Since Kaps was busy watching Rinzler, Gem had some free time. She'd confirmed that the Users were again working with the system- too little, too late- as a ragtag group of search engines and various other functions had come staggering out of the Outlands rejoicing- apparently the energy stream near one of the old ISO colonies had revitalized. The constant storm brewing above the Grid, a result of weather CLU could contain but never be rid of- had broken, and rain was pouring down upon the system as if to wash away the past. She'd once had elegant umbrellas with glowing lines that complimented her own, and now only an unflattering cloak kept the soaking torrent off of her. I never understood the purpose of it, anyway, except as an excuse for the existence of umbrellas in the first place. Sighing, she looked up at the ruined tower that had once been jewel of the Grid.
Zuse had been unique from the time of his initial creation- an innovative program designed to repair or alter other functions; the type of versatile coding Kevin Flynn had decided a long time ago would be highly useful.
All around her, programs were rushing as if they had places to be, programs to see. They're in denial of the fact that this system has no User. The fools. At least CLU knew that we could create our own meaning in existence. She smirked bitterly. Well, at least I can. The mood was unusually happy; those around the hooded Siren were talking happily about energy, Users and system repairs. And, of course, Ding, dong, the Rinzler's dead! Was it true that he was really Tron? Of course not, Tron would never allow that to happen to him or anyone on the system! CLU derezzed him at the beginning of the coup! Gem scoffed to herself as she listened to the babbling programs walking by her. Anything that was good can be corrupted; anything that was corrupted can be rectified. CLU's favorite mantra was deadly accurate.
Though he never had admin access, as his abilities would become highly dangerous unchecked, he was a powerful program capable of repairing those damaged in the absence of Flynn, with the permission of Tron or CLU, of course.
Standing here in the middle of the heart of the city, engines and voices ringing in her ears, she was reminded of a better time. As a newly rezzed ISO she was simply exploring, hair down and eyes wide, already turning heads with her exotic elegance. Even from the streets, she could feel the pulsing beat from the club above everything, shimmering and far away, like Olympus. What was it like up there? She imagined it to be gaudy and stylish, and she wanted badly to be there. There were no guards in those days; there was no need. Her own fear was the only thing keeping her out of the famous End of Line club.
As creative and quirky as the programmer who wrote him, he was fascinated by the ISOs- their artistic abilities, unique, free personalities. In turn, many of them enjoyed the company of the Basic who treated them without fear or cold tolerance, who could tweak energy binding into wonderful flavors and… other enjoyable properties.
Jaex, Volien and Siria were her sisters; her family. Deviants of the same source code; they were almost extensions of eachother. She could not go without them, and they shared her same desire and reservation to board that elevator with programs surely far better than four nervous ISO girls who had no business in such an establishment. Would the barkeeper throw them out? Be afraid like so many Basics were? They should fear us.
There were four sisters in particular who admired him, who he took on as unofficial apprentices in the art of entertainment and drink mixing, both hobbies derived from his function. For regular programs, learning like this was unheard of; it was only another example of how the ISOs would- and already where- changing the (digital) world. Flynn had never foreseen such a turn of events, ISOs and Basics relating like this, but that was the nature of the ISOs- unpredictable, inspired, at times totally random.
The torrential rain was beginning to wane in force; finally the simulated storm would abate. Umbrellas or no, Gem hated weather and had been sorely disappointed in CLU's inability to get rid of it. The sysadmin had tried his hardest, but really he amounted to little more than a powerful virus in the end. Viruses would never succeed- no matter how long it took they would be found, isolated and deleted. Foolish, incompetent and cruel as they are, Users are still very powerful, she reflected. Zuse would have made great things if he had gained control of the city. Better than Users or their pitiful psychotic codified utilities. It wasn't like her to stand out in the rain thinking about the past, but she felt the need for a very bad mood to already be in place when she returned to deal with Rinzler.
He had fought the purge- fought long and hard, but realized in the end he couldn't save them all. By allying himself to CLU- though it sickened him, he gained limited admin powers from the treacherous Admin; Zuse staged his last, devious stand. He would save all that he could, his special four.
They'd once loved the rain- loved how it slicked over their skin, the feel and sound of it, a rushing sigh. Immature children, how they'd delighted in the fits it gave the system monitor, who hated the reduced visibility, among other issues. Then again, he had an issue with everything that had a remote chance of becoming a security hazard. An older program from another system, he was unstoppable on a lightcycle but he'd never had to deal with the new variables simulated water introduced to how his bike would take a sharp turn. Giggling hysterically as the bike spun out and would have hit a building if Tron had not derezzed it and flown into the solid code himself, uncharacteristically undignified for one who took himself so seriously, they fled as the ruffled program shot them a severe look, each saving the audio-visual file for later sharing.
He altered their codes, giving them the armor, names and suits of Basics, ensuring CLU that as maintenance functions they could be of use to him as Games armor technicians and designers. Their innate ability to learn saved them and they quickly became indispensible. By smuggling them into the system, inside the monster, he made them invisible. Then all one Basic against the Grid had left to do was hope that a fallen god might return and set it all right.
It wasn't that she hated the weather directly, no matter how much she told herself that. She hated the laughter ringing in the rain, the memories of dancing programs and ISOs, the whole system free of the nightmares that now haunted it. She hated how it made her want to be herself again, to have back what was gone for good.
But as the Purge came to a successful conclusion and CLU's reign stretched on, cycle after megacycle, the strongest wills withered, and a feeling of betrayal blossomed. The danger of hiding inside the monster is you become part of it. She wasn't sure when she had stopped being an innocent trying to survive named Xene and stopped pretending to be a tool of CLU's power, or if she should care. The Users would never return to save them and she and her sisters would have their vengeance on all that wronged them.
SNAP. Gem, froze, returning fully to the present. That surge hadn't occurred in so long, many probably wouldn't know what to make of it. As if I could ever forget. All around her cries of surprise, exultation and fear rang out. Programs squinted and pointed; Gem looked, though she knew what she would see- the I/O tower was lit once more. You're too late. The worst has happened. And I will not rest until you have paid for what happened here. Drawing her hood, she stalked towards the abandoned hub folder containing Rinzler and Kaps- unless he found my energy cache and ran, the little viral pest. I might derezz him if he wasn't so useful at times. Kaps had palmed a little energy off her before, sneaky glitch.Another bitter survivor alone in a world with no place for her, no longer an eye-catching ISO child, merely an agent of retribution, she vanished into the crowd.
AN: Shorty, I know. Just a little more on Gem, hopefully interesting nonetheless. Next up: More regularly scheduled Tron, Sam, Alan (with a chance of Kaps) and some much needed confrontations between Users, programs and one very angry ISO.
