A Bit More Security (currently closed)

[HESTIA]

Hestia had found herself ushered into the restuarant by Claire, and was a bit confused as to why they had gone out here. The program had been told that they had come out here for business, to meet with another security program and its user. However, it didn't seem like the most professional atmosphere. Not to mistake confusion with dislike, Hestia actually really liked being out there! Also, she wasn't exactly that acquainted with user traditions or how serious this was going to be.

She was directed to sit down in one of the booths, which she did without arguement. Claire had never given her any reason to doubt any user decisions, thus to her experience, all users were nice people. Besides, her coding told her that she was supposed to defend them. Upon sitting in the booth, she started looking around excitedly. The fail-safe/security program loved the idea of making new friends and she was ready to do so with the people her user had mentioned.

"Where are they, Claire? When will they get here? Will they just come by themselves? Do you think we'll be friends?" She happily asked, smiling brightly as she kept an eye out for any sign that would somehow give two people away as being the duo they were supposed to meet.

[CLAIRE VOGEL]

Claire had to keep herself from smiling too much, or laughing at her program's enthusiasm. It was adorable, at least to her anyways. They were supposed to meet up with Ben Bradley and his program Tram. Although she had previously met Ben, this would be her first time in the company of Tram. Thinking of how different she and Hestia were personality-wise, it made her wonder how Ben's program would be. Maybe what happened with her program was an anomoly? What if she had to make major updates to get her on the same page? Well, she hoped that it wasn't the case, and Hestia would grow out of this - for the most part anyways.

The student programmer then openly laughed once Hestia started asking all of her questions. "Don't worry about it so much, Hestia. They'll be here soon enough. As for the other questions, we'll have to play it by ear, Claire responded. After seeing sligh confusion from her answer, she quickly deducted that the last part of what she said was the problem. "In other words, we'll react based on their actions. Only once they're here will we even begin to get answers," she added in.

With a soft sigh, Claire simply waited for the other members of their small group to arrive.

[TRAM]

Tram walked eagerly alongside Ben, his thoughts bouncing over the meeting they were currently headed to. Apparently they'd just gotten a new Security Program and he would be showing this newcomer the way things were done. Although, Ben had explained that this meeting was really more of a social call than anything else. Still, he was excited--and if he had to admit it, a little proud--that he would be teaching this new Program.

The Bit Restaurant, their rendezvous point, came into view. Really, Tram had to applaud the sound thinking in this location. It served both food for Users and energy for Programs, therefore making it a very ideal location for a bit of a talk. He knew that Users needed to recharge more often than Programs did. The process still amazed him sometimes. It was so messy and inefficient! But it was what worked for Users, so he didn't spend a whole lot of time pondering how it could be done better.

His excitement petered slightly as a thought sprang into his mind. The nature of this new Program had been explained in some small detail and there was something that bothered him.

"Ben, is this new Program, well... it's not going to hurt Tron, is it?" Tram asked protectively. He didn't want anything to happen to the Program he so looked up to. "And... and why do they need a Program to watch after Tron, anyway? There's nothing wrong with him. Sam said that whole Rinzler thing wasn't his fault and it wasn't so why are they punishing him?"

His lower lip jutted out slightly.

"I'm not letting anyone touch Tron."

(OOC: I like how he's like "Yay, a new Program! Wait a minute..." Lawl.)

[BEN BRADLEY]

Ben listened patiently as Tram voiced his concerns, trying to hide the smile slowly making its way onto his face. Oh, his poor Program! He really was worried, wasn't he? It was understandable, he supposed. After all, Tram had been made as a support Program for Tron, so it was only natural that he was this, ah... supportive.

"Tram, Tram, take it easy," he said soothingly, patting his Program on the shoulder. "No one is trying to punish Tron and no one's going to hurt him. This new Program is just a little extra security. Sam and I have had a talk, and even Tron has mentioned to me how, things have been a bit... odd on The Grid as of late."

He didn't bother to elaborate - they were in a public place and he knew Tram well enough to say that the Security Program knew exactly what he was talking about. Those strange disappearances as well as the appearance of some odd new Programs. A little extra security would be a good thing, and he was sure this was the right route. Besides which, it wasn't as though Ben would have ever suggested it had he thought Tron would have been in any sort of danger.

