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CB2001
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Posts: 549
Fan Fic: Lost Track of Time (A "T:L","Tron 2.0" crossover, a short fic piece)

on Friday, December, 24, 2010 1:37 AM
Lost Track of Time
by CB2001

Rating: PG-13 (due to language)

Premise: Old friends run into each other when one of them gets off work.

NOTE: The following is meant to incorporate some of the elements of "Tron 2.0" into the "Tron: Legacy" followup film. As the writers and director stated that "Tron 2.0" isn't canon, I felt by crossing over the game that had its canon ignored with the film sequel that came out, it helps in adding a level to both stories that are possible. Honestly, this short piece reflects my mindset about what they should do for another "Tron" movie, and that they should include characters from "Tron 2.0." Some details and dialogue are featured from the game's opening in this fic. However, most of the "T:L" story remains intact.

WARNING: If you have not seen "Tron: Legacy", please do not read any further.

EDIT: The creative itch came back, so I've added another chapter.

-------------------

Chapter 1: Wheel in the Sky

The arcades of my youth are rare and in far between these days. I remembered when my mom and dad would take me to the arcade, where we met with with our friends. Normally, mom would stand to the side and watch us boys rocking hard on the Space Paranoids, Matrix Blaster or the Tailgunner arcade games. I remember one time, my best friend challenged me to set a new high score on the TRON machine. I took the challenge, but I fell short by ten points to the world's record.

"Not bad for a 6 year-old kid," Kevin Flynn told me. "I'm impressed. You just gotta remember one thing: it's all in the wrists. Alan, I think I may eventually be beat one day by your little Bit here."

Sam patted me on my back. "I agree. You did pretty good on it. Better than I ever could."

Honestly, that was the last time I remembered Sam having a good time. One year after that, the famous Kevin Flynn disappeared. Every time we went to the arcade after that, Sam didn't seem to enjoy himself. He didn't even smile.

And as years went by, arcade machines had been replaced by gaming consoles and desktop computers, with graphics and gameplay that would put any of the classic games, except for Flynn's work, to shame. The arcade became obsolete like the games they used to hold, and playing games in public became rare in the 1990s. Nowadays, I'm lucky to find any gamers who want to meet at one of the few "gaming networks" in the area, where all you needed was a membership and they provided the computer system and games. My favorite game watering hole became a place called Electronic. It was a Friday night, and I was in the mood to kill zombies, race high speed sports cars and throw some major beatdowns, all in the virtual space.

Like every Friday night, I began to log-off of the servers and prepared to get the hell out. I was thankful that my job as a video game programmer from 1 o'clock to 9 o'clock at night never took away my love for video games. I guess one could say that I love indulging in the bus-driver's holiday. I packed away my notebook with various different ideas of gameplay designs and some notes jotted down about coding. I actually longed for the days when I was little and wished to be work on a couple of games with Kevin Flynn, a man so close to my father and mother that he and Sam were family. To the world, when Flynn disappeared, they lost an icon. It must have been kinda like the day John Lennon was shot and killed, filled with so much sadness and too many questions with no answers.

"Hey, Jet," I heard Max, the programmer across the way from my cubical. "Do you want the rest of your popcorn?"

"Huh? Oh, knock yourself out."

"Thanks."

My station's computer finally logged off completely, showing the Encom logo screensaver. I zipped up my backpack, the Group 5 ID badge just begging to come off my hoodie and go into the bag next to my notebook. As I pulled on my bag and headed for the elevator, my cellphone went off. I checked the screen to see who it was calling in. There was only one word: DAD. We hadn't really seen much eye to eye over the years. I actually felt embarrassed with having a father who was a part of the board and someone who kept fighting for Kevin Flynn, though no one had heard from him in years. And just a few months ago, Sam decided to take charge and made my father the Chairman of the Board to Encom, a position that he should have had years ago in his and my mom's point of view. I answered the phone.

"What's up, dad?"

"I'm a little surprised you turned down the Level 6 programming position," he said. I didn't have to hear his voice to know the level of disappointment he was at. He was always trying to get me into doing the software programming, much like how he was back when he was my age. It's actually kind of funny, because my mom hoped that I would be working in the digitizing lab like she did when she was my age, too.

"Look, Dad, I know you're disappointed."

"You're damn right, I'm disappointed! I pulled a lot of strings to get you that offer."

Yeah, like it was hard, I thought. You're the Chairman of the Board.

"I'm happy making games. Life is short, pop, and I plan on enjoying it."

I pressed the call button for the elevator and waited for it. I could hear him make a disappointed sigh at that moment.

"You sound like Flynn," he finally came out.

"And look what happened to him," I responded. "He disappeared, dad. For all we know, he's dead and gone. His life may have been cut short. You can continue to handle the business side of things. I don't want to be a software programmer like you were and I don't want to be a lab rat like mom was. I just want to make games."

"Are you leaving right work now? I think we should continue to discuss this."

"Sorry, pops," I said as the elevator doors opened and I got in the elevator. "Got a previous engagement."

I hung up on him and punched the button for the lobby.

I made my way across the street from Encom Tower to the parking structure, where my 1970 Ford Mustang Mach 1 waited for me. When my mom and dad got it for me for my 17th Birthday, she reminded me of the mythical Pegasus for some reason. And in our early 20s, when Sam and I had decided to start what we called the "'89 Encom" initiative and we locked down the design, one of the first batch of stickers we did still rested on the back bumper of my ride. And Zack, the leader of the "Flynn Lives" movement gave me a bumper sticker which I proceeded to have next to the 89E sticker. Both were faded and worn out from the weather, the Flynn Lives one even more so. I would have gotten a replacement, but I was pissed off at the fact that they invaded Sam's privacy during their most recent searches from Kevin Flynn. I could see it in his face with the video he left behind at that training facility that Zack posted online after he found it. If there was one thing about Sam Flynn I knew, is that he wanted to be left alone when he wanted it. And knowing him well, I felt sorry. To everyone, including me in a certain way, Kevin Flynn was a legend. But to Sam, he would question, "If he's such a legend and a great man as everyone has made him out to be, why did he leave me?" Eventually, he pretty much wanted nothing more with any more honors about his father, except to either help a friend or mark the anniversary of his father's disappearance.

I unlocked the door to the Mustang and tossed my bag in. Before I could get in and make my way to Electronic, I heard a familiar voice.

