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Epicverse Part II (d) ||
 | Ram started, his circuits flushing brighter, shaken out of his calculations not just by the redefinition of several important variables but by the comforting certainty in Rinzler's words. Belatedly, he realized what the Monitor had perceived in his silence; without meaning to, he'd increased the pressure, possibly even forced the new balance through. He wouldn't have done it on purpose, but in retrospect, it was probably fortunate that it had happened. Reinforcement helped Users cycle through to difficult goals. Maybe it could help a program too. He reached out shakily to pat Rinzler's hand, hardly aware that he was doing it, but driven by the imperative to support him in any way he could. "Just the fact that you can say that is a good sign. If it helps, you do have me in custody, and even if you didn't I'm not a rogue, since... I wouldn't run." That decision had been so firmly entrenched that it seemed strange to remember he'd felt entirely differently barely a millicycle ago. The stray thought about allowing Rinzler to return to his normal functions had bypassed it, and the reason why was the first thing that had really scared Ram since he'd stopped being afraid of his companion. He'd been concerned about Rinzler. Not only Tron. Not solely Tron. If his attention had been where it should be -- where he'd thought it should be -- letting Rinzler turn him in would never have come up as an option. Tron would hate the very thought of it. Registering Rinzler as a program in his own right, instead of a shackle of code to keep Tron's true self confined, altered the equation in ways that Ram was afraid to process. Which variable was true? He looked at the program opposite him. His old friend. His new friend. Oh, User, what was he supposed to do now? [*totally choked up also ikr these programs whyyyyy ;;<3* |
"I know you wouldn't," he said and it too held conviction. The assurance that his friend wouldn't abandon him no matter what happened echoed in his tone from the same thought that the security program processed. He was sure of it. Which was why he couldn't turn Ram in. The other program was his friend; Rinzler had never had any friends before but he knew that the concept was a good one and that he wanted to keep the one that he had made. Or perhaps already had all along. He glanced down and shook his head clear. "But you won't have to. We'll find another way." [ |
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Both the words and the tone helped to quell Ram's worries. A program like Rinzler, unalloyed, probably had little reason to expect more than obedience from lesser entities. When he said things like this, how could Ram not hope -- how could he not do everything in his capacity to draw the hero he remembered, the friend recovered from oblivion, further out of his shell? Shifting in place, he felt his back sting where the floor had scraped it the other day; though the downtime had helped, it was hard to improvise minor repairs without his disk as backup. The question of identity still nagged him, but their more pressing concerns allowed him to table it for the time being, and he nodded, gathering himself again. Tron or Rinzler: it didn't matter. He would fight for this program even if it was the end of him. As far as he could calculate it, the worst-case scenario would be Clu discovering and reversing what was happening to the Monitor. There were two ways around that particular future: not getting caught, or somehow convincing Rinzler's handlers that there was nothing wrong with him. They couldn't expect much help from the resistance; Rinzler's directives would make that too dangerous for them. And unless a miracle happened, there'd probably be no help from the Users either. (It had happened before, though. Perhaps a miracle could happen twice.) "How long do we have now?" he asked. Time was an important variable too. |
Rinzler was quiet a moment--his usual calculation time when answering direct questions it seemed--and processed the past millicycle as a total rather than in its broken down parts. It was a lot to process and he knew this quick run-through wasn't going to do him much good, but he wanted to start and maybe eventually he'd finish. One cycle. But certainly not this millicycle. Because in the meantime the external scan he'd started had come back with something different than the last couple of pings had returned. He instantly perked up, all processing power going towards the new data and analyzing it as he went on alert. His focus left Ram as he looked towards the exit as if listening to some unheard noise. Which is exactly what he was doing. "...No time," he said in a clipped tone, his focus still elsewhere. "Calculate: four sentries, working in pairs, heavy and agile combinations. Estimated time to arrival: three nanocycles." He glanced at Ram. "They're slow to pick up on the trail but fast when they hit. I can take them if..." |
