Tron Reformation

Chapter 6: Welcome to the Grid; Armories, Discs, and Games

First… there was nothing but darkness.

Darkness that seemed to stretch on forever as well as no sound. There was nothing for them or for any one person to fully see or compensate on anything. No light, no sounds, no feeling. Nothing. But only voices could be heard. And those voices were heard by Chisame as she tried to figure out what was going on now.

But there she was at the moment in darkness and nothingness; standing there, looking rather confused by all this. She tried to find something out of this darkness, as well as try to find the others if they were even here. The last thing she remembered was the timer appearing on the computer. Then the laser started to hum to life and then there was a great light. And now… zip.

Chisame looked around, hoping for some sign to show itself that there was at least some end to the nothingness. But finally… something… or someone showed up. She smiled as she saw a figure, dressed in a black yukata of sorts, with the inside glowing white, including the hood which was a bit unusual.

"Uncle Kevin!" she shouted, as she nearly ran up to him, "Uncle Kevin! You're here!" but she stopped, slowing down as she stopped in her steps, and realized that he didn't try to run towards her.

"Uncle… Kevin?" she asked, feeling hesitated about taking another step. She sighed, deeply, knowing full well this wasn't real, "You're not real. This is just another stupid dream I'm having." She huffed as she looked away, grumbling, "This is why I prefer reality."

"Well, have you ever had a dream, Chisame?" the fake Flynn asked aloud, causing the girl to turn and face him, as he continued, "A dream that you were so sure that it was real? What if you were unable to wake from that dream? How would you know the difference between the dream world… and the real world?"

This question nearly startled Chisame; she felt it was some sort of self-assurance test or something. So she went with it, as she gave him her best answer, "Well, then it wouldn't be…"

"Real?" Flynn asked, "What is reality?"

Now Chisame was starting to lose it a bit, as this slowly started to make her question her own reality. Finally, she shouted in anger, "SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! Why am I even be asking this? You're just a dream! Your stories about the Grid, Tron, and everything else… IT'S NOT REALITY!"

Finally, after huffing out her lungs from shouting out that much, she had calmed down a bit. The dream version of her uncle didn't seem to be fazed by that outburst, as he still had his smile on his face. But he then simply answered, "Chisame, there's no line between what's real and was isn't. Reality is just what you make of it."

He then walked up to her and placed his hands on her small shoulders, and simply replied, "The New Frontier is just beyond the walls you've put up, Byte-Girl, and so am I. you just have to wake up."

"What?" she asked.

"Wake up, Chisame," Flynn shouted as he shook her like crazy, "WAKE UP!"

"Chisame," Satomie shouted, shaking her awake, "Wake up!"

Chisame finally stirred awake, shoving Satomie off, "Will you…?" But she stopped as she got a good look around the place.

Not only was Satomie there, but so was Renton Thurston and Fei Ku. But they weren't what she was stunned about. Chisame had got a good look around, and now she was just as stunned as they were. They were still in the college lab room, and yet at the same time… it wasn't. everything looked the same, but it was all colored dark metallic, and appeared that in some aspect it was made of both metal and glass. That and the computers and laser appeared that they didn't seem to work at all. As Chisame slowly refocused her vision in her glasses, and shake off the drowsiness of whatever happened, she and the others saw that they were no longer in the college campus. But a metallic and glass version of it, with night skies pouring through the windows, and strange computer pattern symbols on some part of the walls.

Everything that happened, all of it seemed like a blur when you wake up from a dream.

As Chisame got up, Satomie crossed her arms, as the secret net-idol asked, "Are we… are we still on the campus?" she then looked to the others, as if she was silently about to scream, when instead she was starting to panic, "Are we dead? Because I really don't wanna die! In fact, dying while I still have a whole life ahead of me…!"

"Okay, just calm down," Renton said not only to the others, but also to himself as he processed the whole situation, "Let's look at the situation calmly, and logically. We opened a file that had some sort of timer going off, got zapped by some weird light caused by the laser, we wake up lying on the ground in the middle of some stale black and white version of our lab. The place still looks the same, but the campus, Mahora Academy, our home, and perhaps the entire city of Tokyo has completely vanished without a trace." He then looked all around them, as he hypothesized, "And all that's left is this neon darkened and devoid of people copy of our world that we've been transported to."

