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 (2 page)
Y
ou stroll through the aisles of humming games, recognizing all your old favorites. Memories flash through your mind. You finger a quarter in your pocket. What should you play? You stop in front of a game you spent hours onâTron. You pull out the quarter and search around for the slot.
As you reach to insert the coin, it slips from your fingers. “Sheesh!” you mutter. “That's my only one.” Dropping down to retrieve the money, you notice major scuff marks on the wood floor. It looks as if the machine has been movedâa lot. You grip its sides hard and move the game away from the wall.
Your eyes grow wide. There's an opening hidden behind the game! You step through and find a secret stairway.
Heart pounding, you descend the narrow, dust-choked stairs. You reach the bottom and face double doors. You take a deep breath. And then you swing them wide open.
T
he guy in that ship above the court seems to be in charge. You have to convince him that there has been a big mistake.
You race across the court until you're just below the ship. You wave frantically. “Hey!” you shout. “You, up there! You need to stop this game! Yoo-hoo! Hello? Yo!”
The masked man's face tips down toward you. Great! You got his attention. You cup your hands around your mouth, hoping he can hear you. Maybe the arena is miked? Well, no matter what, you have to try.
“I don't belong here! I'm not one of these ⦔ You sweep your arm to indicate the other players. “I'm a person! I'm not from here! You have toâ”
Swish! You feel the breeze of your combatant's disc as it rushes by your head. That was close.
Y
our heart sinks. But you can't be distracted.
The green rider on your team is up ahead. Thousands of fans whoop and cheer, eager for the action to come to them.
Clu is fast on Green's trail. You lag behind them, watching as Clu pulls up beside Green. He reaches over to Green's throttle and revs it. Your jaw drops. There are no fouls called in this game! Anything goes!
The sudden rush of speed sends Green spinning out of control toward the edge of the track. He strikes the bleachers and is sent sprawling. He derezzes when he hits the ground, and his bike flies into the stands. There's total chaos as the fans scramble to get out of the way, but it's no use. Dozens of screaming programs derezz.
Clu is ruthless, you realize.
You have to take him out.
You fall in beside him, and you both accelerate. The crowd howls excitedly. Every time Clu tries to pull ahead you match him move for move. Wham! He rams you, sending your Light Cycle spinning toward a light wall. Just at the point of impact, you leap off the bike.
Clu bears down on you. His Light Cycle speeds up, and like a swordsman on horseback, he unsheathes his disc and prepares for the kill.
Do you fling yourself out of the way?
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.Do you pull out your own disc?
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.
T
he next morning you go to the lot to see if you can find the guys. Tyler is there, and so is Luke. There's a girl with them working on Luke's bike. “Hey!” you call as you come to a screeching halt. You hop off the bike and join them.
“What's up, man?” Tyler says.
“Looks like I'm finally going to need an actual job,” you say.
“Harsh,” Luke says.
“Yeah. But I thought if I could do something with bikes it wouldn't be so bad. You've seen my moves. Do you think I have a shot at stunt riding?”
Tyler narrows his eyes, studying you. “Could be.” He looks over at the girl. “Hey, Jax! I've got a newbie for you!”
The girl wipes grease off her face with her T-shirt. “You want to do stunts?”
“I do,” you tell her.
“This grease monkey is my sister Jax,” Tyler explains. “She's a stunt coordinator on a film shooting in town.”
She rattles off a list of questions. “Got nerves of steel? Good reflexes? Strong upper body?”
“I'd say yes to all three,” you say.
Y
our hands open and close around the keys. Then you slip them into your pocket and cross to your bookshelf. Reaching out, you pick up one of the action figures on the shelf.
“Clu,” you say, announcing the name of the character from one of your father's games. “Stands for âCodified Likeness Utility.'” You shake your head and replace the figure. You remember the bedtime stories your dad used to tellâall about how he made it inside the computer system and back out again. They were exciting tales. Clu had been an important character in them. He had been made to look like your dad, so the action figure has your father's faceâin miniature.
You dust off Tron, another figure wearing an armorlike outfit. Your dad's stories made Clu, Tron, and all the other characters seem like real people. You grin at the U-shaped vehicle known as a Recognizer. It used to serve as your night light.
You haven't looked closely at these toys in a long time. They've just always been there. You spin around and stride back to the window and stare at the blinking Encom building.
You shove your hands into your pockets and feel the keys again. What should you do?
If you decide to go and check out the arcade,
If you decide to forget the whole thing,
H
uh?” you say, confused.
“Gopher. As in âgo for,'” she says. “So go for my coffee. When you get back, I'll need you to make some copies and fax them to the office.” She strides away.
“She doesn't need any more caffeine,” you mutter as you scan the area, looking for where you might find coffee. You spot a catering truck and jog toward it.
This is totally bogus, you think, kicking a rock out of your way. You wanted to use your motorcycle skills, not your ability to carry a cup of coffee. This is as badâworseâthan working with Encom. At least there you'd be the boss. Sort of. Even if you're not sure what that means exactlyâ¦
You refill the thermos and reluctantly start back across the set. You see a stunt guy who's going to handle the motorcycle trick. You seethe with envy. He's not any better than you on a bike! In fact, you've given him pointers! So unfair.
He waves you over. “Listen, I really have to go to the bathroom,” he says urgently. “Can you guard the bike? I can't leave it unattended. I'll be right back.”
“Sure,” you tell him. He rushes away. An idea formsâ¦. You and the stunt guy are dressed alike. You're the same build. You can rock the stunt, you're sure of it.
Should you try to pull off the stunt yourself?
Or should you just watch the bike and then bring
Jax her coffee.
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.
I
t's okay,” you assure her. “We're safe now. We're on some kind of solar ship heading for the Portal.” Quorra takes a deep breath and releases it. “Clu has Flynn's disc?”
You nod. “Once I get out, I can shut him down.”
“I should never have sent you to Zuse,” she says, frowning. “That was a mistake. I should have known he might have changed.”
“It's okay. I've made plenty of mistakes myself,” you tell her.
“Where is your father?” she asks.
“He said he's âknocking on the sky â¦'”
“âAnd listening to the sound,'” she finishes for you.
“I guess you've heard that one before,” you say.
“I've heard them all. I've been with him a long time. He's changed since you've come here,” she adds. “He had lost hope and nowâ¦Well, I haven't seen him like this in a long time. It'sâ¦nice.”
You and Quorra stand on the deck of the solar sailer and gaze at the brilliant pillar of light signifying the Portal up ahead. “Some view,” you comment.
“It's how I imagine a sunrise must be,” Quorra says. “Something I've always wanted to see.”
Your father suddenly stands. “Get below. Move,” he orders.