Sentries -- already? Instantly alert, Ram scrambled up to a crouch, automatically reaching behind him and grimacing when his hand came back empty. Unless the sentries were wielding weapons that could be taken away from them, he was weaponless. Rinzler would be fighting alone. Though he knew the Monitor was the strongest program on the Grid, Ram hated being unable to back him up. Worse, as a defenseless program in this small space, he might even be a liability. The best he could do now would be to follow Rinzler's instructions and try not to get himself derezzed. Gritting his teeth, he prompted, "If?" |
"...If they pose a threat to your safety." Which more than likely if they caught up with the two of them the sentries would definitely pose a threat in one way or another. Either Rinzler would be forced to turn Ram over and he'd be repurposed or entered into the Games or the sentries would destroy Ram on sight when they tried to take Rinzler into custody. Both were threats to Ram's core functionality as he stood right now and Rinzler would not--could not--allow either outcome. "We should leave unless you want to fight." He tossed something at Ram, fully expecting the actuarial program to catch it with ease. "Preference?" |
"...I see." All the more reason to run. Maybe derezzing the sentries would prevent them from reporting what they saw; maybe it wouldn't; maybe their destruction would actually confirm to Administration that the Monitor wasn't aligned with their interests anymore. But Ram didn't want to force Rinzler through any more conflict right now. Pitting his own safety against probable directives to cooperate with former allies -- as heartwarming as it was to be so assured of which option Rinzler would take -- might add an unnecessary layer of complication to what the Monitor was already going through. The baton caught Ram by surprise, but he plucked it out of the air with the ease of a program who'd excelled at such activities in the Games. He'd thought those were lightcycle sticks, or perhaps a 'cycle and a light jet, but now that one was in his hands he could perceive several different functions waiting to be accessed. More than a few of these were weapons. Of course Rinzler would have extra ones. What had he expected? "Fight if we have to," he answered, balancing its weight on his palm. "Run if we can. Whichever will give them the least information about what we're doing." Edited at 2011-02-10 03:32 pm UTC |
Rinzler stood and calculated the varying odds for half a nanocycle. On the one side of the bit killing them off quickly enough would ensure that they didn't report their finding of the two rebellious programs; on the other was the possibility that one of the agiles would flit around dodging long enough to get a short message off during the fight anyway. Running meant that there would definitely be a report but if performed right the sentries wouldn't have enough data to really matter. But it was a matter of timing and skill that Rinzler could only calculate for himself and not altogether accurately for the actuarial program. He couldn't be sure of how well the other would be able to keep up though he had a few estimates based on their previous engagements. Still, in the end he decided to risk the report in order to ensure Ram's safety. Staying to fight just might risk the actuarial program coming to harm, or worse, and Rinzler seethed at the idea. At least with the running he thought Ram would be able to handle himself fairly well if the tank experience was anything to go by. "Lightcycles are programmed into the batons. Let's go," he said, already moving out through the back entrance. He slid his hand along the wall as he passed by and raised a blockade in the entrance that would slow down their opponents progress though not for long. Outside, he rezzed his Lightcycle at a run and only kept his speed down long enough for Ram to catch up before gunning it at nearly full speed despite still being in the small residential area. |
Lightcycles. "I was hoping you'd say that." They might have a chance after all. Ram was right at Rinzler's side as they sprinted out the back way. He caught a glimpse of the Monitor doing something to the wall, but couldn't tell what it was; probably some security thing that was saving their bytes just by existing. Possibly at the expense of the programs chasing them -- but hey, they were red guards and Ram found himself pretty darned unconcerned about their fate. Unfamiliar with the sector, he checked slightly at the curb as their lightcycles rezzed and fell a few lengths behind, but grinned at the readout of the compromised hideout behind them and speeded after the Monitor as fast as he could go without crashing, thanking the Users that he'd kept his operator's license current. |
