Read Tron Legacy - It's Your Call - Initiate Sequence Online
Authors: Carla Jablonski
Tags: #Fiction - Young Adult
Tron Legacy - It's Your Call - Initiate Sequence (12 page)
T
ime to end this party! You slip out your disc and hurl it at the booming speakers. There's a fzzzzt sound, and sparks fly as they short out.
The only sound now is the DJ, who is still humming whatever was just playing. Apparently his headphones are still working, and the song continues running on his deck.
“This program wants to put an end to your fun!” Zuse declares. “He hates dancing! Music! Good times.”
You groan. What is he getting at?
“This man isâ” you declare loudly, grabbing Zuse's arm.
“The party king!” someone in the crowd shouts.
“Quit killing our good times!”
“That's just what he wants to do!” Zuse shouts. “He is bent on destroying all pleasures! This is just the beginning of his oppression!”
The crowd's growing ugly. The low murmur has turned into a rumble. They advance on you, pulling out their discs.
“No! No! He's got it wrong!” you protest. “I'm not the one whoâ”
But it's no use. They attack!
“Too bad. You had such promise as a competitive dancer,” Zuse says, just before you black out. Forever.
THE END
W
e've been kept in the dark too long,” Clu continues. “All that we've known is not all there is. Fellow programs, our world is a cage no more. The key to the next frontier is finally in our possession.”
He gestures up at the bridge and all eyes follow, yours included. Your eyes grow wide. There's your father's disc, glowing inside an elaborate case. Cheers erupt from the crowd.
Quorra clutches your arm. “He's going to use Flynn's disc to travel through the Portal!”
“He's getting out,” you say, “and bringing an army with him!”
“He's surpassed me,” your father murmurs. Then he gives his head a sharp shake. “We have to stop him.”
“Are you ready to receive your command?” Clu thunders below. “Out there is our destiny!”
He brings one arm down in a dramatic gesture. Several banners drop to the floor, revealing mocked up images of Rectifiers hovering over major cities of the United States. The images shift to show the same pictures over Europe and Asia. Then they pull back to display Rectifiers surrounding Earth itself.
The one unchanging image is of the glowing blue portal. The way out of this worldâand into yours.
O
kay, Dad,” you murmur, focusing on the mission. “Come out, come out, wherever you are.” You're not really sure where to begin. The Outlands are vast, and you're trying to find a single person. Needle, meet haystack.
Bartik and Veltor thought your dad might have retreated into the mountains in case Clu eventually invented vehicles that could go off-grid. You head that way.
You trudge across the dark and desolate landscape. The terrain is rugged, and you're glad you stay in shape with all of your activities. Though as you get closer to the foot of a towering, jagged mountain range, you really wish you'd brought some mountain-climbing gear.
This is crazy, you think. How am I ever going to find him? And even if I do, it may be too late. Whatever Clu has in mind, it could already be happening. Bartik and Veltor both stressed that time is short.
Still, they felt strongly that without your father, there's no way to rally enough support to overthrow Clu. An idea occurs to you. Could being the son of Kevin Flynn be good enough?
You wish you could ask Bartik and Veltor what they think. Man, why hasn't anyone here invented cell phones? But they don't exist. The decision is yours alone.
If you continue searching for your father,
If you return to the city,
“I
'll give you one more chance to hand over your disc,” the Sentry orders.
“What do you want my disc for?” you ask. “Don't you have one of yourâwhoa!”
Before you can complete your sentence he flings his disc. You duck and it returns to his hand. He speaks into a device on his wrist. “Rogue program. Derezz in process.”
“I don't think so,” you taunt. “I'm not like other guys. I don't derezz so easy.”
He flicks the disc at you again, and this time you execute a high leap and kick him in the face. You spin around as he's recovering and race away.
You hurtle around the corner and run smack into another Sentry.
“Present your disc,” the Sentry orders.
You jerk your thumb behind you. “That guy took it! I've been robbed!”
“Describe your assailant,” the Sentry demands.
Oops. “Sorry! Dark. Didn't get a good look! Traumatized! You know.” You start running again.
“That's the rogue program!” you hear the first Sentry shout.
Two discs suddenly slice into youâone into your arm, the other into your leg. You drop to the ground, pain burning through you.
They hover over you. One of them raises his disc. Then it comes down, and there is nothing butâ¦darkness.
THE END
Y
ou stare openmouthed up at the ship. It seems familiar, but how is that possible? Then it hits youâit's a giant-size version of your old night light. A vehicle your dad called a Recognizer!
You can't ignore the truth anymore. The map, the city, the sea. You have known all along. You're inside the world your dad invented. Could this be where your dad went all those years ago? Could he still be here?
You can't think about that right now. You have to figure out some way to get Alex back.
The Recognizer is moving slowly out over the Sea of Simulation. It must be cruising around looking to snatch up programs. You wonder why it didn't grab youâunless it was because you weren't as close to the sea as Alex. Perhaps you need to get closer.
S
ilence. Darkness. Nothingness. Untilâ¦You float, your mind a blank, through a stream of luminescent data.
Thenâ¦you're back at the arcade, your head down on the computer console. You sit up and blink. Was it all some kind of crazy dream?
“Whatcha doing, kid?” you hear a voice behind you. “Knocking on the skyâ¦?”
You turn and gaze at your dad. He's standing in the middle of the room with Quorra. She has a completely amazed look on her face.
“Yeah,” you say, getting up. “And listening to the sound.”
You can't stop the grin from spreading across your face. “We should get out of here,” you say. “This lady's never seen a sunset.”
You go upstairs to the arcade floor, the others close behind. “I should reopen this place,” your dad says. “I kinda like these old-school games.”
“Yeah,” you agree with a laugh. “It's hard to imagine a pinball machine trying to take over the world!” Together, the three of you walk outâ¦into a brand-new day.
THE END
N
o way do you trust a maniac driver in a mask! “Not a chance!” you shout and turn to run.
You hear the vehicle vroom after you. And Clu now heads straight toward you. They're boxing you in! Was that their plan all along?
“Get in!” you hear behind you. “Now!”
Clu is barreling down on you. At the very last moment you fling yourself to the sideâand Clu smashes right into the car that's chasing you!
The crowd goes crazy. You use the distraction to do a somersault off the platform to the game grid below. Then the platform below that. You don't care where you're goingâyou just go!
You're panting hard when you finally find a way out of the stadium. You stop to get your bearings. Up ahead you see a bridge that leads into a city. All around you are other stadiums. Kind of what you imagine an Olympic village to be like. Neither option seems very safe. But you know you can't stay here. The Sentries are probably already looking for you.
Take the bridge into the city
ON PAGE 120
.Seek shelter in one of the nearby stadiums
ON PAGE 19
.