Tron 2.50 - Stop Bit.

The past six months had been difficult. Things hadn’t gone as well for Jet as he had hoped and any likelihood of switching Mercury and Melanie back seemed remote.

And now he found himself sitting, almost alone, back in the cell block where he had first found Flynn.

Jet sat back in the chair, pushing himself against the cold gray concrete wall in frustration. He looked across at Flynn laying on the cell bunk, eyes closed but not quite asleep.

The heavy steel bars felt cold against Jet’s right arm, but Jet didn’t bother moving. There was no hurry.

He looked out the cell bar gaps to see what was happening down the hall, but the gaps weren’t wide enough. He knew it well anyway – a single guard post with CCTV pictures from hidden cameras, one, no doubt, looking at him.

Mercury had been taken away in what used to be Melanie’s body that morning, sitting rigid in the wheelchair without moving, her body seemingly paralyzed. Jet had sat with her the whole morning, but she hadn’t moved. It was like she was a statue, except for her eyes. She always moved her eyes around, even when she was near Jet. But that morning she hadn’t moved.

But while he was there, she didn’t panic. She always seemed to know when he was close to her.

Jet had wanted to see her go, but they had refused the request.

It wasn’t something he could ask them to do.

He twisted his head around and looked at Flynn once more. Flynn wasn’t moving either, but he wasn’t asleep. He did this everyday about this time.

“Just taking a break” he would say. “Body’s not as young as it used to be and it’s not like I can go walking around outside when I feel the urge.”

It had been six months since Jet had arrived at Echelon and he had only seen the sun perhaps a dozen times since then.

They had lights in here that made that superfluous anyway.

He looked down at the military issue coffee cup and nudged it with his toe. Some liquid sloshed around, but it really wasn’t drinkable anymore.

Jet leaned back and closed his eyes.

Silence.

Nothing responded.

Darkness.

The Colonel had made sure there were no network connections down here – the quantum shielding was near absolute.

As long as Jet was here, he had no access to Jade or the computer systems. Their information flows were dampened.

Nothing to dive into.

A sound broke Jet’s concentration and he made it out – the latch of the door at the end of the corridor had been opened.

There was the sound of wheels and the near-quiet footsteps of someone who had learned to walk quietly pushing it along.

Jet maintained his closed eyes and listed as the sound grew closer, then stopped with a squeak directly in front of his cage.

“Jethro Allen Bradley”

Jet slowly opened his eyes and twisted his head to look.

“Shouldn’t you be doing something right at the moment?”

Jet lifted his head from the wall.

“He is doing something” came Flynn’s interjection. “He’s resting.”

“You should be back in your quarters Flynn,” came the response.

“My quarters are on the other side of the base. Too far.” Flynn grumbled. “I’m an old man now.”

There was the sound of ruffling papers.

“It’s over. The results have been compiled.”

Jet rocked forward.

“Already?” Jet asked.

“A folder was passed through the bars.”

Jet took it.

A strong hand grabbed the bars and pulled them aside, causing them to flow until they hit the wall.

A guard pushed a wheelchair into the cell, followed by a pretty young girl hanging off his shoulder as he did so.

Alan Bradley looked at Jet from the wheelchair.

“Brian’s just come from the center You should go there.”

Jet held the report, not wanting to open it.

Alison let go of Brian’s arm and knelt down beside Jet, in front of him.

“Go on, read it. You need to read it first.”

Jet just looked at the folder.

“I can’t” he said.

“It’s what you expected.”

Jet turned his head and looked out of the cell at the moment – anywhere but at another human.

“She can’t be helped can she.” Jet said.

No one said anything.

“You always knew, somehow didn’t you?”

Jet still looked at the wall.

“So what now?”

“Father’s spoken to her as well. She knows it’s beyond fixing. There was just too much damage to her body. She can’t come out.”

Jet looked back, his hands trembling, the folder in them threatening to drop to the floor.

“So what’s going to happen?”

