forum ENCOM OS-12 | OxO | Closed unless you're a fellow Program/User/ISO | Stalkers get a free Light Runner

Started March 25, 2021 by @murphysgirl

tune

“Bit!” Cor laughed, glad to see the energetic orb. “How are you? Staying out of trouble I hope.” he smiled. Flynn knows I have enough trouble right now…

No, Bit said playfully, circling his head again.

“Oh, really?” he smirked. “Anything serious?” he teased back.

Yes. Bit bobbed up and down happily in the air.

Cor raised a brow at the affirmative. “Very serious?” he asked a bit more worried.

No. Bit whizzed around his head again.

“Good.” Cor sighed in relief. “You must be giving Nora a headache though.” he chuckled softly.

Yes, yes, yes.

Cor laughed again and nodded. “Then she has my sympathy. Is she here tonight?” he asked, a little hopeful.

Yes. Bit floated a few feet away and then back again, like it wanted Cor to follow it.

Cor nodded, a little surprised, and happily followed Bit. “Is she busy? I don't want to bother her if she is.”

No. Bit floated up to Nora's office and bobbed in front of the glass.
"What is it, Bit?" Nora asked, standing up.
Yes. Bit whizzed in a circle.
"What?" Nora asked, looking down and spotting Cor. "Oh."
Pressing a button, the glass disappeared and stairs descended down to the floor. Nora hovered at the top of them, unsure of what to do - go down and meet him, or stay up here?

“Good.” Cor nodded when Bit flew up to get Nora’s attention and waited for the stairs. When he saw her, he gave a small smile and hesitantly stepped on the first step. “May I come up?”

Nora nodded. "I don't see why not." In truth, she didn't know what she was doing - she had never had visitors up here. Maybe she wanted to keep him away from Astra and Skye, despite their new boy toys? Or maybe it reminded her of Castor.
Bit floated happily into her office and immediately went over to the drinks cabinet.

Cor’s smile shifted into a more excited one as he walked up the stairs. “It’s good to see you again.” he said sincerely.

"You too," she said. The words felt less stiff in her mouth now - it felt good.

“Thanks for letting me join you.” Cor smiled as he made it into the VIP room. “Hey, Bit! Get away from there before you cause any trouble!”

No.
Nora whirled around. "Bit, no."
Yes.
Nora strode over to Bit and batted it away from the cabinet. "Do you want me to put you in your cage again?"
Bit hesitated, bobbing up and down uncertainly. No.
"Good." Nora turned back around, crossed the room, and pressed the button to close the glass again. "I'd offer you a drink, but I doubt you would want one with Bit around."

“I could probably keep it safe. But better safe than sorry.” Cor agreed, before looking around the room. “It probably wouldn't surprise you to know I’ve never been up here before.”

Nora nodded. "Castor was very… selective with the programs he allowed in here. Even I had only been in here a few times before inheriting End of Line."
Turning around to bat Bit away from the drinks cabinet again, she added, "There's only a handful of programs on the Grid who have been here. And, supposedly, a User."
She glanced at the ground as if it would show signs of… she didn't know what. Glowing imprints? A sign that someone with flesh and blood, not code and cubes, had stood here once?

“I heard about that.” Cor nodded. He’d actually carried messages about that, both publicly and privately, across the Grid between other programs. With so many rumors, there had to be some truth to it. Of course, that was always accompanied by the message on the destruction of the End of Line… “It doesn't surprise me that Castor played favorites like that.”

"Castor did nothing but play favourites." She sat down on the couch, keeping her arms close to herself, not spreading out like Gem. "He thought flattery could get you anywhere." A bitter smirk brushed her lips. "He was right, if only a little bit."

Cor scoffed slightly. “Flattery can help… Castor was a flat-out suck-up. And he chose the wrong program to please.” he said a little angrily as he sat down on the other side of the couch, leaving as much room as possible between them. “I don't get how he could turn on Flynn like that.”

Bit, clearly uncomfortable with how far apart they were sitting, bobbed at a distance exactly halfway between them.
"He wasn't always like that," Nora said softly, though she didn't want to raise an argument with him. "The old Zuse wouldn't have done it… but the promise of power made him greedy."
She closed her eyes. Why was she telling him this?
"When I… took over this office," she said slowly, "I was cleaning out the drawers and I found a data cube." She opened her eyes, the image playing in her mind. "Clu and Castor had arranged something. Something about how if Castor gave Clu Flynn's disc… then Castor would have control of the Grid. I think the promise of that kind of power was what finally turned him."

Cor looked up at Nora, frowning slightly before sighing. “It’s so weird to think that Castor and Zuse were the same program.” he said, knowing how hypocritical it was of him to say that. “Zuse was a hero… or at least close to for so many. But Castor was… I don't know, something else. The complete opposite.” he explained.
“Control of the Grid…” he questioned thoughtfully. “I have to admit that would be tempting… but personally I would never take that kind of a bribe.” he shook his head with a sigh.