Free from perfection
A one- shot story.
Rinzler finds the last remaining ISO and presents her to his master, Clu. Now the Administrative Control Program has to decide what to do with his newfound prize. Clu learns about irony.
I do not own Tron or Tron Legacy.
*Some dialogue is taken from the film, Tron Legacy*
AU - Quorra never gave Flynn her disk.
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Clu has been waiting to give a speech to his massive army of programs aboard the Rectifier, but he had one thing he wanted to take care of first. He went over to examine the ISO who had been brought before him by his Enforcer, Rinzler.
Like a waiting sacrifice, she could only watch while Clu examined her ISO arm tattoo. Pulling up her sleeve, he chose that no one else be privy to her existence. Quorra was not intimidated. Rather, she stood before him, unflinching even at his touch.
"You are a very rare bird, aren't you though." He circled around her, making what seemed like idle chatter. "Where is he? Surely he didn't let you come here alone." Flynn was somewhere close by, he knew that. He would not have allowed the ISO to venture far without him. His son Sam would be here with him as well. "Must have been so lonely out there. Tragic to be the only one." The statement was harsh and unnecessary, since he and Quorra knew why that was. Clu had been the one who had ordered the destruction of her people.
"I've seen what Users are capable of, Clu. You don't belong with them," Quorra said firmly, almost like she was giving the ACP an order.
Defiant to the last, he thought. A very small part of him admired her courage, but he had other ideas as to what he might do with her. Reaching out to caress a lock of her jet black hair, Clu said, his voice also a caress, "I have something very special in mind for you." He smiled with satisfaction when she turned away from him. "Take her upstairs. And find them." He gave Rinzler the order to remove her to the Control ship to wait for his arrival. Once he had delivered his speech to his faithful programs, he would consider the ISO then.
Before being led away, Quorra said, "They're not here, Clu."
"Where are they?" he demanded.
"They're heading for the portal. They plan on trying to use Sam's disk to leave. If they reach it, you won't be able to stop them."
Clu calculated that, if true, and the pair managed to leave the Grid, then he would be sole ruler. No program would dare stand up to him with the Creator gone.
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His speech over, a satisfied Clu stepped onto the lift, riding it up to the Command ship, where he knew he would find the waiting ISO. His directives were telling him to destroy her, but this was a chance for him, if he could somehow figure out how to merge her functions with his own. ISOs were not programmed nor controlled by preassigned functions and protocols. Quorra was an independent being with free will. Even if she had tied her loyalties to Flynn, Clu deduced that she could do as she wished. That was probably what happened in her distraction and eventual capture by Rinzler, allowing Flynn and his son to get away.
Clu dismissed Rinzler, and held out his hand to the ISO, who was waiting on his throne-like seat. Bringing her to her feet, he circled her as if she were prey being examined for weaknesses. "So, what shall we do with you. You are something I can't even begin to understand, and I want to so much. Destroying you would be a loss, a decision I'm not ready to make just yet." Stopping behind Quorra, Clu reached out to remove her disk. He activated it, watching the history inscribed on it. If he had a heart, it would have sympathized with her grief at losing her people, felt the joy and gratitude at being saved by the Creator, and the excitement at meeting said Creator's son. Clu dispassionately closed the disk's memory files.
Quorra waited, now feeling frightened. When she thought the ACP was going to de-rezz her, she was prepared for the end. But the longer he took to make any decision about her, the more unsure she felt. "Make up your mind, Clu. Destroy me or let me go."
"Oh, I won't be letting you go, ISO." He paced the room, calculating goals and ways to make those goals viable. If he merged her disk to his, in essence joined them into one, would any of her functions migrate to his disk, thus allowing them to become a part of his programming. Being free to do as he wanted would give Clu even more power than he had now. It seemed a good possibility, and he had nothing to lose. If it didn't work, he would still have the ISO to use as he wished. He had not enjoyed the pleasure of joining with another program in a long time. And if she fought him, all the better. Dominance over other programs was something that gave Clu complete satisfaction. Seeing fear only intensified that satisfaction. Would the ISO fear him, or would she welcome his touches? He was now filled with curiosity, but there was a greater matter to attend to.
