> User: Sam_Flynn Online @iamnoprogram - Tumblr Blog

Sam had been tucked away in the basement of The Arcade, coding on The Grid’s terminal, so she didn’t hear the sound of the rain right away. When she did, however, it snapped her out of her trance. A jolt of panic coursing through her.

"Crap!"

The bike! Standing up and practically throwing the chair to the side, Sam raced up the stairs, pushing away the TRON machine she had moved back into place behind her so that Marvin didn’t wander in when she was working, and raced past the other covered cabinet machines in the arcade main lobby until she was at the door, swiftly unlocking it. She paused under the covered threshold of the entrance when she saw just how much water was falling out of the sky. That was definitely one hell of a storm.

Well. It’s not like she was going anywhere anytime soon.

She flipped her hood up and walked out to the street towards her Dad’s… well her, Ducati now, kicking up the kickstand and grabbing onto the handlebars to walk it under the covered threshold, the dull ache in her side and right arm intensified a bit from the action. Crap, it hadn't been that long since she digitized... right? The sound of shuffling feet and splashing tore her from her thoughts as she looked up. Who the hell would be out in this part of town in this downpour?

When the source of the sound got closer, it became clearer through the haze of rain. Was that? It was. For a split second, Sam contemplated pretending she didn't see him and going back inside. No. That would be mean, and although their few interactions had been awkward (due to obvious reasons of their parentage) he didn't do anything to warrant her leaving him out in this borderline hurricane.

She lifted her good arm, waving it slightly as she called out to be heard over the pounding of raindrops and howling wind.

“Ed! Hey! Over here!”

@spaceandthedigitalfrontier

He'd been having a bad enough day before he'd been called into Mackey's office. Between the stress of yet another deadline pushed up and a mention of his father's company on the news the previous night resulting in poor sleep, Ed was... exhausted and not in the mood to deal with more of Richard Mackey's bullshit.

By the time the day was over, he was so anxious , he knew that going home was a bad idea. He also knew staying at Encom would only make it worse, the walls of the tower feeling more oppressive than safe.

So, he grabbed Colossus and went for a walk, hoping that physical exercise would wear him out enough that he would just fall asleep when he got home.

He'd completely forgotten about the rain in the forecast until nearly an hour later, he was several miles where he'd parked at Encom and without an umbrella or jacket.

What started as a slight drizzle quickly turned into a deluge, rain practically falling in sheets, and quickly drenching both him and the dog.

It got so bad that his glasses fogged up, and all he could see was a blur of color in front of his face with them on. At some point, he must have taken a wrong turn, because he had no idea where he was as he stumbled down the block, mostly relying on the dog to keep him from stumbling into oncoming traffic.

He'd nearly accepted that he was just going to be stuck outside in the rain until it cleared up when he heard someone call his name.

...Ed knew that voice.

"Sam?" he called back, cautiously looking both ways (as good as that was when he was all but blind) and then splashing across what might as well have become a river toward where Sam's voice was coming from.

As soon as they had gotten under the overhang, the large dog took the opportunity to shake out his fur. Sam brought up her arm in a useless attempt to shield herself from the ensuing spray.

“OOOO-kay, wow that thing is huge.”

She had heard that Ed had a service dog, but this might be the first time she had seen it up close. That thing was like the size of a miniature horse! (It’s craps must be huge, considering Marvin’s could get surprisingly big and he was like, the size of a football). She propped open the door.

“Come in.”

She offered, waiting for the two to walk in before going back in herself and locking the door behind her.

“Wait there, I’ll get some towel-“

A series of high pitched barks echoed across the arcade, followed by the clicking sound of paws against wood as Marvin, in all his fifteen something pounds of glory, charged at the dog intruding onto his territory. Marvin’s attempt to engage in glorious combat was foiled by Sam quickly scooping him up, winching as the action sent another jolt of pain down her right arm, before shifting Marvin to hold him against her side.

“Sorry. He’s a rescue so he’s very not trained. I’ll put him away.”

She assured him with a sheepish grin before quickly turning to walk up to the loft to lock Marvin in her room and retrieve some towels, and mentally prepare herself for whats most likely going to be another awkward interaction.

Ed stiffened, but didn't even bother to try to shield himself from the splash. He was already drenched, it wasn't like the dog could do much to him.

He sighed. "Sorry about that... and, thanks," he said to the blur that he could only assume was Sam.

Once inside he fished a soggy cleaning cloth out of his pocket, and attempted to dry off his lenses.

The effect was questionable, but he slipped them back on just in time to see Sam scoop up a small black blob, Colossus trotting forward with his tail wagging to sniff the fuzzball in greeting.

"Oh, ah, it's alright-- Colossus, leave it!"

The dog stopped and turned back toward Ed.

While Sam retreated to put Marvin away and get towels, Ed silently took in his surroundings for the first time.

Flynn's arcade, he realized, catching sight of the rows of machines under plastic dust protectors. He'd never been allowed as a kid thanks to his father's grudge, and then it hadn't been open for very long after Kevin went missing, either.

It left him feeling... odd now standing inside of it. Never mind that it seemed mostly abandoned save for the two of them.

Sam made it up to the loft and opened a closet, then raised her arm up to grab the towels stored on one of the higher shelves. A jolt of pain stopped her in her tracks as she let out a curse. Wrong arm. Marvin stopped squirming in her grasp at her expression of pain, perhaps thinking he was the cause of it.

"I'm fine Marv."

She reassured the small dog, before slowly putting him down. It looked like she was in the "can't raise right arm up" stage of... whatever the hell was wrong with her.

She had gotten a few nasty injuries in the Grid that healed over in there, and the leading theory was that part of her genome now was straight up code, so when she was outside the Grid, without her Identity Disc to organize her messed up body, the organic part of her would start attacking the digital part.

Fuck. Don't think about that right now.

She could go a few more hours without digitizing. Hopefully the storm would be over by then, and she doesn't reach the "blood on fire" stage of pain while she had Ed still around.

She grabbed a few towels, placing them on the bed and took off her soaked hoodie, throwing it on the floor to pick up later. She grabbed the towels and walked back to the door, closing it behind her so that Marvin wouldn’t be able to follow and making her way back to the arcade room.

“Alright, uh here are some towels. I also have like… a hairdryer I can bring down?”

She offered a bit awkwardly, placing the stack of towels on a nearby table, only wincing slightly as the old injury on her side decided to start acting up.

Ed gave Sam what he hoped was an appreciative smile when she returned with the towels, though it most likely looked as awkward as he felt.

"Thanks." He carefully unbuttoned his waistcoat, carefully rolled it in the first towel to dry it so it at least wasn't dripping everywhere, then hung it on the back of a chair. It's one less layer of wet,though it is also the only garment he dares to take off in present company. He then took the towel and carefully patted his hair dry, then wiped off his face and slowly worked his way down the rest of his body

He awkwardly hung the towel over the back of the chair, then took the next towel and dropped it over Colossus to dry the dog off as much as possible.

"Blow drier... might be a good idea," he admitted. "At least for Mr. Walking carpet here." He gestured to the dog. "Not sure how much drier this is going to get any time soon."

“Right, yes. Yeah, that’s a lot of fur. I can’t imagine what bath days are like, Marvin makes it hard enough as it is, heh... Uh, I'll go get it."

Sam quickly answers, clinging onto the only non-awkward topic they seem to share: dogs, before quickly turning to go up the stairs again to retrieve the blow-drier from her bathroom. Bath days for Marvin were already hard enough. The small Boston Terrier acted as if the water would disintegrate him as soon as he touched it. She was lucky his fur wasn’t long or thick, so once she actually got him in the water, it was a pretty quick procedure. She checks on Marvin as she does so, the small dog having curled up on his dog bed and seemingly about to take a nap. Good, at least that was one less thing she had to worry about.

She grabs the blow-drier and heads down the stairs again. Her phone dings in her pocket, she chooses to ignore it and walks back down to Ed and Colossus, bending down to plug the blow-drier into the nearest open outlet, which was an inch or two above the ground. Luckily, the cord wasn't too short, so you didn't have to crouch to use it. Sam took a second to brace herself before standing upright again, her side gracing her slight increase in stabbing pain from the movement, before turning around and handing Ed the blow-drier with the best polite, totally not in pain, smile she could muster.

"Here, maybe this will make a dent in drying all that fur."

Ed chuckled. "Yeah, I tried bathing him once, then decided it was better just to take him to the groomers to save the hassle. He loves let you know he just drank a whole gallon of water by putting his head and wet beard in your lap."

He didn't mean to stare, but he noted the slight pause as she got back up, and wondered if he should ask if she was okay. He eventually decided against it, not wanting to stick his nose where it wasn't wanted."

"Thanks," he said instead, accepting the blow drier. He turned it on full blast, and starts attempting to get Colossus dry.

