I Am The Matrix
Written by John
'Hanny' S..
Project Started May 1st, 2006
Project Ended--
FADE IN ON:
COMPUTER SCREEN
So close it has no boundaries.
A blinking cursor pulses in the electric darkness like a
heart coursing with phosphorous light, burning beneath
the derma of black-neon glass.
A PHONE begins to RING, we hear it as though we were
making the call. The cursor continues to throb,
relentlessly patient, until --
MAN (V.O.)
Hello?
Data now slashes across the screen, information flashing
faster than we read.
SCREEN
Call trans opt: received.
2-19-96 13:24:18 REC:Log
WOMAN (V.O.)
I'm inside. Anything to report?
We listen to the phone conversation as though we were on
a third line. The man's name is CYPHER. The woman,
TRINITY.
CYPHER (V.O.)
Let's see. Target left work at
5:01 PM. Damn, and I had my money
on 5:00 PM. I'm one minute OFF...
SCREEN
Trace program: running.
The entire screen fills with racing columns of numbers.
Shimmering like green-electric rivets, they rush at a 10-
digit phone number in the top corner.
CYPHER (V.O.)
He caught the northbound Howard
line. Got off at Sheridan.
Stopped at 7-11. Purchased a
pack of soda and a box of Mini-
Wheats. Stubbed his toe on a
corner. Beat up a hobo. Returned home.
The area code is identified. The first three numbers
suddenly fixed, leaving only seven flowing columns.
We begin MOVING TOWARD the screen, CLOSING IN as each
digit is matched, one by one, snapping into place like
the wheels of a slot machine.
TRINITY (V.O.)
All right, you're relieved. Use
the usual exit.
CYPHER (V.O.)
What exit? We have a USUAL exit??
TRINITY (V.O.)
Dammit, Cypher, just GO!
CYPHER (V.O.)
Do you know when we're going to
make contact?
TRINITY
Soon, okay?
Only two thin digits left.
CYPHER (V.O.)
Just between you and me, you don't
believe it, do you? You don't
believe this guy is the One?
TRINITY (V.O.)
I think Morpheus believes he is.
CYPHER (V.O.)
I know. Personally, I think he's the TWO.
But what about you?
TRINITY (V.O.)
I think Morpheus knows things that
I don't.
CYPHER (V.O.)
Heh, mebbe. Yeah, but if he's wrong --
TRINITY (V.O.)
Look, just SHUT UP.
The final number pops into place --
TRINITY (V.O.)
Did you hear that?
CYPHER (V.O.)
Hear what? All I hear is your creepy
VOICE...
SCREEN
Trace complete. Call origin:
#312-555-0690
TRINITY (V.O.)
Are you sure this line is clean?
CYPHER (V.O.)
Yeah, course I'm sure. I used
some cleaner and a dust rag.
TRINITY (V.O.)
Hah hah, Cypher...
We MOVE STILL CLOSER, the ELECTRIC HUM of the green
numbers GROWING INTO an OMINOUS ROAR.
TRINITY (V.O.)
I better go.
CYPHER (V.O.)
Yeah. Right. See you on the other side.
She hangs up as we PASS THROUGH the numbers, entering the
netherworld of the computer screen.
Where gradually the sound of a police radio grows around
us.
RADIO (V.O.)
Attention all units. Attention
all units. Bob's Doughnut Bakery
has a two-for-one sale on chocolate
doughnuts.
Suddenly, a flashlight cuts open the darkness and we find
ourselves in --
INT. CHASE HOTEL - NIGHT
The hotel was abandoned after a fire licked its way
across the polyester carpeting, destroying several rooms
as it spooled soot up the walls and ceiling leaving
patterns of permanent shadow.
We FOLLOW four armed POLICE officers using flashlights as
they creep down the blackened hall and ready themselves
on either side of room 303. The fourth officer is
chewing on a chocolate doughnut.
The biggest of them violently kicks in the door --
The other cops pour in behind him, guns thrust before
them.
BIG COP
Police! Freeze!
The room is almost devoid of furniture. There is a fold-
up table and chair with a phone, a modern, and a powerbook
computer. The only light in the room is the glow of the
computer.
Sitting there, her hands still on the keyboard, is
TRINITY; a woman in black leather.
BIG COP
Get your hands behind your head!
Trinity rises.
BIG COP
Hands behind your head! Now! Do
it!
COP MUNCHING DOUGHNUT
Yeh, doh itd! 'Fore we shoodt!
She slowly puts her hands behind her head.
EXT. CHASE HOTEL - NIGHT
A black sedan with tinted windows glides in through the
police cruisers.
AGENT SMITH and AGENT BROWN get out of the car.
They wear dark suits and sunglasses even at night. They
are also always hardwired; small Secret Service earphones
in one ear, its cord coiling back into their shirt
collars. Agent Brown trips over a rock, falls down, curses,
then gets back up.
AGENT SMITH
Lieutenant?
LIEUTENANT
Oh shit.
AGENT SMITH
Lieutenant, you were given
specific orders --
LIEUTENANT
I'm just doing my job. You gimme
that Juris-my dick-tion and you
can cram it up your ass.
AGENT SMITH
Shows what YOU know. We don't
HAVE asses.
The Lieutenant is confused, not knowing that Smith was referring
to how he and the Agents are really machines.
AGENT SMITH
The orders were for your protection.
The Lieutenant laughs.
LIEUTENANT
I think we can handle one little
girl. Especially a babe like this one.
Agent Smith nods to Agent Brown as they start toward the
hotel.
LIEUTENANT
I sent two units. They're
bringing her down now.
AGENT SMITH
No, Lieutenant, your men are dead. Sucks
to be YOU, doesn't it?
INT. CHASE HOTEL
The Big Cop flicks out his cuffs, the other cops holding
a bead. They've done this a hundred times, they know
they've got her, until the Big Cop reaches with the cuff
and Trinity moves --
It almost doesn't register, so smooth and fast, inhumanly
fast.
The eye blinks and Trinity's palm snaps up and hits the
cop's lower jaw, driving it upwards into his skull in a
mess of blood and bone. He falls, dead before he even hits
the floor.
And Trinity is moving again --
Seizing a wrist, misdirecting a gun, as a startled cop
FIRES --
A head explodes.
In blind panic, another airs his gun, the barrel, a fixed
black hole --
And FIRES --
Trinity twists out of the way, the bullet missing as she
reverses into a roundhouse kick, knocking the gun away.
The cop begins to scream when a jump kick crushes his
windpipe, killing the scream as he falls to the ground.
She looks at the four bodies.
TRINITY
Shit.
EXT. CHASE HOTEL
Agent Brown enters the hotel, while Agent Smith heads for
the alley. Brown, of course, bumps into the doors by accident,
forgetting to open them. He curses once more, then opens them
and enters.
INT. CHASE HOTEL
Trinity is on the phone, pacing. The other end is
answered.
MAN (V.O.)
Operator.
TRINITY
Morpheus! The link was traced! I
don't know how.
MORPHEUS (V.O.)
I know. Stay calm. You're not going
through your period again, are you?
TRINITY
How can I stay calm when I'm being
hunted down by Agents?! There ARE
some closing in on me, right?
MORPHEUS (V.O.)
Yes.
TRINITY
Goddamnit! I KNEW it!
MORPHEUS (V.O.)
You have to focus. There is a
phone. Wells and Laxe. You can
make it.
She takes a deep breath, centering herself.
TRINITY
All right --
MORPHEUS (V.O.)
Go.
She drops the phone. After she has left the room, a voice
is heard on the phone; Morpheus.
MORPHEUS (V.O.)
Hello? Trinity? I just wanted to
ask you something before you leave.
...Are you there? Hello? Damn...
INT. HALL
She bursts out of the room as Agent Brown enters the hall,
leading another unit of police. Trinity races to the
opposite end, exiting through a broken window onto the
fire escape. Her right leg catches some glass in it from the
window. Trinity winces, but is able to tolerate the pain.
TRINITY
Dammit! I should have took
the DOOR...Or the elevator...
EXT. FIRE E5CAPE
In the alley below, Trinity sees Agent Smith staring at
her. She can only go up.
SMITH
Hey, nice view...
EXT. ROOF
On the roof, Trinity is running as Agent Brown rises over
the parapet, leading the cops in pursuit.
Trinity begins to jump from one roof to the next, her
movements so clean, gliding in and out of each jump,
contrasted to the wild jumps of the cops.
Agent Brown, however, has the same unnatural grace. He
leaps over to another rooftop in pursuit, except at
one point he trips and falls flat on his face.
BROWN
Agh, dammit! Stupid...!
The METAL SCREAM of an EL TRAIN is heard and Trinity
turns to it, racing for the back of the building.
The edge falls away into a wide back alley. The next
building is over 40 feet away, but Trinity's face is
perfectly calm, staring at some point beyond the other
roof.
The cops slow, realizing they are about to see something
ugly as Trinity drives at the edge, launching herself
into the air.
From above, the ground seems to flow beneath her as she
hangs in flight
Then hitting, somersaulting up, still running hard.
COP
Motherfucker -- that's impossible!
OTHER COP
Hell...It's just like some kinda
action movie!
COP
Like...The Matrix?
OTHER COP
What the HELL are you talking
about?
They stare, slack-jawed, as Agent Brown duplicates the
move exactly, landing, rolling over a shoulder, up onto
one knee.
Just below the building are the runbling tracks of
riveted steel. The TRAIN SCREECHES beneath her, a
rattling blur of gray metal. Trinity junps, landing
easily.
She looks back just as Agent Brown hurls through the air
barely reaching the last car and banging his left knee
BROWN
AGH! STUPID...! WHY CAN'T
I BE MORE LIKE SMITH?!
Agent Brown stands, yanking out a gun.
Trinity is running hard as BULLETS WHISTLE past her head. One
skims across her right shoulder, creating a small gash. She
grasps it with her left hand, cursing silently.
Ahead she sees her only chance, 50 feet beyond the point
where the train has begun to turn, there is --
A window; a yellow glow in the midst of a dark brick
building.
Trinity zeroes in on it, running as hard as she can, her
speed compounded by the train. The SCREAM of the STEEL
rises as she nears the edge where the train rocks into the
turn.
Trinity hurtles into the empty night space, her body
leveling into a dive. She falls, arms covering her head
as --
The whole world seems to spin on its axis --
And she crashes with an EXPLOSION of GLASS and WOOD, then
falls onto a back stairwell, tumbling, bouncing down
stairs bleeding, broken --
But still alive.
Through the smashed window, she glimpses Agent Brown,
still on the train, his tie and coat whipping in the
wind; stone-faced, he touches his ear piece as the train
slides him past the window. Not bothering to look where
the train was headed, his head smacked into a low-hanging
sign suspended over the train tracks by two steel posts.
BROWN
OW! DAMMIT! Why does this always
HAPPEN to me?!
Trinity tries to move. Everything hurts.
TRINITY
Get up, Trinity. You're fine.
Get up -- just get up! Who am I
kidding? I'm NOT fine...
She stands and limps down the rest of the stairs.
EXT. STREET
Trinity emerges from the shadows of an alley and, at the
end of the block, in a pool of white street light, she
sees it.
The telephone booth.
Obviously hurt, she starts down the concrete walk,
focusing in completely, her pace quickening, as the PHONE
begins to RING. A hobo walking by hears the phone and
picks it up.
HOBO
Hello? Hello?
TANK (V.O.)
Trinity? Is that you? I'm
gonna get you outta th-
HOBO
Hello? Hello? Hello?
The hobo hangs up the phone and shuffles away.
Across the street, a garbage truck suddenly u-turns, its
TIRES SCREAMING as it accelerates.
Trinity sees the headlights on the truck arcing at the
telephone booth as if taking aim. The hobo had the
unfortunate part of being in the truck's way, and is
run over by it.
Gritting through the pain, she races the truck --
Slamming into the booth, the headlights blindingly
bright, bearing down on the box of Plexiglas just as --
She answers the phone.
There is a frozen instant of silence before the hulking
mass of dark metal lurches up onto the sidewalk --
Barreling through the booth, bulldozing it into a brick
wall, smashing it to Plexiglas pulp.
After a moment, a black loafer steps down from the cab of
the garbage truck. Agent Smith inspects the wreckage.
There is no body. Trinity is gone.
His jaw sets as he grinds his molars in frustration.
AGENT JONES walks up behind him.
AGENT SMITH
Did you get anything from the
room?
AGENT JONES
Some porno, a box of pencils and
an issue of Leather & Bike Monthly.
AGENT SMITH
NOT THAT, YOU IMBECILE. NAMES.
I NEED NAMES. What did you get?
AGENT JONES
Their next target. The name is
Han.
The handset of the pay phone lays on the ground,
separated in the crash like a severed limb.
AGENT SMITH
We'll need a search running.
AGENT JONES
It's already begun.
We are SUCKED TOWARDS the mouthpiece of the phone, CLOSER
and CLOSER, UNTIL the smooth gray plastic spreads out
like a horizon and the small HOLES WIDEN until we fall
through one --
Swallowed by the darkness that becomes --
A computer screen.
We are on-line, inside a chat room called "The Matrix."
It is an exclusive web-site where hackers hang out.
SCREEN
JACKON: 1 herd M0rfheus haz aben
un ths bard.
JACKON: board ;;;
SUPERASTIC: Morphesu dosn't ev3n
exts & teh Martix iz n0thign
bt n advertzign gimick 4 a n3w
gaem.
TIMAXE: ll 1 wnt 2 knuw is
Trnity raelly a grrl?
LODIII: 87 uf ale womne on lien
r rally m3n. lol
LODIII: women, not womne XD
QUARK: teh Mtrix iz a eufemism
fer teh govrnm3nt.
SUPERASTIC: no teh Martix i sthe
systme cntrlling ur lvies.
SUPERASTIC: lives
TIMAXE: yuo mean MTV.
SUPERASTIC: 1 maen Sega.
FOS4: ALL HAIL SEGA!!!
SUPERASTIC: STFU!
TIMAXE: n00b
We drift back from the electric conversation entering --
INT. HAN'S APARTMENT
It is a studio apartment that seems overgrown with
technology.
Weed-like cables coil everywhere, duct-taped into
thickets that wind up and around the legs of several
desks.
Tabletops are filled with cannibalized equipment that lay
open like an autopsied corpse.
We turn towards the center of this rat-nest of
technology, following the slurping and crunching of
cereal. We pass an open box of Mini-Wheats as we find --
HAN, a younger man who knows more about living inside a
computer than living outside one.
HAN
Stupid n00bs don't know crap.
He finishes his cereal and is about to disconnect when an
anonynous message slices onto the screen.
SCREEN
d0 u wnt 2 knuw wht teh
Matrix iz, Han?
Han is frozen when he reads his name.
SCREEN
SUPERASTIC: who saed that?
JACKON: whus Han?
GIBSON: ths isa prviate borad.
f u wnt 2 knuw, fllow teh
whte rbbit.
HAN
Huh? Martix? Whazzat?
SCREEN
TIMAXE: smneone iz haking teh
hkkers!
FOS4: its Morfeus!!!1!!
JACKON: identfy urself!2
knck knock, Han.
A chill runs down his spine and when someone KNOCKS on
his door he almost jumps out of his chair.
He looks at the door, then back at the computer but the
message is gone.
HAN
...Ooookaaaaay.
He shakes his head, not completely sure what happened.
Again, someone knocks.
Cautiously, Han approaches the door.
VOICE (O.S.)
Hey, Hanny-boy! You in there?
Recognizing the voice, he relaxes and opens it. ANTHONY,
who lives down the hall, is standing outside with a group
of friends.
HAN
Aw, it's YOU. Sheesh, KNOCK before you
come in!
ANTHONY
I DID.
HAN
Oh...
ANTHONY
I need your help, man. Desperate.
They got me, man. The shackles of
fascism.
He holds up the red notice that accompanies the Denver
boot.
HAN
You got the money this time?
He holds up two hundred dollars and Han opens the door.
Anthony's girlfriend, DUJOUR, stops in front of Han.
DUJOUR
You can really get that thing off,
right now?
ANTHONY
I told you, honey, he may look
like just another geek but this
here is all we got left standing
between Big Brother and the New
World Order.
HAN
I'm telling ya, you're crazy, Anthony. We
should call you Crazy Anthony.
EXT. STREET
A police officer unlocks a yellow metal boot from the
wheel of an enormous oldsmobile.
INT. HAN'S APARTMENT
They watch from the window as the cops, silently,
robotically, climb into their van.
ANTHONY
Look at 'em. Automatons. Don't
think about what they're- doing or
why. Computer tells 'em what to
do and they do it.
FRIEND #l
Thc banality of evil.
He slaps the money in Han's hand.
ANTHONY
Thanks, neighbor.
DUJOUR
Why don't you come to the party
with us?
HAN
I don't know. I have to work
tomorrow. Just kidding. But I
HATE parties. They're too...SOCIAL.
DUJOUR
Come on. It'll be fun.
He looks up at her and suddenly notices on her black
leather motorcycle jacket dozens of pins: bands,
symbols, slogans, military medals and --
A small white rabbit.
The ROOM TILTS.
HAN
Follow the white rabbit?
DUJOUR
ExCUSE me?? Oh, you mean this
little pin I have? I think it's
cute!
INT. APARTMENT
An older Chicago apartment; a series of halls connects a
chain of small high-ceilinged rooms lined with heavy
casements.
Smoke hangs like a veil, blurring the few lights there
are.
Dressed predominantly in black, people are everywhere,
gathered in cliques around pieces of furniture like
jungle cats around a tree.
Han stands against a wall, alone, sipping from a bottle
of beer, feeling completely out of place, he is about to
leave when he notices a woman staring at him.
The woman is Trinity. She walks straight up to him.
In the nearest room, shadow-like figures grind against
each other to the pneumatic beat of INDUSTRIAL MUSIC.
TRINITY
Hello, Han.
HAN
Hey, call me Hanny. I love it
when chicks call me that.
TRINITY
...Whatever. I know a lot about you.
I've been wanting to meet you for
some time.
HAN
SWEET. So you're interested in me?
TRINITY
Yes, but not in the way you're
thinking, you perv.
HAN
Awwww...
TRINITY
My name is Trinity.
HAN
Trinity? The Trinity? The
Trinity that cracked the I.R.S.
