flesh, blood and astro blasters ◎ open!

[amplifying]

Who_ Beck and YOU!
What_ Exploring and trying to get used to the human body.
Where_ Tomorrowland, into Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters.
When_ Soon after Beck is shipped to the Arena.
Warnings/Notes_ TBA!



If you're wandering around Tomorrowland, you might find this program around.

...No, person. User. That's what he seems to be now, though Beck can't really understand how, or why. A lot of things here seem completely unrealistic...like he was stuck in some bad dream, or Tron was putting him though a series of very weird simulations to help him along in his training. But where would being a user come in handy now? How would it help him in the rebellion?

It wouldn't...

Beck was told a few things before they shipped him up here. That he had been selected for some kind of games- but they were different from the games he knew. He would have his identity disc, but it couldn't be a weapon anymore. It was literally wielded onto his body, stuck to him like glue. Every program needed a disc unless they were a stray...but he literally needed it now. If it was to be removed, he would shut down. Or if it were to be damaged...he would glitch. And the more damage was done to him, the worse those glitches would become, to the point where he wouldn't know who he was anymore. Or worse.

Even better was this user body, which required constant maintenance, unless he wanted to die. He had to give it energy constantly, and it came from more than pure energy itself. He had to eat and drink, and the energy he needed would come from both sources, and not just one. It seemed like...a hassle, but what else could he do?

But what was the most difficult thing to wrap his head around was the fact that he had to kill to survive. Beck couldn't do that, and he wouldn't. He had been the reason behind a rebellion that people were just starting to get behind, and he had done it without derezzing one single program...almost. Just one.

No. He wouldn't. Beck wouldn't do it.
He couldn't.

He couldn't...

Things seemed surreal as he made his way into Tomorrowland, every sense he had straining. Beck wouldn't kill...but at the same time, he didn't want to be killed, either. He quietly made his way through the funny-looking town, observing the dusty benches, the dirty ground. Neon lights were littered on the ground, and glass crunched beneath his boots. He looked left, then right...and he saw some kind of shelter up ahead. It was a funny looking building, but the front of it read 'Buzz Lightyear Astro Blaster'. It almost sounded like a game of its own.

He made his way into the ride, weaving his way through line after line, metal gate after metal gate. Funny looking cars with blasters were in the back -quite a lot of them, actually-, snaking its way through the building at one angle or another. Monsters with jagged 'Z's were everywhere, some stuck in awkward positions, or were broken off altogether. Yeah, he could hide out here for now. Just for a little bit, anyway.

Comments

[amoral_savior]

He was dirty and tired, but that didn't compare to how scared he was. This was too much to take in, but if he was lucky he could avoid it all by just laying low and hoping he was forgotten about. That only worked if people didn't get nosy and find their way to him.

His luck seemed to really suck.

The crunch of glass alerted him to a new presence; a dangerous presence. Grabbing one of his knives he moved closer to the opening. Topher wasn't exactly an expert at sneaking around, but he sure wasn't going to wait for this random crazy to take him out.

"W-Whoever you are, you should just leave! I'm armed and there are traps. I don't want to play this stupid game, okay, so you can just turn around and leave!"

[amplifying]

For a moment, Beck thought there wasn't going to be anyone else here. Which was a good thing- he needed to time be alone and think. There was too much going on at once, and it felt like he was being overloaded. Which didn't make him feel the best. It felt like he was all achy on the inside, and it kind of bothered him a little.

Maybe Tron was close by. Maybe this was all some kind of training program to teach him that the impossible was actually possible. Or maybe this was all real, and-

A voice rang out from deeper inside, startling Beck. It didn't really stop him at first...until he heard that that he was armed. And there were traps. Now that was a problem. He stopped in his place, letting his arms rise halfway up in surrender. "I'm not here to hurt you." He said in a strong voice, cringing as he could hear it echo. "I just got here. Believe me, I have no idea what's going on."

[amoral_savior]

There were no traps and Topher knew he wasn't that intimidating, but, perhaps stupidly, he stepped out revealing himself to this stranger.

"I-it's a game or something. I don't know." Panic and fear shown in his eyes. This was so far outside his comfort zone it was another universe. He wanted to go home. They had promised he could if he just managed to stay alive to the end.

"Are you by yourself?"

[amplifying]

It didn't take much to see that this guy was scared out of his circuits...

