You start to sense you're slowly becoming someone else

[double_discs]

Who: Ram and Rinzler
When: A few days after this.
Where: End of Line?
What: After a fews days everything seems to go back to normal. And then--there he is again.

Comments

[double_discs]

The security program tilted his head to one side as he stared at Ram with something akin to naivety, a split aura of curiosity and incomprehension radiating off the Monitor as he tried to decide what to do with that inquiry. The point of the matter was that the Monitor was completely at a loss for what was going on. That was why he'd sought out the actuarial program in the first place; however, now he still didn't know what to do about the situation.

Delving deeper into his memory files and central processor only bewildered the security program more. What he found there was a mix-match of inaccessible data and corrupted files that only told half of a much larger story that he knew was important...but very little other than that. He wasn't even sure what his part was in it all.

But somewhere in all of that jumble of data was Ram. Or rather, a clear memory of the program that was filled with something Rinzler might have called...friendship. Happiness. Camaraderie. Things Rinlzer couldn't remember the last cycle that he'd felt or known them. Ever.

Finally, the Monitor shook his head slowly from side to side. "I recognized you," he said, bewildered at his own words even as he spoke them. "I knew your designation on sight without prompting. I knew you."

He was silent for a second, looking away, contemplative--and then, his stare aimed at Ram was steady and unwavering.

"And you," he pointed at Ram's chest, "made me deviate."

[namesram]

It was hard to wait for whatever was going on in Rinzler's coding to reach an output stage, but Ram held his ground, half afraid, half strangely eager to understand.

The answer, when it came, explained everything about what had happened and nothing at all about why. If whatever connection they shared was this important, how could a program with Rinzler's directives have forgotten it? How could something neither of them understood be so deeply ingrained as to affect them both? Why, with Rinzler's accusing finger stabbing towards his chest, was remaining in ignorance the only thing that Ram could find it in himself to fear?

"I don't recognize you," he managed. "But I recognize... something... about you. I don't know what."

[double_discs]

The rumble that accompanied Rinzler wherever he went turned suddenly deep and sour, annoyed though it could not be said whether it was directed at Ram or only the situation itself. Perhaps a bit of both.

That was no explanation nor gave the security program any data to calculate a solution.

A nanocycle later the low purr evened out as Rinzler came to the conclusion that being upset over the mystery wouldn't solve anything and only wasted energy he could be using to process a solution instead. Calm once more, the Monitor took another moment to mull over what Ram had just told him.

"...I feel as though I remember you. And yet I cannot place when we have ever met before the End of Line. Try to narrow it down; what do you recognize? Are you familiar with security protocol? The Games, perhaps?"

[namesram]

"Security protocol -- no. I've worked with security programs before, but only peripherally. It's not your general appearance either. You were in End of Line for a while, but I never noticed anything until you walked up in front of me."

Ram bit his lip, his eyes losing focus as he calculated. The voice -- that had been the first thing, but asking who Rinzler's User was would probably be a profoundly bad idea. And -- the games. Yes. That was part of it. "You're always at the Games." He nodded, almost mechanically, then stopped himself -- it still didn't make sense. "No. I haven't been there since...." Before Clu. "Before the rules changed again."

He gave a string of dates, easily retrieved from his primary memories. Long, long cycles ago -- before he'd remembered the old system, back when the Games weren't about getting derezzed. Back then, though, nobody had ever heard of Rinzler.

[double_discs]

Rinzler cocked his head to the side at the string of dates Ram listed off. He tried accessing the memory files in his own processor associated with the dates and shook his head as he hit a forceful firewall blocking his access to his own memories from that time. The internal conflict had him reeling on his feet, literally, and he swayed unsteadily.

He looked up at Ram and--as the only object near to him at the moment--the Monitor reached out with a hand to grasp the other program to help steady himself. His breathing came out in growling gasps that slowly petered down to a low rumble that was near silent.

[namesram]

"Rinzler?" Thoroughly alarmed, Ram reached up to steady the big bad scary Monitor, realizing only belatedly what he'd done. Still, in for a bit, in for a byte. It had already been incredible that despite causing Clu's top enforcer to deviate, he hadn't immediately been appropriated for repurposing.

Repurposing--

Vertigo surged through him. His forehead almost touching the black helmet, he saw as though for the first time the four glowing marks on the Monitor's chest, three in a row and one beneath.

No.

No--

"Who are you?" he whispered -- then caught himself, horrified, and gave Rinzler a sharp shake. If it were true, there'd be traps, failsafes against exactly this situation. "You're firewalled -- Rinzler -- wait--!"

[double_discs]

"I--" but it was too hard to concentrate on words as a sharp electrifying pain jolted through him and he took a sharp intake of air. He shut his eyes and for an exceedingly long nanocycle Rinzler's circuits dimmed to near non-existence.

It looked like a forced reboot flooding the security program's system.

As he came back online the Monitor straightened, releasing his hold on Ram, and his circuits flashed a bright, deadly red as the energy resumed circulation. He seemed hazy at first and then suddenly his senses focused and he leveled a hard stare at Ram.

"You are coming with me." He didn't give the other program the chance to object--he grabbed Ram by the arm and began to forcefully drag him away, heading towards the nearest Guard Tower.

