"You've found her?" Trinity asks
"Yea.. I've tracked her to this position." Neo points at the screen of a small computer.
"Have you made contact with her yet?"
"Almost... It all depends on her now."
Trinity nods and watches. "Did you hear that?" She turns around slowly.
"Yea.. I think-"
The door gets kicks down and an agent is standing there. Neo and Trinity look at each other. Neo pulls the computer out of the wall and they both run off.
________________________________________________________
A new day in dawning. The world as we know it is at rest. A light wind blows. It almost makes the world seem like a peaceful, perfect place.
Almost.
A girl is standing in the doorway of a building. She looks into the distance, oblivious of her surroundings. Is it possible to be alone in a crowd? Yes. Well, she thought so anyway. She sighs. She knows there is something wrong... she doesn't say anything. She conceils her deepest darkest thoughts. She appears so strong, but inside.. she was destroyed. She contemplates the future... her existance.
She looks down at the grass. It moved with such perfected motion. She walks out of the door. She thinks, **There is no point of me standing here thinking. Is there?**
She walks down the road slowly.
________________________________________________________
Hours later, she returns. She sighs and drops her bag on the floor. She sits on the couch and slowly falls asleep.
________________________________________________________
At 12.45pm, She wakes.
She sits up and thinks to herself. **No point in lying there.** She gets up and sits down on a chair. Infront of her is a desk with a small laptop computer on it. She turns it on.
Suddenly, a black screen flashes up.
"What? That's never happened before.." She murmurs.
Green text types up on the screen.
- I know who you are.
- And I also know your potential.
She stares at the screen. "What?"
- You want to be free... But you're trapped. Come to the old car lot... it's just two blocks away.
"Is this for real?!"
- Run, Mystique, Run.
The black screen fades out, and she is left staring at a blank computer screen. She takes a large breath and exhales slowly. This may be the break she had been waiting for.
"The old car lot..." these are the last words she says as she gets dressed and climbs out of a small window and runs off.
________________________________________________________
Run, Mystique, Run....
These words circulate around and around in her mind... she runs and doesn't stop. The world is dark and surreal. It seems unnatural... She thought, **maybe it wasn't real? The words on her computer?** No. She knew it was.
Run, Mystique, Run....
"Stop." It is Neo.
Mystique stops. She is standing in the old car lot. Nobody is around, except them.
"Mystique." He says to her, fully aware of her situation. "Listen to me."
"Alright. Tell me then." She objects.
"Not here. They can find us here."
"They?"
A car pulls up and stops beside Neo. "Get in now." he says. She obeys, blind with confusion.
"Trinity." Neo says to another women in the car and he climbs in. Trinity pulls a gun out and points it at Mystique. She gasps loudly and slips down her seat out of the way.
"Don't hide." Another voice says. It is Morpheus, who is driving the car.
"If they figure out what we are doing, they might come here. This is to protect ourselves." He says, somewhat calmly. Mystique slowly rises up and sits up strait. She glances at Neo, who is staring at her. "What?" She asks him.
He does not answer.
They drive into the night. The four of them sit in silence.
They pull up to an old abandoned hotel.
Morpheus gets out of the car and goes into the hotel. Trinity is still holding the gun to Mystique. She has a dead serious, concentrated look on her face.
________________________________________________________
Five minutes later.
"Mystique.." Neo gets out of the car, followed by Trinity.
"Hurry, you'll find your answers soon."
They begin to climb a tall flight of stairs.
"What did I do? Why is this happening??" Mystique says.
They come to a large door.
"Go in..." Neo says to Mystique. She just nods and steps inside.
"I know why you're here." Morpheus tells Mystique.
"Really. I thought it was only ME who knew why I was here." she replies.
"You're correct... to an extent. You may be the only one who feels the way you do, but I know what you're here for." He says to her as he leans back on the chair. "Sit down."
"No, I wasn't going to anyway."
"Hmm..."
"How about this. You tell me how I feel, and then I'll leave."
"I don't think you'll be leaving to where you think you will be."