Beck's face softened. This was so...so unfair! Why was this necessary, how did people get enjoyment out of this? It reminded him so much of the games back home. Where people cheered during every derez, no matter whose side it was on. They just wanted to see bits fly.

He kept his hands raised, though he had a pack of supplies he bought on his back. "I'm by myself. I'm unarmed, promise." Beck took...the smallest step forward. "I'll just go my own way. I don't mean you any harm."

[amoral_savior]

"N-no, don't, uh, don't leave." This was suicide. Possibly, but Topher had spend the majority of the week in this psycho place and while he was far from social he was also slightly lonely. So far no one had found him and he was glad about that, but he wasn't ready to chase away the first person he found (or who found him).

"What's your name?"

[amplifying]

Beck didn't want to say anything, but this guy sounded so unsure. Which wasn't a bad thing, since he was unsure himself. But still, though. Were they allowed to make allies here? If they could do it in his games, they could probably do it here too, right?

He looked in the direction where the voice was coming from (which was hard, because everything echoed in this place). "Beck. My name is Beck." Even though it probably wasn't the smartest idea, he took another step forward. "I'm not going to hurt you. I just want a place to stay."

[amoral_savior]

"Topher and, uh, it's pretty empty here." He's not inviting because he's lonely or because of those weird things he hears at night sniffing around.

Okay, maybe it's a bit of all those things.

He finally steps out into what little light there is. Armed with only one of his knives he's not much of a threat, but looks are known to be deceiving and maybe this Beck guy is slow. The knife gets put away, but Topher's still on alert.

"Have, uh, have you talked with anyone else?"

[amplifying]

Empty. Okay, good. Beck would take his word on it for now...which may not be smart, but hey.

He backed up a step as the person revealed himself, stepping into a small beam of light. And to be honest, they didn't look all that intimidating. But if it's one thing Beck learned through Tron, it's to not judge a program too early. A small program could be a big pain in your-

Beck watched as the knife was slowly put away, and another question was brought up. And he answered, truthful as always. "Other than those people down below here? Nope." He said, shrugging his shoulders. "They told me I was selected for some type of game, something about an arena..."

[amoral_savior]

"They were killing each other and I ran here to avoid the crazy, and let me say they are all freakin' crazy!" For all he knew this guy was just as crazy, but those people had been the attack first and talk never sort so maybe this was the one sane guy aside from himself.

"Do you have any supplies?" He wasn't ready to trust this guy with his own meager stash, but he wasn't going to watch someone starve either.

[amplifying]

Yeah, Beck couldn't say he knew everything about this guy, either. He was stopping to talk, too...but with everyone else he had to fight in his cycles, they were just ordered to bring him into the General without any words spoken, so. "Okay, I can't really lie. I have no idea what's going on."

He hesitated for a moment, before looking through the pack he was given. "A few things...but not food, or whatever it is." Beck said, before letting it flop to the floor by his feet. "What about you?"

[amoral_savior]

Topher's own bag of supplies was well hidden, but seeing as this guy was so open about sharing Topher didn't see any reason to lie about what he had.

"Um, I got a bag when this thing started. There are trees with food out there and someone or something sent me a tin of caviar, which is really gross." He stood back up and finally offered a hand. "Topher Brink."

[amplifying]

Oh. He hadn't seen any trees with food on them.
...Beck didn't even know what a tree was.

Nor did he know what caviar was. "...What's that?"

When the other Tribute held out a hand, he smiled and shook it with his own. "Beck."

[amoral_savior]

"Fish eggs of death." His face was entirely serious.

Topher shook Beck's hand and behind the other man. "You, uh, need to stock up on the fresh produce? I can watch your back." This would have the added benefit of getting the guy away from Topher's hiding spot.

Bendytimedy before he runs into Daniel Jackson and Howard

[shambler]

A few hours later after the Cornucopia and R stumbled his way into Tomorrowland.

He probably could've handled that better.

The hunger felt like it was clouding its way through his non-existence bloodstream, shriveling him down to the very cells, a yawning nothing that howled in his face and brain. R followed wherever he thought he could sense signs of Life out there: a scrabbling sound, a whisper, a kicked can sent skittering across the pavement. Anything. Raising his head, he thought he saw a shape slip into one of the buildings, R dimly registering the broken neon sign.

Worth checking out. R shuffled a little bit faster, dragging his broken ankle after him and trying not to daydream about how good it'll feel once he catches up.

