The Song of Charity
A Simple Discovery
"Are you sure she has the key?" Trinity asked, as she was being connected to the program console, preparing to enter the Matrix, to make contact.
"Positive" Neo murmured, watching the images run across the image console swiftly. Glancing down, he laid his palm against her forehead gently. "Her neurosignals alone are off the charts. She has it."
"She'll be difficult. She's not like us, Neo. The hold the Matrix has over her is so strong!" sighing, Trinity closed her eyes. "Will she be able to let all of it go?"
"We've gone over this. I wouldn't risk our lives, and hers, if I had doubts."
Nodding her head, she braced herself for the quick entry to the Matrix.
* * * * *
"God damn her! Why is she doing this to me? Does she think that running a nightclub is all fun and games?!" growling into the phone, Gary, assistant manager, and resident neurotic, rolled his eyes heavenward. "Yes, yes, I KNOW that we're doing great! But is that any reason to just run off like that?"
Angrily he slammed the phone down, grabbed his jacket, and stalked out into the club, all the while muttering under his breath. Grimacing at the blaring music and the frenzied people pilling onto the dance floor, Gary quickly located the bar. Yelling to be heard of a distance of 12 inches, he leaned across the bar at a massive, over muscled man with no hair, and a million earrings in his ears.
"Where is she?" he demanded, while doing a rapid tattoo with his finger tips on the smudged bar.
"Where else? You'll find her out in the middle of the dance floor...that is, if you could find it." The bartender mentioned idly.
"Great." Gary sighed. He didn't think a battering ram could get through that crowd. So instead, he ordered a drink, and told the bartender to send her to his office once she decided to take a break.
Seeing he was gone, Deb walked to the bar. "What did twinkle toes want?"
"Oh, the usual, go to his office A.S.A.P. He seemed rather pissed off at you."
"Yes, well. What else is new?" she shrugged. Lighting a cigarette, she leaned back and watched the crowd. "Damn, I love this place when it's full. Give me a beer will ya?"
"No offense, Deb, but why do you keep the weasel?"
Laughing, Deb glanced at the mirror behind the bar. "When I figure that one out, David, I'll let you know." Suddenly, she spotted a figure entering the club. She didn't know why, but she couldn't take her eyes off the woman. Something about her....
"What is it?" David asked.
"Not sure. But I have this feeling that trouble just walked through my doors. See the brunette, about 5'8", near the front speakers?" Quickly scanning, he spotted her. "Keep an eye on her. I'll go talk to Gary, calm his ever-increasing nerves. Let me know the minute trouble starts."
"Not a problem."
Deb wasn't so sure of that. But snap judgments could wait...though they were usually right.
* * * *
Deb walked into her small office. Spotting Gary at her desk with his feet propped up, she scowled. "Gary, what is the problem this time?"
Pushing his feet off her desk, and spinning the chair, she leaned close. "Listen, you little killjoy, I am seriously getting tired of your attitude. Must you track me down for every little problem that comes up? What the hell do I pay you for?" Glaring down at him, she saw him swallow hard. " And get out of my chair!"
Scrambling to obey, Gary stood, only to knock over his drink, spilling it on her new rug. Struggling to take calming breaths, she sat. "Now tell me, what is so important this time?"
"We have a problem." trying to ignore her sigh, Gary continued. "It seems that some one has been.....going through the clubs personal files....."
"What?!" she yelled.
"It seems that...well, someone is looking for information...on you and the club....." As Gary started in on what details he knew, something clicked in Deb's mind.
The tough looking brunette.
But what could she possibly want? Why search through her clubs records? Unless....no, she couldn't know.
Could she?
"Gary, what exactly did they find?"
Clearing his throat, he hesitantly stammered out "Well. Everything. You had a file on everyone here, including yourself, and somehow...it was accessed. I don't have a damn clue how they did it......"
"Its ok, I do." Deb interrupted, thinking quickly.
"But how?"
"Hey, I'm the computer expert here. Nothing to worry about." Grabbing her gun, and some extra ammo, Deb glared at Gary. "Destroy everything on that computer. Wipe it clean."
"But...."
"Just do it! I can fix it later." With that, she left, on a mission to find the mysterious brunette.
* * * *
Marching back into the club, Deb quickly scanned the room, searching for any sign of the brunette. She couldn't find her. But then, she didn't have to. She found Deb first.
"Charity."
The voice came from behind her. Turning carefully, Deb came up close and personal with the mysterious woman. "Who are you?"
"Some call me Trinity." came the direct answer. Trinity was surprised. She didn't expect Deb to be so hostile. At least, not yet.
"Is that right?" came Deb's sarcastic reply. Deb couldn't help it, the sarcasm just leapt out of her. Whenever she gets confronted with new dangers, or changes, it just comes out. But then, Deb didn't really try to stop it, either.
"Does that name carry any meaning, that I should be aware of?"
