Monitoring the Grid @computerwarrior - Tumblr Blog

User Friendly - not-that-dillinger

(( @not-that-dillinger ))

The race was on. The bright beam of a User entering was the starting signal, and the finish line was none other than the Arcade entry point.

Ark had been traversing the City, keeping an eye out for Occupation trouble for her to handle, when the sky lit up burning bright white.

She froze in her tracks, taking what felt like too many moments to process the miracle that lay before her.

Ark changed directions to dash across buildings, jumping recklessly in order to keep as much speed as she could manage.

If the Occupation got there before her, it all would be lost.

With her energy racing through her circuits, it was hard to tell how much time she had taken to arrive at the front door.

But, despite the time crunch, she hesitated, pausing her hand right before touching the handle.

This was the most sacred of spots for the Users, to her knowledge, no program had ever entered, but she wouldn't be surprised if Flynn had convinced Tron to step foot inside.

She took a breath to steady herself, beg forgiveness from Flynn, and Alan-One, and whatever other Users were out there, and opened the door, quickly slipping inside and closing it behind her.

If she was lucky, the Occupation would be even more hesitant to enter, thus buying them precious time to try and find an escape. Her mine was already racing with potential exit routes.

Ark kept walking through the dark building, dodging strange consoles and other mysterious objects, as she tried to find where the incoming User would appear from.

((Trimming it down.))

@not-that-dillinger

Ed glanced in the direction Ark indicated. "Alright. Not that anything ranged would be a good idea in here, but I probably shouldn't be trusted with anything like that to begin with... My aim has always been terrible," he admitted. Both in sports during P.E, and the one time he attempted archery during college. He had, however, done decent at historical fencing when he tried it. A door on the side of the ship they were approaching yawned open like the mouth of a beast, and the recognizer slowed it approach and entered the larger ship. If they were going to escape, they'd have to act soon.

-

"There's not a lot of ranged weapons around, not that I've seen. Discs can be thrown, but also used hand-to-hand. I usually use a staff, you might be more comfortable with them, but it's hard to tell what a baton does at a glance." All the batons looked similar, but a quick touch usually revealed their nature. Ark knew her own batons like the back of her hands, but anybody else's were a mystery to her.

Her mind raced as she tried to come up with any kind of plan to escape, but the only one that surfaced was incredibly risky to her personally.

But, if she couldn't trust a User, who could she trust?

She looked to Ed, "If I turn around, will you be able to grab the disc off of my back?"

Ed glanced uncertainly toward the guards, then down at his cuffed hands and feet locked in place, then over to Ark, just barely out of arm's reach from standing up.

He'd have to stretch, but when he was little he'd been fascinated with James Bond and Sherlock Holmes, and had learned to pick locks and worm his way of restraints. He hadn't attempted anything like that in well over a decade, but getting Ark's disc should be simple enough.

"I think so."

Ark grinned, "Great! I'm gonna twist and lean as close as I can to you. Once you undock my disc, you can press the button near the top to activate it. Keep away from the edges, you might be able to cut your own restraints, if not, you can give my disc to me, and I'll cut you loose."

This was dangerous in so many ways, she was freely giving her disc, her self to a stranger. He could free himself and run off with her disc, leaving her here to slowly lose every sense of self she had while trapped in the hands of the enemy. That, and the User would be unfamiliar with discs, he could accidentally hurt himself in the process. But, they were running out of time and no better options were presenting themselves.

Ed nodded. So far, the soldiers haven't paid them much attention, but they would without a doubt be on them as soon as he grabbed what he just realized was a weapon.

Though why the didn't take it from her to begin with was a question for later.

"Got it. I can get my feet free, but my hands are gonna be tricky, though I can get yours."

Of course, that means he's trusting her not to run off without him and leave him to suffer the fallout alone.

Once Ark had turned as best she could so that he could reach the disc, he looked it over until he spotted the button she described, then glanced back one last time at the guards. Once he was certain they were partially distracted with landing the aircraft, he leaned over as far as he dared, then stretched his bound hands as far as he could.

Even like that, he barely managed to get it, the disc precariously pinched in his grip.

He quickly dropped down into a crouch, then activated the disc.

The guards turned toward him. "Hey!" one exclaimed.

Ed sliced down at the restraints around his feet until they shattered into glowing orange cubes.

Belatedly, the guards rushed toward Ed.

He dove toward the restraints at Ark's feet.

Ark nodded, "We'll work together to free each other. Once it's in my hands, I'll work on yours."

A similar question had briefly gone through Ark's mind, that why hadn't anybody tried this before - but she realized that it came down to everybody distrusting everybody else. If it wasn't for him being a User, she might've not trusted her fellow captives as well.

It was strange having the familiar weight of her disc being removed by somebody else, though she tried to not dwell on it.