Beck has a few extra minutes to get settled to the maze inside Buzz Lightyear before he has a new, very dead, very loud Tribute stumbling his way inside. R bumps into one of the displays before he steers himself against the walls, closing in on the smell and trying not to get too jazzed. It's the killing part R's never been a fan of.

LET'S DO THIS.

[amplifying]

Okay, so he had a little place settled. It was actually pretty easy to find a hiding spot around here; even though it looked tiny on the outside, the building was pretty massive. The deeper inside you went, the more these little scenes grew. He was hiding behind a group of monsters frozen in their places, their claws and foreheads marked with the 'Z's he had seen so often in here. Okay, now...time to get himself settled.

Beck opened the pack, and carefully started to take out whatever he had ordered before joining the others in the Arena. A sleeping bag, a folding knife. A fire starter. But no energy. Program or no program, user or no user, he could tell that this could be a problem.

And he could feel a problem already- his mouth was awfully dry, and something inside of him felt a little achy. He was used to feeling thirsty...but not everything else. With a base set up, maybe he should go look for something that a user would consider food. This place was big enough, so there probably was a ton-

A loud sound from not too far away snapped Beck right out of his thoughts. There was a moment's pause before it happened again, sending echoes all throughout the building. Beck frowned, and hid the supplies he had bought behind the monsters. This wasn't going to be fun...

He quickly got up and ducked behind one of the ones nearby the blasters. There was a figure stumbling its way down the hallway, staggering this way and that. Beck made to reach behind his back for his identity disc...but that was right. He couldn't use that as a weapon anymore, could he?

That was okay. Beck didn't want to fight. He certainly didn't want to kill anyone, either.

So he stood up, making himself known out in the open. "Who are you?" It wasn't a very threatening question, but Beck tried to make himself sound as, well, big as he could.

YAY. Also sob, apologies for my tense fail up there.

[shambler]

If R wasn't sure there was someone in here with him, the Tribute...getting up and totally exposing himself clued him in because, uh, that wasn't supposed to happen. The guy popped up like they weren't on opposite ends of the food chain, like they were both reasonable people here (as if they were both people in the first place) and all they had to do was trade names and they'd be buddies.

R gaped at him, bloody mouth and all.

"Rrrrr?" His groan even sounded confused. Great. Awesome. Way to inspire confidence and/or fear. Actually, R wasn't even sure why zombies groaned all the time, only that he was supposed to get in at least one, read 'em, (1) decent groan in before he attacked and after awhile it got old doing the same thing day in and day out. "Rr."

Talk about weak. Even R didn't buy it.

The thing was he wasn’t sure what to make of the other Tribute. He smelled Living enough, but the lack of “oh shit!” and trying to stab him with the nearest pointy object was a big red flag lighting up whatever was left of R’s brain. It wasn’t enough to make him reconsider his life choices. Huge case of too-little, too-late. The hunger was too strong for that. But it was enough to make him go hey now, maybe I better shamble a tiny bit slower. R worked his way toward the other Tribute, one hand raising toward him and by now they were only a few feet apart. Any competent survivor would start trying to bash in his skull right about now. To someone who’d never seen a zombie, though, it’d almost look like a plea for help.

Naaah it's ok! My tenses are off all the time. :P i never pay attention to that because i'm bad

[amplifying]

Oooh....whoa.

They told him about the red stuff, too. Blood, was it? It came from a user when they were injured enough to break their skin. Kind of like how some program leaked information through their injuries if they were extensive enough. Human were different, they told him. The more they bled, the more in danger they could be in. If they bled enough, their bodies would give out and die. As would his own new body now.

The red stuff coming out of this guy's mouth was pretty alarming enough. The lack of words that he said was even more so. This user must have been injured enough to the point where information wasn't going up to his brain enough. But when he looked at Beck, he seemed...conscience enough, at least? If that was a good way to put it. The user made another funny sound after the first.

Beck wasn't sure how things worked here, or what was really going on. So he just assumed the guy was hurt.

The user started to approach, a hand held out towards him like he was in need of assistance. Beck wouldn't kill, and he couldn't. Maybe he could offer help, instead. He took a step closer, a concerned expression quickly making itself across his face. "Do you need help?"

Excellent, we are in the same boat.

[shambler]

Help. The word actually rattled around his skull, searching for something to connect with.

