thisavrou_log | You'll come back when they call you

Entry tags:

You'll come back when they call you

Who: Alan, Rinzler, and mostly-open!
When: May 14-16
Where: From the planetary Ingress to the Grid and back
What: Rinzler gets stuck in his old life and people go to get him back.
Warnings: Rinzler things and Tron canon. Depression, violence, NPC-murder, and copious references to genocide, mindscrew, etc. All culminating in... BSOD by warm fuzzies?

When Rinzler had first left the Grid, getting back was all that mattered to him. More—it was all he was capable of caring about. Directive and function were locked in alignment, every line created by a thousand cycles of correction pulling him the same way. Rinzler was the Grid's enforcer. Clu's weapon. He was perfect, he was right, and he belonged at his administrator's side.

Since then, he's spent months trapped in a user shell. He's spilled blood and lost fights, flown through half a dozen different skies and learned what stars look like. He's spoken. He's been listened to. He's shattered to a thousand pieces on lost memories, and cut himself on the truth they left behind. He's killed users. He's met [~~his~~] [Tron's] creator, and disobeyed his will.

It's painfully fitting for that to be what brings him back to the beginning. Rinzler is home, Rinzler is back, and everything is how it should be except him. Directive is a frayed leash, function warped by too much time spent wanting. Clu's voice still locks every process to obedience, but even as he bows and follows, Rinzler can't stop the squirming twist of terror underneath. He'll kill Clu's enemies. He'll serve exactly, precisely as directed. But the enforcer has always been unstable, always in need of fixing (breaking) to keep him working as desired.

Sooner or later, Clu will open up his code to check. And then, it won't matter how well he's fit himself back to the mold. His programmer will correct each flaw and imperfection, remove those memories and reset him to automation.

It's nothing Rinzler can fight. Nothing he can run from here, and even if he tried, there's nowhere to go. The ship already feels much too distant, but Rinzler remembers enough to know his absence will only bring relief. He'd been a disruption. A threat. Tron was the one the users wanted, and even that had never been enough before.

No one is coming, and nothing will change.

[[ooc: this is open to anyone signing on for the rescue effort here! As below, prod freely with any questions. Alan's monitoring things from the Ingress-side, and will make sure people get where they're trying to go.]]

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[The Grid is more than a few sites of interest. It's a complete system, a digital world. Outside the city, the outlands stretch out towards an infinity—a wasteland dotted only by the occasional refuge, and home to voracious gridbugs only too eager to target any sources of power. Inside, creative navigation might be needed to avoid attention—recognizers fill the skies, backing up the grounded sentry checkpoints that demand a disk check to confirm your right to transit between sectors. Being found without an identity disk is no better—strays are taken to the cells below the Game Grid to await the next match.

Choose your adventure, or make one up! There's no shortage of trouble to get into.]

BB wasn't expecting much in regards to himself when he came along on this particular trip. He had already gone through with a few others already with nothing being different both with and without his data chip. So nothing prepared him for the complete opposite of what would happen when the Ingress finally set him in this place.

Which is likely why it took an embarrassingly long few seconds for him to register the pain and the fact he was embody and thus sprawled face first on what constituted the ground. The shock and the fact he could feel the hum of data and warmth of code moving in this landscape was what he blamed for the lack of response those first few moments.

Especially as he wobbly managed to get himself up with shaky and uncoordinated arms into a kneeling position. Though that was also precarious as he listed side to side dangerously when he did not focus on such fully. This whole having mass and being affected by things like gravity was hardly worth the yearning his fellow AIs had for being human at all.

"Well, really. This is not exactly what I was expecting at all. I do hope this change of state isn't permanent."

Not even the circuitry he had acquired was any consolation for what he felt was a horrible thing to do to an AI. Really, who wants these complication a body brings about?

Oh, shit, he nearly just landed right on top of a person.

Nihlus hops back somewhat ungracefully and freezes, staring at the program. His instincts tell him to help, but he should really let the guy lie, just in case he alerts anyone nearby to his arrival-

... Where IS he? Stopping, he takes in his surroundings. It looks like some kind of alleyway. It certainly had the same aesthetics as Rinzler had, so he could only assume this was the Grid. The architecture would've been beautiful if it weren't so ominous and looking up he sees what seems to be clouds and a vast stretch of glowing circuitry far, far above it.

He doesn't let himself be awed for too long. The Spectre drags his attention back to the mission at hand and starts moving towards the nearest cover, doing a quick inventory check along the way.

