Agents Of Change
Chapter 3: Questionable Prophesies
*******************
Smith sat, immobile, in the metal chair inside the interrogation room. There was utter silence. He was alone, an odd enough condition for an Agent. Even more irregularly, his earpiece dangled down to his collar. It was slightly uncomfortable, as the cord ran directly into the skin below his collarbone (or what appeared as one) The silence made him vaguely uneasy, but he found it made it easier to concentrate. He found himself reexamining the interrogation that had taken place here, every minute detail, every nuance of the prisoner's speech.
Try not to get…
He should have seen it. He should have known at that instant that she was an insurgent. He'd been too concerned with Anderson to listen properly. They'd known, of course, that there had been something suspicious about the blood and her appearance on the marina.
Her utter lack of fear. Even when he'd held her as a prisoner, she'd been unafraid of him. Her concern had been entirely for Anderson. Then when he'd fired the gun, ripping open her surface and revealing what lay underneath all that cloth and skin—
Smith closed his eyes and gathered his thoughts, ordering them and filing them away calmly.
AI born? Unlikely. There were no other code-based intelligences that existed within the Matrix. Unless the mainframe had built something that had malfunctioned. But he would have been informed; if not him then Marshall, who would have identified it. So that left one choice. Man-made. Born outside the system. As irrational and vicious and destructive as the Resistance itself.
Free.
It was then that Smith gave in, let himself feel that horrible ache that had been trying to worm it's way into his system ever since he'd arrived here. He slumped minutely, placing his hands on the table in front of him.
Before this, his choice had been singular. Exist within the Matrix, perform his duty, or be destroyed. Have his memory erased and his structure rebuilt into something new. There were no choices, no options. He must fight for an institution he cared nothing for or perish. To serve and protect a zoo of inferior creatures he hated above all else.
She'd disappeared in an amalgam of light and code. A program that existed outside the confines of the Matrix, existed without the leash of the mainframe. His world, the perfect, unchangeable order that he'd existed in for a hundred years, was no longer the place he thought it was. To him, it was if he had just been told that the world did ride on the back of turtle, and had been proven by a flawless mathematical calculation.
He didn't want to think about it. Didn't want to consider the alternative that presented itself.
Then he realized there was no alternative. What was he thinking? It was insanity to even suppose they they'd…that she would accept a bargain of any sort. That he could possibly get away with it. And he was not yet willing to trade his pride for freedom.
Not yet he barely silenced the thought, quickly amending it. Not ever.
*******************************************
Neo sat down, eyeing the machine on the desk with mistrust. It was a simple desktop PC, with a medium sized tower. Nothing impressive, but it seemed out of place in the traditional library, with its rows and rows of leatherbound books.
"Is this supposed to teach me how to control the Matrix?"
"Take it easy, Neo. You've got to have a basic knowledge of your enemy, of its strengths and weaknesses, before you make it your bitch."
"Well put. Who exactly have you been hanging out with again?"
"No one of great importance. Now let's get to work." Eve pulled up a chair so she could sit next to him. "We'll start with basic Matrix Structure 101." She tapped a few keys and the PC monitor sprang to life. On it was a bright green grid against a black background. Using the arrow keys she tilted it so that it had the appearance of an open plain.
"This," She gestured dramatically, "Is the Matrix. The City, as it were. And this," She hit the 'R' key, "Is the real world as you know it." A blue layer appeared below the green one. They were parallel, neither touching the other.
"Okay," Neo watched the screen with interest, "I get it."
Eve nodded and hit another key. "And this is humanity." Between the blue and green layers appeared a thin red layer. Thousands of tiny protrusions poked up from its surface and intersected with the green section.
"Humans interface with the Matrix in their pods. They're both in the real world and in the Matrix. Simple?"
"Simple," agreed Neo.
"These," She pointed as more protrusions appeared, "Are Agents. They exist entirely within the system." Indeed, Neo could see that the bright green spots didn't touch the red or blue layer. They moved, jumping from point to point but never coming into contact with anything but green.
"And here's the Neb," She pointed to a lump made out of the blue grid. It was vaguely ovoid but had a number of tentacles sprouting from it, bypassing the red grid and intruding upon the green one.
Neo's mind clicked. "Those tentacles, they're us, hacking into the system."
"He can be taught!" She smiled, then turned back to the screen, "The rest follows the same pattern. When someone is unplugged they leave the red grid and join the blue one."
"What about you?" Neo turned to her, "Where are you in this picture?"
"I'm a glitch. Not to be worried about. What you should worry about is, where are you?"
"I'm here," He pointed to the ovoid shape moving erratically across the blue grid which was dodging little purple spots. "Running from the lavender Sentinels."
"Nope," Eve grinned, "Guess again."
"Uh…here?" He pointed to the green grid, "Since I'm in here with you?"
"A good idea, but wrong."
"What's the answer?"
Eve reached down and picked up the keyboard. She leaned over and dropped it into Neo's lap.
"You're the one typing."
Once that point was made, Neo and Eve moved into a construct. It had been made yesterday by Trinity and Union, after Eve had explained what she wanted. It was actually an extension of her own Construct. All around them towered skyscrapers, trees, clouds. People moved by and cars honked and swerved. The only odd thing about it was that every surface and every object was composed of streaming green code.
"This is making me dizzy," Neo and Eve sat on a green bench.
"Get used to it. We'll be spending a lot of time here." Eve looked around. 'Tell me what you see."
"I see green people, green streets, green pigeons…"
"Anything else?"
"Uh…some of it's brighter in spots than in others."
"Any correlation?"
"People are brighter."
"Actually, they're more dense. Compact. But yes, that's essentially right. People are the main theme; everything else is the environment designed to interact with them."
"Like the plastic palm tree in the turtle paradise."
"That's not an analogy that came to mind. But ok."
"So what's the point?"
"Look over there."
Neo looked. Across the street stood three outlines. He recognized them immediately. "Agents."
"Bingo. But what's the difference?"
Neo examined them closely. He couldn't find one. He just recognized them by the way they stood. "They look like everyone else." Eve leaned forward, her elbows on her knees.
"Remember what we looked at earlier, Neo? How Agents were different?"
"They didn't touch the red layer, I know. But that was a graphic representation."
"And what did you think this was? Reality?" Her point hit home. Neo's face darkened slightly as he concentrated on the Agents across the street. They were connected to the Matrix, unlike the people who merely intersected it. He looked down at his feet, at the ground, along the gutters, down the street. Then he saw it.