The security program was pleased at Ram's handling of the 'cycle as they sped through the sector. He had some sharp functions to be able to adapt and adjust to extreme situations so quickly; Rinzler wondered why an actuarial program had such coding but decided it wasn't the biggest priority at the moment. He focused on driving and that was something he excelled at above all the rest. The only variable he had to account for was the actuarial program and that didn't seem as big a deal as just getting out as fast as possible. Ram would follow him, of that he was sure, and he was fairly certain Ram would be able to keep pace with him so long as he didn't pull out the really impossible maneuvers he was capable of performing. That being so, the security program worried little as he raced through the sector without a ribbon. He could have employed a trick or several to get rid of their pursuers (if they managed to catch up) but without communication with his counterpart it could end disastrous rather than victorious. He nixed the process almost as soon as it formed. He led them to the outskirts of the Outlands once more, mindful of the terrain but pushing the envelope to the max on what the 'cycles could handle in hopes that it would further help them outrun their opponents. As far as he could tell it seemed to be working. |
Ram would have been happy to explain, if he'd known what Rinzler was wondering about. Talking about his actuarial skills and how, as he'd found out later, they related to certain aspects of game theory wasn't something he often got to do these days, and if it involved the Users, well, that was what he'd been designed for and he wasn't ashamed of it. Calling up the 'cycle's map of the sector, he traced the logic path that Rinzler was following. They'd be skirting the Outlands; a dangerous place to go alone, but not so daunting for the two of them, even without a tank. Communication didn't seem to be enabled between the two vehicles, and he didn't want to experiment lest the only available channel led to the authorities, so he concentrated on running as fast and silently as he could make his vehicle go, foregoing the telltale light ribbon and even diverting extra energy into dimming the exterior circuits. Security's bikes were slower, and not handled with nearly as much skill; they didn't seem to be able to put more than a visual lock on what they were chasing, and Rinzler's expert guidance was swiftly leaving them in the dust. Ram pulled up nearly level with the Monitor, glancing over at the darkened 'cycle, his memories overlapping with other memories from long ago. His hands and back still stung, but all the other priorities had reduced it to background sensation, to be ignored for as long as they didn't impair his driving -- which, at the moment, they weren't. No matter what had happened at the end, there was an exhilaration in this speed and in following this program once again to what he could only hope was freedom. |
It was during their daring ride that Rinzler calculated a decisive plan that would ensure his new friend's safety one way or another. Something about being on a Lightcycle, determination set, racing against the clock and a line of opponents at his back trying to beat him, calmed his circuits so much it cleared his processor in a way that no other function could. The fact that Ram was there at his side only seemed to make it that much easier, kept him focused and yet at ease at the same time. It suddenly became easy for him to derive a solution to their dilemma. Rinzler veered off into the Outlands and looped through a rather impressive canyon where the other security programs didn't dare follow. Though low on energy, Rinzler knew the area well enough by memory that he knew he'd make it through before the Lightcycle derezzed out from underneath him from lack of power. He hoped the actuarial program could last as long. Soon enough they were back on the Grid where power wasn't an issue and Rinzler rumbled excitedly along with his 'cycle as they both raced across the threshold. Being able to siphon off the Grid's eternally flowing energy made powering a Lightcycle much easier than it was off the Grid. It was the biggest problem with the Outlands besides the unpredictable terrain. He slowed down shortly after so that they wouldn't be completely suspicious riding into the city. They didn't go far into it, stayed out on the smaller scaled partitions surrounding the main hub, because Rinzler didn't want to risk going too far and being unable to get back out if the need arose. Besides, he knew of the perfect target just outside the range of any full unit's usual deployment area that they could penetrate to get the information Rinzler wanted. Less risk of capture with the same payload if they succeeded. He didn't bother to ask Ram's opinion on the self-given mission, either anticipating the actuarial program's full cooperation based on his selfless actions towards Rinzler already or knowing full well that their would be a heavy debate on the subject and didn't want to hear any complaints in the first place. They didn't have time for the latter anyway. And his mind was made up; he wanted to know how things stood between him and administration as of right now. He wanted to know what his options were before he