Of course, the procedure is promptly derailed by the sound of BB's voice.

"... BB?"

Nihlus turns and stares before quickly trotting back to assist the AI.

"How in the bleeding deeps...?"

Despite the problems with his motor functions, BB apparently mastered the angry cat look during his brief fling with the pavement, as he looks over to Nihlus. Completely unamused by that question.

"Apparently this world took offense that I didn't fit its definition of a being made of computer code. Or perhaps I gained some odd ability to spontaneously created a body. A mystery for the ages, but irrelevant in the long run. We do have a reason for being here, despite this unfortunate accident on my part."

Sorry Nihlus, this entire situation has made him temporarily forget his normal pleasantry. Especially as he wobbles his way to slowly standing on his new feet. Circuits flaring in agitation the same shade of blue his avatar normally is. They were here for information on Rinzler, if not Rinzler himself he would just suck it up and work with this vexing problem.

It'd be kind of hilarious if the circumstances weren't terrible. The expression of sheer indignity on BB's face was a sight to behold.

"Well, I'll be," Nihlus murmurs, reaching out and bending his knees slightly to try and wrap an arm under BB's shoulders to help steady him. He takes the lack of pleasantry in a stride: let's be honest here, BB was still a veritable saint next to his usual company, bad mood or not.

"We should probably go find a better hiding spot until you feel a bit more steady." He debates trying to carry BB, but he suspects AI wouldn't appreciate that too much considering his current state. "I'm not sure how safe we are out here-"

Oh. That sounds like a very ominous humming noise in the distance there.

Most times the thought of being helpless would rankle considering how little an AI can control back home, but this situation has him reluctantly using that support. Doubly so when he takes a few moments to figure out how to use said arm to help keep him upright and how much lean would possibly have him on the floor again.

And well that sound likely isn't a welcoming committee wishing to greet them with peace and well wishes.

"Perhaps, efficiency is best now in this case, particularly in regards to at least one of us remaining free and capable of completing our objective. So long as the normal rules of this ingress apply and we can come closer to our goal we should take the best route for such."

Yes, he is hinting at you just dumping him back on the ground there Nihlus and booking it out of here.

"You are more capable of moving currently without being caught if you are not burdened."

There are a lot of words being thrown at him and Nihlus is nodding and giving BB a look of complete and total sympathy and understanding as he reaches up and activates the holo generator collar around his neck.

"Your heroism and self sacrifice will be remembered," he says conversationally as the complicated planes of his armor is replaced by sleek black panels and glowing circuitry. There were some extra pieces of the strange digital plates attached to him to compensate for the alieness of his form, and he peers down at BB through a mirror smooth black visor.

"Do you think you can still try triangulating Rinzler's MID like this?" he asks, bending down to slide a hand under BB's knees so he could sweep the smaller AI briskly off of his feet.

There's an underpass nearby and he makes his way towards it, strides long and purposeful. He doesn't really want to try testing out how well the disguise holds up under a program's scanners.

He realizes he's not actually being listened to early on, that line and its many variations said by soldiers time after time. Usually right before punching out the one they are being fake sympathetic towards. Even if he is taking note of the disguise in an attempt to later on dissect such and possibly find out how to tweak such for various scenarios.

"I still have my functions, despite the complication of my situ-"

His face just remains in mild anger as he realizes just what it is Nihlus has done. It's only the fact he can't exactly coordinate the correct movements smoothly enough to attempt removing himself from said hold, especially not with the finesse needed to not take the other down with him. That would defeat the purpose of his proposal after all.

"Your current actions will draw more attention than if you were to act alone."

Ooooh boy, Nihlus is not putting himself in BB's good books today. Pity, they were getting along so well.

"We're trying to avoid sacrificing one crewmate for another if possible. Additionally, my being made of meat makes me a bit less vulnerable to this world's quirks." They slip into the underpass' shadows and Nihlus slows.

"I think you're safe as long as you have a disc on you at any rate." Another reason why the Spectre hadn't been too worried. "If I'd left you out on the street, that'd have garnered attention and trouble that could have easily been avoided. You'd likely get in trouble for public intoxication. Or public... glitching?"

Do programs get drunk?

"Unnecessary problems either way," he continues, gently setting BB back onto his feet.

It's less knocking oneself out of his good books, and more BB having wounded pride that he actually needs such help and him being completely out of his depth currently.