She finally sits down on a chair opposite to Morpheus. "Really."
Outside the room, Trinity and Neo are standing.
Waiting.
"You think she'll go through with it?" Neo asks Trinity as he brushes her hair from covering one of her eyes. "No, I don't." she tells him.
"Oh."
Trinity looks through the crack in the door and watches what is happening.
Inside the room, the conversation continues.
"You're looking for an answer to a question." Morpheus tells Mystique.
"I know..." She stares at the ground.
"You KNOW the question. Now you tell me what it is." He says to her.
Mystique takes in a slow breath, and then replies. "What is the Matrix?"
"You'll know soon enough. After you make this choice."
"What.. choice?"
"The one which decides whether you're going to face reality, or continue to run away from it." Morpheus takes out a box. He opens it and takes out two pills, a red one, and a blue one.
"What are you trying to do to me?" Mystique is in a state of panic.
"You'll see. Now. I want you to think carefully about what you are going to do." He holds out the pills, one in one hand, the other in the other hand. "IF you want to continue your life as normal, take the blue pill. You will wake up, and think this is all a dream, which couldn't be closer to the truth. If you take the red pill, I will show you what is real, and that you've been living a complete lie. Think carefully... this is your last chance."
"Alright, I don't know what's going on. You have explained nothing. I want to know what you're trying to tell me." Mystique objects aloud and without thought.
"Mystique. I know you've been running. I know why you're scared. I know you dream of a better life with better posibilities. It's because you know something that the rest of the world doesn't, and it's that 'something' that you want to explore further. You want to be free." Morpheus explains to her.
"How do I know you're for real, though?" She argues her point.
"That's exactly my point. None of this IS real. That is what the Matrix is."
"I don't understand."
"Of course you don't. I have to show you... you can't just be told."
"Well. I think I'll take my chances with just waking up. You've had your fun." Mystique reaches over to take the blue pill.
Outside again, Trinity is still watching. "She's going for the blue pill."
"Damnit." Neo says as he slumps against the wall. "I felt so sure that she-"
"Wait a second..." Trinity looks again. "It looks like she's reconsidering."
Mystique stops. She leans back and looks at the two pills carefully. Morpheus nods.
"OK. I'll give in." Mystique picks up the red pill and looks at it for a while.
"Beleive it or not, you're doing the opposite of giving in." Morpheus tells her. She looks at him, unsure of what the right move is.
"What are you waiting for?" Morpheus asks her. Mystique swallows the pill.
"Good." Morpheus says. Mystique stares at him cautiously.
"Follow me." He walks out of the door. Mystique follows looking at the ground, then looking nervously up at Neo. Neo looks back and smiles. "Don't worry, Mystique. You're in good hands. Trust me." Neo reasures her. She smiles back nervously as they walk through the hallway until they get to a room.
Trinity directs Mystique to a chair. She looks at it thoughtfully for a while. Trinity glares at her. She looks annoyed. Mystique finally sits and Neo attaches white electrodes to her head, arms, and the back of her neck.
She looks up at him again. "What's happening to me?!" Neo glances at Morpheus and he gestures something, and then Neo looks back at Mystique. "I can't tell you yet... you'll know when you see it."
"I feel... weird." Mystique says.
"That's from the pill you took." Neo says.
"What?"
"We've got her." Trinity tells Morpheus. Morpheus flips open a cellular phone. "Do it, Tank, NOW."
________________________________________________________
Now. The last word Mystique ever hears. She battles with the rubber layer of goo that traps her. She breaks free and grabs the long thing that is lodged down her throat. She pulls it hard and it slips out from what feels like the deepest depths of her stomach. She coughs violently, and then recovers a little and gets up to look at her surroundings. She gapes, awe struck. Then she notices... she is covered with tubes and pipes. She chokes on the air, and both of her hands reach for the back of her head, which she finds a plug sunk tightly into the back of it. She runs her fingers down it and stares blankly with terror and shock.
