Chapter 1: Introductions

It's always the same. My body is suspended underwater, yet I'm still breathing. The ocean is bathed in a brilliant red light. Once it used to be that this was a pleasant dream, but lately I've been haunted by voices, voices from above that sound familiar yet do not belong to anyone I've known. I try to reach them, but every time I try, I'm pulled back to the depths by invisible chains. I struggle to break my bonds, and before long I rip something from my arms, letting myself swim free towards the light. After what seems like ages, I break the surface, only to find myself naked in a glass tank.

I can't say I'm known as a particularly social person, but I seem to have an unfortunate habit of picking up the strangest of friends, the current one being a scrawny kid named Charlie Isaacs. Most people called him Mouse though, because he was so mousy. Looking at him, most people would think he was fairly pathetic, but beneath that humble exterior there was a verifiable computer genius. He even taught me some stuff, and although I wasn't much of a programmer myself, I'd started to get the hang of it.

He's always had a thing for the strange and the questionable. Sometimes I'd swing by his apartment, code a little, talk about the latest conspiracy he was investigating, the usual. Regardless, he was very sweet, and it was nice to have some company.

Incidentally, he'd invited me over today, said it was pretty important. I told him I had quite a bit of work to do, but he wouldn't lay off, kept telling me that he had some kind of breakthrough. It took some convincing, but I finally relented. Sighing, I pulled my coat on and headed for the door.

I took my first step into the soft glimmer of the streetlights. The sky had long since faded into obscurity as I climbed all the way up the escape ladder to his apartment. I was about to knock on the door, when I noticed it was slightly ajar. The door opened with a slow creaking sound as I entered the vestibule. A faint voice was heard from the depths of the complex.
"Oh, there you are, A-K. What took you so long? Come in."
That was him alright, after all, who else would call me AK? I dropped my bag at my feet, slipped off my shoes, and padded across the hallway to his room.

His apartment was exactly what you would expect from a kid like him. Since his parents were away the vast majority of the time, it was filled with a wide assortment of newspaper clippings, user manuals, as well as miscellaneous pieces of electronic hardware, and the odd pornographic magazine. The only source of lighting was a string of LED lights that wound its way all around the house, and of course, his computer screen.

He was tinkering with some of the wiring on his desktop when I came in. Noticing me, he set his work down and cleared some space on his bed for me to sit on. With a few swift keystrokes, he booted his computer back up.
"So," he began excitedly, "I think I'm really onto something this time."
"Mhmm," I raised an eyebrow, trying to appear as unimpressed as possible.
"No, come on A-K, it's for real this time. Just hold on, let me explain."
He opened a bookmark to a newspaper article about a hacker who'd cracked the IRS' database.
"So?"
"I don't think you understand. I finally got in contact with him. The weirdest thing is, it's not like I found him, he found me! Crazy, right?"
"Mouse, are you completely sure about this? I mean low-level hacking is one thing, but getting in contact with a wanted criminal is another! Are you even sure it's him?"
"Sure I do. Anyways, the point is that I was on IRC earlier today, and he hinted that he could show me what the Matrix is."

Ah, the Matrix.

One of Mouse's favorite subjects, and unfortunately, one of mine as well. See, nobody is quite sure what it is, only that it's shrouded in so much mystery that no one's ever been able to understand it. It is said that to truly understand it, one must experience it with their entire being. There are rumors of a select few being chosen to have its secrets revealed to them, but these are normally disregarded as myth or legend. To undertake the challenge of solving this enigma is seen as the pinnacle of a hacker's career. I used to think of it as an odd pursuit, but the more research I did into it, the more fascinated I became by it. I started to obsess over it, turning it over and over in my head. It's strange how captivating a simple question could be. Still, I resolved to keep my distance, as I understood that the allure of such a quandary could have hidden dangers.

Noticing that I was spacing out a little, as I am prone to doing when thinking about that particular subject, he waved his hand across my face.
"Hello? Earth to A-K? You still there, buddy?"
"Yes, of course, sorry, I got a bit distracted. It's just that... "
"What?"
"Are you completely sure about this, Mouse? I mean, man, this promises some serious trouble. I don't want you to get hurt."
He leaned forward in his chair, taking a moment to collect himself.
"Look, Akira, I'll tell it to you straight. This is probably the most important moment of my life. I have to take this chance, no matter the cost. Now, I don't want you trying to stop me. I asked you to come over because I wanted you to know what I was doing. If all goes well, I'll be back to tell you about it. If not, I guess you'll learn from my mistakes. Ok?"
I was startled. This was a completely different side of Mouse, one that I'd seldom glimpsed before. Sure, I'd seen him get serious before, but never with such dedication, and even though I was worried about him, a small part of me was excited to see what he'd discover.
"... Okay. Just, do your best to stay safe, you know? As much as you can anyways."
He smiled, and I did too.
"Knew I could count on you, A-K. Don't worry, I'll keep in touch."
"Thanks. I have to head back now, I don't normally go out this late."
"Always a stickler for rules, eh?"
"Yes, Sir!"
I cheerfully gave him a mock salute, and made my way to the exit. Picking up my bag and putting on my shoes, I noticed he was still standing in the doorway to his room. I waved good-bye to him one last time before stepping out onto the staircase and carefully closing the door.

As I let the darkness of the night swallow me, the city lights forming a dazzling aura above, I remarked to myself just how fascinating this world was, full of mystery and excitement and wonder, even with the perils that stood between ourselves and our mastery of its secrets. In moments like these, on the edge of discovery, I felt truly alive.