Quorra tensed. Whenever the Creator had removed her disk, it was with a gentleness borne out of respect for his charge. She watched Clu out of the corner of her eye as he placed his hands on each side the disk, twisted sharply and yanked, removing it from its port and drawing a deep moan from her lips for the effort. Laying it down on his throne, Clu reached back to remove his own disk. He proceeded to access the function files of his disk, then opened the ISO's. Clu had only the basic understanding of this procedure, but it was all he would need. Once merged, the disks would do the rest. Clu glanced over at the ISO, who lay on the floor as if in pain. He would tend to her later, but for now, his eagerness took precedence. Laying the open disks one atop the other, he watched as threads of data moved from Quorra's to his, locking into place, now a part of Clu's disk. Other data was displaced by the more advanced data tendrils, destroying it.
Looking at the disabled ISO, Clu reached for her disk, and gently this time, he positioned it over the port, and twisted, locking it back into place.
He picked up his disk and studying it, wondered if he would feel any difference. Locking his disk in place, he waited. With no warning, Clu felt a pain like nothing he had felt before, even when damaged in the games. He was not a program to be easily de-rezzed, his one strength given him by the Creator. So slight damage was easily self-repaired. But this pain was not caused by any damage. He felt it deep within himself.
Falling to the floor, Clu cried out, even reaching for the rousing ISO. "Help...me." He struggled to stand, but the pain made it too difficult.
Meantime, Quorra rose to her feet, feeling better with her disk back in place. But she heard Clu cry out, and knelt at his side. She should have run, but compassion was a part of her make up, and she stayed. The only thing was, she didn't know what to do, not knowing why Clu was in such pain. Instead, she placed her hands on his chest, trying to comfort him.
It seemed like an eternity to the Administrative Control Program, but the pain finally eased. Opening his eyes, he saw the ISO at his side, her hands on him. He sat up, trying to focus on what just happened. Turning to Quorra, Clu grinned. He was finally free. Free of Flynn's directive and the subsequent functions that came from that directive. Free from seeking perfection. Free to be self-determining.
Clu stood and helped the ISO to her feet. He placed his hands on her shoulders and explained, "I have free will now, and I have decided to free you, Quorra." It was amazing to him to feel so different, no longer controlled by the inability to deviate from his programming. "This is your doing. By my merging our disks, your functions have freed me from my directive to create and maintain perfection. So because of that, I no longer want to destroy you."
Quorra didn't know whether to believe Clu or not. He had never been trustworthy, yet now he was letting her go? "Is this a trick, Clu?"
He laughed and shook his head. "No trick. Flynn's directive no longer controls me. Don't you understand, Quorra? I can let you go since I no longer see you as an imperfection and a threat to the Grid." His voice rose but in elation and not anger. Taking one of her hands, he tried to bring her closer to him.
Quorra looked at Clu, her expression one of disbelief. She started to step away from him, but Clu's hand drew her back.
"With Flynn gone, where will you go?" He peered down at the ISO, serious in his concern for her. This was a new feeling for him. "You're free to stay here. If you want." His hand touched her cheek. "Stay. Help me find the right path to improving the Grid. I can only ask for your forgiveness for what I did to your people, whether you absolve me or not. But if you stay, I will try to make it up to you."
Quorra was obviously skeptical of any offer Clu had to make. But she noticed something in his eyes she had not seen before. She felt no different after their merger. Perhaps Clu truly did.
"There's so much to do to repair the damage that I've done. But first, I'll need to repurpose Rinzler from what I made him into, and back to his original programming."
Quorra felt relief. She had hoped the Creator and Sam had made it outside. If they had not, at least they would be returning to a very different Clu. Perhaps she'd return to the safe house to see if they were there.
Clu had gone to stand at the large viewing window, marveling with pleasure, his change of vision for the Grid. He smiled, but didn't turn to look at the ISO when he felt her move to his side. Things would be different from now on.