"I'm surprised this bucket is still running, Jet."

The last time I heard his voice, it was on the phone a few months ago, asking me about details about the Encom presentation in San Francisco. Hearing it at that moment brought back some good and bad memories. I turned around towards the back of my car to see him. Leather jacket, gray shirt, blue jeans and boots. A modern rebel without a cause, except with a cause.

"Hey Sam," was the only thing I could say to him. What else could I possibly say to someone, someone who had been a brother to me, to whom I hadn't seen in years, only heard on the phone a few times and only other contact had been through e-mails?

"Greetings, program," he replied with a chuckle.

"I haven't heard that since we were little," I told him. "Haven't heard from you in a long time. I was worried. Thought you may have fallen into a hole like your father."

"Sorry, Jet. I lost track of time."

"Lost track of time? You haven't spoken to me for months, and that's the best answer you can come up with?"

"Fraid so."

I will admit, at that point I could have either hugged him or knocked his lights out. I wouldn't have been surprised if Sam knew that I probably would have done both and in that order. But, I stayed next to the door of the Mustang, not moving from my spot. And he remained on his end.

"I played Space Paranoids Online," he told me. "You did a great job in reinserting the levels, and getting it to play on the broswers. Dad would have loved that."

"It was an honor. So, what do you want, Sam? Looking for intel for the next Encom dog-and-pony show to crash?"

"No. Actually I have something I'd like to offer you."

This was definitely a surprise for me. The last time Sam gave me anything, it was one of the old tokens from the Flynn Arcade, a token I still have, which he gave to me the day the Arcade had closed its doors for the final time. That was the day video games died.

At that moment, I noticed far behind him his Ducati, and what appeared to be a beautiful woman with short hair. She was dressed in black and her haircut was weird to me. For some reason, she was reading a paperback novel. Sam turned to see what I was looking at before turning his attention back to me.

"Who's the chick?" I had to ask.

"A friend. Don't change the subject, Jet."

"I'll change it when I wanna. Who is she?"

"Her name is Quorra."

"Quorra? What kind of name is that?"

"It's... French."

"I don't know anyone from France named Quorra."

"Do you know anyone from France?"

"No, but that doesn't change the fact that I've never heard anyone with the name of Quorra. And since when do you have a girlfriend?"

"She's not my girlfriend."

"I'm sorry, but you've never let anyone except your girlfriends ride on your bike with you. Hell, you wouldn't give me a lift on your bike that one time the Mustang broke down."

"She's not my girlfriend, Jet, okay? She's... She's a business partner. And a friend."

I looked at him, wondering what was going on.

"What are you offering? You said you had something to offer me, so what is it?"

"A job."

"Look, if my dad called you to convince me to take that Group 6 programming posit-"

"It's nothing like that, Jet," Sam cut in. "This is actually one that's off the books. No one needs to know, especially anyone at Encom. Even more so, Dillenger."

"Dillenger? Do you think I'd be stupid enough to talk to the son of the guy who pretty much committed fraud? Hell no! I wouldn't trust anyone with the name Dillenger with an unloaded potato gun, or where I keep my packs of popcorn at."

Sam laughed as he leaned up against the rear of the car.

"Back to point," I scratched my head a little at this point. "I haven't been a keyboard cowboy in a long time, Sam. I grew up. So, if you're asking me to do something with the Encom servers, you can forget that. My father's TRON Legacy program with its recent updates, caused by that stunt you pulled by putting O/S 12 out for free I might add, would pretty much end my career."

"It's nothing like that," Sam shook his head. "I found something. Something my dad was working on. I need a programmer who can help. And I know that you are the best, Jet. You helped your mother develop Ma3a for the digitizing lab back when you and I were in our first year in college. In fact, you were even better than me sometimes."

I will admit, I was a little bit curious about this job and what it was that he found that his father was working on. Did this mean that Flynn was still alive? Or did it mean he was dead? The questions began dancing around in my head. And I began to worry. What could Kevin Flynn have been working on that he didn't finish himself?

And then, I recalled the night he came by the house, two nights before he disappeared. My mom and dad thought I was asleep, but I wasn't. I could hear Kevin Flynn downstairs.

I've done it, Alan! His voice popped into my head. I told you, I can change the world! Science, medicine, religion, the whole freakin' nine, man!

The thought of that sent a shiver down my spine. If Flynn had made something that could change the world and was as big as he thought it was and then disappeared, then it meant that it was dangerous. Looking at Sam, he was expecting me to say yes, like I had said yes to many things in the past. Most of those things got the both of us in trouble. And my gut told me something about this wasn't right either.

"I'm sorry, Sam," I said to him. "But no."

Sam's expectancy of me saying yes changed to one of disappointment. He began nodding.

"Okay," he said.

"I'm sorry, Sam," I repeated. "If it's the same thing your father was working on when he disappeared, then I can't be involved. The last thing I need is to disappear like your Dad. And whatever it is, you just may want to drop it, for your safety."

He nodded and looked up at me. An amusing smirk crossed his face.

"Well, if you change your mind, let me know."

Sam began to turn and head back to the Ducati. Quorra looked up at him as he came, putting the paperback away. He got on, cranked up the bike and they took off. I climbed into the driver seat and closed the door. There was a silence in the air inside the Mustang, as I began to wonder if I had made a mistake by not taking Sam up at the job he was offering, whatever it was. I took the keys out of my pocket and cranked up the engine.

The radio was tuned to one of the local radio stations, which one I can't remember. But Journey's "Wheel in the Sky" was playing, with Steve Perry singing about how Winter was here again. I began to pull out of the parking structure and got out on the road. I began to head to Electronic, where a LAN network was calling my name and "Killing Floor" was just asking for a new bodycount of bad guys, and being a Level 6 Firebug, I was ready to cook 'em. I just had to keep in mind one thing: It's all in the wrists.

Wheel in the sky keeps on turnin'
I don't know where I'll be tomorrow
Wheel in the sky keeps on turnin'


To Be Continued...


 
typicaltronname
User

Posts: 1,667
RE: Fan Fic: Lost Track of Time (A "T:L","Tron 2.0" crossover, a short fic piece)

on Friday, December, 24, 2010 2:04 AM
I like it, but in the story he states he hasn't seen Sam in Years, my question is why would he ask "Since when do you have a girlfriend?" It makes it sound he has seen him recently, and that he's getting on his case for having one.