Kansas City D-Base?
TRINITY
That was a long time ago.
HAN
Pfft! I could do better than THAT.
Gimme FIVE MINUTES alone with a
laptop and I could crack the
C.I.A. database. But...HUH.
TRINITY
What?
HAN
I just thought... you were a DUDE.
TRINITY
Most guys do.
Han laughs.
HAN
Sooo...you wanna go somewhere nice
and dark and 'talk'?
TRINITY
No. It's safe here and I don't
have much time.
HAN
WOAH. So you like to do it in
PUBLIC? Okay, I can be into that.
TRINITY
I'm NOT A PROSTITUTE, you perverted
freak.
The MUSIC is so loud they must stand very close, talking
directly into each other's ear.
HAN
That was you on the board tonight.
That was your note, wasn't it? You
type like a total n00b.
TRINITY
Sorry, but I'm not a very good speller.
I had to gamble that you would see it
and they wouldn't.
HAN
I see...
TRINITY
I can't explain everything to you.
I'm sure that it's all going to
seem very strange, but I brought
you here to warn you, Han. You
are in a lot of danger.
HAN
Pfft! Who ISN'T nowadays?
TRINITY
They're watching you. Something
happened and they found out about
you. Normally, if our target is
exposed we let it go. But this
time, we can't do that.
HAN
Okay, NOW you're being a n00b --
TRINITY
You came here because you wanted
to know the answer to a hacker's
question.
HAN
The Matrix. What is the Matrix?
Some kinda low-budget video game?
TRINITY
Twelve years ago I met a man, a
great man, who said that no one
could be told the answer to that
question. That they had to see
it, to believe it.
Her body is against his; her lips very close to his ear. Han grins
lecherously.
TRINITY
He told me that no one should look
for the answer unless they have to
because once you see it,
everything changes. Your life and
the world you live in will never
be the same. It's as if you wake
up one morning and the sky is
falling.
There is a hypnotic quality to her voice and Han feels
the words like a drug, seeping into him. He talks like
a drunkard.
HAN
Sky...falling...WOAH...far-out...
TRINITY
The truth is out there, Han. It's
looking for you and it will find
you, if you want it to.
She takes hold of him with her eyes.
TRINITY
That's all I can tell you right
now. Good-bye, Han. And good
luck.
HAN
Wait. Who was it? Who was the
man?
She leans close, her lips almost touching his ear as she
whispers. Han grins again, enjoying this.
TRINITY
You know who.
HAN
Nooo, I DON'T.
She turns and he watches her melt into the shifting wall
of bodies.
A SOUND RISES steadily, growing out of the music,
pressing in on Han until it is all he can hear as we --
CUT TO:
INT. HAN'S APARTMENT
The sound is an ALARM CLOCK, slowly dragging Han to
consciousness. He strains to read the clock face:
9:15 A.M.
HAN
Crapcrapcrap! I'm late!
EXT. SKYSCRAPER
The downtown office of CorTechs, a software development
company.
INT. CORTECHS OFFICE
The main offices are along each wall, the windows
overlooking downtown Chicago.
RHINEHEART, the ultimate company man, lectures Han
without looking at him, typing at his computer
continuously.
Han stares at two window cleaners on a scaffolding
outside, dragging their rubber squeegees down across the
surface of the glass. He fiddles with a Rubix cube he
bought earlier to pass the time.
RHINEHEART
You have a problem, Mr. Shackleford.
HAN
I suuuuure do. And YOU DO, too.
RHINEHEART
You think that you're special.
You believe that somehow the rules
do not apply to you.
He stops, glancing over his glasses at Han, who turns in
time.
RHINEHEART
Obviously, you are mistaken.
His long, bony fingers resume clicking the keyboard. Han scoffs
quietly, turning the Rubix cube and solving it several times over.
RHINEHEART
This company is one of the top
software companies in the world
because every single employee
understands that they are a part
of a whole. Thus, if an employee
has a problem, the company has a
problem.
He turns again.
RHINEHEART
The time has come to make a
choice, Mr. Shackleford. Either you
choose to be at your desk on time
from this day forth, or you choose
to find yourself another job. Do
I make myself clear?
HAN
Clear as crystal, BOSS.
Han says the last word 'Boss' in a sarcastic tone. Rhineheart
glares at him.
RHINEHEART
You have FIVE SECONDS to get out of
my office or you're FIRED.
Of course, not wanting to lose his job, Han leaves.
INT. HAN'S CUBICLE
The entire floor looks like a human honeycomb, with a
labyrinth of cubicles structured around a core of
elevators.
Han sits in his chair playing DOOM on his computer.
A TALL EMPLOYEE stands up in the adjacent cubicle,
leaning over the partition.
TALL EMPLOYEE
What did he say?
HAN
If I was late again, I'm going to
be fired. Soooo, I'm playing
DOOM now.
He smirks.
TALL EMPLOYEE
Well, it was nice working with
you.
HAN
Yeah, and YOU TOO, once I hack
into the company files and vandalise
your records.
VOICE (O.S.)
Han Shackleford?
Han turns and finds a FEDERAL EXPRESS MAN at his cubicle
door.
HAN
Uh, no, he's in the adjacent cubicle.
FEDEX
Nooo, I pretty SURE you're him. You
ARE sitting in his cubicle.
HAN
Okay, you caught me. What do I do?
The Fedex guy hands him an electronic pad.
Han signs the electronic pad and the Fedex guy hands him
the softpak.
FEDEX
Have a nice day.
HAN
Up yours.
He opens the bag. Inside is a CELLULAR PHONE. It seems
the instant it is in his hand, it RINGS. Unnerved, he
flips it open. In his best Mr. Burns impression, he speaks.
HAN
Hoy-hoy?
MORPHEUS (V.O.)
Hello, Neo. This is Morpheus.
HAN
Wrong script, dude. I'm HAN.
MORPHEUS (V.O.)
Sorry, I misspoke. Hang up.
Han turns off the cellphone. It rings again. He picks it up.
MORPHEUS (V.O.)
Hello, Han. This is Morpheus.
HAN
Hi!
MORPHEUS (V.O.)
I had hoped for this conversation
to take place under less adverse
conditions, but you can never
count on hope, can you, Han?
HAN
Uhh...Is that a trick question??
MORPHEUS (V.O.)
I've had my eye on you for quite
some time, Han. I have no idea if
you're ready to see what I have to
show you, but we're running out of
time. They're after you, Han. And
they're not going to stop until they
have you.
HAN
I get it! You're one of those STALKERS
I've heard so much about! Sweet! I can't
believe I'm being stalked! I feel so-
MORPHEUS (V.O.)
THEY'RE COMING FOR YOU.
HAN
Who's coming for me?
MORPHEUS (V.O.)
Stand up and see for yourself.
HAN
...Oookaaaaay. NOW?
MORPHEUS (V.O.)
Yes. Now.
Han starts to stand.
MORPHEUS (V.O.)
Do it slowly. Slowly. The elevator.
HAN
Okay, Mr. All-Seeing Eye.
His head slowly peeks up over the partition.
At the elevator, he sees Agent Brown and Agent Jones
leading a group of cops. A female employee turns and
points out Han's cubicle. Agent Brown stumbles into a
cabinet by accident, cursing.
Han ducks.
HAN
GAH! Stupid dirty double-crossing WHORE!
MORPHEUS (V.O.)
Yes. Yes, she is.
One cop stays at the elevator, the others follow the
agents.
HAN
I'm being hunted down by the M.I.B.?
Shouldn't they be starring in some
sucky sequel or something?! What do
they want with ME?!
MORPHEUS (V.O.)
I'm not sure. But, if you don't
want to find out, you better get
out of there.
HAN
Uh, okay. Ummm...HOW would I do that??
MORPHEUS (V.O.)
I can guide you out, but you have
to do exactly what I say.
HAN
Why do I have to trust YOU? You're just
some random dude who called me! I don't
even KNOW you!
The agents are moving quickly towards the cubicle. Agent Jones
pushes a guy out of the way, sending the guy ramming into the
side of a cubicle. Agent Brown tries to shove a woman, but
the woman screams and slaps him.
MORPHEUS (V.O.)
The cubicle across from you is
empty.
HAN
...Okay? So what?!
MORPHEUS (V.O.)
Go! Now!
Han lunges across the hall, diving into the other cubicle
just as the agents turn into his row.
Han crams himself into a dark corner, clutching the phone
tightly to him.
MORPHEUS (V.O.)
Stay here for a moment.
HAN
Fine time for me to be without
my shotgun!
The agents enter Han's empty cubicle. A cop is sent to
search the bathroom.
Morpheus' voice is a whisper in Han's ear.
MORPHEUS (V.O.)
A little longer...
Brown is talking to the tall employee. He stubs his toe by
accident, and curses.
MORPHEUS (V.O.)
When I tell you, go to the end of
the row to the first office on the
left, stay as low as you can.
Sweat trickles down his forehead.
MORPHEUS (V.O.)
Now.
Han rolls out of the cubicle, his eyes popping as he
freezes right behind a cop who has just turned around.
Staying crouched, he sneaks away, down the row, SHOOTING
across the opening to the first office on the left.
The room is empty.
HAN
Empty, just like you said! You're some
kinda magic dude who has a crystal ball?
MORPHEUS (V.O.)
You could say that. Now there is a window.
Open it.
HAN
How do you know all this?
Morpheus laughs quietly. Han frowns, already hating him.
MORPHEUS (V.O.)
The answer is coming, Han.
He opens the window. The window howls into the room.
MORPHEUS (V.O.)
Outside, there's a scaffold. You
can use it to get to the roof.
Leaning out the window, he sees that the scaffold is
several offices away.
HAN
No crapping WAY! It's too far, dude!
MORPHEUS (V.O.)
There's a small ledge. It's a
short climb. You can make it.
Han looks down; the building's glass wall vertigos into a
concrete chasm.
HAN
...Don't I need special equipment
for this or something?
MORPHEUS (V.O.)
Don't be controlled by your fear,
Han. There are only two ways out
of this building. One is that
scaffold. The other is in their
custody. You take a chance either
way. I leave it to you.
CLICK. He hangs up. Han looks at the door, then back at
the scaffold. Cursing silently, he braces himself.
HAN
This is SO STUPID...
He climbs up onto the window ledge. Hanging onto the
frame, he steps onto the small ledge.
The scaffold seems even farther away. He looks around at
the scenery, seeing the tall buildings in the distance and
the clear sky.
HAN
WOW, who knew death could look so pretty?
The WIND suddenly BLASTS up the face of the building,
knocking Han off balance. Recoiling, he clings harder to
the frame, and the phone falls out of his hand.
He watches as it is swallowed by the distance beneath him.
HAN
Aw, MAN! It was a free cellphone...
Sheesh, FORGET THIS!
He climbs back into the office just as a cop opens the
door.
HAN
Uhh...heh heh...Hi...
EXT. SKYSCRAPER
The agents lead a handcuffed Han out of the revolving
doors, forcing his head down as they push him into the
dark sedan.
Trinity watches in the rear view mirror of her
motorcycle.
TRINITY
Stupid kid...
INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - CLOSE ON CAMERA MONITOR
A wide angle view of a white room, where Han is sitting at
a table alone, playing with his Rubix cube.
We MOVE INTO the monitor, ENTERING the room as if the
monitor were a window.
At the same moment, the door opens and the agents enter.
Smith sits down across from Han. A thick manila envelope
slaps down on the table between them.
Han glances at the name on the file: "Shackleford, Han
R."
AGENT SMITH
We have been watching you for a
long time, Mr. Shackleford.
He opens the file. Paper rattle marks the silence as he
flips several pages. Han cannot tell if he is looking at
the file or at him. At one point, Smith gets a paper cut
on his finger from the pages. He curses, then continues.
AGENT SMITH
It seems that you have been living
two lives. In one life, you are
Han R. Shackleford, program writer
for a respectable software
company. You have a fake social
security number, you cheat on
your taxes and when you're in a
restaraunt you like to fill the
salt shakers with COCAINE...
Han chuckles. Smith's eyes look up at Han, then back down to
the pages.
The pages continue to turn.
AGENT SMITH
Your other life is on computers,
where your screenname is Han.
Oddly enough, you have legally
changed your name to that.
You like to play Doom, Half-Life 2,
and you like to go around PKing
on World of Warcraft. It also seems
that you have committed every kind
of computer crime there is, including
the unauthorized use of the D.M.V.
system for the removal of automobile
boots. You also are the creator of
the Smiley Virus; a virus which fills
the victim's computer screen with
smiley faces while it erases their
hard-drive.
Han smiles proudly.
AGENT SMITH
I'm going to be simple about this,
Han. One of these lives has a future,
while the other does not.
HAN
Huh!
Smith closes the file.
AGENT SMITH
Do you know why you are here, Mr.
Shackleford?
HAN
If it has anything to do with that
incident weeks ago with the illegal
fireworks and the ice cream truck,
I SWEAR that I had nothing to do
with it.
Smith looks at Han questioningly. Han grins innocently.
AGENT SMITH
You are here, Mr. Shackleford, because
we need your help.
He removes his sunglasses; his eyes are an unnatural ice-
blue. Han reels back a little, freaked out. Smith ignores this.
AGENT SMITH
We are aware that you have had contact
with an individual who goes by the
name Morpheus. You may not be aware
of this, but that man is wanted for
committing violent acts of terrorism
in many countries across the world.
We want him, and YOU can help us.
You'd be doing your country a great
service by helping us apprehend this
man, who is considered by many to
be one of the most dangerous men
alive.
HAN
For someone who's the most dangerous
man alive, he sures sounds stupid over
the phone. You can HEAR his nasal
breathing...
He leans closer. It's apparent that no matter what kind of
odd remark Han makes, he ignores it and continues with what
he was saying.
AGENT SMITH
My...COLLEAGUES...believe that
by talking to you about this, I am
wasting my time. But I believe that
you are a good man who wants to
do what's right. You are an intelligent
man, Mr. Shackleford. One who is
interested in the future. If you help
us, we'd be willing to help YOU put
all the mistakes of your past behind
and let you go on with your life.
Han matches his stare, and Smith blinks.
HAN
HA! You blinked.
AGENT SMITH
We are willing to wipe the slate
clean, to give you a fresh start
and all we are asking in return is
your cooperation in bringing a
known terrorist to justice.
Han shrugs his shoulders, having no clue as to what's going on. He
thinks he's on Candid Camera or something.
HAN
Hmmm...How about this? You let me
go and I'll forget this all ever
happened and NOT call the police
on you. I mean, come on, you didn't
even flash your FBI badge or anything!
If you're with the Secret Service or
whatever, why don't you show me your
badge?
Smith does.
HAN
...HUH. Umm...well, why don't
you just blow it out your EAR, huh?
I ain't changing for NOBODY. It's
not even New Year's Eve, yet.
Agent Smith puts his glasses back on.
AGENT SMITH
You disappoint me, Mr. Shackleford.
HAN
You sound like my MOTHER.
AGENT SMITH
The irony of your situation is
that you have no choice.
HAN
Then why'd you bother to ASK?
Maybe I'll just go call the police
and have you arrested.
Agent Smith smiles.
AGENT SMITH
So tell me, Mr. Shackleford; how can
one make a phone call when one is unable
to speak?
The question unnerves Han and strangely, he begins to
feel the muscles in his jaw tighten.
The standing agents snicker, watching Han's confusion
grow into panic. Han speaks, but quickly loses his ability
to do so.
HAN
Hey, whah thu?! My mouf! My mfff...
Han feels his lips grow soft and sticky as they slowly
seal shut, melding into each other until all trace of his
mouth is gone.
Wild with fear, he lunges for the door but the agents
restrain him holding him in the chair.
AGENT SMITH
As I have said before, Mr. Shackleford,
you have no choice in this matter.
Smith nods and the other two rip open his shirt.
From a case taken out of his suit coat, Smith removes a
long, fiber-optic wire tap.
Han struggles helplessly as Smith dangles the wire over
his exposed abdomen. Horrified, he watches as the
electronic device animates, become an organic creature
that resembles a hybrid of an insect and a fluke worm.
Thin, whisker-like tendrils reach out and probe into
Han's navel. He bucks wildly as Smith drops the creature
which looks for a moment like an uncut umbilical cord --
It begins to burrow, tail thrashing as it
worms its way inside.
INT. HAN'S APARTMENT - NIGHT
Screaming, Han bolts upright in bed.
He realizes that he is home. Was it a dream? His mouth
is normal. His stomach looks fine. He starts to take a
deep, everything-is-okay breath, when --
The PHONE RINGS.
HAN
Aw, DANGIT...
It CONTINUES RINGING,
building pressure in the room, forcing him up out of bed,
sucking him in with an almost gravitational force.
He answers it, saying nothing.
MORPHEUS (V.O.).
The line is tapped, so I will be
brief.
HAN
Finally, it's YOU! The Mr.
All-Seeing Eye guy! Look,
the agents --
MORPHEUS (V.O.)
Have gotten to you first. I know.
You are fortunate that they did not
simply kill you. If they knew what
I know, you would not be alive right
now.
Han feels sick.
MORPHEUS (V.O.)
Listen, Han. I have no idea what you
must be thinking right now, but know
this; I will NOT give up on you unless
you give up, yourself.
Han sighs, relieved that this mysterious guy at least
couldn't read his MIND, although at times it seemed he
DID.
MORPHEUS (V.O.)
Do you still want to meet?
HAN
Uh, sure...I guess.
MORPHEUS (V.O.)
The Howard line, South.
CLICK. He closes his eyes, unsure of what he has done.
HAN
Eh, maybe I'll do a little surfing
on the Net before I meet this weirdo.
EXT. EL TRAIN
An EL TRAIN RAGES against its metal rails.
INT. TRAIN
It is three a.m., and the train carries the usual urban
night crawlers. Han sits alone, once again playing with
his Rubix cube, humming some instrumental song. He thinks
to himself;
HAN
What did that stupid guy want me to
take the Howard line SOUTH for??
Well, I s'pose I'll find out sooner
or later. At least all this running
around crap is more exciting than
spending the day at my computer
chatting with NOOBS...
There is a METAL BANG and TRAIN CLATTER fills the car as
the door is opened.
