Disclaimer: I do not own TRON. Disney owns TRON. I just enjoy watching the movies and coming up with adventures for the characters. The only character that belongs to me is Claire. Also, I have only seen Tron and Tron: Legacy. I haven't played Evolution yet. End of line.
Ch. 2
"And just where do you plan to start looking, Claire?" Brent was staring at her like she was an alien from outer space.
"Well you know the old arcade downtown? It was Flynn's arcade where the best and newest games appeared. It was the biggest place to be on Friday nights for high school kids. Eventually he put in his Tron video game that he invented. I figured that would be my best bet."
"Claire, that place has been closed down for twenty years. No one's there anymore."
"There's got to be someone who keeps it up. You don't just leave something like that behind with all those arcade games and not have someone keeping watch over it." Claire turned around and faced the direction for town. "You can come with me, but I can't guarantee you'll have fun."
"No, thanks. The boss needs the profit reports in two days. I've got to work on that." Brent fell into step with Claire and soon they were walking back towards the shops and restaurants. "Claire I just don't want you to be disappointed or get hurt, that's my main concern."
"I know, and I'll be careful. No worries." She gave him a playful punch on the arm.
"Please do. And even if I'm not right behind you as you're walking you can talk to me anytime you need to. Don't forget that, Claire."
"I won't. I haven't forgotten even through school, college, and career interviews."
The two kept walking, discussing their weeks at work. Finally they made it back to the quieter part of town. Claire's apartment was first, beside the coffee shop. By the time she greeted the doorman and got up to her floor, the sun was almost below the horizon. She put the key into the lock and turned it. As soon as it clicked, loud barking erupted from inside. Claire pushed open the door and her dog came bounding towards her.
"Hello, Max. How are ya?" She rubbed the dog's large grey head and took off her shoes. Max was a mixed breed, what looked to Claire to be between a German Shepherd and a Siberian Husky. Each time he heard the door opening his loud barks filled the apartment, but when Claire finally rubbed him or fed him, he was quiet until she left again.
Claire walked over to her refrigerator and pulled out the milk. She took three Oreos out of the package then poured a glass of milk. Munching on her snack, Claire looked out the large door to her balcony. The sun was now barely giving any light and the streetlights were coming on. Three blocks down, and two to the right, Claire could see Flynn's, the arcade she had tried to explain to Brent. As usual, it's bright orange neon sign was shining. Cramming the last cookie in her mouth and dusting off her fingers, Claire finally made the decision to herself.
"I have to go. It may be my one and only chance to find out what these dreams mean and what's going on." Claire put the glass in the sink then went back to the entry door. She slipped her jacket and shoes back on and grabbed the set of keys to her Yamaha sport bike. "Come on Max. We're going for a ride."
With Max secured in front, the blue Yamaha slowed to a stop. Claire nudged Max off the bike and then slid her helmet off and put it on the handlebar. Kicking the stand down, Claire got off and headed for the front door. Just as expected, no one was inside. The lights were off and all the old games were covered in dusty and yellowing plastic. Claire tried the door but it was locked, also expected.
"Crap. Now where do I go?" She looked up and down the street. A car passed by and Claire went back to her bike. Max was sitting on the sidewalk, watching a cricket. Just as Claire was about to get back on and go home, a loud rumbling sound stopped her.
Another bike had pulled up behind the building. "Come on Max." Claire crept to the side of the brick building and listened. The other bike was cut off and two people were heard talking: a male and a female. A metal door was now sliding open. Thinking fast, Claire darted to the back of the building. The two people who were talking had just slipped in the building when Claire managed to catch the door with her foot. She waited a few seconds to make sure they weren't coming back before letting Max go first then slipping inside herself.
80s rock and roll music was pounding through the air in the dusty hallway as Claire walked. She followed the hallway to another door. Max looked up at her. Taking a deep breath, she turned the knob and opened it.
Claire had made it inside Flynn's arcade. The door she came out of was beside an original Mario Brothers game covered in plastic, just like the others.
"Hm. Now that's one I haven't seen in a while." Claire looked all around, and all she could see at first were rows of arcade games. She turned and walked right and came upon an old air hockey table. Claire smiled. Even though the building was years old, dusty, and a little run down, she could feel the lightness and fun, simple times this place held.