tried to make any more decisions. Attacking the small sentry outpost with a two-man team that wasn't fully equipped, prepared, or energized, and trained in the case of Ram, wasn't exactly the most brilliant plan of action the head of security had ever come up with, but it was certainly one of the most daring considering his current status. He could be branded a renegade for even processing the idea. Somehow, that didn't concern him at the moment where normally it would. Rinzler pulled up to the side of the street and locked his legs to the ground as the 'cycle idled beneath him while he gazed intently at the red sentry post opposite his position. He made one last calculation based on a quick real-time scan of the area and then derezzed the Lightcycle. His mind was made up. They were going in. |
As the chase went on, Ram gave up trying to figure out where they were going. Rinzler seemed to know, but their path was so convoluted that Ram wasn't even sure about that. With no way to communicate, he cut off his own internal queries and focused on the drive. The off-Grid detour was an unwelcome surprise. Beautiful, yes, in an austere way, but Ram was too low on power to properly appreciate it; he made it through only by following Rinzler's course as exactly as he could, unstopping his lightcycle's outer circuits to better process the energy flowing through them. His perceptions narrowed near the end to his hands, the 'cycle's power flow, and the grim red lights of the vehicle ahead. He gasped in relief as they shot out onto the Grid again, veering and slowing down as he tried to recover the power driving off-Grid had taken from him. Rinzler's lightcycle ran steadily ahead, and Ram only sped up when he would otherwise have been sure of losing the Monitor's trail. The fact that he had made it through the Outlands spoke well of Rinzler's judgment, and Ram no longer wondered where they were going. Finding out when they got there was good enough for him. When they finally did stop, he looked up long enough to see that Rinzler was thinking again, and then ducked his head and focused on building his power reserves back up. It didn't take as long as he feared, and when he straightened again, he felt capable of facing the next stage in the plan. He nearly jolted backwards at the realization that they were right across from a sentry post. The area was dim, quiet, and Ram's white circuits seemed for the moment to stand out like a beacon. Why were they here? Had Rinzler shifted to autopilot without realizing it, or had his directives in the end been too strong for him? (No, it couldn't be that -- Ram wouldn't still be standing if it had.) The Monitor's head was turned away from him, and Ram looked from the outpost to the helmet and back again, unable to find any explanation for their presence here. At the bottom line, though, he trusted Rinzler's promise. When the Monitor finally moved, derezzing the lightcycle that had taken him this far, Ram mirrored the action and took a pace forward to stand behind Rinzler's shoulder, the light baton still in his hand. "What are we doing now?" he asked quietly. |
Rinzler's head turned slightly as Ram came up behind him, the purr of his damaged audio module low and even: determined. "Infiltrating," he answered simply. His attention returned to the outpost. They would need to hit it fast and hard. Catching the sentries off-guard was their best bet to get through this without anything going awry. He considered the options available to him and quickly came to the calculation that he would need to rely on his own strengths and skills to pull this off. Ram was capable, he didn't doubt that, but he didn't have exact specs for the actuarial program and couldn't take the chance to give him a task that he might not be able to perform. "In and out, quickly," he said as he turned suddenly on Ram. "Take the sentries out, hack the admin network, and leave before backup arrives. Follow my lead; stay out of the way; don't do anything I don't tell you to. I'll handle the heavy work. Take lookout position while I obtain the data. Run when I give the command; out the back. Nothing else. Got it?" |
Ram was impressed. Hacking the admin network -- from what he knew of Clu's directives, only the current situation had made it possible for Rinzler to even process such a concept. He waited while the Monitor finished compiling the plan, and listened intently as it was explained, nodding briskly at the end. "Got it." Since Rinzler hadn't asked for the baton back, Ram didn't offer it. He wouldn't rezz it into anything unless there was no other choice, but it was nice not to be completely helpless. |