Han turns and sees a large man enter. He is wearing
sunglasses and a black leather jacket. His name is APOC
and he walks straight at Han.
APOC
Come with me.
HAN
HECK no...
APOC
JUST DO IT, okay?
HAN
Well, I don't have anything BETTER
to do...
Han stands just as the door at the opposite end opens and
two police officers rush in, drawing their guns.
Apoc grabs Han, muscling him to the nearest exit. There
is no upcoming station.
HAN
Hey, what the-?!
Apoc yanks the emergency brake and the train buckles
against its own speed. The cops are thrown back. Han
slams against the metal rail.
The doors open onto nothing and just when Han regains his
balance, Apoc shoves him backwards --
He flies out from the train, arms windrilling as he falls
from the raised tracks --
Hurtling towards a busy city street when, out of nowhere,
a truck races under him and --
He crashes into a large dumpster-bed filled with empty
boxes.
INT. TRUCK BED
Still shaking his head, Han realizes he is not alone. A
man named Cable is aiming a big gun at him. Trinity is
next to him, talking into a cellular phone.
TRINITY
We got him. Call the chop-shop.
She hangs up. Han grins as he did before when talking to Trinity.
HAN
Well, HELLOOOO lips, legs, breasts and ass...
TRINITY
Listen to me, Han. You have to
trust us.
She tears off a long strip of black duct-tape and reaches
for his face.
HAN
What are you doing? I'm not into that
bondage stuff...
Trinity sighs to herself, realizing that Han STILL thinks that
she's some kind of hooker.
TRINITY
This has to be done for your
protection and ours.
HAN
Don't you need a CONDOM for protection?
Last I heard, duct tape doesn't work.
She seals his eyes shut with the tape.
TRINITY
You can't understand right now,
but if you're not one of us,
you're one of them.
EXT. LOWER WACKER
A featureless black van glides up to a staircase that
curls down from the city's surface.
Trinity guides the blind Han down the steps. The back of
the van slaps open, revealing a young, skinny man who
looks to be still in his teens, wearing an outfit that is
a cross between a surgeon and a telephone repair man.
His name is GIZMO and he smiles lewdly at Trinity,
exposing his teeth that are wired with weird-looking
braces.
GIZMO
Va va va voom. Still the hottest
software around.
TRINITY
Up yours, Gizmo.
Han hears the voices around him.
GIZMO
This is really the guy? The guy
that Morpheus thinks --
TRINITY
Yeah. But he's an idiot like you are.
GIZMO
But he's so old.
TRINITY
Are you going to help us or aren't
you?
GIZMO
Hacksaw. Load up the copper-top
and let's get the hell outta here.
Hacksaw is a huge man in a leather welder's apron. He
shoulders Han and hauls him into the van.
A moment later the green lights of Lower Wacker curve
over the tinted windshield as the van rushes through the
underworld.
INT. VAN
The chop-shop is filled with electronic gadgets, wired to
meters and monitors. There are shelves lined with
medical supplies and rows of hanging tools, knives,
cleavers, and stainless steel clamps.
Han is strapped down to an ambulance cart, humming
casually as Gizmo begins to work.
GIZMO
Okay, first we take a little look
under the hood.
He pulls up the goggles hanging at his neck and they
blink to life with tiny halogen lights and lenses irising
to varying levels of magnification.
GIZMO
You're going to feel a little
prick.
He inserts acupuncture-like needles into Han's lower
abdomen. The needles are wired to video monitors.
Hacksaw pilots the fiber-optic lens.
HAN
Uh, excuse me. WHAT are you doing?
TRINITY
We think you're bugged. We can't
take you to Morpheus until you're
clean.
GIZMO
There it is.
On a monitor, we see the bug nestled in among Han's large
intestines.
GIZMO
Hit him with 10 ccs of local.
Hacksaw loads a hypodermic needle and pumps an anesthetic
around Han's navel.
HAN
Hey waitaminute! Lemme see your
degree before you operate on me,
you quack! Don't think that just
because I can't SEE, that I can't
FEEL what you're doing!
Using a device that looks like a miniature speculum,
Gizmo inserts a knuckled dental pick. Typing into a
calculator keypad wired to the pick, he automates the
tip.
On the monitor, we watch it telescope out and the end
separate into a tiny hooked, metal claw.
GIZMO
Here, kitty, kitty, kitty.
The claw snags hold of the bug.
GIZMO
Gotcha!
But the bug reacts violently. Han screams as it wraps
itself around the soft tissue web of intestine.
GIZMO
Shit.
TRINITY
What's happening?
GIZMO
I don't know. They've never done
that before.
Han writhes in pain.
GIZMO
Hold him down.
HAN
HOLY CRAP! AAHHHG! I'M GONNA KILL
YOU FOR THIS, GIZMO!
TRINITY
Do something!
GIZMO
I got it! Maybe we can stun it.
TRINITY
Are you crazy? That will kill
him.
We watch Han, who can't see what they are talking about.
GIZMO
It'll work. Come on, do it or
Hacksaw will.
HAN
...Do what?
The instant he hears the word, he knows.
TRINITY
Clear.
HAN
Oh, CRAP --
The cry is frozen in his mouth as the paddles hit his
chest. Gizmo wrestles with the bug.
GIZMO
Hit him again!
Again, the electricity convulses through him as Gizmo
yanks the speculum out.
GIZMO
Got it!
Trinity touches Han, who is just beginning to breathe.
She eases the tape off his eyes.
TRINITY
Han, are you okay?
HAN
NO, I AM NOT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
TRINITY
It's over. We got it.
Hanging from the claw pick is the inanimate metal wire-
tap.
GIZMO
Nasty little bugger, ain't it?
INT. HOTEL LAFAYETTE
The van stops in a deserted alley behind a forgotten
hotel. The doors open and Trinity helps Han get out,
who is shaking his fist and cursing at Gizmo.
TRINITY
Thanks for your help, Gizmo.
GIZMO
I just hope the man knows what
he's doing.
She nods then climbs out of the van. Gizmo ogles the
tight leather pants.
GIZMO
Goddamn, what I wouldn't give for
a copy of that software.
Trinity turns around.
TRINITY
Gizmo, you don't have the hardware
to handle this software.
HAN
...You guys are INSANE.
Gizmo howls with adolescent laughter as the van pulls away.
Trinity turns to Han.
TRINITY
Let's go. He's waiting.
INT. HOTEL LAFAYETTE
It is a place of putrefying elegance, a rotting host of
urban maggotry.
Trinity leads Han from the stairwell down the hall of the
thirteenth floor. They stop outside room 1313.
TRINITY
This is it.
Han rubs his stomach area, still able to feel a faint
stab of pain from earlier. He just answers Trinity with
an annoyed groan.
TRINITY
Let me give one piece of advice.
Be honest. He knows more than you
can possibly imagine.
HAN
Yeah, sure. Whatever...
INT. ROOM 1313
Across the room, a dark figure stares out the tall
windows veiled with decaying lace. He turns and his
smile lights up the room.
MORPHEUS
At last.
He wears a long black coat and his eyes are invisible
behind circular mirrored glasses.
He strides to Han and they shake hands.
MORPHEUS
Welcome, Han. As you no doubt
have guessed, I am Morpheus.
HAN
Hey, you're that Mr. All-Seeing
Eye guy!
MORPHEUS
Please. Come. Sit.
HAN
Yes. Please. Sat.
He ignores Han's sarcasm and nods to Trinity.
MORPHEUS
Thank you, Trinity.
She bows her head sharply and exits through a door to an
adjacent room.
They sit across from one another in cracked, burgundy-
leather chairs.
MORPHEUS
I would imagine that you feel a bit
afraid of what is happening to you.
HAN
More like I'm on a DRUG TRIP...
Say, is that Trinity chick your's?
She's hot, can I have her?
MORPHEUS
Will you SHUT UP and LISTEN?
As I was saying, you must be afraid,
but from the look in your eyes, you
seem to be accepting what you see
because you keep expecting to wake up
back in your bedroom.
A smile, razor-thin, curls the corner of his lips.
MORPHEUS
Actually, you ARE 'dreaming', in a
sense. Well, I'm getting ahead of
myself. Tell me, Han, do you know
why you are here?
HAN
Because I was kidnapped by a bunch
of psychos like you and taken here.
MORPHEUS
I was thinking something more along
the lines of 'You're Morpheus. You're
a legend. Most hackers would DIE to
meet you'.
HAN
HECK NO. I'm better than YOU.
MORPHEUS
Whatever. I think we both know there's more
to it than that. Do you believe in fate, Han?
HAN
No. That stuff's for New Age freaks or
something.
MORPHEUS
Why not?
HAN
Because I'm in CONTROL of my life.
I'm not some puppet on a string.
Morpheus smiles secretly after that last line.
MORPHEUS
I know exactly what you mean.
Again, that smile that could cut glass. Han cringes slightly,
creeped out by this man.
MORPHEUS
Let me tell you why you are here.
You are here because you have the
gift.
HAN
What gift? Did it come in the mail,
because if so, well, the mailman
where I live won't give me my mail
anymore after I put cocaine in his
salt shaker.
MORPHEUS
I've watched you, Han. You do not
use a computer like a tool. You
use it like it was part of
yourself. What you can do inside
a computer is not normal. I know.
I've seen it. What you do is
magic.
Han smiles proudly.
HAN
Aw, shucks. Yeah, I AM way better than you.
But it's not magic, n00b.
MORPHEUS
But it is, Han. It is. How else
would you describe what has been
happening to you?
He leans forward.
MORPHEUS
We are trained in this world to
accept only what is rational and
logical. Have you ever wondered
why?
HAN
Because the government doesn't
want us to know there's magic in
the world??
MORPHEUS
As children, we do not separate
the possible from the impossible
which is why the younger a mind is
the easier it is to free while a
mind like yours can be very
difficult.
HAN
Free from what? Whatchoo talkin' 'bout?
MORPHEUS
From the Matrix.
Han locks at his eyes but only sees a reflection of
himself.
MORPHEUS
Do you want to know what it is,
Han?
Han nods his head.
MORPHEUS
It is a feeling. The feeling that
something is not right. The feeling
that this world is not what it seems.
You don't know what is wrong with
this world, but it's there, in your
mind, slowly driving you mad. So,
the question is; What IS it? What IS
this thing? What IS all this around us?
The LEATHER CREAKS as he leans back. Han is still confused.
MORPHEUS
It is the Matrix. The Matrix is all
around us. In this room. In the schools.
Indeed, it is everywhere. You can sense
it when you get up in the morning, when
you eat a bowl of cereal, when you start
up your car and go to work. The Matrix
is the metaphorical veil that has been
pulled over humanity's eyes to blind
us from the truth.
HAN
What truth? ...Is this some kinda
cultist thing?
MORPHEUS
You are a slave, Han. A slave kept
inside a prison that you cannot see,
or feel, or touch, but it's there.
You were born into bondage, imprisoned
from the real world.
Outside, the WIND BATTERS a loose PANE of glass. Han sticks his
tongue out and closes his eyes in disgust after hearing the
word 'bondage'.
MORPHEUS
One cannot be told what the Matrix
is. It is something that one has to
see for oneself.
HAN
Okay, I bite; HOW?
MORPHEUS
Hold out your hands.
In Han's right hand, Morpheus drops a red pill.
MORPHEUS
This is your last chance. After
this, there is no going back.
In his left, a blue pill.
MORPHEUS
Take this pill and this all never
happened. You wake up in your bed
and go about your day as you always
have.
The pills in his open hands are reflected in the glasses.
MORPHEUS
Take the red pill and I'll open
up a whole different world to you
and show you what the Matrix is.
Han feels the smooth skin of the capsules, with the
moisture growing in his palms.
HAN
Is this stuff FDA approved?
MORPHEUS
All I am offering you is a way
out of the prison, a 'bail' of
sorts.
HAN
Well...what the heck, sure.
Han opens his mouth and swallows the red pill. The
Cheshire smile returns.
MORPHEUS
Follow me.
He leads Han into the other room, which is cramped with
high-tech equipment, glowing ash-bliie and electric green
from the racks of monitors.
Trinity, Apoc and Cypher look up as they enter.
CYPHER
Shit.
TRINITY
I knew he would.
Cypher saddles up to Morpheus, talking in a hushed tone
away from, Han.
CYPHER
Morpheus, I know what you believe
but I think this is a mistake.
We're rushing him. He's old. I'm
afraid he might pop.
MORPHEUS
Haven't I always told you, Cypher,
not to let fear control your life.
Apoc, are we on-line?
Han recognizes the large man from the El train.
APOC
Almost.
He and Trinity are working quickly, hardwiring a complex
system of monitors, modules and drives.
HAN
Apoc? You wrote the Four Horsemen
Virus.
APOC
That's right.
HAN
Weirdo.
Apoc frowns.
MORPHEUS
Han, time is always against us.
Will you take a seat there?
In the center of the room sits a chair. Near the chair
is an old oval dressing mirror that is cracked.
MORPHEUS
I imagine you know something about
virtual reality.
Han sits and Trinity begins gently fixing white electrode
disks to his head, arns, and the back of his neck.
HAN
Are you KIDDING? Man, if nobody else
came up with it, I would have invented
it!
MORPHEUS
Tell me about it.
HAN
I hate discussing complicated
stuff to n00bs...Okay, listen up,
n00bs-for-brains;
Essentially, it's a hardware
system that uses an apparatus;
headgear, gloves and whatever to
make you feel that you are in a
computer program.
MORPHEUS
If the virtual reality apparatus,
as you called it, was wired to all
of your senses and controlled them
completely, would you be able to
tell the difference between the
virtual world and the real world?
HAN
Theoretically, no.
MORPHEUS
No, you wouldn't.
Han whispers to Trinity.
HAN
You did all this, chick?
She nods, placing a set of headphones over his ears.
They are wired to an old hotel phone.
MORPHEUS
The pill you took is part of a
trace program. It's going to make
things feel a bit strange.
Cypher grins to Han.
CYPHER
Get ready, Hanny boy, because
you are about to enter the Twilight
Zone.
HAN
Uh, yeah??
Distantly, through the ear phones, he hears Apoc POUNDING
on a KEYBOARD. Sweat beads his face. His eyes blink and
twitch when he notices the mirror.
Wide-eyed he stares as it begins to heal itself, a
webwork of cracks that slowly run together as though the
mirror were becoming liquid.
HAN
Crap...I'm not gonna like this, am I?
Cypher works with Apoc checking reams of phosphorescent
data. Trinity monitors Han's electric vital signs.
Han reaches out to touch the mirror and his fingers
disappear beneath the rippling surface.
Quickly, he tries to pull his fingers out but the mirror
stretches in long rubbery strands like mirrored-taffy
stuck to his fingertips.
HAN
What is this? Am I HIGH??
MORPHEUS
Just relax, Han.
The strands thin like rubber cement as he pulls away,
until the fragile wisps of mirror thread break.
With the TINKLING of GLASS, shimmering snowflakes
of electric-blinking mercury fall, hit the ground, and
fade.
He looks at his hand; fingers distended into mirrored
icicles that begin to melt rapidly, dripping, running
like wax down his fingers, spreading across his palms
where he sees his face reflected.
HAN
...Okaaaaay...
TRINITY
It's going into replication.
MORPHEUS
Apoc?
APOC
Still nothing.
Morpheus takes out a cellular phone and dials a number.
MORPHEUS
Tank, we're going to need the
signal soon. Stay calm, Han.
The mirror gel seems to come to life, racing, crawling up
his arms like hundreds of insects.
HAN
Dang, it's COLD...I didn't know
drugs could do THIS.
The mirror creeps up his neck as Han begins to panic,
tipping his head as though he were sinking into the
mirror, trying to keep his mouth up.
HAN
Uh, little help here? Guys?
Morpheus is right next to him, with the phone.
TRINITY
I got a fibrillation!
CYPHER
I knew it, I knew it...
MORPHEUS
Shit! Apoc?
Streams of mercury run from Han's nose.
HAN
By dose iz ruhnning! Halp!
APOC
Targeting... almost there.
An ALARM on Trinity's monitor ERUPTS.
TRINITY
He's going into arrest!
CYPHER
He's gonna pop!
APOC
Lock! I got him!
MORPHEUS
Now, Tank now!
His eyes tear with mirror, rolling up and closing as a
high-pitched ELECTRIC SCREAM ERUPTS in the headphones --
It is a piercing SHRIEK like a computer calling to
another computer --
Han's body arches in agony and we are pulled like we were
pulled into the holes of the phone
Sucked into his SCREAM and swallowed by darkness.
INT. POWER PLANT - CLOSE ON MAN'S BODY
Floating in a womb-red amnion.
His body spasms, fighting against the thick gelatin.
Metal tubes, surreal versions of hospital tubes, obscure
his face. Other lines like IVs are connected to limbs
and cover his genitals.
He is struggling desperately now. Air bubbles into the
Jell-O but does not break the surface.
Pressing up, the surface distends, stretching like a red
rubber coccon.
Unable to breathe, he fights wildly to stand, clawing at
the thinning elastic shroud --
Until it ruptures, a hole widening around his mouth as he
sucks for air. Tearing himself free, he emerges from the
cell.
It is Han.
He is bald and naked, his body slick with gelatin.
Dizzy, nauseous, he waits for his vision to focus.
HAN
Wha...What the heck HAPPENED?
He is standing in an oval capsule of clear alloy filled
with red gelatin, the surface of which has solidified
like curdled milk.
HAN
Ewww, I'm all gooey! WHAT IS THIS?!
The IVs in his arms are plugged into outlets that appear
to be grafted to his flesh.
He feels the weight of another cable and reaches to the
back of his head where he finds an enormous coaxial
plugged and locked into the base of his skull.
He tries to pull it out but it would be easier to pull
off a finger.
HAN
Geez, did I just come out of
surgery or something?!
To either side he sees other tube-shaped pods filled with
red gelatin; beneath the wax-like surface, pale and
motionless, he sees other human beings.
Fanning out in a circle, there are more. All connected
to a center core, each capsule like a red, dimly glowing
petal attached to a black metal stem.
Above him, level after, level, the stem rises seemingly
forever. He moves to the foot of the capsule and looks
out.
The image assaults his mind.
HAN
...Okay, I AM high. I HAVE
to be high...This isn't real.
