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“He’s late,” Tron said as he waited at the foothills near his home in the Outlands of Flynn’s Grid. He had been living there with Janelle and Legion for some time. Janelle had said it been weeks since she arrived. They both tried to calculate a and figure out a time system. They were not certain how long it had been since Alan and the others have returned.
“Are you certain?” Legion asked. He had asked to wait with Tron.
“Very certain.” Tron stared again and saw a blip. The glowing blip grew larger and larger, revealing itself to be light runner, adorned with glowing magenta. “That should be him.” He had requested a gift for Janelle, something special for her.
The light runner stopped and Pollux stumbled out. He rubbed his left hip and glared at the vehicle before he looked at them.
“I do not like driving these things.” He pointed at the light runner. “I’m going to be sore from all the bumpies and won’t be able to get my groove on later this evening.”
“Do you need any energy to drink?” Legion asked.
“Oh don’t worry about me,” Pollux said as he held up his hands. “I already have a glass in this accursed means of travel. I designed it with holders.”
“Did you get what I asked you to get?” Tron asked and folded his arms across his chest.
“Right here,” Pollux said as held up a small metallic media player. “This is for one of my muses, yes?”
“It’s for one of the Users,” Tron confirmed as he accepted the file. He ran his finger over it. He hoped it would live up to her expectations.
“Will you stay for some time?” Legion asked. “We will have User food soon.” They did receive a message from Sam he was about to turn on the laser portal and return with some food. He was going to need some help to bring it all and Ram and Yori had offered to bring it.
“Ah temptation, I know that song and dance all too well. I’m sorry my lovelies I would enjoy to partake upon this experience but I need to get back to my theater and my screenplay.” His smile turned to a scowl as he opened the door of his light runner and hopped inside.
“I hope she likes it.” Tron stared at the file again.
“If it came from you then she will love it.”
Tron smiled as he thought about the past millicycles. He was good on his offer to take Janelle to Codebreakers. They had a few drinks and they danced, well she danced and he tried to follow. She took his hands and gave him a small dance lesson. She had given him several dance lessons since then.
He had been teaching her as well. He taught her how to ride her light cycle better than she already knew. He took her through various places in Flynn’s Grid and the ENCOM system and showed her his favorite scenes. He taught her how to protect herself better and how to fight in case they came across something similar to grid bugs or even more rogue programs.
She wasn’t the only one Tron had taught. He worked with several other programs, most were security and he showed them how to fight better. Tron took them through various training grounds and put them through exercises. He was a firm and strong teacher, but never cruel. He tried to be a fair instructor. He never insulted any of them when they failed to do a task or did so but used poor judgment, or ended up with sloppy moves. He only expressed his disappointment and promised more training. Whenever they did something well or exceeded his expectations he would give them the praise that they deserved.
It wasn’t just work for Tron. He took some time to relax and besides dancing and going to bars and light cycle rides Tron and Janelle would attending game events on the Game Grid or in various game arenas. They would also participate in the games. Janelle only played the disk arenas but Tron would play in several. He enjoyed racing around his light cycle, playing against opponents in the ring game, firing at each other in tanks. The games were just for fun again. The artillery for the tanks were duds, there was a net underneath the rings, a special buffer was on the outer edge of their disks and no one was derezzed for losing.
Sometimes they would just relax at home. They would play the several different games that Flynn had brought over, board games as Janelle called them. Other times they would just watch various forms of User entertainment on the screens or they would read. There had been a few times when Tron returned from his duties, feeling sore and tired and found Janelle in bed. He would grab a book and a bottle of energy and climb in with her and read until he needed to sleep. Once he climbed into bed and she was just there staring up at the roof and couldn’t sleep. He held her close, made his soft growling sound that she likened to a cat’s purr until they both drifted off together.
“There are more,” Legion said as pointed to three vehicles as they pulled up.
“That should be our friends,” Tron said. He watched as the vehicles had stopped and people stepped out and began removing large boxes and placing them on the ground.
“Legion,” Quorra called out to them. “We are really going to need your help with this.”
The both walked over and saw the several boxes that were filled with colorful items. Quorra handed several over to Legion and topped the boxes in his arms with several flat boxes that were filled with metal cylinders.
“What is all this?” Tron asked and looked at everyone else who was unloading. He saw Alan, Yori and Ram making stacks that they could carry. He saw Sam talking with someone that looked like Dirk.
“Here,” Quorra said as she handed Tron several more of the flat boxes.