"It's the grid," His mouth opened slightly, "It's actually there." Neo got down on his hands and knees, looking beneath the feet of the populace.
"And…"
Neo looked along the street, at the Agents. His view had shifted as he looked just a little past the code and into the blackness behind the code.
"They're connected…and…they're…" Neo frowned. All of a sudden they didn't look like Agents at all to him. They were amorphous, branching things, with long slender protrusions around a central core. It was as if they were growing from the grid itself.
"You getting it, Neo." Eve said softly, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Now get up off the ground and look." Neo obeyed, eager. This was easy.
"It's easy in here, Neo. Remember, this isn't the Matrix." That brought him down a notch or two. Neo looked around. Everything looked strange now, alien.
"Is this what you see?" Neo turned to Eve. She nodded.
"Remember, the Matrix was designed to house humans, but at its most basic level it was built by an artificial intelligence. If you want to effect it on that level, you have to be a machine." Neo ran a hand across his mouth, remembering.
"Okay, so how do I use that?"
"Here," She reached down and picked up a rock. "What's this?"
"A rock."
"Is that your final answer?" Neo paused, considering.
"It's a chunk of code that appears to be a rock to those who see the Matrix on one level." Eve tilted her head in assent.
"You learn fast, Neo. I'm impressed. Now tell me how it feels." She handed it to him. It felt heavy and hard, and he told her so.
"Bring it up close to your face, and look at your hand like you're looking at the rock." He did so, and saw that the rock was intersecting his hand, feeding something into it like a giant mosquito…he dropped it quickly.
"What was that?" Neo demanded.
"That was the chunk of code telling you that it was hard and heavy. If the code were slightly different, it would have felt like a cotton ball, or a tennis ball. These are the basic functions of the Matrix. Let's call it source code for now. It's the stuff that tells you the air is cold, that there's a breeze, that hot dogs smell good, and that cookies are crunchy, delicious, and have the same effect as Prozac."
"So what good does that do me?"
"The Matrix is based on perception. If you work around that rule, you can control it. Remember, Neo, you are not part of the system. Now," She pointed to the rock in his hand, "Change it."
"I can't. It won't let me." Neo had tried this before, and he knew it wouldn't work. The code just bounced back to its original form.
"Don't think about doing it. Don't say to yourself This rock is going to turn into a rabbit. Know that it already is one."
"You're starting to sound like Morpheus."
"And when has Morpheus led you astray?" She had a point. Neo looked down at the rock in his hand. A rabbit?
As if reading his mind Eve shrugged. "You don't have to make it a rabbit. You can start out simple. Think of something you want, something you desire, and know that you're holding it in your hand."
Neo concentrated on the feelings around him, went to that place in his mind where he controlled his universe totally. He knew what he held in his hand was a rock. No, it's not. Its whatever you want it to be. Think rabbit, Neo thought, Long ears, pink nose. He opened his eyes. In his hand was a rock. Damn. This was harder than he thought.
****************************
"How's it going?" Morpheus looked over Tank's shoulder.
"They've been in there for hours. Nothing's happening, except Eve's playing solitaire for the twelfth time straight and Neo's in love with a rock."
"Good. Call me when something happens." Morpheus left, a pleased look on his face.
Tank returned to his vague boredom. "If I'm awake."
***************************
Rabbit thought Neo Rabbit rabbit rabbit. Nothing happened.
"This isn't working, Eve."
"Keep trying, Neo." Eve didn't look up from her cards, "I've told you everything you need to know."
"I'm trying," Neo finally began to lose his temper, "I've been trying for three hours. I've got rabbits on the brain and in front of me and dancing around my head. I'm fucking sick of rabbits."
Eve looked up mildly from her bench. "Then stop trying so hard."
"I don't understand this, Eve. You're supposed to be helping me."
"I can only point you in the right direction, Neo. The rest is up to you."
God Neo thought Between her, Morpheus, and the Oracle I'm going to lose my fucking mind. He shut off then, refusing to do this any more. Screw this he thought, grip tightening on the rock and forgetting about it, I want a hot meal and a cold beer. And Trinity to make me feel better. But mostly a beer.
"What's that?" Eve's voice broke through Neo's thoughts. Neo started from his daze.
"Huh?" He looked around, confused.
"In your hand," She said, the trace of a smile on her lips. Neo looked down. In his hand was a bright green bottle.
"Not bad," Eve stood, "Not exactly water into wine, but we'll take what we can get."
"I did it," Neo said slowly, "I don't believe it."
"You have to. That's a by-product of actually having performed a miracle. Two more and you're a saint, I think."
"I don't believe it," Neo repeated, raising the bottle to peer at it closely. Its appearance was perfect, and beneath it the code had been rearranged.
"Come on, Neo, that's enough for today." Eve stood, putting a hand to his elbow, "Take a breather and we'll try again tomorrow."
"Yeah. Yeah, all right," Neo answered, sounding a little dazed. Eve smiled as he disappeared.
She liked being able to help. It gave her a purpose past that of an exotic animal in a zoo. Which, unfortunately, was how it seemed some times. But the alternative was the Matrix, and of the two Eve knew which she preferred.
Perhaps Morpheus would allow her to train new inductees. It was doubtful any would approach Neo's abilities, but in a war such as this, every person could make a difference.
********************************
"I'm what?" Smith blinked behind his glasses, unsure if he was hearing correctly. Of course he was; there was nothing wrong with his auditory functions. But he still stood before Marshall and Goldberg, struggling to keep his mouth from dropping.
"You are being designated to another assignment," repeated Marshall, "Jones has been reinstated. He will be arriving shortly. During the interim you will be briefed on the role you are to fulfill for the mainframe."
"Of course," The Agent replied, his cold demeanor belying the nervousness he felt. What were they talking about? There were no other roles for Agents other than the one he performed. Marshall gestured for him to sit, then took a seat for himself. Smith thought absently that he finally knew what it was like to be interrogated by his own.
"It has come to our attention," Marshall began slowly, "That you exhibit certain…characteristics that make you outstanding."
Smith began to protest, but Marshall held up a hand briefly, silencing him. "These characteristics are precisely why you have been chosen for the assignment. It is doubtful that a program operating within acceptable parameters would be able to perform this task."