Sam leaned up against the wall and watched for a bit as Ed attempted to dry off Colossus, wondering if she should offer to help… Her phone going off again saved her from her internal debate as she fished it out of her pocket, finally reading the notifications.

Ah shit.

>BECK PROGRAM REQUESTING STATUS UPDATE: MESSAGE ATTACHED

>Hey Sam, you just passed the first off-grid timeframe before destabilization symptoms start to occur. Status?

>TRON SECURITY PROGRAM REQUESTING STATUS UPDATE: MESSAGE ATTACHED

>Status. Now.

Sam started to type out a quick shitty excuse, her eyes darting to the TRON cabinet machine as she did so and picking up another problem. It was still slightly ajar, giving a glimpse into the creepy downwards staircase hidden behind it. Fuuuckkkk. She was really off her game today.

She started slowly inching towards it while simultaneously trying to type out a response good enough for the two security programs checking in on her not to send an alert to Paige. Or even worse, Alan.

From his periphrial, Ed caught Sam's movement, and, and glanced up from his attempt to dry off the massive shag carpet he called a service dog, and frowned as she seemed to be inching away, toward...

The TRON Cabinet?

It looked like it had been moved away from the wall, or like there might be something hidden behind it.

That and whatever had her attention on her phone wasn't his business.

The rather panicked look on her face, however, was.

He shut off the hair drier. "Everything okay?" he asked.

“Yeah! Yeah!”

Sam responded automatically, internally wincing at how quick and obviously suspicious that came out… and how weird this entire situation most likely looked. What the hell was she supposed to do here?

“Uh, I mean, it’s not anything b— agh!”

Her right arm was hit with a sudden burst of pain that made it spasm, dropping her phone on the ground, and the subsequent movement she made in response to that pain caused a jolt of similar pain to blossom from her side, causing her to fall hard on her knees.

“Ah, fuck! Give me a break!”

Sam yelled out, not to Ed, more cursing the world in general for, everything in her life really.

The situation was unusual, but Ed's primary concern was making sure Sam was safe and--

He startled at the clatter of the phone hitting the floor. The phone was unimportant, but--numb arm. If he remembered correctly, that was a symptom of a seizure. One side of the body going numb, at least. Either way, it looked bad, despite her attempting to say otherwise, or at least like it was going to get bad if nothing was done soon.

"Okay, do you have... seizure medication or something else for whatever this is? Ed asked, keeping his tone calm. No need to panic yet.

"I know this isn't ideal, but if you know what's wrong, I need you to tell me what you need, because otherwise, I'm going to call an ambulance."

“No!”

That came out a lot more panicked than Sam had hoped when Ed suggested calling an ambulance. She closed her eyes and took in a breath to center herself before explaining.

“It’s not a seizure and I know what I need to do it’s just— ugh, fuck.”

This was a bad idea. A really bad one. But what other choice did she have? She slowly brought herself up onto one knee, turning to look at the passageway behind the open TRON cabinet. Yeah. No way she was making it down those stairs alone like this.

“It’s… I need to go down there, I can fix this but… you can’t tell anyone what I’ve got down there.”

That sounded ominous. But what else was she supposed to say?

Hey remember when I went missing for a year? Yeah I was trapped in my Dad’s secret basement computer which the society within it was turned into a fascist regime and I got hurt fighting against it when in there and now a good portion of my genome is code.

“I’ll explain it later just… help me down there… please.”

She could explain when her body wasn’t actively trying to kill itself.

If anything, Ed understood the apprehension of going to the hospital. He always hated it. The few times he'd gone as a kid had been miserable, lonely experiences, and then the time when he was in college... well, that had been the darkest time of his life.

Why Sam wanted to get to the Tron cabinet, however, confused Ed. It made no sense. Obviously it couldn't be the Tron game she wanted, but something else... something 'down there', as she had said, though he had no idea what.

For now, Ed would see where this went. He could still call an ambulance later if needed.

"Alright," Ed said reluctantly. He held out a hand for her to take, then signaled for Colossus to go around to her other side once she was on her feet again.

The dog was still damp, but at least not soaking wet anymore.

"You can lean on Colossus, too, if you need a little more support," he offered. "He's trained for mobility support."

"We'll take it at whatever pace you can manage, okay?"

Sam noted Ed’s reluctant tone, but at least he seemed willing to entertain her until she could explain… which was a whole other can of worms.

“Okay.”

Sam took the offered hand and brought herself to her feet, her right arm now practically useless and hanging against her side. Every movement from it felt like she had set her nerves on fire… she hesitantly leaned a bit on Colossus on her other side, scared to put too much weight and injure him, before remembering Colossus was not Marvin sized, was freaking huge, and literally trained to help people walk.

By the time they reached the bottom of the stairs, Sam had paled significantly and the pain from her arm and side was spreading. God how did she let it get this bad? She let go of Ed’s hand and stumbled into the chair, typing out a quick message to Tron and Beck to brief them on her situation.

She was also trying to think up how to start explaining… everything when she realized Ed hadn’t said a single thing so she turned the chair around to face him.

It took a bit of concentration to remain on his feet, especially bearing Sam's weight. Spoons had been running low when he'd gone for the walk, and keeping them both upright was a challenge. But someone had to keep them both from toppling, because Ed had no idea what he would do if his body chose to quit on him.

It was just to the other side of the arcade and... down. Not too far. He hoped.

He bore it all in silence, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other until they reached the arcade machine.

It was odd seeing the game up close. He hadn't been allowed to visit the arcade as a kid, and he knew little based on what classmates had said about it. His father would have flayed him alive if he found out Ed had been here, he couldn't help but think, even though he hadn't been in contact with the elder Dillinger in a decade.

He didn't have much time to dwell on it before they were through the hidden door, and then he had to focus so they didn't fall on stairs that honestly seemed a bit sketchy to Ed.

And then they were down, and he felt Sam's weight lift from him, and he looked up to take in the surroundings and--

The desk.

It caught him so off guard to see it in the arcade's basement that his breath caught in his throat, and he stumbled backward, tripping over the last stair.

Ed hadn't seen that desk since he was four, but it--and the malicious AI that had been housed inside it--had haunted his nightmares until he was in high school.

His father had been pissed about losing that desk. Ed had wondered what happened to it, since it was no longer in Mackey's office.

Logically, he knew the MCP was gone. His father had also been furious about it's loss, and had blamed Alan Bradley and his Tron program for it's destruction. seeing the desk He knew the MCP was gone, but again made him feel like he was four again, and trapped a meaner version of his father's disembodied voice.

When Ed tripped Sam made a move to get up and help him, but the increase in stabbing pain in her side stopped her. She winced, left arm grasping the back of the chair but keeping the pain out of her voice.

“Ed?”

That look on his face. Recognition at the desk. And fear. That concerned Sam the most.

Ed blinked, eyes finally focusing on Sam, leaning on the chair for support.

Right. Seizure.

Or mysterious medical emergency.

He took a deep breath, and carefully put his expression into something neutral. It was just a desk, and Sam needed help.

"Why are we here?" he asked, managing to keep his tone even and not betraying his fear.

Sam took in as deep of a breath as she dared before deciding to just, rip the bandage off.

“Okay… so remember a while back when I went missing and how I’ve kind of brushed it off as I wanted to escape society for like a year? Yeah that’s all bullshit. I actually stumbled upon this and the digitizer, accidentally digitized myself, and got stuck in my Dad’s digital society that had fallen into a facist dictatorship and uh… long story short I got a lot of nasty injuries while in there so now a good portion of my genome is straight up code and I need to digitize myself every once and a while so my body doesn’t fall apart.”

For a short while after Sam’s nervous explanation, a heavy silence fell in the basement room.

“…Uh, yeah, so that’s… that’s the story.”

Ed forced himself to take a deep breath, trying to calm himself. The digitizer tracked with what Ed knew from his father's angry rants when he was young, and what he remembered about the speeches Kevin Flynn used to give that many either assumed were the ravings of a madman or metaphorical.

Ed just hadn't known about this second laser, or that the server was here.

"Okay," he said. He took another deep breath.

Fascist dictator sounded a lot like the MCP, though his father assumed it was destroyed, and though Ed had a backup of it--found by chance in the back of a random storage closet and now locked away in a drawer in his office that he didn't dare touch-- he doubted, or at least sincerely hoped Flynn had the common sense not to put it back on his personal server.

And there was another concern.

"The, ah, fascist dictator... are they still there?"

“No, no. Dad- uh…”

Sam’s throat burned as she swallowed back a wave of grief that was still too fresh, looking away for a second as she collected herself.

“It’s gone. The Grid’s stable and the main cities are safe.”

Another wave of pain almost had her falling out of the chair, and after she recovered she turned back around to the desk to type out a few commands to get the digitizer ready. It hummed to life on the opposite wall behind her.

“So- uh. I kind of… have to… you know.”

She didn’t really want to leave Ed alone in the arcade, and she knew as soon as she digitized Tron would be whisking her away to Paige’s clinic to admit her for a strict non debatable observation period of unknown length of time.