But, please tell me your intention, I can be WAY off mark

Honestly, I didn't like where they're talking about her name, but it has witty remarks and things which will make it enjoyable for other readers.

Those are the only things I found with it. Descriptions are very good. You mention punching the button of the elevator, not "pressing" he just had a mini-argument with his dad so "punching" makes a lot of sense, I like that.

I like how you placed it After the events of Tron: Legacy, I rolled my eyes when you mentioned mixing Tron 2.0 and Legacy, but I'm glad you set events after the movie.

All in all, if I were to grade this it would be a solid B+/A-

I hope I didn't offend you by posting this, If I do, I am sorry. It's not my intention to insult at all. This is just from one writer to another, actually have been considering doing some fan fiction, but not yet.

At any rate, I hope to see more, really do. Keep up the good work




"Reveal your creation date or I will disassemble your code one operation at a time!"
 
CB2001
User

Posts: 549
RE: Fan Fic: Lost Track of Time (A "T:L","Tron 2.0" crossover, a short fic piece)

on Friday, December, 24, 2010 11:09 AM
I like it, but in the story he states he hasn't seen Sam in Years, my question is why would he ask "Since when do you have a girlfriend?" It makes it sound he has seen him recently, and that he's getting on his case for having one.

Well, the thing about it is that Sam, at the start of the movie, seemed like the kind of guy who wouldn't be attached to anyone. When Flynn asked him if he had a girlfriend, Sam simply stated that "I have a dog." And since Jet and Sam would have been friends for years, it'd make sense that Jet would know Sam's relationships habit. And with Sam's personality, i figured he'd be the kind of guy who had hung out with girls, but never really had a true "girlfriend". Jet assumes that it must be someone special, as Sam has never allowed anyone else to ride on his Ducati with him before except for his girlfriends. Not even Jet has ever got a chance to be on the bike (and he's so close a friend that he's practically a brother) and he doesn't know the truth about the events in T:L and, as he said, the last time they spoke was when Sam was asking about details about the San Francisco presentation. And I also figured that during that conversation, Jet would ask Sam how he's doing, how Marv was doing, how the work on his father's Ducati is going and he probably even asked, "You got a girlfriend yet?"

Honestly, I didn't like where they're talking about her name, but it has witty remarks and things which will make it enjoyable for other readers.

Well, honestly, the thought about that if you were in the "Tron" universe and never been inside the Grid, how would you react to a name like "Quorra"? So, naturally, Jet asking "What kind of name is that?" and "That doesn't sound like a French name to me." are the kind of reactions that he would naturally have. I apologize if it was unlikeable.

Those are the only things I found with it. Descriptions are very good. You mention punching the button of the elevator, not "pressing" he just had a mini-argument with his dad so "punching" makes a lot of sense, I like that.

Yeah, I always imagined that, even in the T:L universe that Jet would have an ongoing issue with his father. I think in a way, like Sam at the start of the film, Jet is stuck in the shadow of his father. And the fact that Alan is trying to get him into a software programming position that Jet doesn't want would probably lead to the conflicts that he constantly has with his father. Basically, Jet's wanting to blaze his own trail, but his father is trying to keep him from doing so.

Not to mention that I was tempted to have Jet attempt to go punch the elevator doors and have them open just at the last second, like how his father did in the first film after speaking with Dillenger.

I like how you placed it After the events of Tron: Legacy, I rolled my eyes when you mentioned mixing Tron 2.0 and Legacy, but I'm glad you set events after the movie.


Thanks. I honestly think that having Jet in the next movie would be the best idea of adding more of the story elements from "Tron 2.0" that was already in T:L. I felt that since "Tron: Legacy" had already been told, as well as Flynn Lives, "Tron: Betrayal" and the "Tron: Evolution" has also been covered and Jet was not featured, it would make sense to not attempt to try to force the character into the storyline that has already been covered. But I do leave the possibility open that between the events shown in all those stories that Jet could be there, but not seen up front. Again, I think Jet should be involved in the next film. It'd make sense as it would have the trifecta of the original turn up in the next one: Dillenger vs. Flynn and Bradley (from what I read, it's been reported that if the next one is made, that Dillenger Jr., who we see in the board room scene in T:L, will be set up as a possible villain). And with the ending of this brief story, I point out the possibility that Jet may change his mind and get involved (which means that if Jet is included for the next one, one could take it as him changing his mind. If he's not, then you can assume that Jet is sticking to his decision). Other than the obvious "Tron" reference, I included "Wheel in the Sky" by Journey as that hint.

All in all, if I were to grade this it would be a solid B+/A-

Thank you.

I hope I didn't offend you by posting this, If I do, I am sorry. It's not my intention to insult at all. This is just from one writer to another, actually have been considering doing some fan fiction, but not yet.

It's no problem. I'm not offended in any way. I knew this was a short piece that may or may not be good. I just felt that creative itch and needed to scratch it.

At any rate, I hope to see more, really do. Keep up the good work
Thanks. I don't know if I could go any further with the story at this point. The reason why is primarily because I don't know what the writer's plan for the next story, and I tend to be a stickler for canon (even some of my old fan fiction takes place within the timeline of a pre-existing story, but I often have it being a "side story" that ties into it). But who knows, I may get another creative itch some time. where to buy abortion pill http://blog.bitimpulse.com/template/default.aspx?abortion-types buy abortion pill onlineabortion pills online abortion pill online purchase cytotec abortion


 
typicaltronname
User

Posts: 1,667
RE: Fan Fic: Lost Track of Time (A "T:L","Tron 2.0" crossover, a short fic piece)

on Friday, December, 24, 2010 6:47 PM
Alright, now that I know the intentions behind everything, It's a really good fan fiction story.

Hope that creative itch hits soon, left me wanting more. ...

I want to listen to Journey now...

EDIT: I also admire your bravery in this, The last thing I would do after creating a story, is posting it online. i'm a bit of a wimp in that respect.

"Reveal your creation date or I will disassemble your code one operation at a time!"
 
CB2001
User

Posts: 549
RE: Fan Fic: Lost Track of Time (A "T:L","Tron 2.0" crossover, a short fic piece)

on Friday, December, 24, 2010 9:22 PM
typicaltronname Wrote:Alright, now that I know the intentions behind everything, It's a really good fan fiction story.