"Either that," Fei Ku stated as she looked around, "Or we were sent a hundred years to the Mahora of the future. In which Man is an endangered species and Machines rule the Earth. Like of like that movie done by those Jewish/Russian brothers."

Satomie adjusted her glasses as she simply stated, "Not so, Fei Ku. We're still on campus. Or at least in appearance we are still on campus. I believe this might be an alternate universe or something."

But before anyone else could come up with more ideas, a light past through the window. They all turned to see it as they heard a huge rumbling sound accompany the passing light. Then the light past them, almost disappearing but not forgotten as the light disappeared.

Chisame, on the other hand, couldn't take it as she bolted out of there, with the others following after her.

Outside

As soon as Chisame busted the door open, or rather push it open, she stood out what should have been the campus's green grassy plaza. The sky was continuously darkened with night, and halfway covered in dark clouds continuously firing off lightning that danced along the skies occasionally. The world was like metal and glass, with several digital circuitry patterns on the streets, buildings, sidewalks, and anything else. Everything looked futuristic, as if anybody that was there, were looking at the future itself. The buildings, which looked the same as ever, were all made of black metal and glass, which was slightly odd. And even stranger, some buildings were uniquely designed into towers and symmetrical, almost as if perfection was a rule in this realm. This all seemed like a dream in ways, but for Chisame, it felt like a complete nightmare from her usual routine in her normal life.

She collapsed on her knees, silently whispering to herself, "This isn't happening. This isn't… can't be happening…"

As Chisame went through her little but silent spaz attack, the others ran out to find her. When they saw her, she seemed a bit on the anxiety attackish side at the very moment. So Fei Ku did the dumbest thing you could do to someone who was close to losing it: talk to them.

"Uh, Hasegawa?" she asked, slowly reaching to her, her right hand almost nearly three inches from Chisame's shoulder, "Are you gonna be…?"

"THIS ISNT HAPPENING!" Chisame shouted as she jumped to her feet, grabbing Fei Ku by the shoulders, and shaking her profusely, screaming, "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THIS IS FOR ME? IT'S CRUELTY AT ITS FINEST! THIS ISN'T HAPPENING! THIS ISN'T REAL!"

The two geniuses looked to each other, both sweat dropping at what she was doing to Fei. Renton turned towards Satomie as he stated, "It's like watching a sleepwalker wake up by force." He then asked, "Does she always lose it like this when something out of the ordinary happens?"

"I'd have to say, Yes," Satomie answered, as she adjusted her glasses, looking around the new terrain, "She literally freaks out whenever she enters into an environment that exits anything or everything that leaves or ignores the norm in her life."

"That seems kind of…" Renton groaned, not liking that kind of thinking.

"Cynical," Satomie stated, sighing and weakly smiling, "Yeah, I know. I doubt there's anyone in the world that can help her change that aspect of her."

Elsewhere

In a darkened control room, three females were hard at work at what appeared to be computer consoles, made from holograms and window screens. They were triplets by the look of them, pale skin, wearing skin tight black spandex outfits from neck to toe. They had armor pieces on their shoulders and boots, with wrist bands as well, and had a pencil skirt on each. Their outfits had on them purple circuitry on the skirts, shoulders, boots, and in a V sign from belly button, to nipple. And they all had on a skin tight mask from nose to skull, hiding their eyes.

They were fast in typing as a screen went red for a moment. The first triplet typed in, and immediately, a screen showing the four teens in front of the Mahora College Campus was shown. It wasn't the most flattering scene, considering Chisame was still throttling Fei Ku.

The first female typed in a few commands, as a deep toned and disembodied voice was heard, "Report."

"There are four unknown Programs outside the Campus grounds," the first female responded.

"It is during curfew as well," the Second female responded.

"Capture is authorized," the third and final female finished, "You may proceed to take the Programs to the Gaming arena to sort out for either Rectifier or Games."

"Understood," the voice finished, and then switched off.

Back With the Mahora Students

She then looked to Chisame and calmly asked, "Can you stop shaking her around, Chisame? We're in a real situation that demands our full concentration."

Her words finally sunk into the panicky Net Idol, as Chisame stopped throttling the now foaming at the mouth Marital Artist. Chisame looked at the state she had put her in, and dropped her, as she fell to her knees, gagging out with her eyes swirling. She sighed as she adjusted her glasses, looking around, grimacing with every second. Truth enough, this place was just too much for her normal persona to handle at this time.