Ark straightened up, keeping a watchful eye out for the first sign of danger.

While Ed went after her feet restraints, her hands were still bound. But, she was ready to clonk the guards with as much strength as she could muster, until she was freed.

And once her feet were free, she would be able to manuever and kick until the restraints were removed.

Ed gained more trust with Ark once he worked on freeing her. Her disc was still in the hands of a stranger, but so far, he was looking out for her, too.

Luckily, Ed managed to strike Ark's restraints, narrowly missing her ankles in the process as the restraints shattered into more cubes.

Not so luckily, one of the guards was right behind him--and managed to grab his ankle to pull him away from Ark.

He let go of the disc, hoping she would be able to grab it in the few seconds before the other guard got to her, and at least defend herself.

He wasn't a fighter, and was more likely to hurt himself than the program attempting to restrain him if he tried, but since it was Ark's, it was fair to assume she was proficient with it.

That still didn't mean he wouldn't go without a fight. He kicked and twisted, trying to get out of the guard's hold.

Ark felt the pressure release her feet and she grinned. However, things turned for the worst as a guard got their hands on the User.

She gritted her teeth, then dove for her disc. Once she had grabbed it in her hands, she then spun in a spiral upward as she stood in the hopes of catching the enemy off guard or forcing them to back up. Either was good to her, derezzing them would get her to Ed quicker, while getting some space would allow her a little more control over the fight that needed to end quickly.

The second guard went after Ark to restrain her, and was caught off guard when she came up with her disc out. He shattered into glowing red cubes at her touch.

Once the recognizer had landed and the guard piloting it realized that she and her comrade were in actual trouble and need to get their prisoners under control, she quickly locked down the recognizer and sent an alert to the rest of the ship for reinforcements. She rezzed a staff, and charged at Ark.

The guard holding Ed by the ankle dragged him across the floor, and Ed scrabbled fruitlessly to grab hold of anything, until suddenly, he was flung across the deck and slammed into a wall.

Momentarily stunned, it took him a moment to process what had happened and the guard was no longer holding him--and the bright red force field around him.

#((Oooooh))#RP #notthatdillinger #not-that-dillinger

One enemy down, who knew how many left to go. Ark was thankful that her gambit had worked, but now she had a new problem to worry about.

She'd prefer to tackle a staff with her own staff, but there was no time to reach it, let alone get it. So, she slid into a defensive stance, her disc at the ready. She'd have to try and duel the staff-wielder with her disc. It'd be tricky, but it was risky to throw her disc, as it'd leave her completely unarmed.

She heard Ed's struggles and was tempted to look back and check on him, but if she did, that'd leave herself vulnerable. She would be no use to either of them if she was dead.

Ark just had to hope that the fact that he was a User would keep the Occupation from killing him.

((While reading Diadem: Worlds of Magic Book #7 - Book of War by John Peel, this part made me think of Ark, lol))

Open RP - Rainbow Falls

After causing quite a bit of trouble for the Occupation, Ark decided that it was best for her to lay low for a while.

The area around Bostrum seemed like a good choice. The Colony had been infected and devastated, but the Crystal Conduit was far enough away that it likely was spared from the Virus' wrath.

The Conduit was full of energy and crystals, and also Gridbugs. But, she hadn't seen a swarm of them on her one previous visit, just a few here and there. The danger added to the relative safety of it, as most programs wouldn't venture out there.

The roads on the way to and from Bostrum were intact close to Tron City, but the further and further they got from the living City, the more damaged they became.

Ark's trek was slowed as she navigated the shattered roads, occasionally making a small detour into the Outlands to dodge debris.

Upon reaching Bostrum, she took a quick break on the outskirts to rest and replenish from the plentiful energyfalls that surrounded the former Colony. The Conduit was still further ahead.

Ark's travels took her through caves and canyons and the more crystals she saw, the closer she got to her destination.

Crystals dotted the rocky landscape as she compressed her light cycle into its baton and continued by foot.

It had been many cycles since she had been here and the crystals had grown and shifted around the area, so there were new paths she hadn't seen before.

One such winding path took her down far below the main level of the Conduit.

There, she was greeted by an underground energy pool encased in a cavern full of blue energy crystals.

The sight was beautiful, and she slipped into the shimmering energy to float along and rest.

As she floated, she drifted from cave to cave, each one containing crystals of a different color that imposed their wavelengths upon the energy below - and Ark and her circuits.

The caves made a ring around one in the middle, after doing a full circuit around, she slowly swam into the middle chamber to observe it.

There, the cavern was full of crystals of every size and color, but most impressive was the energyfall that flowed down one of the cave walls.

Surrounding the energyfall itself were the many colors of crystals, spiraling up it in a wonderous play of light.

The result was absolutely breathtaking.