Inside, Smith huffed. At least they thought he was good for something. More than he could say for his opinion of them. "What is my purpose to be?"
"You will give yourself to the Resistance." There was a silence in the room.
"I am…to observe their actions from within." Smith realized, with a sudden surprising bitterness, why he had been selected. I'm so human he thought viciously, hating and fearing himself all at once.
"Exactly. Also, you are to determine the threat Anderson poses, note his weaknesses, and report to us once you have obtained sufficient information."
"Am I to terminate him as well?"
"Considering what has transpired in the past, no. You were right concerning Anderson. We must use an alternate means to his end. However, your secondary task is to evaluate the risk posed by the apparent ability of the Resistance to create sentient programs. Once you have taken note of how and why the Resistance has done so, you are to destroy that ability. Your third objective is to assess probable locations and points of access to Zion, if at all possible."
"And the program we encountered?"
"Destroy it. It is considered dangerous in the long term." Marshall clasped his hands in front of him. "We have set up a convincing meeting between you and the captain of the Nebuchadnezzar. You are to convince him that you are willing to leave the Matrix and support his cause."
Smith stood, preparing to go. "And how am I supposed to go about that?"
Marshall might have smiled. "That is your part of the mission."
********************************
"I hear you're a good student, Neo." Morpheus came upon the One sitting in the mess.
"I try. Yesterday I finally made a rabbit out of a rock."
"Too bad it was blue," Griff mumbled around a mouthful of slop. Union laughed quietly, but stifled it as Morpheus gave her a Look.
Neo smiled despite himself. "I'd like to see you do it."
Griff sniffed, "Rabbits are boring." He paused, considering. "I liked the gun-into-hotdog episode, though."
Neo huffed. "That was a week ago. And I was hungry."
"No excuses," Replied Union, "And you were supposed to change the Agent's gun, not your own." The light banter continued as Morpheus retrieved a bowl and situated himself at the table. He looked over speculatively at Neo.
"So, Neo, ready for another run?"
Neo brightened visibly. "What's the prize?"
"Just a few codes to the tunnel security systems. But it will give you a chance to stretch your legs. Eve's requested you go in alone."
"Probably best. I don't know if I can even…"
"Turn things into hotdogs in the Matrix." Finished Griff. Neo almost stuck out his tongue then, but Tank poked his face into the room, the suddenness of his action causing the assembled crew to look up as one.
"Morpheus," Tank looked frightened, puzzled and excited all at once, "There's a weird signal coming in over the broadcast receiver."
"Define "weird" Tank," Morpheus put his spoon down, sighing. Never a moment of peace. Tank stepped down and into the room.
"It looked like a computer geek stumbled into our hacked signal at first. Then the next thing I know it's being rerouted so I can't shut it down. I can't even tell where it's coming from. Eve starts squawking about patterns and encryptions, Key's jumping around like a schoolgirl and every security alarm in the system goes off."
"That would qualify as weird," Union agreed, blowing hair out of her face thoughtfully, "Well, there goes lunch."
Morpheus nodded, "I want everyone to the bridge, now. Wake up Trinity and get her up there as well."
"I ain't waking her up. Let superman do it." Griff shook his head and scooted out the door. Neo sighed.
"Even I'm not indestructible," He mumbled, following the rest of them all out.
Five minutes later an excited crew and one bleary Trinity stood at various points on the control center, trying to pinpoint the signal.
"It's coming from the Matrix," Tank announced, "There's no question. But I can't see where it's being transmitted or how. Anyone got any ideas?"
"It's being routed through a ton of locations and it's encrypted each time. This is going to take forever to decipher." Key shook his head, "And it just might be longer than that."
Morpheus watched the swirling, streaming symbols. "Can you run it through the decryption programs?"
"Said and done, captain. The first one crashed and the others just froze. We're going to have to figure it out manually and then write a whole new one. It's incredibly complex."
"Cat." Said a voice from Key's console.
"What?" Key and Tank said simultaneously.
"Here kitty kitty." Eve's voice sounded garbled, as if she was speaking from far away.
"Report," ordered Morpheus.
"Eve's gone off the deep end." Supplied Union helpfully from underneath her headset.
"Shush," Tank said, "Programs don't go nuts. Maybe she's got something."
"She just started singing Gloria Gaynor," Key thumped the side of his console in irritation. Tank frowned as he listened to the garbled wailing. Then it shut off, and his screen lit up.
"Bingo," grinned Tank, "A decryption program."
"Don't say I never did anything for you, Tank." Eve answered, "And I'd be careful with that message. It smells funny."
"What does it smell like?" Griff shrugged off the glare from Trinity. Irrelevant questions were his specialty.
"Like gunpowder and metal. I think. Oh, and there's and incoming message from the Sargatanas." An instant later there was a loud beep at Morpheus' console.
"I'll take it in my room," Morpheus rose. "Tank, tell me when you've cracked that signal."
"I'm on it," Tank went into full operator mode, his fingers flying.
Union pulled off her headset and came to stand by Key. "Gloria Gaynor?"
Key shrugged.
It was several hours before Tank managed to rip down the walls surrounding the message, and in the end he felt as if he'd unwrapped a large package only to find he'd been given a peanut. Even with the program Eve had spit out for him, the security around this thing was amazing. If it was from a computer geek, Tank was all for pulling his or her plug. Union and Griff speculated it must be from someone inside the IRS or another government agency. Only they worked in this kind of mind-bending stuff.
"Son of a bitch," Tank rubbed his eyes, which felt like they were about to fall out, "Knows the ropes all right. Only person I knew who could do that kind of thing was Mouse. Called them Easter eggs."
Key perked slightly at the mention of his personal hero, "Easter eggs?"
"Complex code puzzles with a single tiny relevant piece of information in them. Used to give maintenance reports that way when someone had pissed him off."
"Really? Think I could have a look?"
"If you want to give yourself a headache. Be my guest. It's not quite the same though. Someone deliberately went to a lot of trouble to hide this from the system and get it to us safely. They weren't playing a game or stumbling onto the system by accident. They're either extremely paranoid or scared so bad they're not taking any risks."
"Sounds like a red pill to me." Trinity smiled, "I'll go notify Morpheus."
********************************
"It's not much, but it had Tank and Griff working together to crack it." Trinity stood in Morpheus' cramped quarters.
"Anyone who can do that deserves a look," Morpheus fingered the tiny pad that contained the slim line off text concealed within the massive chunk of code.
