Listening to a lot of the soundtrack stuff lately 'cause it's on my iPod (I have my running/workout playlist on there) and am listening while I do lots of cleaning (I'm moving soon, so there's LOTS of cleaning, lol, and packing, and...).

Finale from the OST came on, and as I was listening to it, I was thinking how it fit the end of the film-- bittersweet, but overall sort of hopeful. Yet we've said before here, I think, that while Disney gave the end of T:L a general hopeful and happy ending... the story is really just beginning.

Just wondering how many of you have written (or speculated about, if you're not a writer) what may come after. J, I know you have.

Being an eternal cynic (and, as I've been accused over and over again, negative/pessimistic, or as a friend said the other day, fatalistic), I tend to write not-so-rosy, not-so-rainbow-and-bunnies, endings (I'm not generally the rainbow-and-bunnies sort, except at the weirdest times).


Really, who in this film is set up to end well?

Stuff I have in progress:

--A fic about if Tron were to survive the end of T:L (music story based on May It Be from LOTR soundtrack). How on earth does he make things right, while dealing with his own issues? In this premise, I take the line that the Grid was destroyed... mostly. He was safe in the Sea of Simulation, and he crawls out to find nothing left... or so he thinks. Except there's this unknown colony of Isos living so far out in the Outlands that they were the only thing that escaped the blast... and interestingly enough, they manifested after Clu poisoned the Sea (yes, I make this work). Thing is, they want nothing to do with Basics, for obvious reasons... at least, most of them don't...




--A fic about Sam and Quorra. I put them in a relationship, yes... but it's not easy. They truly care for and love each other... but... let's face it:

--Q's thrown into a world totally unlike anything she's ever known. That's hard enough to deal with. Sam's going through his own changes-- much of who he is and how his life has been was shaped by the fact that he lost his dad. Now he knows a lot of different truths, and that's got to change his worldview. Both are going through HUGE personal life upheavals. Huge enough that personalities may be affected. Ouch.

--Q's totally dependent on Sam-- she doesn't even know how to live in our world. She knows this, and he knows this-- they're stuck with each other, like it or not. No pressure, guys.

--Sam's just plain an antisocial guy. Regardless of what happened to his dad, I could see him having a certain amount of standoffishness and independence just because of who he is. Now he's got a new roommate. Also, he's so used to pushing people away and locking them out, that he simply doesn't know how to let her in, even when he wants to. Same for Q-- she's used to living in the middle of nowhere with one other person, for thousands of years. Now she has to be social with someone else. (she may have the advantage here: we know the Flynns have similarities, so she may be able to apply some of what she knows about living with Flynn to living with his son. Still, the differences are probably jarring.)

--Dealing with attraction. To someone you don't know. Who is messed up. Who lives with you.

--it's damn hard to live with another person even when you know you get along. Worse when you don't even really know them. Worse still when you're thrown together, not by choice. Think "college roommates on steroids."

--both are grieving the loss of Flynn. And it feels funny to both-- Sam's a little bitter because he's missed all this time with his dad, all his life-- but Q's been there. She feels funny because she's spent a thousand cycles with Flynn-- but blood's thicker than water and Sam's important to him based solely on who he is. There's one argument they have where she's like "Sam, your dad would say to do X and Y" and Sam finally gets fed up and yells at her, "Don't tell me what he would do! He was MY dad!" Yup.

This one is based off GnR's November Rain. They love each other, but can they make it work? Love isn't always enough...




Strangely enough, Alan may be the one to come out of this with the most closure and the least baggage, if Sam tells him everything: he's vindicated in still carrying a torch for his friend, he now knows what happened, and Encom's going to get fixed. On the other hand: Tron's left damaged and stuck rebuilding a world when he hasn't a clue how; Q's entire life is thrown so upside-down it's not even funny; and Sam's almost left with more questions than answers, not to mention a huge change to his worldview, and almost everything he's thought about himself and his life has new answers...

Yes, well, I was conveniently ignoring the fact that I don't think a program could cut it in the real world (or that pretty much shuts down any further storyline cold). I believe I've said before: the stuff we know about life in our world is stuff we've taken a lifetime to absorb (and we still don't know everything). Now imagine having to learn that stuff all at once, in a matter of weeks or days. It's the worst culture shock imaginable, times a billion. What are those weird scripts running up and down trees with nuts in their mouths? What do you mean I have to immerse myself in water or I start to smell bad? I have to do WHAT to my teeth every morning and night or they'll do WHAT? What's this lightrunner behind me with the flashing lights and awful noise and why can't I just de-rez it? Why do I feel sluggish-- you mean I have to shut down for a third of the time, all the time? Ow, my eyes, what's the bright thing in the sky? What the hell is "money"? Etc.

