AN: In the interest of actually keeping a consistent writi mg schedule, I'm to take a page from some of my favorite authors and upload the new chapters in fragments under the side story tab. Each of these will probably be around 1000 words long. When I am finished with the last segment, the whole chapter will be compiled and posted as a single post. This will only apply to the versions fo this story on SB, SV, and eventually, QQ - the versions on FFN and (eventually) AO3 will just have full chapter posts.

Now, onto the actual chapter!

"Alright, shift's over. You're all free to go."

"Finally," breathed Zed, relieved that the day was finally over. Mara, Beck, and Able couldn't help chuckling at his reaction, even if they shared the sentiment. After saying their farewells to the shift chief, the four made their way to leave.

With nowhere else to go, the quartet had been offered positions at one of Silicon City's many garages, which they had graciously accepted - Beck and his friends as engineers, and Able as co-shift chief. It had taken a few days to settle in, but it hadn't been too hard.

At least, not compared to some other things.

"So, let me get this straight," began Zed. "Things in the Grid happen about fifty times faster than in the analog world, so the reason we only see that User so sparingly is because fifty days for us is one for her?"

"Yes," confirmed Beck. "That's the gist of things."

"…That explains a lot."

"That it does," acknowledged Mara.

"Yeah," agreed Beck.

An awkward silence filled the air, until Beck cleared his throat. "So, um, have you guys thought about-"

"Yes," answered Mara, "and I think you already know my answer."

Mara had been one of the supporters of the Renegade from the beginning. Beck was hardly surprised that she would be willing to aid him.

As for Zed…

"Look, you know how I felt about the Renegade."

"Yeah, but-"

"But that was before I knew who was under the helmet. And before we got here. And if Mara is willing to help you with this…then I guess I'm helping the Renegade help the Users."

For a moment, Beck was speechless. Then, a smile crept on his lips. "Huh. Didn't expect you to come over quickly."

"We've had a week think on this. Not exactly a hard choice to make," was Zed's response.

"For what it's worth, thanks. So, uh, what now?"

"Light cycle ride?" offered Mara.

A few minutes later, the trio was rolling off to their apartments, though they'd decided to take along route so they could see all the city had to offer.

"So," began Zed, "you said Paige tried to get you killed in the games. You mind telling us what that was about?"

"Tried to sneak past a checkpoint after a training session with Tron, ended up in a crate containing 'volunteers' for the games. Ended up coming down to me and another program named Cutler."

"Still not hearing how Paige tried to kill you."

"She handcuffed Cutler and me together and forced us to go against three black guards with Light Cycles. We figured out how to outsmart them, so her plan failed."

"How'd you get out?" Asked Mara.

"Pavel tried to have us duel to deresolution. We refused, so from what I can tell, Paige convinced Tesler to release me while making an example of Cutler. I rescued him before that happened."

"Was this around the time Mara and me had to deal with Pearl?"

"I think so."

A traffic light forced the trio to stop, allowing them to halt their conversation and glance around at the intersection they'd halted in.

Their eyes fell upon a small stand where a strange, fuzzy looking creature was handing out something humans called biscuits.

"…What are those things?" Wondered Mara. "They look so cute."

"Apparently, they're called Norns. They're program creatures humans created in an artificial Lifeform simulation game. Apparently, they're Grid-compatible."

"I can see that just fine," noted Zed. "I'm just wondering if they are always this friendly."

"Usually, they are. It's Grendels you have to worry about - those things are practically programmed to respond to the need for companionship with punching. Though as far as I know, they are only found in the rainforest bio-research sector."

"…How does this Grid have that kind of sector?"

"The Users imported it from a game?"

"….Weird."

The medical observation program watched as the female program fixed the last of the injuries on the Norn, all the while having a look of perplexed look on her face. Moments later, the fluffy creature was on its way, leaving the program alone and somewhat confused.

Perhaps it was time to speak to her.

"Ahem."

The female program glanced his way, "Oh, hello. Salk, wasn't it?"

"Correct, Ms. Paige. How are you doing?"

"Fine."

Salk raised an eyebrow. "Your tone indicates otherwise."

Paige threw a glare at the medical program. "This doesn't concern you."

"I am aware that I am not a military program, but I am your superior as long as you stay in this building, and have been charged by User Keeva to help care for all new arrivals besides. So yes, I think this is concerns me."

Paige bristled over the mention of a user, but held her tongue. Salk did not miss that detail.

"Is this about User Keeva?"

"…A little bit."

Ah, opening. Perfect.

"I think I understand the issue."

Now it was Paige who raised an eyebrow. "Oh really?"

"Yes. You are unsure how to react after having your existence upended."

Paige's expression softened slightly, but only slightly. "Hmpf."

"You were taught that the Users abandoned the Grid - and knew from Clu and his forces that Flynn would rather focus on the ISOs over the basics."

