*DISCLAIMER*

I bow to the brothers W for their creativity and insanity. I bow to Joel Silver for turning the idea of the brothers W into a cinematic work of art. I bow to Warner Bros. because they own the legal rights to it all. No disrespect is intended in the writing of this piece, this is just the brain child of another late night screening of a beloved masterpiece.

Chapter One

I hear the title all the time. "Genuine Child of Zion"…what the fuck is that supposed to mean? That I'm special because I actually have a mother that went through labor to give me life? That I wasn't some creation out of some gene pool? That I can never be out on the frontlines because I don't have a hole in my skull? Yeah…it's all that and a little more.

As you can tell, I think of my brand as more of a holdback than it is something to be proud of. Being a Genuine gives me only two choices in life; stay in Zion and wait for the machines to come to me, or train to be an operator and watch the battle unfold before me through the maze of green code. I have the heart of a warrior. There's so much I want to do for the cause, but because I'm a Genuine, it's completely out of the question.

I was always told by my teachers I had a knack for computers, that if I had been born inside I would have been a great asset to the freedom fighters. They encouraged me to enter specific training courses, so I would be ready in case I was called for; and in my zealous fervor, I gladly signed on the dotted line.

I was almost lost then, not in the sense that no one knew where I was, I was forgotten among the sea of Genuine Potentials. I worked hard, played less than most; I wanted to be prepared, I wanted the call. All through my high school career I waited for the call. When I graduated with top honors, I still waited for the call. Even when I moved out and got a job at the school, I waited patiently for the call. I began to think that I would just become one of the masses, waiting for the city to either crumble around me or finally come into the light.

Then The Call finally came.

As a graduation gift, my mother had given me a book written long before the Age of AI but still rang true even now, "The Lord of the Rings" by JRR Tolkien. She was right; I saw many parallels between Middle Earth and the present. Good and evil, the quest to conquer evil at all costs, trials and hardships, I could see it all. It was in the process of reading the epic that I finally received the call I had so desperately wanted.

"Hello Liberty. Do you know who this is?"

My heart leaped when I heard that deep voice over the line. "Yes, you're Morpheus, the appointed searcher for The One. How can I be of service to you?"

I could almost hear the smile form on his lips as he spoke. "You flatter me too much. Tell me Liberty, do you know about what's just happened?"

"You found The One I presume?"

"Yes, and lost many good people in the process. Do you know what I'm talking with you?"

"I don't think it's for idle chit-chat. Tell me."

"The Nebuchadnezzar has been called back to Zion for repairs and to replenish our crew. I've heard only good things about you and your abilities and I think you would be a good asset to our team. I want you to become a part of the Neb's crew. Do you think you're up for the task?"

Now it was my turn to smile. "You bet your ass I am! When do I start?"

"You've got spunk, I like that. We won't return to Zion for a few days, that'll give us time to throw any squiddys off our trail you see. Expect another call from either myself or Trinity during that time. We'll talk again soon. Glad to have you aboard Liberty."

I heard a click in the receiver, a sign that the conversation was over. Whatever just happened, I was in for the ride of my life, and I was more than willing to strap myself in and hang on.