Transcript: The Hand That Reaches (Cold Space)

PASSAGE 0.1: THE HAND THAT REACHES

PLANET AXAGUS

X29-P, 0800: 7 DAYS AGO

A large city is currently being ravaged. Fire spreads throughout the city as many people are running throughout the streets. Citizens are dying left and right, men, women and children. Walking in the middle of the main street, marching towards the city hall, is Emperor Tribus and 15 of his newest TRON robots, who are obliterating everything in sight..A man exits from a building he was trapped inside and attempts running. Tribus throws his sword, Cygnus, and decapitates him without even looking. The sword flies right back into his hand. Cries ring across the square. He finally reaches the main hall, where some security attempts to stop Tribus, who effortlessly impales them on Cygnus, than throws their bodies off the sword.

He opens the door.

Tribus: Show yourself, Melkior.

Silence. The emperor turns to the TRONs.

Tribus: Sweep the place. If you find him, inform me.

The robots immediately disperse.

Tribus: COME OUT AND FACE ME, MELKIOR!

He slices through a painting of Melkior's parents on the wall.

Tribus: IF YOU HAVE ANY HONOR AT ALL, YOU WILL REVEAL YOURSELF AT ONCE!

-INCOMING TRANSMISSION-

TRON-21: Governor Melkior has been located and restrained, my Emperor.

Tribus chuckles sinisterly.

Tribus: Perfect.

He walks into the next room, finding the man he was looking for being pinned down by 2 of his robots.Melkior: Please, my liege! What is this madness?!Tribus: You have the audacity to ask me a question like that?

Melkior: I-I'm sorry, my-

Tribus kicks him in the face, breaking his nose.

Melkior: AAAAAAAAAAAAGH!

Tribus: You will seal your mouth at once. Don't think we don't know what you did.

Melkior: By bord, I habe no ibea bhat you're talking aboub!

Tribus: LIES!

He turns to TRON-19.Tribus: Tell me what you have found.

TRON-19 quickly waves his arm, revealing a holographic screen tracking Melkior's financial history. He had deposited a large sum of credits to armies that had resisted Tribus during his quest to find Chronium.

Tribus: You funded traitors of the Triboid System, Governor.

Melkior: But, but, by liege! Bhat bas an honest bistake!

Tribus: Mistake. Yes. Honest. No.

He picks up Cygnus.

Melkior: By lord! No! PLEASE! BY-

Tribus stabs Cygnus into the top of Melkiors head, and it goes through his brain and the bottom of his jaw.

Tribus: Pft.

He pulls Cyngus through Melkior's head, splitting it.

Tribus: Kill all the men. Keep the women for potential population increase for dying planets. Everything else, burn.

The robots nod, and quickly leave the building .As the screams and cries of the outside are smothered by lasers firing and debris falling, Emperor Tribus stabs Cygnus into the ground next to the Governor's seat before sitting on it and resting his chin on his fist.

COLD SPACE

COMPRENDUS LABS - RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FACILITY

X29-P, 0400: PRESENT DAY

Kept away from the rest of the TRONS, lights flicker on in a hidden room.

Scientist: Hello, 16.

TRON-16 awakens to find two scientists staring at him through a reinforced force field window.

16: What?

Scientist 2: We are here to do your daily efficiency examination. Despite not being authorized for utilization on the field, we are still required to test your combat skill.

16: Great.

Scientist: Alright, let's get things started.

The scientist types a few things into the screen in front of him. Multiple simulations appear in front of 16, clearly meant for him to attack.Scientist: You may begin.16: I don't want to.

Scientist: Huh?16: I said I don't want to.

Scientist 2: We don't exactly find these fun either. But it's required of you.

16: I don't care. I'm not gonna do it.

Scientist: Well, you have to. It's not an option.

16: Sorry. Don't care.

Scientist 2: You're gonna have to do it, you know.

16 is beginning to grow agitated.

16: I said no. Do you not know what that means?

Scientist: I do. But like you said, I don't care.

16: You know what?

Scientist 2: Quit the complaining and just do it. It's not that hard.

With that, 16 turns his arm into an ion cannon and blasts it at the force field in anger. It does nothing, but it fills the room with blinding light.

16: WHAT DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND ABOUT NO? YOU HAVE THE GALL TO LOCK ME UP IN THIS ROOM OF NOTHING AS LONG AS I HAVE LIVED, DOING NOTHING BUT HITTING THINGS THAT CAN'T BE HIT ALL FUCKING DAY! I HAVE EARNED THE RIGHT TO SAY NO A MILLION TIMES OVER!

The two scientists stare at each other. They then turn to stare back at 16.

Scientist: Well, in that case...

The scientist quickly pulls out a blaster and shoots the other scientist dead. He then opens the door.

16: What the fuck?