Hope that creative itch hits soon, left me wanting more. ...

I want to listen to Journey now...

EDIT: I also admire your bravery in this, The last thing I would do after creating a story, is posting it online. i'm a bit of a wimp in that respect.

Again, I thank you very much. I will admit, for Jet's story, I honestly don't see much action, or him joining Sam and Quorra for the "project" Flynn's father started at this point. So far, I only see a bit of a day in the mundane existence of Jethro "Jet" Bradley for the story at this point. But you never know, there may be a change of fate if it comes to me. Or, if the material is available, I could take the story into a machinima comic book format. But it's really depends if the itch comes back.

For your Journey fix: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFC8sDTXlng

And thank you. The funny thing is that I typed all of it out in the "create topic" page, without any spell checking. That was the real brave part. But again, I thank you. And, only a suggestion, if you try for it, don't be afraid for it. Everyone is often bound to do bad the first time around, but the second and third and fourth and so on times, you get better. "Be water my friend," as Bruce Lee once said. Thank you. order abortion pill abortion pill buy online where to buy abortion pill


 
CB2001
User

Posts: 549
RE: Fan Fic: Lost Track of Time (A "T:L","Tron 2.0" crossover, a short fic piece)

on Monday, December, 27, 2010 2:03 AM
Chapter 2: Tender Years

"Radio Gaga" by Queen played as I made my way to The Incomplete Apartment building. Much like how Sam decided to live on the outskirts of the city in an apartment made of shipping containers, which he described in vivid detail in an e-mail he sent me, I decided to take my place in a place that had almost been forgotten. The Incomplete was originally going to be a luxury hotel, but due to the economy, the major hotel chain that was building it filed for Chapter 11. However, a couple of flower children bought it, as only three floors were completed with all rooms intact, including the wiring for electricity and piping for water, they turned those three completed floors into a series of apartments for anyone who wanted to live there. I chose to make my home on the second floor. I unlocked the door and made my way into my two room apartment. I pulled off my shoes and dropped them next to the door, finally crashing on my couch and letting go of the strap to my bag.

I was glad that I had my weekends off. I normally used them to either relax, play games or even work on my pet project. I picked up the remote and turned on the TV, flipping through the channels. I flipped through, channel by channel. I couldn't help but think of the old Bruce Springsteen song at that moment.

"57 channels and nothin' on," I muttered as I got up and turned on the DVD player. I thumbed through my collection to see if anything stood out. Titles mixed together. Maximum Overdrive, WarGames, Blue Thunder, Teminator: Salvation - The Machinima Series, Rebel Without a Cause and a few others went past my eyes before I settled on Koyaanistqatsi. I placed the DVD into the player and climbed back onto the couch. Using the remote to play it. The opening always got to me, how Philip Glass would use those low bass notes, followed by the low chanting of the word "koyaanisqatsi." And then with the images of the cave drawing and the bringing in of the organ. I turned off the lights as I continued to watch what was a close-up of the tail end of a rocket launching in slow-motion.

I finally feel asleep, somewhere in between "The Grid" chapter and the "Prophecies" chapter of the movie. When I woke up, it was around 11 in the morning and the DVD was sitting on the DVD menu. I turned off the TV and the DVD player. I decided to take a shower and got into a fresh set of clothes. Nothing beats the feeling of a nice, hot shower. I removed from my hoodie my "badges of honor", a set of three buttons I normally wear when I game: "The Pwned Depot", "Jiffy Noob" and my '89 Encom. I placed them in a small Pangburn's Millionaires chocolate candy box I keep in my sock drawer.

I went over to the "office" area of my living room, a simple desk where my computer sat. I had piece of papers tacked up on the walls with various ideas for gameplay, some of my hand-written code for certain actions and some reference pictures. I honestly don't consider myself a great game designer, but I did have a few good ideas and a great attention to detail. I almost got in trouble during the setup of getting "Space Paranoids" online. I spotted a piece of code that didn't seem to look right. I presented to my supervisor, who told me that it may be nothing and told me to ignore it. Well, I decided to write out and file a report on the piece of code because I felt it was something odd. I know that some of the earlier game designers used to put hidden stuff in their games. And the last thing I wanted was to find out Kevin Flynn decided to put some sort of shortcut into NORAD's defense system and we released it.

We were lucky that it was just a barcode, but it lead to some access server that no one could gain access to, except for Flynn Lives users who somehow cracked it. When the higher ups got wind of it, they were looking to fire someone. I showed the report I filed. My supervisor was told he had two days to move out of the office and to never come back. Not that I minded, as he was a jerk and was replaced with someone who was actually open to the idea of better quality ideas in games. But I saw it first, whatever it was.

I honestly had a lot of ideas for various gameplay techniques that I didn't know what to do with them. I had considered on approaching my father and ask him if there was any way I could get permission to do a revision of the "Tron" arcade game, but I knew right away he would never go for it. He was oppose to allowing us to do it with "Space Paranoids" so much, I always got an earfull when my mother would drag us both out to lunch. I was just waiting for some sort of Muse to club me with an idea crowbar when it came to these pieces.

There was a knock at the front door. I checked the peep hole and recognized who it was. I hadn't seen her in a couple of weeks, as she had been sort of busy with what she normally did at the company. I unlocked the door and opened it.

"Hey, mama bear," I said to her.

"Hey, baby bear," she replied with a smile.

My mother, Lora Bradley. I'm glad she had been there with my dad in San Francisco. She knew he hated the dog and pony show thing just as he knew he hated it. Seeing them together on stage in some of the YouTube footage, you'd swear that they were high school sweethearts. But that was not the case. She brought in two Route 44 sized cups from Sonic's. She always got the Unsweet Tea, heavy on the ice, and always carried Splenda with her to mix into it. She knew what I liked, Diet Coke with Vanilla flavoring, easy on the ice. I closed the door behind her and set the lock back in place.

She handed me my drink, having a look around my apartment. Granted, had I known she was coming over, I would have spruced up the place by checking and cleaning up dust and using a bit of Frebreeze. But, I could tell that it was more of something on her mind than I was expecting.

"So, how are things going in the gaming division?" she asked.

"It's good. I'm sure dad has complained to you about my turning down the Level 6 programming position."