Not to mention that even human beings don't deal well with the failings of their bodies or their own mortality-- and we've had a lifetime to get used to the idea. Imagine being a program who never ages, never gets sick (and if you do, your user fixes it)... and then one day you look in the mirror and your hair is going gray and middle-age spread is setting in and your knees are sore. I cannot imagine. Or hell, a common cold.

But taking the assumption that a program/Iso could make it here... then we get on to other storylines.

DarthMeow504 Wrote:Poor Quorra. I don't think she's gonna last long in the real world. Picture this: ----- *Sam comes home from spending the day at Encom working with Alan on the restructuring of the company, only to be practically pounced by Quorra the moment he walks in the door* "Sam, I'm so glad you're back, something strange and maybe awful happened!" *he blinks, raises an eyebrow, and notices with a soft groan that she is wet from the waist down, and dreads what he's going to see as she drags him by the arm into the living room. Sure enough, there's a huge wet spot on the couch and a puddle on the floor* "I was reading, and I noticed this strange almost tingly sensation in my lower abdomen, and it kept getting stronger until suddenly there was this big release of warm clear liquid! It felt strange, but not painful, and then I went back to feeling normal after. Am I ok? Is there something wrong in my code? Nothing like this has ever happened to me before, and... you're mad at me?" *Sam just sighs* No... I just... should have thought of that... ok, take that off and get in the shower, I'll find you something else to wear while that's in the wash. And I'll umm order a new futon." *a short pause* "And a mop." *Quorra looks confused* "Take what off of what?" *Sam blinks and frowns* "Your clothes, you can't just keep wearing that like that. Go in the bathroom, take them off and take a shower. I'll find you something to wear when you come out." *she still looks clueless, looking down at herself and starting to fumble around at her outfit* "This comes off? Where are the controls for that? And what's a shower?" *Sam just groans* "Ok, plan B. We're going back." *he frowns* "Before something even worse happens." *Quorra gasps in worry* "It gets worse?" *Sam sighs* "Oh you have -no- idea. Come on, we're going back. I'll write you a tutorial script while you're in there. And umm grab a towel, would you? You're dripping on the floor." *he then cuts off her query as to what a towel is, grabbing one himself and wrapping it around her lower half before leading her downstairs and through the arcade into the basement and to the laser*

Considering how long she's been living with Flynn, and how much his house resembled a real house, I don't think she'll have trouble that much trouble operating the simple stuff. :/

DarthMeow504 Wrote: Kaisergrendel Wrote:Considering how long she's been living with Flynn, and how much his house resembled a real house, I don't think she'll have trouble that much trouble operating the simple stuff. :/ What difference does that make?

Conjecture makes the difference. Isn't it the primary fuel of our musings?

A thousand cycles together, many opportunities to discuss the nuances of a User's life. Of course I can't argue with you if you'd rather think all Flynn said to Quorra was "Quorra, the world of Users is so vast and intricate that you'll never be able to fully understand it with your tiny silicon brain," but I just think it's unlikely she's going into the real world empty handed. The books aren't the only source of Quorra's knowledge.

Kat Wrote:Oh, don't worry, Kaiser: it ends happy. Or as happily as relationships can, considering that in the best of circumstances they're still never easy. I'm not 100% sure they end up deciding to remain in a romantic relationship, but I'm about 98% sure. (I have another one I'm working on too, based on Journey's Separate Ways and Daft Punk's Something About Us, in which Q, after she's gotten pretty used to our world, she's like "look, Sam, I can't spend my whole life depending on you; I need to go out and do my own thing" and she does and they're sad but he understand she needs to know she can make her own way. I'm pretty sure she does end up coming back, though-- at least 60-70% sure. But that's another possibility.) I do imagine that she's learned from Flynn all about how it works. But still, there are probably things he has thought to tell her-- whether he just forgot (imagine trying to explain to someone how to do something that comes naturally to you... you get into it, and then they interrupt to ask you the most basic question. Oh yeah! A n00b *wouldn't* know that!), or it didn't occur to him because it's not in his experience (no longer being young, not being female, not living in the current day and age, whatever). And some stuff... all the explanation in the world can't fully prepare you for. And, too-- we don't know that he ever planned on her actually GOING to the real world. He may make that decision in the very end of T:L, to protect her (after all, what's he going to say-- "oh hey, Sam and I are leaving and going to where it's safe and we're leaving you here, see ya!"), but in all those cycles of them living together, he may have only told her about our world to amuse her, but not with the intent of her ever having to navigate it, which means there's a lot he may not have talked to her about. You can tell someone about playing piano just because you do it and you want to tell them about it, but it's going to be different if you're telling them about it in anticipation of THEM actually learning to play. Users can adapt to the digital environment because it's not THAT different. Mostly, I imagine you'd be getting used to the *lack* of many things you were used to in our world-- sun, animals, beaches, traffic cops, bathrooms, IHOP, the need to brush your teeth, changing your clothing, etc. There's not that much there that we don't have out here (maybe gridbugs, user powers, getting used to programs' functions), or that isn't similar to what we have (lightcycles = motorcycles, etc.). A bad analogy, but it might be like the difference between a person from a first-world country going to a third-world country, and vice versa. You join the Peace Corps and go to a poor, rural part of Africa, and you can get used to a lack of toilets, walking for your water, etc. It's not easy, but you can do it. Imagine if you brought someone back with you to our country, someone who'd never been outside their own village-- they'd be amazed and would have a lot to learn. What's a shower? A stove? A space heater? A casino? Etc. That's a bit more difficult because these are all new things you need to learn about. Another problem is that some here think one difference between programs and users is that users ARE more adaptable, fluid, able to think outside the box. So if you subscribe to that way of thinking (I don't, necessarily), that could be another reason Q might have more difficulties coming to our world than a user who goes to hers.

