Before you read this, let me just say that in the previous writing, I didn't realize the timeline was messed up. So I fixed that mistake in this slight rewrite of mine. Nothing too much has changed, but I hope you like the clarity of this version better. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!
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Hidden away inside a computer exists another world. Its creator designed it for games, but it became so much more.
He called it… The Grid.
A digital utopia filled with infinite possibilities. He built a digital copy of himself to help him create the perfect system.
He relied on a hero to keep it free for all the programs that lived there.
But he was betrayed by his creation, forcing him to flee. The hero fought back, but the copy was too powerful, and in the end, he wasn't strong enough and was left for dead.
The digital copy took over the Grid, seizing absolute control. But as his influence grows, so does a new hope.
Can this new hope save the Grid? Or fall like the hero before them.
—
Wasteland, stretching for miles and miles. No signs of life anywhere. Quiet and deserted.
Or is it?
A crack splits open the sky. It surges with energy. Volatile. Dangerous.
From deep within, it spat something from its open mouth. If one looked closely, they would see what appeared to be a person.
Unconscious and limp, the figure fell toward the ground. It wasn't until they were halfway that they began to flail around.
However, it made no difference. In mere moments, they crashed into the ground, leaving a large crater, with them at the center.
—
Third POV
Sitting in the back of a classroom, a young man looks down at his laptop.
His dark brown eyes stared at lines upon lines of code as his milk chocolate hands scratched his head full of curls.
He could barely focus. The room was filled with the chatter of dozens of other students. It was like a flock of seagulls. They wouldn't shut up.
'Damn it. How am I supposed to think if these idiots won't shut up?' Clicking a key on the laptop, he runs his code for what would now be the fifth time in a row.
He watches as the program spits out lines upon lines of code, and when he finally thinks it works, it crashes.
"Oh, come on!" His shout reached the ears of other students, their eyes honing in on him as the class fell silent.
Glancing around the room, he grumbles to himself.
'Screw this.' Quickly packing his things, he stormed out of the classroom.
He walked down the halls of the building, making a turn now and again, until he eventually found his way out.
After he was outside, he made his way to his car, hopping in before sighing deeply.
'Why am I even doing all this if I can never get it to work?' The young man asked himself.
He was a coder at heart, but reality was much different from what he would expect.
He knew all the basics. And was competent enough to understand most code, but the problem lay in advancing that knowledge.
His reason for even becoming a coder? One man. One man who revolutionized the coding and gaming industries forever.
'What a second… that's it!' Perking up, he opened his laptop with a newfound purpose.
Pulling up a search engine, he began sifting through news forums and websites until he finally found what he was looking for.
"Finally. Now let's see."
[November 3, 1989
Best known for designing Tron and Space Paranoids, the two best-selling video games in history.
Video game icon and ENCOM CEO Kevin Flynn has seemingly vanished.
This afternoon, ENCOM's board moved to seize control from Flynn's partner, Alan Bradley, vowing to return the company to profitability.
Loyal to the end, Bradley maintains his belief that Flynn is not missing and is instead pursuing his dream of a "digital frontier to reshape the human condition."]
His eyes scanned the article as he delved deeper into Flynn's disappearance. Every time he searched, it always pointed toward the same thing.
Tron.
'Looks like I need to meet this Alan Bradley guy, but I doubt he'll want to meet some random university student.' Sighing, he leaned back in his car seat.
"Eh, I'll just turn up at his house."
—
After an hour or two, the young man finally reached Alan Bradley's house. Getting out of the car, he walked up to the door and knocked.
He waited for an answer. Minutes went by, and nothing. As he was about to leave, a man in his early forties opened the door to greet him.
"Hello?"
"Hi, are you Alan Bradley?"
"Yes. I am. And who might you be?" Alan held the door slightly ajar as he glared at Jay suspiciously.
"My name is Jay. I believe I've located where Kevin Flynn has gone missing."
Raising an eyebrow, Alan gave him an inquisitive look before replying, "Listen, kid. The "Flynn Lives" movement is still as active as ever. If you want to go to a rally, there will be one in a few days. Now, if that is all, please leave."
Alan was about to close the door on the young man, but Jay spoke up.
"I don't care if you believe me or not. If I can find him and return him safe and sound, the knowledge he possesses can push humanity leaps into the future." Jay said in a firm tone.
"Oh? How so?" Alan questioned.
"I believe he is locked in. He found his way, and he can no longer return. Every article. Every website. They all lead to the same answer… Tron."
Alan stared at Jay for a few moments.
"What did you say your name was again?"
"Jay."
"Do you mind stepping inside for a drink?"
"Not at all."
Giving a small smile, Alan stepped aside to let Jay enter the house.
"What would you like? Water, tea, coffee?" Alan questioned as he led him into the kitchen.
"Tea is fine, thank you." Jay surveyed the house, settling into a chair while he waited for Alan to prepare his drink.
Alan began to lead him to the kitchen, where he sat in a chair as Alan went to make his tea. As Alan was making the tea, he began to question Jay further.
"So, you think Flynn is trapped inside the game?" Alan asked as he slowly mixed the ingredients.
"I do."
"So do many others. But why are you the only one actively trying to find him?" Alan questioned.
"I doubt I'm the only one. I'm sure many others have tried. And maybe they have already found him. Though I think that is unlikely."
"And why do you think that?" Alan questioned further.
"With how secretive you have been about his life, do you honestly think that someone like Flynn would leave any clue about his whereabouts to the public until he was ready?"
After finishing Jay's drink, he sat across from the young man, passing him the tea before leaning in closer.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome. Now, please, continue." Alan cupped his hands together as he listened to Jay.
