THE GRID - FIRST TRONCYCLE
Following the ferocious tornado overwhelming the Grid, the portal lit the dark Grid with a far-reaching and blinding white beam that outstayed its welcome. Sam and Quorra make their grand entry into the nowhere of the Grid, most probably the Outlands would be a blind guess to it. Although the portal seems to have been somewhere in the Outlands(probably), luckily there is no sign of any piece of code or steady structures to be devoured by the tornado within the sight of the naked eye, else the horrors of the outcome would haunt both Users and Programs for cycles to come. The blinding effect wouldn't exempt the duo as well, making them dizzy and causing a temporary migraine as well. After all, the never-ending rabbit hole leading to the Grid makes dizziness and nausea look smaller in comparison. Also, it's worth noting that the duo survived the crash landing with little to no injuries but felt them psychologically, probably due to the Users' physiological pain receptors and Quorra's first unguided crash landing.
As the couple started recovering from the side effects, Sam couldn't help but notice the choice of location his portal has landed them on. The rapidly changing Grid Architecture has landed them into the silent void of the virtual realm instead of Kevin's coordinates it has been programmed to. Worst, they neither have any vehicle nor any information about an enemy or friendly forces' existence. Several miles beyond the naked eye, a Program that had witnessed this bizarre yet mysterious phenomenon, remaining unscathed from its effect, has disappeared into oblivion like a tiny blip, leaving Sam and Quorra unaware of its existence.
Taking their baby steps into the charcoal-black granular deserts of the shady land akin to the wasteland of Mad Max, they couldn't believe the visuals of the new and mysterious wastelands they'd stumbled upon. It was nothing like the Outlands they'd witnessed, which had at least valleys and cliffs to simulate the real world, instead, it was like Mad Max, but in a coal field, robbed of light and life. Their awe translated into words:
- What the hell? I expected the coordinates to land in some decent street or building, not Sahara!
- (mocking) Someone said the Grid changes in microseconds. He planned everything right down to the landing part but forgot about the vehicle.
- The portals and the landing part you said, cost me this much time. Vehicles would take months, so be thankful we came back sooner. (Retorting back in the same way) And by the way, where's your Light Runner to save us again?
- Haha, funny! My Anon misses me so much, you know.
- Did I hear it right? "The Miracle" couldn't find her favorite "Anon" inside the Grid?
- Now if you're done with me and Anon, let's find it out together, shall we?
- (Gesturing towards her) After you.
Despite the glaring void of light, the grains of the desert displayed their shining properties, probably sympathetic to their plight and thus assuring them that this was a land of mystical properties. The shining was periodic in nature, more like the tunes of Beethoven and Carnatic Sitar music rather than a shining led bulb. Unable to discern any path forward, the couple resumed their wayward journey in silence, with the shimmering tunes as their guide in these uncharted waters.
A few hours of travel didn't tire them yet but Sam felt something weird; paranormal to say the least. For starters, he could feel no thirst, hunger, or pain along the way. Although being his second time, he was always running from one thing or the other, unable to afford any food for thought. Running has become an instinct for Sam more than an adventure, whether it be running from his past or from the claustrophobic environment of the then Grid. Moreover, he relished a sip of clean, pure water-like liquid and supper, if one could put it that way, with his father. However, he thought the better of just experiencing these wonders within himself rather than being the bumbling mumbo jumbo he was before. Silence filled the skies better than the pointless gasps of wonder, especially when there's no ray of hope for miles at large, thought Sam to himself. After all, the Grid didn't just accelerate time but also Sam from the inside.
Just as they were about to lose track of time and steady focus of vision caused by relentless walking, both decided to make camp in a semi-cave-shaped shelter in the desert a few feet away, steeped slightly in a deep valley. Sam and Quorra enveloped each other in their warm embraces, nullifying the absence of any physical shelter or protection in the cave. Their warmth was enough to fill the anxieties of their thoughts, but Quorra took the lead anyway:
- So, Mr. Flynn, you won the bet. Our landing area changed, the Grid changed, and no Light Cycles or Light Jets to zap our way out of this place. Forget Kevin, there's not even a single Program in our sight. What's next?