Hoooly crap. I used to write posts as long as these two years ago but I'm running on fumes. I'll just say that there's nothing disagreeable with your opinion, but mine is equally plausible in terms of where the story can go.

I never thought Q would slide effortlessly into mainstream society or run for senator in a year, I'm just saying she wouldn't be a complete ignoramus. Sure, she'll have those "How's he like?" moments, but I would keep my mind open about her ability to interpret the world in new but relevant ways too.

More quick points:

1. The idea of changing clothes probably won't be alien to her or inhabitants to the Grid. I.E. changing gear for disc wars, lightcycle games. CLU changes quite a few times in the movie. Flynn does once too, and I bet he did more than a few times in the course of 1000 cycles.

2. As questionable as the roast pig dinner was, this is enough evidence for me that Flynn might have preferred things to be done a little old-fashioned in the hideout. Q should have picked up some of his habits already. She even has a dresser/vanity table!

3. Fruit bowl on the table:

Q: What are 'fruit?'
Flynn: Well, (queue long stream-of-consciousness conversation about eating, flavors, agriculture, industrial revolution, bla bla and so forth)

4. Judging by how fast Quorra extrapolates and reinterprets the concept of what a "rescue" is, I think she'll be a fast learner.

5. Bla bla, bla bla. Fumes.

ps: What are the chances do you think of the writers poaching an idea or two off this community?

I haven't missed your point, Meow, I'm arguing against it. Honestly I think you're being a little strict on the rules you've made up for yourself, that's all.

Kaisergrendel Wrote:I haven't missed your point, Meow, I'm arguing against it. Honestly I think you're being a little strict on the rules you've made up for yourself, that's all.

Where do you suggest she gained this information, then? She doesn't have biological functions. Do you think Flynn explained them to her? Maybe demonstrated? I think not. People do their business in private and tend not to talk about such awkward topics if they can avoid it. There is no reason to think she has the first clue about human anatomy or biological functioning.

Of course she's going to have questions, though. A LOT of questions. I mean, one of her favorite books is The Mysterious Island. She's going to wonder about weather, what food is and what they do with it and why it needs to be cooked, their strange ways of procuring clothing and shelter, what the various animals and plants are, etc. Some of that will, yes, deal with biological functions. He may not set out to explain defecation to her, but eventually if they talk about eating it may come up. She'll wonder where babies come from, and it's not like he can tell her the stork brings them or she'll need to know what a stork is. Etc. So I don't think she'd be entirely without knowledge... but she still wouldn't have PRACTICAL knowledge, or other small things she didn't pick up from books that he wouldn't think to tell her because he doesn't think about it himself, as it's such a trivial part of human life.

Kat wrote "A fic about if Tron were to survive the end of T:L"

Your assuming Tron didn't survive? I refuse to accept that he ends there!

I still think that the grid was not destroyed but was uploaded to Sam's zip drive. I mentioned this in another thread and realized I made a mistake....watched the movie again. The Flynn / Clu reintegration sparks an explosion that turns into an implosion w/ a shining ball or dot of light....that light then fades into the blue power light on the server (not the light on the zip drive as I previously wrote). The camera pans up to Sam who is uploading it all to a zip drive. So, I think the grid and it's inhabitants in some form are still around.