But what was the alternative? Take him and his service dog with? (The poor Programs of Tron City still haven’t recovered from Marvin’s accidental visit a while back, so reactions to a bigger dog would probably stir some panic)

Ed sighed, somewhat relieved.

"Okay."

He nodded stiffly. Awkwardly.

"Go. Do what you need to do." They've wasted enough time, and as far as Ed observed, the matter seemed urgent. "I don't mind waiting here, or leaving if you need me to, or--"

He glanced at the laser, his heart rate spiking at the sight of it again.

Stupid. The MCP was gone. Sam said it was safe.

"Whatever you need me to do."

“Time moves faster in the Grid, but I have a feeling Tron’s going to make me stay under observation for… a while…”

Sam starts to explain, turning their head slightly to look at Ed.

“It’s still really coming down out there, so don’t feel obligated to leave. Though Alan might swing by. Anything Tron knows, he knows… it’s kind of terrifying… so I’ll let him know you’re here…”

“I may not know you well but I think I know you enough that you won’t go snooping around or wrecking the place while I’m digitized… So uh, do whatever makes you comfortable…”

Ed nodded. "Thanks, I appreciate that." It took all of his self control to not glance back at the stairwell at the mention of Alan.

He glanced toward the laser, from where he was sitting at the base of the steps--out of the laser's line of fire. He grabbed onto Colossus's collar, and the dog obediently lay down next to him.

"Best not to keep them waiting, yeah?"

Sam nodded, turning back to the desk and taking in a deep breath, muttering something about how this “wasn’t going to be fun” and “Tron’s going to kill me… then Alan”.

With one final glance to make sure the aperture was clear and Ed and his dog were out of the way, Sam pressed confirm and the room was engulfed in a blinding light. After it faded the chair Sam was in seconds before was empty and a notification popped up on the screen:

“Upload Successful: User: Sam_Flynn Online”

"Crap!"

Well. It’s not like she was going anywhere anytime soon.

She lifted her good arm, waving it slightly as she called out to be heard over the pounding of raindrops and howling wind.

“Ed! Hey! Over here!”

@spaceandthedigitalfrontier

So, he grabbed Colossus and went for a walk, hoping that physical exercise would wear him out enough that he would just fall asleep when he got home.

He'd completely forgotten about the rain in the forecast until nearly an hour later, he was several miles where he'd parked at Encom and without an umbrella or jacket.

What started as a slight drizzle quickly turned into a deluge, rain practically falling in sheets, and quickly drenching both him and the dog.

He'd nearly accepted that he was just going to be stuck outside in the rain until it cleared up when he heard someone call his name.

...Ed knew that voice.

As soon as they had gotten under the overhang, the large dog took the opportunity to shake out his fur. Sam brought up her arm in a useless attempt to shield herself from the ensuing spray.

“OOOO-kay, wow that thing is huge.”

“Come in.”

She offered, waiting for the two to walk in before going back in herself and locking the door behind her.

“Wait there, I’ll get some towel-“

“Sorry. He’s a rescue so he’s very not trained. I’ll put him away.”

Ed stiffened, but didn't even bother to try to shield himself from the splash. He was already drenched, it wasn't like the dog could do much to him.

He sighed. "Sorry about that... and, thanks," he said to the blur that he could only assume was Sam.

Once inside he fished a soggy cleaning cloth out of his pocket, and attempted to dry off his lenses.

The effect was questionable, but he slipped them back on just in time to see Sam scoop up a small black blob, Colossus trotting forward with his tail wagging to sniff the fuzzball in greeting.

"Oh, ah, it's alright-- Colossus, leave it!"

The dog stopped and turned back toward Ed.

While Sam retreated to put Marvin away and get towels, Ed silently took in his surroundings for the first time.

It left him feeling... odd now standing inside of it. Never mind that it seemed mostly abandoned save for the two of them.

"I'm fine Marv."

She reassured the small dog, before slowly putting him down. It looked like she was in the "can't raise right arm up" stage of... whatever the hell was wrong with her.

Fuck. Don't think about that right now.

She could go a few more hours without digitizing. Hopefully the storm would be over by then, and she doesn't reach the "blood on fire" stage of pain while she had Ed still around.

“Alright, uh here are some towels. I also have like… a hairdryer I can bring down?”

She offered a bit awkwardly, placing the stack of towels on a nearby table, only wincing slightly as the old injury on her side decided to start acting up.

Ed gave Sam what he hoped was an appreciative smile when she returned with the towels, though it most likely looked as awkward as he felt.

He awkwardly hung the towel over the back of the chair, then took the next towel and dropped it over Colossus to dry the dog off as much as possible.

"Blow drier... might be a good idea," he admitted. "At least for Mr. Walking carpet here." He gestured to the dog. "Not sure how much drier this is going to get any time soon."

“Right, yes. Yeah, that’s a lot of fur. I can’t imagine what bath days are like, Marvin makes it hard enough as it is, heh... Uh, I'll go get it."

"Here, maybe this will make a dent in drying all that fur."

"Thanks," he said instead, accepting the blow drier. He turned it on full blast, and starts attempting to get Colossus dry.

Ah shit.

>BECK PROGRAM REQUESTING STATUS UPDATE: MESSAGE ATTACHED

>Hey Sam, you just passed the first off-grid timeframe before destabilization symptoms start to occur. Status?

>TRON SECURITY PROGRAM REQUESTING STATUS UPDATE: MESSAGE ATTACHED

>Status. Now.

From his periphrial, Ed caught Sam's movement, and, and glanced up from his attempt to dry off the massive shag carpet he called a service dog, and frowned as she seemed to be inching away, toward...

The TRON Cabinet?

It looked like it had been moved away from the wall, or like there might be something hidden behind it.

That and whatever had her attention on her phone wasn't his business.

The rather panicked look on her face, however, was.

He shut off the hair drier. "Everything okay?" he asked.

“Yeah! Yeah!”

“Uh, I mean, it’s not anything b— agh!”

“Ah, fuck! Give me a break!”

Sam yelled out, not to Ed, more cursing the world in general for, everything in her life really.

The situation was unusual, but Ed's primary concern was making sure Sam was safe and--

"Okay, do you have... seizure medication or something else for whatever this is? Ed asked, keeping his tone calm. No need to panic yet.

"I know this isn't ideal, but if you know what's wrong, I need you to tell me what you need, because otherwise, I'm going to call an ambulance."

“No!”

That came out a lot more panicked than Sam had hoped when Ed suggested calling an ambulance. She closed her eyes and took in a breath to center herself before explaining.

“It’s not a seizure and I know what I need to do it’s just— ugh, fuck.”

“It’s… I need to go down there, I can fix this but… you can’t tell anyone what I’ve got down there.”

That sounded ominous. But what else was she supposed to say?

“I’ll explain it later just… help me down there… please.”

She could explain when her body wasn’t actively trying to kill itself.

For now, Ed would see where this went. He could still call an ambulance later if needed.

"Alright," Ed said reluctantly. He held out a hand for her to take, then signaled for Colossus to go around to her other side once she was on her feet again.

The dog was still damp, but at least not soaking wet anymore.

"You can lean on Colossus, too, if you need a little more support," he offered. "He's trained for mobility support."

"We'll take it at whatever pace you can manage, okay?"

Sam noted Ed’s reluctant tone, but at least he seemed willing to entertain her until she could explain… which was a whole other can of worms.

“Okay.”

She was also trying to think up how to start explaining… everything when she realized Ed hadn’t said a single thing so she turned the chair around to face him.

It was just to the other side of the arcade and... down. Not too far. He hoped.

He bore it all in silence, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other until they reached the arcade machine.

He didn't have much time to dwell on it before they were through the hidden door, and then he had to focus so they didn't fall on stairs that honestly seemed a bit sketchy to Ed.

And then they were down, and he felt Sam's weight lift from him, and he looked up to take in the surroundings and--

The desk.

It caught him so off guard to see it in the arcade's basement that his breath caught in his throat, and he stumbled backward, tripping over the last stair.

Ed hadn't seen that desk since he was four, but it--and the malicious AI that had been housed inside it--had haunted his nightmares until he was in high school.

His father had been pissed about losing that desk. Ed had wondered what happened to it, since it was no longer in Mackey's office.

“Ed?”

That look on his face. Recognition at the desk. And fear. That concerned Sam the most.

Ed blinked, eyes finally focusing on Sam, leaning on the chair for support.

Right. Seizure.

Or mysterious medical emergency.

He took a deep breath, and carefully put his expression into something neutral. It was just a desk, and Sam needed help.

"Why are we here?" he asked, managing to keep his tone even and not betraying his fear.

Sam took in as deep of a breath as she dared before deciding to just, rip the bandage off.

For a short while after Sam’s nervous explanation, a heavy silence fell in the basement room.

