Day 68 | Rendezvous with Rinzler
Who: Quorra and Rinzler
When: Day 68
Where: An abandoned car on a spooky street
What: On her way home from a shopping expedition, Quorra is pursued by monsters and seeks shelter in an abandoned car. Trouble is, it's already occupied...by one napping Rinzler.
Rating: PG-13ish for ~mature themes~ and possible violence. Hey, it's Rinzler.
The arrival of the User, Kevin Flynn, was in many ways a blessing, but in others, a curse. It meant that Quorra was no longer alone here, when she had been for what seemed like an age, and that while he didn't remember her, he also wasn't dead or derezzed. In weighing up pros and cons, the pros were definitely on the longer side of the list.
But his presence also meant that Quorra had another's safety to think of as well as her own. When it had been just her, she hadn't been so worried, but now that Flynn was there she had to protect him. Had to make sure he was all right. And that meant she had to keep him inside as much as she could and away from the monsters, but that wasn't possible with their house running low on food and other supplies. One of them had to venture outside to one of the stores eventually.
Quorra, of course, made sure it was her. She was reasonably certain the Gridbugs were gone, since Flynn hadn't seen any, and when she stepped outside and wasn't immediately swarmed by them that morning she was proved right. But she wasn't out of the woods yet. The Ducati was lying on its side in the driveway, and although it didn't look that damaged, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't start it. She didn't much like the idea of walking in the fog, with the probability of monsters still out there - other, more horrible things than just Gridbugs - but in the end she gathered her courage and set out for the S-Mart.
There were grumblings and growlings in the mist, shapes moving, but she ignored them. A couple of times she had to break out into a run to avoid...things, but she tried not to look too closely at them, and she made it to the S-Mart tired and breathless but without major incident.
The trip home, however, was another story.
She wasn't even sure what they were - beasts with teeth and claws and ragged wings and a screech like nails on a chalkboard. Clutching a bag full of food under her arm, Quorra sprinted down the street, hardly knowing which direction she was going in. There were more of them, and they were closing in - she needed to find cover, fast. Up ahead there was an abandoned car, one that looked a little more sturdy than most, and in her panic Quorra didn't even think - she yanked the driver's side door open and threw herself inside, slamming down the lock before she'd even hit the seat.
Claws scrabbled at the windows, but gradually the shrieks faded as Quorra sank down behind the wheel, panting. She waited until the only sound was the frantic pounding of her heartbeat in her ears, and then she sat up, pressing her face to the window as she peered out of it. All she could see was fog, and for once, that reassured her, and she let out a sigh of relief.
And then she realized she wasn't alone.
It was dark inside the car, but in the back seat, something glowed. Quorra turned, very slowly, to see what it was, and when her eyes fell across the still form sprawled over the back seat, she gasped aloud.
Tron. No, Rinzler...he was here. "Oh User," the ISO whispered, covering her mouth with both hands, momentarily frozen with shock and fear.
What was she supposed to do now?
When: Day 68
Where: An abandoned car on a spooky street
What: On her way home from a shopping expedition, Quorra is pursued by monsters and seeks shelter in an abandoned car. Trouble is, it's already occupied...by one napping Rinzler.
Rating: PG-13ish for ~mature themes~ and possible violence. Hey, it's Rinzler.
The arrival of the User, Kevin Flynn, was in many ways a blessing, but in others, a curse. It meant that Quorra was no longer alone here, when she had been for what seemed like an age, and that while he didn't remember her, he also wasn't dead or derezzed. In weighing up pros and cons, the pros were definitely on the longer side of the list.
But his presence also meant that Quorra had another's safety to think of as well as her own. When it had been just her, she hadn't been so worried, but now that Flynn was there she had to protect him. Had to make sure he was all right. And that meant she had to keep him inside as much as she could and away from the monsters, but that wasn't possible with their house running low on food and other supplies. One of them had to venture outside to one of the stores eventually.
Quorra, of course, made sure it was her. She was reasonably certain the Gridbugs were gone, since Flynn hadn't seen any, and when she stepped outside and wasn't immediately swarmed by them that morning she was proved right. But she wasn't out of the woods yet. The Ducati was lying on its side in the driveway, and although it didn't look that damaged, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't start it. She didn't much like the idea of walking in the fog, with the probability of monsters still out there - other, more horrible things than just Gridbugs - but in the end she gathered her courage and set out for the S-Mart.
There were grumblings and growlings in the mist, shapes moving, but she ignored them. A couple of times she had to break out into a run to avoid...things, but she tried not to look too closely at them, and she made it to the S-Mart tired and breathless but without major incident.
The trip home, however, was another story.
She wasn't even sure what they were - beasts with teeth and claws and ragged wings and a screech like nails on a chalkboard. Clutching a bag full of food under her arm, Quorra sprinted down the street, hardly knowing which direction she was going in. There were more of them, and they were closing in - she needed to find cover, fast. Up ahead there was an abandoned car, one that looked a little more sturdy than most, and in her panic Quorra didn't even think - she yanked the driver's side door open and threw herself inside, slamming down the lock before she'd even hit the seat.
Claws scrabbled at the windows, but gradually the shrieks faded as Quorra sank down behind the wheel, panting. She waited until the only sound was the frantic pounding of her heartbeat in her ears, and then she sat up, pressing her face to the window as she peered out of it. All she could see was fog, and for once, that reassured her, and she let out a sigh of relief.
And then she realized she wasn't alone.
It was dark inside the car, but in the back seat, something glowed. Quorra turned, very slowly, to see what it was, and when her eyes fell across the still form sprawled over the back seat, she gasped aloud.
Tron. No, Rinzler...he was here. "Oh User," the ISO whispered, covering her mouth with both hands, momentarily frozen with shock and fear.
What was she supposed to do now?