Her thoughts are interrupted, as a large robot drops down and hovers infront of her. It seems to stare for a while. She squirms and trys to move backwards in the restricting, sludgy liquid containing her in the pod. The robot grabs her by the neck in one quick movement and begins to unscrew the plug in her head. She passes out in the unbearable pain.
________________________________________________________
The next time Mystique awakens, she is lying on a bed in a small room. She feels slightly trapped, but she lies there for a few more minutes, not sure of what she is experiencing. Then she sits up and looks strait at Morpheus. She jumps in fright as she was not expecting to see him there. She opens her mouth to say something, but she can't seem to find the strength to push the words out. Morpheus looks at her. "We thought we were going to lose you there. But you seem to be very strong, even though you slept through the entire reconstruction process."
Mystique squeaks out one word. "Reconstruction?"
"It's over, you don't have to worry about it now."
She just stares at him with disbeleif, then looks at the door as it begins to open slowly. Neo looks around the side of the door. "I... thought I heard voices." He opens the door fully and goes in, closing it behind him. He takes a seat on the chair next to the bed. he starts to say something, but decides to stop.
Mystique looks around. "Where.."
Neo looks at the ground.
"Where am I?" She finally says.
"You're in the real world, Mystique." Morpheus says to her calmly. She just gives him a strange look.
"Come with me, then I can show you." Morpheus gets up and walks out of the door slowly. Mystique stands up quickly but comes to an abrupt stop as she is stopped by somthing. A dread-filled look floods onto her face and she slowly looks down and sees the holes on her arms... one has a long needle plugged into it that goes to a small bag with a liquid in it. Her face turns a deadly pale colour as her hand slowly moves to the back of her head, then she hesitates, but continues and places her fingers on the large socket. They explore it as her expression turns from dread into confusion.
Neo approaches her. "Here." He lifts her arm and takes hold of the needle, gently pulling it out with a great deal of care. Mystique winces, then lets out a breath quickly. She looks up at him and back at her arm, then rubs it to try releive the sting that came with it being removed. "Um.. thanks." she says then quickly moves to the door. Neo picks up a blanket from the bed and hands it to her. Mystique wraps it around herself and shivers.
Neo and Mystique both follow Morpheus.
"What is this?" Mystique asks.
"It's my hovercraft, the Nebuchadnessar," Morpheus tells her.
"Excuse me, but did i just hear you right? C'mon, just cut clean and tell me I'm dreaming."
"I can't because you're not."
"I don't understand."
Morpheus directs Mystique to a chair. "Tank,"
Mystique sits down in the chair.
"Lie back, and try to relax." Tank says to her.
"Relax?"
"Trust me. Trinity?"
"Yea, ok." Trinity picks up a large plug.
"What are you-" Mystique tenses up and Trinity inserts the plug into the socket at the back of Mystique's head. She hears alot of mechanical screetches and then she finds herself standing in what seems like nothing... a white, blank space.
"Whoa..." She looks around and trys to steady herself from the incredible dizzyness that has overcome her. "What did you just do?"
"Do you know what virtual reality is?" Morpheus asks her.
"Yea... Wait..." Mystique gives him a strange look.
"Right now, we're inside a computer program." Morpheus tells her.
She smiles uncertainly. "No, that can't be right,"
"If it's not, explain to me where the plugs in your head and arms went then."
She checks to see where the plugs are, and can't find them. "What... no, that can't be... real.."
"Exactly. I'm trying to show you what the Matrix IS."
"You haven't explained ANYTHING.."
"Be more patient, Mystique. You haven't got that trait have you?" He smiles at her. The smile could cut glass. "The Matrix is just a virtual reality simulation." He continues to explain and Mystique doubts her situation even more. By the end of the Morpheus' explanation, she is in shock. "No, that's not.... it can't be....... you're not....." Mystique stammers something out, then starts backing away from Morpheus, but she doesn't feel like she is getting anywhere, she just backs into nothing. Just a big, empty, white space. She looks around frantically for a way out, then her vision clears again and she is staring up at alot of wires again, which is in the hovercraft. She blinks and then comes back to reality. "No... no... no... that's wrong.." Mystique trys to get up off the chair. "Stop." Neo holds her down and Trinity draws the plug from Mystiques head. Mystique flinches and jumps up then stops and looks around blurry eyed.