Ark had heard that the Crystal Conduit contained the source of energy for all the falls around the Colony, and this astounding place felt like it should be that source itself.

After taking in the sights, she spent her time floating and swimming through the caverns of colorful lights.

Fortunately, there were rocky landings in all of the chambers, allowing her to climb up out of the energy and sit as long as she liked.

As far as places to hide and stay for a while, this one was among the best she could imagine.

((This post is for Ark on the Grid, but if anyone else wants to play, that's cool, too - it can be a memory or hologram or something.

Also, the Crystal Conduit is from the Tron: Evolution DS game, but I've done my own things with it - partially inspired by the purple water at sunset in Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp.))

((Trimming it down.))

@evecolourshock

Call immediately caught Ark’s hand, scanning it and fretting over impact fractures and microsplits. Those they could fix, and Ark could definitely do without - an injured hand was far from ideal, especially for someone who put themselves in danger on a regular basis, and damage tended to invite infection. Here, more than anywhere, being whole and unhurt was vital. Gears groaned, spokes grinding as they struggled to turn. Motors shrieked as they began to spin. Valves hissed with newfound pressure. Slowly but surely, the fountain began to glow. It bubbled and gurgled, energy roiling in its pool as the pumps began to heave to life. And then. All at once. Energy flowed from the upper level. Operation smoothed out, quieted down. Sprays activated, a rolling mist contained by a delicate barrier flickering in the light of the very fluid it shielded. The crystalline fountain, one of dozens scattered across Bostrum, finally flowed again. “i diD nOt consIDEr pErcUSSive maINTenaNce.” Call murmured, voice glitching again when they lost focus on keeping it steady. “mY teMPlAte hiTs tOO hArd, anD It doEs noT wORk oN pEOple.” They smiled up at Ark. “thANk yOu.”

-

Ark was taken by surprise when Call fussed over her hand, but she didn't resist, letting them inspect it to their satisfaction. She hadn't considered that her action could've caused injury to herself, she was only focused to trying to fix the fountain and not letting Call down.

The fountain itself was making strange noises, but she wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing. Had she just made it worse?

But, it finally activated and Ark breathed a sigh of relief as the shimmering energy flowed freely.

Ark laughed lightly, "You're welcome, I'm just glad that it worked. I couldn't think of anything else and figured that it was worth a shot."

Call grinned, putting the back panel back in place. It clicked in, solidified, and the fountain was whole once more. "And life continues to return here." They focused on their voice, smoothing it back out - a Virus' glitches had no place here.

Maybe one cycle the young ones they could sometimes hear would return - would splash in the fountains to the amused disapproval of their caretakers, would chase the Bits that flocked to the spilled energy, would play in the courtyard around the fountain while the older ones watched but did not interrupt their fun.

Call hoped it would happen. But more had to heal and recover first.

They sat and watched the fountain for a while. "It is pretty. The fountain. Like the Conduit but small."

Ark gave Call a small nod in agreement, "Yeah...it's a lot nicer that way." It was hard to believe the difference that something so small made. Even though it was deep in the Outlands, Bostrum had been full of life when she had first visited all those cycles ago.

She enjoyed the peacefulness of simply observing the fountain with Call. She agreed with their assessment, "Yeah, a nice reminder of where the Colony's energy comes from. I'm glad we got it working."

Call hummed, leaning against Ark's shoulder. This was nice. Peace was nice. They hoped they got to experience it more.

That everyone would, once the Reds were gone.

A quiet clatter behind them had Call using the nearest reflective surface to see what had made a noise. They were expecting perhaps a tumbling tile, or a skittery small-bug.

The yellow eyes reflected back, barely visible in the dulled, dusty windows, were a surprise. Call did their best not to react. "Behind us." They murmured to Ark. "A youngling. Maybe more than one, but I cannot see how many. I do not know how old. You can see them in the glass, if you are careful." They hummed quietly in their throat, almost purring. "They are not normally so bold. Easily scared, usually hiding. I think they like the fountain too."

Ark was in agreement with Call, the peace, quiet, and togetherness were wonderful. Closeness with other programs was something that she hadn't had a lot of, especially lately, so it was a nice change from her usual pace.

She went on alert at the sound of the clatter, tensing up and ready to react to whatever came their way. But, Call's calmness steadied her and she followed their lead, moving her head just enough to get a peek on the glass.

"What should we do?" Ark asked quietly, deferring to their expertise, "I don't want to bother them, but if they're normally shy, should we leave?"

The younglings had good taste, the fountain was a great fountain.

"I am going to say not yet." Call decided. "If we move now, they will know we have seen them, and will not come back for a long time."

