The Star Wars Matrix
The very first Matrix was a paradise for humans. They could live out their dreams and fantasises. The Machines quickly learnt that paradise was different for each individual, and so they adapted the Matrix to suit. Lacking the creative edge of a human mind, they stole much of the Matrix's content from human culture and fiction. One such version of the Matrix was set a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...
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He felt the creature's grip about his neck and body quickly lessen until it finally let him go. He struggled to the surface of the water and thrust his head out into the air, gasping for breath. He heard the shouts of several people beside him and felt the helpful hands that lifted him from the water so he could stand.
"Luke, are you all right?" one asked. A beautiful woman dressed in white, but her garment stained by the putrid water they all stood in. She looked concerned for him. She also looked familiar.
"Luke?" he answered shakily.
"Hey kid, snap out of it. You're frightening her holiness." This came from a man wearing white armour but no helmet, brandishing a black weapon of some sort. He lifted the weapon and pointed it at a doorway at the end of the chamber they were in.
The woman turned to the white clad man, and snapped, "The only thing that's frightening me is this smell." She paused when she realized the man was about to fire at the door. "No, wait!" But he fired regardless, the blast from his gun bouncing harmlessly off the sealed doorway, but then ricocheted about the tiny garbage filled room, coming dangerously close to hitting them several times until it finally impacted with the debris.
"We already tried that... the doors magnetically sealed!" she berated him.
Before he could retort, they both noticed Luke backing away from them, his eyes wide in terror. "What's that thing?" he cried in horror. They realized he was talking about the last occupant of the garbage filled room. A huge, hairy creature that towered over them all.
"That's Chewie, kid. Don't you remember him?" The white clad man looked worriedly at him. When Luke shook his head in reply, the man said to the others, "He must have swallowed too much of that water. God knows what toxins the Empire pours down here." Chewie bellowed in agreement.
The beautiful woman reached out to Luke, a strange look in her eyes. "I don't think it was the water. But something's not right." She paused a moment, then said to the frightened Luke, "I'm Leia. You came with your friends here to try and 'rescue' me." She smirked a little, "So far, it hasn't worked out too well."
"Listen, Princess, I don't see you running back to your detention cell," the man commented from behind.
Luke looked over at the man, and asked, "Why is here wearing that armour? Is he the police?"
Leia brushed Luke's hair affectionately, trying to calm him. "No," she smiled, "take at look at yourself." He did and saw the same armour cladding his own body.
"At least mine fits properly, kid." But the man came over then, realizing something really was wrong with Luke. "I'm Han Solo. That thing, as you called him, is Chewbacca; my first mate. And you better apologize to him when you get better, he doesn't know you well and might take offence." Chewbacca growled knowingly to confirm Han's words.
"S-sorry, Chewbacca," Luke apologised. At that moment he got a funny tingling feeling in his bones. The names, the faces; all familiar! And yet not real. "I don't understand," he said quietly.
But before anyone could reply, a loud and eerily scary rumbling and clicking commenced. And the walls started to close in on them!
Leia yelled, "The walls!"
Han shouted something sarcastic in reply, and Chewie bellowed loudly while trying to hold back the walls. But Luke just stood there, the scene becoming more familiar to him. Occasionally one of the others would shout at him, but he didn't reply. He couldn't. His mind was elsewhere.
But as the walls came closer and closer together, he shook himself from his reverie and remembered something. "My comlink," he said softly. "I have to use my comlink." But no one heard him.
Reaching down to his utility belt, Luke found the small device clipped safely there. Without really believing it himself, he picked it up and held it to his mouth.
"Um, Threepio? Are you there?" he asked uncertainly. Not unsurprisingly, he got no reply from the link.
Leia noticed Luke standing there, apparently talking to himself, and shouted at him, "Luke! Try and brace the walls with something!" But he ignored her and addressed the comlink again.
This time it replied, "Master Luke? I've - " But Luke interrupted him.
"Threepio, I know this is where you rant on, but I need you to shut down the, um, garbage compactors on the, er, detention level?"
Threepio replied, "Are you sure, Master Luke? You don't sound certain."
Luke shook his head, even though Threepio couldn't see him. "I'm not, but it does sound right. Could you just do it, please?"
Luke listened as Threepio passed on his instructions. A moment later he heard Threepio shout, "No, shut them all down!" And finally the walls came to a stand still, with Leia, Han and Chewie all shouting wildly with glee.
When they'd calmed down, the beautiful smiling Leia asked, "How did you do it, Luke?"
But Luke shrugged, "I'm not certain. But it seemed like it was the right thing to do."
Leia looked bemused at him, "Who did you talk to?"
"Um, Threepio, apparently."
Han interrupted, "That droid of yours?"
"I guess so," Luke replied.
