One, could you come here please?” Tron looked over his shoulder. He hated to ask such a request of his User, but this will only convince the guard. “The one main difference between programs and Users is that programs don’t bleed.”
“I understand,” Alan said and turned to the security program. “Cut my hand.”
“That won’t be completely necessary,” the program said. She grabbed Alan’s hand and brought the point of her knife against one of Alan’s fingers and pushed. She ignored the User’s flinch and lifted up the blade. She stared at the dark liquid that was dribbling out of his finger and at the stained tip of her knife. “Fascinating.” She ran her own finger over the blood.
“Will you let us in?” Tron asked as Janelle helped Alan with his new wound.
The other program nodded and opened the door. “Inside quickly.” Once they were inside she closed and locked it. “Forgive me for my extreme measures, but it isn’t safe with all the corruption.”
“I understand,” Tron said.
“I am called Wraith. My sister program, Sylph is with our boss.” She sheathed her knife. “Jor!”
A few nanoseconds passed and another program ran up to them. He was an average civilian program with minimal circuitry His dark hair was cropped short and his lips were pursed together in disproval.
“Jor, I need you to watch the door for a bit,” Wraith told him. “I’m taking our new guests to see the boss.”
“Never seen them before,” Jor stared at them through narrowed eyes. “Why should they get to see the boss when they do not appreciate the fine arts of the Users?”
“They are special,” Wraith said in a tone that warned to not to question her. “If someone you do not recognize comes to the door I want you to call me.”
“By your leave,” Jor said. “Parting is such sweet sorrow.”
“Shakespeare?” Alan asked. “How do you programs know Shakespeare?”
“You know of the great works of the Bard?” Jor asked. His tone of voice became the opposite of what it was before.
“Very,” Janelle said.
“Then you will not be disappointed here.”
Wraith shook her head at him and turned to them. “This way.”
They walked down many hallways and into large rooms that were filled with hanging screens that were surrounded by groups of programs. They seemed to be enraptured with the visuals.
Tron watched a few and saw several, what he had guessed to be Users engaging in various activities from sharing their opinions, to singing, dancing. There were some playing instruments and others doing things that not even Tron could understand.
“It’s like a major Youtube hub,” Alan commented as they walked past another screen.
“What is Youtube?” Tron asked.
“It’s a website where Users upload videos and other forms of entertainment,” Janelle explained. “Sometimes it’s home movies, sometimes its people trying to cash in on E-fame, other times its music videos and tributes they make to shows and movies they like. Some people even upload actual movies and Television and animated episodes.”
“And not always legally,” Alan added before he turned to Janelle. “How do you know about Youtube? It became popular after your death.”
“I know what’s popular thanks to the employees of ENCOM,” Janelle explained. “I watch them watch stuff.”
“Wasting valuable company time.”
“Most of them do it while on their coffee and lunch breaks.”
They were lead into a large room with seats set up like that of the arena, except that it wasn’t quite as big and only half in side. The rows had one central focus and it was a stage with a raised curtain.
“If we shadows have offended, “ A program on stage was speaking out loud. He wore only a vest with minimal circuitry and shaggy pants ending in round shoes. He also seemed to wear horns on his head. “Think but this, and all is mended, that you have but slumbered here while these visions did appear.”
“What is he talking about?” Tron asked. It was strangest lines he had ever heard. “Is this some form of code?” He turned to see that Alan was watching with an amused expression on his face and Janelle was saying the same words as the program. “This is a User code isn’t it?”
“Not quite,” Alan said as he placed a hand on Tron’s shoulder. “It’s lines from a play. Thanks to Youtube and the Internet, programs like yourself have come across the works of the User named William Shakespeare.”
“Flynn brought a few books by that User,” Tron said as he remembered Flynn stocking his shelves of books that were written by many Users. “I never took time to read them.”
“Heather would have loved this,” Janelle said. “She was a bit of a Shakespeare buff. She loved a lot of classic and modern plays and pretty good with iambic pentameter.”
Tron frowned. He felt like he should know that. It sounded like a kind of specific data code.
“A rhyming scheme,” Alan explained. “Users called English Majors, Theater Majors, and writers study it and use it sometimes.”
“You’re a writer.” Tron pointed at his User. “You wrote me.”
“A different kind of writer.”
“Heather was more familiar with prose and poetry,” Janelle further explained. “Metaphors and similes. She can tell you the definition of Terza Rima and Kyrielle.”
“I thin I would like to meet this Heather,” a voice from behind said.
Tron spun around with the others and watched as two programs rose from the floor. The first was a female dressed in black and had a skirt in addition to leggings. Her blue-purple hair was styled in two buns at the top of her head with the remaining hair in a long ponytail. The circuits on her armor were the same color as was the staff she carried.
The male program that stood by her had a sleeveless black top with minimal blue-white light and only a few bands of light down his leggings. He wore gloves that went up to the elbow and cape with a high back collar. There was ring of white light around his collar. His dark hair was styled in shot curls and his eyes were rimmed in black
“Another security program,” Tron said when he recognized the woman.
“I’ve seen you met my girls,” the male program said. “Wraith and Sylph. They are a dandy pair. I am never without one by my side. Not even when I object.” He walked up to Tron and leaned toward him. “Not that I want to.” He whispered as he held up his hand to his mouth.
“Are you Pollux?” Tron asked as he stepped back away from the odd program.