“What are these?” He asked.
“Soda,” Quorra answered. “Users drink it, and it’s sweet and tastes good. It tickles your mouth and it makes you burp.”
“What is a burp?”
“A fun sensation.”
Tron decided to take her word for it and followed her into the house. He set the flat boxes down next to the similar packages and watched as Alan and Yori were putting different things, or food in the cooling units.
“You guys didn’t have to go all out like this,” Janelle said as she helped Ram and Legion put more things away in the cupboards. “I can live off energy.”
“You are going to need more than that,” Alan said. He was not wearing the armor that was put on him when he first came to the digital world. Now he work a black shirt with the same glowing emblem as the one on his armor, a pair of slacks, a jacket with glowing lapels and two downward diagonal circuits and black shoes with a circular light on each one. He was also wearing something on his face. It was made of thin black bars that seemed to frame his eyes. “Not to mention that you might enjoy this more.
“There was some food here,” Janelle said. She gave Alan a good look over. “Nice new threads.”
“Oh this?” Alan pointed at his clothes. “I just wanted something a bit more comfortable.”
“Even your glasses?” Janelle asked.
He laughed. “I don’t need them here. I just wear them because my face feels naked without them.”
“Sam brought chips before and there were boxes of mac and cheese, pasta, jars of spaghetti sauce, and ramen, and trust me after five years of not being able to eat or taste those were delicacies.”
“We are just trying to make living here special,” Alan continued.
“Let me at least help.” She ran out of the area.
“There were a lot of boxes,” Legion said. “I’m big and strong. I should go back out.”
Tron nodded at him and continued helping his friends put the food away. The task took over a hundred nanos, but they had everything put away and had it organized.
“That took a lot out of me,” Alan said and wiped his brow.
“Let me get you something.” Tron grabbed several glasses and filled them with energy. “Wait, I should be offering you some of that soda.”
“It’s okay,” Ram said as he accepted his glass. “This is more than enough.”
“The soda isn’t cold enough,” Alan added and took a sip.
“Where are the others?” Tron asked. He wanted to show them something, especially to Janelle.
“Probably still outside,” Alan said.
“Did Osiris’s User receive the justice he deserved?” Tron asked as they walked out.
“That is a good question,” Ram said.
Alan sighed and shook his head. “We found Maxwell Ricker. He got squeezed and confessed but said he did it all on his own, whether he did it because Dillinger paid him enough or because he wanted to be able to use it as hacker credit I have no idea.”
“You were able to remove him from the company?” Tron asked.
“Don’t have enough evidence,” Alan answered after another sigh. “I did manage to speak with him alone, talked about Egyptian deities and brought up the name of the god of the underworld.”
“Who also was named Osiris?” Ram asked.
“Exactly. I made Junior flinch and warned him that I, Sam, Adrian and several others are going to be on his back and keep a close eye on him.”
“Tron, you think you and I can do a little detective work and see if we can find some incriminating information on this User?” Ram gave him a sly smile.
“It will be almost too easy,” Tron said.
“I think Kevin might get him to crack,” Alan said. “I don’t know what he is doing to Dillinger but that boy is a nervous wreck. He jumps at everything.”
“Have you spoke with Flynn?” Ram asked.
“Sort of. When I’m alone in my office I speak to him to see if he is listening. He wrote me a few notes. He also rearranged a few things in my office.” He chuckled again. “Even as a ghost he’s still the same old Kevin Flynn.”
Tron smiled as he stepped out of the dwelling. He froze when he saw that Janelle was in the arms of Dirk. He glared at the program’s direction.
“Easy,” Alan said and placed his hand on Tron’s shoulder. “That’s Adrian.”
“Adrian,” Tron whispered the name and was ashamed at himself. He could not think ill thoughts of the User that had saved the system and Tron himself. He also knew that Adrian and Janelle were once in love.
“This is a miracle,” Adrian said once he and Janelle had parted. He had also wore a black shirt with a glowing circuitry emblem on the chest. His was an almost complete circle with a vertical dash in the broken are at top. He also wore slacks and black boots that had vertical bars of circuitry and triangular lights on them. His indigo jacket was also equipped with glowing lapels and there were horizontal circuit lines on the sleeves. “Your parents have to come here, your whole family, Kathleen, Heather, all our friends.” He paused to catch his breath. “Are you sure you are happy for Kathleen and me?”
“You both deserve the best and you got the best.” She closed her eyes. “Just promise me that when little Janelle is a little older you will bring here.”
