The Grid

I wasn't allowed to put an extra chapter in front of this story with a bit of explanation, so I removed it like a good girl. ;)

However, without a bit of context, I'm afraid this fanfic comes across as very removed from the fandom. Hopefully a short intro on the same page won't take up archive space.

I was inspired by many things, such as A LOT of EDM, the Tron soundtrack, the animatrix, hell, even the Minecraft timelapses my boyfriend makes. I was imagining a world, more beautiful than anything in reality, but empty. Then the two boys came in to complete the alternate reality, because without spectators even the most amazing spectacle is only half existent.

In a way, this fanfic is also about having a fandom. You can admire the creator of your 'world' as much as you admire the world itself, and all you want to do is be with them. Without the creator, your fandom wouldn't be there.

The fictional chat program is called 'the Grid' because I have no imagination for names.

Well, let's get started then!

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23.03

Things were quiet on the grid. He saw it immediately after he had logged on. Because the only way to enter it was by invite, the program had never really caught on, and after the first flood of new members had left, it happened quite often that he found himself alone, looking over the landscape of coloured lines. The only ones who were present were moderators: redflames, Skull and robot. And the last one was just a bot picking up certain words, sometimes kicking a user out.

Thomas lifted his fingers from the keys and laid back on his chair. The grid wasn’t the same anymore, and most users had no clue about the endless possibilities and hours of fun you could have with the program. He knew how to program custom worlds, and he had made plenty of them. The problem was that the program only came to its full potential with a partner. Without a guest user who could react to your world and thereby complete it, it was nothing more than a bit of creativity that led nowhere. Thomas could hang out in his custom areas, but he knew everything about it, and nothing ever changed. Sure, they were beautiful, even if he said so himself, and he loved being there, but after a while, they just started to bore him and get on his nerves, like a wallpaper that’s been on your desktop for too long.

The moment he took off his Grid helmet and tried to get back to his other work online, a small bleep sound distracted him. He rushed to put his helmet back on and see who had sent him a message.

Miko: hey

Miko: how are you?

Thomas stared at the screen for a moment, and didn’t remember anything. He did not know this user.

binary: I’m doing great

binary: are you new? I dont know you

Miko: yeah im new

Miko: I made this world just now

Miko: wanna see?

Thomas hesitated. This was probably just some kid who had made a hello kitty room or something. He had seen all those rooms, and didn’t want to download any data he did not care about.

binary: whats it about?

Miko: its a forest with snow

Miko: and crows

That didn’t sound too bad. Trees and moving animals required a lot of effort, and skills well beyond the level of a high school girl who had never had programming classes. Also, Thomas was curious to see how the light on the snow had come out for her. Snow was very difficult to recreate, as much for painters as it was for programmers on the Grid.

Miko: actually im pretty proud of it

binary: well, okay

.>

Loading time was short, as always. Thomas loved that about the Grid. It was even shorter than usual because of the low numbers of users at the moment, so after a few seconds, Miko’s world was fully loaded and unfolded before his eyes. It was simple, and quiet. Thomas’s headphones made no sound, until a crow was heard from afar, and a rustle in the trees. Thomas’s avatar started to walk in the direction of the crow. Snow was falling from a branch, very high up above. When the snow fell, the sunlight reflected tiny pieces of it so brightly that Thomas had to close his eyes. Miko’s avatar approached him from beneath the trees. The avatar’s feet made prints in the freshly fallen snow, in the shape of a bird’s claws.

binary: you did a great job on the snow

binary: amazing work

Miko: thanks ^^

Miko: it took me a while

Miko: i had homework lying on my desk for hours, i just had to finish it

Two crows could be heard, but their voices were distant, as if a thick fog was between the two avatars and the two birds. They responded to each other, as if they were having a conversation.

binary: this place is really haunting.

Miko: i based it on the forest my family lives in

binary: where do you live?

Miko: Finland

binary: and is it really this quiet?

Miko: yes

Miko: but when you’re there and there’s snow, it feels more like this

An intense, biting cold appeared everywhere around him, making Thomas’s hair stand up. He was only wearing jeans and a simple t-shirt. He shivered and almost considered taking off his helmet. But it stopped.

binary: Damn

Miko: sorry ^^

Miko: oh, i gotta go

Miko: theres school tomorrow and all

binary: see ya