“…Uh, yeah, so that’s… that’s the story.”

Ed just hadn't known about this second laser, or that the server was here.

"Okay," he said. He took another deep breath.

And there was another concern.

"The, ah, fascist dictator... are they still there?"

“No, no. Dad- uh…”

Sam’s throat burned as she swallowed back a wave of grief that was still too fresh, looking away for a second as she collected herself.

“It’s gone. The Grid’s stable and the main cities are safe.”

“So- uh. I kind of… have to… you know.”

Ed sighed, somewhat relieved.

"Okay."

He nodded stiffly. Awkwardly.

"Go. Do what you need to do." They've wasted enough time, and as far as Ed observed, the matter seemed urgent. "I don't mind waiting here, or leaving if you need me to, or--"

He glanced at the laser, his heart rate spiking at the sight of it again.

Stupid. The MCP was gone. Sam said it was safe.

"Whatever you need me to do."

#/* yeah Marvin causes chaos running through Tron City lol */#post legacy sam #not-that-dillinger

“Time moves faster in the Grid, but I have a feeling Tron’s going to make me stay under observation for… a while…”

Sam starts to explain, turning their head slightly to look at Ed.

“I may not know you well but I think I know you enough that you won’t go snooping around or wrecking the place while I’m digitized… So uh, do whatever makes you comfortable…”

"Crap!"

Well. It’s not like she was going anywhere anytime soon.

She lifted her good arm, waving it slightly as she called out to be heard over the pounding of raindrops and howling wind.

“Ed! Hey! Over here!”

@spaceandthedigitalfrontier

So, he grabbed Colossus and went for a walk, hoping that physical exercise would wear him out enough that he would just fall asleep when he got home.

He'd completely forgotten about the rain in the forecast until nearly an hour later, he was several miles where he'd parked at Encom and without an umbrella or jacket.

What started as a slight drizzle quickly turned into a deluge, rain practically falling in sheets, and quickly drenching both him and the dog.

He'd nearly accepted that he was just going to be stuck outside in the rain until it cleared up when he heard someone call his name.

...Ed knew that voice.

As soon as they had gotten under the overhang, the large dog took the opportunity to shake out his fur. Sam brought up her arm in a useless attempt to shield herself from the ensuing spray.

“OOOO-kay, wow that thing is huge.”

“Come in.”

She offered, waiting for the two to walk in before going back in herself and locking the door behind her.

“Wait there, I’ll get some towel-“

“Sorry. He’s a rescue so he’s very not trained. I’ll put him away.”

Ed stiffened, but didn't even bother to try to shield himself from the splash. He was already drenched, it wasn't like the dog could do much to him.

He sighed. "Sorry about that... and, thanks," he said to the blur that he could only assume was Sam.

Once inside he fished a soggy cleaning cloth out of his pocket, and attempted to dry off his lenses.

The effect was questionable, but he slipped them back on just in time to see Sam scoop up a small black blob, Colossus trotting forward with his tail wagging to sniff the fuzzball in greeting.

"Oh, ah, it's alright-- Colossus, leave it!"

The dog stopped and turned back toward Ed.

While Sam retreated to put Marvin away and get towels, Ed silently took in his surroundings for the first time.

It left him feeling... odd now standing inside of it. Never mind that it seemed mostly abandoned save for the two of them.

"I'm fine Marv."

She reassured the small dog, before slowly putting him down. It looked like she was in the "can't raise right arm up" stage of... whatever the hell was wrong with her.

Fuck. Don't think about that right now.

She could go a few more hours without digitizing. Hopefully the storm would be over by then, and she doesn't reach the "blood on fire" stage of pain while she had Ed still around.

“Alright, uh here are some towels. I also have like… a hairdryer I can bring down?”

She offered a bit awkwardly, placing the stack of towels on a nearby table, only wincing slightly as the old injury on her side decided to start acting up.

Ed gave Sam what he hoped was an appreciative smile when she returned with the towels, though it most likely looked as awkward as he felt.

He awkwardly hung the towel over the back of the chair, then took the next towel and dropped it over Colossus to dry the dog off as much as possible.

"Blow drier... might be a good idea," he admitted. "At least for Mr. Walking carpet here." He gestured to the dog. "Not sure how much drier this is going to get any time soon."

“Right, yes. Yeah, that’s a lot of fur. I can’t imagine what bath days are like, Marvin makes it hard enough as it is, heh... Uh, I'll go get it."

"Here, maybe this will make a dent in drying all that fur."

"Thanks," he said instead, accepting the blow drier. He turned it on full blast, and starts attempting to get Colossus dry.

Ah shit.

>BECK PROGRAM REQUESTING STATUS UPDATE: MESSAGE ATTACHED

>Hey Sam, you just passed the first off-grid timeframe before destabilization symptoms start to occur. Status?

>TRON SECURITY PROGRAM REQUESTING STATUS UPDATE: MESSAGE ATTACHED

>Status. Now.

From his periphrial, Ed caught Sam's movement, and, and glanced up from his attempt to dry off the massive shag carpet he called a service dog, and frowned as she seemed to be inching away, toward...

The TRON Cabinet?

It looked like it had been moved away from the wall, or like there might be something hidden behind it.

That and whatever had her attention on her phone wasn't his business.

The rather panicked look on her face, however, was.

He shut off the hair drier. "Everything okay?" he asked.

“Yeah! Yeah!”

“Uh, I mean, it’s not anything b— agh!”

“Ah, fuck! Give me a break!”

Sam yelled out, not to Ed, more cursing the world in general for, everything in her life really.

The situation was unusual, but Ed's primary concern was making sure Sam was safe and--

"Okay, do you have... seizure medication or something else for whatever this is? Ed asked, keeping his tone calm. No need to panic yet.

"I know this isn't ideal, but if you know what's wrong, I need you to tell me what you need, because otherwise, I'm going to call an ambulance."

“No!”

That came out a lot more panicked than Sam had hoped when Ed suggested calling an ambulance. She closed her eyes and took in a breath to center herself before explaining.

“It’s not a seizure and I know what I need to do it’s just— ugh, fuck.”

“It’s… I need to go down there, I can fix this but… you can’t tell anyone what I’ve got down there.”

That sounded ominous. But what else was she supposed to say?

“I’ll explain it later just… help me down there… please.”

She could explain when her body wasn’t actively trying to kill itself.

For now, Ed would see where this went. He could still call an ambulance later if needed.

"Alright," Ed said reluctantly. He held out a hand for her to take, then signaled for Colossus to go around to her other side once she was on her feet again.

The dog was still damp, but at least not soaking wet anymore.

"You can lean on Colossus, too, if you need a little more support," he offered. "He's trained for mobility support."

"We'll take it at whatever pace you can manage, okay?"

Sam noted Ed’s reluctant tone, but at least he seemed willing to entertain her until she could explain… which was a whole other can of worms.

“Okay.”

She was also trying to think up how to start explaining… everything when she realized Ed hadn’t said a single thing so she turned the chair around to face him.

It was just to the other side of the arcade and... down. Not too far. He hoped.

He bore it all in silence, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other until they reached the arcade machine.

He didn't have much time to dwell on it before they were through the hidden door, and then he had to focus so they didn't fall on stairs that honestly seemed a bit sketchy to Ed.

And then they were down, and he felt Sam's weight lift from him, and he looked up to take in the surroundings and--

The desk.

It caught him so off guard to see it in the arcade's basement that his breath caught in his throat, and he stumbled backward, tripping over the last stair.

Ed hadn't seen that desk since he was four, but it--and the malicious AI that had been housed inside it--had haunted his nightmares until he was in high school.

His father had been pissed about losing that desk. Ed had wondered what happened to it, since it was no longer in Mackey's office.

“Ed?”

That look on his face. Recognition at the desk. And fear. That concerned Sam the most.

Ed blinked, eyes finally focusing on Sam, leaning on the chair for support.

Right. Seizure.

Or mysterious medical emergency.

He took a deep breath, and carefully put his expression into something neutral. It was just a desk, and Sam needed help.

"Why are we here?" he asked, managing to keep his tone even and not betraying his fear.

Sam took in as deep of a breath as she dared before deciding to just, rip the bandage off.

For a short while after Sam’s nervous explanation, a heavy silence fell in the basement room.

“…Uh, yeah, so that’s… that’s the story.”

Ed just hadn't known about this second laser, or that the server was here.

"Okay," he said. He took another deep breath.

And there was another concern.

"The, ah, fascist dictator... are they still there?"

#post legacy sam #not-that-dillinger #tron rp

“No, no. Dad- uh…”

Sam’s throat burned as she swallowed back a wave of grief that was still too fresh, looking away for a second as she collected herself.

“It’s gone. The Grid’s stable and the main cities are safe.”

“So- uh. I kind of… have to… you know.”

"Crap!"

Well. It’s not like she was going anywhere anytime soon.