“It’s all as it is, it seems. Things are going to stay the way they are.” Alison said. “She sent you a message.”

Jet didn’t respond.

“She said her offer’s gone. She’s happy with Simon now – and that you should move on with your life too.

“She said to send her blessing.”

Jet turned to face her.

“And how do you feel about that?”

Alison smiled a strange, sad smile.

“Like I’ve lost a sister. Only I can still talk to her at times.”

Jet understood her pain. The feeling of loss that nothing anyone said could heal.

“So it’s permanent then?”

“The tests show so. They said it’s not going to change. The quantum transfer won’t adjust. They’ve grown apart since then and Mercury no longer has the missing information my sister needed.”

A tear rolled down Jet’s cheek at the same time as one fell down Alison’s face.

“I’m sorry,” Jet said.

Alison smiled, then stood up, pulled Jet’s head into her stomach, kissed him on the head and held him.

He held her back for a while, then let go.

“Time to go, Kid,” Flynn said.

Alan put his hands on the wheels and pushed himself backwards.

“I agree, son, time to go now.”

“The Colonel still hasn’t agreed,” Jet started.

Alan looked at Flynn.

“I don’t think he’s going to agree, but then, he only has limited options.”

Jet nodded and stood. He walked out of the cell into the corridor, but no one followed him.

“Are you going to stay here?”

“It’s near the center and has comfortable bunks. Of course I’m going to stay here – at least until the end of my lunch break.” Flynn said.

“I thought I might catch up with Flynn too,” Alan said.

Jet looked at Alison.

“Brian’s only got another hour, then it’s back to work. I’m holding out too.”

She smiled and Jet realized they all knew something he didn’t.

He walked down the corridor alone.

The medical center wasn’t far from the corridors. Most of the paths that lead from it were guarded and Jet had limited access to the base. They all did. It was a little like being under house arrest, except it wasn’t their house and they didn’t have freedom to go everywhere.

The guards noticed him, but none challenged him. He had almost made it when a wheelchair pulled up beside him, the electric whine loud enough that Jet was surprised he didn’t notice it earlier.

“Mel’s staying.” Simon said as he kept pace with Jet.

“You’re here?” Jet asked.

“For a while. Back in to work later.” Simon said. “There’s still some serious trust issues with the Datawraith corp.”

“You helped us, so I’m not really surprised,” Jet said.

Simon laughed.

He moved himself around with small movements of his hands. He was still paralyzed from a bad exit he had taken back around the time that F-Con had attempted it’s takeover.

Jet still wondered if he had played a hand in Simon’s unfortunate situation, though Simon insisted he had just fallen backwards off a large tower.

He said the fear had resulted in the quantum disturbance that had badly damaged him.

It seems falling really could kill you before you hit the bottom.

“I hear you and Mel are an item?”

Simon shrugged, but it looked like little nervous tick. “Mel’s a nice girl and I have legs in there. I think she’s happy about it though.”

“She knows she can’t come back.”

Simon’s head turned slightly, but the eyes swiveled hard.

“You think I’m taking advantage of that, don’t you?” he said.

“I think you’re just struggling to be with the person you love and who loves you.” Jet said.

Simon wheeled alongside Jet for a moment then stopped.

Jet walked on a little way before Simon called out to him.

“Is that wrong?”

Jet took two more steps then slowed, twisted, and waved slightly.

“No Simon, that’s not wrong. It’s how it should be.”

Simon pursed his lips then spoke as Jet continued to get further away.

“Is Melanie happy with staying? Permanently I mean?” Jet called back.

“Melanie says it’s her gift to herself. Said you’d understand.” Simon called out, then waved back before turning a right angle and wheeling himself off down a corridor – the one Jet knew led to the digitization pads.

Jet approached the medical sector and lifted his wrist. The sensors around the wrist marked him as unable to leave. He could access some doors, but not others.

This one he could access.

He wiped the sensor that was implanted under his skin over the pickup pad. Lights started to move on it as it checked back with the main computer.

