dear_mun | (no subject)

[Confusion, for a moment, then realization. This isn't the same beta-Sam he spoke to before.

He crouches, one knee on the ground, to be more on the beta-User's level. The smile's a bit gentler now, but no less friendly.]

My name's Clu, though I'm obviously not the one you're familiar with. I'm a hacking program your father wrote cycles before he ever created the Grid. [A bit of a wry smirk.] The Grid's Clu was actually named after me.

And I know you because I've met you before. Or rather, a version of you. It's... kind of a long story. [Understatement of the decacycle, Clu.]

Edited 2012-08-15 06:26 (UTC)

[That is.... Sam gets a positively evil grin.]

So you're Clu's big brother? Clu has a big brother!

[And yes, yes Sam is cackling about that. And then he promptly hugs Clu1.]

Wait.. you're my big brother too then. You're not gonna make me clean my room too, right? Can you be the cool brother?

And you met me before? Is that like Star Trek? Are you from another universe?

[Clu can't help but grin back, despite what his next answer has to be.]

That's... sort of complicated, actually. I was created before him, yes, but he's actually lived a great deal longer than I have.

[Clu is not about to refuse a hug, though. C'mere, little User bro! Sam promply gets hacker-hugs right back.]

As for making you clean your room, I don't know. [slight shrug] Is there some reason it needs cleaned? If not, then most likely no.

[Clu seems slightly puzzled by the last question until he caculates over it for a few moments.] That seems to be the case, yeah. It... happens alot in the system I've been living in. [pause] If you don't mind my asking, though... what's 'Star Trek'?

That sounds like him an' me. He's only a few months old'n me but that's a waaaaay long time in the Grid. It's not fair.

[Hugs are the best!]

I don't think it needs cleaned. I can find everything all the time! But Clu makes me pick stuff up if I leave it. I think he's just [a pause, if only to relish it] a total control freak!

Star Trek is only the best tv show ever. And there are movies now! I'll bring a tape when I visit! Or you can come over!

[Sam, your misunderstanding of the situation is both cute and sad. Clu shakes his head, smile becoming a little sad.]

I'm afraid it's not quite the same thing. See, the reason the Clu you know was named after me is that by the time he was created, I wasn't around any more. [A slight pause, during which Clu debates whether or not he should elaborate, before continuing.] Flynn told you about the MCP, right? [Most versions of SamFlynn should know that story, but he thought it better not to assume.

Sam's statement about Clu2 brings an uncharacteristically serious look to Clu's face for a moment, but given their positioning, it's possible Sam missed it. It's gone pretty quickly though. Obviously this Sam's Clu was one of the rare exceptions, and that can only be a good thing.]

He can be, yeah. [Small smirk] I think it's part of how he shows he cares. He wants everything to run smoothly for everyone, you know? Especially those he cares about. But don't be afraid to tell him if you think he's trying too hard, alright? [That's a problem both Flynn and his brother from the Primary Grid seemed to have, and so it was safe to assume Sam's Clu might have it too.

And all this talk of TV shows and movies just gets you a curious headtilt, Sam. He at least understands that it's some sort of video file and that Sam plans to show him a copy of it. He grins.] I'll admit, you've got me curious now. You're certainly welcome to bring a copy, if you want, though I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to come visit your world.

Yeah, he told me all about the MCP. [Sam can put the pieces together, though, and his face falls a bit and his hug gets a lot tighter.] You fought him too, huh?

[He's had it explained that derezzed doesn't mean forever all the time. So Clu probably isn't a zombie.]

We will. Promise.

And why not? You're here now. You can come back for a visit can't you?

[Clu sees the expression on Sam's face, and realizes that he's put it together. Clu nods sadly, giving Sam a reassuring squeeze.]

Yeah, though not quite as directly as Flynn and Tron did. Before Flynn ever got into the Encom System, he sent me in, looking for a file of his that had been stolen by another User. The MCP's goons eventually caught me, and brought me before ol' high-and-mighty Master Control itself. When I refused to tell it who my User was, it derezzed me. I wasn't rerezzed on the Grid til a long time later.

[That's enough of an explanation for now; no sense traumatizing the beta-User with the unpleasant details of the story.]