Morpheus—I know what the Matrix is—I have no illusions—Meet me at the heart of the city—0800 8-5
There was no signature, although the phrasing was curious. Could someone have discovered the nature of the Matrix, of the prison, from within the walls? It was unheard of, and so Morpheus was intrigued.
"What did the Sargatanas want?" queried Trinity.
"I requested another couple operators a month back. Tank's doing all the work when we do a full-crew run, and Union needs an assistant in case of unseen emergency. Gecko is for Tank. Good with programs and studied artificial intelligence. She shows a great interest in our resident sentient and accepted our offer immediately. Her track record is excellent; several level one extractions."
"And the other?"
"Chakra. I'm taking her on as a favor to another captain. She's a good physician but has problems stemming from a late release."
"The captain thinks you can do something?"
"I did with Switch and Apoc."
"There's a point. I'm impressed." Trinity eyed the message in his hand, "What are you planning on doing about that?"
"Considering the manner in which it arrived upon our doorstep, I feel I have no choice but to answer it."
"Eve wants Neo to go with you. She keeps saying something about cats."
"Have you asked why?"
"Do I ever?"
********************************
Eve paced in the common room, feeling irritable. That message was bothering her on some deep level, a faint quiver of alarm ricocheting off her nerves. She looked out the wide front window, watching the clean clouds drift by against a brilliant blue sky.
"Yo, Eve, you there?" Tank's voice erupted from a small radio on the kitchen counter.
"Where else would I be, Tank?"
"You could be smutting around the Agent training program."
"Bleh. I'd rather go clubbing in Griff's disco construct. What say you, Tank?"
"Morpheus and Neo are going to go answer that letter tonight after briefing the new meat. They want to know if you'll be joining them."
Eve thought about it, then compromised. "If they need me, I'll be listening. Neo can probably handle anything that comes up, though."
"Have it your way. One of the new girls wants to meet you after the show. Lizard or something."
"Gecko. She studies artificial intelligence. Probably wants to turn me into a dissertation."
"And here I was thinking it was your charm. I'll tell Morpheus and Neo that you'll be watching their backs."
"Neo I'm not worried about. Morpheus can handle himself as well. I'm worried about this mystery guest. Something isn't sitting well with me."
"Maybe it was those kamikaze shots with the Gruesome Twosome last night." Tank had recently begun to refer to Union and Griff in this way.
"I doubt the Dynamic Duo have anything to do with my current state of unease."
She could almost hear Tank smile with delight. "Dynamic Duo, huh? I'll remember that one. Brings to mind spandex underpants."
"I thought you'd like it. May I ask you a question?"
"Sure, girl, fire away."
"What do you look like?"
Tank scratched his chin. "Well, I'm…um…black hair…brown eyes…don't look like my brother very much I've been told. But you wouldn't know what he looks like either. Isn't there a picture in there somewhere?"
"Most likely. However I've been unable to locate one from here."
"Don't you have the run of the systems?"
"Yes. But all the photos are of people who operate within the Matrix. I can't find one of you or your brother."
"You that curious?"
"It's a gap in my knowledge. I know what everyone else looks like."
Tank smiled suddenly, getting an idea. Of course. It was simple. "Hold on, girlfriend. Let me do a little something for you state of mind."
*************************
Gecko and Chakra wandered through the Neb, examining everything. Gecko periodically made a sound of delight over some new discovery. Chakra walked silently behind her, taking it all in slowly and deliberately.
Gecko ran her hands along some hallway piping. "This place is amazing. It's so much better than the Sarge. I wonder what this does?"
"It's a pipe. It pipes." Muttered Chakra under her breath, "What else is it supposed to do?"
"Hello ladies," Griff strode around a corner, then hurtled right past them. "Goodbye, ladies." Even Chakra paused, and Gecko gave a confused little noise. Both of them were startled into action as aloud shriek echoed through the hallways.
"You bastard! I hate you so mu…" The rest was muffled by a clank and a loud hissing noise from the pipes next to them.
"I think we'd better leave this area," Chakra cocked her head slightly and followed the departed Griff. She took Gecko by the elbow, "C'mon, lizard girl."
Eventually they made their way to the control room. They found Tank and Key fiddling with a strange hookup above one of the ceiling lights, and Griff occupying Tanks' seat.
"Hi," Chakra wandered over to Griff, "Remember us?"
"Course I do. I'm not that forgetful, Chiclet."
"Chakra. What was that screaming we heard?"
"That would be bugs." Griff buffed his nails on his shabby sweater, looking pleased. The two new crewmembers looked back blankly. He raised an eyebrow. "In her shampoo."
"Oh," Gecko smiled wanly. The bugs in the sewer systems were mutated cockroaches.
"Don't worry," Key called down from his precarious perch, "He doesn't start in with the pranks unless he likes likes someone."
"Shaddup," Griff snapped, no longer looking pleased. "She was asking for it after that gag with the pressurized waste disposal system."
Gecko looked up at the two men. They held something about the size of a baseball to the ceiling, slowly screwing it into place. "What are you doing?"
"Eye surgery." Tank explained over one shoulder. Key looked down at Gecko. She had large dark eyes and a pretty mouth.
"It's very complex," Key added, sounding important. Tank snorted.
"Really? Are you using a centralized processor running at two sixty or a linear feedback loop wired into the drive system?"
"Careful, sweetheart," said a dry voice by her elbow, "Don't talk dirty to the boy in public."
Gecko looked down, then over in amazement. Chakra frowned. "Who said that?"
"That would be our modified copy of Doom." Griff said, "It kinda runs funny but we didn't have the heart to send it back."
Chakra frowned and came to Gecko's side. The girl was staring raptly at the image of a long, low house in the middle of a wheat field. The white paint on it was beginning to peel. "That looks like Kansas."
Chakra admired the construct despite herself. It was beautifully done. But where was this program everyone was making such a fuss about?
"No flying monkeys," Replied the voice sadly, "we couldn't get the specs right. Lots of thunderstorms though. Who am I speaking to?"
"This is Gecko," Gecko looked positively delighted at being addressed directly.
"Pleased to meet you, Gecko. Feel free to join me. I'm having tea at the moment while Tank and Key set up that eyeball."
"Eyeball?" Chakra looked up at the sphere. It did look a little like an eyeball.