Scientist: Go, now, while you still can! The nearest port is 10 or so minutes away from here. If you're discreet you can make it. Now shoot me.

16: What?! Why would I-

Scientist: To make it look like you revolted!

16: I-...ok.

He shoots the scientist in the chest, but tries to miss any vital organs. He then runs away and enters the elevator.

16: What the hell...As he rises up the elevator, he watches the floor numbers increase.

Suddenly, alarms begin to blare everywhere.

16: Great.

The elevator door opens.

16: Here we go...He is met by security. A lot of them.

Guard: We're going to have to ask you to stand down. If you do not, we will be forced to use martial law.

16: Or you could shut up.

He blasts the guard in the face with his cannon arm, killing him.

Guard 2: FIRE!

The guards begin firing. 16 quickly kicks a gun out of the nearest guard's hands and then shoots him dead before scaling the wall and leaping on to the next guard and snapping the guard's neck with his legs. The bullets they fire at him are ineffective and simply dissolve.

Guard 3: WE CAN'T SHAKE HIM! FA-

His head is blasted off before he can say anything else.

A guard tries to run at him and stab him with a dagger, but 16 chops the guard's wrist, catches the dagger and stabs it into the side of the guard's head. He then grabs the body by the head and swings it at the 3 remaining guards, knocking them all down. He runs away as the guards recover.

As he makes his way down the hall, he sees a bin full of lost-and found items. He quickly grabs a cloak and a coat and puts it on before making his way out the door into the crowded streets.

16: Urgh..He growls in anger as people keep bumping into him.

As he walks towards nothing in particular, he bumps into someone, and they drop something.

Citizen: Oh my, I'm so sorry- I didn't mean to bump into you.

16: S'fine. You need help with that?

Citizen: No, I'm ok. Really.

16: Can I ask you something?

Citizen: Huh? Oh, sure.

16: D'you know where you can find a port?

Citizen: Oh, the port? It's actually pretty close. Just keep walking then take a hard left.

16: Thanks.Citizen: No problem.He walks off.

16: Sigh.

He continues to walk towards the port. He sees a lot of people boarding large transport fleets. He notices that a lot of people are being face-scanned before they board. He suddenly gets an idea. He ducks behind a pillar and takes off his clothes. He then begins to act emotionless. People flinch at the sight of him, and children's eyes are being shielded by their parents.

Airport Personell Member: The upcoming flight for Transport-9A to Ghjieknir is about to depart, if there are any...um-

16 walks up to him and stares at his emotionlessly.

Airport Personell Member: Can I...assist you?

16 stares at him, then stares at the ship, then back at him.

Airport Personell Member: Are you asking if you can...um...board?

16 nods.

Airport Personell Member: Well...there's a bit of a problem there, see we-

16 raises his arm and turns into an ion cannon.

Airport Personell Member: OK! OK! YOU CAN GET ON!

16 lowers his arm and walks onto the ship. He takes a seat at the very back.

16: Dumbasses.

COMPRENDUS LABS - RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FACILITY

X29-P, 0500: PRESENT DAY

Nexor: You mind telling me just exactly what happened here?

Scientist, recovered: He escaped...he killed him and he nearly got me.

Nexor: Is that so?

Scientist: Yes.

Nexor: Interesting. From the footage we got here on camera, he was seen entering an elevator and then terminating 4 security personnell

Scientist: I was unaware of that.

Nexor: Yes. But how did he kill him when the gunshot wounds were very clearly inflicted in close proximity? And the bullet holes do not look nearly as big as his arm's ion cannon.

Scientist: Well, see...this scientist said that we should try and help him escape. So I...shot him.

Nexor: You shot him?

Scientist: Yes..we were instructed by Emperor Tribus that, no matter what our relationship may be with them, to execute potential enemies of his overlordship. By any means necessary.

Nexor: Yes. That is extremely true.

He ignites his laser axe and cuts the scientist in half.

Nexor: My lord, this is Nexor. 16 has escaped confinement. I have discovered he was aided in his escape.

Tribus simply laughs.

Tribus: Perfect.

Nexor: That was not the reaction I was expecting, my lordship.

Tribus: Don't worry, my apprentice. This is merely the perfect time to test out what I and my top minds have been developing for some time now.

Nexor: You mean Model 32?

Tribus: Precisely. 32 will be double the machine 16 was. Unlike 16 however....32 is like the others. He will not disobey me.

Nexor: So what shall you do?

Tribus: I will do as I see fit. You however, will order for reports and announcements be sent out to all our information outlets. Inform them a rogue is on the loose and that a massive reward is being released for his capture. As much as I dislike 16...we need him back. His Chronium is my Chronium.

Nexor: Yes, my lordship.

The transmission ends.

Tribus then angrily throws Cygnus at the wall, breaking his calm demeanor.

Tribus: 16...you never learn.

FIN