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.))