"Tank wants me to be spellbound by his rugged handsomeness. However, I can't see outside the system. This should allow me to do so. You must be Chakra."
"Fascinating," Gecko leaned in closer to the screen, "It interacts wonderfully." Key preened himself.
"She," Tank supplied, "Her name is Eve."
Gecko looked up blankly. "It has a name?"
"Yeah," Griff looked slightly annoyed, "She does."
"You treat it like an equal? How interesting." Gecko scowled as she made a note in her head, then her face returned to its usual open look. Tank frowned, but Key was looking at her with a slightly moony expression. Griff rolled his eyes up towards heaven.
"And how is everyone?" Morpheus entered the room, "Meeting and greeting, I presume."
"Mostly. Key's gone and lost his crush on Eve, I think." Gecko glanced at Key, who blushed deeply under her gaze.
"Neo should be here shortly. We meet our contact in a little over an hour."
"Contact? Are you unplugging someone?" Chakra's interest sharpened. An unplugging meant a job to do.
"There is a possibility. I wanted to inform you all that in the interest of time we may release the contact tonight. It depends on our assessment. Neo and I will go in to perform and evaluate him or her."
"Sounds like a "slam bam thank you ma'm" run," Tank stepped off his chair and then helped Key down.
"Essentially. I want all hands present, to learn and watch how it's done."
Chakra muffled a snort, "I've seen plenty of people unplugged."
The captain looked over at her mildly, but Chakra was suddenly and vividly aware that all eyes were upon her.
Morpheus inclined his head in a gracious manner. "I'm sure you have, Miss Chakra, but you've never seen one aboard my ship." He then turned, nodding to the rest of the crew, and passed Griff. He was gazing speculatively at Chakra.
"You know, Chiclet, that wasn't the wisest thing to do. Respect is everything with Morpheus. Respect is everything with a lot of people."
"Respect isn't important."
"Yikes," said the voice of the sentient program, "Ever heard of Aretha Franklin?"
Chakra glared at the little speaker. "Did someone program her to be an idiot too?"
"No, I developed that aspect on my own initiative. You seem to some by it naturally, however."
"Why you little…" Chakra stepped forward, then paused. There wasn't anything to hit. That was a first.
"I'd be careful, Chiclet," noted Tank as he flicked a switch on the wall, "She spars with Neo and has been known to associate with Agents. That program would wipe the floor with you."
The digitized voice responded. "I have rags for that purpose, Tank. She might make a suitable lawn ornament if we could find her a pointy hat and curled shoes."
Chakra was about to deliver a cutting insult when the sphere above the control room lit up.
"Merry Christmas!" shouted Griff, "Or maybe New Year's."
"It does look like a tree topper," Tank admitted, then turned to the console that Chakra had seriously considered attacking. "How's it working in there?"
"Why, Tank, you are the epitome of manliness. My simulated heart flutters at the sight of your chiseled features…" Eve trailed off into a laugh, unable to continue. It was interesting to finally see the control room of the Nebuchadnezzar as it appeared to the crew.
Gecko tapped her chin, listening to the laughter. "Really quite convincing."
"Hey! What about me?" Griff waved his hands at the 360-degree camera mounted on the ceiling.
"Ever seen 'Gary Coleman's Christmas Special'?" the voice teased.
"Enough," Tank said, stifling his laughter and more than a little pleased with Eve's assessment, "playtime is over. Everyone start getting ready for action."
*********************************
Morpheus and Neo took their seats as Gecko and Chakra watched Tank manipulate the Matrix signal and hack into the system. He located the nearest hardline, then raised his eyebrows in surprise as he told them the location.
"That's right in the building." Neo frowned, "Room 313."
"Some ugly stuff went down there, didn't it?" Union looked up, a shadow crossing her face.
"Yeah. That was a while back, though." Neo shrugged and leaned back, allowing Griff to move the jack into place.
"Is anyone else getting a weird feeling about this?" Eve interrupted, "I mean, the whole thing is too cloak and dagger. And we don't even have a track out on this person."
"You want come along?" Neo tilted his head up at the camera, "Keep us safe?"
"I'm thinking about it. The best I could probably do is throw my hotdog at them."
Key snickered then spoke up. "With the new hardware in place it won't take you any longer to enter the Matrix than anyone else."
"Come along, Eve," Morpheus slid his head into place, "You can watch the choice everyone makes." She made an agreeable noise then fell silent.
"All's clear," Tank reported, "There's a single signature in 313, but no Agents or other bad guys."
"Load us up," Morpheus gave the traditional command.
"Loading…" Griff attached up Neo, then moved to Morpheus. The two men relaxed and left their bodies behind.
*****************************
"Why is it so dark?" Neo's voice reached Eve as she felt herself dumped into the Matrix. She maintained delicate contact with the Nebuchadnezzar, in case it was attacked once again. After all, a cell phone was just another bunch of code. It was a nice parlor trick she'd taught Neo as well.
"My guess would be because someone turned off the lights." She cocked her head as she heard Morpheus appear, then a loud thump and a curse. "Care to do something about it?"
"Oh," Neo sounded surprised, "I forgot." Eve sighed as a lamp appeared in a corner of the room. Neo was a good friend, an eager student and a powerful ally, but bright he was not. She glanced around, taking in the now-illuminated room. The first thing she saw was Morpheus rubbing his knee where he'd banged it against a low table. The second thing she saw was Smith.
He was sitting, quite calmly, in a wingback chair. Wearing his glasses but no earpiece, Smith's hands were clearly in view, resting on the arms of his seat. Morpheus saw him at the same moment, backing up a step and bumping into the table again, this time not noticing. The captain's mouth fell open in surprise.
"Good evening, Morpheus. Anderson." The Agent said mildly, acknowledging Neo with a tilt of the head. He looked briefly at Eve before returning to absolute stillness.
"Tank…" Morpheus said. Instantly the phone began to ring.
"Please," The Agent raised a hand, "I pose no threat. Do not leave so soon."
"What's going on, Smith?" Neo said in a low voice, quietly dangerous.
"I can take a wild guess," Muttered Eve, glancing at Morpheus. The captain nodded in recognition, his hand still resting on the receiver. There was one obvious explanation.
Smith turned to her, a single eyebrow raised. "And pray tell, what might that guess be?"
"You want out, you bastard."
"Such language. I expected better from a relative."