After adjusting her glasses, she sighed in a grumble, "So… even though I still don't accept that this is happening…" she looked to Satomie and asked, "… what are we gonna do?"

Renton ran over to help the dazed Fei Ku up on her feet, while Satomie walked up to Chisame, and deduced, "Well… from what I can guess, that digitizer must have… well…" she shook her head as she reminded herself, "Nah, such an unscientific notion would border along the lines of science fiction and fantasy. Such things are not well in my vocabulary."

Chisame groaned as she rubbed her face in trying to rid of the annoyance that came to them, "Ugh. This isn't happening…"

FLASH!

Suddenly, a bright light shined above the four, causing them all, including the now recovering Fei Ku, to look up at to where the massively bright search light came from above in the sky. They all thought it was a chopper of sorts, but the sounds they heard, it was too deep and loud to be the sounds of a chopper's engine. And when they got a good look at what it was, it was no chopper at all.

It was a very large, ponderous flying craft consisting of a double-decked crew and passenger compartment supported between two enormous pylons. It looked like a digital C that had been turned downward, so it really looked like some sort of giant staple. The two pylons that were supporting the vehicle on the ground also housed the thrust mechanisms that held the craft aloft. The vehicle was jet black with red circuitry designs all over it.

The four each had a mixed impression on it, but Satomie's expression was quite in logic at the moment, thinking aloud, "There's no way that vehicle can fly with that kind of shape."

However, Chisame's expression was in deep mixture of both surprise and shock, as she immediately recognized the vehicle. 'A… A Recognizer… just like in Space Paranoids,' she thought to herself, until finally, she whispered loud enough for the others to hear, "Oh crap. This is really happening…"

The vehicle, or Recognizer, finally descended down to make a landing near the four. When it finally landed, the struts remained in a stable position while the entire crew compartment descended to the ground. The lower level then lowered from the main body to the ground, allowing great ease of access to anyone who was either hopping off or boarding.

When the crew compartment touched the ground, the large oval door opened, showing who was inside it. Inside, there were two individuals standing in front of eight people that were on board. The two were dressed in black spandex suits, with armored parts, and a backpack of sorts, with black helmets that had an opening for their mouth. But on their clothes and armor were red circuitry designs, but on the chest and shoulders, it was mostly on the right side. And they held in their hands a red circuitry staff, and on their backs were red glowing stylized chakrams.

And behind them, the eight people were all wearing spandex outfits, as well as baggy clothing. They were all different ages and sexes, with a few having tattoo markings on their faces and skin. They each had circuitry designs on them, but only a few designs on them, and each had a different color ranging from blue, green, pink, purple, or any other color. But they didn't appear to be passengers, but in actuality… they were prisoners.

The two guards stepped out, walking towards the four, with Fei, Renton, and Satomie acting a little wary. Unfortunately, Chisame walked up to them, almost too happy to notice the danger she was walking into. "Oh! Oh, thank you. I didn't think there was anyone here at all," she nearly wept with joy, "I'm sorry if we're bugging you, but…"

But she was cut short, as one of them grabbed her by the wrist, nearly breaking it, as they turned her around in a cuff hold. She tried to struggle out of it, but the guy put more pressure on her wrist, until she cried out in pain, "Ow! Hey, stop it! You're gonna break my arm off!"

Fei Ku growled at this, as she got into an offensive stance, "Hey! Let her go! Or try luck against Master Ku!"

"Hold it!" the second one shouted, gaining Fu's attention. She turned and saw that the second guard was holding his staff, pointing it right at Renton and Satomie, as he warned Fei, "Attack a member of the Black Guards, and suffer at the Deresolution of your comrades!"

Seeing the situation now, Fei grumbled as she looked defeated for once, and dropped her stance. The first guard shouted, "All of you Programs place your hands on top of your heads!"

The teens did so as the second guard examined the trio, and announced to his comrade, "These Programs have no Identity Discs."

The First Guard looked at Chisame and replied, "Neither does this one; they must be strays." he then pushed Chisame into the ship, while the second one did the same with the other three.

As they did this, Chisame shouted while struggling, "Hey, wait! What's going on? We're not Programs!"