Rinzler placed his hand on Ram's chest briefly, the Black Guard illusion coming easily to Ram's coding this time around as Rinzler recalled it to form around his companion. As he stepped back and pulled a precision about-face his own circuitry appeared to crumble upwards into a new form as his own illusion manifested around him. Without pause, he started across the byway headed straight for the outpost with purposeful strides. He didn't look back to see if Ram was following. He entered the outpost as if he had all the reason to be there and knew exactly what he wanted--which, wasn't entirely inaccurate. The guise and demeanor worked like a charm; the sentries barely even glanced at the Monitor when they perceived one of their own and one who seemed much higher rank with a specific purpose for his bizarre visit. It was enough to make them stand straighter on an unconscious level and then not see the first attack come as Rinzler drew his disc, split it, and threw one without even breaking his stride. The other began to react as the first sentry went down in a shower of pixels but it wasn't quick enough. Rinzler's second disc hit him as he was reaching for his disc and he too shattered. They didn't even have time to set off an alarm. Catching his discs in two hands, Rinzler began his stiff march further into the outpost. He didn't bother to replace his discs on his back. The data-pushers in the main hub didn't stand a chance. |
Ram was right behind him, having shortened his stride only enough to avoid the hissing arc of Rinzler's discs as the Monitor pulled them free. This was familiar territory: the actuarial program watched the sentries go down without a qualm, their red code scattering across the floor. They were Clu's programs; they were a threat to himself, a threat to Rinzler's freedom, part of the machinery that kept the Grid enslaved. Coerced, reformatted, only doing their jobs -- it didn't matter. It couldn't matter now. He stopped at the outer doorway to stand watch, clasping his baton between both hands and hoping nobody noticed that his height was somewhat under that of your standard sentry. With luck, any other programs that arrived would take the swaths of shattered code to be signs of a struggle in which the obviously healthy guard at the door had triumphed. The screams from the main hub were different, though, and Ram had to abort an instinctive urge to interfere. The Elite were loyal to Clu, but support programs came in all colors. If these were innocents, Tron would have saved them somehow. To Rinzler, they'd just have been in the way. His breath coming short and his hands clenching on the baton, Ram stared stonily at the fragments on the floor and hoped whatever Rinzler had come here to obtain was worth the price. [[But isn't he a little short for a stormtrooper. XDDDDD~]] Edited at 2011-02-16 09:12 am UTC |
True to his word, Rinzler moved rapidly. His fingers flew over the holographic interfaces of the central console as he hacked expertly into the system to acquire the data he was searching for. He didn't read it here, didn't want to take the time and most certainly didn't want to undergo any processing reactions to either case scenario if his coding couldn't handle the implications just yet. He tapped it into a spare data-chip and tucked the chip into a hidden pouch when he was finished. He could have done the same thing by checking in with the System on an internal wavelength but it would have meant giving up his position and required another false report to be put it. He could afford neither at the moment. In essence he was in and out in what was possibly record time for an infiltration strike, and he placed a heavy hand on Ram's shoulder when he came back out silently to retrieve his partner. "Ready. Let's go," he purred quietly. He started for the emergency exit, back through the corridors he'd traversed to get to the main hub, and headed for the back where they'd planned to go. By now the station would have gone on an automatic alert do to the lack of constant information streaming out of it and to the main Security network back in Administration sector. Rinzler was unconcerned. They would be long gone before anyone else arrived and he would cover their tracks efficiently. [Huh? What? Oh, you mean this~. ^^] |
At the touch on his shoulder, Ram snapped back to attention. It was Rinzler, of course. The quiet rumble, the confident grip, the nameless peripherals that had recognized one another before the two programs had understood them -- he was grounded again, their mission reassuming its perspective as he turned to accompany the Monitor out the back way. When they passed the main hub, he kept his eyes on Rinzler's discs. If they both lived through this, there might be a time to ask Tron's forgiveness for not stopping him. Ram would face that time squarely, if it was ever to come. The best he could do now was not to waste what this raid had given them... whatever it turned out to be. ["Everything's perfectly all right now, we're fine, we're all fine... here... now........ thank you. .............How are you?"]] |