"From every news article I've read, Kevin was obsessed with this digital world he had created. No one knew what it was, but it was important enough to him that most things in his life came second." Sipping the tea, Jay paused before continuing.
"As his good friend, I'm sure you already know where he is. The question is why you haven't done anything about it." Jay glanced at Alan, giving him an accusatory look.
Alan sighed deeply before responding, "It's been a year since Flynn vanished. Someone had to keep ENCOM from falling into the wrong hands. I'm the best person to do that job until his son is ready to take up that mantle."
"And why haven't you sent anyone else after Flynn?" Jay asked, taking another sip of his tea.
"Because Flynn was dead set on keeping it a secret until it was ready to be spread to the public. The world he created is dangerous. If it were put in the wrong hands it could devastate our world. I know from first hand experience." Alan told Jay, his tone turning serious.
"Then this is bigger than we all might have thought."
"And why is that?"
"Think about it, Flynn suddenly vanished after he went inside the game and hasn't returned yet. If he can enter and exit at will, why can't the same be said for those within the game?"
Alan's eyes widened slightly. Jay was right, he hadn't taken that possibility into account, and if what he said is true this was much bigger than he expected.
"Help me get inside the game. Help me find Flynn. And help me stop whatever he is running from." Jay sternly told Alan.
Alan looked at Jay for a moment, contemplating his options.
"Alright, kid. I'll help you." Alan sighed heavily as he got up from the table.
"Thank you."
"Don't thank me, kid. The world you are about to be thrown into is dangerous, and I won't be able to help you after sending you in. Now, get ready, we're about to leave."
—
"Ah, 'Flynn's Arcade.' So many memories in this place." A small smile appeared on Alan's face before he turned to Jay and handed him a slip of paper.
"What's this?"
"Your only way in." Alan told him before turning around.
"I guess this is goodbye?"
"More like, see you later. When you find Flynn, please tell him I said hello. I look forward to your return." Offering a small smile Alan departed.
Jay stood there watching as he left before turning to the doors and pushing them open. What he found was a derelict building with dust-ridden machines everywhere.
Taking out a small flashlight, Jay moves further into the building. Navigating his way through the darkness, he searched for a breaker.
Finally locating it, he accessed the panel and flipped several switches. One after another, the lights activated, illuminating the building.
When he finished flicking the last few switches, he heard the sound of machines whirring back to life. As his eyes adjusted, he began to look around the building.
Spotting an office above him, he made his way up. Entering, he found furniture covered in sheets before removing one, discovering a desk and a computer.
'Alright, let's see if I can find anything on here.' Attempting to turn the computer on, Jay gave it a few taps before it finally booted up.
Searching through it, he found nothing of interest. Turning off the computer, he left the office and continued exploring the arcade.
He walked around for a while before he came across an arcade machine hidden from all the rest.
Piquing his interest, he walked to the machine and removed the cover. Flickering in a dull blue, black, with white accents, its name glowed a bright white… Tron.
As Jay examined the machine, he searched for any indications that it might lead him to Flynn.
'Trail marks?' Hunching over, he inspected the trail marks, noting that they led into the wall behind the arcade machine.
Getting up, he pulled on the machine until it gave way, revealing a small door behind it.
"A hidden room, that's cliché." Jay chuckled.
Shoving the door open, he stepped into a dimly lit hallway that eventually guided him to a staircase. As he descended, he went further into the building and to another hallway.
At the end, he saw a double door. As he got closer, he noticed a key stuck in its lock. Twisting it, he unlocked and opened the door, discovering a room filled with technology years ahead of its time.
'The hell even is all of this? Weapons?' Jay marveled as he walked past some sort of laser-looking machine.
Looking around, he began examining the technology, unable to completely grasp what something was or did.
"Just what were you working on, Flynn…"
Walking over to a glass-looking table, he dusted it off, accidentally turning it on due to his touch.
"Ok, that's cool." Jay chuckled before taking the slip of paper from his pocket. "Let's see here. Files, system prompts, and… Ah, here we go, command systems."
Tapping a button on the screen, he booted up the system.
[Locating System Files]
[System Files Missing]
[Would you like to create new files?]
[Yes/No]
'Yes, obviously.' Jay thought as he clicked the button.
[Processing New Files]
[New Files Made]
[Login Sequence Activated]
[Would you like to log in?]
[Yes/No]
Jay's finger hovered over the button as he hesitated. Was he really about to do this? What was he even trying to prove? Why risk his life for some guy he didn't even know?
No, this wasn't just about him anymore. If the things Alan told him about the game were true, and his thoughts were correct.
This was something he couldn't just leave to chance. Not if he could do something about it. Clenching his fist, he steeled his resolve.
"Alright, Flynn, don't make me regret my decision." He clicked the prompt, only for nothing to happen.
Pressing it a few more times, his face contorted into anger.
"Are you serious?! All this for nothing?!" As he yelled at the screen, he didn't notice the whirring sound behind him.
When he finally stopped and heard the sound, it was too late. When he turned around, the laser was already powered up and pointing in his direction.
"Well, shi—"
—
Wasteland, stretching for miles and miles. No signs of life anywhere. Quiet and deserted.
A crack splits open the sky. It surges with energy. Volatile. Dangerous.
From deep within, it spat something from its open mouth. If one looked closely, they would see what appeared to be a person.
Unconscious and limp, the figure fell toward the ground. It wasn't until they were halfway that they began to flail around.
"What the hell?!" Jay screamed as he fell towards the surface.
He struggled to correct himself, not that it would do him any good. Looking below him, he found the ground approaching fast.
"Damn it! What is happening?!" Yelling his frustration towards the sky, he could do nothing but prepare himself to brace for the impending impact.
He approached the ground. His body getting closer and closer and then...
Black.