“I go by many names,” the strange program said as he inhaled. “But yes that is me.” He strutted away from Tron and towards Alan and Janelle. “I see that you both are fans of the theater and I heard the lovely one recite along with one of my actors.”
“Hi,” Janelle said. “I’m Janelle Harper, the ghost of ENCOM.”
“I’m Alan, Alan Bradley, the head of the ENCOM board.”
“Such wonderful names.” Pollux’s smile grew even wider. “Are these characters of yours?”
“Those are our actual names,” Alan said he was staring at Pollux’s face. “Jeremy Bedlam?”
“That was the name of my User,” Pollux said in a surprised tone. “How do you-“ His eyes widened. “Are you two by any chance, Users?”
“We are,” Janelle said.
“That is fantastic.” Pollux clasped his hands together. “I love Users. They are such a delight. How do you know, Jeremy?”
“He used to work at ENCOM,” Alan said. “He retired two years ago.”
“I remember watching that party,” Janelle said fondly. “The cake looked yummy.”
“Who was Jeremy?” Tron asked.
“He created my brothers and I,” Pollux explained. “I was a payroll program, my brother, Castor was a mail program.” His smile faded. “Or he was before he contracted a virus and had to be deleted.”
“I’m sorry,” Tron said.
“It was a mercy deletion,” Pollux said. “He was in pain. Jeremy created Zuse not long after to replace his duties.”
“Zuse?” Tron asked. The name was very familiar.
“He was brought over to a new Grid,” Pollux explained. “His function changed when that Flynn and he went to live in the that Grid..” He blinked. “Do you know him?”
“We all know who Flynn is,” Tron said. He clenched his fist. “I also met Zuse.”
“How is he?” Pollux asked. “We don’t communicate often these cycles.”
“Derezzed after betraying the Users.”
“He betrayed the Users?” Pollox had sputtered. “My little brother betrayed Users?” His voice grew louder. “I can’t believe it.”
“Your brother is dead and you care more about the fact that he betrayed Users?” Alan asked in shock.
“We have grown apart in the last few megacycles,” Pollux said after a sigh. “I did say we rarely communicated after all.”
“You can understand why there are some trust issues,” Tron said as he approached Pollux. He was blocked off by Wraith and Sylph.
“I would never betray a User,” Pollux said. “They are far too amusing. I love them. What they can write, what they can sing and each performance they bring to us. How can any program hate them? I also love their smaller furry companions. They can ride on skateboards and sing and make cute little sounds.”
“You’re an animal lover?” Janelle asked.
“But of course.” He grabbed her hand. “They are so fascinating and cute, a bit like you.” He kissed the top of her hand.
Tron felt a growl develop in the back of his throat, but he did not react. He didn’t have to. Alan walked up to them and glared at Pollux.
“Mr. Bradley,” Janelle sighed. “I was twenty three and I’m not alive and he is harmless.”
“That remains to be seen,” Tron said.
“I can prove it,” Pollux said. “There are two from the Real World waiting in my office.”
“Two more Users?” Alan asked
“They said they were sent here to wait for more Users and a famous warrior.” He beckoned to the back of the stage. “This way.”
They followed Pollux and his two guards while they walked down another hallway that led to a stairway. The enthusiastic Program prattled on about the theater and asked questions that both Alan and Janelle were pleased to oblige.
“I always wanted to do something more,” Pollux said as he stopped in front of a doorway. “Something special for the theater.”
“Like redesign it?” Alan asked.
“What?” Pollux blinked. “Oh no, not the theater as the building but as in the art form.”
“You act?” Janelle asked.
“Why yes I do.” The caped program said and bowed. “I also sing and dance.” He stretched out a leg and kicked it in the air. “But I yearn to be more creative. I want to make my own characters have them have their own adventures and other programs perform them.”
“You wish to be a playwright?” Janelle asked.
“Yes.” Pollux eyes lit up. “I do have an idea for something. I was thinking of a love story. It would be between a program and a User. A female program who is sent to the Real World and she meets a young User who is not popular.”
“Sounds like the plot of several Anime series,” Janelle said.
“It has been done before?” Pollux frowned.
“Plenty of stories,” Alan agreed.
“Maybe try the reverse?” Janelle suggested.
“The User comes into our world and falls in love with a program?” Pollux asked. “Yes that could work and I could make the program a male and the User a female.”
“That’s a bit of a twist,” Alan said.
“I would watch it,” Janelle added.
“Wonderful.” Pollux smiled as they reached the door. “I hope the five of you mix up well together and while we are on the subject you should tell me your drink preferences. I have my own little bar in here.”
“Uh,” Janelle blinked and rubbed her head. She had the same lost expression as Alan. The two of them did not know what kind of drinks they had.
“Three cool energy splashes with flavor spheres,” Tron gave the odd program the request.
“Excellent choice,” Pollux as he opened the door. “Hello my other guests.” He greeted as his guards walked inside. “I brought other Users, perhaps you might know each other.”
Tron was the last to enter. He walked into a large room that was a combination of an office and a lounge. There was a visual screen, a large round table, several desks and control panels, a mini bar and a couch. There were two sitting on it, two that were familiar.
“Sam?” Alan asked. “Quorra?”
“Alan?” Sam Flynn asked as he stood up.
“It’s him,” the ISO gasped when she recognized Tron. “The enforcer, Rinzler.”
“Rinzler?” Sam asked and glared. He removed the disk from his back and marched straight up to Tron.
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