Rinzler listened briefly into the Security force's network where there was a commotion just beginning over the silence of one of their stations. He didn't want to be noticed and tracked so he didn't linger on the wavelength but it was enough to assure him that they had plenty of time to relocate--not that he planned on slowing down and taking his time anyway. As soon as they were out the back he was off at a run, rezzing the Lightcycle beneath him as he hopped onto it without stopping. He was off, perfectly assured that Ram was behind him, and headed back out of the sector in a blur of motion. He didn't leave the city but rather found another place to hole up in while he dived into the information he'd sought out. It was unremarkable--the building he chose--a half rezzed set of apartments that would soon house a specified set of programs. Likely it would be used for repurposed automations working for Clu as soon as it was finished. He didn't bother to take his extra baton back from Ram (he figured the actuarial program might need it again) and entered the ground floor with a shove of his partner before him. He rounded on the program and set him at the door facing out. "Watch," he ordered. Then he withdrew the chip and dived. [...boring conversation anyway.] |
The new hideout -- or stopping point, or whatever they were going to use it for -- was indeed unimpressive, and Ram automatically surveyed the vantage points as they entered. Their clean getaway would probably go down in the annals of the Grid as the first time this had happened since... well, since the MCP. For his own part, Ram was hoping the Elite wouldn't catch up to them again any time soon. He didn't expect the shove, and braced himself, his lips twisting irritably behind the still-rezzed disguise mask. Rinzler was obviously preoccupied by whatever they'd retrieved from the sentry outpost, but that push had been unnecessary. And being stuck on guard with his back to his companion was even more unfair. Not to mention nerve-wracking. The actuarial program bit back a protest and did as ordered. He caught a glimpse of the chip as Rinzler passed him, and understood that the Monitor needed to be assured of privacy while he analyzed it, but it wasn't easy to watch the streets without any idea of what effect the new information might have. [...maybe you'd like it back in your cell, your highness? XDDDD] |
The security program keened in an odd mixture of frustration and desperation as he read through the data on the chip. The noise was sudden and broke the silence with a shattering amount of emotion behind it. In his resentment, Rinzler threw the chip to the floor and watched with a calm clarity behind the blank helmet as the data shattered into a million tiny pieces and scattered across the ground. The pent up emotion from the dark program was palpable in the air as the Monitor trembled in place. He turned around to Ram and stared with a force that could be felt at the other program. His voice was a growl just barely audible over the irritated white noise. "Wanted," he hissed. "For diagnostics... for rebellion... disssobedience; im-per-fec-tion." Rinzler's circuits flared brighter as he made a grab for Ram and shoved the other program against the wall. "Your fault!" His grip loosened and he leaned back out of Ram's space. "You will fix this. You will fix this..." As he trailed off his circuits dimmed to a hazy color and, even though his helmet was in the way of confirming it, it seemed as though his gaze became unfocused with non-productive contemplation. The rumbling stayed--low and irritable--a soft repetitive undulating chirp just beneath the frightening noise that offset the irrational rage of the program and set a more despondent tone to the nature of his outburst. [Look, I had everything under control until you led us down here! >3] Edited at 2011-02-16 12:45 pm UTC |
It was bad, then -- Ram had whipped around in dismay at the first sign of disturbance, the lost, desperate sound tearing through the calm he'd gathered in the wake of their successful raid. He almost left his post right then, but held back as the chip shattered and Rinzler fought for control, giving him a chance to recover himself. The Monitor's clipped phrases, coming without context or background, were confusing at first. By the time the meaning of the words set in, the distraught security program had closed the space between them. This time, Ram didn't give way easily; his hands locked around the Monitor's wrists. It didn't make any difference, nor could it have, but it was the principle of the thing. Perhaps at this point Rinzler could only turn him in; well, he'd go with his pride intact, knowing that what they'd both gone through hadn't been in vain, that they'd fought for each other even like this, no matter how it ended. But then, as before and even more quickly this time, the rage trailed off into dissonance, the conflicts and insolubles reasserting as Rinzler backed off, bewildered, lost. Ram stayed with him, holding on, refusing to let him turn aside. They couldn't afford to falter now. If Rinzler had been flagged, they'd have to move quickly; leaving the game in Clu's hands was the surest way to fail. They'd have to change it somehow, find a way to release what the Admin had bound. If Flynn were here... he wasn't, yet he'd written the Grid; his spirit couldn't have abandoned it completely. He wouldn't have wanted this. There had to be a way. "We'll fix this," he said fiercely, trying his best to look straight through the illusory disguise helmet, straining to think of something, anything, that could turn the tide. They were lost together now. "I promise. You're not alone -- Tron--" It was a gamble, using that name, but it felt right. "What's the next step? Tell me. What do you need me to do?" [You fly that thing? You're braver than I thought! *also FIXED, SO THERE. Edited at 2011-02-27 01:22 pm UTC |