"Now where to go? There's got to be an office or something. They couldn't have just disappeared." Max walked up beside Claire's right leg and she petted him. She studied the row of games she was in then an intuition hit her. She looked up. Large glass windows overlooked the whole arcade, even though the blinds were drawn down. A light was on and Claire could see two figures walking around. One, the male, handed what looked like a glass to the other, the female. Weaving through the games, Claire found the stairs. She quietly climbed the old steps and arrived at an old door. Max stayed at her heels and waited.
"It's now or never," Claire murmured to herself. Taking a deep breath, she knocked loudly three times on the door. Talking from inside stopped. It seemed like forever before Claire heard footsteps approaching and the metal knob twisting. The door swung open.
In the doorway stood a young man (or so he looked to Claire). What the dim light allowed for sight, he seemed to have dirty blonde hair in contrast to Claire's brunette. It was short and messy. Claire could obviously see he had put a light amount of gel in it. He was tall, taller than Claire's 5'6" height, and looked as if he had been through a sports training program. He was wearing a leather jacket with jeans and motorcycle boots. Claire had to force herself to think back to why she was here before he spoke.
"Can I help you?" he asked bluntly.
"Hi, I'm Claire. I'm looking for Sam Flynn and I thought he might be here." Claire could here her voice starting to tremble with each word.
"How did you get in?" The young man studied Claire with a harsh expression.
"I-I c-caught the door from the back and followed a hallway," she explained.
"And why are you even here?"
Claire couldn't answer the last question. Before she got a word out, the female had stepped up behind the young man.
"Sam, you don't need to be so harsh. Obviously she's looking for someone and we should help her." This girl couldn't easily be described. It wasn't that she was ugly or unattractive, but Claire thought she looked... different. The girl had short black hair with wide eyes. She was small, but was only a few inches shy of the young man's height. She was dressed in a black, fleece-lined jacket and denim jeans, with black boots also.
"I-I-I'm sorry. I'll leave. I just needed to talk to a Sam Flynn, b-but I guess you're not him, so-"
"No, I'm him." The young man stepped back and held the door open. "Come on in. Is that your dog?" He pointed to Max.
"Yes," Claire replied, holding onto the dog's collar, "I can take him outside."
"No, it's fine. I've got a dog myself, so just bring him on in."
Claire walked into the space. It was like a miniature apartment. There was a large carpeted space with a coffee table and a sectional couch. To the left was a small kitchen and a door which Claire guessed led to the bathroom.
"So, who's looking for me?" The young man shut the door and sat on the couch. He motioned for Claire to sit down. The black-haired girl sat next to him.
Claire sat on the opposite side and Max laid down next to the couch. "My name is Claire. Claire Carter. I just have a few questions to ask because I can't get them answered myself."
The young man leaned back. "Okay, so you know who I am, obviously, thanks to Quorra here-"
"Sorry," the girl interrupted, "Sam is just a little on the defensive side when it comes to meeting new people, but he has a right to be."
"It's alright," Claire said. She thought to herself then added, "Quorra, interesting. Is the name from another culture? It's nice."
Sam and Quorra looked at each other. "Sure," Sam said, nodding.
"So what is it exactly that you need Sam to answer, Claire? Is there something wrong?"
"Not exactly, no," Claire leaned forward and put her hands together on her knees, "but I've been having- um, reasons to ask just a few questions about your dad."
Sam tensed. "Look, you can tell your news crew or whoever you're writing for that my dad is-"
"I also need to know about the Grid and about Tron," Claire managed to say over his volume.
Immediately, it was like time stopped. Quorra glanced between Claire and Sam, who was staring wide-eyed at Claire. Sam relaxed and shrugged. "It's a video game. It's downstairs actually. Everyone knows about it. So what?"
Claire shook her head. "No, it's not just that. I desperately need to know about everything. CLU, Tron, the purge, and what you have to do with a blinding light."
"Well," Sam said with a small laugh, "you are obviously not with the news crew."
Quorra smiled. "So Claire, how about we all get comfortable, and you and Sam can exchange information. Do you like tea?"
"Tea is fine, thanks."
Quorra got up and quickly made three glasses of tea and set them on the coffee table. Sam picked his up and sat back. "So Claire," he took a drink and looked at her, "you first."