The sensor was heavily quantum shielded also – most of the base was since Jet came here, so there was no communication although at times Jet thought he could hear whispers of the Echelon mainframe when his access was granted.

Jet walked through the doors.

Inside were several exam cubicles. Here they had been testing each of them daily, trying to measure the level of quantum contamination each had received during their extended stay in here.

Alan and Flynn had it by nature. They had spent too much time building the five eleven. Alison had picked up some also, but Jet and Melanie had received the most.

The physicians here seemed to think Jet and the others were their own private guinea pigs – they weren’t as prone to damage as the Datawraiths and the medical experts wanted to know why.

Datawraiths had only just started returning to the system after Jet’s altercation with the base in the computer room. They still faced many issues that they hadn’t expected to face however.

Jet’s levels of quantum contamination remained high, but Melanie’s body’s quantum contamination levels didn’t decay. There was something inside of it that still needed to be restored with its user. Something missing. Something out of sync with reality.

But what was Mercury was trapped permanently within it. The final tests – that Jet still couldn’t bring himself to read confirmed that she couldn’t go back, because Melanie could never come out.

They could time share, if Echelon built the appropriate circuitry, but the Colonel had pointed out to Jet that even though that was possible, maybe in the future, there was little point and the risk was huge.

Doctor Gurimin had accepted his daughters virtual imprisonment inside Echelon. She was still there to visit and as she had put it to him, the cage was far more than guilded. It was another worlds in itself.

“Jet,” called the doctor, beckoning Jet over. He was wearing an NBC-like suit – although Jet knew from experience it was quantum shielded. There was no danger now, or the door would not have opened when Jet passed his hand over it. Behind the dark visor, Jet knew the face. It had performed countless experiment on him over the past months.

“Doc,” Jet said quietly, looking around.

The large scanner that they had recently built was running in the background, passing the tray through the huge loops.

Jet noticed how close to identical it was to the one Ma3a and Alchemist used on Melanie.

Quantum connections seemed to transcend time as well as space. The shape of the machinery inside the computer echoing it’s future counterpart with spooky accuracy.

Jet kept that information to himself for the moment. The base commander was always looking for new ways to exploit them.

It wasn’t something Jet had anticipated.

Jet walked over to the doctor.

“The results are the same, but I noticed a calibration error, so re-ran the tests. They keep coming back at ninety one point three percent exactly though.”

Jet nodded. The same amount of material still left with Melanie.

Mercury had completely desynchronized with her. The remaining code was with Mercury, but attempting to put it together was like trying to collect all the atoms of an exploded atom bomb, and put it back together. At least that was how the doctor put it to Jet. The software overhead simply wasn’t possible with the current level of technology.

Jet suspected the doctor was also a nuclear physicist that had transferred over sometime at the end of the cold war to quantum physics. He kept quiet about that also. It was something he was getting good at.

“All the kings horses,” said Jet.

“And all the president’s men.” Said the doctor, nodding. “That’s about the size of it.

Behind Jet, the quantum entanglement sensor completed its run and the percentage came up for what Jet suspected was the third time that day.

Jet didn’t turn to watch it. Someone climbed from the test-bed behind Jet though. He could head them approaching.

“So this is it. The Colonel says I can’t test you anymore. Not without authorization anyway.” The doctor said.

Jet nodded.

“I’m sorry I had to take her from you Jet, you know that don’t you.”

Jet nodded.

“And the tests, I know that was hard on you, but I really needed to complete them.”

Jet nodded once more.

The Doctor patted the console.

“But I have my results now and know the truth. You have my blessing to go.”

Jet made a flat smile.

“I’ve lost a lot of options since I’ve been here also.”

“But you still have something to live for. Don’t ever forget that,” the doctor warned. “Don’t squander that either.”

Jet was about to respond when a strong arm snapped over his body across the shoulder, reaching across his chest. The impact was strong enough to wind Jet. He grunted with pain.