She lifted her good arm, waving it slightly as she called out to be heard over the pounding of raindrops and howling wind.

“Ed! Hey! Over here!”

@spaceandthedigitalfrontier

So, he grabbed Colossus and went for a walk, hoping that physical exercise would wear him out enough that he would just fall asleep when he got home.

He'd completely forgotten about the rain in the forecast until nearly an hour later, he was several miles where he'd parked at Encom and without an umbrella or jacket.

What started as a slight drizzle quickly turned into a deluge, rain practically falling in sheets, and quickly drenching both him and the dog.

He'd nearly accepted that he was just going to be stuck outside in the rain until it cleared up when he heard someone call his name.

...Ed knew that voice.

As soon as they had gotten under the overhang, the large dog took the opportunity to shake out his fur. Sam brought up her arm in a useless attempt to shield herself from the ensuing spray.

“OOOO-kay, wow that thing is huge.”

“Come in.”

She offered, waiting for the two to walk in before going back in herself and locking the door behind her.

“Wait there, I’ll get some towel-“

“Sorry. He’s a rescue so he’s very not trained. I’ll put him away.”

Ed stiffened, but didn't even bother to try to shield himself from the splash. He was already drenched, it wasn't like the dog could do much to him.

He sighed. "Sorry about that... and, thanks," he said to the blur that he could only assume was Sam.

Once inside he fished a soggy cleaning cloth out of his pocket, and attempted to dry off his lenses.

The effect was questionable, but he slipped them back on just in time to see Sam scoop up a small black blob, Colossus trotting forward with his tail wagging to sniff the fuzzball in greeting.

"Oh, ah, it's alright-- Colossus, leave it!"

The dog stopped and turned back toward Ed.

While Sam retreated to put Marvin away and get towels, Ed silently took in his surroundings for the first time.

It left him feeling... odd now standing inside of it. Never mind that it seemed mostly abandoned save for the two of them.

"I'm fine Marv."

She reassured the small dog, before slowly putting him down. It looked like she was in the "can't raise right arm up" stage of... whatever the hell was wrong with her.

Fuck. Don't think about that right now.

She could go a few more hours without digitizing. Hopefully the storm would be over by then, and she doesn't reach the "blood on fire" stage of pain while she had Ed still around.

“Alright, uh here are some towels. I also have like… a hairdryer I can bring down?”

She offered a bit awkwardly, placing the stack of towels on a nearby table, only wincing slightly as the old injury on her side decided to start acting up.

Ed gave Sam what he hoped was an appreciative smile when she returned with the towels, though it most likely looked as awkward as he felt.

He awkwardly hung the towel over the back of the chair, then took the next towel and dropped it over Colossus to dry the dog off as much as possible.

"Blow drier... might be a good idea," he admitted. "At least for Mr. Walking carpet here." He gestured to the dog. "Not sure how much drier this is going to get any time soon."

“Right, yes. Yeah, that’s a lot of fur. I can’t imagine what bath days are like, Marvin makes it hard enough as it is, heh... Uh, I'll go get it."

"Here, maybe this will make a dent in drying all that fur."

"Thanks," he said instead, accepting the blow drier. He turned it on full blast, and starts attempting to get Colossus dry.

Ah shit.

>BECK PROGRAM REQUESTING STATUS UPDATE: MESSAGE ATTACHED

>Hey Sam, you just passed the first off-grid timeframe before destabilization symptoms start to occur. Status?

>TRON SECURITY PROGRAM REQUESTING STATUS UPDATE: MESSAGE ATTACHED

>Status. Now.

From his periphrial, Ed caught Sam's movement, and, and glanced up from his attempt to dry off the massive shag carpet he called a service dog, and frowned as she seemed to be inching away, toward...

The TRON Cabinet?

It looked like it had been moved away from the wall, or like there might be something hidden behind it.

That and whatever had her attention on her phone wasn't his business.

The rather panicked look on her face, however, was.

He shut off the hair drier. "Everything okay?" he asked.

“Yeah! Yeah!”

“Uh, I mean, it’s not anything b— agh!”

“Ah, fuck! Give me a break!”

Sam yelled out, not to Ed, more cursing the world in general for, everything in her life really.

The situation was unusual, but Ed's primary concern was making sure Sam was safe and--

"Okay, do you have... seizure medication or something else for whatever this is? Ed asked, keeping his tone calm. No need to panic yet.

"I know this isn't ideal, but if you know what's wrong, I need you to tell me what you need, because otherwise, I'm going to call an ambulance."

“No!”

That came out a lot more panicked than Sam had hoped when Ed suggested calling an ambulance. She closed her eyes and took in a breath to center herself before explaining.

“It’s not a seizure and I know what I need to do it’s just— ugh, fuck.”

“It’s… I need to go down there, I can fix this but… you can’t tell anyone what I’ve got down there.”

That sounded ominous. But what else was she supposed to say?

“I’ll explain it later just… help me down there… please.”

She could explain when her body wasn’t actively trying to kill itself.

For now, Ed would see where this went. He could still call an ambulance later if needed.

"Alright," Ed said reluctantly. He held out a hand for her to take, then signaled for Colossus to go around to her other side once she was on her feet again.

The dog was still damp, but at least not soaking wet anymore.

"You can lean on Colossus, too, if you need a little more support," he offered. "He's trained for mobility support."

"We'll take it at whatever pace you can manage, okay?"

Sam noted Ed’s reluctant tone, but at least he seemed willing to entertain her until she could explain… which was a whole other can of worms.

“Okay.”

She was also trying to think up how to start explaining… everything when she realized Ed hadn’t said a single thing so she turned the chair around to face him.

It was just to the other side of the arcade and... down. Not too far. He hoped.

He bore it all in silence, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other until they reached the arcade machine.

He didn't have much time to dwell on it before they were through the hidden door, and then he had to focus so they didn't fall on stairs that honestly seemed a bit sketchy to Ed.

And then they were down, and he felt Sam's weight lift from him, and he looked up to take in the surroundings and--

The desk.

It caught him so off guard to see it in the arcade's basement that his breath caught in his throat, and he stumbled backward, tripping over the last stair.

Ed hadn't seen that desk since he was four, but it--and the malicious AI that had been housed inside it--had haunted his nightmares until he was in high school.

His father had been pissed about losing that desk. Ed had wondered what happened to it, since it was no longer in Mackey's office.

“Ed?”

That look on his face. Recognition at the desk. And fear. That concerned Sam the most.

Ed blinked, eyes finally focusing on Sam, leaning on the chair for support.

Right. Seizure.

Or mysterious medical emergency.

He took a deep breath, and carefully put his expression into something neutral. It was just a desk, and Sam needed help.

"Why are we here?" he asked, managing to keep his tone even and not betraying his fear.

#/* bah sorry it’s been a while finals week. almost done tho */#post legacy sam #not-that-dillinger

Sam took in as deep of a breath as she dared before deciding to just, rip the bandage off.

For a short while after Sam’s nervous explanation, a heavy silence fell in the basement room.

“…Uh, yeah, so that’s… that’s the story.”

"Crap!"

Well. It’s not like she was going anywhere anytime soon.

She lifted her good arm, waving it slightly as she called out to be heard over the pounding of raindrops and howling wind.

“Ed! Hey! Over here!”

@spaceandthedigitalfrontier

So, he grabbed Colossus and went for a walk, hoping that physical exercise would wear him out enough that he would just fall asleep when he got home.

He'd completely forgotten about the rain in the forecast until nearly an hour later, he was several miles where he'd parked at Encom and without an umbrella or jacket.

What started as a slight drizzle quickly turned into a deluge, rain practically falling in sheets, and quickly drenching both him and the dog.

He'd nearly accepted that he was just going to be stuck outside in the rain until it cleared up when he heard someone call his name.

...Ed knew that voice.

As soon as they had gotten under the overhang, the large dog took the opportunity to shake out his fur. Sam brought up her arm in a useless attempt to shield herself from the ensuing spray.

“OOOO-kay, wow that thing is huge.”

“Come in.”

She offered, waiting for the two to walk in before going back in herself and locking the door behind her.

“Wait there, I’ll get some towel-“

“Sorry. He’s a rescue so he’s very not trained. I’ll put him away.”

Ed stiffened, but didn't even bother to try to shield himself from the splash. He was already drenched, it wasn't like the dog could do much to him.

He sighed. "Sorry about that... and, thanks," he said to the blur that he could only assume was Sam.

Once inside he fished a soggy cleaning cloth out of his pocket, and attempted to dry off his lenses.

The effect was questionable, but he slipped them back on just in time to see Sam scoop up a small black blob, Colossus trotting forward with his tail wagging to sniff the fuzzball in greeting.

"Oh, ah, it's alright-- Colossus, leave it!"

The dog stopped and turned back toward Ed.

While Sam retreated to put Marvin away and get towels, Ed silently took in his surroundings for the first time.

