Tron: Deresolution
Chapter Four: Freedom comes with a price...
I refuse to close my eyes, even as my impending death nears. Instead I stare Rinzler in the face, my eyes piercing through the thickly tinted plastic of his helmet, my harsh breathing mixing with his low, predatory purr. I won't give CLU the satisfaction of knowing that I'm afraid. If I am going to die, then I will do it with pride, knowing that I fought to the end and never backed down.
But still…in the very back of my processor, I feel rather disappointed in myself. I have lost the game, in more than one sense. I let my awareness slip, let my fear and insecurity get the better of me. And now that mistake will cost me my life. Perhaps cost others their lives, because I have not gained freedom. I can no longer protect the innocents of the Grid, I can no longer fight for justice.
I have failed us all…and it is a mistake that I will die guilty of.
Suddenly the disc slams into the glass not even an inch away from my face, shards of glass shattering and slicing into my cheek, and I can feel data instantly begin to stream from the thin yet painful cuts, the stinging sensation immediately registering in my processor; and I find it rather humorous that something as small and unimportant as that manages to override any sense of terror I should be feeling over the fact that the Grid's most deadly warrior is currently pinning me to the floor of an Arena Cage. It takes me a few seconds to realize that Rinzler is looking upwards, and when I go to shove him off my body he roughly grabs my arm and yanks me to my feet, his grip bruising. I look up as well and see CLU standing in front of his throne, hands clasped behind his back; helmet retracted.
"Well fought, program. Well fought indeed." He claps slowly, his voice patronizing and mockingly kind, and I grit my teeth in anger, trying to pull my arm from Rinzler's iron grasp; but with little success.
"Am I supposed to take that as a compliment? For you, well-fought generally means running like a coward." I snap, and Rinzler's low rattling purr deepens into a disapproving growl, his grip tightening even more, and my arm starts to feel like it will derezz off any moment now. CLU just chuckles, seemingly unaffected by my words, the sound reverberating around the now-silent Arena.
"You're a real charmer aren't you now? Tell me your name, program."
He says, and I glower up at him in hatred, struggling to free myself. "You already know my name. The crowd's been screaming it for the past half hour now." I say dryly, and CLU laughs again, turning to a bald program behind him and saying something I can't quite make out, the only word I can catch is my name. The program bows and scurries off, and I frown, wondering what CLU possibly could have said. My attention is rudely pulled back to the matter at hand as Rinzler shakes me, and I realize that CLU is speaking again.
"Well then, Kayden…" He drawls, giving me a lazy smirk, crossing his arms over his chest in what I see as a pathetic show of arrogance, but no doubt he perceives to it to be frightfully intimidating.
"I'd like to make you an offer. You're an excellent fighter, I must confess that I am pleasantly surprised by the level of skill you've shown. Such talent is a shame to waste upon deresolution." He pauses and smiles down at me, and I try to muster up a venomous glare to throw at him, but it fails miserably; and CLU must have noticed my lack of defiance because he continues before I can open my mouth to refuse.
"I would be honored if you would join my Guard. I need skilled programs like you to ensure that order and perfection is maintained here on the Grid. Accept my offer, and you will be given your disc back…and your freedom." His smile is cold, merciless, knowing, and I lower my eyes in a gesture of silent defeat, even though I know he can't see it.
He knows I want freedom.
I take a deep breath, slowly exhaling, my fists curling and uncurling as my anger and longing for freedom battle within me.
I want to see my fellow programs again. I don't want to die here…I've made it so far…and for what? To simply die, be derezzed like all the other programs that have entered these Games? I want to live to see another cycle. I want to continue fighting.
I don't want today to be the day that I go down.
I take a deep breath, my gaze wandering to the silent sea of spectating programs, and for the first time since I have entered this Arena, I begin to see them for what they really are: bloodthirsty, devoid of any sense of compassion or mercy, CLU's pawns in the Ultimate Game. He has shaped them after himself, controlled them, warped them into his own twisted image.
With a growing sense of revulsion I wonder how I could ever even consider accepting his offer, ever even consider becoming one of them, and I realize that I cannot bring myself to accept the offer of false freedom, because the cost that it comes with is the cost of slavery. I will never allow myself to become like them.
I will fight to the very end.
Raising my head I straighten my body, ignoring Rinzler's warning growl, roughly yanking my arm from his grasp and stepping quickly forward to the edge of the Gaming Platform before he can stop me, unrezzing my helmet so all can see my face.
"I will never subject myself to the false freedom you offer. Go ahead and derezz me, I would rather die a thousand deaths than to live with the knowledge that I sold my loyalties to a tyrant. I fight, for the Users!"
CLU's face is twisted into a feral snarl, his hands clenched into fists, and he stalks forward to the edge of his throne platform, shaking in rage.
"So be it, you have chosen your fate."
Never before had a program so openly defied him before, and in his own Games no less! CLU was beyond rage, his entire body felt like it would explode, his circuits were burning; systems sending warning pings of impending overload to his processor. CLU ignored them, focusing all his hatred on the defiant figure below him; before his mood suddenly changed, anger abating as he inhaled deeply, folding his hands inside the long sleeves of his robe and tilting his head thoughtfully.