Stepping into the restaurant, he looped his arm through Tram's, his eyes scanning the restaurant until they fell on the pair he was looking for. Raising his free hand in greeting, he ushered Tram across the floor and to the waiting pair.

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Miss Vogel. I hope we haven't kept you waiting for too long. This is my friend Tram; Tram, this is Miss Claire Vogel," Ben said by way of introduction. He smiled softly at Hestia. "And this must be Hestia."

[CLAIRE VOGEL]

Claire smiled when she saw Ben and who had to be Tram before gesturing to the seat opposite of them. "It's always a pleasure, Ben. And certainly not, we were waiting for just a few moments," she answered, amused that Hestia may not agree about the waiting. She'd let Hestia answer to her name, and instead gestured to Tram before adding, "and this program must be Tram. I'm not sure what you have been told yet, but it's nice to meet someone so spoken highly of."

Her gaze turned to Tram. It was a bit odd to see identical "twins" side by side, and she wondered if that was how people viewed Hestia and herself. Then, something else kinda pulled at her mind. Granted, she didn't know Tram that well yet, nor had she spent a lot of time around programs on the Grid. But, something seemed off in the way he carried himself. She looked at him with a bit concern. "Is something wrong?"

Not only did she not know Tram's earlier concersation with Ben before their arrival, but she also hadn't heard anything about recent happenings. For all she knew, his behavior was related to Hestia's child-like behavior and it was putting him off. Was it normal for programs to behave as she had so far? Had she done something wrong in Hestia's coding it was only viewable here on the Grid?

[HESTIA]

Upon getting getting confirmation that the two men were the other half of their group, Hestia excitedly waved at them and smiled brightly when Ben mentioned her name. "That's right, I'm Hestia!" She then giggled. "It's great meeting you!"

She was happy to quickly get both of their names thanks to Claire's words. She looked at Tram curiously upon hearing Claire's question. She didn't get anything was wrong. Everything was wonderful, and going around the Grid with her user was so much fun! It was true that they were here for business but that didn't mean that she had to be serious at this moment...right?

"I hope we can be friends," Hestia stated happily. She truly hoped that they could all be friends, and that she'd do a good job with her work here on the Grid too. She wasn't that sure of her role as a monitor yet, but her primary fail-safe role was one she had done pat at least. But then, the monitor portion of her programming was why Benjamin and Tram were there to meet with them today.

[TRAM]

Tram smiled at the two women seated at the booth, raising a hand in greeting before sliding into his seat next to Ben. He was always interested when he met Users and Programs who shared looks, such as he and his User did. They looked nice enough, he decided, though he was still feeling a bit reserved despite Ben's reassurances. He couldn't help it if he was a little concerned. After all, it was Tron they were taking about! Perhaps it was their few shared lines of coding, but Tram felt a certain level of protectiveness towards Tron that he didn't experience with other Programs; which was really rather odd considering Tron could take care of himself much better than Tram ever could.

He was struck by the sudden thought, as he looked between his User and their two guests, that in voicing his worries he could have been undermining Ben's input. Had it made it seem as though he'd thought Ben didn't have Tron's best interest at heart? Or that he thought Ben would be anywhere near willing to hurt the Security Program? He'd even gone so far as to place that judgement on Claire and Hestia before he'd even met them. A wave of guilt flooded his system and he made a note to apologize to his friend later.

He straightened noticeably in his seat when Claire addressed him, shaking his head even as his circuitry flickered in surprise. "Wrong? No, nothing is wrong at all. I apologize if I seem distracted, it's only that it's been a while since we had a new Security Program," he said with a smile. "In fact, I'm fairly certain I was the newest, unless you count some of the basic Monitors."

He did feel a small surge of joy at Claire's mentioning that he'd been spoken highly of, though. Words of praise were always a treat and only made him more dedicated to what he did. So, he'd forget any misgivings he'd had before they'd reached the restaurant; he'd been rather silly about it, hadn't he? He grinned to match Hestia, deciding he'd make sure she was every bit the best Security Program she could be.