It left him feeling... odd now standing inside of it. Never mind that it seemed mostly abandoned save for the two of them.

"I'm fine Marv."

She reassured the small dog, before slowly putting him down. It looked like she was in the "can't raise right arm up" stage of... whatever the hell was wrong with her.

Fuck. Don't think about that right now.

She could go a few more hours without digitizing. Hopefully the storm would be over by then, and she doesn't reach the "blood on fire" stage of pain while she had Ed still around.

“Alright, uh here are some towels. I also have like… a hairdryer I can bring down?”

She offered a bit awkwardly, placing the stack of towels on a nearby table, only wincing slightly as the old injury on her side decided to start acting up.

Ed gave Sam what he hoped was an appreciative smile when she returned with the towels, though it most likely looked as awkward as he felt.

He awkwardly hung the towel over the back of the chair, then took the next towel and dropped it over Colossus to dry the dog off as much as possible.

"Blow drier... might be a good idea," he admitted. "At least for Mr. Walking carpet here." He gestured to the dog. "Not sure how much drier this is going to get any time soon."

“Right, yes. Yeah, that’s a lot of fur. I can’t imagine what bath days are like, Marvin makes it hard enough as it is, heh... Uh, I'll go get it."

"Here, maybe this will make a dent in drying all that fur."

"Thanks," he said instead, accepting the blow drier. He turned it on full blast, and starts attempting to get Colossus dry.

Ah shit.

>BECK PROGRAM REQUESTING STATUS UPDATE: MESSAGE ATTACHED

>Hey Sam, you just passed the first off-grid timeframe before destabilization symptoms start to occur. Status?

>TRON SECURITY PROGRAM REQUESTING STATUS UPDATE: MESSAGE ATTACHED

>Status. Now.

From his periphrial, Ed caught Sam's movement, and, and glanced up from his attempt to dry off the massive shag carpet he called a service dog, and frowned as she seemed to be inching away, toward...

The TRON Cabinet?

It looked like it had been moved away from the wall, or like there might be something hidden behind it.

That and whatever had her attention on her phone wasn't his business.

The rather panicked look on her face, however, was.

He shut off the hair drier. "Everything okay?" he asked.

“Yeah! Yeah!”

“Uh, I mean, it’s not anything b— agh!”

“Ah, fuck! Give me a break!”

Sam yelled out, not to Ed, more cursing the world in general for, everything in her life really.

The situation was unusual, but Ed's primary concern was making sure Sam was safe and--

"Okay, do you have... seizure medication or something else for whatever this is? Ed asked, keeping his tone calm. No need to panic yet.

"I know this isn't ideal, but if you know what's wrong, I need you to tell me what you need, because otherwise, I'm going to call an ambulance."

“No!”

That came out a lot more panicked than Sam had hoped when Ed suggested calling an ambulance. She closed her eyes and took in a breath to center herself before explaining.

“It’s not a seizure and I know what I need to do it’s just— ugh, fuck.”

“It’s… I need to go down there, I can fix this but… you can’t tell anyone what I’ve got down there.”

That sounded ominous. But what else was she supposed to say?

“I’ll explain it later just… help me down there… please.”

She could explain when her body wasn’t actively trying to kill itself.

For now, Ed would see where this went. He could still call an ambulance later if needed.

"Alright," Ed said reluctantly. He held out a hand for her to take, then signaled for Colossus to go around to her other side once she was on her feet again.

The dog was still damp, but at least not soaking wet anymore.

"You can lean on Colossus, too, if you need a little more support," he offered. "He's trained for mobility support."

"We'll take it at whatever pace you can manage, okay?"

Sam noted Ed’s reluctant tone, but at least he seemed willing to entertain her until she could explain… which was a whole other can of worms.

“Okay.”

She was also trying to think up how to start explaining… everything when she realized Ed hadn’t said a single thing so she turned the chair around to face him.

It was just to the other side of the arcade and... down. Not too far. He hoped.

He bore it all in silence, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other until they reached the arcade machine.

He didn't have much time to dwell on it before they were through the hidden door, and then he had to focus so they didn't fall on stairs that honestly seemed a bit sketchy to Ed.

And then they were down, and he felt Sam's weight lift from him, and he looked up to take in the surroundings and--

The desk.

It caught him so off guard to see it in the arcade's basement that his breath caught in his throat, and he stumbled backward, tripping over the last stair.

Ed hadn't seen that desk since he was four, but it--and the malicious AI that had been housed inside it--had haunted his nightmares until he was in high school.

His father had been pissed about losing that desk. Ed had wondered what happened to it, since it was no longer in Mackey's office.

#/* sr absolutely would have given master c babysitting duties and it absolutely traumatized baby ed */#<- /* oh noooo! */#/* add it to the worst dad ever list */#post legacy sam #not-that-dillinger

“Ed?”

That look on his face. Recognition at the desk. And fear. That concerned Sam the most.

"Crap!"

Well. It’s not like she was going anywhere anytime soon.

She lifted her good arm, waving it slightly as she called out to be heard over the pounding of raindrops and howling wind.

“Ed! Hey! Over here!”

@spaceandthedigitalfrontier

So, he grabbed Colossus and went for a walk, hoping that physical exercise would wear him out enough that he would just fall asleep when he got home.

He'd completely forgotten about the rain in the forecast until nearly an hour later, he was several miles where he'd parked at Encom and without an umbrella or jacket.

What started as a slight drizzle quickly turned into a deluge, rain practically falling in sheets, and quickly drenching both him and the dog.

He'd nearly accepted that he was just going to be stuck outside in the rain until it cleared up when he heard someone call his name.

...Ed knew that voice.

As soon as they had gotten under the overhang, the large dog took the opportunity to shake out his fur. Sam brought up her arm in a useless attempt to shield herself from the ensuing spray.

“OOOO-kay, wow that thing is huge.”

“Come in.”

She offered, waiting for the two to walk in before going back in herself and locking the door behind her.

“Wait there, I’ll get some towel-“

“Sorry. He’s a rescue so he’s very not trained. I’ll put him away.”

Ed stiffened, but didn't even bother to try to shield himself from the splash. He was already drenched, it wasn't like the dog could do much to him.

He sighed. "Sorry about that... and, thanks," he said to the blur that he could only assume was Sam.

Once inside he fished a soggy cleaning cloth out of his pocket, and attempted to dry off his lenses.

The effect was questionable, but he slipped them back on just in time to see Sam scoop up a small black blob, Colossus trotting forward with his tail wagging to sniff the fuzzball in greeting.

"Oh, ah, it's alright-- Colossus, leave it!"

The dog stopped and turned back toward Ed.

While Sam retreated to put Marvin away and get towels, Ed silently took in his surroundings for the first time.

It left him feeling... odd now standing inside of it. Never mind that it seemed mostly abandoned save for the two of them.

"I'm fine Marv."

She reassured the small dog, before slowly putting him down. It looked like she was in the "can't raise right arm up" stage of... whatever the hell was wrong with her.

Fuck. Don't think about that right now.

She could go a few more hours without digitizing. Hopefully the storm would be over by then, and she doesn't reach the "blood on fire" stage of pain while she had Ed still around.

“Alright, uh here are some towels. I also have like… a hairdryer I can bring down?”

She offered a bit awkwardly, placing the stack of towels on a nearby table, only wincing slightly as the old injury on her side decided to start acting up.

Ed gave Sam what he hoped was an appreciative smile when she returned with the towels, though it most likely looked as awkward as he felt.

He awkwardly hung the towel over the back of the chair, then took the next towel and dropped it over Colossus to dry the dog off as much as possible.

"Blow drier... might be a good idea," he admitted. "At least for Mr. Walking carpet here." He gestured to the dog. "Not sure how much drier this is going to get any time soon."

“Right, yes. Yeah, that’s a lot of fur. I can’t imagine what bath days are like, Marvin makes it hard enough as it is, heh... Uh, I'll go get it."

"Here, maybe this will make a dent in drying all that fur."

"Thanks," he said instead, accepting the blow drier. He turned it on full blast, and starts attempting to get Colossus dry.

Ah shit.

>BECK PROGRAM REQUESTING STATUS UPDATE: MESSAGE ATTACHED

>Hey Sam, you just passed the first off-grid timeframe before destabilization symptoms start to occur. Status?

>TRON SECURITY PROGRAM REQUESTING STATUS UPDATE: MESSAGE ATTACHED

>Status. Now.

From his periphrial, Ed caught Sam's movement, and, and glanced up from his attempt to dry off the massive shag carpet he called a service dog, and frowned as she seemed to be inching away, toward...

The TRON Cabinet?

It looked like it had been moved away from the wall, or like there might be something hidden behind it.

That and whatever had her attention on her phone wasn't his business.

The rather panicked look on her face, however, was.

He shut off the hair drier. "Everything okay?" he asked.

“Yeah! Yeah!”

“Uh, I mean, it’s not anything b— agh!”

“Ah, fuck! Give me a break!”

