Vanellope's Bug Problem
Chapter Six

I had apprehended Turbo on the racetrack and was taking him to the Fungeon so I could to figure out what I should do with him.

"So, what were you doing out on the track with me, Turbo?"

"I was hoping to get a sense of my surroundings in this game."

"Well, the game is only designed to cycle through 15 racers, so you can't really be part of the game as an avatar."

"I did some research on game coding during my 10 years outside TurboTime, and have formulated ways of incorporating the codes of foreign characters into the code of a game."

"Well, the code room isn't open to just anyone, nor are its whereabouts. Even I don't know where it is."

"I figured as much. But I might know where the entrance to the code room is in this game."

"How do I know you're not trying to throw something over my head?"

"I'm not sure what you mean."

"If you knew where the code room was, you'd be there by now making it your own game and wouldn't have come up to me and risked being caught by my guards who will no doubt think you're here to ruin this game."

Turbo looked around, unsure if I was telling him what was happening at that moment. "What I'm saying is that you might need some guidance with handling your game's popularity when it becomes the arcade's greatest game."

"What makes you think it'll reach that point?"

"I know the best secrets to getting a racing game to the top shelf. I'll be willing to share them with you if I can get to your game's code room."

"I told you, I don't know where my game's code room is."

"But I've got an idea where it's most likely to be."

"Even if I knew where it was, I'm not going to let you in there and fudge around with everything."

"I don't expect you to. I'm just saying that I might know of a way to be able to integrate myself into this game using the code that already exists in this game."

"What do you mean?"

"I'll explain everything when we get to the Fungeon."

I started driving faster at that point, wanting to get it over with as soon as possible.

We made it to the Fungeon, and I sealed the two of us in the main cell. Undoing the licorice that tied Turbo's wrist to mine, I gestured to the bench within. "Have a seat."

Turbo complied. "Alright, so, my strategy revolves around the coding of your backstory."

"My backstory?"

"The main character of a video game has a backstory to explain who they are and how they got to where they are in the game. Naturally, since you're the Princess, your backstory will have its own separate code to go with it."

I couldn't help but laugh. "My game hasn't even been played yet; how am I supposed to have a backstory?"

"Kid, it's just a story that sculpts your personality. Every player avatar in the arcade has their own backstory." He got up and walked to the middle of the cell. "My backstory was about my father, who sold racing karts. He taught me and my brothers, Jet and Set, how to drive, and encouraged us to settle conflicts by racing."

"I take it you were the best of them at racing?"

"Yep. Which meant that I came out on top almost all the time."

"Yeah, you definitely have the mindset of a guy who only knows what it's like to win."

"You might also qualify, since today's your first day being plugged in."

"At least I don't let it get to my head."

"Believe me, even the most innocent souls can become corrupted by power."

"How do you mean?"

"When a game gains high rank in popularity with gamers, the player character (or characters in multiplayer games) can become obsessed with the attention they get from players, oftentimes letting it get to their head. As new games roll in and out, the arcade's number one game can change in an instant. And if a character isn't braced for a sudden loss of the spotlight, the sudden change can spur them to drastic actions."

"Like what?"

"Trying to get their attention back by any means possible, even abandoning their own game and sabotaging the game that trumped their spotlight."

"Let me guess. You did just that for those exact reasons?"

"As much as it pains me to say it, yes. Both games were put out of order for good, and everyone thinks I'm dead, using my story as an example of the dangers of game jumping for the purpose of taking over a foreign game, which has come to be known as 'going Turbo'."