Towers of glowing petals spiral up to incomprehensible
heights, disappearing down into a dim murk like an
underwater abyss.
His sight is blurred and warped, exaggerating the
intensity of the vision. The sound of the PLANT is like
the sound of the ocean heard from inside the belly of
Leviathan.
Below Han, a petal detaches from the stem, bearing away
the body of an old man like an automated barge even as a
new pod rises up and plugs itself into the empty space.
Inside the new capsule, its surface more translucent and
pinkish in color, Han sees a small baby.
From above, a machine drops directly in front of Han.
He swallows his scream as it seems to stare at him.
It is almost insect-like in its design; beautiful
housings of alloyed metal covering organic-like systems
of hard and soft polymers.
HAN
Uh...hi...
A black particle beam washes over Han, he reacts in pain
as the scanner seems to expose the nervous system wired
to the coaxial cable at his cerebral cortex.
HAN
What the-?!
At the back of the neck, the cable lock spins and opens,
disengaging.
The cable pulls itself free, a long clear plastic needle
and cerebrum-chip slides from the anterior of Han's skull
with an ooze of blood and spinal fluid. The other
connective hoses snap free and snake away as --
The back of the unit opens and a tremendous vacuum, like
an airplane door opening, sucks the gelatin and then Han
into a black hole.
HAN
HOOOOLYYYYY CRAAAAAAAAP!!!
INT. WASTE LINE
The pipe is a waste disposal system and Han falls,
sliding with the clot of gelatin.
Banking through pipe spirals and elbows, flushing up
through grease traps clogged with cily clunps of
cellulite.
Han begins to drown when he is suddenly snatched from the
flow of waste.
The metallic cable then lifts, pulling him up into the
belly of the futuristic flying nachine, hovering inside
the sewer main line.
INT. HOVERCRAFT
The metal harness opens and drops the half-conscious Han
onto the floor.
Human hands and arms help him up as he finds himself
looking straight at Morpheus.
Trinity and Apoc. And others, dressed in bizarre, high-
tech combat gear.
Morpheus smiles.
MORPHEUS
Welcome to the real world, Han.
Han barely manages to talk, sounding and acting like a
drunkard who's had a few hundred too many.
HAN
Could you pleesh shtop the room frohm
shpinning? Oh waiter,...check please.
Han passes out.
FADE TO BLACK.
We have no sense of time. We hear VOICES whispering.
MAN (O.S.)
Do you think Morpheus is right?
Do you think he could be the One?
WOMAN (O.S.)
It doesn't matter now. But if
he's wrong...
MAN (O.S.)
...Well? Aren't you gonna finish?
WOMAN (O.S.)
What do you mean?
MAN (O.S.)
You can't just leave me hanging like
this!
WOMAN (O.S.)
Shut up.
FADE IN:
HAN'S POV
Han's eyes flutter open. We see Trinity's face above us,
angelic in the fluorescent glow of a light stick.
ANGLE ON HAN
HAN
... am I dead? Is this Hell?
TRINITY
...Somewhat.
FADE TO BLACK.
FADE IN:
ANGLE ON HAN
He opens his eyes again, something tingling through him.
He focuses and sees his body pierced with dozens of
acupuncture-like needles wired to a strange device.
DOZER
He needs a lot of work.
MORPHEUS
I know.
Dozer and Morpheus are operating on Han.
HAN
Dudes, what are you doing?
MORPHEUS
Your muscles have atrophied.
HAN
Yeah, no kidding. Fat lot of
good those 'Abs of Steel' videos
did me...
MORPHEUS
We're rebuilding them.
Fluorescent light sticks burn unnaturally bright.
HAN
Why do my eyes hurt? Is this
because of the drug??
MORPHEUS
You've never used them before.
HAN
Yeah, right. I've stared at so
many loading screens on my computer
that it'd make any normal hacker
go MAD.
Morpheus takes his sunglasses off and puts them on Han.
HAN
Aw, SWEET! Now I can look all
cool and stuff!
Han lays back.
MORPHEUS
Rest, Han. The answers are
coming.
INT. HAN'S ROOM
Han wakes up from a deep sleep, feeling better. He is
wearing a black tank top and shorts.
He begins to examine himself. There is a futuristic IV
plugged into the jack in his forearm. He pulls it out,
staring at the grafted outlet.
HAN
Ewww...
He feels his bald head. His fingers find and explore the
large outlet in the base of his skull.
Just as he starts to come unglued, Morpheus opens the
door.
HAN
Morpheus, what's happened to me?
What is this place? WHY AM I BALD?!
Now I'm UGLY! Like YOU! BALDY!
MORPHEUS
More important than that is not what,
but WHEN.
HAN
When? 'When's happened to me'? HUH?
MORPHEUS
You think the year is 2006, but it
is actually 2197.
Morpheus points to a calendar hanging on a wall. It reads January
11th, 2197, and has a picture of a woman in a bikini...
HAN
Wow. Who'd have thought that a simple
drug pill thingie could cause delusions
of being chased by Agents, baldness,
waking up in a tube-thingy and TIME
TRAVEL?
MORPHEUS
I promised you the truth, Han, and
the truth is that the world you
were living in was a lie.
HAN
That's NOTHING. My whole LIFE is a lie.
I've faked my birth certificate just so
that I could rent porn when I was 15.
Okay, Mr. All-Seeing Eye, if this is
the future, how'd I get here?
MORPHEUS
I'll show you.
INT. HOVERCRAFT
Like a sleepwalker, Han follows Morpheus through the ship.
MORPHEUS
Our ship, the Nebuchanezzar. It's
a hovercraft, capable of moving
through the underground tunnels at
high speed. It's dark. It's cramped
and cold. The machinery is rusted,
the food sucks, it smells like pee,
the roof leaks, the floor is squeaky
and creaks, the lights flicker on and
off, the engines need cleaning...
Han stares at Morpheus in confusion. Morpheus coughs softly.
MORPHEUS
...but it's home.
HAN
Whatever.
Han bangs his head on a low part of the ceiling, knocking him
to the floor. He gets back up and continues following Morpheus.
They climb a ladder up to the main deck.
INT. MAIN DECK
Everyone is there. (Except the Agents, of course...)
MORPHEUS
This is the main deck. You know
most of my crew.
Trinity smiles and nods.
HAN
Yeah, you're that hooker who likes me!
Her smile changes to a frown in an instant, and she slaps Han.
MORPHEUS
The ones you don't know; That's
Mouse and Switch. The two big
guys are Tank and Dozer.
HAN
Wow, what a bunch of stupid names.
Mouse, Switch, Tank and Dozer all slap Han as well.
MORPHEUS
And this; this is the Core. This
is where we broadcast our pirate
signal and hack into the Matrix.
HAN
I pirated video games and movies,
but this beats it all to Hell...
It is a swamp of bizarre electronic equipment. Vines of
coaxial hang and snake to and from huge monolithic
battery slabs, a black portable satellite dish and banks
of little systems and computer monitors.
At the center of the web, there are six ectoskeleton
chairs made of a poly-alloy frame and suspension harness.
Near the circle of chairs is the control console and
operator's station where the network is monitored.
MORPHEUS
Help him, Trinity.
Han reluctantly allows himself to be helped into one of the chairs.
MORPHEUS
Do you remember when I asked you
about an apparatus that could turn
a virtual reality into reality?
HAN
Uh, no...
MORPHEUS
...Whatever. Anyways, it's right here.
He touches Han's head.
MORPHEUS
And it's accessed here.
Han feels Morpheus guiding a coaxial line into the jack
at the back of his neck. The cable has the same kind of
cerebellum chip we saw inside the plant. Han winces in disgust,
hating all this.
MORPHEUS
This will feel a little weird.
HAN
Yeh, no KIDDING. It's ALREADY
feeling weird.
There are several disturbing NOISES as he works the
needle in. Han winces again.
We MOVE IN as Han's shoulders bunch and his face tightens
into a grimace until a loud CLICK fires and his ears pop
like when you equalize them underwater.
He relaxes, opening his eyes as we pull back to a feeling
of weightlessness inside another place --
INT. CONSTRUCT
Han is standing in an empty, blank-white space.
HAN
Okay, this is THE worst drug trip I've
ever been on...Well, this is my FIRST,
but still...
MORPHEUS
This is the Construct.
Startled, Han whips around and finds Morpheus now in the
room with him.
HAN
GAH! PEOPLE!
MORPHEUS
It is our loading program. We can
load anything from clothes, to
weapons, to training simulations,-
Suddenly, Tank spoke through a speaker to them into the Construct.
TANK (V.O.)
To pornography.
MORPHEUS
...Uh, yeah. Anything we need...
Han chuckled. Morpheus frowned.
HAN
Can it upload Halo?, 'cause that'd
be KICKASS.
Morpheus walks past Han and when Han turns he sees the
two leather chairs from the hotel set up in front of a
large-screen television.
MORPHEUS
Sit down.
Han stands at the back of the chair as Morpheus sits.
HAN
Right now, we're inside a computer
program?
MORPHEUS
Wild, isn't it?
HAN
More like I'm on-
MORPHEUS
'A drug trip', yes, I know. Just shut up
about the drugs.
Han's hands run over the cracked leather.
HAN
This isn't real? Like some weird
kinda New Age thingy?
MORPHEUS
Real? Just how would you define
real? There is more to what is
real than just seeing it, smelling
it, feeling it...Those are all just
electrical signals interpreted by
your brain.
HAN
Don't give me THAT crap. You know
what I mean by 'real'; does it EXIST?
MORPHEUS
Technically.
Han sighs in frustration. Morpheus smiles like before.
He picks up a remote control and clicks ON the
TELEVISION. We drift through the Windy City circa 2006.
MORPHEUS
Chicago as you know it, during the
beginning of the 21st century.
However, this Chicago is merely a
part of a neural-interactive simulation
known as the Matrix.
HAN
'Matrix'...WILD name.
We GLIDE AT the television as he changes the channel.
MORPHEUS
You, in fact, have actually been
living in a vision; Baudrillard's
vision. You lived inside territory,
not the map. I mean...the map is
the territory, I mean...You know
what I mean...'The illusion called
reality'.
The sky is an endless sea of black and green bile. The
earth, scorched and split like burnt flesh, spreads out
beneath us as we ENTER the television.
MORPHEUS
'The desert of the real'.
In the distance, we see the ruins of a future Chicago
protruding from the wasteland like the blackened ribs of
a long-dead corpse.
MORPHEUS
We are currently traveling underground,
miles from the surface. Sadly, the
Earth has been scorched so badly that
humans can only survive underground
when outside the Matrix.
Still MOVING, we TURN and find Han and Morpheus; the
chairs now sitting in the middle of the black desert.
Dizzy, Han holds onto the chair.
HAN
What happened?
MORPHEUS
It started mid-way through the twenty-
first century, with the birth of
artificial intelligence, a
singular consciousness that
spawned an entire race of
machines.
In his sunglasses, we see storm clouds gather.
MORPHEUS
At first all they wanted was to be
treated as equals, entitled to the
same human inalienable rights.
Whatever they were given, it was
not enough.
HAN
Wow, they must've been real jerks...
In the circular window of the glasses, EXPLOSIONS light
up a bloody battle field.
MORPHEUS
We don't know who struck first.
Us or them. But sometime at the
end of the twenty-first century
the battle was joined.
We MOVE INTO his glasses and the war surrounds us.
MORPHEUS
The war raged for generations and
turned the face of our planet from
green and blue to black and red.
HAN
Wow, this whole 'Zooming in and out'
thing is making me dizzy...
At last we see the Sentinels; killing machines that are
at once terrifying and beautiful. They have an organic
architecture like a microbiotic organism, that is
perpetually in motion.
The Sentinel cracks the body armor of a soldier,
splitting open the soft, searing meat inside.
MORPHEUS
It scorched and burned the sky.
Without the sun, the machines
sought out a new energy source to
survive.
The Sentinel locks up, as heat lightning of black ink
bursts against the sky, spreading into a permanent cloud
of stain.
MORPHEUS
The Machines found a new, different
form of fusion. It merely required
a small electrical charge to start
the reaction. We humans had become
dependent on our machinery to survive.
But it would seem the 'cosmic joker'
is not without a sense of irony.
We return to the power plant that Han escaped from where
we see human beings looking almost blissful in their
gelatin cocoons.
MORPHEUS
Our bodies are magnificient bio-
logical machines, capable of
generating more bioelectricity
than a 120-volt battery, and also
more than 25,000 B.T.U.'s of body
heat.
Outside, spreading all around the power plant, beneath a
breathing greenhouse, are the growing fields.
MORPHEUS
Human beings are the perfect energy
source for the Machines. We are
easily renewable, completely recylable,
with the dead liquified and intra-
venously fed to the living.
HAN
EWWWW. GROSS...
Huge farm-like reapers are harvesting the crop.
MORPHEUS
To control this new form of 'battery',
they needed to occupy our minds,
to keep us from the truth.
We see inside a clear tubular husk. Floating in viscous
fluid, there is a human fetus; its soft skull already
growing around the brain-jack.
MORPHEUS
Thus was the Matrix born. A virtual
prison for our minds, keeping us
dwelling in our past. Wired to the
brains of the prisoners to turn them
into slaves.
We PULL BACK to find the image is now on the television
and we are again inside the white space of the Construct.
MORPHEUS
I myself didn't believe it at first.
But when I saw the vast fields of
the human harvest, where we are no
longer born, rather GROWN...When
I saw the Machines and their frightening
efficiency of maintaining their 'crops',
keeping us all in blissful slumber...
Well, I quickly came to realize the
truth that has been eluding us for
so long.
HAN
...FAR OUT, man. But...isn't that
pretty DEPRESSING? Couldn't you
at least come up with a better story?
MORPHEUS
I didn't say that it would be
easy, Han. I just said that it
would be the truth.
The room without walls begins to spin. Han's mind was
rejecting what he was seeing.
HAN
Wha? Ho-MAN, I'm getting SICK...
Lemme out!
INT. MAIN DECK
His eyes snap open and he thrashes against the chair,
trying to rip the cable from the back of his neck.
HAN
Get this thing out of me!
TRINITY
Easy, Han. Easy.
Dozer holds him while Trinity unlocks it. Once it's out,
he tears away from them, falling as he trips free of the
harness.
HAN
Stay away from me, you creeps!
You've already kidnapped me and
hooked me up to some stupid
virtual world thingy!
On his hands and knees, he reels as the world spins.
Sweat pours off him as a pressure builds inside his skull
as if his brain had been put into a centrifuge.
CYPHER
He's going to pop! Boy, I love saying
that; 'pop'. Hehehehehehe...
Vomiting violently, Han pitches forward and blacks out.
CYPHER
Awww, SHIT! He threw up on my SHOES!
INT. HAN'S ROOM
He blinks, regaining consciousness. The room is dark.
Han is stretched out on his bed.
HAN
Uh, there isn't any chance of me
going back, is there?
Morpheus sitting like a shadow on a chair in the far
corner.
MORPHEUS
I'm afraid not. Were it to be
possible, would you really want
to?
Han isn't sure of that answer.
MORPHEUS
I owe you an apology. You see,
we have a rule around here that
we cannot try to free a person's
mind once it is beyond a certain
age, because it's dangerous. It
can destroy a person's mind; the
conflicting images of their past
against what they see out here...
It isn't pretty. But I broke the
rule because I simply had no other
choice.
He stares into the darkness, confessing as much to
himself as Han.
MORPHEUS
The Matrix was first constructed
long ago, after the war. A man
was born into the Matrix, one who
had the capability to rewrite the
Matrix as he wanted, to change
everything. It was him who had
brought the first of us out into
the real world, and taught us that
so long as the Matrix exists, mankind
will never be free. Control the Matrix
and you control the future.
He pauses.
MORPHEUS
At his death, the Oracle of the
Temple of Zion prophesied the man's
return to the world of the living,
envisioning an end to the war Zion
has declared against the Machines.
She spoke of how he would free us
all from the bonds of the Matrix.
Since then, we have been searching
for him, looking through the Matrix.
Han can feel his eyes on him.
MORPHEUS
You have been brought here for one
reason, Han; because you are the One.
You are to serve a purpose, like I am
here to serve mine.
HAN
I told you I don't believe in
fate. That stuff is crap.
Morpheus smiles, leaning towards hin.
MORPHEUS
But I do, Han. I do.
HAN
Creep.
Morpheus stands up.
MORPHEUS
Get some rest. You're going to
need it.
HAN
For what?
MORPHEUS
Your training.
INT. HOVERCRAFT
There is no morning; there is only darkness and then the
fluorescent light sticks flicker on.
INT. HAN'S ROOM
Han is awake in his bed, staring up at the lights. The
door opens and Tank steps inside.
TANK
Morning. Did you sleep?
HAN
No. I have such a hangover from
that drug trip earlier...
TANK
You will tonight. I guarantee it.
I'm Tank. I'll be your operator.
He offers his hand and Han shakes it. He notices that
Tank doesn't have any jacks.
HAN
You don't have...those thingies.
TANK
'Thingies'? Oh, you mean the holes?
Nah, I don't. That's because Dozer
and I are real humans, born right
here in the real world rather than
the Matrix and those power plants.
Doz' and I are 'children of Zion',
as cheesy as that sounds.
HAN
Zion? Is that some kinda New Age
heaven or something?
TANK
Zion is the place, man. You'll
see it one day. Last human city.
All we got left.
Tank smiles.
TANK
Shit, I tell ya, I'm really excited
to see what you're capable of. That
is, if Morpheus is right. That crazy
bastard is all hopped up on this 'the
One' thing. Keeps 'im going, and us,
too. So sit back, Hanny boy, 'cause we
got a hell of alot to do and a hell of
a short time to do it.
INT. MAIN DECK
Han is plugged in, hanging in one of the suspension
chairs.
TANK
Standard procedure is to load
a shitload of operating programs
first. You want Windows XP?
HAN
Uh, sure, I guess...
TANK
Too bad.
Han glares at Tank, a little upset.
TANK
Tell ya what, dude. This is all
well and good shit, but why don't
we get started on something fun?
HAN
Like 'Boggle'? I love 'Boggle'.
Tank smiles as he plops into his operator's chair. He
begins flipping through a tall carousel loaded with micro
discs.
TANK
'COMBAT TRAINING'. Kickass, huh?