- Honeymoon in the Grid and a holiday vacation for three days and four nights (smiles sarcastically). Anyhow, we don't need another guide in the Grid, do we?
- I'm clueless, Sam. I've roamed throughout the Outlands and Tron City my whole life. Heck, I even spent countless Cycles in the ruins of my hometown until Ada heckled me out. But this thing here is something sinister. Either the creator or someone as powerful as C.L.U could do such things.
- Okay, first of all, calm down. And second, this is just a desert but no sun, which means no hunger, no thirst, and most important of all, no sunstrokes in the middle of nowhere.
- But we are stuck here for hours, Sam. We didn't come here for a holiday package, didn't we?
- At least we're alive here, Quorra. If it was some Thar or Sahara Desert, you wouldn't be alive to ask this question!
- Stick to the plan, Sam. What do we do next?
- We won't be here for long, my love. They say women who marry hippies never have their feet on the ground.
- I also read that hippies turn into responsible and caring husbands once they become fathers, what about that?
- Another time, chatterbox, another time. (Playfully taking her face closer to him) I see those naughty, rosy red lips craving for someone. Let's see who is that.
- (Knocking on his head) No one calls me that here. You're dead, Flynn!
As Quorra rolls on Sam, their lips stumble into each other and start a song of ice and fire, much more fatal than the games of the Arena. The ice froze them into cloud nine and the heat of the fire produced enough warmth to cuddle them to sleep and protected them from any distraction, physical or psychological. As the couple was to enjoy their first intimacy outside their haven, the rash, rumbling sound of a Snowmobile came crashing into the party uninvited. Disturbing their privacy, the strange force woke the love birds out of their deep sleep in an authoritative mode. As Sam and Quorra got startled and were about to transform into combat mode instinctively reaching for their Discs, the stranger acted with blazing speed and shot his pair of spiked metallic balls chained to each other at them below him, electrocuting and tranquilizing them within seconds' notice, sparing them no time to have a look at their attacker. Although blunt-edged, the balls weighed enough to stifle any Program to deresolution, if not rendering them immobile at the bare minimum.
The stranger, disheveled and carrying a poor sense of civility within him, jumped in mad excitement at the sight of his prey. Scouring one prey within the wasteland was a luxury for that poor bastard, but two birds in one shot – that's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity he never dreamed of. Patting himself on his back and pitying the naïve and innocent duo trapped in his clutches, the madman dragged them inside his Snowmobile and surfed his way outside the scrapyard of the desert.
ONE MILLITRONCYCLE LATER
The mysterious White Leader was deeply immersed in his thoughts on the future of the Grid. This leader proved himself the competent torchbearer for his squad through his stoic and unshakable personality, hiding his real emotions and motivations flawlessly from each and every visible Program possible. Now he had to display the same ability and accelerate the training schedule ten times faster, which could just stop the General's dogs for a mere handful of cycles only. Rallying common people against evil forces is a tried and tested formula, which had far more chances of working effectively in his favor, but beneath this tough exterior also lies a pragmatic think tank, which had already analyzed the worst-case scenarios and effects of waging an unfair war: armed vs unarmed, that too when the opposing faction has a pack leader far more unpredictable and ruthless than C.L.U. He didn't want the naïve and helpless people of the Grid to be sacrificed for his motive. After all, if the people he pledged to protect die for his cause, then what is his exile and fight worth?
Interrupting his train of thought, his right hand, the spy deployed near the beam, sent a comm signal through the serverless commlink. Gathering his alertness and mind, the leader then turned his attention to the spy:
- This better be worth it, Charlie. General is merely a few Cycles away and I cannot entertain any discrepancies or distractions.
- No sir, this is unbelievable. My men reported two beings traveling waywardly, probably lost but searching for something. No Light Cycle, no armor, no weapons, just two random Programs in the wasteland.