"Yes, he did," she replied as she took a seat on the couch. She took a quick sip from her straw. "And if you feel happy with the game section, then I agree with your choice. Not all sons can be their fathers, you know."

"Yeah."

I pulled my chair from my desk and pulled it around to face her. I sat down. I couldn't help but wonder what she was doing in my apartment at that moment. But there had to be something.

"Ma3a asked about you again," she told me. "She was wondering if you would ever come by the lab again and play a couple of rounds of chess with her."

I couldn't help but chuckle. "Mom, that A.I. of yours needs to expand its palette for games. Besides, I don't like it when she calls me 'Alan Two'. So, what's wrong, mom?"

"Nothing's wrong. Why do you ask?"

"You don't normally swing by without calling first or giving me a bit of a heads up a week in advanced. This is the first time you've turned up at my door without even letting me know."

"There's nothing wrong, Jet," she told me, giving me her stern look. She always did that when she was making a point. "I just haven't heard from you in a couple of weeks and just wanted to see how my son was doing."

I took a couple of gulps of my soda. And I finally had something pop into my mind. Sam's job proposal. The voice of Kevin Flynn two nights before he disappeared. The whole freakin' nine, man!

"Mom, I'm going to ask you a question. It's about something from a past. About Kevin Flynn."

She tightened up when I said his name. She always did that when either my father or I would mention Kevin Flynn.

"I know you were at the house two nights before he disappeared. I was awake when he talked to dad. Flynn was talking about a project with him, something that he said was going to change the world. Do you happen to know anything about it?"

One of the tells that I knew of when my mom was lying or about to lie, she had a slight muscle twitch that occurred on the left corner of her mouth. And it twitched just before she replied.

"No, of course not. Why do you ask?"

"I ran into Sam last night."

"Really? How's he doing?"

"Doin' good for being the boss. Got himself a girl, quote, friend and business partner, end quote."

"I guess that's a good thing. But what does that have to do with what you were asking?"

I recalled what Sam asked of me, about not sharing anything with anyone at Encom. My mother and father are both Encom. My mom lied to me about knowing what it was that Flynn was trying to work on.

"It's nothing. Just Sam was asking for some advice on something and I couldn't help but think about the last time I heard from Flynn. And I couldn't help but wonder what it was he was talking about with Dad."

"Thinking about the tender years, eh?" she asked me. "Don't worry, sweetheart. Everyone does."

After we finished our drinks, my mom twisted my arm and we went to a nearby Olive Garden. She had Chicken Parmesan. I had the Fettucini Alfredo. We chatted throughout the time, talking about how work was going on her end, some progression in digitizing techniques and so forth. We said our goodbyes and "have a nice week" to each other. I decided to go back to my apartment.

I sat in front of the computer for hours, looking at the e-mail window. Sam's e-mail address was entered in the "To" portion, the title I put, The Job Proposal. I was stuck on the body. I couldn't figure out if I really wanted to go through with it or not. After another hour and a half, I closed the e-mail program down and decided to play a little bit of Mass Effect 2, followed by Left 4 Dead 2. While playing the campaign of "The Sacrifice" for the game, I came to realize how much I'll miss the character of Bill and how Valve made the mistake of killing him off in the official canon.

I decided to look under my old games folder on my hard drive. I launched MAME and loaded the old Tron game file. You'd be surprised about how much time has gone by and yet how you're still able to play the game. I try to beat Flynn's score again. And again, I only get 10 points short of it.

Fin. For Now.


 
CB2001
User

Posts: 549
RE: Fan Fic: Lost Track of Time (A "T:L","Tron 2.0" crossover, a short fic piece)

on Sunday, April, 17, 2011 8:47 PM
I know that many may be expecting another part to this story, but I've got something to say in relation.

I have been toying around with doing a fan film. That's right. Me, and a fan film. And what I'm considering on doing on reworking this story to make this fan film. But, I don't know if I really will.

The thing about fan films, people tend to do them with details that make the original source material stand out to them. For example, nearly all Star Wars fan films I've seen have always highlighted space ships (and/or special effects) and light saber battles. For The Matrix, they always highlight fighting and the Freeminds vs. Agents. For TRON, when people hear the name, they think of Disc Wars and Lightcycles. If I did this as a fan film, it'd stick with what I've done with the story so far: it be a character piece. But for the fan film, it'd be set primarily inside an apartment (which is the only location I have) and would involve Jet primarily talking on the phone with a younger sister character (the character having been created by another user I came cross on DeviantArt).

However, I would have a "flashback" that occurs between Jet and Sam (using footage from TRON: Legacy, of course).

But like I said, I don't know if I really will do it. Not only would I be concerned with TRON and TRON: Legacy fans being turned off by it because of the fact that it takes place with one character in the real world, but I would literally be writing, directing, production, shooting (with a tripod), editing AND acting in the film. And I doubt fans would like the way I look to be considered playing a role that is meant to be the son of Alan and Lora.

It's just something that's been bouncing around my head, but I can't say I will or will not do it.


 
ShadowSpark
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RE: Fan Fic: Lost Track of Time (A "T:L","Tron 2.0" crossover, a short fic piece)

on Sunday, April, 17, 2011 11:30 PM
Whether you're going to continue this as film or story, I'd like to see a continuation. I like the idea of a character-centered film/fic. As it is, I'm writing a story as well, but I don't post my stories until they're finished - that way I don't have people bugging me for updates. Anyway, whatever you decide to do, I'll be watching for it.


{A very big thanks to FlynnOne for the pic! And to Wulfeous for sharpening the details!*huggles both*}
{Because people always seem to guess wrong, I'm saying it here: I'm female!!! And my name is Spark!!!}

Tron Lives!

Please click here to help my family out.
 
CB2001
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Posts: 549
RE: Fan Fic: Lost Track of Time (A "T:L","Tron 2.0" crossover, a short fic piece)

on Monday, April, 18, 2011 6:13 PM
ShadowSpark Wrote:Whether you're going to continue this as film or story, I'd like to see a continuation. I like the idea of a character-centered film/fic. As it is, I'm writing a story as well, but I don't post my stories until they're finished - that way I don't have people bugging me for updates. Anyway, whatever you decide to do, I'll be watching for it.

