Tron: Sacrifice Script
Episode Five: Risks, Part Two
TRON FROZE AT THE sight of the program in front of him.
"You were derezzed!" Tron whispered harshly.
"Hello, Tron." Cyrus chuckled softly, his eyes gleaming in the dimmed light of Tron's disc. "Nice way to greet an old friend."
Cyrus tried to push him off, but Tron shoved his disc right under Cyrus' neck and singed him with it.
"How are you still activated?"
"How are you not back in that healing tank I built for you?" Cyrus uttered. "Unless, you weren't the one playing with death the other cycle on the jets."
Tron pressed his disc even harder in Cyrus' neck.
"Oh!" Cyrus quietly shouted, reacting to the pain as Tron began to slowly derezz him. "I am right, aren't I? You're favorite Renegade has been derezzed."
Tron raised his disc for the final blow.
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't derez you where you are?"
"Because I know a way to help Becky." Cyrus laughed. "Don't you wonder how I am still in existence?"
Tron froze. He did wonder.
Cyrus' circuit covered face lit up a smile of triumph, as Tron lessened his grip on him.
Cyrus pushed Tron off him, and got to his feet.
Tron kept his disc at the ready.
"Don't try anything."
Cyrus looked at Tron with a sarcastic expression of mock on his face, as he said, "I wouldn't dream of it, now that you appear fully healed. By the way, when did that transpire?"
"Talk." Tron ordered, ignoring the question.
"Oh, come now, Tron." Cyrus mocked him. "You need to ask."
Tron swallowed hard, biting his pride as he formed the question on his lips, "Tell me, how are you not derezzed?"
"You can do better than that." Cyrus replied, crossing his arms in an expectant sort of way, enjoying the situation too much.
"Please." Tron finished stiffly.
"Good enough," Cyrus smiled, and looked at the disc in Tron's hand. "But first, retire your disc."
Tron hesitated, knowing without the protection of his disc, Cyrus would have an advantage on him: Tron was being forced to trust him.
Tron reluctantly reattached his disc to its hold, and mentally prepared his body for ready action if necessary.
"It is really an interesting story." Cyrus began with flourish, pacing a semicircle around Tron. "When the bomb attached to my hand, I couldn't deactivate it and I couldn't release it without the other bombs. You and Beck left me, and I was blasted to oblivion. Until, I woke up surrounded by ISOs."
"You know I'm not going to fall for that." Tron gritted his teeth. "You're wasting time. Tell me how you knew Flynn's code?"
Cyrus held up his hand.
"All in good time, my old friend. But if you interrupt me again, I will not inform you how to rescue your precious renegade, and neither of our questions will be answered."
Tron was silent, though particularly angry.
"Whatever their methods, which I assure you I do not know of," Cyrus held up a finger to prevent Tron from exploding with absurd questions he couldn't answer, "they healed me, and released me on the edge of the Sea of Simulation."
Sensing Cyrus was finished, Tron spoke.
"CLU poisoned the Sea."
"You know as well as I do that the ISOs are innovative." Cyrus continued his pace around Tron. "Perhaps they found a way to surpass the poison without being shut down, I don't know. All I know is that I was gone, praising the peace I've longed for since you imprisoned me in that mirror, and then I was back."
"Why are you telling me this?" Tron asked turning with Cyrus' pace. "What do you gain from sharing your information?"
"You don't believe me?" Cyrus said, sounding sarcastically hurt. "Of course you wouldn't."
Cyrus reached behind him for his disc, and Tron started for his.
"Relax." Cyrus ordered Tron, as he showed Tron his last memory from the bomb, and then the ISOs waking him from deresolution.
"Memories can be modified." Tron said after they were done. "You what me to believe you, answer me this: How did you know Flynn's code?"
Cyrus smiled, "Countless times I have observed you, when you weren't strong enough, setting up those conduits so that Flynn would recognize them. All when you thought I wasn't looking."
"How did you know?" Tron repeated, seeing no answer to his question.
"Remember the cycle when I stole your disc half from Beck?"
Tron saw what happened instantly.
"The false disc hacked my computer!"
"I programmed the disc to copy all of your computer's Intel and send it to my disc. I got everything." Cyrus beamed, spreading his arms wide. "Everything!"
