THE BEGINNING OF THE END (PART 1 OF THE SECOND MATRIX SERIES)

THE BEGINNING OF THE END (PROLOUGE TO THE SECOND MATRIX SERIES)

(Author's Note: I am fully aware that the Matrix in the movie is actually the second, but for the purposes of this series, I am referring to it as the first and the next as the second)

Neo is the One. All that is left now is to dissolve the Matrix and let the Armed Forces of Zion take control.

Zion

The Grand Admiral of the Armed Forces of Zion (now calling themselves the Armed Forces of Humanity) was sitting in his office. Neo and Morpheus were sitting across from him. He wasn't very old, perhaps in his mid-forties. "So you are the One," he said to Neo. "Yes Sir," replied Neo. "Then you know that your purpose is to dissolve the Matrix so that the machines will not have a source of energy and we can destroy them." "Yes." "Good. I will handle the battle plans. You will plug into the Matrix from my flagship, the Messiah. You will then dissolve the Matrix, delete the code, cause the mainframe to explode, whatever." "Sir, won't the sudden disconnection kill everyone that is plugged into the Matrix." "Unfortunately, yes. It's unavoidable. It is impossible to free six billion humans. But even death is better than living your entire life as a battery. When everyone dies, the machines will die shortly thereafter, when their auxiliary power runs out. We will then destroy the Core. We will begin in three days. Get some rest. Dismissed."

The Core

It was two centuries old. It had written the Matrix, and it could write another. That was what the Core was racing to do. If it could write a second Matrix fast enough, it could transfer the humans to it with minimal loss of life. All it had to do was make some minor changes to the original code and not even Neo could dissolve it, although he would still be powerful.

The Matrix

Neo took one last look at the world that the machines had built, summoned all his willpower, and sent a wave of energy through the entire Matrix. This wave found its way to the Matrix mainframe, which was instantly overloaded. By the Zion scientist's calculations, the mainframe would explode in a matter of minutes. As Neo snapped back into the real world, the first thing he saw was the Grand Admiral standing over the main computer saying, "No. It can't be happening." Neo got up, "What?" "The machines are transferring everyone to a second Matrix. Fortunately, they can't transfer everyone at once. We predict that they will be able to transfer about three or four billion humans. Unfortunately, preliminary examination of this new Matrix indicates changes in the code. I doubt that you will be able to dissolve it." "Then we've still lost." "Not necessarily. The loss of two billion batteries will have extreme effects on the machines. We may be able to attack and destroy the power plant." Morpheus turned and said, "This is just the beginning, Neo. The beginning of the end."

THE END

More to come in Part 1 of the Second Matrix Series