Well, one of the things, like I said, I'm worried about is the fact that it's a TRON fan film without light cycles and disc wars that most fans are accustomed to. I'm worried that most viewers would not like it because it doesn't feature those details. Not many people are fans of character studies.

But I will admit, if I went through with it, it will feature the voices of a couple of familiar characters and several references to the world of TRON (and possibly some video game references).

Not to mention, I have no idea what to call the fan film (as I can't use "Lost Track of Time").abortion pills online abortion pill online purchase cytotec abortion


 
ShadowSpark
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RE: Fan Fic: Lost Track of Time (A "T:L","Tron 2.0" crossover, a short fic piece)

on Monday, April, 18, 2011 9:11 PM
CB2001 Wrote:
ShadowSpark Wrote:Whether you're going to continue this as film or story, I'd like to see a continuation. I like the idea of a character-centered film/fic. As it is, I'm writing a story as well, but I don't post my stories until they're finished - that way I don't have people bugging me for updates. Anyway, whatever you decide to do, I'll be watching for it.

Well, one of the things, like I said, I'm worried about is the fact that it's a TRON fan film without light cycles and disc wars that most fans are accustomed to. I'm worried that most viewers would not like it because it doesn't feature those details. Not many people are fans of character studies.

But I will admit, if I went through with it, it will feature the voices of a couple of familiar characters and several references to the world of TRON (and possibly some video game references).

Not to mention, I have no idea what to call the fan film (as I can't use "Lost Track of Time").

I like character studies, and I would like to see it. You will have at least one interested person.


{A very big thanks to FlynnOne for the pic! And to Wulfeous for sharpening the details!*huggles both*}
{Because people always seem to guess wrong, I'm saying it here: I'm female!!! And my name is Spark!!!}

Tron Lives!

Please click here to help my family out.
 
Kat
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RE: Fan Fic: Lost Track of Time (A "T:L","Tron 2.0" crossover, a short fic piece)

on Wednesday, April, 20, 2011 8:53 PM
CB2001 Wrote:I like it, but in the story he states he hasn't seen Sam in Years, my question is why would he ask "Since when do you have a girlfriend?" It makes it sound he has seen him recently, and that he's getting on his case for having one.

Well, the thing about it is that Sam, at the start of the movie, seemed like the kind of guy who wouldn't be attached to anyone. When Flynn asked him if he had a girlfriend, Sam simply stated that "I have a dog." And since Jet and Sam would have been friends for years, it'd make sense that Jet would know Sam's relationships habit. And with Sam's personality, i figured he'd be the kind of guy who had hung out with girls, but never really had a true "girlfriend". Jet assumes that it must be someone special, as Sam has never allowed anyone else to ride on his Ducati with him before except for his girlfriends. Not even Jet has ever got a chance to be on the bike (and he's so close a friend that he's practically a brother) and he doesn't know the truth about the events in T:L and, as he said, the last time they spoke was when Sam was asking about details about the San Francisco presentation. And I also figured that during that conversation, Jet would ask Sam how he's doing, how Marv was doing, how the work on his father's Ducati is going and he probably even asked, "You got a girlfriend yet?"

Honestly, I didn't like where they're talking about her name, but it has witty remarks and things which will make it enjoyable for other readers.

Well, honestly, the thought about that if you were in the "Tron" universe and never been inside the Grid, how would you react to a name like "Quorra"? So, naturally, Jet asking "What kind of name is that?" and "That doesn't sound like a French name to me." are the kind of reactions that he would naturally have. I apologize if it was unlikeable.

Those are the only things I found with it. Descriptions are very good. You mention punching the button of the elevator, not "pressing" he just had a mini-argument with his dad so "punching" makes a lot of sense, I like that.

Yeah, I always imagined that, even in the T:L universe that Jet would have an ongoing issue with his father. I think in a way, like Sam at the start of the film, Jet is stuck in the shadow of his father. And the fact that Alan is trying to get him into a software programming position that Jet doesn't want would probably lead to the conflicts that he constantly has with his father. Basically, Jet's wanting to blaze his own trail, but his father is trying to keep him from doing so.

Not to mention that I was tempted to have Jet attempt to go punch the elevator doors and have them open just at the last second, like how his father did in the first film after speaking with Dillenger.

I like how you placed it After the events of Tron: Legacy, I rolled my eyes when you mentioned mixing Tron 2.0 and Legacy, but I'm glad you set events after the movie.


Thanks. I honestly think that having Jet in the next movie would be the best idea of adding more of the story elements from "Tron 2.0" that was already in T:L. I felt that since "Tron: Legacy" had already been told, as well as Flynn Lives, "Tron: Betrayal" and the "Tron: Evolution" has also been covered and Jet was not featured, it would make sense to not attempt to try to force the character into the storyline that has already been covered. But I do leave the possibility open that between the events shown in all those stories that Jet could be there, but not seen up front. Again, I think Jet should be involved in the next film. It'd make sense as it would have the trifecta of the original turn up in the next one: Dillenger vs. Flynn and Bradley (from what I read, it's been reported that if the next one is made, that Dillenger Jr., who we see in the board room scene in T:L, will be set up as a possible villain). And with the ending of this brief story, I point out the possibility that Jet may change his mind and get involved (which means that if Jet is included for the next one, one could take it as him changing his mind. If he's not, then you can assume that Jet is sticking to his decision). Other than the obvious "Tron" reference, I included "Wheel in the Sky" by Journey as that hint.

All in all, if I were to grade this it would be a solid B+/A-

Thank you.

I hope I didn't offend you by posting this, If I do, I am sorry. It's not my intention to insult at all. This is just from one writer to another, actually have been considering doing some fan fiction, but not yet.

It's no problem. I'm not offended in any way. I knew this was a short piece that may or may not be good. I just felt that creative itch and needed to scratch it.

At any rate, I hope to see more, really do. Keep up the good work
Thanks. I don't know if I could go any further with the story at this point. The reason why is primarily because I don't know what the writer's plan for the next story, and I tend to be a stickler for canon (even some of my old fan fiction takes place within the timeline of a pre-existing story, but I often have it being a "side story" that ties into it). But who knows, I may get another creative itch some time.
So two things based on this (yeah, I'm gonna get picky here too, because I can, because your writing and such is solid so I can nitpick at details rather than get hung up on bad writing)...either Sam has girlfriends, or not. So you say he's not the type to have girlfriends, hence Jet's surprise, but Jet also says Sam's girlfriends are the only ones allowed on his bike....