Tron worked hard to control the impulse to turn Cyrus into a pile of pixels.
"Believed that, didn't you?"
"I'm done here." Tron turned to leave.
"You're forgetting something, Tron," Cyrus called.
"Why haven't you tried to derez me?" Tron replied over his shoulder.
"You're healed. I can't touch you." Cyrus said. "Anyway, what do you say for my gracious help?"
Tron grimaced.
"Thank you, Cyrus."
Paige started, and turned in a blink as the lift opened on her. She breathed out slowly; relieved when she saw it was Tron.
He noticed her restlessness, and gave her a questioning look.
She turned her head away and looked at the station she was reprogramming. Tron followed her eyes, and a smile spread across his face. He walked up to the translucent window in the wall.
"You did it," Tron looked at her.
"No," Paige said. "I made it worse."
Tron stood there perplexed. His brow furrowed with confusion.
"Beck is out of the tank. You did it, Paige." Tron pointed at Beck. "He's walking around. He's-" Tron looked at Beck again, "-What is he doing?"
Beck was observing his disc, his eyes barely an inch away from his face.
"He's a danger to himself. About a XilaCycle ago, he had some of the reprogramming tools, and-" Paige looked Tron in the eye, "-well, I had to take him out. I decided it was best if he was in isolation for the time being."
"What happened?" Tron asked.
Paige looked at Tron more closely now, surprised. She half-expected a reprimand. Instead, Tron spoke with an unmistakable understanding.
"I found a way to remove the damaged portion of his disc without shutting down his systems," Paige said watching Tron's face closely for the warning signs of rage, "and I operated. Something went wrong, and all I could do was put his disc in place. The tank deactivated itself, and this is how Beck's been since. He's lost his memory."
Tron looked back at the lost-looking program in the container Paige made.
"That'd explain the curiosity." Tron stated as Beck now focused on trying to push on the walls.
"I don't know how much he's lost." Paige joined Tron. "All I know is his memory file must have been disrupted during the accident."
Tron raised an eyebrow as Beck began hacking at the wall with his disc.
"At least he somewhat remembers how to use his disc." Tron turned to Paige. "Can I talk to him?"
"Probably should." Paige activated the entrance for him.
Tron strode inside without Beck's noticing, and he continued to attempt to derez his isolation wall to escape.
"That's not going to work, you know." Tron said, leaning up against the wall.
Beck stopped and cautiously backed away into the corner, away from Tron.
Tron held up his hands, "I'm not going to harm you."
Beck said nothing, and stared at Tron, looking like he didn't know what to decide to do with his visitor.
"Beck. It's me, Tron."
"Tron?" Beck said softly, not knowing what to make of this stranger.
Tron felt a deep kink in his circuitry.
"It's okay, Beck," Tron shook his head.
Tron took a slow step toward Beck, and he moved away into the next corner.
"I can help you, Beck."
"How do you know my name?"
"You and I have known each other many cycles now." Tron smiled. "I can show you."
Beck looked at Tron suspiciously.
"I can show you who you are." Tron waited by the door.
"Is she going to lock me back in here afterwards?"
"No," Tron shook his head, "but you can't touch any of her tools."
Beck looked at the floor, and put his hands behind him.
"I was only looking."
Tron smiled, "Come on."
Tron let Beck walk out first, and he gave Paige a funny look.
"Beck," Tron put his hand on his arm and ushered him over to Paige. "This is Paige. You might as well learn to like each other while your both here, or this will be a tough, long time for you.
"Paige," Tron called her attention. "Would you kindly show Beck want not to touch, in concern for his own safety?"
She nodded, and turned.
Tron pushed Beck gently in her direction to follow and learn, and he stumbled a little. He stood and watched as Beck followed Paige around the clinic, as she showed him its components and tools. He acted like he was a defect program, activated without the knowledge of his status. Tron noticed how Beck listened well enough. Beck could be taught, but how could he be there constantly for him while he, Tron, had a revolution to move into action?
"Paige!" Tron waved her to him.
She came with Beck.
"Take this container down," Tron instructed, "and build a computer downloading conduit here. We will download Beck's memories to his disc and see if they will reboot his memory. I will be putting the clinic off limits to give you privacy without unauthorized visits."
Beck looked confused, "There are other programs here?"
