User Rectified

Chapter 7: The Legacy

The games were in full swing. There were only a few players left trying to derezz each other with their disks, but soon there would only be one player and he will go on to face Rinzler. Primal did not have a single doubt that his brother would remain victorious and he would watch Rinzler in action when his brother program would be due to fight.

Now it was the usual match and all Primal was more concerned with was keeping his master happy. He straddled across Clu's lap while the chair was turned away from the other programs. He had his helmet retracted as he stared into the beautiful blue eyes of his creator.

"We shouldn't be doing this," Clu said in a soft tone of voice. "We should be watching."

"It is what you want," Primal said in a sigh. He met with his creator's gaze again when he felt Clu's hand grasp his chin.

"It's not what I want," Clu said with a smile. "This is what I want." He pulled Primal in closer for the kiss.

Primal closed his eyes as he felt Clu's warm and soft lips against his own. His one hand stroked against his master's coat, fingers instantly finding a circuit and traced down. His eyes opened when he felt Clu's tongue brushed against his own.

"This is what I want," Clu said once their lips parted. "But not what we should be doing, not now." He ran his fingers through Primal's hair. "After the games."

Primal nodded as he felt his helmet form around his face and he slid out of Clu's lap. He stood up, back straight, and faced the arena.

"So the third combatant will be going up against Rinzler," Clu said in an amused tone.

Primal just glanced at him and made his own purr like growl.

"I've been informed that the Sirens felt this one is different." Clu held the gravity spheres in his hand and rotated them around.

Primal watched as Rinzler pulled out his disk, separated them and activated them. The mysterious combatant looked like he tried to separate his own disks but couldn't.

Rinzler made the first move and threw one of his disks.

The other player did his best to avoid it while the disk bounced around the walls of the arena before it returned to Rinzler. Combatant Three threw his disk.

Rinzler jumped through the air and spun himself around to avoid the other program's disk.

"Not bad," Clu said as he changed the direction of the rotation. "Get ready, Rinzler."

Primal continued to watch as his brother fought against the other player. They even went disk to disk in their combat and Primal was positive his brother had cut the other player.

Rinzler had jumped and landed on the other player. It will be over soon and the three of them will celebrate together. Rinzler went in for the final strike—and held back.

"User," Rinzler's voice carried through the communication set up in their helmets.

"A User," Primal repeated.

"I heard," Clu said. "Bring him to me." He turned to Primal. "I want you to wait outside."

"But the User might try something," Primal said.

"Stay outside. That is an order."

Primal lowered his head in a half nod and walked out. At least he might be able to size up the User when he walks past him.

It did not take long before Rinzler approached him with the User. On a closer look this being, this User seemed very familiar. Primal knew he had come across him before, but that was impossible.

"There are two of you?" The User asked as he was dragged inside.

Primal wished he could hear what was going on inside, but Clu must have retracted his helmet again and Rinzler wasn't talking. He just stood there and waited until he heard an order to prepare himself for the Light Cycle races.

There was no one to be found.

They have found the elusive location of the false creator thanks to the User called Sam, a name and face that kept resurfacing in Primal's data banks. They had found him thanks to finding Flynn's abandoned light cycle and were able to track him down.

They had lost Sam when the Gatecrasher returned in the middle of the game. She had brought with her a vehicle that can run off grid and more of those grenades. She used them to blow out a large hole in the side of the arena. They were not able to follow.

Primal was angry with himself at first. The Gatecrasher had returned and rescued the User from them.

Clu was only slightly disappointed with the situation, but after a few nanoseconds the corners of his mouth had turned up into the satisfied smile that Primal had recognized as his leader plotting something and having it come together.

Now Primal understood why his leader had smiled. He knew they would find the Users and the Gatecrasher. They have found their lair, but that was all they found.

Primal walked around on the bright white tiles and straight to what was a bookshelf full of books. He glanced at the titles. Each one was familiar. The plots materialized in his mind as he read the titles, but how? He never read them. He didn't remember reading them.

He turned away from the bookshelves and to a small end table that held another book. Why was this one away from the others? He opened it. There were several pictures covering each page. They were of programs or other Users the false creator knew.

"Me and Sam," Primal read the words under a picture of the false creator and a smaller User. There were several of Sam when he was not fully written, or developed, or what Users call it.

He turned another page and felt his eyes widen. There was a picture of a User who resembled him, except he had glasses on and he was with a beautiful blond User. She was the same one that kept appearing in his mind.

"Alan and Lora," he read. "Alan and Lora Bradley. Alan Bradley." He looked up when he heard Rinzler growling next to him.

"Alan-One?" Rinzler asked.

Primal held out the picture book to his brother only to have it snatched away by Clu.

"Do not look at this anymore," Clu said in a stern tone as he walked towards the table. "Try to find them."