Yeah, yeah, he needed help. Cannibals Anonymous would be his first pit-stop. R guessed he needed help for a long time now, maybe years, and if he was a better person he’d roll over and stop instead of eating person after person after person. It’d be the right thing to do…only R kept right on going through the same song and dance like the next zombie, pretending he needed to feed so he could go back to non-existing another day.

R hated himself sometimes. This man was kind enough to offer help and R was gonna kill him. The guy deserved way better than this.

“Hu…elllp,” R moaned, echoing after the other Tribute.

They were literally only feet apart now, with his hand outstretched toward the Living man as if he wasn’t sure he was there. As if he needed to make sure. R couldn’t help himself. He suddenly lunged forward toward the man’s hand, deciding he wanted to shave off all the fingers first. That hunger exploded all over the zombie in a wave rippling through his corpse, everything red-tinged and in the now and suddenly so much sharper than before because he was this close to finally eating something. Get it over with, like it was only cleaning his room and not murder. R would sob in relief if he could cry. Instead he settled for the growl bubbling up from his chest, R trying to wrestle the other Tribute down with brute force.

WE ARE and we are rockin' it

[amplifying]

Help. He even said it! Help!

That was good enough for Beck. He reached his hand out offering the guy a small, kind of nervous smile. "Yeah, I'll help-"

But he couldn't even finish. One little second later, and the guy snapped.

He could see it in his eyes before he felt the force. While he had at least looked somewhat civil (and honestly, Beck had barely been paying attention to his eyes. He had been more focused on the blood all around his mouth) before, now his eyes were crazed. They were wide and wild, which even with his inexperience with users he could tell that something was wrong. Revealing himself to this guy was a big mistake. And offering him help was even worse-

Beck couldn't even tell what was happening. He felt something tugging him forward, hard enough to make it feel like his arm was trying to be pulled off, and the ground leaving his feet. And then there was a moment where it felt like he was floating...but he could see the ceiling growing smaller, and the person's face right above him. Something then slammed itself into his back.

Whatever he hit was a little more higher up than the rest of the ground; he felt the back of his shoulders hit first, before the rest of his body. Something below him snapped with a sharp crack!

He felt it before he knew what had happened.

Beck had glitched a few times before when his identity disc was stolen, and it was anything but fun. He knew where he was and why and what he was doing, but then he would feel a jolt....and then nothing. He didn't know who he was or where he was or for what purpose, and it would leave him with the most frightened feeling he had ever felt. It didn't necessarily leave until his memory returned, or someone told him what was going on. He could feel that now, the same horrible jolting feeling, mixed with a quick lightning bolt of pain. Time slowed down, and he could hear the crack slowly make itself heard.

But he couldn't just hear the crack. He could feel it.

He felt his body jerk, and the glitch began. Before he could even blink, his memories disappeared with a flash. "Wha-?" And right above him was this growling User, with such a crazed look in his eye that Beck could only watch.

[shambler]

R fell on top of the other Tribute. Finally, it was this easy. This was the sort of thing that happened when you threw ten zombies at a guy: dinner would freak out at the sheer numbers, panic, do something stupid like trip and crack his head open and then it was smooth sailing for everyone but the man convulsing on the floor as R ate his liver.

He wasn't sure what that crack was. Even he heard it. The Tribute's spine, maybe?

R was going with the spine theory. Maybe dinner was paralyzed from the break down and who's he kidding? R wasn't the type to double-check: the zombie closed in on the man, dripping black drool as his jaws dropped open. Time stuttered into clarity for R, sharpening where usually it blurred together into a fog of Blah: he could see the whites of the man's eyes, the "Wha" slowly escaping his lips with the last breath he'd have (terrible last words, but R had also heard worse), the way his face was so much more mobile and squishy. R started to lean in to rip out a chunk of flesh when suddenly the man flailed and nailed him in the chest.

The zombie went backward hard, smacking against the wall with more force than he thought Future Dinner had in him. R struggled to pick himself up off the floor. Get one hand under him, then the other, then the broken ankle and he was almost good to go. An annoyed groan forced its way out of his stiff lips.

[amplifying]

It was just like the memory glitch all over again. What was he doing here? This didn't look like Argon...and where was Tron? Beck couldn't focus, literally; everything was in double, and it felt like he was spinning in place. He could see two people above him, something black leaking out from their face. Then they grew closer, and closer...

He was going to die, wasn't he?

