OOC: Kevin Flynn/Clu?
OOC: [spoilerific]You've seen the end of Legacy, haven't you? That should answer that question.
[/spoilerific]
OOC: Nope. I'm holding the answer ransom, though. >=) I applaud you for creativity, though, Flipz. =P Wouldn't have thought of him, partly because of never really hearing of him before. =P
OOC: PM me, we'll see.
The cultist smiled. "We will."
-==Zagrene==-
Left, right, block, hook...right, left, block, hook... Zagrene ignored the small crowd of curious onlookers as he continued to train.
"Three hours?" he heard a person say incredulously. "Who would want to run the assessment for three hours?"
Zagrene ignored him, ducking the nunchuck-like beam that swung towards him, his reflexes perfect. A cycle of repetitions later, the device began to lash out at his legs, trying to sweep them out from under him. Zagrene lept, up, then back as the nunchuk and leg sweep struck simultaneously. Landing on his hands, he launched himself to the back of the compartment as the zero-gravity simulation kicked in. He braced himself against the back wall as he prepared to strike at the machine again.
"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to--"
The official had stepped in at exactly the wrong time. Prepared for another strike toward his right shoulder, Zagrene lashed out at the man on pure instinct, striking him with the palm of his hand. Energy coursed through the other man's body, sending him into convulsions as his nervous system fired out of control.
Zagrene, his rhythm thrown off, took a nunchuk to the face, flinging him across the compartment just as the safety protocols registered an interruption and shut the simulation down. Normal gravity set in, and Zagrene landed hard.
As the angry actor struggled to his feet, slightly dazed, he spotted a lean, attractive woman in uniform standing just outside of the clear observation forcefield, her hands clasped behind her back and her face indicating bemusement. She looked like she was no stranger to the facilities here. "Our apologies, my partner here is a bit of an idiot."
Zagrene raised an eyebrow.
A bit? he all but said.
The woman grinned appreciatively. Her expression went blank, and she inclined her head for a moment as a small holographic screen materialized in front of her right eye. Nodding twice, she extended her hand, face-up to Zagrene. "Mr. Zagrene, if you please?"
Zagrene took the hand, as the woman helped him step over her unconscious partner and guided him towards an apparently blank wall. The woman extended her left hand, which, he saw, had an implant to interface with the hidden console that suddenly appeared from behind a recessed panel. A hidden door slid aside just long enough for the pair to step through before sealing itself seamlessly once again.
Zagrene found himself in a blank white space, one seemingly devoid of corners. "Mr. Zagrene," the woman began, "do you know why you're here?"
Zagrene shook his head. "Though from your tone, I might guess that charges of assaulting a Games officer are not part of it."
The woman smirked at that. "Properly trained Games officers know better than to interrupt someone in the middle of a training regimen, even a simple capability examination. He won't be pressing charges." Zagrene gave the woman a pointed look. "
Temporary partner," she said simply, amending her earlier statement. "That's where you come in. I understand you reported an escaped artificial intelligence earlier?" Zagrene nodded slowly, hesitantly. "Good. You may not realize it, but that intelligence unit holds the key that will end the war between the so-called "pure" humans and cybernetically enhanced humans like us. Yes," she added at Zagrene's expression of surprise, "we are aware of your...unusual...capabilities
. That's why you've been accepted into the program."
Zagrene gave the woman a skeptical look. "Five years of Games assessment and NOW you decide I'm useful to you?"
The woman sat forward. "This isn't part of our normal operations. It's come to our attention that certain forms of life may have made themselves viable again. If they succeed, the balance will be broken, and the world will be forever changed."
"Let me guess: you want me to stop them?"
"No. I want you to help them." She held up a small elliptoid device, emblazoned with an image of a fruit--Zargene could not tell what kind. "Do you know what this is? It's a prototype, but people familiar with the technology of the period would be able to recognize it." Zagrene shook his head. "Fine. Listen closely: this is what you are going to do..."