They have captured the Gatecrasher. It was Rinzler who had caught her and in the way it almost seemed like she wanted to be caught. It did not matter to Primal or Clu. The elusive program was finally caught and what's more was that she bore the mark of an ISO. Clu had said he had something special for her and ordered Rinzler to take her away before he ordered both Rinzler and Primal to look for the others.

It did not take long before Primal was able to find the younger User as he made short work of the guards and entered the room that held Flynn's disk. Jarvis was in there watching over the disk and after seeing what that User could do Primal knew he would make short work of Jarvis.

Primal raced after the User and entered the room as he was about to grab onto the disk. The look of surprise registered in his mind. He had seen this User before. There was no doubt about it.

"Ah shit," the User said as he swiped the disk. "Where's the girl you grabbed?"

"That's not Rinzler," Jarvis said. He smiled when he saw Primal, not a smile of relief but that cruel smile he formed whenever he witnessed Rinzler or Primal slicing away the limbs of various programs.

"The other one," the User said. "But if Rinzler is really Tron then-"

He didn't get to finish as Primal lashed at him with his disk.

"Crap," the User said as he ducked down and rolled away.

Primal slashed at him again with his disk, only to have it blocked by the User. He pulled away and attacked again.

The familiarity was getting to him as he fought. Images of this User resurfaced in his mind. He could hear himself laughing along with him, having serious discussions with him and watching a different kind of game, something called football.

ERROR FILES FORBIDDEN

Primal winced at the shouting in his head. It had thrown him off guard and as he tried to block it was too late. The User had cut his arm causing a few of his micropixels to leak out.

"What the hell?" The User asked as he paused. "You're a User."

"No," Primal said. "Not a User." He noticed how his words had affected the User.

"Oh god no," the User said as his eyes widened with horror. "Alan? Alan is that you?"

"I am Primal." He knew the name Alan. That was the name of another User, the friend of the false creator. He looked like him but he wasn't him, but then why did he look like him?

"What have you done to him?" The User hurled the accusation at Jarvis who seemed to be enjoying the exchange.

"I did nothing," Jarvis said as he held up his hands. "Only the creator can make everything and everyone perfect."

"Alan it's me," the User said. "You are not a program. You're a User, a human like me." He brought the edge of his disk against his finger and cringed when it cut. "Look at this." A single red droplet fell from his finger. It was the same kind of micropixels that Primal spilled when he was cut. Except if they were micropixels they should be white.

Those are not pixels. It's called blood. The voice and words from a program he once captured had resurfaced in his mind. Flynn is a User and so are- She was cut off by Jarvis before she could tell him.

I have talked with one those programs who have seen the same red substance leak from a cut on Flynn's thumb. Fara's words echoed in his mind. There is a possibility you are Tron's User.

Primal couldn't move. The files that were forbidden, the false memories, what Fara and the other programs have told him and the blood from the User overrode his will and ability to fight.

"Alan," the User placed his hands on his shoulders. "We are going to help you."

Primal grabbed one of his hands and was ready to force him down but the immobilization returned. Different images of this User reappeared in his mind along with his name.

"S-S-Sam," Primal said as he looked at him. "Sam Flynn."

The doors opened and the familiar growling was heard as Rinzler entered with the girl. Upon seeing them Rinzler sprang into action.

Sam fought against Rinzler and the girl was able to assist despite the fact that her arms were bound. She was able to kick Rinzler over the side.

"Brother," Primal said as he felt movement return to him. He rushed towards them.

"Quorra, no," Sam said as he held up his hand. "It's Alan."

Primal ignored them as he looked over the railing and could see his brother hanging on. He climbed down until he had reached Rinzler.

The chase was on. They were flying after the false creator, Sam and the ISO in their stolen jet. Primal was not fully into the chase. He held back. There were too many thoughts going on in his head and most of them were conflicting with Clu's orders.

Was he a User? Sam had addressed him as Alan. The name Alan Bradley appeared in his mind. Did he write a program named Tron? Did Clu do something to them? Of course Clu had done something. He had made them better, made them more perfect. He stripped away what was unnecessary.

But if he was a User then it meant Clu had lied to him. Clu had always been straightforward with him. Except he and Sam leaked the same substance.

The black guards were taken out. They were blown away by Sam and only Rinzler, Primal and Clu were left.

Rinzler fired at the turrets taking them out. He rose up in front of the larger jet again. He seemed to be staring into the large jet and it's occupants. Rinzler looked like he was about to fire again but he froze. He pulled back until he was next to Primal's.

"Rinzler?" Primal asked. It was not like his brother to just stop fighting and pull back like that. All he heard was Rinzler's growls.

Clu had caught up with the Users. He was right behind them and gaining speed.

Rinzler, Primal," Clu shouted the orders. "Take the final shot. Finish the game." He shot ahead of their prey. Once he was in front of them he opened fire.