Just as suddenly as they left, his memories came back to him in a flash. Beck yelled out and whipped out his arm as quick as he could in a last-ditch move. And surprisingly enough, the thing launched itself off. Beck wasn't sure if he hit it, or something else knocked it off of him...but he didn't take the chance to look.

He dragged himself up to his feet and started forward, stumbling once or twice as he struggled to regain his balance. Beck forgot about the pack he had bought just some time ago and bolted, making his way deeper and deeper into the game.

You could probably lose R in the ride or box him in. He's so easy to get away from :|

[shambler]

R started after the Tribute, sensing a common theme here with all his murder attempts. They weren't going so well. In fact, and this was a niggling feeling, he thought he was terrible at this. So sue him, he was rusty on the solo attack thing. He didn't need so much strategy normally. Another day, with that hunger simmering in his marrow instead of boiling over, and R would've been almost glad to see Dinner making a getaway.

Instead he snarled and started to lurch after him, hands outstretched into claws.

R nearly killed himself on the pack. He tripped against it and nearly went down all over again, two seconds away from braining himself on something. If he was smart, he'd reach down and pick up the pack, realize what it was (a shot at life in this Arena) and let Dinner go because there was nothing more dangerous than a cornered, injured human. The near-miss gave the man stumbling away a larger head-start, R aware of it and thinking the least he could do was try to catch up.

The zombie staggered after, the sound of his feet dragging against the floor and his hungry moans echoing through the ride after Beck.

Haha, poor R. :P

[amplifying]

Once Beck got himself moving again, it felt like things were working easier for him. He just needed to put one foot in front of the other, propel himself forward as quickly as he could. There was something snarling behind him, which only helped him to move faster. Beck didn't even look over his shoulder once as he moved through the dark ride ahead of him, tripping and stumbling over his own fair share of objects littered around the ride.

Could he take on this guy? Beck wanted to think he could. He was just taken a little off guard, that was all. But now, taking on anything was the last thing on his mind. Something weird in here caused him to glitch, and he couldn't have it that way. Memory glitches to a program weren't fatal to the body itself, but the personality programmed inside. Beck could forget anything- who he was in here and in Argon, his training, or why he was here at all. He couldn't fight anyone, not until he figured out what was wrong.

Beck looked left and right, before hopping into one of the little cars that was turned rather awkwardly on the track. He pressed himself down onto the floor as best as he could, keeping a close ear out for the thing running behind him. With any luck, he'd run right by.

But if he didn't, he'd be done for...

R fails in the right direction (on a good day)

[shambler]

Shuffle right by, maybe. Time crept by at an agonizing pace.

It was several minutes before R caught up to where he thought the guy was. Even by his standards he was moving slow. It didn't help his ankle kept flopping all over the place on him (he almost wanted it to hurry up and fall off, just to get it over with, because this was getting ridiculous) and he hadn't been here before. It made navigating even harder than usual. It was one thing to shamble day in and day out in the same place but doing it by himself in a strange new place and suddenly R was convinced the walls were jumping in his way on purpose.

It was like zombie pinball. Man.

R bumped his way after those footsteps. They faded up ahead, R stopping by one of those cars as he sniffed loudly, sounding more like an animal than a man as his nostrils flared. His head swiveled as he strained to make out a gasp, a foot kicking against the tracks, a curse. Anything. Something clanked up ahead. It could be a cat. It could also be Dinner getting stuck in a corner somewhere.

The zombie started after the sound, passing Beck's car without even doing something as basic as looking down at the most obvious hiding spot ever. After a few minutes, R vanished into the darkness.

Poor R <333

[amplifying]

Beck didn't even want to breathe right now.

Thankfully, the guy up ahead wasn't all that graceful; he could hear some kind of weird sniffing noises from not too far away, followed by clunking sounds- was he falling? From whatever condition that guy seemed to be in, Beck wasn't all that surprised. He was either hurt or glitching, or something like that.

The noises grew closer, until he heard something from right behind him. Beck closed his eyes and wrapped an arm around his head, his heart pounding away in his chest...-

...but the noises moved on. Whoever that guy was has ran right past him.

Beck let out a small sigh of relief after a few cramped minutes in the car, before stumbling out. His head was spinning and something didn't feel quite right. Maybe if he could find a mirror. Or something where he could get a good look at himself; everything in the user world was so dull...

He let out another little sigh, before making his way back to the camp.