Han reads the label on the disk.
HAN
Jiujitsu? I'm going to learn
jujitsu? What's Jujitsu? Some
kinda sushi or something?
Tank slides the disk into Han's supplement drive.
HAN
Wowwww.
Smiling, Tank punches the "load" code.
Han's body jumps against the harness as his eyes clamp
shut. The monitors kick wildly as his heart pounds,
adrenaline surges, and his brain sizzles.
HAN
WHAT THE CRAP IS THIS?! GEMME OUTTA
THIS THING, JEEP, OR TANK, OR WHATEVER
YOUR NAME IS!
An instant later his eyes snap open.
HAN
WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!
TANK
Hahaha! Ya like that?
HAN
I don't wanna get all DOPED UP
on this virtual crap!
INT. MAIN DECK - CLOSE ON COMPUTER MONITOR - LATER
as grey pixels slowly fill a small box. It
is a meter displaying how much download time is left;
One day, seven hours, thirty-six minutes and fifty seconds.
TANK
I REALLY wish we had DSL...
An hour later, the loading process is at 5. Tank kicks the
machine.
TANK
Stupid piece of SHIT! LOAD, DAMMIT!
The title bar reads: "Combat Series 2 of 12," file
categories flashing beneath it: Savate, Jujitsu, Ken Po,
Drunken Boxing, Rex-Kwon-Do...
Morpheus walks in. His bald head reflects the ceiling
lights. Anyone who looked directly at his head would
have gone blind.
MORPHEUS
How is he?
Tank looks at his watch, rubs his eyes.
TANK
Ten hours straight. This SUCKS,
IT SUCKS DICK. Why do we have to
have a 33.6 kbps DIAL-UP-SHIT modem?
Han's body spasms and relaxes as his eyes open, breath
hissing from his lips. He mouthes several curse words,
hating all this.
He looks at Morpheus.
HAN
I HATE THIS, YOU STUPID IDIOT! I
mean, I LIKE this, but it feels
WRONG!
TANK
Hey, relax. With your head wired
into this computer, you're my
BITCH now.
HAN
(Sarcastically) Oh, THAT sounds pleasant...
MORPHEUS
Tank, stop joking around. Listen,
Han, this is VERY SAFE. All of us
have had this done to us before.
We're merely uploading some knowledge
into your head. What you're 'learning'
right now is stuff that would normally
take YEARS for someone to learn and
perfect.
Han sighs, finally giving in to all this. After all,
even he himself was beginning to grow tired of fighting
everything these strange people were doing to him.
HAN
Yeah, yeah...
Morpheus sits in the drive chair next to him. He nods to
Tank.
MORPHEUS
Show me. Show me what you've learned.
INT. DOJO
They are standing in a very sparse japanese-style dojo.
MORPHEUS
This is a sparring program,
similar to the programmed reality
of the Matrix. Consider this your
first lesson.
He assumes a fighting stance.
MORPHEUS
Attack me.
HAN
Heh, you're gonna get HURT...
Han assumes a similar stance, cautiously circling his
opponent. He stumbles accidentally over a low-set table,
falling onto his face. He promptly stands back up, acting
cooly as if nothing happened, and continues circling.
Actually PUTTING HIS NEW KNOWLEDGE TO WORK, unlike a
certain Matrix character CoughNEOcough, he examines
the situation;
Morpheus is in a poor fighting stance; his body facing
Han sideways, left fist forward, right fist behind him,
legs spread. In this position, it was all too obvious
that Morpheus was vulnerable to a kick.
Han launched himself at his opponent. Morpheus stood
his ground in his poorly-chosen stance. Han thrust his
right leg forward in a kick. Morpheus realized he was
in no position to block it, but tried so anyways using
his left arm, which, sadly, was the only arm he could
use to attack his opponent, so he couldn't counter the
kick. Han feinted the kick, then landed on his right
leg and brought up his left leg, catching Morpheus
COMPLETELY off-guard. Morpheus is hit in the head
and falls to the floor. He quickly gets back up
and fights Han.
It is like a Bruce Lee movie at high speed, fists and
feet striking from every angle as Han presses his attack
--
Most of his blows strike home, hitting Morpheus. But
Morpheus at least had enough knowledge to be able to
block about 70 of Han's attacks, landing his own on
occasion.
INT. MAIN DECK
While their minds battle in the programmed reality, the
two bodies appear quite serene, suspended in the drive
chairs.
Tank monitors their life systems noticing that Han is
wildly and chaotically lit up as opposed to the slow and
steady rhythm of Morpheus. Tank shrugged his shoulders,
then pulled up a window on the computer and started
playing Solitaire.
INT. MESS HALL
Dinner is up. Everyone is eating bowls of single-cell
protein. It has a cottage cheese consistency.
TRINITY
Why is it that we are technologically
advanced enough to understand and hack
INTO the Matrix, but our food SUCKS?
MOUSE bursts in the room.
MOUSE
Morpheus is fighting Han!
All at once they bolt for the door.
INT. DOJO
Han's face is calm; cold and calculating as he
visually appraised his opponent.
MORPHEUS
Good. Adaption. Improvisation.
But your weakness isn't your
technique.
HAN
...What?? Oh, come ON,
FIGHT!
Han attacks him and it is like nothing we have seen.
His feet and fists are everywhere taking Morpheus apart. For
every blow Morpheus blocks, five more hit their marks until --
MORPHEUS
Excellent. Very excellent. But I
think it's time to show you what
I can really do.
Morpheus leaps towards Han at lightning speed. Fortunately,
Han is competent enough to block most of the attacks
Morpheus unleashes, but quite a few hit home. One strong
punch connects to Han's jaw. A crack is heard, and Han
stumbles backwards. He sends a flying kick at Morpheus, and--
Han falls.
Panting, on his hands and knees, blood spits from his
mouth speckling the white floor of the Dojo. He rubs
his aching jaw.
MORPHEUS
How did I beat you?
HAN
Well, you were FAST, for one thing...
MORPHEUS
Do you think my being faster,
stronger has anything to do with
my muscles in this place?
HAN
Not really...
Han is frustrated, still unable to catch his breath.
MORPHEUS
Do you believe that's air you are
breathing now?
HAN
Nah, this is that virtual reality
thing you said before.
MORPHEUS
Very good, very good.
Han squints at him, almost ready to flick off Morpheus.
MORPHEUS
If you can free your mind, the
body will follow.
Han stands, nodding.
HAN
Yeah, yeah. Look, don't gimme that
whole New Age bullcrap.
MORPHEUS
Will you GIVE THE WHOLE NEW AGE
STUFF A REST ALREADY? Now...
Again.
Their fists fly with pneumatic speed. This time,
Han is starting to get the hang of fighting against
Morpheus, and Morpheus finds it isn't as easy as it
was earlier.
INT. MAIN DECK
Everyone is gathered behind Tank, watching the fight,
like watching a game of Street Fighter, complete with
Han repeatedly doing a jumping uppercut while shouting
'Shoryuken!' over and over like some kind of cheap
computer opponent.
CABLE
Jeezus Keerist! That boy is fast!
And stupid...Does he honestly think
that he could do a chi blast like
they do in Street Fighter?
MOUSE
You ever seen anyone that fast
that soon, Tank?
TANK
Never. Except for Bob, but he...
Everyone hangs their head solemnly, remembering Bob and...
THE INCIDENT.
APOC
Morpheus is right. Han's got to be
the one. Or maybe the TWO.
INT. DOJO
The speed of the blows rises like a drum solo that seems
impossible to sustain. Han's face retains its calm,
rationally thinking about how to beat his opponent's face in.
Finally a single blow catches Morpheus on the side of the
head, knocking his glasses off. It is followed up by a flurry
of seven more blows to the face.
INT. MAIN DECK
There are several gasps. One person faints and falls over.
MOUSE
I don't believe it! Shit, this
shouldn't be HAPPENING! This guy's
UNREAL!
INT. DOJO
Morpheus rubs his face.
MORPHEUS
You are angry with me.
Han pants.
HAN
DUH! You and your techno-goons
hauled off and kidnapped me!
Wouldn't a simple 'May we please
take you out of this world and
show you some futuristic wasteland
that will shatter your mind and
forever scar you?' have sufficed?!
MORPHEUS
You CHOSE to take the pill.
But it's all right. It's natural.
HAN
Uh-HUH...Well, I DO feel better now
after beating your face in.
MORPHEUS
Good, good. Anger is a gift, Han,
but it's a heavy one.
HAN
Now you're starting to sound
all weird again.
Morpheus smiles. Han does just the opposite.
MORPHEUS
Tank, load the jump program.
Han straightens as the dojo DISSOLVES away like a curtain
lifting, leaving the two men now standing on a building
rooftop in a city skyline. In the distance is a billboard
for some beer company. A PLANE flys by overhead.
MORPHEUS
You have to learn to let go of
that anger. You must let go of
everything.
HAN
Sheesh, will you STOP with the whole
New A-
MORPHEUS
SHUT UP! NOW LISTEN!
A WIND HOWLS, whipping Morpheus' long coat to the side. Han
wishes he had a cool coat that would blow around in the wind
to make himself look cool and dramatic.
MORPHEUS
As I was ABOUT TO SAY;
You must empty yourself to free
your mind.
Morpheus spins, running hard at the edge of the rooftop.
And jumps. He sails through the air, his coat billowing
out behind him like a cape --
Somersaults once and lands on the rooftop across the
street.
HAN
Cool.
Han looks down at the street twenty floors below, then at
Morpheus an impossible fifty feet away.
HAN
Well, if HE can do it...
He takes a deep breath.
HAN
Okay, 'Free my mind'. Free my mind.
Free my mind...WHAT THE HECK IS
THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!
He shrugs, concentrates, then runs.
INT. MAIN DECK
They are transfixed. Except for Mouse who's sipping
on a Birch Beer noisily.
CABLE
He's gonna make it.
APOC
No way. Not possible. It's
BEYOND impossible. It's
UNpossible.
MOUSE
No one's ever made their first
jump. Oooo, fizzy drink...
SWITCH
What if he does?
APOC
Does what again??
TANK
It's never been done.
SWITCH
I've done it on my second try.
APOC
Excuse me??
TANK
NOBODY'S done it on their FIRST.
MOUSE
It's CAN'T be done.
APOC
Huh??
SWITCH
I think HE can do it on his first.
MOUSE
Naw, he CAN'T.
APOC
Will somebody please tell me what
we're talking about again??
Trinity stares at the screen, her fists clenching as she
whispers.
TRINITY
Come ONNNNNNN...FALL. FALL.
EXT. ROOFTOP
Summoning every ounce of strength in his legs, Han
launches himself into the air, whooping with
excitement.
--
But comes up drastically short.
His eyes widen as he plummets. Stories fly by, the
ground rushing up at him, but as he hits --
The ground gives way, stretchinp like a trapeze net.
He bounces back up, launching himself sky-high and onto
the rooftop where he was originally supposed to land.
HAN
HAH! I DID IT!
MORPHEUS
You FAILED, Han. You were supposed to
jump across the gap, not fall down.
HAN
But still, I LANDED HERE, right?
MORPHEUS
Everyone falls the first time.
Han scoffs and folds his arms.
MORPHEUS
If you never know failure, how can
you know success?
INT. MAIN DECK
They break up. Mouse tosses the soda can into a waste
recycler bin disappointedly.
MOUSE
Man, I was hoping he'd do it.
So he failed. So what does it mean?
Does it mean he's The Three now?
CABLE
It doesn't mean anything. It
just says that he SUCKS at this.
CYPHER
Everyone falls, right, Trinity?
But Trinity has left.
CABLE
I fell my first time. Broke my
nose. I felt like SHIT...
Han's eyes open as Tank eases the plug out. He tries to
move and groans, cradling his ribs.
While Tank helps Morpheus, Han spits blood into his hand.
HAN
I thought it wasn't real. Did
you LIE TO ME?
Han stares at the blood, then winces in disgust.
HAN
If you are killed in the Matrix,
you die here?
MORPHEUS
The body cannot live without the
mind.
HAN
...WELL THAT SUCKS! Man, I
was hoping you could turn on
some kinda Saftey Protocol thing
like on Star Trek.
INT. HAN'S ROOM
Trinity enters from the hall, carrying a tray of food.
TRINITY
I brought you some food. But I
SWEAR, if you EVER call me a-
She sees him passed out on the bed. His one leg is
dangling down, his finger up his nose and drool
pouring from his mouth. Trinity cringes at the sight.
She sets the tray down and pulls the blanket over him.
She pauses, her face close to his. She is about to
kiss him when she suddenly remembers how he kept
thinking she was a hooker. So instead, she kicks
his leg that is hanging down. HARD. Han wakes up with a
start and screams.
HAN
OWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!
WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT FOR??!!
EXT. CITY STREET - TRAINING PROGRAM - DAY
Morpheus strolls effortlessly through the crowded downtown
street while Han struggles to keep up while constantly
being bumped and shouldered off the path, even tripping
occassionally and cursing.
HAN
DANGIT, THESE STUPID PEOPLE-!
One burly person shoulders past Han, hitting him in the gut
in the process, causing Han to double over in pain and be
overrun by the crowd again.
MORPHEUS
A system. A system of evil. That
is what the Matrix is, Han. Tell
me, what do you see all around us?
What types of people do you see?
Han, having been tripped again by the crowd of people
hurrying to their jobs and homes, gets up and looks around.
He speaks, while people still bump past him.
HAN
Uhhh...lessee...A baker, an evil
lawyer, a policeman, a construction
worker, a prostitute,...
MORPHEUS
Indeed. All of these people are as
diverse as can be, but they all have
one thing in common; they are our
enemy.
HAN
Come again? I thought we were trying
to SAVE them...
Another person in the endless, moving crowd steps on
Han's toes. Han yelps in pain.
MORPHEUS
That is true, Han. But until they are
shown the truth, they are still our
enemies. You see, most of these people
are not yet ready to be freed. Some of
them are even so hopelessly dependent
on the Matrix that they would even fight
for it, to keep their peaceful lives in
here intact.
HAN
Wow, I didn't know people could be THAT
stupid.
MORPHEUS
YOU were...
HAN
Oh...
Just then, a woman in a red dress walks by and smiles at
Han. Han grins like a fool as he continued to follow Morpheus.
MORPHEUS
You looked at the woman in the red
dress, didn't you?
HAN
HO, YEAH...
MORPHEUS
Look again, Han.
HAN
Uh, OKAY.
Han turns around and freezes, eyes as wide as dinner plates
when he sees the woman had changed into an Agent with a pistol
aimed right at Han's forehead.
HAN
...HOLY CRAAAAAAP!!
Han breaks into a run away from the Agent, shoving people
out of his way as he screamed like an idiot. Morpheus is
calmly watching his charge. He flips open his cellphone and
speaks into it.
MORPHEUS
Tank, pause the program.
TANK (V.O.)
Can do, boss!
Suddenly, everyone and everything froze in place, save for
Morpheus and his cowardly companion. Han stops and looks around
at the statue-like people.
HAN
Wh...what happened?? Is
this just a training program?
MORPHEUS
That it is, Han.
HAN
OH...Okay...
MORPHEUS
'If you are not one of us, you
are one of them'. That is what
this program is designed to teach
you.
When he says 'them', he motions to the Agent who is still
frozen in place.
HAN
So...what ARE they? I've met
one of those guys before...
MORPHEUS
And you were lucky to come out
alive. They are what we call
Agents; the enforcers of the Matrix.
The agents of chaos. They are
the ones who hold the keys to
the Matrix. They are sentient
programs with the capability
to take over anyone who is still
hardwired to the Matrix at one
of their power plants. A 'wolf
in sheep's clothing', so to speak.
At anytime they can take over a
person's body and replace it with
theirs, at least temporarily until
they no longer require that person.
HAN
Far out, man...
MORPHEUS
We have been on the run from them
for a long time, always hiding and
running. But as I have said, they are
the ones who hold the keys to the
Matrix.
HAN
Meaning?
MORPHEUS
Meaning that sooner or later, we
will have to fight them.
HAN
Fight them?
MORPHEUS
Yes. But so far, every single person
who has fought them has died. They
are far too powerful for us. We
have seen Agents punch through
concrete walls as if the walls were
paper, and dodge bullets as though
they were not there.
HAN
DUDE, that's AWESOME.
MORPHEUS
Indeed. But the Agents are still
working within a place that is
built on rules. Rules that you can
break, Han, but they can't.
HAN
Whaddya mean, baldy?
MORPHEUS
I mean that when the time comes,
you won't even have to dodge bullets
or punch through walls. You are the
Rulebreaker, Han.
As Han scratches his head, trying to wonder what the Bald Wonder
was talking about, Morpheus' cellphone beeps. He flips it open.
TANK (V.O.)
Boss?
MORPHEUS
What is it this time, Tank?
Is Windows giving you trouble
again? Or did you forget how
to delete a file?
TANK (V.O.)
HELL NO, boss. We've got
Squiddies.
MORPHEUS
Alright, I'll be there soon.
And don't call me Boss.
Han chuckles quietly.
EXT. SEWER MAIN
The Nebuchadnezzar blisters by, trailing a supercharged,
electromagnetic wake.
INT. COCKPIT
Morpheus slides into the copilot chair next to Dozer.
MORPHEUS
Has Zion sent the warning?
DOZER
Nah. Another ship; Big Brother's
running a parallel pipe.
Morpheus' eyes scans the decayed landscape passing below and around
them. Dozer scratches his buttocks and belches. Han and Trinity
duck into the cockpit and sit on two chairs behind pilots. An
ALARM BEGINS TO SOUND.
DOZER
Hot damn, Squiddy's moving in
FAST.
MORPHEUS
Set us down, Dozer.
Han looks at Trinity.
HAN
'Squiddy'?
TRINITY
H.K.s. Hunter-Killers. Sentinels.
Killing machines designed for one
thing;
Han scoffs and speaks sarcastically;
HAN
Gee, could it be KILLING??
Trinity glares in anger at Han. Han grins.
DOZER
Nice one, Han.
The ship ROCKS FROM SIDE TO SIDE as it squeezes into a
small supply line.
EXT. HOVERCRAFT
The ship settles down, practically wedged into a pipe
that just barely accommodates its size.