Tron. The name rang in his head like a dissonant chime from some far away place. It triggered glitches in his system like erratic input attracted gridbugs to its center. His circuits flickered unstably. He gazed at Ram with a calmness that was not reflected in his irregular, multi-colored appearance. "I need you to follow my lead," the security program said softly. His voice was low and deep. His grip on Ram shifted and suddenly the illusion shattered violently. "I need to destroy the evidence that we ever met." Roughly, Rinzler began to shove Ram back outside. The plan formulating in his processor was sketchy (and would probably work better if he told Ram about it ahead of time a quiet voice told him) but it was all he had. It was all he could focus on to get through the insolubles in his system. It was the only option he could calculate. Without warning, Rinzler clamped Ram's wrists together with a set of energy bonds. He continued to shove Ram in front of him in what could only be a predetermined path. And from the look of it, he was going to turn Ram in. [Who are you calling 'scruffy looking'? |
The multicolored lights were another new effect -- Ram had no idea what to make of it. Rinzler had become unreadable again, teetering on the cusp of innumerable choices. But his voice was Tron's voice, and Ram nodded tensely and answered with conviction. "Whatever you say." Rinzler's next move caught him by surprise; the younger program made a short noise of protest as he was manhandled back out into the street, leaving the broken chip to slowly derezz into the floor. The Monitor's curt words were ominous. What counted as evidence that they'd met? The security footage from End of Line? Ram's disc? Jazz? Even now Ram didn't really think that Rinzler would deliberately hurt him -- though the restraints were another unpleasant surprise. But he couldn't fathom what might actually be going on. "Hey--" Twisting around, he sought some idea of what the Monitor intended. It was like trying to read a closed file, and Ram's shaky attempt at a lighthearted tone slipped a little higher than normal. "W-would following your lead look more realistic if I struggle? Because I could do that." [[*wait for it* *wait for it* I've got a baaaaaaaad feeling about this.....~ Edited at 2011-03-04 05:57 pm UTC |
Rinzler looked down at Ram with a quiet stoicism that wasn't just the helmet hiding his expression. "Quiet," he hissed and roughly shoved Ram for emphasis. It didn't matter if Ram struggled or grimly accepted his fate--either were common algorithms when faced with capture by the black guard. Silently, Rinzler sent out a signal to System Security to give away his position. He knew perfectly well that the amount of guards sent to retrieve him would be in excess. It was exactly what he wanted. He continued forward at a slow, deliberate pace. Finally, his logic protocols one over the warring code. "When I indicate for you to run, run, and don't stop no matter what happens." The guards were closing in, he could feel them surrounding them. He stopped walking and waited. [Really wonderful idea. |
Without clearer input, Ram opted to go quietly -- best not to trigger any recapture scripts. He'd gotten the sense that this wasn't another surreptitious flight to one of Rinzler's safehouses, but what was happening was still a mystery. They'd turned onto a wide boulevard lined with abandoned data warehouses before Rinzler spoke again. Ram's processes froze momentarily. His captor halted too, apparently waiting for something; there probably wasn't time to argue. But hadn't he just said before that he wouldn't leave Rinzler behind? Pressing back against the dark program, he looked up and whispered harshly, "Tell me you'll be all right if I do." |
For a moment all Rinzler could do was feel Ram pressed up against him, his head bowed into the crook of the actuarial program's neck and shoulder line, the link between them active as their circuits touched for the brief moment. It was enough to dissolve the security program's doubts and set his functions straight in his mind. With a new resolve that was certain what he was doing was the right thing, Rinzler straightened into a line of pure confidence. Into Ram's ear he whispered, "This is as much for me as it is you. You will be keeping us both safe. Trust me." It was all he had time to say. Black Guard began to ooze out of the surroundings, their angry orange circuits appearing out of the darkness like a slowly descending virus. It looked like all thirty of their number had been turned out for this capture. (Somewhere in the back of his processor, Rinzler was pleased. He had not been under estimated.) In supplement to their elite force, a number of scouts and regular guards lined the street on both ends effectively blocking the easy getaway. Rinzler kept a firm hold on Ram's bonds as he waited for the right moment. Edited at 2011-03-07 02:50 am UTC |
