everybody loves me

[benignspybot]

Who: Ram, OPEN
Where: Tron City (anywhere out in the open, tagger's choice)
When: somewhere in the proximity of...now
What: There's a new Ram on the Grid. Have at it, folks.
Warnings: If you make me put something here I will be severely disappointed.

Comments

[yorisearching]

It had been a particularly challenging millicycle of argument in the park, leaving Yori with the gritty feeling of exhaustion even though her energy levels were fine. She understood the programs' general objection to having Rinzler in the park; he'd derezzed a number of them, in worse times. But first of all she couldn't keep any version of the hunter out if she tried, and secondly she wasn't glitching well going to let anyone who was trying to get along in peace be made unwelcome.

Which didn't begin to touch the whole complicated question of identity.

Still, Yori brightened and walked faster on catching a glimpse of Ram down the street. She'd meant to call him soon, but if he was here...

"Ram!" she hailed cheerfully the moment she thought he might notice. It would be somewhat tricky catching up to him if he didn't hear.

awwwww<3 she's so sweet to them

[benignspybot]

Ram skidded to a stop when he heard his name called out, brows furrowing as he looked around. Was it just a coincidence or was someone he actually knew stuck in this place, too? He didn't hang around a lot of other programs but he did have a few informants that he kept in touch with on a fairly regular basis.

When he finally spotted the pretty petite blond heading his way he grinned. She looked vaguely familiar but he couldn't place her. He opted to ignore that and gave her a friendly wave while he waited for her to catch up. This could be interesting.

Re: awwwww<3 she's so sweet to them

[yorisearching]

"If you're not too busy, I really need to talk with someone who knows Tron," Yori said with a grimace as she approached, leaving unspoken the connected need for a friend who saw Tron in Rinzler.

Something made her hesitate, though, on a closer look. She might have ignored the minor differences, if not for the presence of at least four and probably five versions of Tron or Rinzler. "Ah. You seem--different." She wasn't quite sure enough to assume either way.

[benignspybot]

His eyebrows hitched upwards whenever she mentioned Tron, the incredulity clear in his expression. If she wanted to know his specs, his abilities and capabilities, his reactions to certain provocations and occurrences within the System then Ram was probably a good choice to ask. If he was willing to talk about his own past experiences. But know him, know him? As a person? Which just from her general appearance and way she spoke of him seemed to be what she was getting at--well, he was the last program to come to for that.

Ram avoided the security program at all costs. Anything else meant the end of the line for him.

He shifted uncomfortably and offered an uncertain smile at her last words. "Do I?" he said enigmatically. Frankly, he had no idea who she really was and he wondered if he should from some past exploit.

[boomersecurity]

Boomer was out on one of his neighborhood patrols, it was nothing he did in any official capacity, just something he did from time to time for lack of anything else to do. He was getting used to startled-looking new arrivals, he'd been there himself not too long ago. Recently enough that he still remembered it, but long enough ago that he'd had time to settle.

He chuckled as Ram got his bearings, just leaning comfortably against the nearest wall, arms folded loosely across his chest, "You look lost, program." For as imposing as he came off, his tone was amiable, even amused, "Name's Boomer, neighborhood watch," It was a title someone else had given him as a joke, and he'd taken it and run with it, "And I suspect you were headed somewhere else when you ended up here, happens from time to time."

[benignspybot]

Ram winced as he recognized Boomer for a security program and hoped that his "I'm harmless" signature guise worked just as well in this System as any other. And that the involuntary facial reaction could be chalked up to the fact that he really was lost. He didn't like admitting that, but who better to know the System than a security program?

"It isn't a very nice feeling to get thrown from one Sys to another. Can you tell me where the nearest I/O node is? I should be able to get back home in no time despite the," he waves a hand around errantly, "glitch in this System."

[boomersecurity]

"Happens more often than you'd think around here." He said with a shrug, pushing himself up away from his slouch and padding closer, "Not my home system either, and there's a couple dozen others had the same problem."

His smile returned, "Just going along, minding your own business and then, pow, here you are." He nodded towards the Portal in the distance, "They say there was a problem at the portal a while back, it's sort of taken on a mind of its own, as it were. Been pulling programs in from all over."

[benignspybot]

The smaller program bounced on his feet a bit in a jittery abundance of energy as the security program pushed away from the wall and got closer. He glanced towards the indicated Portal and back again with a frown. He didn't know what to make of Boomer's explanation and, he noted with a touch of wryness, his actual question hadn't been answered.

"Wonderful," he replied sarcastically. "So, about that I/O node...?"

[namesram]

His circuits were different.

That was the first thing Ram noticed, rounding a corner and stopping just short of slamming into what had first registered as the surface of a mirror -- but there was no surface, just a program, another program with his face. There were other differences too -- a slightly different build, a few more lines around the eyes -- but even with the circuits as the main point of divergence, they could almost pass as the same program, the similarities too acute to be explained even by their both having been written by the same User.

Still, after meeting two different Trons and two different Rinzlers, not to mention ZackAttack and countless other duplicated entities, it wasn't difficult for Ram to grin and face his own clone as though things like this happened every other millicycle.

"Hey, stranger. You new here?"

[[~OH MY, FEELS JUST LIKE I DON'T TRY~<3333]]

[benignspybot]

He automatically began to cite an apology to the other even as he continued to walk by. The words died on his lips though as he stared at the other program and he stopped trying to move forward. His eyes roamed over the whole of the identical looking program and noted all the obvious differences quickly.

He knew he was technically considered a piece of malware but he'd never started duplicating like a virus as far as he knew. Sheesh.

He briefly wondered what his User was up to if he was starting to make copies of his best program. Which thought just made Ram mirror the other's friendly grin as he got his bearings.

"Yeah, around these parts. But if you even calculate calling me a beta I'll knock you a good one 'cause I'm pretty sure I was compiled way before your date of conception." He offered a hand to the other program. "Name's Ram. You got a separate designation or are we gonna have to duke it out to decide which one of us gets the official title?"

He was kidding of course. Mostly.

[♪LOOKS SO GOOD I MIGHT DIE♪ ♥♥]]

[namesram]

"Wouldn't dream of it." Ram's smile broadened as he shook the other's hand. Despite the other Ram's cheery smile (and the fact that, well, it was him, after all), here had been a hint of defensiveness in the cocky answer, and he wanted to put his double at ease. "Believe it or not, I'm Ram also. Actuarial program, complied by ZackAttack in user-year 1981, and before you ask, it's pretty normal for this to happen in this system. You?"

[[EXCEPTYOU'DBETTERNOT~ ?ALL I KNOW IS EVERYBODY LOVES ME :D:D:D??]]

[benignspybot]

That information took the surveillance program aback for a moment. He gave the other program a curious once-over before leaning back and crossing his arms over his chest with a thoughtful expression. "You're still an actuarial program, huh?"

He unfolded and gestured vaguely as he explained. "Surveillance program, recompile date User-year 1991." And he said that much only because he was talking to a fellow program written by ZackAttack. It was hard not to trust his double. "Before that is another story," he shrugged.

"What's up with this place anyway?"

[[HE DOESN'T PLAN ON IT! HEAD DOWN, SWAYIN' TO MY OWN SOUND♫ ^_~]]