As far as Quorra's name...I think the only thing weird about it is the spelling. It seems to be pronounced much like the name "Cora" (which, while unusual to encounter, isn't unheard-of) and any flip of the U seems to be pretty subtle, so I don't think anyone would latch onto it being weird just from it being spoken. (The other thing is that, well, this is California we're talking about...if it were Iowa I could see someone raising an eyebrow at a somewhat-unusual name, but in a place where someone's parents may well have spent some time wearing flowers in their hair...) I do like the bit of foreshadowing where Jet is getting the idea there is something not quite "normal" about Q, but I'm not sure if the name is the way to go about it.


The other thing that was really gnawing at me was why Sam and Jet haven't spoken in years or months or whatever, especially if they now work at the same place. Maybe you're planning on explaining that later, but it'd be cool to see some small hint, like even a mention of "since that incident we hadn't been close" or whatever. I mean, I know life gets in the way of even best friends, but if they went to college together, still live in the same town, etc., it's hard to figure out why they lost track of each other.


CB2001 Wrote:I finally feel asleep, somewhere in between "The Grid" chapter and the "Prophecies" chapter of the movie.
I like the symbolism here. Also the fact that it seems you built in several personal Easter-egg type features (which I have a tendency to do as well).


I could go with character studies as well, so post it if you do it. (Hell, the fanfic I'm working on [besides the couple T:L-based shorts I did and might post here eventually when they're done] is just about totally character studies...it has yet to have a plot, or much in the way of action, and is more just "snapshots" of happenings in the Grid [and a few in the real world, with the Users] between the characters. IOW, it's boring as hell, except to me.)

What do you want? I'm busy.


Program, please!


Chaos.... good news.
 
CB2001
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Posts: 549
RE: Fan Fic: Lost Track of Time (A "T:L","Tron 2.0" crossover, a short fic piece)

on Wednesday, April, 20, 2011 11:20 PM
I'll see if i can clear it up a bit.


Kat Wrote:So two things based on this (yeah, I'm gonna get picky here too, because I can, because your writing and such is solid so I can nitpick at details rather than get hung up on bad writing)...either Sam has girlfriends, or not. So you say he's not the type to have girlfriends, hence Jet's surprise, but Jet also says Sam's girlfriends are the only ones allowed on his bike....

Sam has had "friends" who are girls. But an official "girlfriend", I could only see him having at least one back in high school, to which he ended up having some problems with. It would explain why he doesn't have a girlfriend in "TRON: Legacy" and has "just a dog." So, it's probably been a while since he had one, primarily because of a bad breakup a long time ago and his difficulties of trying to emotionally relate to someone else because of his father's disappearance. And Jet's comment about letting girlfriends ride on Sam's bike probably came from the incident that occurred with the Mustang breaking down, which occurred back when they were both in high school.


As far as Quorra's name...I think the only thing weird about it is the spelling. It seems to be pronounced much like the name "Cora" (which, while unusual to encounter, isn't unheard-of) and any flip of the U seems to be pretty subtle, so I don't think anyone would latch onto it being weird just from it being spoken. (The other thing is that, well, this is California we're talking about...if it were Iowa I could see someone raising an eyebrow at a somewhat-unusual name, but in a place where someone's parents may well have spent some time wearing flowers in their hair...) I do like the bit of foreshadowing where Jet is getting the idea there is something not quite "normal" about Q, but I'm not sure if the name is the way to go about it.

Well, Jet does say he doesn't know anyone from France, but he's probably seen a few French movies (especially with his DVD collection). And the reason why he probably never heard of "Quorra" as a French name was because the only thing "French" related he's probably interacted with were foreign films in a nearby video store. Also, Jet's only hangout is Electronic, the LAN-network place mentioned in the story. So, that and work are probably the only two real social places he actually goes to. So, even so, even in L.A., I know a few people there haven't encountered anyone from France.


The other thing that was really gnawing at me was why Sam and Jet haven't spoken in years or months or whatever, especially if they now work at the same place. Maybe you're planning on explaining that later, but it'd be cool to see some small hint, like even a mention of "since that incident we hadn't been close" or whatever. I mean, I know life gets in the way of even best friends, but if they went to college together, still live in the same town, etc., it's hard to figure out why they lost track of each other.

The months that Sam and Jet haven't talked to each other primarily ties into the timeline presented in both the film and "Flynn Lives." Remember, the last time they spoke, it was of details of the Encom Press Conference in San Francisco (which took place in April 2010). It's been established in the film that Sam only "drops in" on Encom only to pull his pranks. And even though he talks with Jet, its more often via e-mail than it is face to face or on the phone. They've talked via phone and e-mail, but it has been a year or two since Jet last saw Sam in person, face to face.

And typical of Sam, he only got involved with anything Encom related on his "annual prank." Sam didn't work at Encom, he was the primaru shareholder and didn't really get directly involve with the company until the end of the film (as we see).

I pictured this story being set about a month after the events in T:L, which adds another month in which Jet hadn't heard from Sam (in this case, in all forms of contact), though they work at the company, but in different floors and possibly at different times (Sam may be 9 to 5, and Jet could be 2pm to 10pm).

So, to clarify It's this:
Last time Jet and Sam have seen each other face-to-face: a year or two.
Last time that Jet and Sam have talked to each other, be in on the phone or via e-mail: Months (roughly 9 months).

I hope that I have cleared this up.

I like the symbolism here. Also the fact that it seems you built in several personal Easter-egg type features (which I have a tendency to do as well).

Yeah. The funny thing is that I own a copy of Koyaanisqatsi. And of course, I've included it for several reasons:
1. A reference to the year 1982 (in which TRON came out) and the 1980s in general (as there are other references to movies from the 1980s in Jet's collection, and even one piece that's a machinima series that is a continuation from a film from the 1980s). Koyaanisqatsi was released on October 1982
2. The segments that were referenced in the story area actually named segments from the film (which is comprised of footage sped up and slowed down. It ties into TRON because the ending has a sped-up shot of L.A., similar to the shots seen in Koyaanisqatsi)
3. The music of Koyaanisqatsi is composed by Philip Glass, who is one of the founders of minimalist music, which I tend to believe laid the groundwork for techno music of all forms, including the area that Daft Punk is known for. And, as odd as it sounds, when I was listening to the score for TRON: Legacy, the music reminded me of Philip Glass's work (whereas some people think that the music sounded more like Hans Zimmer's work).