Even before the insolent program had refused his gracious offer of freedom, CLU had already planned on drafting him into his Guard; however he had been anticipating a grateful acceptance, not such a rude disregard for the generosity that CLU had so freely given.
A pity really. It would seem that this program would require some extra breaking-in before he was fit for service…a process that CLU himself would take much delight in overseeing.
"Sir, we have made the changes you commanded to the disc." Jarvis's fawning voice cut abruptly through his musings, the program stepping up behind him a respectful distance away, holding Kayden's disc out carefully. CLU nodded in approval, turning his head to glance at the disc.
"Well done Jarvis. Rinzler, bring Kayden to me. I have a…gift for him." He raised his voice to carry across the Arena, and Rinzler quickly pinned Kayden's arms behind his back and secured them before leading him none too gently off the Gaming platform and onto the elevator that would take them to CLU. The overhead speakers announced a new round in the Games after proclaiming Rinzler the Champion of the previous round, and the crowd resumed their cheering, rebel program all but forgotten in their lust for the killing to resume once again.
Kayden struggled to tamp down his growing feeling of terror as the elevator slowly began to rise upwards, but to no avail. He had a good idea as to what kind of 'gift' it was that CLU intended to give him, and in the back of his processor he begged for deresolution, anything except what was about to come; yet his desperate prayers went unheeded as all too quickly the elevator slid silently to a stop and Rinzler forced him off, firmly marching him through the doors and straight to where CLU was standing with his back to them, still gazing down at the Arena. Turning his head as the sound of the doors swishing open reached his ears, CLU allowed a tiny smile to creep over his lips.
"Ah, there you are Kayden, I was beginning to wonder when you would arrive." He turned around and stalked forward towards the visibly nervous program, slowly beginning to circle around Kayden, studying him from all angles. A firm, clean jawline, bright, intelligent green eyes, well-built; perfect for the Arena Games. No wonder he managed to survive- he was practically programmed for it.
CLU would merely take his natural programming a step further, develop it, hone the already existing skills into perfection, just as he had done with Rinzler. He reached out and lightly traced a painful-looking slice that ran across the program's cheek, absently reflecting on how he could have had obtained it, then wondering even further as to why he even cared.
"You have so much potential, Kayden, so much you could do for the Grid. That's what you want, isn't it? To protect the Grid?" CLU asked softly, and Kayden jerked his head back away from CLU's touch, glaring venomously at the program standing before him. "You actually think that what you are doing is protecting the Grid? You're destroying it, CLU! You destroyed the ISO's, you've done your best to destroy any program that dares to defy you. That, my friend, is not protecting!"
The program in mention just chuckled quietly, inclining his head slightly in Rinzler's direction. The security program bowed shortly, releasing Kayden's arm and slipping out, boots clicking quietly on the smooth tiled flooring as he headed back towards the elevator; leaving Kayden alone to speak with CLU, who circled around him a few more times, appearing to be deep in thought; before stopping in front of Kayden and standing mere centimeters from the seething program's face.
"I have perfected our world, I have established order, I have given the programs of the Grid freedom! And you, my dear rebel, will help me to ensure that things stay the way I have them." He whispered harshly, all pretenses of gentleness dropping away, icy blue eyes glinting in wicked triumph.
Kayden opened his mouth to object, but abruptly cut off with a gasp as Jarvis stepped forward and swiftly connected the corrupted disc to his back. He let out a choked sound of pain, eyes widening in horror as he fell to his knees, face twisting in agony, tendrils of electricity dancing across the disc as the corrupted files contained within it began to override all of Kayden's existing data and protocols in his core processor, replacing them with a new set of directives, his memory files being painfully erased one by one, until finally he slumped to the ground; systems locking down into emergency stasis in an attempt to prevent any further corruption.
But the damage had already been done, and CLU crouched down, gently brushing dark brown hair away from the unconscious program's face with what could almost be described as a strange sense of tenderness.
"Get him cleaned and suited up, I want to see him when he's awake and functioning again." He commanded, rising to his full height and staring down at Kayden's motionless body with an impassive expression. Jarvis nodded, beckoning quickly for the two guards that stood rigidly at attention by the doors, completely unaffected by the cruel and heartless scene they had just witness. They marched forward and grabbed Kayden roughly by the arms, pulling the unconscious program up off the floor and dragging him out of the room between them without a word.
CLU turned back to the window, crossed his arms in satisfaction, and smiled with a mirth that did not quite reach his eyes.
Nobody can fight forever.
Not even you, Kevin Flynn.
~Finis
A/N: As I'm sure you've all guessed, I WILL be making a sequel to this, hence the reason that the ending for this is rather sudden and leaves you with a bit of a cliffhanger. The sequel will not be out until the end of the month most likely, as I am debating on how to formulate the story's plotline to fit in with the one in Tron: Legacy, with some minor changes and adjustments to the movie plotline of course. I hope that you all enjoyed this however, and keep an eye out for the sequel, which will be entitled 'Tron: Rebellion'.
Until then, cheers!
~Darktiger09~