INT. COCKPIT
Morpheus flips on the intercom.
MORPHEUS
How we doing, Tank?
INT. MAIN DECK
Tank works furiously at the operator's station as the
ship's TURBINES GRIND to a HALT. The ship is plunged
into darkness and silence. The rest of the crew stands
behind him.
TANK
Just fine, boss. Power's offline
and ol' Empee's armed and ready
to kick some Squiddy ass.
His fingers curl around a switch that glows a dim red.
INT. COCKPIT
Han speaks quietly to Trinity.
HAN
'Empee'?
TRINITY
E.M.P.. The guys just call
it 'Empee' for short.
HAN
Ah.
Dozer looks up through the stained glass of the cockpit.
DOZER
All right, boys and girls,
now we just sit back and wait.
Before them lies the vast wasteland of the underground,
stretching into the infinite darkness beyond. Wisps of
green haze dance around mossy icicles that dangle into
a frozen pool of waste. Han yawns loudly, and Morpheus
hushes him.
MORPHEUS
Shhh! It'll hear you!
HAN
Yeh RIGHT, Mr. Paranoid. How
can a big, dumb ol' MACHINE
HEAR ME when---
They SEE IT. The Sentinel hovers before them, an organized
mess of machinery, cold and disturbingly beautiful. It's
calculating, red eye STARES AT THEM. Black alloy skin
stretches over a mechanical skeleton, with dangling, writhing
metal appendages like tentacles. Everyone in the cockpit
is frozen with terror as it analyzes them with a red beam
from its eye.
HAN
Well HOW doya like THAT? Wow.
MORPHEUS
DAMMIT, HAN!! TANK, ACTIVATE
THE E.M.P.!
TANK (V.O.)
Empee's activating NOW!
EXT. HOVERCRAFT
The Nebuchadnezzar explodes with a brilliant flash of
purple neon electromagnetic light, engulfing the Sentinel.
The Sentinel stops in mid-air and twitches violently,
then collapses onto the hovercraft. All is silent...
HAN (O.S.)
...THAT wasn't much.
MORPHEUS (O.S.)
...Just...SHUT...THE...HELL
...UP, HAN...
INT. HALL
The ship is quiet and dark. Everyone is asleep, except
Cypher. He's surfing the Net not for porn, which would
be too cliche' a joke, but for candid pictures of
Trinity on E-Bay. Okay, so technically, it IS porn,
but hey, that's all the Net's GOOD FOR...
CYPHER
Damn, this one's SEXY...Aw, SHIT!
The guy's selling it for $500?!
I don't have that kind of money
working THIS job!
INT. MAIN DECK
The core glows with monitor light. Cypher is in the
operator's chair as Han comes up behind him.
CYPHER
Whoa! Shit, Han, you scared the
bejeezus out of ne.
HAN
Serves ya right for being off-guard.
Aren't ya supposed to be watching
the ship or something??
CYPHER
Uhhh...no?
HAN
What are you doing then?
CYPHER
Midnight watch.
HAN
They stare at each other for a moment. Cypher coughs
innocently.
Han's eyes light up as he steps closer to the screens
that seem alive with a constant flow of data.
HAN
Is that... ?
CYPHER
The Matrix? Yeah.
Just then, a pop-up ad comes up. Cypher curses.
CYPHER
Aw, SHIT, NO, I DO NOT WANT A FREE
PLAYSTATION 6!
He clicks the 'X' button, closing the window, but three
more ads pop up.
CYPHER
DAMMIT!
It's a little later after Cypher finally got rid of the
advertisements. He and Han are just sitting there watching
the Matrix flow by on the screen in front of them.
The monitors are packed with bizarre codes and equations.
CYPHER
You want a drink?
He pours Han a drink from a large plastic jug. Han watches
it practically ooze into his cup with an unsure smirk.
CYPHER
I'll tell you, I feel for you,
man. I really do. Most of us
were still young, just punks, when
Morpheus jacked us. But you, you
had a real life.
HAN
Yeah right. According to you guys,
I was living a LIE while suspended
in some machine's demented version
of a womb.
Han takes a sip and it almost kills him. Cypher pounds
on his back.
CYPHER
Good shit, huh? Dozer makes it.
It's good for two things:
degreasing engines and killing
brain cells.
HAN
Maybe I outta thank Dozer later
with a fist to the face.
Cypher whoops with laughter for a moment, then his face
turns a little serious, but not entirely.
CYPHER
Did he tell you why he did it?
Han nods, a little unsure.
CYPHER
You know, this isn't the first time
the old man thought that he found
the One.
Han shakes his head as Cypher fills his cup and laughs.
CYPHER
Tell ya what, since you're such a
friendly guy, I'ma give you some
advice; don't buy in to this One
thing. If Morpheus tells you that
you could fly, well, let's just say
that you shouldn't put on a cape and
jump off a building. Comprende?
HAN
Hah. Maybe if he jumped off a cliff,
I would follow. Then again, I think
I'd be the one who shoved him off.
Cypher raises his drink. Han swallows another throat-
scorching mouthful.
CYPHER
Welcome to the real world!
HAN
Bleh...
INT. RESTAURANT (MATRIX) - NIGHT
CHAMBER MUSIC and the ambiance of wealth soak the room as
we watch a serrated knife saw through a thick, gorgeous
steak.
CYPHER
That's what he said to me nine
years ago.
The meat is so perfect, charred on the outside, oozing
red juice from the inside, that it could be a dream.
CYPHER
'The real world'. Ha, what a joke.
We recognize the grating voice, the insidious laugh.
CYPHER
Yeh, I know how you feel.
You know what real is? I'll tell
you what real is.
A fork stabs the cube of meat and we FOLLOW it UP TO the
face of Cypher.
CYPHER
Real is just another four-letter
word. Like Fuck. And Damn. And Shit.
And-
AGENT SMITH
MISTER REAGAN, PLEASE be civil.
Cypher laughs, shoving the steak into his mouth.
The restaurant is located on the top floor of a Chicago
skyscraper where the view is breathtaking and the menu
has no prices.
Sitting across from Cypher is Agent Smith.
AGENT SMITH
Do we have a deal, Mr. Reagan?
Cypher chews the steak loudly, smacking it between his
teeth. He talks while chewing the food in his mouth.
CYPHER
Mmm, missis SOO muckin' guud!
Smith watches him shovel another hunk of meat into his
mouth.
CYPHER
When I put this piece of steak in
my mouth, I know that it doesn't
exist. I know that it isn't juicy,
thick and delicious. It's all just
a bunch of code. But do you know
what I realized?
AGENT SMITH
That you're an imbecile?
CYPHER
Hah hah. No, no, I'll tell you;
Pausing, he examines the meat skewered on his fork. He
pops it in, eyes rolling up, savoring the tender beef
melting in his mouth.
CYPHER
Ignorance is bliss.
AGENT SMITH
Like I said; you're an imbecile.
Cypher chuckles, amused.
AGENT SMITH
Then we have a deal?
CYPHER
Yeah, but remember this; I don't
wanna remember ANYTHING. I don't
wanna remember that this world
isn't real, that this is just the
Matrix and that I'm not living
in the real world. I don't want to
go back. I stay here, and you can
make me filthy rich. Like, I dunno,
mebbe some kind of celebrity. Oh,
and I want a big mansion, and a
sexy supermodel wife. You can do
that for me, right?
AGENT SMITH
Whatever you want, Mr. Reagan.
Smith then speaks quietly to himself;
AGENT SMITH
I'll have you end up as a brain-dead
wino with no money living in a
cardboard box in an empty alley...
CYPHER
Huh?
AGENT SMITH
Nothing. I'll be sure to arrange
things for you, then.
Cypher takes a deep drink of wine.
CYPHER
Okay. You plug me back up to a
power plant, put me back into the
Matrix, and I'll get you whatever
you fucking want.
Again, Smith mumbles softly, saying what he really wants;
AGENT SMITH
Your head on a stake...
CYPHER
What??
AGENT SMITH
Uh, I said 'Your platter of steak'.
It looks tasty.
CYPHER
Oh, HELL YES. But, yeah, I'll get
you what you want.
AGENT SMITH
Access codes to Zion.
CYPHER
Dunno them myself, but I know the
man who DOES...
AGENT SMITH
Morpheus.
A waiter comes over and hands Cypher a receipt.
CYPHER
-the FUCK?! I thought this place
was designed to not have any
fucking PRICES on the food!
AGENT SMITH
Hmm-hmm...You're in OUR WORLD,
Mr. Reagan.
CYPHER
Aw, DAMMIT...
INT. MAIN DECK
Sweat dapples his lip as Han snaps out of the construct
coma.
HAN
Geez, I was wondering about that.
TANK
What?
HAN
Why do dogs have wet noses.
TANK
...I thought you'd want to know
why you're bald here and not in
the Matrix.
HAN
Residual Self Image. DUH...
TANK
Yeah... Now what's this?
He points to one of Han's monitors.
HAN
Life systems monitor, glucose
levels, bladder capacity...
MAN, I think I really have
to go to the bathroom in a
minute...
TANK
What's that?
HAN
Main power supply to the core.
He follows Tank to the operator's station where he points
to a red key-switch.
TANK
How about this?
HAN
Mainframe self-destruct. Uses all
remaining power to generate an
Electromagnetic Pulse blast.
'Stuff's like Kryptonite to the
Machines.
TANK
Yeah. That blast is our best
weapon against the machines. The
problem is if someone is still in
the Matrix when that thing goes
off, they're not coming back.
HAN
Well who'd be stupid enough to
do THAT when someone sets it off?
TANK
YOU...
HAN
Oh.
Morpheus comes up behind them.
MORPHEUS
How's he doing?
HAN
GAH! Oh-DAMMIT, DON'T SNEAK UP
ON ME LIKE THAT!!
TANK
We just finished the operation
programs and he's showing great
retention, Morpheus.
HAN
Retention?? Like Water Retention?
Tank smacks Han across the head for saying something so
stupid.
MORPHEUS
Thank you, Tank. I want everyone
alerted to 12-hour stand-by. We're
going in. Han, it's time for you to
know why you're here.
Morpheus walks away.
HAN
SWEET. Uh, what does he mean??
TANK
He's taking you into the Matrix to
see her.
HAN
Trinity? The hooker?
Tank slaps Han again.
TANK
The ORACLE, DUMBASS!
Han looks down at the monitor teeming with Matrix data
that seems to coalesce, equations giving way to images as
a METAL SCREAM RISES BECOMING --
EXT. CHICAGO (MATRIX) - DAY
An El train. AGAIN.
INT. HOTEL LAFAYETTE (MATRIX) - DAY
The room is empty, heavy curtains covering windows. It
looks as if it hasn't been touched in years. In the
bedroom with the cracked oval mirror an old black PHONE
begins to RING.
In the mirror, we first glimpse them and as we keep
TURNING, the room fills with equipment and the team.
Morpheus answers the phone.
MORPHEUS
We're in.
SOMEONE
Excuse me?? Who is this?
MORPHEUS
Sorry, wrong number.
He hangs it up, then dials the right number.
MORPHEUS
We're in.
He hangs it up cooly, as if he never messed up in the
first place. Han snickers quietly.
MORPHEUS
Mouse and Cable hold the exit.
Let's go.
INT. STAIRWELL (MATRIX) - DAY
Han follows the others down the stairwell that winds
around an antique elevator shaft.
HAN
Did you have to do this?
TRINITY
Yeah. It SUCKS, I know.
HAN
What did she tell you?
TRINITY
Lots of things.
HAN
Any of them true?
TRINITY
Some of them.
HAN
...WHAT are we talking about again??
Trinity does her best to contain her anger and keep
herself from punching him.
GIZMO
Were they good or bad?
TRINITY
There's no point in worrying.
Whatever is going to happen is
going to happen.
HAN
Ah, you're a Fatalist, huh?
They cross the old lobby. Switch and Apoc stop at the
doors.
MORPHEUS
We should be back in an hour.
HAN
Aww, MANNNN. I don't like doing
anything more than 15 minutes...
EXT. HOTEL LAFAYETTE (MATRIX) - DAY
Han squints into the sun that seems unnaturally bright.
He is the only one without sunglasses.
HAN
Sheesh, why can't I have a pair
of shades to look totally bad-ass?
MORPHEUS
Remember what I told you earlier?
'If you are not one of us, you are
one of them'? Do you understand what
that means?
HAN
The agents. They're sentient
programs. They can commandeer any
software hardwired to the
mainframe. Look, I'm NOT A
PRESCHOOLER.
MORPHEUS
Anyone that is still in a power
plant. That is why we try to be
invisible in the Matrix.
HAN
If you wanted to be invisible,
why not be a ninja??
MORPHEUS
Cypher and Trinity move away from them, securing the
perimeter. As Cypher passes a garbage can, he
surreptitiously drops something inside. Han saw it,
and he raises an eyebrow at Cypher.
CYPHER
You didn't see NOTHING...
HAN
...Okay.
It is a cellular phone and we watch the blue display as
the LINE CONNECTS.
An early 1970s, black Lincoln Continental emerges from a
corrugated roll-up garage. Morpheus and Han get in.
INT. LINCOLN CONTINENTAL (MATRIX) - DAY
An enormous man is waiting for them. A wad of chewing
tobacco bulges his cheek. He spits into a Coke can.
Han is disgusted at the sight.
MOJO
Morpheus, been a long time coming.
MORPHEUS
You're looking well, Mojo.
MOJO
And your hair is looking lustrous as usual.
Mojo coughs a brown, cankerous laugh, juice speckling his
chin and shirt. He stares at Han, who rolls his eyes.
MOJO
You bringing us geriatrics now,
Morpheus?
He spits and laughs again. Han REALLY wants to punch him.
MOJO
Guess you are looking for a
miracle.
EXT. BAR (MATRIX) - DAY
The Continental pulls up to a bar in the kind of
neighborhood where every corner has a pair of eyes. And ears. And teeth.
INT. BAR (MATRIX) - DAY
A lightless, lower-class bar. No one enters that is not
expected, except for that one time when a nun tragically walked
in...
The front doors open in a brilliant burst of sunlight as
Mojo leads Morpheus and Han inside. Han looks around,
his eyes adjusting to the darkness.
HAN
Man, this certainly looks friendly...
Mojo talks to the bartender, then looks over.
MOJO
All right, it's cool. Go on back.
They weave their way to the back of the bar, the STICKY
FLOOR SNAPPING under their FEET.
HAN
Aww, MAN, I STEPPED IN GUM!
A monolith of a man rises from his stool as they walk up.
REX
You're late.
He moves to the side, opening the heavy iron door behind
him. They descend the basement staircase toward the
single bare bulb at the bottom, hanging above the only
door. Every once in awhile Han would pause and try to
scrape the gum off the bottom of his left shoe.
HAN
Stupid sticky wad of crap!
INT. BASEMENT (MATRIX) - DAY
A high-tech laptop and modem are set up on a stack of
milk crates. Han waits as Morpheus types in a series of
access codes. After a moment the screen blinks, "Welcome
Morpheus." Bemused, he speaks.
MORPHEUS
Thank you.
After they walk away from the laptop, the screen quickly
blinks, "Up yours..."
Morpheus walks back to the same door they entered, but it
now leads into --
INT. TEMPLE OF ZION (MATRIX) - DAY
The walls and floors are polished marble. Han follows.
HAN
What kinda idiot just tosses gum
onto the floor? Haven't they ever
heard of a trash ca-HOLY CRAP!
How'd we get HERE?! Did I miss
something?
MORPHEUS
This is the temple. It is a part
of Zion's mainframe. It's hidden
inside the Matrix so that we can
access it.
HAN
Uh-...-HUH...Look, old man,
you DO understand that this is all
pointless, right? I'm not gonna
believe anything some stupid Oracle
tells me.
Morpheus, standing with his hands clasped behind his back,
looks over at Han, his eyes watching Han from behind his
dark glasses.
MORPHEUS
So tell me, Han...What DO you believe
in?
HAN
Well, according to you guys, this
world isn't real. So what IS there
to believe in??
MORPHEUS
That is the reason why I took you here.
Reason and logic do not apply to faith.
Faith is a matter of your heart. And I
have FAITH that YOU are the One.
HAN
Uh-HUH...What about the others? The
other guys before me?
Morpheus is silent for a second.
MORPHEUS
The...others. Yes...There were five
others before you. I believed that
each one of them had the potential
to be the One. But, sadly, each one
of them died...
HAN
THAT sucks.
MORPHEUS
I misunderstood what the Oracle had
told me. I thought that I could just
choose anyone I wanted and make them
the One. I was WRONG, and that mistake
cost five people their lives...
Two PRIESTESSES are waiting in the antechamber when Han
and Morpheus enter.
PRIESTESS
Hello, Morpheus. We've been
expecting you.
MORPHEUS
Okay, you're on your own. Go with
them.
HAN
Uh, sorry, I'm not Catholic...
They take Han by the arm, leading him down a hall into
another room, with Han complaining the whole way.
HAN
--And 'Saint' Mary can just
eat my shorts!
PRIESTESS
Wait here. Among the other
Potentials.
HAN
Po...Potentials?? What is this,
some kinda Hero Recruitment
Center for position of The One?
INT. ROOM OF POTENTIALS (MATRIX) - DAY
Han enters and finally understands the attention given to
his age. The Potentials are all little children...
HAN
Little brats...Heh heh, I feel
more mature around HERE...
To prove his point, he sticks his tongue out at one of
the kids, who runs away crying.
The room feels at once like a Buddhist temple and a
kindergarten class. The children's heads are either
shaved or thick with dreadlocks. Some are playing,
others meditating or practicing their gift.
Han watches a little girl levitate wooden alphabet
blocks. The blocks form the words 'Miss Cleo Sucks' and
'Oracle Rules'.
This joke brought to you by Legendary Frog.
A skinny BOY holds a SPOON which sways like a
blade of grass as he bends it with his mind.
Han crosses to him, sits.
The Boy smiles as Han picks up a spoon and tries to
imitate him. Despite his best efforts, Han cannot make
it bend. He begins to bang it on the floor and stuff
as the boy talks;
SPOON BOY
Your spoon does not bend because
it is just that, a spoon. Mine
bends because there is no spoon,
just my mind.
HAN
Uh-HUH...
Han watches as it curls into a knot.