“I will.”
“You might not have to wait that long,” Sam told them. “We just need to do a few tests and we are certain you will be able to come out with us.”
“Can Tron come with us to our world?”
“Sure,” Alan said. “If Quorra can enter our world I don’t see why my program can’t join in on the fun.” He looked over to Tron. “That is if you want to.”
“To see the world of the Users?” Tron asked. “I have dreamed of that day.”
“This is Tron?” Adrian asked as he walked over. “Wow, Alan he-“
“I know,” Alan said and chuckled. “I’m never going to stop hearing it.”
“I do not doubt it,” Adrian said and held out his hand. “I’m Adrian Dawson.”
“I am Tron.” He shook his hand. “It is an honor to meet the heroic User.”
“I’m no hero,” Adrian said. “You didn’t see me freaking out back there.”
“You are still a hero to many and you were once special to Janelle. You are her friend and that alone makes you admirable in my eyes.”
“She was once special to me,” Adrian said. “She is a very good friend and you better be good to her.”
“I only want the best for her.”
“So do I.”
“Adrian come here,” Quorra called to him. “The song is being set up. I thought it should be Unchained Melody, but Sam told me that isn’t the right song.”
“It’s not their song,” Sam said and turned on some music. “Just one dance.”
“Not one of the most romantic songs,” Adrian said as he took Janelle’s hands back into his. “But it was one of the last songs we danced to.” He looked into her eyes and sang along with the lyrics. “So denied, So I lied, are you the now or never kind.”
Tron watched as the two danced and refused to move. He watched as Sam lead Quorra to the music and he watched as Yori and Ram danced along to it.
“We need our own song,” Quorra said as soon as the music stopped.
“We will,” Sam told her.
“User couples have songs,” Tron said and turned to Alan. “Do you and Lora have one?”
“Yes we do,” Alan said with a big grin on his face.
Tron would have asked what it was if he hadn’t been nudged by Legion. He looked up at the large SBM.
“You have a gift for Janelle,” Legion said.
“Yes I do,” Tron said and turned back to where the Users stood. “Janelle, I have something special for you. It’s a visual file. We can all watch if you want.”
“I’d love to.” She looked around at everyone. “Does everyone want to kick back for a little entertainment?”
Everyone said yes.
They stopped by the kitchen first and Janelle grabbed several plates and opened the cooling unit. She took out pieces of bright colored food and placed them on the plates. She handed one to Tron
“What is it?” He asked as he looked at it. There were a few rectangular pieces of food. The top half of one was brownish pink, another was pinkish orange and the third was white with a silvery edge. The bottom halves were white and made out of tiny pieces of something that was stuck together in a large clump. The top pieces were soft and smooth.
“Sushi. That’s tuna, salmon and mackerel and they are delicious.” She handed out more pieces to everyone.
Tron shrugged and took a bite of the tuna. His eyes widened as the experience of various sensations filled his mouth. He looked down at his hand and found it was gone. He had eaten it so fast, it was that good. He made sure to eat the other pieces slower so he could enjoy it longer
“Sorry about that,” Janelle said after everyone had eaten. “I hadn’t had any in so long and that was pretty good for where you got it.”
“Take out at Shogun’s,” Sam told her.
“No wonder it was delicious. I doubt a wholesale club could make Sushi that good. Now for the visual.”
“I’ll put it in,” Tron said and placed the file into the reader. After he pressed the right button he sat down on the sofa next to Janelle.
The screen filled with an image of planet Earth that spun around and the words spelling out Universal wrapped around it. The blue planet turned brown.
“Earth that was could no longer sustain our numbers,” a woman’s voice was heard. “We were so many.”
Tron turned to watch Janelle’s face as she took in the visual. Her eyes widened after a few nanos.
“Serenity,” she gasped and turned to him. “You are wonderful.”
“I’m glad you like it,” Tron said and accepted her kiss.
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A/N: Thanks to all who faved, reviewed and added my story to their alerts.
I had the idea for a drowned ghost named Janelle since the 90’s and the Disney Channel played Tron a lot as part of their Sci Fi summer. In the original she fell in love with the program created by her former human lover when she was alive. I was originally going to do that here, but my muse had other plans.
As for future Tron fics, I have two that are brewing. One will be called User Rectified. A dark and adult fic. The other will be rated T and it’s a crossover with Supernatural. It will be called In Cyberspace No One Can Hear You Scream.