#isos

The ISOs are thinking, conscious lifeforms with DNA-like code, far more complex in their structure than ordinary Programs. They were somehow spontaneously generated by the Grid, and I have previously mentioned that I believe this was caused by Kevin Flynn’s presence, that some of his biological material was somehow absorbed by the Grid, giving it a blueprint from which to generate new lifeforms. I have one theory where this happened simply by Flynn hanging out and interacting with the Grid for an extended period of time, and another theory where it was caused specifically when Flynn created Clu, making Clu the original proto-ISO.

Either way, the point is, the Grid itself, consciously or unconsciously, generated the ISOs from Flynn’s biological structure. My new theory is that this was not, in fact, the first time that the Grid had birthed lifeforms, just the first time that it could create something this complex, since it now had a complex enough blueprint to work from.

The Grid, both in the ENCOM systems and in Flynn’s new system, had always had the potential, and perhaps the will, to generate its own lifeforms, but before Flynn’s appearance, it could only create far simpler creatures, possibly based on the codes of the User-made Programs. These creatures were small, simple-minded, perhaps only with animal instincts, but to compensate for this, there were a lot of them. The Grid’s urge to create life made it generate more and more of these tiny, hungry critters. Swarms of them. They weren’t something the Users had intended for, and they caused problems when they came into contact with Programs. They were a kind of strange glitch. Bugs. Bugs from the Grid. Grid Bugs.

In the beginning of Tron: Betrayal, Flynn’s newly created Grid is beset by huge swarms of Grid Bugs devouring everything in their way, causing all kinds of chaos and destruction. Clu believes that they’re somehow connected to the ISOs. And maybe he’s right. Maybe the birth of the ISOs was preceded by an increase in Grid Bugs generation, as the Grid struggled with the strange new information it had received from Flynn’s genetic code, trying to make sense of it, trying to figure out what kind of new, complex creatures it could generate from it. The chaos these swarms caused were, in a sense, the birthing pains of the ISOs.

I found my old ISO story, “La voix de la mer.” I thought it was lost after my laptop died in 2015. Turns out I had a file hiding on an old hard drive, untitled, and I nearly cried. It’s unfinished, but I figured, why not share it? I was proud of it back when, and I want to share that with the fandom. I’ll be gradually posting all of it. <3 

--

Unfinished, written in November 2014.

Title inspired by the 1942 novella, Le Silence de la mer (The Silence of the Sea). "...written in 1941 by Jean Bruller under the pseudonym 'Vercors'. Published secretly in German-occupied Paris in 1942, the book quickly became a symbol of mental resistance against German occupiers."

Disclaimer: This has nothing to do with Quorra as a character! It’s more of a story element critique if anything, please read and don’t jump on me for the title. Quorra is adorable and I enjoy legacy- even if it doesn’t look like it from how I keep tearing it apart.

It’s a damned if you do damned if you don’t situation. On one hand you can’t leave her inside the grid when Flynn decides to literally go nuclear but you can’t leave her in the real world either. They have to because they wanted Flynn’s self sacrificing ending or wrote themselves into a corner (this isn’t about reintegration but I will still complain) and this was there way out. But they didn’t consider the implications of it at all.

Cosmic horror-

I’ve made several posts about it and still want to write something with this idea but to a program— the real world wouldn’t be so miraculous like how we see theirs. The minute you’re outside you’re Imediately bombarded with sensory overload and just too much information to process. The grid, which is much more human in its design than the ENCOM system, is still infinitely more minimalist than our world. One of the best scenes is Clu and his team raiding the hideout and not knowing what a single thing is and freaking out, she seems too well adjusted for someone who’s spent a few hours max here— look I know it’s the end of a movie and they can’t do that whole arc, but I digress.

Also don’t get me started on the rumored Ares plot and how they totally forgot quorra is already a program(technically iso) in our world- also it’s not really a “tron” movie plot— where’s the allegory?! The metaphor?! The symbolism?!

Another thing is that…Sam can’t tell anyone about her. Maybe Alan but her mere existence in our world is brain shattering. Trying to explain a advanced humanoid being that’s not here to harm us and is totally cool guys almost never goes well. It also leaves people a LOT to grapple with…like everything we know being forever altered.

This whole situation should be terrifying from both perspectives, however I love the theory that the only reason she was able to get out into the real world at all was because of Flynn’s data stored in the beam. That’s a great thought that almost makes me like her being in the real world just from how much impact that is.

Infectious-

What happens now? She can’t be revealed to the world (yet) and to put her back in the remains of the grid would be cruel. Putting her in another system would be wildly irresponsible because- do we even know what ISOs do? Across all media its “they’re special” but absolutely squat on their actual function or what they’re capable of. We see they have some kind of digital dna that’s literally a miraculous occurrence but that’s about it. Did Flynn even know? Are they just there- existing but not effecting/having a real world computer impact? Or worse - what if clu was right and they did contribute to the crumbling state of the grid? (I think it was a combination of his own fear and scapegoating—I’m just tossing the idea out there).

Sam transferring her over to another system without knowing what she does or how she could effect it would be disastrous. Am I saying she’s dangerous or would have any intent to harm? No not at all that’s now who she is, but it’s sort of a “releasing a domestic cat into the woods a state over” you don’t do that.

Does she get a regular job now, does Sam hire her at ENCOM? She’d likely be some sort of computer smart…in that she come from one. Or does he like —- set her up at a McDonald’s? How’s she get energy does she get plugged in- being in the real world isn’t going to magically give her a stomach. Sam just takes her to a power grid and she causes SoCal to blackout lmao.

Open portal-

I’m aware most of this post is just me overthinking the implications of everything they didn’t intend us to think to hard about. It’s supposed to be “yippee they’re safe” and I’m worried about digital ecosystems and what the human brain can handle. I think my problem mainly strives from this trope where the character brings home their friend from the other world/ is the reverse situation and no one bats an eye at all. It’s because they want the characters to still be friends no matter how many rules it breaks or sense it makes. It happens most commonly in cartoons. (There’s at least 3 in recent memory)

I’m not saying I want quorra to have been caught in the blast but that there’s a way they could’ve kept communication without world breaking. Open portal situation where he goes back to visit, he chats with her on the screen, both stay in their own worlds its sad but logical etc (I’m not writing a new ending but you get the point).

I guess it annoys me so much because it’s left so open ended, ride off into the sunrise while ignoring the implications™️. “I guess, We’re going to change the world” ok how 🧍‍♂️. The movie did not nearly give me enough information about ISO’s to see what changes they exactly do besides taking over ENCOM. “They[Iso’s] changed everything” ok how🧍‍♂️. Yeah it’s immaculate conception but what do they do I am shaking your shoulders Disney what do they do!

İlk kez böyle bir konseptte muhteşem bir oyun izledim.