Raising a brow, Trinity felt her hackles rise. "It should, but I doubt you'd get it."
Smiling slightly, Deb leaned back against the wall. "So, what can I do for you?"
"Its more like, what can we do for each other." Trinity replied.
Deb just stared at her, waiting for her to continue.
"You're in trouble, Charity. And it looks like you already know that. Don't you?"
Deb remained silent, not sure how to reply. Wondering just how much Trinity knew.
Moving closer, Trinity glanced at the crowd of people, the bartender keeping a close eye on them. "You've been looking for us, Charity. We've been watching you do so, for some time now." Seeing Deb's eyes widen slightly, Trinity continued. "Would you like to learn more? About us, and about yourself?"
Nodding, Deb didn't think she'd be able to speak at the moment. She was too scared and intrigued to do anything but stare and nod.
"Here, take this." Trinity placed something in her hand. "We'll keep in touch." With that, Trinity walked off, leaving Deb staring down at the package in her hand, wrapped in plain, brown paper.
Now, what the hell was going on?
* * * *
"Well?"
Sitting up, Trinity ran her fingers through her hair, oddly enough, exhilarated by her meeting with Deb.
"She's hostile. Angry. And direct. She was looking for me." Smiling slightly at Morpheus, she rose from the chair and faced them. "I liked her."
"She knows about our peeking into her computer." Tank mentioned. "And she doesn't like it one bit."
"But how?" Trinity asked.
"I told you, she's smart." Morpheus answered, his dark eyes gleaming. "She won't be fooled easily."
Trinity, knowing when to retreat, said nothing. What could she say, after all? When these two men get an idea, nothing can shake it loose.
Passing by the Matrix console, she was stopped by Tank. "Don't worry, Trin. They know what they're doing." Moving over, he motioned for her to next to him. "Have a look at this."
"What am I looking at?"
"Charity's computer alert system. This is what tipped her off to what we were doing. See the code here?" Tank pointed to a small group of figures in the center of the green code.
Trinity gasped softly. "Did she...?"
"Yep. She wrote that. It bears a remarkable resemblance to the language of the Matrix, doesn't it?" Sighing, he sat back and rubbed his eyes. "That's why it was so hard for me to get into her computer."
"But what does that mean?"
"I don't know. But that is why Morpheus wants to go in with you, for your next contact with her."
* * * *
Deb didn't have any warning. One minute she was blissfully asleep, the next minute, she was attacked by a 60 pound flying mass, landing right on her back. All she could do was let out a was a "oomph" as the breath was knocked out of her.
"What the......ahhhhh!" she screamed as ice cold fingers touched her cheek.
8 year old Lily, giggled into her face. "C'mon, wake up!"
Burying her face under her pillow, Deb sighed. "Go away." she grumped. "Go bug your mother. That's what mothers are for, you know."
Pouting, Lily sat Indian-style on her back. "I can't. She'll beat me."
In the face of that outrageous lie, Deb burst out laughing. Shaking Lily off her back, Deb pushed her hair out of her face. "Your getting good at that, Lily. One day, you just may make it as an actress."
Smiling happily, Lily skipped to the door. "Coming?"
"Yes, yes, yes. Just give me a minute will you?" As Lily ran off down the hallway, Deb's eyes fell upon the brown package Trinity gave her last night, still unopened. Figuring it may be a good thing to let Amy know of any danger, she scooped it up on her way out the door. Besides, it never hurt to be prepared.
As she walked down the hallway, kicking toys out of her way, she noticed the delicious smell of bacon and eggs. So, following her nose, Deb wandered straight for the kitchen, to find her sister, Amy, flipping bacon, stirring a batch of scrambled eggs, and listening to Lily's chatter as she sat on the counter.
"Oh Amy, you did all of this, for me?" Deb teased, snagging a piece of bacon.
"Like I'd go through all this trouble for you." Amy said, rolling her eyes.
"Ahh, I can feel the love." Sitting at the kitchen table, Deb fingered the brown package. "Amy, we need to talk."
Hearing the seriousness of her voice, Amy turned around "What's wrong? Is it the club? Oh no, you didn't fire Gary again, did you?"
"Ugh. No Amy." Grabbing the open Pepsi on the table, Deb contemplated the future. "Someone hacked into my computer last night. Gary found it, and went all sweaty, thinking the world was going to end."
"How did they do that? You make unbreakable security systems!" Amy asked, shocked.
"I don't know. Someone named Trinity also contacted me. She gave me this." Deb handed over the brown package to Amy.
Amy felt the package, running her fingers along the edges. "This feels like a phone, to me."
Nodding her head in agreement, Deb said nothing. Instead, she lit a cigarette, and stared out the window.
"What are you going to do now? Will they contact you again?"
"I'm sure of it. But I don't know what I'll do about it."
"Well" Amy mentioned lightly. "I think Charity may have to resurface again."
Deb just stared out the window, through the haze of smoke. "I think you may be right."