"Well, you better get him and that other one to open up this garbage compactor so we can get off this death trap."
"OK," Luke said. I wonder what a droid is, he thought?
As they finally escaped the compactor, Luke heard Leia say to Han, "Actually, it's called the Death Star..."
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Luke and Han had discarded their armour and the group were following Han back to his ship when a squad of men clad in that same armour rounded a corner in front of them.
"Stormtroopers!" Leia shouted. But Han was already running after them, shouting menacingly with Chewie at his side. The troopers turned and fled.
"Man, they're easily frightened," Luke observed. But Leia didn't respond, instead she led him down a different passageway, trying to find a different route to Han's vessel.
Unfortunately, the passages were all full of stormtroopers and they found themselves trapped at the end of one them, with nothing but a vast chasm ahead of them, going deep into the bowels of the Death Star. They closed the blast door behind them as the troopers ran after them.
"We need to lock that blast door!" Leia said. Luke, without thinking, blasted the controls.
Leia looked at Luke incredulously, "Why did you do that?" she exclaimed.
Luke blushed and replied, "Wasn't that right?"
"Look, Luke, we need to extend the bridge across this opening. And you've just blasted the controls!" She shook her head in consternation.
"Oh, sorry," Luke said. But then he had another tingling sensation and reached down to his belt again, detaching the convenient rope and grappling hook he found there. "I think I can hook this to the other side, then we can tie it here, pull it taut and tight-rope walk across!"
"Or," Leia said, shaking her head, "we could just swing across."
"Or swing across, yes," Luke agreed timidly.
As Luke got the rope ready, poised to swing over the chasm, Leia grabbed hold of him and said, "For luck." And kissed him.
Luke nearly fell over as he backed away from Leia, a look of revulsion on his face.
"Oh my god, I think you're my sister!" he almost shouted at her.
"What?" she replied.
"Yes, I remember now. You're my damn sister and you're kissing me! Gross!"
Leia shook her head once again, "Come on Luke, don't be ridiculous. Next you'll be telling me Darth Vader is our father!" and took the rope from him.
"Well, actually - ," but he was cut off when Leia grabbed him and swung them both across the chasm as several stormtroopers started to rein fire upon them from above.
---
Some time later, the group had rejoined not far from Han's ship. Luke and Leia stood with Han and Chewie as the two droids approached.
"Master Luke! It's so good to see you again!"
"Threepio?" Luke replied cautiously, eyeing the golden man-shaped robot.
"Yes, Artoo and I were quite concerned about you..."
"Artoo?" Luke said, looking down at Threepio's companion, a small squat machine with three legs.
"Luke," Leia implored him, "We don't have time for this."
But Luke looked at her, a dawning awareness overcoming him. "I'm not Luke," he declared.
Han looked beseechingly at the ceiling, "Oh brother, he's really lost it now."
But Luke continued, "I'm serious. I remember now. I'm not Luke Skywalker. But I know him. I - I've seen him before. This isn't real, somehow. And yet it is."
Leia approached him, more than concern in her eyes. It was almost fear as she looked at him, "Then who are you?" she asked.
Luke stood a moment, thinking. "Joel. I think. Joel Ericsson. Yes, that's it."
"Joel?" they all chorused.
At that moment, Artoo started beeping emphatically, spinning around and around. On his last spin he ran over Luke's foot. No, it was Joel's foot.
Joel yelled in agony, "My foot!"
And again, Artoo started beeping emphatically, spinning around and around. On his last spin he ran over Luke's foot. No, it was Joel's foot. Again.
Joel didn't yell this time, but said, "Déjà vu."
"What does that mean, Joel?" asked Leia.
"I don't know, but I think something's changed," Joel said.
Han, frustrated by the lack of action, said, "Let's get out of here." And he led them around the corner into the hanger where his beloved ship, the Millennium Falcon was waiting for him.
But as they chased after him, they ran straight into...
---
... the rainy night. The street was dark and all but deserted. Joel came to a sudden stop, just as the rest of them did. They were outside. It was cold and wet and the sound of police sirens filled the night air.
"What the - " cried Han.
Joel looked about them, trying to get his bearings. Where are we? he thought. Artoo rolled beside him and started to shudder. The droid's legs fell off and his body started to crinkle slightly. As Joel watched on in horror, he saw the small droid transform into a garbage can! The lid fell off when the transformation ended, rolling across the road to rest in the gutter across the street.
Too shocked to speak, the others watched on as Threepio started to change as well. His golden body lost its shine, becoming a dull silver colour and his eyes took on a red glow. The whole body grew slightly, taking on a more muscular appearance, the head a skull-like shape. The eyes scanned the group, locking onto Leia.
Threepio said, "Are you Sarah Connor?"
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The very first Matrix was a paradise for humans. It failed.
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