"Likewise," Tram answered earnestly. He'd never been adverse to making new friends, after all. "I'm sure we'll all be great friends. I'm looking forward to protecting the Users and the system with you."

[BEN BRADLEY]

Ben watched with interest as a number of emotions played off of Tram's features--always an indicator of deep thought in the Program--and compared it to the eager, delighted look on Hestia's. He had a feeling the two would get along well together. And even as he watched, Tram seemed to be warming up to his new co-worker.

"Well, I'm glad you weren't waiting long. Are you planning on ordering something to eat? I know I am; I feel as though I haven't had a decent meal all week," he exclaimed with a chuckle.

Really, he'd been on a strictly coffee and popcorn diet as he'd joked on so many occasions. It was his unfortunate habit of forgoing anything substantial while deeply involved in any projects that had him a little thinner as of late. He knew he should be taking better care of himself--sleeping more, eating more--but he was really more interesting in an update for Tram he'd been working on as well as a few of the mysteries that seemed to be plaguing The Grid. Not to mention, he was much better at Mother Henning everyone else than he was at taking care of himself. He was certain he must have looked ill, what with his seemingly ever-present under eye circles and the loss of a few pounds, but on the bright side it prevented his desk from becoming cluttered with take-away containers. He wasn't really so good at the whole 'desk organization' thing in the first place.

"Well, on the, ah... business side of things, while everyone's looking at their menus, although this is more of a social call I think we can begin to discuss what Hestia will be doing as part of The Grid's security team and your part in overseeing her, Miss Vogel," Ben began, not bothering to touch his own menu. He could probably recite it by memory at this point. "There are the basic routines, the layout, the chain of command... all those things will be explained to you by Tram here, Hestia. But before we really get into anything at all, have either one of you spoken to Tron and Sam yet?"

He was eager to see Hestia and Claire off to a good start. Having them as part of the team would be a welcome change, in his opinion. He was concerned for the well-being of everyone on The Grid, more-so after the strange disappearances and that rogue Program Tram had encountered. Yes, these two were very welcome indeed.

[HESTIA]

Hestia couldn't help giggling just a bit when Tram's surprise became obvious. Only, it must not have been obvious enough because she just thought he was acting funny."I'm glad to hear nothing is wrong," she said, looking pretty excited yet. The new program looked between Tram and Ben, thinking of how so awesome it was that they looked the same and wondered if she looked anything like Claire. She hadn't really seen her reflection before, so she really didn't have a clue.

"Definitely! I really want to do my best to help the Grid. Users are wonderful and most programs are too, they just need to be protected," she chimed in after Tram's final statement. Her gaze went to Claire, and she positively beamed, and her circuits lit up happily for a moment. "Like you, Claire!"

She then nearly tackled her user from the side, meant as a hug, and earned a surprise yelp from the other woman of the group. Almost immediately, Hestia let go of Claire and her facial expression was sheepish. "I'm sorry, I didn't hurt you, did I?"

She hadn't heard much of what Ben said, the almost hyper program having thought he was speaking to just Claire and not her. But, she did hear "Tron." It was enough to grab her attention and look questionly at the male user. She hoped her user had gotten the question.

[CLAIRE VOGEL]

Claire nodded to Ben's question about eating, she had been feeling at least a little hungry. "Yea, I think I will get something here. It was a decent bit ago that I last ate so it would be nice to get at least a snack while we talk," she answered, lightly perusing the menu. They actually had real food on the Grid, digitized as they were? Or was this some sort of trick coding to make users feel more at home? She had just just decided on a sandwich when she both heard Ben's final comments, and was nearly tackled by her own program.

Right after her yelp, Hestia had let go of her, so Claire just smiled lightly at her program. "It's okay, Hestia. You're just excited is all," she said, patting her lightly on the program's shoulder. Suddenly, Claire had the thought of some hyper-active puppy. Had this been her fault or was this part of Hestia's personality just how she came to be? She adjusted her reading glasses and looked again at Ben. "No, I'm afraid we haven't gotten a chance to speak with either Sam or Tron yet. I was hoping to see at least Tron before I leave, but if it can't be helped, there isn't much I can do," the young woman replied, setting the menu down.

