Pink, Rising

{[CHAPTER 1]}

I leaned out, over the balcony of my apartment that overlooked the majority of Argon City. It was all lit up, the blue mixing in with the purples and oranges and yellows and pinks and greens... pretty, almost. 

A Recognizer flew by, close enough to the balcony that I could feel the wind on my face. I pushed my  pink - and - grey hair from my face as the wind blew it out from behind my ears. I could see through the viewpoint some programs that had been caught. 

Poor souls, off to the games, no doubt. 

It wasn't my problem. Just as long as I was never one of those programs on board a Recognizer.

I looked down, at the pink lines that crisscrossed my body. Same line pattern as practically everyone else, different color. Not that anyone really cared. As long as you didn't cause trouble. 

I reached back and took off my disc. Yep, still there. Still pink. Familiar. I liked it. I smiled and put it back. 

As I gazed off into the distance, something suddenly caught my eye. Recognizers converging on a single point. Then one of them went up in smoke and fell. I think I knew who's work that was.

The Renegade...

The newsfeeds on my datapad had been blowing up with news about how this "terrorist Renegade" has been "Endangering the safety of the Argonian Citizens." Whatever he was doing, he was gaining a lot of attention. And momentum. Lately, "Tron Lives" vandalism had been showing up everywhere. General Tesler and his two lackeys have been going nutso crazy trying to catch the Renegade. It's kinda funny watching them squirm. 

I yawned. It was almost the curfew time...time to turn in. Casting one last look at the battle going on in the distance I walked inside and shut the balcony door. 

My apartment was one room. Small. Bed in the corner. Small kitchen. A small living area. The balcony. That was practically it. Besides my light cycle (The rod was lying on my bedside table) I didn't have much in personal things. 

I got into bed, and closed my eyes, preparing to turn on sleep mode. 

Until there was an announcement over the apartment's PA system. 

A surprise check by soldiers from Tesler's army. Of course. Just when I thought I could get some sleep. I hated these checks - a waste of time. No one was ever found guilty of anything. Not here, anyway. 

Would be too much to hope for, something exciting actually happening. 

Per inspection rules I stepped outside of my apartment and took the disc from my back. It glowed a welcoming pink. Others were standing outside already, grumbling about the time. 

"That's the second time in three cycles. Geez, what do they expect to find here?" I looked over to see Ferzex, my next door neighbor and my friend. He was a standard blue code, with short cut hair and pale green eyes. He leaned against the wall, looking over at me and running a hand over his disc's edge. 

"Maybe they think they'll find the Renegade under my bed" I joked. 

He laughed. "Get real, Arra. He'd obviously hide in your dresser drawer." 

"Yeah, right, Ferz." I rolled my eyes and laughed. Just then we heard the sound of footsteps. The guards were coming. We looked over at the stairwell. Four of them came up. Always dressed in that imposing orange armor. And...A fifth. A commander. Oh...him. 

One of General Tesler's lackeys, Commander Pavel was known as a bit crazy. Psychopathic, even. I didn't like him. Thankfully, he'd never pay attention to someone like me. It's not like our paths crossed often. 

People muttered as he walked in. The guards began the search. Pavel stood at the end of the hallway, casting a leery eye over everyone there. I avoided his gaze best I could. 

Eventually it was my turn. A guard walked up to me. "Disc, please." I handed it over. The guard took it and began to check through the contents. I leaned against the wall as he did. While that was happening another guard went into my room. While all this was happening, I felt Pavel's gaze sweep over me. I ignored it. Well, as best I could. 

Eventually the search was done. "Clear." The guard announced. The one with my disc handed it back to me. I nodded. Then they moved on to Ferzex. The other team was across the hall and almost done. 

Then there was a shout. I looked. Ferz looked. The guards looked. Pavel looked. Everyone looked.

The other team was manhandling a program. Seven doors down and across the hall from me. One guard was holding a freecode stick. 

Pavel walked over. "Well, well. What do we have here? A defiant program...and oh, what's this?" He took the freecode stick, and inspected it, turning it over in his hands.

I felt Ferz take my hand. His breathing was a little fast.

He was scared. I understood. Pavel had that effect.

Pavel then took the freecode stick , turned it on, and pointed it at the floor.

A bright green "Tron Lives" message appeared, spreading from the stick. It was a small, contained code, but very bright. I shielded my eyes. I recognized that - I'd seen it sometimes on the streets.

"Blasphemy." Pavel sneered. "It seems we have found a Renegade...but are you the Renegade?"

The guards answered for him. "No. Disc showed only graffiti, not other events the Renegade was sighted at"

"A sympathizer, then. To the games with him!"

At this the program suddenly broke away from the guards, he had not been restrained in time. He ran up the hallway, but didn't get far.

An orange disc sliced through him, derezzing him on the spot.
I heard Ferz gasp. I didn't, but I squeezed his hand. It was so sudden...he was just gone.

Pavel caught his disc, then pointed to first the graffiti, them to the pixels of the derezzed. "Clean up this mess." He told the guards. Then he looked at the rest of us. "Consider this a warning...to others who might want to join The Renegade in his blasphemous game." Then he turned and walked down the steps. The guards began to clean.

Ferz let out a noise between a gasp and a sigh. "I knew him...the program who was...his name was Max... I never thought..." He slumped.

"Hey...I'm sorry you had to see that..." I said, trying to comfort him. He sighed and turned. "I just...need some time.' he walked into his apartment and shut the door.

I looked at it for a minute before turning around to view the hallway. Some programs were whispering or even crying. The guards continued cleanup.

I walked back into my apartment and shut the door. Ugh...and to think I had been wishing something exciting would happen.

I'd seen programs derezzed, but never that brutally. Pavel seemed to almost enjoy it. Sure, I could be called callused. But I never...would never enjoy derezzing someone.

I just needed sleep. Next cycle I could think clearer.

As I drifted into sleep mode, I wondered once more:

Who was the Renegade?