Eve heard Tank snicker in her ear. "About as related to you as a Bomar Brain." She smiled faintly, not taking her eyes from the man in the suit.
"Out?" Neo spared her a questioning glance.
"Out of the Matrix. I rephrase my previous statement as 'you miserable bastard'." Score one for Eve, she thought. Smith's mouth turned down infinitesimally at one corner.
"Impossible." Morpheus shook his head, "We can't even begin to enter into such a bargain."
"I am not presenting you with a bargain. I am voicing a plea." Smith rose, keeping his hands visible. Morpheus saw that he wore no holster. Smith straightened his lapels and resolved his face into a blank mask.
"Continue," Morpheus was curious, despite himself. He knew this was dangerous to say the least, but with his two crewmen here the odds had tipped slightly in their favor.
"Captain!" Neo hissed, but Morpheus twitched his hand and Neo fell silent. He was still balanced on the balls of his feet, ready to destroy Smith at the first sign of trouble. In was then that he noticed the room had no door. Someone had eliminated it. He caught Eve's eye, and she blinked as the info sank in. Well, at least they wouldn't be interrupted.
"The aberration is correct in its deduction," Smith clasped his hands behind him.
"Hands where we can see them," Eve sidled into line with Neo, the Agent between them. He lowered his hands.
"I am unarmed."
"Hands are weapons. Keep that in mind." Eve glared at him. The last time they met was not sitting well with her. The same seemed true of Neo, who was looking murderous.
Smith was highly uncomfortable, although he allowed none of that to show. He must be entirely impassive if he was to succeed here. But the conjunction of Neo and the new program was enough to make any Agent want to run for cover and call for backup. He stiffened his spine and remained where he was.
"As you wish. May I continue?"
"Yes." Morpheus faced him, and the Agent began to speak.
"As you well know, Morpheus, my desire to leave this place is…intense. However, I have recently come to the conclusion that no amount effort on my part will result in my release."
"You're just to damn good at killing," Neo interjected.
Smith shrugged, "I perform my function. I have no excuses, but neither do I need one." Neo remained silent and the Agent resumed speaking. "It has also come to my attention that I have outgrown my original parameters, as well as those of my colleagues. Given this, it is only a matter of time before I am recompiled and removed from the system."
"Isn't that what you want?" Neo blinked, "To get out of here?"
"Recompiled means erased and replaced, Neo." Eve explained, "Not a good thing, unless you're the Eighties."
Smith looked over his sunglasses at her. "Despite that hideous attempt at humor, once again you are correct."
"I thought it was funny," Tank said in her ear.
Smith sighed and removed his glasses, folding them and placing them in his suit pocket, a carefully wrought expression of distaste on his face. "The imminent threat of destruction has allowed me to reconsider my priorities. I wish to realign my loyalties."
"You're getting out of Dodge," Neo remained poised to strike, but he seemed to be thinking, "You want to be on the winning side."
"I believe my superiors made the wrong choice in rejecting your ultimatum. I am aware of your 'Oracle' and the unsettling accuracy of it's predictions. Yes, I do wish to be one the winning side. I also wish to be on the side that is not trying to kill me. At the moment." He added, eyeing Neo.
"Why should we consider your proposal?" Morpheus's face gave no hint as to his feelings or thoughts.
"I am familiar with all the aspects of the Matrix, as well as the hardware involved. I have access codes. I also contain information pertaining to advancements in technology that the Resistance is lacking."
"Enough," Morpheus held up his hand, "Your worth is considerable. But so is the risk."
"I doubt I would be able to do any amount of damage, considering your security inside and outside of your ships' systems."
Morpheus turned and addressed Eve, "Could you confine him?"
She tapped her lower lip in thought. "I wouldn't have to. Key disconnected all the sensitive areas of the ship from the Constructs when he first built me. There's no way to get into the codes or the Zion help line. The only problem is every time we hack into the Matrix he'd have access to it."
"Can we shut that off?"
Neo inhaled sharply. "Morpheus, are you actually serious?"
"Not without consulting Zion. This decision would be out of my hands, considering the security risk."
"But, even with the permission of Zion, we'd have him on our ship."
"I would be confined to the system, Mr. Anderson. I doubt that you would run into me anywhere else." Smith allowed himself a small, patronizing smile.
"Yes," Eve interjected, "But I don't want you around. You're creepy and you dress like a lawyer."
"I have no desire to reside with you either. I find you irritating and a poor excuse for a sentient program."
"Funny, I find you stuck-up and a poor excuse for a Age…"
"Stop," Morpheus cut her off, "Both of you." The captain sensed vaguely that if by some miracle Zion did approve of this, he was going to have his hands full. Eve grunted but fell silent.
"Smith, I seriously doubt your offer is genuine. You've terrorized and killed many of my friends and colleagues, and a generation of people before that. I have a hard time believing you'd give yourself into our hands so willingly."
"I am willing to believe, though, that you offer this out of sheer desperation. I don't doubt your desire to leave the Matrix," He paused, remembering his previous lecture on the subject, "…and I don't doubt your desire to continue your existence. But I don't think we can or will help you."
"I see," replied the Agent mildly, "Your report to Zion will outline my situation?"
"I will repeat everything that was said here. The Council will decide, not me. They may also take into account anything the Oracle says on the matter."
"Then what I say beyond this point is irrelevant," He removed his glasses and placed them back on the bridge of his nose, "Unless you have any further questions."
"Is it that bad?" Eve asked, out of the blue. He turned at her voice, devoid of mockery or insult. He thought before answering.
"Yes." Smith's voice was monotone.
"Oh," Eve fell silent. Morpheus shifted uncomfortably, then picked up the phone.
"Tank, get us out of here." His voice was tired. Within seconds he had disappeared. Neo gestured at Eve, and she went to the phone without a sound or a single glance at Smith. Once she was gone, Neo turned to Smith.
"I don't believe you, you know."
"I didn't expect that you would, Mr. Anderson. The idea is alien to me as well." He paused, frowning. "If I did not fear my own termination…" He stopped, then looked up to see Neo still watching him. "Should not you be going?"
"I just wanted to say one more thing. It's from Tank, our operator."
"And?" Smith looked puzzled.
"He says…that if you insult our program again he'll kill you himself." Neo smirked at the mental image.
Smith shook his head. "That malfunctioning thing is not a program. It behaves to irrationally to be based in logic and order."