Rinzler's -- no -- Tron's new confidence was palpable, flowing back through the understanding they shared. Ram relaxed against him, his tension fragmenting away, and whispered, "All right." Then the guards came. User, there were so many, circling in from every available vantage point; Ram's vision swam with orange light. He picked out the dark places between them: there was a loading port beside one of the warehouses that looked like it might still be active, and had a nice dark tunnel leading off behind it even if it wasn't. Even with scouts at both ends of the street, the Monitor had picked a good place for this showdown. Don't stop no matter what happens. Ram steadied his stance and got ready to run. |
Rinzler fingered the bonds around Ram's wrists with a deliberate, repetitive tap that was clearly keeping a set time. The security program watched the enforcers enclose on the two would-be captives with a keen eye and even keener scan. One beat was completely missed as Rinzler saw the right moment arrive and then next instant Ram's bonds were being derezzed from around his wrists. The security program shifted quickly into a defensive stance at the same time he sent a near silent hiss of "run!" at Ram. At the instant that Ram followed the quiet signal, Rinzler produced a sound of alarm and stumbled backwards. The other programs would never know the difference that the action was faked; Rinzler's signal spiked through the security network at just that moment to disrupt most of their sensors and produced a fake record in the Grid's databanks to support his faked reaction to a falsified bit of force on the actuarial program's end. Rinzler shook off the "attack" and sprinted forward after his escaped prisoner. As he caught up to the actuarial program, he drew his discs and split them. |
The signal came through loud and clear. Ram broke away at exactly the right moment, fairly diving toward the hole in the guards' formation and the beckoning escape route beyond. The hiss of active discs sounded behind him, spurring him to further speed, actually shoving one of the scouts as he darted past him and converting the force into more momentum. If all he could do was run, then by all the directives, he'd make a good job of it. |
Rinzler was faster than Ram by the barest of nanocycles--and only because of pre-written specs. He threw a handful of smallish pellets from his belt at the tunnel ahead as he ran beside the blue-white program for a split second. He passed the actuarial program just in time to head him off and, running up the wall beside the exit vector to somersault off it and with a deft twist mid-air fly at Ram head-on, the red circuited program raised his disc ready to slash down upon the actuarial program with it's deadly light. His attack missed by micrometers and instead the disc was released and began to drop in front of Ram as the security program flashed by. Rinzler landed crouched on the ground behind Ram. He faked an irritated growl. He hoped Ram didn't fail to take the disc. A string of red lights activated across the wall atop the exit tunnel. An explosion rocked the area a second later and Rinzler ducked low as the blast washed over him with fiery heat and debris. As soon as the initial wave of detriment cleared Rinzler snapped his head to look back over his shoulder. The tunnel was gone, collapsed; nothing but a pile of derezzed pixels remained where the opening had once been. He hoped Ram made it. |
No matter what happens. Only the stern directive ringing in his mind kept Ram moving when Rinzler shot down at him from above, the disc slashing at his face. It sliced into the ground just a pace ahead of him, a red half-circle right under his hand as he hurtled forward, and he grabbed it without thinking, astonished when its active edge didn't hurt him. Then he was through, catching one last glimpse of Rinzler landing behind him, the rumbling growl blending with the disorienting flashes of the light string above their heads. The loading port was active. Wrenched into the transport beam, Ram lost all sense of direction for a beat and then hit the ground hard, rolling over and out the other end of the port, sectors away from where he'd been before. As he staggered upright, the port died in an angry burst of static, cutting him off from Rinzler and from all the blackguards in the system. Don't stop. Don't stop. The disc was inert now, only its red inner circle glowing faintly, and Ram clutched it to his chest and fled into the deep places of the Grid. |
2011-02-04 02:41 pm UTC