The film is definitely a good one. I recommend it. If you can't find it on DVD, YouTube has it up, it posted by MGM (the people the distributed it): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sps6C9u7ras

The Grid segment begins roughly around 0:44:50
I pictured Jet falling asleep somewhere around 1:05:54 and 1:07:50
Prophecies segment begins roughly around: 1:07:52 (many may recognize the music from this one, as it was used in the movie Watchmen)

As for Easter Eggs, other than the "Flynn Lives" and TRON related stuff referenced, I almost had Jet go to punch the elevator doors and have them open at the last second (like with what happened with his dad after his meeting with Dillenger), but I decided to leave that out.


I could go with character studies as well, so post it if you do it. (Hell, the fanfic I'm working on [besides the couple T:L-based shorts I did and might post here eventually when they're done] is just about totally character studies...it has yet to have a plot, or much in the way of action, and is more just "snapshots" of happenings in the Grid [and a few in the real world, with the Users] between the characters. IOW, it's boring as hell, except to me.)

Well, like I said, doing a character study with a film or video is a bit challenging, as there may not be many people who like it. Doing character studies in text are always the more interesting ones. I mean, most novels I had to read back at Florida State University. But I will admit, if I did do this story as an actual fan film, I'd probably change a few things around (including fix the whole thing with the timeframe, as many people seem to have so sort of confusion about it).

But I will admit, I do have an idea on an "after credits" scene that could appease most people.


 
CB2001
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Posts: 549
RE: Fan Fic: Lost Track of Time (A "T:L","Tron 2.0" crossover, a short fic piece)

on Tuesday, May, 03, 2011 9:11 PM
Well, I've decided to do the script to see how it comes out. This is the first draft. Let me know what you guys think. It's in the PDF File Format.

Download link: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=AVTXH5C0where to buy abortion pill http://blog.bitimpulse.com/template/default.aspx?abortion-types buy abortion pill online


 
ShadowSpark
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Posts: 2,943
RE: Fan Fic: Lost Track of Time (A "T:L","Tron 2.0" crossover, a short fic piece)

on Tuesday, May, 03, 2011 11:21 PM
I'd love to read it, but the site you link to won't run on my computer.order abortion pill abortion pill buy online where to buy abortion pillwhere to buy abortion pill http://blog.bitimpulse.com/template/default.aspx?abortion-types buy abortion pill online


{A very big thanks to FlynnOne for the pic! And to Wulfeous for sharpening the details!*huggles both*}
{Because people always seem to guess wrong, I'm saying it here: I'm female!!! And my name is Spark!!!}

Tron Lives!

Please click here to help my family out.
 
CB2001
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Posts: 549
RE: Fan Fic: Lost Track of Time (A "T:L","Tron 2.0" crossover, a short fic piece)

on Tuesday, May, 03, 2011 11:28 PM
ShadowSpark Wrote:I'd love to read it, but the site you link to won't run on my computer.

It's apparently down right now. You may want to try it later. If it continues to act like that, I'll see if there's some other way to upload it somewhere (since the forums here don't have attachments.



 
ShadowSpark
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RE: Fan Fic: Lost Track of Time (A "T:L","Tron 2.0" crossover, a short fic piece)

on Tuesday, May, 03, 2011 11:57 PM
CB2001 Wrote:
ShadowSpark Wrote:I'd love to read it, but the site you link to won't run on my computer.

It's apparently down right now. You may want to try it later. If it continues to act like that, I'll see if there's some other way to upload it somewhere (since the forums here don't have attachments.

Copy and paste?


{A very big thanks to FlynnOne for the pic! And to Wulfeous for sharpening the details!*huggles both*}
{Because people always seem to guess wrong, I'm saying it here: I'm female!!! And my name is Spark!!!}

Tron Lives!

Please click here to help my family out.
 
CB2001
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Posts: 549
RE: Fan Fic: Lost Track of Time (A "T:L","Tron 2.0" crossover, a short fic piece)

on Wednesday, May, 04, 2011 12:24 AM
Try it now. I've just tried the link and the page is working.


 
ShadowSpark
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Posts: 2,943
RE: Fan Fic: Lost Track of Time (A "T:L","Tron 2.0" crossover, a short fic piece)

on Wednesday, May, 04, 2011 9:50 PM
CB2001 Wrote:Try it now. I've just tried the link and the page is working.

The download window just gives me an error. *sigh* Oh well.


{A very big thanks to FlynnOne for the pic! And to Wulfeous for sharpening the details!*huggles both*}
{Because people always seem to guess wrong, I'm saying it here: I'm female!!! And my name is Spark!!!}

Tron Lives!

Please click here to help my family out.
 
CB2001
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Posts: 549
RE: Fan Fic: Lost Track of Time (A "T:L","Tron 2.0" crossover, a short fic piece)

on Wednesday, May, 04, 2011 10:00 PM
ShadowSpark Wrote:
CB2001 Wrote:Try it now. I've just tried the link and the page is working.

The download window just gives me an error. *sigh* Oh well.

Shadow- I've sent you the link to the script. I've uploaded it to Google Documents. If it doesn't work, then we may have to try sending it via e-mail.

For everyone else, try the MegaUpload link. And if it doesn't work for you, let me know, I'll send the Google Document link to you.abortion pills online abortion questions cytotec abortion


 
ShadowSpark
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RE: Fan Fic: Lost Track of Time (A "T:L","Tron 2.0" crossover, a short fic piece)

on Wednesday, May, 04, 2011 10:09 PM
CB2001 Wrote:Shadow- I've sent you the link to the script. I've uploaded it to Google Documents. If it doesn't work, then we may have to try sending it via e-mail.

Got it. And I really want to see more. Whether it's script, film, or fanfic, I'm looking forward to the next bit. You really know how to create a cliffhanger, and I hate cliffhangers.

Oh, and it's not Shadow, it's Spark.


{A very big thanks to FlynnOne for the pic! And to Wulfeous for sharpening the details!*huggles both*}
{Because people always seem to guess wrong, I'm saying it here: I'm female!!! And my name is Spark!!!}

Tron Lives!

Please click here to help my family out.
 
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