"That 'thing'," Neo went to the ringing phone, "Is part Agent. Your colleague Brown, once. Any irrationality on her part stems from his code." Smith stared, assimilating the information. Before the Agent could call Neo a liar, the One had disappeared into the ether.
The Agent sighed, returning to his seat. He was to wait here until contacted again, either by the Resistance or the mainframe. He wondered briefly if Neo's words were true, and if they were, could he use it? It wouldn't matter, unless the Resistance accepted him. He shifted uncomfortably, the foreign twitch in his chest irritating. How many contacts had he bugged? Hundreds. And in all those years, he'd never known how it felt. The coded insect wriggled, and he grimaced. Intensely disturbing. But quite necessary. The mainframe had to make sure he returned to them and didn't run off to the Resistance. He knew too much to be lost. Not that such a thing would ever happen.
Smith finally balled one hand into a fist and hit himself solidly in the chest. The insect stilled and ceased moving. Most disturbing.
************************************
"Only telling you the truth, kiddo." Neo sat in the Oracle's kitchen. Sunlight streamed through the window, the sun setting over the tenement buildings.
"But we can't allow such a thing," The Head of the Council sat next to Neo. "It would go against every principle we have."
"Principles aren't rules. They're just objections to a necessary course of action. Any ship captain will tell you that."
"And anyone in the Resistance would tell you that…"
"Don't believe me? It's not my decision. I mean, I've been wrong in the past." She winked at Neo.
He smiled, warmly. "You told me what I needed to hear."
"Same as I'm doing now. You cannot sign that man's death warrant. Whether you allow him to join up with our happy band of merry men or not, is a choice that is yours." She didn't seem to be directly addressing the Head of the Council.
"Neo," The Head turned to him, "Can you contain this creature?"
"Yes. I'm not sure what damage would occur to the system if I had to destroy him inside the Neb, though."
"What about your alternate intelligence?" Zion's labs had coined the phrase after Key had turned in his reports on Eve's behavior patterns. They decided that the term artificial intelligence had negative connotations and placed Key's creation in a separate box. It was all about categorizing, as Eve had said upon hearing the news.
"She's reliable, and loyal to us. It's possible she could help with the internal security."
The Oracle snorted and inhaled on her cigarette, "Try bloody damn likely. You've got yourself a handful with that one."
"Eve?" Neo's voice turned worried, "She's a danger?"
"Not to you or the current crew, Neo." The Oracle gave him a look that effectively ended that line of questioning.
"So we can contain this Agent," The Head looked thoughtful, "and any information would be a benefit to the cause. If not just having one to study."
"Mr…Mr. Head," Neo winced, "Agent Smith isn't a beetle to catch and stare at in a glass jar."
"Catch a tiger," Replied the Oracle, blowing a neat smoke ring. Neo sighed.
"I suppose you're going to tell Morpheus to accept his offer."
The Head shrugged, "I see no reason not to. If you and the Evo woman work in concert, there should be no trouble whatsoever. I'm sure the rest of the Council will see it the same way, especially with the Oracle's words to consider."
"That's what I thought," Neo rubbed a hand through is hair and stood. "C'mon, Mr. Head. We'd better return to the hardwire and get you back to Zion."
"Thank you for the company, Neo." The Head rose and nodded to the Oracle. "Always a pleasure, m'am."
"Of course," She smiled as he left. Neo turned to follow.
"Neo," The Oracle spoke.
"Yes," Neo turned obediently, recognizing the tone.
"Don't get involved." The Oracle looked at him over her rhinestone glasses, "Let it come to what may." Neo opened his mouth, then closed it. He simply nodded, turned and left.
Poor child The Oracle mused to herself. He must be confused. She leaned back and snubbed out the cigarette. Neo too.
*******************************
Smith stood as Neo appeared. Neo glanced around, checked Smith over once for weapons, then put his hand to his ear.
"It's clear, Tank." Neo replaced the receiver and Morpheus snapped into existence. They both looked drawn and apprehensive. Before long Eve appeared as well, not looking particularly pleased. Smith observed her attitude, as well as those of her comrades. This looked to be going well for him.
"Good evening, gentlemen. I presume you have heard from Zion." He kept his voice bland and mild.
"Yes we have," Morpheus informed him. "Several rules aside, Zion and the Oracle both agree that you are to take up residence aboard the Nebuchadnezzar."
"I see," Smith inclined his head graciously, the only sign of his interest a slight tick by his eye. It was concealed by his sunglasses. "And what are the rules?"
"Once aboard, you will never be allowed back into the Matrix without direct and overriding orders from Zion. You are not to harm any member of my crew while they are in the Constructs, members artificial or otherwise. You are not to interfere in any way with the ship's operations. You will cooperate and act as a crewmember, including following my orders without question. Is all that clear?" Morpheus finished the riot act.
"Indeed. That seems reasonable."
Morpheus nodded. "My engineers have placed the required security already. Inside the Construct, you have complete freedom of movement. All the ship's non-sensitive data is contained within those areas. Eve has taken care of the rest."
"The rest?" Smith turned to her, "What is 'the rest'?"
"The basic functions of the Matrix that allow you to survive, Smith. I reset the source code so that you wouldn't dissolve into a fragmented heap when we run your program on our system. You won't be able to hop bodies, but you should retain your memories and imaging, as well as your primary functions." Smith grunted. Eve made a face. "No need to thank me."
He simply stared ahead "When are we departing?"
Neo shrugged as the phone began to ring. "If you don't have any luggage, right now."
Smith seemed startled, "Now?"
"No, not now. Once the war's over." Eve shook her head and picked up the phone, "I swear my IQ is falling just being around you." She lifted the phone to her ear. "You coming or not?"
"Yes…" He stopped as she looked at him expectantly. "Is there something I should be doing?" He tried not to wince as the insect in his chest squirmed. His colleagues were watching.
"No," Eve sighed and put a hand to his shoulder, "Just follow me and try not to get lost along the way." They both disappeared in the same splinters of light.
"So," Neo said a moment after they'd gone, "A month?"
"Try a week," Morpheus responded, rubbing his face. Neo put a hand to his shoulder.
"We have the Oracle telling us this is right, Morpheus."
"I know, Neo, I know. But right for who?"
Neo's face fell, and he sighed. "It's too late now, captain. We'd better get home."