- I will repeat this only once again, Charlie. No distractions are entertained. Report to me of any important proceedings, especially of General's men.
- Pardon me, sire, but this is very important. These beings emerged out of the beam, one male and one female, and most importantly, both the Programs are covered in cyan-white linings, uncommon for a normal Program.
The leader paused to think for a moment. Only Users could enter the Grid, meaning the beam is a Portal, but why it emerged all of a sudden, that too in a random wasteland? The only User known in the Grid is Flynn, but he has sacrificed himself, so who are these Users? Why did other Users enter the Grid and for whom? Could it be that these are ISOs escaping the Grid or General's men for their survival? Are ISOs still alive?
- You have maintained your rep, Charlie. These may be either Users or ISOs or anything. I want you to keep an eye on them and bring them to me alive when you are ready, use any force necessary for successful capture. Can I have your word on this?
- No second thoughts, sir. I'll make sure they never escape Charlie, not even through thin air.
- And never let your sight escape General's activities as well. The war is coming, Charlie, and we need to be ready for it.
- On it, Sir!
FLYNN'S HIDEOUT – COORDINATES UNKNOWN
Amidst the ruins of the hideout remaining still intact, Kevin finds dwindling solace in himself, via his meditation. One who sees it calls meditation, but only Kevin and philosophers in the User World know for what it is: YOGA. What seems like a way of controlling one's own mind and heart through discipline and practice for a healthy body, called SADHANA on the outside, is much more than that. Gurus of ancient times have performed rigorous SADHANA while performing YOGA to not only maintain their physique; but also connect to the CELESTIAL CONSCIOUSNESS of the Universe at large and being one with it i.e, AHAM BRAHMASMI. GURUS have also used this ancient practice not only for MOKSHA(Salvation) but also as one of the means to attain eternal knowledge of the Cosmos, the SANATANA DHARMA. Upon wise words from the Sea of Simulation, Kevin restarted his YOGA SADHANA in order to regain his lost powers by connecting with the GRID, in its complete consciousness. It is YOGA itself which led him to detect Sam's previous entry in the Arena inside TronCity, and Quorra saves Sam thereafter.
Several TronCycles have passed, and Kevin has acquired what could be best summed up to a quarter of his powers in a proper manner. Equipped with the experience and discipline provided by his age, Kevin controlled his frustration, despair, and sadness almost successfully and never let them hinder his progress. Repeating history, the handful of powers that Kevin obtained gave him a new life by indicating the entry of Sam and Quorra into the Grid. Kevin, shocked by this unexpected revelation, broke out of his stance and broke into tears of happiness. Happy and proud that his son came back for him again yet anxious about his son and Quorra's fate inside. He then connected with the Sea in the astral realm through YOGA:
- Greetings, Flynn. I am both in awe and admiration for your Progress. I hope to witness the attainment of your original form as soon as possible.
- I am grateful to you, O Sea! But my son and Quorra came back into the Grid for me, as I have told you before. Thus, I request you their coordinates with utmost sincerity.
- I can see the anxiety of a father through your stoic and humble request, Flynn. But the rules of the Grid leave me no right to interfere in it's proceedings unless instructed by the emergency protocols and the cosmic energy of the Creator, which you haven't attained yet.
- I have been doing the same thing for many TronCycles which you have instructed me. How can I get cosmic powers at this stage?
- You have been given the answer during the previous session itself, Flynn. Master the seven chakras. Chakras are the Key.
- That takes many more Cycles, Man! This is too much for a User like me.
- Have patience, Flynn. Time is the answer to everything.
- (Frustrating in decibels) If anything happens to them, I'll do anything it takes to destroy the Grid once and for all, even if I have to die for real.
- ( Gentle and divine Laugh) O Innocent Creator! You have proved that a User is after all vulnerable to emotions. The Grid will do Justice and only Justice is what is followed! Perform the Action, Detach yourself from the result of your Action!!