Sam yelled out, not to Ed, more cursing the world in general for, everything in her life really.

The situation was unusual, but Ed's primary concern was making sure Sam was safe and--

"Okay, do you have... seizure medication or something else for whatever this is? Ed asked, keeping his tone calm. No need to panic yet.

"I know this isn't ideal, but if you know what's wrong, I need you to tell me what you need, because otherwise, I'm going to call an ambulance."

“No!”

That came out a lot more panicked than Sam had hoped when Ed suggested calling an ambulance. She closed her eyes and took in a breath to center herself before explaining.

“It’s not a seizure and I know what I need to do it’s just— ugh, fuck.”

“It’s… I need to go down there, I can fix this but… you can’t tell anyone what I’ve got down there.”

That sounded ominous. But what else was she supposed to say?

“I’ll explain it later just… help me down there… please.”

She could explain when her body wasn’t actively trying to kill itself.

For now, Ed would see where this went. He could still call an ambulance later if needed.

"Alright," Ed said reluctantly. He held out a hand for her to take, then signaled for Colossus to go around to her other side once she was on her feet again.

The dog was still damp, but at least not soaking wet anymore.

"You can lean on Colossus, too, if you need a little more support," he offered. "He's trained for mobility support."

"We'll take it at whatever pace you can manage, okay?"

Sam noted Ed’s reluctant tone, but at least he seemed willing to entertain her until she could explain… which was a whole other can of worms.

“Okay.”

She was also trying to think up how to start explaining… everything when she realized Ed hadn’t said a single thing so she turned the chair around to face him.

"Crap!"

Well. It’s not like she was going anywhere anytime soon.

She lifted her good arm, waving it slightly as she called out to be heard over the pounding of raindrops and howling wind.

“Ed! Hey! Over here!”

@spaceandthedigitalfrontier

So, he grabbed Colossus and went for a walk, hoping that physical exercise would wear him out enough that he would just fall asleep when he got home.

He'd completely forgotten about the rain in the forecast until nearly an hour later, he was several miles where he'd parked at Encom and without an umbrella or jacket.

What started as a slight drizzle quickly turned into a deluge, rain practically falling in sheets, and quickly drenching both him and the dog.

He'd nearly accepted that he was just going to be stuck outside in the rain until it cleared up when he heard someone call his name.

...Ed knew that voice.

As soon as they had gotten under the overhang, the large dog took the opportunity to shake out his fur. Sam brought up her arm in a useless attempt to shield herself from the ensuing spray.

“OOOO-kay, wow that thing is huge.”

“Come in.”

She offered, waiting for the two to walk in before going back in herself and locking the door behind her.

“Wait there, I’ll get some towel-“

“Sorry. He’s a rescue so he’s very not trained. I’ll put him away.”

Ed stiffened, but didn't even bother to try to shield himself from the splash. He was already drenched, it wasn't like the dog could do much to him.

He sighed. "Sorry about that... and, thanks," he said to the blur that he could only assume was Sam.

Once inside he fished a soggy cleaning cloth out of his pocket, and attempted to dry off his lenses.

The effect was questionable, but he slipped them back on just in time to see Sam scoop up a small black blob, Colossus trotting forward with his tail wagging to sniff the fuzzball in greeting.

"Oh, ah, it's alright-- Colossus, leave it!"

The dog stopped and turned back toward Ed.

While Sam retreated to put Marvin away and get towels, Ed silently took in his surroundings for the first time.

It left him feeling... odd now standing inside of it. Never mind that it seemed mostly abandoned save for the two of them.

"I'm fine Marv."

She reassured the small dog, before slowly putting him down. It looked like she was in the "can't raise right arm up" stage of... whatever the hell was wrong with her.

Fuck. Don't think about that right now.

She could go a few more hours without digitizing. Hopefully the storm would be over by then, and she doesn't reach the "blood on fire" stage of pain while she had Ed still around.

“Alright, uh here are some towels. I also have like… a hairdryer I can bring down?”

She offered a bit awkwardly, placing the stack of towels on a nearby table, only wincing slightly as the old injury on her side decided to start acting up.

Ed gave Sam what he hoped was an appreciative smile when she returned with the towels, though it most likely looked as awkward as he felt.

He awkwardly hung the towel over the back of the chair, then took the next towel and dropped it over Colossus to dry the dog off as much as possible.

"Blow drier... might be a good idea," he admitted. "At least for Mr. Walking carpet here." He gestured to the dog. "Not sure how much drier this is going to get any time soon."

“Right, yes. Yeah, that’s a lot of fur. I can’t imagine what bath days are like, Marvin makes it hard enough as it is, heh... Uh, I'll go get it."

"Here, maybe this will make a dent in drying all that fur."

"Thanks," he said instead, accepting the blow drier. He turned it on full blast, and starts attempting to get Colossus dry.

Ah shit.

>BECK PROGRAM REQUESTING STATUS UPDATE: MESSAGE ATTACHED

>Hey Sam, you just passed the first off-grid timeframe before destabilization symptoms start to occur. Status?

>TRON SECURITY PROGRAM REQUESTING STATUS UPDATE: MESSAGE ATTACHED

>Status. Now.

From his periphrial, Ed caught Sam's movement, and, and glanced up from his attempt to dry off the massive shag carpet he called a service dog, and frowned as she seemed to be inching away, toward...

The TRON Cabinet?

It looked like it had been moved away from the wall, or like there might be something hidden behind it.

That and whatever had her attention on her phone wasn't his business.

The rather panicked look on her face, however, was.

He shut off the hair drier. "Everything okay?" he asked.

“Yeah! Yeah!”

“Uh, I mean, it’s not anything b— agh!”

“Ah, fuck! Give me a break!”

Sam yelled out, not to Ed, more cursing the world in general for, everything in her life really.

The situation was unusual, but Ed's primary concern was making sure Sam was safe and--

"Okay, do you have... seizure medication or something else for whatever this is? Ed asked, keeping his tone calm. No need to panic yet.

"I know this isn't ideal, but if you know what's wrong, I need you to tell me what you need, because otherwise, I'm going to call an ambulance."

“No!”

That came out a lot more panicked than Sam had hoped when Ed suggested calling an ambulance. She closed her eyes and took in a breath to center herself before explaining.

“It’s not a seizure and I know what I need to do it’s just— ugh, fuck.”

“It’s… I need to go down there, I can fix this but… you can’t tell anyone what I’ve got down there.”

That sounded ominous. But what else was she supposed to say?

“I’ll explain it later just… help me down there… please.”

She could explain when her body wasn’t actively trying to kill itself.

"Crap!"

Well. It’s not like she was going anywhere anytime soon.

She lifted her good arm, waving it slightly as she called out to be heard over the pounding of raindrops and howling wind.

“Ed! Hey! Over here!”

@spaceandthedigitalfrontier

So, he grabbed Colossus and went for a walk, hoping that physical exercise would wear him out enough that he would just fall asleep when he got home.

He'd completely forgotten about the rain in the forecast until nearly an hour later, he was several miles where he'd parked at Encom and without an umbrella or jacket.

What started as a slight drizzle quickly turned into a deluge, rain practically falling in sheets, and quickly drenching both him and the dog.

He'd nearly accepted that he was just going to be stuck outside in the rain until it cleared up when he heard someone call his name.

...Ed knew that voice.

As soon as they had gotten under the overhang, the large dog took the opportunity to shake out his fur. Sam brought up her arm in a useless attempt to shield herself from the ensuing spray.

“OOOO-kay, wow that thing is huge.”

“Come in.”

She offered, waiting for the two to walk in before going back in herself and locking the door behind her.

“Wait there, I’ll get some towel-“

“Sorry. He’s a rescue so he’s very not trained. I’ll put him away.”

Ed stiffened, but didn't even bother to try to shield himself from the splash. He was already drenched, it wasn't like the dog could do much to him.

He sighed. "Sorry about that... and, thanks," he said to the blur that he could only assume was Sam.

Once inside he fished a soggy cleaning cloth out of his pocket, and attempted to dry off his lenses.

The effect was questionable, but he slipped them back on just in time to see Sam scoop up a small black blob, Colossus trotting forward with his tail wagging to sniff the fuzzball in greeting.

"Oh, ah, it's alright-- Colossus, leave it!"

The dog stopped and turned back toward Ed.

While Sam retreated to put Marvin away and get towels, Ed silently took in his surroundings for the first time.

It left him feeling... odd now standing inside of it. Never mind that it seemed mostly abandoned save for the two of them.

"I'm fine Marv."

She reassured the small dog, before slowly putting him down. It looked like she was in the "can't raise right arm up" stage of... whatever the hell was wrong with her.

Fuck. Don't think about that right now.

She could go a few more hours without digitizing. Hopefully the storm would be over by then, and she doesn't reach the "blood on fire" stage of pain while she had Ed still around.