Primal felt frozen in is jet. He knew it would soon be over and they would have won, but did he want them to win. Which side was he really on? He was with Clu of course, but he was a User. Sam said he was. He looked like the User known as Alan Bradley. He had the buried memories of this User life. Was it fake? Who was he really?

"I…fight for the Users." Rinzler said snapping Primal out of his thoughts.

"Brother?" Primal asked as his brother gained in on Clu.

Rinzler did not growl. He said nothing and did not make any kind of sound as he flew his jet straight into Clu's.

"Rinzler," Primal shouted as he flew after him. As he flew past the jet the Users and the ISO were in he looked inside.

The one User had a beard that was as gray as his hair and was dressed in white. Primal stared into his eyes.

Greetings Program

Flynn, why do you keep greeting me like that?

I just got into that habit.

It's an odd habit, but it you didn't have any bad habits then you wouldn't be Flynn.

And if you were questioning me then you wouldn't be you, Tron.

Except I'm Alan. You never did tell me why you nicknamed me after my program.

Cause he looks like you.

"Tron," Primal said as he closed in on the two falling programs. He watched in fear as Clu kicked away Tron and used his baton to rerezz a new light jet and flew away.

"Primal follow me," Clu ordered as he flew off towards the portal.

"No," Primal said slowly and dove down towards the sea. Nanos before he struck the waves he collapsed his jet and plunged head first into the water.

He swam down deep, focused on the dark object with minimal glowing white security. He grabbed him by the hand, pulled him close to his chest and swam up. He felt a burning sensation in his chest as he swam. Something told him he needed to remove his helmet, but not while he was in the water. He tried to ignore the burning as he continued to swim.

His head popped through the surface and he partially retracted his helmet and took a deep breath. Still holding Rinzer—no Tron. He dragged his program onto the dry surface of the shoreline.

"Tron?" He asked as Tron stirred

Tron nodded as he retracted his helmet. He stared at Primal weakly and closed his eyes and shuddered.

"Are you all right?"

"No," Tron grunted and turned towards the direction of the tower. "Not after what I had done." He stared at his hands. "and knowing what I came close to doing."

"Not your fault. He made you do it. He changed your basic code. He changed the both of us." He retracted the rest of his helmet. "They said I was a User." Primal said as he used his disk to cut into his finger. He held up his finger. A single red droplet fell from his wound.

"You are a User," Tron said as his eyes widened. "Alan-one?"

Primal nodded.

Tron's eyes became slits as his lips pulled back into a snarl. "What he had done to me, pales in comparison to what he put you through. He hurt you. He hurt my User."

"We have to stop him," Primal said. No he wasn't Primal. He was Alan Bradley. He handed Tron the second baton that he always carried.

"Thank you, Alan-One." Tron ran up to a cliff ledge and jumped. A glowing blue-white jet formed around him.

Alan followed after him and formed his own jet around him.

The flew towards the direction of the portal and landed near the light jet that Kevin and Sam used.

The white radiance cascading down from above was blocked off by Clu. He stood in between the only way out of the grid and the girl and the Users.

"Clu," Tron shouted from where he and Alan stood behind Kevin and the others.

"Alan?" Kevin asked as he turned around. "Tron?" His eyes were filled with sadness and hope. Sam had given them a similar look while the girl had distrust and pity.

"Well," Clu said in a smug tone and smirked. "Look who joined us."

"Alan," Sam said. "You are not a program. You're my friend."

"Our friend," Kevin added.

"I'm sorry I wasn't home," Sam said.

"Primal," Clu said. "Take out these traitors, including your brother."

"His name is Tron," Alan said as he marched straight up to Clu. "That was the name I gave him when I wrote him. My name is Alan Bradley. What have you done to me?"

"I made you perfect," Clu said almost instantly. His face reflected fear for a second before it had regained his usual smug filled smirk.

Alan shouted at the top of his lungs as he lashed at Clu with his disk. "You ruined my life."

Clu blocked his attacks with his own disk

"Alan," Kevin called after him.

"He took it away," Alan said as he continued to fight. "My wedding day, my first date with Lora. Holding Jet in my arms for the first time. He took those away."

A disk lodged itself into Clu's chest. It was one of Tron's

Alan took advantage of Clu being temporarily distracted and barreled into him and did not stop running and lashing at the corrupt program with both his disk and fist until Clu fell back over the edge.

Alan nearly fell after him, but he felt something grab onto his legs and hold firmly. He looked back as Tron and Sam pulled him back from the ledge.

"He took it away," Alan said. "He took me away." He felt his eyes burn as he stared at those who were close to them with a blurred vision. "He took me away." He could no longer feel his legs, except for his knees when they struck the ground.

"We are going to get you home," Kevin said as several hands picked up Alan and dragged him to the glowing portal.