XXX


Bits and Pieces


Summary: Jarvis doesn't understand why Clu allows the little datums to stick around the perfect system he's trying to create. Clu just doesn't see anything wrong with keeping Bits around. Oneshot.

Rating: K plus

Genre: General

Disclaimer: I own TRON: Legacy. Oh wait, that's not quite right...I own a copy of the movie TRON: Legacy. If there's anything in here you see that you recognize, I probably don't own it.


There were no policies about Bits. The simple yes-and-no scripts had been left out of Clu's orders for the system, and it was something Jarvis did not understand.

To be sure, it wasn't like the Bits were exactly harmful, but Jarvis did not see how they fit into the perfect system that Clu was trying to design. Still, he told himself it didn't matter. Clu's plan was so large that he had never revealed all it it to Jarvis anyway.

There was a tiny energy pool outside the administration building in the city that collected Bits; they all clustered around to drink from it. Jarvis had asked, just once, about covering it and making the Bits leave. Clu had never answered the question.

Now the worst-case scenario that Jarvis could conceive of had happened. A Bit had gotten into the administration building, and was zooming around Clu's office as the latter listened to Jarvis present on the finished and ongoing projects that had taken place in the city. Jarvis was trying to ignore it flying around, but it was distracting. Sometimes the thing held still, by Clu's chair; sometimes it appeared to be looking at the diagrams on the screen.

Jarvis was still trying not to notice it, and that little goal was getting harder to meet the more the thing zoomed around and appeared to look at things.

In a movement almost too fast to follow, the next time the Bit flew in front of him, Clu lashed out with one hand and caught it. The terrified datum let out a shriek. "NOOOO!" Then Clu squeezed it in his fist, and it sighed, defeated. "Yes…"

There was a pause, as Jarvis watched, astounded. Clu leaned back in his chair. "You were saying…?" He prompted.

Jarvis snapped out of his daze. "Yes sir. I have not heard from the Architect in the 8th Quadrant…"

The rest of the meeting passed smoothly, with the Bit restrained. It's attempts to extend it's spines to free itself went unnoticed by Clu, who continued to hold on to it, but not by Jarvis, who spent the rest of their meeting wondering how long it would be before his Administrator crushed the errant Bit.

So it came as something of a surprise at the end of the meeting when Clu was leaving, still holding the Bit.

"Sir?" Jarvis began hesitantly. "I can see to it that the Bit is derezzed. In fact, it might be a good time to establish a policy about all the Bits. Sir?"

Clu did not appear to hear or if he did, he did not answer as he walked away. When he was back in his private rooms, door closed behind him, he released the Bit, which flew up into the air. "Yes?" It queried.

Clu frowned at it. There was no real use for a Bit, but he hadn't been able to bring himself to do anything about them yet. There was something familiar about them; something about a harmless datum that offered advice, once a long time ago.

After a moment, the System Administrator snapped out of his reverie and walked over to the window, which vanished with a tap of his finger. "Out." Clu ordered, and the Bit complied, flying over and out the window, chanting as it went.

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" When it had exited through the window, it paused and looked back at Clu.

For a moment, Clu was silent, then he asked, "Do you think the architectural changes will work?"

"Yes!" Bit replied, excitedly changing it's shape.

Clu grinned. "Shoo," He told the Bit, and re-rezzed the window back into place as the Bit flew away.


[A/N:] I've been reading through the novelization of the Tron movie, and one of the things that's expanded upon in the book is Bit. I thought it was a little sad; the novelization states that when Bit meets up with Kevin Flynn, the Bit mistakes Flynn for Clu 1. The book noted that the Bit was confused about why Kevin was asking it if Kevin was the Bit's program, because Kevin should have known that, and then I realized that the Bit is not looking for Kevin, it's looking for Clu. And Clu 1 had been derezzed by the MCP. It was just kind of sad.

I know some other writers have expanded upon the idea that Clu 2 retains some vague, distant memories of Clu 1. Most notable to me is Allronix' story Through a Diamond Sky, which is an excellent read if you're looking for a story set between Tron and Legacy. So I decided to follow that concept, with Clu 2 and Bit, and this was the result. Hopefully I didn't rip anyone off or anything.

Anyway, Happy Easter to everyone who celebrates Easter, a blessed Passover to any Jewish readers out there, and Happy Palm Sunday to you Orthodox folk who I hear will not celebrate Easter until next week. Please review and let me know what you think. Feedback is always appreciated.