Then turned and went back to his console, clearly deliberately ignoring the move and anything Jet might say or do.

There was a slight pressure in Jet’s back and he felt himself being dragged back, pushed down without any way of expressing his will – the force simply too strong to resist.

Something moved over Jet’s face and he felt himself being smothered, the air being forcefully sucked from his lungs, something pushing hard into his mouth towards his throat.

He looked out of the corner of his eye at the doctor, but the doctor had clearly anticipated what Jet had not and did not want to be a witness to it.

He had his reasons.

Jet started to struggle, then the pressure relaxed and Jet gasped from breath once more, deep, long slow breaths.

He blinked twice, then slowly refocused on what was in front of him, or at least tried to.

“Did you have to be so rough?”

“I missed you,” said the face, then it pulled back, the clinic robe falling back to reveal parts of the body underneath.

“It’s been four hours.” said Jet.

“It’s been three thousand, six hundred and ninety two cycles,” said the voice.

“And you need to learn to reduce your muscle response.” Jet said.

The doctor pulled off his helmet and the familiar face of Doctor Gurimin, with a little more beard, showed from under it.

“She’s only just completed therapy Jet, she has only been able to walk for little more than a month.”

Mercury pulled Jet in tight towards her, pressing her body up against him and she kissed him once more, hard, then pulled back.

“OK, I missed you too.” Jet conceded.

“You know now that I can’t go back?” Mercury asked.

Jet nodded. “Melanie said it’s your gift.”

Mercury smiled.

“My daughter can never take her body back, but she is really appreciative of all you did – all you risked to save her. She ran a simulation on her state and she never would have survived reintegration.” Doctor Gurimin said. “User’s carry far too much data. Mercury was like a light version of her. It really wouldn’t have worked any other way.”

Jet carefully levered Mercury’s arms away, but she quickly wrapped herself around his back, although this time she was a little more gentle.

“She has to be careful not to tear ligaments,” said the doctor. “Her physical control is still weak. It takes a lot of concentration for her to move and she tends to do so with inordinate force.”

Jet nodded and grunted as she squeezed him a little too tight.

“Treat her well, Jet, she’s still my daughter’s body even if it’s not my daughter anymore.”

Jet nodded.

“I’m still trying to work out how Mercury managed to take over control of the body, with less than ten percent of the connections established from her own mind to Melanie’s body.” Jet said.

Doctor Gurimin shrugged.

“Albert Einstein said we used less than ten percent of our mind. Mercury uses all of hers. Perhaps that’s enough.”

Jet looked back at the equipment.

“The Colonel seems pretty happy with your work.” Jet said.

Doctor Gurimin looked over at the scanner.

“Finally, I have the technology I needed to save my wife and daughter but it has come too late. At least I still have Melanie to talk to and if Alison develops the cancer, she will be safe now.”

Jet knew the doctor’s pain at having to visit his older daughter only inside the computer.

It wasn’t something he wished on anyone.

“Speaking of the Colonel, he wants to introduce Datawraiths to the network once more. I think he fully understands the value that can provide in terms of developing proper intruder countermeasures. He wants to discuss it with you.”

Jet put his hand up and felt Mercury’s arm, rubbing it gently.

“I know. I’ve asked him for some boons as well, but he’s not likely to provide them I think.” Jet said.

Doctor Gurimin smiled.

“Don’t be so sure. He was saying something to me earlier about looking forward to the future. I think he approves of the outcomes from the short-term arrangements you made with him.”

Mercury twisted her head over Jet’s shoulder.

“Alison said she was going to take me to London to find some new clothes.” Mercury said.

Jet felt his eyes widen.

“The Colonel’s agreed?”

“I think he’s realized that he can’t negotiate with Melanie now, or anyone else in the computer. Jade refuses to allow his code to process without your say so. He still has his quantum intercepts running – Forty Two point one percent efficiency now – and we’ve been working with him for half a year now.” Doctor Gurimin said.

“London?” Jet asked.