[namesram]

Ram didn't object. He'd known from the beginning that a security protocol could kick in at any time, and the sudden insight into what had happened to Rinzler -- along with relief that it hadn't been any worse -- was almost too much for his processors to handle. Stumbling, he took a few steps to catch his balance, but didn't try to pull away as Rinzler hauled him along, and only once looked sideways at the black helmet, all fear washed away, trying only to understand.

[double_discs]

Rinzler stalked diligently down the street with his captive in tow, oblivious to everything else but his current task or so it seemed. They were a block away when the Monitor suddenly stopped though and, after a moment of absolute stillness, glanced sideways at Ram. He considered for a second.

Slowly, his grip released Ram's arm from its firm hold. "Ram..."

[namesram]

His arm free, Ram could find no words, so he just nodded, staring at the black helmet as though trying to see through it.

[double_discs]

"I want to know." It was all he said as he continued to stare down at Ram. The longer he fought off the security protocol the easier he found it to ignore altogether. Something within him was telling him that the protocol was wrong--Ram was not a threat to the System.

[namesram]

Ram just stood there for a moment, struggling to balance the new information. It was admittedly a little easier while not being dragged off to his doom. The facts were finally correlating, at least in sketchy outline. The possibility that Rinzler was a distant code-brother to Alan One's lost brainchild could never explain what was happening now.

Cold logic informed him that this was a previously unsuspected weakness in Clu's most valuable asset. It could alter Rinzler on a fundamental level, or even destabilize him for good. He should stall, try to pass this new weapon so the knowledge wouldn't die with him. In the same thought, he knew that as things stood, it was impossible to trust this to anyone else.

The small pattern on Rinzler's chest glowed palely and he couldn't understand how he'd ever missed it.

"You should," he said bluntly. "But what if it's something that's supposed to stay hidden, even from you? That firewall's not there by accident."

[double_discs]

Rinzler shook his head in frustration and an underlying growl manifested in his tone when he spoke. "Tear it down. Douse it. Destroy it. Bypass it. Why would it even be there in the first place? Who put it there? Why?"

His hands at his sides clenched and unclenched into fists repeatedly, clawing at the air like an angry feline's annoyed kneading gesture. His circuits flashed a darker hue briefly.

"Did the User...?" But he came up short as he realized his terms came out wrong. As he realized that he purposefully avoided the term 'creator' because he did not--had never--thought of Flynn as his creator. The idea strikes him as odd even as he knows it is true. But if the Creator of the Grid was not his maker, then who? He shook the processes out of his CPU. "Is this his fault somehow? What has he done to me?"

Rinzler could not think of another reason that a firewall would be within his system. He wanted nothing more than to go to Clu at this moment and tell the other of this further transgression of the false User. To ask for help in fixing what was wrong with him. Ram...

Could Ram have been a program made by the User to confuse and corrupt him? Could this all be some trick to glitch his functions? Rinzler growled in frustration as he leveled a piercing stare at the actuarial program for causing this miscalculation in him.

"What are you trying to do to my system?"

[namesram]

Ram's calculations were racing. He opened his mouth, almost called Rinzler by the wrong name, bit it back and let out an angry breath. "You're a security program. You know more about firewalls than I do. If it's there to stop you from finding out about it, I can't tell you what I think is behind it yet. We have to make sure. Find out how to bypass it without setting it off."

He blinked in bewilderment at Rinzler's next words. "What User? There hasn't been a User down here since Flynn." Even Clu couldn't have hidden it if the portal had opened again.

He didn't even notice that he hadn't called Flynn the Creator either. For all he knew, Flynn was back in the User world, driven there by Clu, who'd been made in his image. Why he hadn't returned for all these cycles.... Ram couldn't understand it, but he'd never been able to bring himself to believe Flynn had abandoned them by choice.

"I'm trying to get to the root of this, same as you are." He paused. The quickest way to prove it would be to let Rinzler read his disk, but that would give away too many programs who had nothing to do with this, and might break Rinzler into the bargain. So much for that heroic idea. "You sought me out, Rinzler. Both times. I don't know what to do about this, besides staying out of your processing range."

[double_discs]

The security program began to reach out as if to seize violently ahold of Ram once more but the move came up short. There was a long pregnant pause.

"I would simply hunt you down again," he finally said with an intense stare at the actuarial program. His hand clenched into a fist, tightly, then dropped unceremoniously back down to his side where it hung limply, idle and useless. In fact, all of Rinzler's posture looked and felt aloof, off-balance, idle, a touch restless, and insecurely useless. He also looked ready to rip the code right off the next passerby and leave the subroutines exposed just for something to do out of his frustration. It was an odd and frightening combination on the Monitor's features.

Another drawn-out pause ensued. "It should not be impossible for me to get by a firewall. I should not have been unaware of it. It should not be possible inside my code. Three impossibilities, Ram. What besides a User can create such unparseable equations?"

[namesram]

Ram did flinch a little at that gesture, but it was a purely automatic reaction. Hunt me down again... he didn't doubt it.

Rinzler's curt threefold assessment, even under the palpable pressure of this whole unsolved process, was a reminder of how much the security program he still was. To Ram, who was pretty sure he could name the culprit and almost certain that doing so would set off the firewall again, the wistful note in the last line was wrenching.

"Someone you trust," he said bleakly, responding to the tone more than the words. "A program with User-level admin access." He wasn't certain what that meant, but had heard enough programs with security experience use such terms about Clu.