"Right now, they do not think we have seen them. As long as that continues, they will continue to be bold. Bold is good, means they are getting used to more people than just their very small networks - or at least less scared. I think- it is easy to tell you are Monitor, but you are not hurting or hunting them - you do not treat them as threats, but no threats will get to them without you knowing. It has been a long time since anyone has protected them, and Monitors are good at protecting, so maybe they are beginning to wonder if they are allowed to feel safe again." Call shifted against Ark a little, thinking. "Perhaps we can move when they are more hidden again, or at least closer to easy hiding places we won't have to pass to leave. Then they can continue to feel safe and bold."

Ark nodded quietly, "All right." She thought over everything that they said, "So, we just sit here and chat and act normal while not looking in their directions?" That sounded easy enough, and right now, they were only visible on the reflections. She turned her eyes away, using only her ears to listen and track them.

She smiled lightly, "I'm glad to protect them, if they'll have me. Everyone on the Grid deserves to feel safe."

Ark paused a moment before ading, "And, I'm in for however you want to handle them, letting them stretch and be around others is important for them to adapt to."

"Yes. We sit." Call hummed. "They will do as they please, as long as we do not scare them. There are dens they can use-"

A velvety grey hand poked gently at a stack of tile fragments in their peripheral, what used to be a surprised chirp ringing out when the stack collapsed - quickly followed by happy clicks when the young Infected in question realised they could stack the tiles back up again. A kind of game quickly started up, consisting of what seemed to be one team trying to stack the tiles and another trying to knock them down again.

"And they can always learn new things while playing. Like how physics works."

Ark looked to Call, "That means no loud noises, no sudden movements, things like that, right?" Those made sense, but she wasn't sure what else might spook their visitors.

At first, it seemed like stack had possibly spooked them, but it quickly turned into delight and then a game.

It was rather endearing to watch them at play, and she tilted her head at Call's comment, "Huh, I didn't know playing was so important."

"Yes to all of those, also respecting boundaries. Getting too close is scary for them." Call shrugged. "And... learning is good. No reason learning cannot also be fun. Different strength throws make things go different distances, and it can be learned with catching games just as easily as drills." They offered.

"I knew some of how things worked when I rezzed for the first time, but not everything - my template had to teach me many things, and I am still learning more. Not everyone gets even that much. Games help with learning basics - for instance, I have memory games for learning repair orders, because it's more fun than staring at diagrams and text all the time. And my template liked the fun disc wars when they were still allowed, he got to try out new trick shots and dodges which even now help him lots." They grimaced, amending their statement. "Well. Most games help with learning things. Not the Enemy's ones. Those teach nothing but fear and pain and sadness."

"Good to know," Ark replied, "I don't plan on moving, in case that might spook them, so if they get to close, it's their choice." She could stay put, but couldn't do anything if they chose to approach.

She thought over Call's words, "Huh, okay. I was rezzed on the Grid with a lot I needed to know, but learning wasn't fun, it just was." Drills and practice and simulations and so much more.

"Yeah...I miss the old Games, too. It was fun competing. I never won, but I always had a good time playing. I stopped when they turned deadly, that was too cruel and too much pressure."

"My template got in trouble the first time he played the fun ones against people other than his friends. Someone was very mean, tried to start a fight for real. Not disc fight, but still fight." Call giggled at what they were remembering. "My template ending the fight was not the problem."

"Him ending it by biting was. He is very bitey, when he wants to be - less so, now, but if he thinks he needs to then he still bites." They shrugged, flashing a grin. "Teeth do not need permission to be a weapon."

"He has been in the Bad Games once. Not by choice." Call bit their lip. "He won. Though winning is not- they almost killed him anyway. He is very scared of the Reds putting him back in there." Their jaw firmed. "If they try again, I will make sure they get me instead of him. I will not let them hurt him again. And I will be in their walls, with all of the angry. I am Virus, they will not hurt my Program template. He bites, but I have bigger sharper teeth. I will use them to protect my template."

Ark tilted her head as Call told tales of their friend. The first part didn't make much sense until the last piece of information came to light. She couldn't completely hold back a quiet snort of laughter, "That's one way to solve it. I'm not much for biting, myself, but if the Occupation's got a hold of me, I won't mind using my teeth."

She looked impressed at the next part, "Survived the Games and won, that's a feat. I'm not surprised the Occupation tried to pull something, I'm glad he was able to get away."

Ark looked Call over, then nodded, "I'm glad you've got his back. It sounds like you protect him well."

"I am very good at being in their walls." Call ducked their head a moment, circuits shimmering at the praise. "My template is precious to me. To many, but very much to me. He is my template, and I am his mirror. I love him, he is family. And family protects their own."

They didn't know how else to describe the relationship - how could they, when the closest kind of creation to theirs was that of the Enemy and the Creator? With them being more like the Enemy - a twisted mirror, far more prone to viciousness than their source, with the only difference being how that source treated them?

Call didn't know what they'd be, without their twin's love and support, and was eternally grateful they'd never find out.