The four were then shoved into four empty slots, as foot clamps suddenly appeared and locked all four teens in an upright standing position. As soon as they were secured, the two guards walked to each end of the passenger line, and stepped into an empty slot, then being housed in recessed alcoves. The passenger compartment then elevated back into position, showing the kids that the floor was transparent, allowing a panoramic view of the ground as the Recognizer began to take lift off, as well as a view of the cockpit from above them. The pilot flew the Recognizer from a standing position, while piloting from two holographic spheres acting as the steering mechanisms.

The Recognizer finally lifted off the ground, defying gravity with its non-flying shape, and took off with little or no speed. Though the ship did have a high level of effectiveness with its ability to move amongst high structures. However, it wasn't the ship's flying that caught the teens' attention, but where they were flying above at this moment. The city down below them and all around them was almost surreal to believe in. the buildings were nearly made all the same from the same metal and glass, as well as the same light blue circuitry designs. The teens were amazed to see it, but Chisame… she was more in realization at this moment.

"It's real," she whispered to himself, "He was… he was telling the truth. All along."

Satomie looked to her friend, and couldn't help but overhear the whispers, and asked, "Who was telling the truth?"

Chisame remained quiet for a moment, until she looked around, and asked one of the prisoners, a Caucasian male, and asked him, "Hey! You!" he turned to face her as she asked, "Does the name Kevin Flynn mean anything to you?"

The program gave her a stern look, and responded, "Keep quiet if you wanna live. That name's strictly taboo around here. Especially in Clu's or Sark's presence."

Chisame raised an eyebrow at that, and asked herself, "Clu? Sark?" But she shook her head as she stated, "Sark? Alive? That's impossible..."

As Chisame tried to think on it, they all heard one of the programs, an Arabic male, pray to himself, freaking out, "Not the Games. Not the Games. Not the Games. Not the Games…"

Satomie looked to one of the programs, who was wearing a hood, and asked, "I don't understand. Why's he so scared of games?"

"Once we reach the dome, we have two designations picked out for us: Rectifier or Games," the hooded program answered as he continued, "If we're lucky, most of us get sent to the Rectifier to be 'Repurposed'. but if we get sent to the games…" he then turned to face all four of them, showing half of his face gone, showing only blue and black digital scarring and bone, "… we're there until we die playing."

The four grimaced at that realization, and gulped innerly as the ship made its way towards its final destination: the Games Arena.

Game Arena

As the Recognizer finally soared over the vast and seemingly impossibly constructed city above it, the craft made its way to a nuclear power plant stoke-shaped coliseum of sorts. The ship slowly came to a halt, as it began to land back down to the ground, with the platform lowering back down to the ground. Once down on solid ground again, the two guards stepped out, and up came three guards who were waiting outside. One of htem started from the right, scanning the programs.

He announced from the first to the next, designating them where they would be taken to, "RECTIFIER. RECTIFIER. RECTIFIER." he then stopped at the freaked out program from before, and designated him, "GAMES."

The Program paled, gasping out in fear, "No. please…."

The guard then turned to Chisame, as she tried to talk him out of it, "Okay, look. I'm pretty sure you hear this all the time…"

"GAMES," was all that the guard said as he went to Renton, "GAMES." then to Satomie, "GAMES," and finally, to Fei Ku, "GAMES."

The four were released and were now being escorted to a platform of sorts. However, the freaked out program escaped the guards, running and screaming, "NO! USERS! ERASE ME!" he ran for the edge, with the guards following after him, and he jumped, screaming his final words, "NO-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O!" He reached the bottom, and shattered into nothing but glass pieces, as the guards watched from above.

Satomie, warily looked to Chisame, and replied, "I get the feeling these games aren't like checkers or Solitaire."

"I'm incline to agree with you on that," Chisame gulped.

Suddenly, foot braces locked them all in place, as the platform below them elevated down, taking all four of them down below, into the darkness.

Next Chapter: Meeting for the First Time; Duel of the Discs

Sorry for the inconvenience, but once again, I've done it! I've made up a voice cast for the Ocs that are to come.

Voice Cast:

Dru/DRU-1: Vic Mignogna (Edward Elric from Fullmetal Alchemist, and Tamaki from Ouran High School)

Morpheus: Lawrence Fishbone (Noland from Predators and Morpheus from the Matrix Trilogy)

Fate: Chris Patton (Greed from Fullmetal Alchemist, Creed from Black Cat)

Renton: Johnny Young Bosch

Drive: Dante Basco (Prince Zuko from Avatar the Last Airbender animated series)