This place is a bit different. Anyone can come here. But I couldn't normally get from the system I'm living in to your world. Our portal is... malfunctioning. It has to do with that long story I mentioned earlier. I can try and explain it, though, if you want? [At least the non-traumatizing parts of it.]

Edited 2012-08-17 00:39 (UTC)

Well... Dad and Tron blew it up good.

[There's a little snuffle, but he's ok really.]

So can I visit where you are? Then maybe we can take the portal to my place and watch Star Trek. And Dad would flip.

They sure did. [And Clu's smile is just a wee bit vindictive now.] Wish I could've seen the look on its big ugly bit-face when they did.

As to you visiting me, I think your mun is planning on just that. Though neither of us will remember talking like this, if that happens. In terms of the game, Users tend to arrive on our Grid entirely by accident on the first trip, though after they return to their own time and world, the entrance to the portal can be tuned in to our Grid from their side.

[The other part, though...] But while I'd love to meet your Flynn and watch 'Star Trek' with you, I don't think I'd be able to. Not now, anyway. Your Grid might be in good shape, but I'm afraid there's still a great many things that need fixed on our Grid. [Again, understatement of the decacycle.]

I'd still like to show you around, though, if you wind up there. [And make sure you get the full story in the least brain/heart-breaky way possible.]

That sounds cool. I know how to work the portal! I got a disk and a key and Dad let me use my key when we left.

[Ok the not remember part isn't as fun, but that's fine he can meet Clu all over again!]

But you can still visit for vacation! Vacation is important!

[He smiles.] Alright then. You'll probably have to talk to one of the other Users about the proper calibration, though. Anything to do with the workings of the portal is way outside my line of functioning.

[And that gets you a curious headtilt.] It is? [Pause.] What is 'vacation', anyway? You mentioned you had plenty of 'summer vacation' earlier; is it any different from standard 'vacation'?

Vacation is when you take a break from working and go do fun stuff. Only for days instead of just a while before bed. Um... so like lots of millicycles off. It's 'cause everyone needs to take breaks or they get cranky or start making bad choices.

Summer vacation is vacation from school! School is like work for ki-- beta-Users. 'Cause we don't get to be programmed with knowing everything and have to learn it.

I know about school. A User named LeeStetson told me about it. All Users go to school while they're children, though some fully-developed Users also go to school to enhance their skills in specific functions.

[Clu can't help but seem a little proud of his User-world knowledge there.

This 'vacation' thing has him a little confused, though. Why would someone avoid their function for that long if they could help it?]

I don't think I've ever had more than a few millicycles off at once, unless it was due to being damaged. I mean, I know it's important to know your limits and to have some fun every so often, but well... don't you get bored or restless if you don't have any tasks to do for that long?

Yup! Just like that!

[And all the horrified looks because Clu don't you know what having fun is?!]

That's why you do fun stuff! Or go new places and try new stuff!

It's like.. like field trips! Enrichment!

[No, he's not sure what that word really means, but he heard it used to describe field trips and field trips are like tiny vacations from school too.]

[Of course Clu knows what having fun is! In fact, he knows a few definitions of it that Sam (hopefully) won't find out til he's a good bit older. But you must remember that you're talking to a program, here.

Clu processes over that notion for a moment.]

But... what if you enjoy your normal tasks too? Like, for example, I enjoy hacking and data-gathering. I liked working on my tank too, when I still had one. To me, that's fun.

Does that still count as 'vacation'? Or do you have to do different activities than usual for it to count?

[Bear with Clu here, Sam. The concept of deliberately avoiding work just because you can is kind of alien to a program.]

Well work can be fun sometimes. Dad's job looks really fun. And Clu thinks his job is fun even if I think it's kinda boring. Nobody cares about efficiency reports... at least not for bedtime stories!

But vacation is like doing new stuff. [Sam pauses because he never really thought about this too hard before. Vacation was just something fun that he did.]

If you go new places or do new stuff, you can learn new things! And then you can go back to work later with all your new stuff you know to help with that. Or... Dad likes to go to the beach when he's stuck on problems 'cause he said sometimes you have to let the problem go before you can solve it. Whatever that means.

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Because why have a hug icon if you don't use it? XD

daaaaaawwwwwwwww

IKR? All the hacker-hugs! XD

hugs are magic

Yes they are.

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