"Didn't he?"

"That is true, but Users are a varied group. They were created in an inherently unstable system. One that can randomly shift from favoring conformity in one instant to diversity in another."

Paige's expression broke for a moment. "What?"

Good, something the break her shell. "In the Analog World, all living entities are in competition for resources needed to sustain themselves - the kind of orderly existence we experience in the Grid does not exist. Limits for populations are determined by availability of natural resources, and can fluctuate over time. Dramatic shifts in the environment of a given portion of said world can cause whole populations to die out in time frames ranging from millennia to overnight."

"How does that have anything to do with the Users?"

Okay, he had gone off-topic. "To get on topic, Users are shaped by the environment they grow in - the same as all living things. So User Keeva is different from User Samuel, just as User Samuel is different from User Kevin. So at least try to be open to that."

"…Maybe."

That would have to do for now.

"So," asked Mu, "are you happy with how your employees have been treated?"

Able locked eyes with the System Admin program. "I am. But I have to ask - why only them? Why couldn't you bring back more?"

"The old Grid was turned into a wasteland when Kevin Flynn reintegrated with Clu. We can only spend so long retrieving programs from it before the danger becomes too great to face. The limits are pushed each day, but they are limits all the same."

"Huh. Good to know."

"You're welcome. Though I must ask - are you still with us?"

"Yes. I stood with Tron before, and I will stand with him now."

"Thank you. And before you worry otherwise, rest assured that I will aid you to the best of my abilities - I will not become another Clu."

"…I never asked you anything about that."

"Yes, but I am fulfilling the same roll that Clu once functioned as. I have been given updated data to avoid ending up how he did. I wanted that clarified before you started suspecting otherwise."

"Fair enough. So, what next?"

"Given the threat the new Users are facing, I believe some planning is in order - the computer housing their virtual world is in a factory ENCOM recently purchased for refurbishment. So I believe that right now, Keeva and her human friends must determine what timeframe they have before the Supercomputer is taken offline."

"It never is simple, is it?"

"Nope. It isn't."

Future Control Industries France HQ, Lyon, France

Guillame really wasn't happy to be the one to have to deliver such news. But unfortunately, he had drawn the short stick, and now he had to be the one to make the report.

He waited patiently to be invited in, and said nothing until he was seated at the director's desk.

Green eyes stared into his soul. "Thank you for coming. So..Guillame, is it?"

"Yes, Ms. Eva."

"Guillame. Tell me, what new developments have come up? They must be awfully important if you had to come here in person."

Her words were friendly, but the tone of them carried no warmth.

"It's about ENCOM, ma'am."

"Oh, really? Did they accept our offer for a merger?"

"No, ma'am."

"…I see. Does it relate to their mysterious 'Grid' project?"

"No, ma'am."

The smile on Ms. Popoff's face vanished. "I see. Then, if you have nothing of value to tell me, I -"

"It's about Flynn."

"-I'm listening."

"Corporate Intelligence found that he's traveled alongside his wife, his children, and the Bradleys to finalize a purchase of a car factory for refurbishment."

"…Well, that's one way to avoid our efforts. Tell me, where are they? I doubt they would be going somewhere that was in the United States to verify a factory purchase. Which country are they in? The United Kingdom? Germany? I doubt they would be in Eastern Europe, what with the ongoing war in-"

"They're here."

That derailed Eva's train of thought. "…What?"

"The factory is in Bologne-Bilancourt. His daughter has been enrolled at Kadic Academy, and his son will join in a few weeks, from what we can tell."

"...Interesting. Thank you for the report. You are dismissed. Please leave now."

Guillaume obliged. Once he was out of the room, Eva made a mental note to call Baza and Crown - exploiting a child was annoyingly difficult, and carried big risks. But for the prize that was ENCOM?

The risks were outweighed by the rewards.

Path to Coalescence - Part 4 of ? Complete

AN: So, yeah, Grid focused chapter. Beck's friends are handling some important revelations, Paige is still adjusting to having her world view turned upside down, and Able is trying to keep up on the changing situation.

I was almost not going to have the final scene at the end, but then I decided to try and fix the hole in my Tron knowledge that is Tron 2.0 (just research, have too many games to play at the moment) and, in particular, to learn more about F-Con.

I did not know much about the three heads of F-Con. I really wish that I had done more research before hand, because I was going through tons of ideas for a female antagonist in the ensemble for this story without knowing that Eva was French.

So, yeah, F-Con France is now aware that the Flynn's are in Bologne-Bilancourt. That's bad.

Going to try and finish up the current arcs for my other stories Primeval Paradox and The Baleful Bureau before I even think about updating this any further. Just keep that in mind before asking for anohter update (none of you have, but I want that out of the way).

Read and Review at your leisure! This is Flameal15k, signing off!