Truth be told, Claire was just a tad nervous bringing Hestia to Tron. She had used mutiple exercises on Hestia to see if she could do anything that she was designed for, and all the tests had been successful. But, how had they really gone down here? What if Hestia glitched or instinctively did attack Tron? She'd never forgive herself! Yeah, she should've had more faith in what she did, but a lot was beyond her eyesight previously. She looked at Hestia, unaware that her nervousness was showing.

[TRAM]

Tram couldn't help but smile at Hestia's enthusiasm. It really was nice to have someone as happy to protect the Users and the system as he was. Things had been a little disheartening for him lately; there had been the formation of various Anti-User groups and leftover Clu Supporters that had kept him unhappily busy. He didn't mind doing his job one bit, it was just that seeing so many Programs who hated Users saddened him. Sam had once told him that Kevin Flynn, the Creator of The Grid, had made it as a place for both Programs and Users alike... so why were there such hostilities? And it only seemed to be getting worse.

"That's exactly right, and helping The Grid and everyone on it is our top priority," he said with a nod of his head.

Although, sometimes he wondered about that. Staring down at his hands laying flat on the table's surface, he splayed his fingers thoughtfully. If it came down to it, would he choose the safety of The Grid over the safety of someone like, say, Ben? Or Tron? Or Sam or Clu? He wasn't so sure he was capable of making that kind of decision. Or what if a situation such as the one Hestia was programmed for came to pass? He couldn't hurt Tron, even if... even if he was somehow repurposed and attacking him, he just couldn't. He supposed, then, it was a good thing Hestia was being brought on-board.

Although, if he were to get technical about it all, the safety of Users like Sam and Ben were really in the best interest of The Grid anyway. Right? So maybe that was something of a loophole he could hold onto. He was letting his thoughts wander again...

"Yes, The Grid's safety comes before anything," Tram repeated. He perked up at Ben's question. "Oh, right! You should both definitely meet with Tron and Sam soon. I'm sure they're pretty eager to see you both, too. I'm kind of curious to see what happens when you shake hands with Tron, though, Hestia. Because when I first did, well... I don't think my circuits ever were that bright or turned that particular color except for when I first met Ben."

Yes, that was certainly a memory that stuck with him. The experience had been electric, to say the least. He'd always though it had something to do with his status as Tron's add-on Program, so he wanted to see if his theory was correct with Hestia.

[BEN BRADLEY]

Ben smiled politely at the waitress who had appeared at their table as he put in his order, a coffee (black, three sugars) and a liverwurst sandwich on wheat bread, before regarding Hestia's tackling of Claire with raised eyebrows. He broke into soft laughter, always happy to see a User and Program with as easy a relationship as he and Tram shared. As odd as it had been at first considering they shared their appearance, they'd always been very affectionate. Embraces, arms slung about the shoulders, the usage of one another as living pillows... none of it was off-limits.

"Yes, as Tram has said I think it's very important that you're both acquainted with Tron and Sam as soon as possible," he said, lacing his fingers together on the table in front of him. "I'd like to introduce you before you leave if at all possible. You'll be able to get a better understanding of what you'll both be doing on The Grid after you've spoken to them. And really, you can't begin doing anything until they know you're here, right?"

Ben recalled his own first few visits to The Grid. He'd felt awkward and out of place, though that was really no different from how felt in any new situation, and he'd been horrified of making mistakes. However, after a few more visits he'd grown relaxed and at ease with his position, happily taking on any project that was asked of him. He loved Programs and had become something of a, well... fixer, he supposed. Correcting code in ailing or corrupted Programs was something he put his whole heart into. It wasn't what he'd imagined himself to be doing when he originally came to The Grid, but it was something he loved. He had no doubt that Claire would find her place just as he had.

Although, at the moment, she was seeming less than sure of herself. Her anxiety was written all over her face, unfortunately. He offered her a gentle smile, his blue eyes twinkling fondly as he thought of the two people who comprised the root of her anxiety.

