Riley Kleinberg needed an energy drink. Mostly, she felt herself stalling mentally and wanted the kick of caffeine to keep her brain focused on such a complex problem.
"Y'know, I think I saw a gas station on the way here" She started.
"No" Rebecca shot the idea down without having to aim.
"You've already had three coffees. You're gonna go into renal failure if you have any more caffeine" the mechanical engineer had schematics and blueprints spread around her like the petals of a very geometric flower. She didn't bother looking up from her task as she tried to dictate her younger sister's caffeine intake.
Riley pouted "Since when are you an expert on how organs work?"
Rebecca lifted an arm and flexed "I have 20 inch biceps. I know a thing or two about not putting myself into organ failure with bad eating"
The coder leaned back in her chair. She popped the headphones off that she was using to listen to the users inside the computer. They were on their way to Purgos and nothing interesting had happened for hours on hours. She cocked her head and appraised her sister.
"Ok you got big arms but I'm not buying 20 inch biceps. That's like, as big as my waist"
"You're the human version of a chihuahua. Another reason why more caffeine is a bad idea. Im pretty sure the amount you've already had is an overdose for someone your size"
"Ok, is there a tape measure down here? I gotta know if you're lying or not"
"Are you two arguing again?" Rachel's accusatory question rattled its way down the stairs. The shortest sister appeared, a plastic bag dangling from her arm. Riley zeroed in.
"Did you go shopping? Please tell me you went shopping"
Rachel rolled her eyes "Yes, I did go shopping. But I didn't get you more caffeine"
Riley booed.
"Did you get snacks though?" Their dad asked. He crawled out from behind the server stacks, where the cot was shoved up against the wall. He rubbed at his bleary eyes. His hair sticking up in about a thousand different directions. Riley snickered.
"Hey dad, when was the last time you brushed your hair?" She asked
Roy grumbled "Not all of us can get braids sweetheart"
Riley curled one of her cerulean braids around her finger, unimpressed. Although looking at them she probably needed to get them done again soon. She was due for a new color too.
"How much of that re-coding did you finish?" Their dad asked, settling with a groan in his chair.
Riley snorted "All of it"
His old man eyebrows went down and his face scrunched up in disbelief "ALL of it?" He scrolled through her work with mounting disbelief. Her smile widened as he did so.
"Did you SLEEP at all?" He asked, likely doing the math and realizing that there was no earthly way she could have stabilized half the drive in such a small amount of time.
She shrugged.
"Sleep is for the weak"
"Agreed" Rebecca affirmed from her place on the floor.
Rachel sighed, long and hard, like her whole soul was leaking out due to their sheer stupidity.
"I just can't with you three sometimes. You're not machines. Food, water, sleep. At least once every 24 hours"
YOU ARE READING
Tron: Deliverance
FanfictionAfter Sam Flynn left the Grid, he finally found his momentum in life. He took the reins at Encom, reconnected with Alan, and built a life with Quorra. He disconnected the Grid, leaving it in stasis for several years as he built his life in the real...