"Yes, Beck." Tron said.
"Can I meet them?"
Tron held out his hands, "You will soon enough. Right now, you should regenerate. I'm sure his system still needs to time to energize?"
Paige nodded, and Tron took Beck aside.
"I'm going to have to leave you here with Paige." Tron explained. "She will be your mentor until further notice. Listen to her."
"But when-"
"I'll be back later to evaluate your progression." Tron said. "Eagerness is a good sign, but don't let it drain you.
"Paige," Tron said to her and motioned to talk with her alone.
"Yes?"
"Do not let him know who he is to Argon. I don't want to overload his systems."
"Understood, but how will we achieve his younger memories?"
"I may have to talk with Zed and Mara," Tron sighed, "but not just yet. Let's see if we can do this on our own."
Paige nodded and went back to Beck, as Tron stepped into the lift.
Mara and Zed stood by the screen staring at the spot where the beacon should light up.
"Do you think he made it?" Mara asked Zed nervously.
"The beacon hasn't been activated." Zed answered. "Maybe he's on his way."
"What if he was caught?" Mara said looking at Zed worriedly.
"Nice to know you have so much faith in me."
They whirled around.
"Oh!" Mara put a hand on her mouth. "I didn't mean-"
"I know." Tron walked up to them.
"Who was there?" Zed questioned. "At the beacon?"
Tron looked at them, thinking how best to explain.
"It wasn't Flynn." He briskly turned his head to the window.
Mara glanced at Zed and they shared a confused expression.
"Who was there?" Mara asked looking back to Tron.
Tron sighed expressively, "Do you remember Cyrus?"
"Cyrus?" Zed said looking at Mara. "Oh, yeah! Beck's friend."
"We never heard from him since though." Mara said.
"That's because he was derezzed." Tron informed them.
"Wait." Mara said. "Are you saying Cyrus was at the beacon? But if he was derezzed, how could he be?"
"I'm trying to make sense of that myself."
Tron went to the computer and brought up the security systems.
"What are you doing?" Mara walked over to Tron's side reading the screen.
"I'm making the Clinic off limits to all programs," Tron said as he programed the lift to accept only his code, which he'd share with Paige. "Only Paige and I are allowed access."
Mara looked at Zed as he opened his mouth to question, but with one look at Mara, he stopped.
Tron noticed their silence, and turned for Mara's ill-disguised mischievous looks.
"Paige is working hard on a very risky operation," Tron explained, "and it is very important she is not interrupted."
"Okay." Mara said flatly, and Tron left the room.
"Somethings not right." Mara aid to Zed so suddenly he started. "We need to know what's going on."
"Mara."
"Zed!" Mara exclaimed. "They are keeping secrets! Can't you tell?"
"They have reason to," Zed went to the screen. "Remember some of the information we found? Able's Garage, Mara! Able's Garage was one of Tron's most censored sites on the Grid!"
"And we need to know why!"
Zed shook his head.
"Mara, don't you think this is bigger than us?" Zed picked up a tablet. "We shouldn't get involved."
"We already are involved, Zed!" Mara exclaimed. "Don't you want to know what is going on? Their decisions! Their calling the shots here! Don't you think we have a say?"
"I'm going to listen to the Renegade." Zed looked Mara in the eye.
"You always despised the Renegade." Mara said. "You were ready to turn him in even if he was one of your friends. Why aren't you questioning him now while he's getting cozy with Paige in the clinic?"
"He's not getting cozy with Paige. Why would he?" Zed was about to leave. "I think you need to figure out which programs are the good ones, Mara. The Renegade trusts Paige, so we should too. I'll tell the Renegade you're taking some time off. I'm sure he'll understand."
Mara crossed her arms.
"I don't need time off, Zed!"
"I'm sure he'd agree with me." Zed turned and left Mara alone in the conference room.
She frowned and bit her lip as she thought.
Then, she smiled. She was going to prove to Zed she wasn't being delirious. She was going to show him that the Renegade and Paige were hiding something. She went to the computer and brought up the security systems and focused the computer's attention on the clinic. As she worked, it blinked red with the word RESTRICTED.
She looked at it and touched the letters.
A new space blinked in front of her. A pass-code login.
She tried to think...What would the Renegade use as a pass-code?