“Cleared for transit across the core,” said Dr Gurimin, “Although I think that’s a compromise so you will open up transit between cores now. Since it’s safe to travel across the beams with the new algorithms, I think they want to use them as a transfer method for people other than the Datawraiths.

“It looks like you’re going to be asked to provide a travel service.

“So don’t give up too much. You still have an obligation to fulfill and it’s a lifetime one.”

Jet smiled.

Things were looking up then.

Doctor Gurimin picked up a normal folder, glanced, then closed it and snapped it into a clipboard which he tucked into the space under his arm.

“Well, I have somewhere to be. They want me to look through the old F-Con technology to see what might be salvageable.”

The doctor walked off, leaving Jet there. As he walked out through the door, he saw a young boy waiting there, playing a Nintendo HS. The Doctor walked up to him and rubbed his hair, and Manny looked up from the game and smiled before the door closed once more.

Mercury spun him on the spot and pulled him close, kissing him passionately once more. After a moment, she pulled back a little and looked down.

“You are changing state once more.”

Jet looked down, blushed at Mercury’s recognition, then kissed her surprised mouth quickly.

“Merc, this is your body now. It’s not a loaner.”

Mercury smiled.

Jet found himself smiling back. He had been waiting for this moment for a long time.

“I guess later I can finally show you how users share code.”

Melanie looked up at the rod primitive and pushed her hands into it. She closed her eyes and concentrated, then pushed some code around.

After a moment, she looked back at it.

“What is this?” Jade asked.

“My new palace,” said Melanie. “I’m going to be here for a while, so I think I might start redecorating the place.”

Jade nodded. “My user hasn’t contacted me in some time. Do you think all is right?”

Melanie smiled at Jade.

“The ambassador hasn’t been able to digitize for some time and Simon said they worked out Jet was using Quantum frequencies to communicate with us. The negotiations still are not complete so they put in shielding all over the base.”

“But we’ve been agreeing to various changes.” Jade said confused.

“Goodwill before the negotiations start. One the negotiations are concluded, I think they’ll trust Jet enough to let him digitize into the core once more.”

“The Datawraiths have been trying to do that,” said Jade frowning.

“I know. But Ma3a hasn’t reported any breaches in her obfuscation code has she?”

Jade shook her head.

“Is there anything else you wanted Kernel?”

“No, user Melanie, although,” Jade looked away briefly, “One of the datawraiths has been detected inside sector eleven at the switchpoint and he knows the key.”

Melanie’s head snapped around.

“Simon?”

Jade looked back at her. “I cannot tell if that is the user.”

Melanie smiled and ran from the half-altered structure towards the huge firewall in the distance.

Alchemist stepped over towards Jade.

“She seems in a hurry, Kernel.”

Jade nodded.

“What is the purpose of this code?” Alchemist said, looking back at what Melanie had been working on.

Jade turned.

“Palace.exe” she said.

“I can’t read it.”

Jade smiled.

“Because you’re not a user.”

Alchemist looked annoyed.

“So why does User::Melanie keep me around?”

Jade looked in the direction Melanie had run as if checking she had left.

“Your user is very important to her. I believe that you remind her of your user.”

Alchemist smiled.

It was something a program could smile about.

A blue line of energy blinked slowly, reflecting slightly on the dark red panel.

It blinked twice more and the panel opened, revealing an eye, set within a deeply armored red face. A large red hand came up and rubbed the head as if it hurt.

The program sat up and examined it’s surroundings.

Around it stretched a grid that seemed to go on forever, except there were no communications towers or points of reference.

There were however many small sphere primitives about the size of the programs fist, small, round and orange in color.

Sitting up, shaking itself as if to wake up, the program looked around, then reached out and picked up one of the orange spheres.

It lifted it to it’s basically shaped face and made a sniffing like motion to it, pulled it away, then sniffed it again.

Opening up the panels of its face, the old Kernel lifted the orange to his mouth and took a deep byte.

End of file.