Everyone else stares at her.
She stares back, then takes a deep breath.
"Mystique.. stop and think..." Morpheus tries to get through to her, but she just turns and walks away, she thinks deeply about it. **That's not true.. how can it be true? Why did they do this to me?**
________________________________________________________
Mystique gasps. Her eyes wide open and she is lying on her bed looking up at the ceiling. It seems like almost an eternity before she see's anyone again. Tank walks into the room. She bolts upright.
"Are you OK there?" He says to her.
"I.. um... I'm not sure..." Mystique tells him.
"That's fine." He smiles at her. "Are you ready?"
Mystique looks at the ground hard. "No.."
Tank stares at a wall awkwardly. "Alright." He leaves.
Mystique sits and stares at the ground for a while longer, before Neo comes in and sits next to her. She shifts away from him.
"They all thought I should come here... because I might understand a little better because I was the last freed before you and because-" His words are cut off.
"Because of what? you've probably all had your little vote and decided who was going to come and sit here, right?" She glances away from him angrily.
"I didn't finish what I was saying.."
"Yea, right." She doesn't make eye contact with Neo. **What would they want me for? Why am I even here? Why are they even bothering?** Her eyes look glassy as she thinks about it. Neo goes to say something, then stops. He is almost holding something back. He knows... something.
The room dissolves into deadly silence.
________________________________________________________
Later, Neo emerges from the small room.
"Is she coming out?" Trinity asks him.
"No." He replies.
"Why not?" Trinity asks him again.
"I can answer that." Morpheus tells them. "She can't accept the truth. She understands what has happened, she is just not ready to accept it."
"That doesn't make sence." Neo folds his arms uncomfortably.
"This was a bad idea, Morpheus." Trinity speaks up again.
"I don't beleive it was." He says.
Neo just looks away. Trinity glares at him and he stares back at her.
"And Neo, what is with you lately? Ever since she got here, you've been acting weird!" Trinity sounds very annoyed.
"It's just- that-" Neo stammers. Trinity glares at him harder.
"I can't explain to you." He walks away.
"What is with him??!" Trinity snaps.
"Trinity, you are forgetting.. he is only new to this too, being The One or not. Give him time." Morpheus tries to tell her. She just sits down and begins to think.
________________________________________________________
Awhile later, Neo ponders away the nights events in his room. Something was different about Mystique. He couldn't quite put his finger on what it was, but it was something.
Then Neo thought... **Man I'm thirsty**. He gets up and heads into the kitchen area of the ship. He looks around and wonders whether Trinity is still up. It didn't look like anyone was up, so he continues to the kitchen. As he walks through the door, he sees Mystique sitting at the table with her head on it. She appears to be asleep.. but when he approachs her, she sits up right and gives him an evil look. Neo draws back a little.
"Mystique..?" Neo tries to ask.
"What do you want??!" Mystique snaps back.
"Mystique... do you need any-" Neo was cut off... unable to finish his well intended question.
"I don't NEED help from YOU! I can do it on my own!"
"You CAN do it on your own... but then you will be on your own, always on your own, if you don't
work with us you work against us, apart, alone. And you can't survive alone, no one can."
Neo gets up and gets a drink from a tap behind Mystique. Mystique winces and thinks to herself.. **Alone... no... I can't.. be**. She sits up strait again and thinks **but I can't let them see me vulnerable**.
Neo walks away back to his room. He flops on the bed and begins to think again. **Why won't Mystique listen? She's so caught up in her annoyance and disbelief... she doesn't want to be here...**
He continues to think until he slowly drifts off to sleep.
At the same time, Mystique is still in the kitchen area of the ship. She has her head on the table and her eyes are wide open and they hurt badly. She can't figure out why they hurt, but at this point, she doesn't really care. Her mind is in absolute turmoil as she trys to think everything through. The only conclusion she can come to is that this is all Neo's fault. She feels absolute rage pulsating through herself. **Why did he have to do this? WHY?**
As Mystique drowns in her thoughts and emotions she finds herself in a complete state of exaustion, and passes out.