"Miss Vogel, there's no reason at all to be anxious," Ben said in soft, even tones. "Sam and Tron... are two of the kindest people, User or Program, that you will ever meet. Oh, Sam can be a bit a bit impulsive at times and Tron may not be one for showing what he feels, certainly, but there's really no one better at what they do. It's nerve wracking meeting anyone who, for lack of a better term, could be considered your new boss, but neither of you have anything to worry about. I'm absolutely positive they'll adore both of you. The key is to just be yourselves, that's all. Tram and I will be with you in any case, so you needn't worry about feeling fed to the wolves."

Truth be told, he was looking forward to seeing Sam and Tron both again. He'd been so busy lately, really they all had, that he felt he hadn't seen them in weeks. He laughed again at Tram's statement--yes, it had certainly been a sight to see, Tram lit up like the Fourth of July.

[CLAIRE VOGEL]

[size=1}"You'reright, it'll be hard for anything to be done before they know that at least Hestia is here," the young woman agreed, Even though she was nervous, she had to agree with him. It'd be silly to have a security program that wasn't

Claire looked at Ben rather gratefully. He had at least figured out part of the problem she was currently thinking of. Really, almost a sense of panic had swept through her and she didn't even notice the waitress until Ben had made his order. She looked at the employee and smiled a bit, before ordering her meal of Roast beef and cheddar, grilled sandwich. She wasn't sure when she'd eat again, so she didn't think it'd be wise to opt for a salad today. Once she finished, she looked at the young Bradley in front of her.

"That's...not really the whole issue, but you nailed most of it," she said, smiling a little. "Thank you, for cheering me up on that, Ben. I'm sure they're both lovely individuals, just like you and Mr. Alan are." It was reassuring to know that they'd be there too when she'd have Hestia brought before Tron. If something didn't work right, Tram would be able to help detain her, or even...derezz if needed. She looked over at her program, feeling almost horrified at the thought of having to delete her. It hadn't been long since she had been face-to-face with the new program, but she had spent a lot of time on her. And there was just this unexplainable link she felt - probably being her user.

She looked at Ben. "When you're here on the Grid, does it feel different to be around other programs than it is around Tram?" she asked, before she felt bad for asking right in front of not only Tram but Hestia. Would that be a bad question to ask in front of them? [/size]

[HESTIA]

Hestia's smile never dropped the bright smile as Tram spoke. His face showed thinking for a bit but her smile only dropped a bit in curiosity. "Got it, boss," she said with a slight giggle to her voice. It was going to be an important job, that much was for sure. She genuinely liked being around the other program. Of course, Tram was a pleasant enough program to be around in general. As he mentioned what happened with Tron, and that he lit up upon touching him she held out her hand. "Maybe it'll happen with you too before that?" She asked, willing to try his theory out with him.

It was right after that, that she heard Claire's question. Hestia blinked as she glanced at her user. Didn't she already know the answer to that?

[TRAM]

Tram blinked, cocking his head to the side in a curious fashion at the manner in which Hestia had addressed him. Boss? Him? Well now, that certainly wasn't right at all.

"I'm not your boss, I'm your friend," he stated matter-of-factly.

Sure, they would be working together and at the moment, it was true he was the more senior Program, but he couldn't think of himself as a boss of any sort. He wanted the two of them to be friends. They would be performing essentially the same job just as soon as she learned her function on The Grid, so he wanted to make sure they got to know each other especially well. His lips formed into a curious 'o' as Hestia suggested they test his theory right then and there.

"You know, that's a pretty good idea! I hadn't thought of that, but we've all got some shared coding, don't we? So... maybe you're right," Tram said with a smile.

He reached out across the table, taking Hestia's proffered hand and gripping it firmly. He felt it almost instant, that connection that sprang to life. It was different than the one he'd felt with Tron, but didn't lack in intensity. Ben had always been of the opinion that Tram's circuits could be unusually sensitive, and in this case, Tram certainly had to agree. He shivered as a tingle ran along his sensors, lighting up every circuit on his body. Though usually blue, they suddenly flickered to a bright pink, then to gold and continued to strobe back and forth between the three colors.

"O-Oh, you were right," Tram stammered, eyes bright and wide from the reaction.