“Alright, uh here are some towels. I also have like… a hairdryer I can bring down?”

She offered a bit awkwardly, placing the stack of towels on a nearby table, only wincing slightly as the old injury on her side decided to start acting up.

Ed gave Sam what he hoped was an appreciative smile when she returned with the towels, though it most likely looked as awkward as he felt.

He awkwardly hung the towel over the back of the chair, then took the next towel and dropped it over Colossus to dry the dog off as much as possible.

"Blow drier... might be a good idea," he admitted. "At least for Mr. Walking carpet here." He gestured to the dog. "Not sure how much drier this is going to get any time soon."

“Right, yes. Yeah, that’s a lot of fur. I can’t imagine what bath days are like, Marvin makes it hard enough as it is, heh... Uh, I'll go get it."

"Here, maybe this will make a dent in drying all that fur."

"Thanks," he said instead, accepting the blow drier. He turned it on full blast, and starts attempting to get Colossus dry.

Ah shit.

>BECK PROGRAM REQUESTING STATUS UPDATE: MESSAGE ATTACHED

>Hey Sam, you just passed the first off-grid timeframe before destabilization symptoms start to occur. Status?

>TRON SECURITY PROGRAM REQUESTING STATUS UPDATE: MESSAGE ATTACHED

>Status. Now.

From his periphrial, Ed caught Sam's movement, and, and glanced up from his attempt to dry off the massive shag carpet he called a service dog, and frowned as she seemed to be inching away, toward...

The TRON Cabinet?

It looked like it had been moved away from the wall, or like there might be something hidden behind it.

That and whatever had her attention on her phone wasn't his business.

The rather panicked look on her face, however, was.

He shut off the hair drier. "Everything okay?" he asked.

“Yeah! Yeah!”

“Uh, I mean, it’s not anything b— agh!”

“Ah, fuck! Give me a break!”

Sam yelled out, not to Ed, more cursing the world in general for, everything in her life really.

Starter for: @riinzler

The way things could go from bad to devastatingly terrible so quickly will somehow always surprise Sam. She thought the worse day of her miserable life was the fall of Argon. God was this day (cycle? whatever) proving her incredibly wrong.

It started out relatively normal, doing routine maintenance checks on the coding of Oasis’s various support beams, making sure the Programs there were okay, trying to keep up morale. Then a distress signal from one of the few remaining cells of active resistance Programs still in Argon calling for an emergency evacuation.

That’s when it all hit the fan.

It was a trap. Of course it was. And in the ensuing chaos everyone got separated, and Sam got caught. She managed to somehow maintain her identity as a User secret for a while, until she was thrown into The Games and her attempt at a Hail Mary escape/jail break during the first few rounds of Disc Wars was crushed by CLU’s latest, and most feared Occupation Enforcer…

When their discs locked and she got a good look at CLU’s Champion, she had froze. That helmet, and that small but instantly recognizable symbol of a ‘T’ on the Program’s armor. Her second of shock was all it took for her to be slammed to the ground, and cut by one of his discs, revealing a few drops of blood.

Somehow, some incredibly brave, and most likely incredibly stupid, Program managed to interrupt Sam’s demise by literally crashing a Light Runner through The Arena wall and barreling towards them, almost running both of them over before shouting at Sam to hop in, which Sam quickly did, despite knowing nothing about who this was and where the hell she would take her.

Sam’s head was still spinning, partly from the shock of all the terrible events that just transpired, and partly from the impact of the Light Runner landing on the rough terrain of the beginning of The Outlands, as she turned her head to look back at the glow of orange circuits standing in the hole they had driven out of…

riinzler

The User was escaping. Rinzler had been released to pursue, and his target was getting away. That was unacceptable. Decision gates bloomed in multiple directions, each was less viable than the last. The User would vanish before he could enact them. Rinzler pinged the Admin on a secure connection and repeatedly requested permission as the window to act grew smaller and smaller. Finally, after almost two entire picoseconds, the request was granted. He was clear to proceed.

Rinzler reversed his lightcycle, regained his momentum, then sped forward and followed his target. His lightcycle cleared the gap between the arena and the Outlands, albeit with a rougher landing, and the chase began anew. This was the first sighting of a User in thousands of cycles, he would not be the cause of them slipping away.

#/* the LightRunner driver is Quorra is that wasn’t obvious */#/* continuation of Sam’s no good very bad day */#legacy era sam #riinzler

Sam’s blood turned cold as she saw Rinzler reverse the light cycle, then launch it forward in pursuit.

“Fuck!”

So the Occupation finally incorporated off-grid capable vehicles. Not good. They had to know Resistance Programs set up a base in the Outlands… which meant Oasis, the only thing Sam and the Resistance have managed to create that hasn’t been torn away, was in danger.

Sam quickly pulled herself back together, looking around the Light Runner for anything she could use. There was no way this thing could outpace a light cycle for long… and unfortunately her own light cycle baton was confiscated from her when arrested. She turned to look at the driver, spotting a light cycle baton on their leg.

“We can’t keep this up. He’s after me, I’ll lead him away.”

The driver whipped their helmeted head around to face her, voice distorted by a modulator.

“What? No! Just stay down, I’ll loose him.”

“I wasn’t exactly asking.”

Sam grabbed the baton from the driver’s leg, quickly rezzing on her helmet again and taking a dangerously stupid leap out of the Light Runner, managing to rezz the light cycle last minute before she hit the ground. The cycle wobbled for a bit before she managed to balance it and quickly raced it off in an opposite direction, glancing back only once to make sure Rinzler was following. Faintly she could see the Light Runner wildly turning to pursue after her as well. Damn, whoever that Program was, they had a death wish.

The plan? None, other than driving like hell as far as this thing would take her, because what else could she possibly do?

"Crap!"

Well. It’s not like she was going anywhere anytime soon.

She lifted her good arm, waving it slightly as she called out to be heard over the pounding of raindrops and howling wind.

“Ed! Hey! Over here!”

@spaceandthedigitalfrontier

So, he grabbed Colossus and went for a walk, hoping that physical exercise would wear him out enough that he would just fall asleep when he got home.

He'd completely forgotten about the rain in the forecast until nearly an hour later, he was several miles where he'd parked at Encom and without an umbrella or jacket.

What started as a slight drizzle quickly turned into a deluge, rain practically falling in sheets, and quickly drenching both him and the dog.

He'd nearly accepted that he was just going to be stuck outside in the rain until it cleared up when he heard someone call his name.

...Ed knew that voice.

As soon as they had gotten under the overhang, the large dog took the opportunity to shake out his fur. Sam brought up her arm in a useless attempt to shield herself from the ensuing spray.

“OOOO-kay, wow that thing is huge.”

“Come in.”

She offered, waiting for the two to walk in before going back in herself and locking the door behind her.

“Wait there, I’ll get some towel-“

“Sorry. He’s a rescue so he’s very not trained. I’ll put him away.”

Ed stiffened, but didn't even bother to try to shield himself from the splash. He was already drenched, it wasn't like the dog could do much to him.

He sighed. "Sorry about that... and, thanks," he said to the blur that he could only assume was Sam.

Once inside he fished a soggy cleaning cloth out of his pocket, and attempted to dry off his lenses.

The effect was questionable, but he slipped them back on just in time to see Sam scoop up a small black blob, Colossus trotting forward with his tail wagging to sniff the fuzzball in greeting.

"Oh, ah, it's alright-- Colossus, leave it!"

The dog stopped and turned back toward Ed.

While Sam retreated to put Marvin away and get towels, Ed silently took in his surroundings for the first time.

It left him feeling... odd now standing inside of it. Never mind that it seemed mostly abandoned save for the two of them.

"I'm fine Marv."

She reassured the small dog, before slowly putting him down. It looked like she was in the "can't raise right arm up" stage of... whatever the hell was wrong with her.

Fuck. Don't think about that right now.

She could go a few more hours without digitizing. Hopefully the storm would be over by then, and she doesn't reach the "blood on fire" stage of pain while she had Ed still around.

“Alright, uh here are some towels. I also have like… a hairdryer I can bring down?”

She offered a bit awkwardly, placing the stack of towels on a nearby table, only wincing slightly as the old injury on her side decided to start acting up.

Ed gave Sam what he hoped was an appreciative smile when she returned with the towels, though it most likely looked as awkward as he felt.

He awkwardly hung the towel over the back of the chair, then took the next towel and dropped it over Colossus to dry the dog off as much as possible.

"Blow drier... might be a good idea," he admitted. "At least for Mr. Walking carpet here." He gestured to the dog. "Not sure how much drier this is going to get any time soon."

“Right, yes. Yeah, that’s a lot of fur. I can’t imagine what bath days are like, Marvin makes it hard enough as it is, heh... Uh, I'll go get it."

"Here, maybe this will make a dent in drying all that fur."

"Thanks," he said instead, accepting the blow drier. He turned it on full blast, and starts attempting to get Colossus dry.