________________________________________________________
Neo opens his eyes slowly and rolls over. He then realises where he is and gets up. He stretches, opens the door and walks out of his room. Blurry-eyed he almost walks into Trinity. She gives him a strange look. "I'm Sorry--" Neo tries to say to her. Trinity walks past and over to the computer screens and stands next to where Tank is sitting, in front of the screens.
Neo stops and looks at the ground.
Mystique is still sleeping in the kitchen. Morpheus opens the door slowly and sees her. He walks over and taps her on the back. "Mystique, get up. It's time for your jump training."
Mystique opens her eyes, jumps slightly and looks at him. "Jump Training??!"
Neo then walks into the room. Mystique frowns at him. Neo looks around awkwardly and leaves instantly. Morpheus gives Mystique a questioning look, then goes to speak but stops. He sits down in the opposite seat to her. "You have to do this now. Are you ready?"
Mystique swallows. "Yes..." She says unsurely.
Morpheus smiles. "Good." He stands up. "Follow me."
Mystique gets up slowly and follows Morpheus to the place where Tank and Trinity are. Neo is sitting in one of the chairs, waiting. Morpheus takes the far seat and waits.
Trinity walks up to Mystique. "Take a seat here." Mystique sits in one of the chairs and lies back in it and takes a deep breath in.
After securing the plugs into the back of their heads, Trinity takes her place back standing watching the screens.
Neo glances over at Mystique. "Just relax." He says to her. She gives him an uncertain look back. Tank presses a button on the screen and Morpheus, Neo and Mystique are in the construct again. Mystique steadys herself.
Morpheus takes a cellphone out of his pocket and throws it to Neo. Neo catches it, flips it open and dials a number. "Tank, load the jump program."
Tank types something and stops. "Neo, are you jumping?"
Neo looks at the ground nervously and replies. "Uh, no."
Tank presses a button. The three of them appear in the jump program. Neo is on one side, Morpheus and Mystique are on the other. "What is-" Mystique starts. "Mystique, stop. You have to let go of everything you once thought. Don't think about this.. just do it. Free your mind from fear, disbeleif and doubt..."
"Free my mind?" Mystique says, confused.
"Yes." Morpheus runs up to the edge of the building and leaps across it, landing perfectly on the other side, not far from where Neo is standing.
Mystique chokes, "Whoah... I can't do that.. Free my mind? Right.. no.. I can't do this.. It's crazy.."
Morpheus and Neo are staring at her from the other building.
Mystique battles with herself, she is filled with fear, doubt and denial.
"They want me to jump that? It's insain.. I can't do that... I.. I'll die if I fall.."
- But he did it... you need to do this, for your own sake..
"No... it's impossible.."
- He did it you saw him... just do it! Don't think just do..
"But... I... it's just not..."
- What do you think they would say if they saw you like this? Afraid, hesitant, you're alone, this is the only world left...
"But...!"
- No buts! If you do this... they will except you, you can be with them.
"I don't want to be with them... I don't..."
- Oh, you don't do you? Well then just fall, don't even try, you couldn't do it anyway. You're going to be alone forever, drowning...
"Yea... I have to ...... I CAN DO THIS!" She leaps across the street and lands half kneeling, half standing in front of Neo. Neo opens his mouth to say something, then stops. He takes one step back and then swallows hard. Mystique stands up and looks him straight in the eyes.
Neo stands there looking uncomfortable. His mind thinks so many things. He runs his fingers through his hair and then walks away. **How can that be? She made the jump? What does this mean? Maybe.... I'm not The One? She's the One? The oracle got it all wrong! yes.. no wait... that can't be... right..**
Outside, Trinity turns to look at Tank. "Did you see that? That's impossible!!"
Tank just nods and continues staring at the screen.
Inside, Morpheus walks over to Mystique, unsurely. "Nobody makes the first jump......"