SPOON BOY
Link yourself to the spoon.
Become the spoon and bend
yourself.
Han nods, again holding up his spoon.
HAN
There is no spoon. Right.
Become the spoon...Bend myself...
He concentrates. Eventually, it works, but Han
messed up and accidentally began bending HIMSELF...
His limbs twist in disturbing ways and his head bends
down at an angle.
HAN
OW-OW-OW-OW-OW...
Fortunately, a Priestess comes up and taps him on the
shoulder before Han does any permanent damage to himself.
PRIESTESS
The Oracle will see you now.
Spoon Boy smiles. Han growls at him.
INT. SHRINE (MATRIX) - DAY
Han enters nervously. Beneath his feet is a path of the
zodiac leading to marbled stairs that rise to a dais and
a three-legged throne. He cracks his shoulder into place,
his body still a tad bit twisted from the fiasco earlier.
The throne is empty.
HAN
...Yo?
A DISTANT FEMALE VOICE calls to him and he follows it up
the stairs. At the top of the dais, he smells something
cooking. He sniffs curiously.
HAN
Do I smell bacon?? Or something else?
Following the scent, he moves behind the pillars where he
finds an open door.
VOICE (O.S.)
Just come on in.
He walks through a vestibule where he sees a fabulous
moonstone headdress and velvet robes. A second door
leads into --
INT. ORACLE'S CHAMBERS (MATRIX) - DAY
It looks like a suburban tract house.
There is a lot of cozy furniture, a dining roon hutch
filled with china, shelves and tables crowded with
doilies, knick-knacks and ceramic brick-a-brack.
HAN
OOOOOKAY...
Han follows the plastic carpet runner to the kitchen.
A WOMAN is huddled beside the oven, peering inside
through the cracked door.
HAN
Yo?
ORACLE (WOMAN)
I know. You're Han. Be right
with you.
HAN
You're the Oracle? I expected a
CHICK...But...YOU'RE the Oracle?
I didn't expect an old HAG...So
YOU...are the Oracle?
ORACLE
Bingo. I got to say I love seeing
you non-believers. It's really a
relief. All that pomp and
circumstances just plain tucker me
out. Almost done. Smell good,
don't they?
HAN
Eh, I've smelled better.
ORACLE
I'd ask you to sit down, but
you're not going to anyway. And
don't worry about the vase.
HAN
What vase?
He turns to look around and his elbow knocks a VASE from
the table. It BREAKS against the linoleum floor.
ORACLE
The vase.
HAN
Ah. Okay. I won't worry, then.
She pulls out a tray of chocolate chip cookies and turns.
She is an older woman, wearing big oven mitts,
comfortable slacks and a print blouse. She looks like
someone's grandma.
ORACLE
I'll get one of my kids to fix it.
HAN
Heh, so, how did you know? You
some kinda Oracle? Oh, right...
She sets the cookie tray on a wooden hot-pad.
ORACLE
What's really going to bake your
noodle later on is, would you
still have broken it if I hadn't
said anything.
HAN
Man, that IS going to keep me
awake at night...
Smiling, she lights a cigarette.
ORACLE
You're cuter than I thought. I
don't know WHY she doesn't like
you...
HAN
You mean Trinity? The prostitute?
ORACLE
...NOW I see why she doesn't...
She sighs.
ORACLE
You know why Morpheus brought you
to see me?
HAN
DUH! Because I'm The CHOSEN ONE!
ORACLE
Do you really think so?
HAN
Eh. I COULD be.
She gestures to a wooden plaque, the kind every grandma
has, except that the words are in Pig Latin.
ORACLE
You know what that means? It's
Pig Latin. Means, 'Know thyself.'
She puts her cigarette down.
ORACLE
Well, let's have a look at you.
HAN
I don't have to take my shirt off
or anything, do I? 'Cause I'm not
into that kinda stuff.
She widens his eyes, checks his ears, then feels the
glands in his neck.
HAN
What is this? How can you tell if
someone's The One by giving them
a check-up? I feel like I'm at
my doctor's office...Except I don't
get any lollipop...
ORACLE
Open your mouth. Say, 'ahhh.'
Han sighs, then does so.
She nods then looks at his palms.
ORACLE
Hmmm. You sure got the gift, but
it's tricky. I'd say the bad news
is, you're not the one. Still got
a lot to learn. Maybe next life.
HAN
Uh, thanks, I guess...But, uh, is
there any GOOD news?
ORACLE
Same as the bad news, you're not
The One. You're actually The Two.
Almost as good as The One, but not
quite.
HAN
Oh, THAT'S cheerful. Izzat all?
ORACLE
No. Here.
She picks up the tray of cooling cookies.
ORACLE
You better take a cookie. Got a
big day ahead of you.
HAN
Oh JOY...Man, you really ARE a
Grandma-type of person...
He eyes her, then takes a cookie.
ORACLE
Make a believer out of you yet.
You have alot to do.
HAN
Got a big day ahead of me, eh?
You mean like how I'm gonna be
ambushed by Agents?
The Oracle's eyes widen, wondering how he knew. Han nods,
HAN
I read ahead in the script.
INT. ANTECHAMBER (MATRIX) - DAY
Morpheus rises from a bench as the Priestess escorts Han
out. When they are alone, Morpheus puts his hand on
Han's shoulder.
MORPHEUS
You don't have to tell me
anything, Han, because I already
know what she said.
HAN
Yeah, a guy can feel really down
when he's told he's not The One.
I'm actually The Two. I don't care
what she says; being The Two is
great because it's TWICE as good as
The One.
MORPHEUS
I brought you so that you could
hear it for yourself. I knew it
would help.
Han finishes his cookie. He mumbles something about
'bad cooking'.
MORPHEUS
No one will ever ask you because
it is a gift from her. It is for
you and you alone.
HAN
Sheesh, you're getting cryptic again.
EXT. CITY STREET (MATRIX) - DAY
Storm clouds shroud the streets as the sky turns
jaundice.
Cypher nervously glances down the surrounding streets.
He notices several unmarked white vans.
He mops the sweat from his forehead, when Trinity sees
the black Lincoln.
TRINITY
Here they come.
INT. MAIN DECK
In the hovercraft, we see the sweat rolling down Cypher's
face and neck.
Tank is typing rapidly at the keyboard.
TANK
Weird. This area never has this
much activity. Oh well, at least
this will be more interesting
than that faked nude photo of
Trinity I got ripped off on from
E-Bay.
EXT. HOTEL LAFAYETTE (MATRIX) - DAY
Apoc opens the side door and they enter the hotel.
INT. ROOM 1313 (MATRIX) - DAY
Mouse's CELLULAR RINGS. He answers it in his usual
manner that he uses just to confuse people who call him.
MOUSE
Welcome to Movie-Phone. Press 1 for
'The Matrix', press 2 for 'Manos',
press 3 for-
TANK (V.O.)
They're on their way.
MOUSE
Right.
The phone flips shut as he jumps up.
MOUSE
Let's get to work.
INT. HOTEL LAFAYETTE (MATRIX) - DAY
Light filters down the throat of the building through a
caged skylight at the top of the open elevator shaft.
Four figures glide up the dark stairs that wind around
the antique elevator.
Han notices a black cat, a yellow-green-eyed shadow that
slinks past them and pads quickly down the stairs.
A moment later, Han sees another black cat that looks and
moves identically to the first one.
HAN
Whoa. Deja vu.
Those words stop the others dead in their tracks.
INT. MAIN DECK
The monitors suddenly glitch as though the Matrix had an
electronic seizure.
TANK
Oh, shit! Oh, shit! Shitshitshitshit!
Boy, I LOVE saying 'Shit'...
INT. HOTEL LAFAYETTE (MATRIX) - DAY
Trinity turns around, her face tight.
TRINITY
What did you just say?
HAN
Just 'Deja Vu'. Weird word, isn't it?
TRINITY
What happened? What did you see?
HAN
A black cat went past us and then
I saw another that looked just
like it. Heh heh. 'Deja Vu'.
Sounds like some kinda Witch Doctor.
TRINITY
How much like it? Was it the same
cat? Was it the Meow-Mix Cat?!
HAN
It looked exactly the same as the
previous one. Come on, let's go.
What does it matter, anyway?
Trinity looks at Morpheus, who listens quietly to the
rasping breath of the old building.
HAN
...What?
TRINITY
A deja vu is usually a glitch in
the Matrix. It happens when they
change something.
HAN
So? Everything changes all the time.
Except the Hershey bar! Unchanged
since...uh, I forgot.
She also listens as the staccato BEAT of HELICOPTER
BLADES GROW ominously LOUDER.
INT. MAIN DECK
Tank sees what was changed.
TANK
It's a trap! Somebody set us
up da bomb!
INT. STAIRCASE (MATRIX) - DAY
Morpheus looks up the stairs as a helicopter shadow
passes over the clouded glass.
MORPHEUS
Come on!
INT. ROOM 1313 (MATRIX) - DAY
Cable goes to the draped windows.
CABLE
Did you just feel something weird?
MOUSE
Yeah...Kinda like when I get a rash.
The CELLULAR RINGS.
INT. BASEMENT (MATRIX) - DAY
Heavy bolt-cutters snap through the main phone cable.
INT. ROOM 1313 (MATRIX) - DAY
Mouse answers the phone.
MOUSE
What's going on?
TANK (V.O.)
They cut the hard-line! It's a
trap! Get out!
Cable yanks open the curtain.
CABLE
Oh, no. Oh SHIT.
The windows are bricked up.
INT. HALL (MATRIX) - DAY
The door to the roof explodes open as heavily-armed men
rush towards room 1313.
INT. MAIN DECK
Tank watches helplessly.
TANK
No, no, no.
INT. ROOM 1313 (MATRIX) - DAY
The door slams open and the police force pours in, dozens
of assault rifles surrounding Mouse and Cable who are
armed with only handguns.
CABLE
Morpheus! It's a trap --
INT. STAIRS (MATRIX) - DAY
Morpheus stops as the scream is drowned by the REPORT of
MACHINE GUNS filling the building with a terrible fury.
TRINITY
Oh, God. Oh, Buddha. Oh Allah! Oh-
MORPHEUS
SHUT UP, TRINITY.
INT. MAIN DECK
Mouse's body thrashes against its harness as --
INT. ROOM 1313 (MATRIX) - DAY
BULLETS POUND him against the blood-splattered brick
window. Gun smoke thickens the room, Cable blasting and
moving until --
The HAMMER CLICKS empty. He screams as a DOZEN GUNS OPEN
FIRE, ripping him apart.
INT. MAIN DECK
Blood spits from Cable's mouth, his body spasming, then
lying perfectly still.
The flat-line ALARM softly cries out from the life
MONITORS of the two dead men.
EXT. HOTEL LAFAYETTE (MATRIX) - DAY
More police cars arrive as cops break open the lobby
doors.
INT. STAIRWELL (MATRIX) - DAY
Flying downstairs, Morpheus stops, hearing the police
swarming below. He turns and rushes down the hall of the
eighth floor. At the end of it, he finds the bricked-up
windows.
CYPHER
Shit! The windows are blocked! That's
what they changed!
The sound of heavy BOOT-STEPS close around them with the
mechanical sureness of a vice.
MORPHEUS
Give me your phone.
TRINITY
They'll be able to track it.
MORPHEUS
We have no choice.
TRINITY
Hey, you remind me of that Verizon guy...
MORPHEUS
What?
INT. MAIN DECK
Tank answers the call.
MORPHEUS (V.O.)
Tank, find a structural drawing of
this building and find it fast. Or
just draw one by hand, but if you do,
make sure you draw a smiley-face sun
and some flowers.
His fingers pound the keyboard.
INT. LAFAYETTE (MATRIX) - DAY
Flashlights probe the rotting darkness as the police
search every floor.
INT. MAIN DECK
The diagram windows onto the screen.
TANK
Got it.
MORPHEUS (V.O.)
I need the main wet-wall.
TANK
Haha. 'Wet-Wall'. Sounds like some
kinda watersp-
MORPHEUS (V.O.)
Tank?
TANK
Yes?
MORPHEUS (V.O.)
Just shut the hell up and do it.
TANK
Sorry...
INT. HALL (MATRIX) - DAY
Agent Smith pauses, his hand going to his earpiece.
INT. ROOM 808 (MATRIX) - DAY
Morpheus is guided by Tank.
TANK (V.O.)
Now left and that's it in front of
you...I think.
MORPHEUS
You THINK? Dammit, Tank!
TANK (V.O.)
Hey, I'm only human! I'm not some
stupid know-it-all like you!
MORPHEUS
Hey, don't make me come through this phone
line and go all Matrix on your ass, Tank!
IS THIS IT OR NOT?
TANK (V.O.)
I-I guess so. Yeah! Yeah...
MORPHEUS
Good.
He cuts off the phone.
INT. HALL (MATRIX) - DAY
Agent Smith hears the LINE CLICK dead.
AGENT SMITH
Eighth floor. They're on the
eighth floor.
INT. HALL (MATRIX) - DAY
Agent Brown hears Smith on his earphone.
AGENT BROWN
Eighth floor! Move!
He runs ahead of his men, but they stampede over him.
INT. STAIRWELL (MATRIX) - DAY
Cops flood the eighth floor, rushing everywhere.
INT. ROOM 808 (MATRIX) - DAY
Several cops sweep through the room. It is empty. As
they pass the bathroom, we see a man-sized hole smashed
through the plaster and lathe.
INT. WALL (MATRIX) - DAY
They are inside the main plumbing wall, slowly worming
their way down the greasy, black stack pipes.
Above them, light fills the hole they made to get inside.
INT. HALL (MATRIX) - DAY
Brown turns to Smith. He stammers for some reason.
AGENT BROWN
Whabro hlsjeou onwou?
Smith stares at him like he's insane, which he probably is.
AGENT BROWN
Sorry. Glitch. Ahem Umm...
I mean, where are they?
INT. ROOM 608 (MATRIX) - DAY
The cops search in silence, straining for a clue, when
one hears SOMETHING STRANGE near the bathroom.
COP
UGH, I HATE public bathrooms...
INT. WALL (MATRIX) - DAY
Cypher has slipped and is wedged between the wall and
several thick supply pipes.
CYPHER
DAMN THIS SUCKS...
INT. ROOM 608 (MATRIX) - DAY
The Cop leans in, his ear almost against the thin
membrane of plaster separating them. He can hear
WHISPERS, HISSES and a GRUNT when --
The WALL suddenly bulges, SHATTER-CRACKING as the Cop
realizes --
COP
They're in the walls! The walls!
OTHER COP
Man, why did I become a cop? I
could've been an accountant like
my mom wanted, but NOOOOO...
INT. WALL (MATRIX) - DAY
Han pulls Cypher free just as the Cop OPENS FIRE --
BULLETS PUNCHING shafts of light like swords into the box
of soot-black space.
INT. ROOM 608 (MATRIX) - DAY
The Cop keeps FIRING, his flashlight strapped to his gun
barrel, lighting up the wall until --
A BULLET spits out his forehead. Agent Smith watches the
BODY fall with a THUD. For some reason he speaks not to
the other cops but to the dead guy, as if berating the cop for
getting himself killed.
AGENT SMITH
Are orders that hard to follow?
I'll say it again. Morpheus must
be taken alive. Understand?
Stupid bunch of kindergarteners...
INT. WALL (MATRIX) - DAY
They're almost falling, they're climbing so fast.
Above them, plaster is smashed open as crumbling bits
shower down on them, filling the crawlway with dust.
INT. ROOM 608 (MATRIX) - DAY
Agent Smith looks into the open wall, at the exposed
intestines of the building, and realizes where they are
going.
AGENT SMITH
...Like rodents. Like Mickey Mouse.
Wait, what am I SAYING?
INT. WALL (MATRIX) - DAY
Just below, a RIFLE-BUTT SMASHES open the WALL, light
raking across the lathe.
COP
I got him! I got him!
Trinity finds her gun first. BULLET-HOLES POP out the
WALL as she STRAFES the room, sending cops diving for
cover.
They continue, Trinity exposed for a moment, when a
creeping cop smashes a fist through and grabs a fistful
of her hair.
He starts to yank her out when Han pulls out his gun
and pops a cap through the cop's skull. A THUD is heard
as the cop's body falls to the floor.
They then quickly sink out of sight.
INT. BASEMENT (MATRIX) - DAY
This part of the basement, a dark concrete cavern, was
the main mechanical room. There are four enormous
boilers, dinosaur-like technology that once pumped hot
water like arteries.
Black and bloody, they squeeze out from the ceiling into
the tangled web of pipes.
Their enemies are waiting for them.
Blinding lights cut open the darkness as gas-masked
figures FIRE GRENADE LAUNCHERS.
Smoke blossoms from the green-metal canisters.
Morpheus never stops moving. Searching the floor, he
finds what he needs; the cover of the catch basin.
Cypher watches him pry open the grate, when a gas can
bounces near him.
MORPHEUS
Come on!
Cypher seems to trip as the cloud envelops him.
INT. MAIN DECK
Cypher's body begins to shiver uncontrollably.
TANK
Nerve gas. Ewwww...
INT. BASEMENT (MATRIX) - DAY
Morpheus watches Cypher disappear into the smoke then
follows the others down the wet-black hole.
INT. CATCH BASIN (MATRIX) - DAY
They crawl through greasy black water in a three foot
diameter pipe that feeds into the sewer main.
INT. BASEMENT (MATRIX) - DAY
Gas-masked apparitions find the open hole.
EXT. HOTEL LAFAYETTE (MATRIX) - DAY
Cypher is carried out, hand-cuffed, his body still
shaking, mucus bubbling out his nose. As he is led past
Agent Smith, it almost seems that both men smile.
AGENT SMITH
We have them now...And wipe his nose,
for god's sake.
INT. SEWER MAIN (MATRIX) - DAY
Han punches out the screen and then spills down into the
main water trough.
Oily water forms around them as they wade across the man-
made underground river, towards the service catwalk.
Han is about to pull himself out when he sees them coming.
HAN
WUH-oh...
Flashlights and laser sites sweep at them as cops in
helmets and heavy armor, looking more machine than human,
fill both ends of the tunnel.
There is a single manhole cover above them.
Morpheus whispers to Trinity.
MORPHEUS
You have to get Han out.