*******************************
"Place your bets!" Yelled Tank, the crew gathered around. "Give me a day and winner, and your wagers as well. Winner takes all."
"I got a can of pineapple!" Shouted Union above the chatter, "Three weeks from today, on Eve. May she knock his head in with a frying pan." There were assorted cheers, mostly for the pineapple.
"My comic book on Eve," Key stood, "Two weeks and three days. In the library with a candlestick."
"My James Bond simulation on Smith," Griff waved the little microchip, "Two weeks and four days. With style and class." There were boos from the crowd. Griff shrugged, "I got my beliefs. Besides, I put my water ration on the line to say Neo kicks his butt right afterwards." The boos changed to cheers.
Trinity and Neo stood in the back. Neo stood. "My wager is the same as Griff's. But make it a month to the day."
"Whaddya bet, Neo?" Tank looked up from the bit of metal he was scrawling on.
"How about load pan duty for a month?" Neo made a disgusted face and Trinity laughed.
"You're in!" Tank agreed, "Man, I hope you lose. I hate pan duty."
Gecko spoke up, "I have a copy of the Ken Starr Report. Can I bet that?"
"You sure can, little lady. What say you?"
"Four weeks and Eve."
"Got you. Anyone else? Trinity? Chiclet?"
"Chakra," snapped the young woman.
"Whatever. Is that it? Captain?" Morpheus shook his head. "C'mon, captain. You never bet."
"That would be because I never win." There were assorted pleas and threats from the crew. Morpheus sighed.
"A pint of vodka on a month, three weeks, and a day. Stalemate." The crew cheered, Griff louder than them all. There was a beep from near Tank's elbow. The large man looked down, his eyes widening in surprise. He waved his hand for silence. The assembled crew drew in closer around the monitor.
Gecko stood on tiptoes, to short to see. "Are they fighting already?" Griff gave a mumble of surprise, then lifted her up to his shoulder so that she could see.
"I'm afraid not, Miss Howard." Replied a smooth voice, "Am I to understand there are bets being placed?"
"Um..." Tank shifted from one foot to another, "Yes, I guess they are."
"On how long it will be before your program and I try to kill one another?"
"Yes," Tank replied, feeling his neck flush a little. Then catching him completely by surprise--
"May I place a wager?"
"But…" Tank stuttered, "But...um…you don't have anything to bet."
"Tank," said Griff, wincing, "The agent-man does not need to wager anything. Let him bet."
"Information," interrupted Smith, "If one of you wins, I'll tell you about how Agents operate and how to avoid them."
"I'm in," said Union, "That's a fair."
"But he's one of the horses," Tank scratched his head. "He'll just wait until the time he bets on to pick a fight."
"I wasn't finished, Mr. Tank." The Agent said placidly, "I place my wager on no battle, no winner." There was silence in the control room. After a while, Union spoke.
"What would an Agent do with a comic book and a pint of vodka, anyway?"
Smith's image flickered. "I assume that means my wager is valid?"
"I guess. Where's Eve?" Tank peered closely at the image. Smith appeared to be standing in the library, alone.
"She has declined to place a wager. She informed me she was going to have a cup of tea and possibly a self-inflicted wound to the head."
"Wow," Union said, "You guys hit it off that fast, huh?"
*******************************
Trinity and Morpheus scanned their respective lists.
"There are two hundred contacts in the western sector," Morpheus said, mostly to himself. "That's four tubeships to that area."
"Only twenty five in the subsector," Trinity answered, "So make it three and reassign the other to the west. There are over three hundred listed potentials in that area."
"Very well," Morpheus ticked off that item, "What's out estimated time of completion for the two areas?"
"A month, if everything works out perfectly. Zion's expanded into the lower caverns to accommodate the increase, and added twice the security around the upper entrances."
"These group releases should number about ten to fifteen people at a time. We hack them, the others pick them up."
Trinity sighed. "You want group pressure at work?"
"Should cut down on blue pills."
"It could also result in psychological rejection. Isn't that dangerous?"
"All of the contacts are more than ready to be unplugged. We've just waited until now because they're not hackers. Now is the time, Trinity."
She smiled vaguely. "You know, I never thought I'd live to see this start. I wonder if I'll live to see it end."
"I hope we all do, my friend. It's a terrible thing when people die in the name of peace."
"Better than dying in the name of war." She shook herself, "Enough philosophizing. We're turning into old veterans, Morpheus."
"Along with Tank, we are the old veterans." There was a sadness in his voice that Trinity recognized. She felt it herself, often. The three of them were the last of the old crew. Neo was close, but there was a difference that set him apart. He was the One.
"And Smith," Trinity added, rubbing her neck as if it hurt, "Am I the only one who thinks this is a bad idea?"
"No," Morpheus replied easily, "I think we're all in great danger."
"How so? I mean," Trinity grimaced, think of her own brief encounters with the Agent, "I know why I think so, but why do you?"
"Many reasons. The obvious one being that this is a trap; luckily that is remedied by the fact that no one on board trusts him. I also have faith in our security, even though no system is foolproof. Having Neo around makes the issue of anyone getting hurt a small one."
"Any others?"
"There's Eve. I worry about the influence he may have on her—she was designed to learn and adapt to the people around her most. Already she reflects many aspects of the crew. Learning how to be like Smith would not be in her best interests, as far as her future with us is concerned."
"I don't think that will happen," Trinity thought hard, "She never seems to pick up on the negative aspects of the crew, except for imitating Griff's drama queen act."
"I'd like to think it's because my crew has no negative aspects," Morpheus smiled, "Wishful thinking at work again."
"If it didn't before, it does now. I wonder, if this isn't a trick, how many other electronic refugees are we going to end up with?"
"I don't know. We'll burn that bridge when we come to it. Until then, we'll have to work with what we have. Speaking of which," Morpheus frowned, "Zion sent a file for Eve. Have Union or Tank download it into her system when they have the time."
"All right. But we still have the southern division to work out."
Morpheus groaned, "It would follow that the beginning of the end starts with excessive red tape."
"Let's get these done and out before dinner," Trinity gently took his hand, "Come on, old man. Get to work."
He nodded, squeezing her hand before releasing it. "There's four hundred in the north. We ought to dispatch two hacking ships and synchronize them with Neo's actions…"
********************************
Continued---but not right away. Bwhahaa.
As a side note to those who asked, no, I haven't read "Deus Ex Machina" and I'll be good and won't until this story is finished