"An AI can just be rebooted to the last saved data entry; as long as my data chip is fine back on the Moira it's less of a sacrifice and more a use of your current resources. It's a logical mapping of our current problem and one most organics would have no qualms in using since I am just a tool after all."

The tone is completely even and light, as if he's just pointing out a mistake in a math equation even as he wobbles for a moment as he's set back down. Standing is becoming easier at least even as braces himself against the first solid object for a moment to let himself dig deeper into the thrumming hum that this place is. It felt just like any system he's been in before, and once he manages to ignore the optical illusions of a city he settles more steadily on his feet with this assurance.

"And in a bit of a segway on such a topic, I best get on with the current job I'm meant to be doing... Before we get another surprise visit."

"We don't know how this will affect your data chip on the Moira," he points out quietly. "Existential continuity isn't exactly a tried and tested science. If something happens to you here, there's no guarantee it won't affect things on the other side of the portal."

He keeps his hand on BB's shoulder to keep him steady and to catch him in case he tripped.

"You know, for a tool, you certainly like to behave like an autonomous being." The mask hides his face, but Turians expressed more with their voices anyways- and there's new note of warmth in Nihlus'. "This organic would like to wager that maybe you're a little more than that. You're not half bad as just company anyways."

Once he's sure BB was a bit more steady, Nihlus moves further into the underpass to do a quick perimeter check. And to stop distracting the AI for a bit.

"Likely any unknown cause would be on par with reintegrating a damaged and corrupted piece of yourself without any idea of what such would cause. Luckily I have experience with that. Deletion isn't really all that scary when you're speaking to nothing more than a fragment of a whole."

He's already deep in this source code, filtering out signals and flags that are close but not an actual match. Luckily he's used to being in several places at once so he's able to keep up with the search and the conversation. Though he doesn't really give such an indication he heard that last bit until he guesses the other is out of hearing range. All before quietly scoffing under his breath.

"Autonomous, nothing more than an illusion and false hope."

"I may have a general location you could use Engineer Kryik."

"It's a cute fragment though," Nihlus tosses back at BB once he returns, as if it was somehow a winning argument. He continues on without a hitch, "You know, for a giant, digital metropolis, there doesn't seem to be a lot of people around."

Which kind of makes sense with the apparent, horrible digital dictatorship he's heard all about. He's not really been in a similar situatio9n where the city was borderline pristine, though.

"What've you got?"

BB actually pauses for a moment as he has to stop and realize just what was just said to him. He's never had to deal with such things when he was just a hologram of a blue box. Of course, once he got used to the idea he rolls with it easily.

"I'll make certain to keep this face from being mangled then so you can look at it whenever you want."

Granted, facial expressions are still a work in progress as well, so the playful tone is only accompanied by a quirk of the lips instead of any dramatic emoting others would likely have done after saying such a sentence.

"I have coordinates, though, how accurate such are is still up for debate. This system isn't one I have had time to fully master, so whoever rules it could mask and fake such signatures. Caution is advised."

And with a quick flick of fingertips the data is sent to the GPS system in Nihlus MID. As well as the materialization of an odd little thing now floating nearby. This bit seeming to be the cause of a line of light leading away and towards the coordinates BB just gave.

"Well...that's new."

There's the vague impression of a brow being raised under that mask. Oh, BB, he was already flirting at you in the cargo bay.

"Well, I wouldn't complain," Nihlus's voice is teasingly lilting. "The face is really cute too."

He shifts back into Spectre-on-duty mode after that, listening to his companion explain the findings. The little floating thing gets a slightly curious look, but path marking software aren't really new to Nihlus.

"Not the usual manifestation?"

He's just going to ignore that first part, because he really doesn't have any actual idea on how to handle such. This is the closes to fluster an AI can get, though it mostly comes off as confusion.

"No, I was merely wishing to transmit the coordinates via the GPS system. This could be both useful and an added risk if others are able to follow said markings. Either way, it's at least a lead for you to follow.

I wish you luck and quick hunting."

The coordinate system might be foreign, but the line of light has an easy heading to pursue. It leads toward the center of the city—and the admin towers housed therein.

The flustered reaction has Nihlus hiding a smile despite the mask. He doesn't comment on it further though, peering at his MID instead to see if there was a way to turn it off.

"I'll figure it out."

Doing things on the fly was hardly new for a Spectre.

"And thank you, BB," he adds softly, reaching out to very gently, squeeze the AI's shoulder. "Stay safe."

And with that, Nihlus takes off, following the line of light through the underpass.

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