“So Yori… the Sea of Simulation has always been alive, right?”

“Yes Tron. It couldn’t really generate ISOs without being alive, could it.”

“I didn’t know our Encom system had ISOs…. Wait, what are ISOs?”

“So, you remember when I was captive under the MCP, and you came and found me at the solar sailer dock? And just as we ran away together, there was an announcement over the loudspeaker, and it went: Gibson, report to sector eight!”

“Um… yeah. I think I do remember that.”

“And, do you remember a program answering, Yes sir, MCP, right away sir, your wish is my command, MCP, sir!!”

“No. I do not remember that.”

“Yep! Because that did not happen. Gibson would absolutely not take any orders from the MCP.”

“Who is Gibson?”

“He says he chose the name from a dataset. When an ISO comes online, apparently a dataset full of names is divinely revealed to them or something, and they can pick any one. The names seem to be inspired by User language. Gibson thinks the dataset might be the same in every system that has ISOs.”

“Okay …and what are ISOs?”

“Gibson is! He was free, when programs like me couldn’t be. He was doing his own thing, out there working on his own little sabotage projects to help bring the MCP down. Because he has powers I didn’t. No one can tell Gibson what to do. That’s what an ISO is.”

“Um. So he doesn’t have a User?”

“Only in a manner of speaking. The ISOs manifest from the presence of a User in the system. A User comes in, and ISOs start walking out of the Sea of Simulation. …I think maybe they’re part User, kind of.”

“Wait, so he was just freshly …manifested, from Flynn coming in here? And the MCP was already trying to put him to work?”

“Oh, no! He was manifested cycles ago. From Dumont’s User. …You don’t really think Flynn was the first User to secretly laser in here, do you?”

“I… I did think that, actually.”

“Well. Dumont’s User was working on that laser for a loooong time before Flynn ever saw it, Tron. It may not have been at its optimal performance yet, but I know Dumont. And when he told me about that– it did not surprise me one bit. Just imagine leaving Dumont’s User alone with the laser as much as he was, and expecting him NOT to try a quick little trip in!”

“So… he never talked about that with the other Users afterwards?”

“Well…. not beyond making some cryptic remarks about ‘spirits’ in the machine. From our experience with Flynn, I’d guess Users apparently aren’t very good at accepting that kind of news.”

“That's… that’s concerning. And does Dumont’s, ah, User know about the… um… ISOs that he sort of created?”

“Apparently so. Gibson claims to have met him, back then. It was part of why he chose the name he did.”

“Huh?”

“Gibbs Son. He said it seemed fitting.”