Understand? That's all that
matters now.
TRINITY
That stupid kid? Look, Morpheus,
dont'--
MORPHEUS
He must get out. Do you
understand me?
She nods reluctantly.
A fountain of water erupts as Morpheus leaps for the manhole
ladder, his coat flying open like the wings of a manta
ray.
COP 1
There he is! That's him!
That's Laurence Fishburne!
COP 2
Wait, aren't we supposed to be
going after Morpheus?
COP 1
Same guy, dude.
Pools of light wash over Morpheus as he hauls himself to the
surface.
COP
He's heading for the street!
Trinity urges the others to follow her. Grabbing Han,
they wade quietly away from the chaos.
EXT. STREET (MATRIX) - DAY
Morpheus shoots out of the sewer but the police are
waiting for him. The closest cop is armed with a
tranquilizer gun. He fires --
But Morpheus' is too fast, leaping sideways, then
almost pouncing forward at the cop. He grabs hold
of the man's gun arm and twists it entirely the wrong
way, breaking the bones like twigs.
The cop screams in pain, then collapses.
The cops lunge at Morpheus but every part of his body is a
deadly weapon moving with impossible speed.
It seems he might fight his way out when he throws a
spinning back fist that is caught by --
Agent Smith.
AGENT SMITH
So, we meet at last.
MORPHEUS
Uh-HUH...And you are...?
AGENT SMITH
Smith. I am Agent Smith. Pleased
to meet you.
Smith waves his arm back, motioning to the other cops.
AGENT SMITH
That's Dave. And that's John. And
over there's Caleb.
Morpheus and the cops exchange hellos and shake hands politely.
MORPHEUS
Pleased to meet you all. Now, where
were we?
AGENT SMITH
I caught your fist and we were about
to fight.
MORPHEUS
Ah yes. All of you Agents look the same
to me. Just like I can't tell Chinese
from Japanese people...
AGENT SMITH
I can't tell you how much I've been
waiting for this moment.
MORPHEUS
You just did.
AGENT SMITH
Oh...
Faster than a snake spits, Morpheus cracks Smith with a
jaw-breaking right.
MORPHEUS
I have been waiting for this moment
as well, Smith.
Agent Smith smiles, then flips directly over Morpheus.
Morpheus turns around to attack Smith once he lands,
but somehow the Agent shifts his body in mid-air and
lands a hard kick on Morpheus' face before landing.
INT. SEWER MAIN (MATRIX) - DAY
Trinity leads the others, fading into the darkness of the
tunnel, lit only with shafts of lights streaming through
the street drains as we RISE TOWARDS them --
THROUGH a grate INTO the fight.
EXT. STREET (MATRIX) - DAY
Smith and Morpheus exchange a furious serious of blows
that is witnessed but not believed by the surrounding
police.
COP 1 (DAVE)
...I think I'm on drugs.
COP 2 (CALEB)
I think I'm insane...
COP 3 (JOHN)
I think I'm Keanu Reeves!
Agent Smith delivers a punishing kick that staggers
Morpheus.
AGENT SMITH
You can't win. You can NEVER win.
And winners DON'T do drugs, understood?
Morpheus smiles.
MORPHEUS
Winning is all that matters.
He stands up and drops his fists; a steely resolve in his
eyes.
AGENT SMITH
Take him.
Cops swarm over Morpheus.
INT. MAIN DECK
Tank reaches out to the screen as if reaching for
Morpheus.
TANK
No! Aw, dammit, everything's
going wrong today!
EXT. HOTEL LAFAYETTE (MATRIX) - DAY
Cuffed and beaten, Morpheus is thrown into a caged
transport vehicle. The DOOR CLANGS shut.
Agent Jones finds Agent Smith.
AGENT JONES
The others were lost.
AGENT SMITH
Dammit, Jones, I TOLD you to give them
maps!
AGENT JONES
No, I mean they were killed.
AGENT SMITH
OH...
AGENT JONES
Yeah...
AGENT SMITH
You've taken care of Reagan?
Agent Jones nods.
AGENT SMITH
Then the others do not matter.
AGENT JONES
Understood.
AGENT SMITH
And next time, give your men maps
so they won't get lost.
AGENT JONES
...Whatever.
EXT. STREET (MATRIX) - DAY
A manhole cover cracks open. Two eyes peek out just as a
TRUCK RATTLES over it. The THUNDER DOPPLERS AWAY and the
cover opens.
Han, Trinity, Switch and Apoc climb out. Trinity pulls a
water-logged phone from her pocket.
TRINITY
Shit, we need a new phone now.
And this one was just 2 days away
from retirement...
SWITCH
You watch too much of that Simpsons
show, Trin.
INT. MAIN DECK
Tank is again at the monitors, searching the Matrix.
TANK
We gotta find the others. They're
still alive.
The PHONE RINGS.
TANK
Operator.
CYPHER (V.O.)
I need an exit! Fast!
TANK
-the HELL? Izzat you, Cypher?
I thought they had you.
EXT. STREET (MATRIX) - DAY
Cypher is standing at a public phone. Across the street
is the burning paddy wagon that appears to have collided
with an oncoming car.
CYPHER
There was an accident. A fucking
car accident. All of a sudden.
Boom. They're all dead. Shit
everywhere, man!
INT. MAIN DECK
Dozer spots the wreck.
DOZER
There he is.
TANK
I got you.
CYPHER (V.O.)
Just get me outta here.
EXT. STREET (MATRIX) - DAY
TANK (V.O.)
Nearest exit is Franklin and Erie.
An old appliance store.
Cypher hangs up and smiles as the fire trucks arrive.
CYPHER
Fucking RETARDS. Hahah.
INT. MAIN DECK
The PHONE RINGS. Tank answers.
TANK
Sighs Operator.
TRINITY (V.O.)
Tank, it's me.
EXT. STREET (MATRIX) - DAY
They are outside a pawn shop. Trinity has a new cellular.
TRINITY
We need an exit! Fast!
TANK (V.O.)
Gotcha. You're not far from
Cypher.
TRINITY
What the hell? I thought Cypher--
TANK (V.O.)
So did we. That boy's got the
Devil's luck apparently.
I sent him to Franklin and
Erie. Gave 'im bad directions
on purpose as a joke.
TRINITY
Nice.
She hangs up.
EXT. STREET (MATRIX) - DAY
Running, Cypher turns onto Erie. He stumbles over a
trash can and shoves an old lady out of the way.
INT. APPLIANCE STORE (MATRIX) - DAY
Dead machines, eviscerated and shrouded with dust lay on
metal shelves like bodies in a morgue.
Plywood covering a small window is ripped off and Cypher
crawls inside.
Deep in the back room, a PHONE that has not rung in years
begins to RING.
INT. MAIN DECK
Tank punches the emit command.
TANK
Got him.
Cypher's body twitches in its harness, jerking itself
awake. His eyes blink open. Dozer unplugs him.
DOZER
System check looks fine.
Cypher stands, a raspy cough spewing from his lungs.
DOZER
Take a cough drop, man.
EXT. STREET (MATRIX) - DAY
Trinity sees the appliance shop.
INT. MAIN DECK
Cypher holds his chest.
DOZER
You okay?
CYPHER
Goddamn gas. My lungs are killing
me.
He crosses to an overhead bin.
CYPHER
We got any pain killers? Tylenol?
DOZER
Only Nyquil. Sorry. No pain killers.
CYPHER
DAMN...
As Dozer stoops for a cabinet, Cypher pulls back a heavy
blanket exposing a plasma rifle.
INT. APPLIANCE STORE (MATRIX) - DAY
Han crawls through the window that Cypher opened.
INT. MAIN DECK
Tank finishes loading the exit programs as Cypher rises
behind him, swinging the weapon at his back.
He looks over as Dozer turns with the first aid kit, a
look of frozen disbelief crossing his face --
DOZER
No!
Tank spins as red hot wads of PLASMA EXPLODE through his
chair and into his back. Diving, a second BURST tears up
his side --
As Dozer shoots a look at the monitor where Tank was
working. He stabs the enter command activating the exit
sequence and ducks under a BARRAGE of PLASMA FIRE-
INT. APPLIANCE STORE (MATRIX) - DAY
The PHONE begins to RING as the others crawl in.
SWITCH
God, I love that sound.
HAN
Going to phones like this, I feel
like Clark Kent...'Faster than a
speeding bullet!' Heh heh.
SWITCH
Shaddup.
INT. MAIN DECK
Dozer rolls up, grabbing a heavy crowbar from a box of
tools.
Cypher circles the drive chairs as the sights of the
plasma rifle find Dozer's face.
DOZER
SHIT...
Dozer charges, screaming, and the PLASMA RIFLE SCREAMS
back.
INT. APPLIANCE STORE (MATRIX) - DAY
The PHONE is still RINGING.
TRINITY
You first, Han.
Han answers the phone when there is a CLICK. There is no
signal. Nothing but silence.
TRINITY
What happened?
HAN
It just went dead. Doesn't ANYTHING
work around here?
Trinity listens to the dead line and takes out the
cellular.
INT. MAIN DECK
The operator PHONE begins to RING- Cypher steps over the
body of Tank and looks at the monitor.
INT. APPLIANCE STORE (MATRIX) - DAY
Trinity can almost feel him watching them. Every
unanswered RING wrings her gut a little tighter, until --
CYPHER (V.O.)
Hello, Trinity.
TRINITY
What the hell are YOU doing, Cypher?
Where's Tank?
CYPHER (V.O.)
He had an accident. Tripped and went
BOOM. Hahaha.
TRINITY
What? Is Dozer there?
INT. MAIN DECK
He walks over to Trinity's body, staring down at it
hanging in its coma-like stillness.
CYPHER
You know, I was in love with
you, Trinity. I thought you felt
the same way about me, but you
didn't. I used to dream about
you at night, you know? You and
I, alone on a tropical island
eating pickles from coconut monkey
heads while painting pictures
of-----
TRINITY (V.O.)
...WHAT?
CYPHER
...THAT didn't make any sense. Okay,
never mind about the dreams.
He nuzzles his face against hers, feeling the softness of
it.
CYPHER
You are a beautiful woman. Too
bad things had to work out like
this. We could've had something
special.
We INTERCUT BETWEEN the appliance store and the main
deck.
TRINITY
You BASTARD. You KILLED THEM...
APOC
What?! Who did?
SWITCH
Oh SHIT...
HAN
Well THAT isn't very nice...
Wearing Tank's operator headgear, Cypher moves among the
silent bodies.
CYPHER
In a way you're very lucky. Most
people never know why they die.
One minute they're alive, the next
they're dead. No warning.
Nothing. That's why I thought
maybe I should tell you. It
seemed the least I could do.
He stands over the body of Morpheus, as his anger boils
up out of him.
CYPHER
You see, what you people don't
realize is that it's OVER! The
war is OVER! And you know what?
We LOST! This whole mission
we've been doing is POINTLESS!
TRINITY
What about Zion? What about US?
The ones who know the truth about
the Matrix? We're trying to fight
against the Machines to take back
what we lost!
CYPHER
Zion? Zion is a part of this
delusion. More of this madness.
That's why this has to be done.
It has to end. Now and forever.
The Machines WON. And they ALWAYS
will.
She suddenly sees the entire dark plan.
TRINITY
Oh my God. This is about Zion.
You sold us out for the access
codes to Zion...You gave them
MORPHEUS, you BASTARD!
Cypher walks away from Morpheus and bends down next to
Apoc's body.
CYPHER
You see, babe, we have a place in
the future, in the MATRIX.
TRINITY
The Matrix isn't real! It's all
just a big charade!
CYPHER
Oh, I don't think so, Trinity. I think
the Matrix in itself is actually
more real than this world. Pull
a plug here, and in there a man's
LIFE ENDS.
He grabs hold of the cable in Apoc's neck, twists it and
yanks it out. Cypher chuckles softly.
CYPHER
Now, YOU tell ME which is real.
Apoc seems to go blind for an instant, a scream caught in
his throat, his hands reaching for nothing, and then
falls dead. Switch screams. Han stares in shock.
CYPHER
Welcome to the real world, right?
He laughs.
TRINITY
Mark my words, Cypher, you're gonna
PAY FOR THIS.
CYPHER
Pay for it? I'm not even going to
remember it. It'll be like it
never happened. I got nothing to
worry about then. The Machines are
gonna jack me back into the Matrix
and erase my memories. I'll be richer
than God, living in a mansion with
a swimming pool, everything. Better
than living in a goddamn hovercraft
spending every waking hour running
from the Machines.
His hand slides around the neck of Switch as he takes
hold of her plug.
CYPHER
Tell Switch that this is a gift from
ME...I'm gonna free her from this world
once and for all.
TRINITY
Hey, Switch, Cypher's gonna give you
a---Wait, WHAT?!
She suddenly feels her body severed from her mind as she
is murdered.
TRINITY
DAMN YOU, CYPHER!
HAN
I never DID like the guy...
CYPHER
Don't shoot the messenger, Trin.
And I'm going to prove that the
message is true.
He stands over Han's limp body, who's mind is in another
world.
CYPHER
If Han really IS The One, then I
shouldn't be able to pull this plug,
right?
Trinity turns to Han, eyes wide with fear, and he knows he is
next.
HAN
CRAP...Hey, I'm just The TWO...
CYPHER
Suppose for a second that Morpheus
is right; that Han IS the One. Then
that means that I can't kill him.
I won't be able to pull this plug
because some kind of shitty miracle
will happen to stop me. I mean, how
can he be the fucking ONE if he's
DEAD, huh?
TRINITY
Cypher, you don't wanna do this!
Han IS the One and he WILL save us!
CYPHER
Let's find out then...
He takes hold of the cord when --
She hears an EXPLOSION and a scream.
Cypher is on the ground, his left leg blown off at the
knee. He rolls over and finds Tank on the ground, and
the sights of the plasma rifle.
TANK
HAH. A miracle DID happen...
Even though Han and Trinity are one the other side of the
phone, they know what happened.
HAN
It's Tank! He's alive. Cool!
Cypher lunges for Han's plug just as Tank BLOWS his head
off.
INT. APPLIANCE STORE (MATRIX) - DAY
They're both listening, trying to figure out what is
happening when the store PHONE starts to RING.
Trinity smiles. Han sighs in relief.
TRINITY
We should hurry now.
HAN
Yeah. I suppose. Stupid Cypher...
INT. MAIN DECK
Trinity's eyes open, a sense of relief surging through
her at the sight of the ship. As Tank unplugs her, she
sees his charred wounds.
TRINITY
Tank, you're hurt.
TANK
Eh. I'll just walk it off.
TRINITY
Dozer?
Tank's face tightens.
TRINITY
I'm sorry, Tank. I'm really sorry.
EXT. NIKO HOTEL (MATRIX) - DAY
A Japanese luxury hotel in downtown Chicago.
A military helicopter sets down on the roof. Heavily
armed Marines begin to deploy.
Agent Jones gets out of the helicopter, flanked by
columns of Marines. They open the roof access door
and enter the top-floor maintenance level of the hotel.
INT. TOP FLOOR (MATRIX) - DAY
They get in the elevator. At every door, at least two
Marines stop and post guard.
INT. HALL (MATRIX) - DAY
They exit the elevator and walk to the Presidential
suite; the final two Marines post guard.
INT. PRESIDENTIAL SUITE (MATRIX) - DAY
Inside, he finds Agent Smith.
AGENT JONES
There is a problem. Reagan has
failed to secure the hardware.
We never should've trusted the
human.
Agent Smith stares out the window.
AGENT SMITH
Damn sacks of flesh and bone...
AGENT JONES
But if Reagan has failed, why
haven't they pulled the plug?
AGENT SMITH
Haven't you learned by now, that
it is impossible to understand why
they do the things they do? Just
like girls...Cooties.
He turns. Jones raises an eyebrow, wondering what the
hell Smith was talking about.
AGENT SMITH
Continue as planned. Trace his
signal to locate their position
and deploy an extermination unit.
Morpheus is handcuffed to a chair, stripped to the waist.
He is bleeding from numerous wounds and is pumped full of
serum, alternately shivering and sweating. He is hooked
up to various monitors with white disk electrodes.
Agent Brown begins running a trace program.
INT. MAIN DECK
Han looks at Morpheus whose body is covered with a cold
sweat.
HAN
Boy, looks like he's really in
some deep crap...
TANK
They're cracking his mind.
HAN
Really? How?
TANK
They inject virus-like serums to
break down the system. It's like
cracking a computer. All it takes
is time.
HAN
WEIRD. Uh, how long do you think
it would take?
TANK
Depends. But when they DO, his alpha
pattern will change. Here, lemme show
you an example.
Tank punches several commands on Morpheus' personal unit.
The monitor waves change from a chaotic pattern to an
orderly symmetrical one. Han stares at the waves absent-
mindedly, his eyes transfixed by the screen.
HAN
Guuuuhhhhh...
Tank looks at Han questioningly. He waves his right hand in
front of Han's face, up and down.
TANK
Hey, snap out of it, Hanny boy.
Han does. He shakes his head a bit and wipes some drool from
his chin.
HAN
Uh, YEAH, sure, I'd like some cornbread.
Interesting screensaver ya got here.
TANK
...WHATEVER.
Trinity rolls her eyes, almost unable to believe how stupid
Han is.
TANK
Anyways, when the old man's pattern
DOES change to that, he'll crack like
an egg and tell them whatever the hell
those Agent bastards wanna know.
HAN
CRAP. That CAN'T BE GOOD.
They'll get what they want then.
The access codes to Zion.
TANK
If an agent got inside Zion's
mainframe he could do anything.
Disable the defense system. It
would be the end of us.
He looks up at Trinity who is pacing relentlessly.
TANK
We can't let that happen. We have
to do it, Trinity. Zion has to be
protected.
HAN
DUHHHHH.
TANK
Shaddup, Han.
Trinity sees Cypher's dead body. Rage overtakes her and
she starts kicking him. Han joins her gleefully.
TRINITY
Goddamnit! Goddamnit!
TANK
We have to pull the plug.
TRINITY
No!
HAN
Oh, COME ONNN, Trin.
TANK
We don't have any other choice.
Those words are like using gasoline to put out a fire and
we watch the pain in her eyes burn into a blaze. She
walks past him and gets into her chair.
TANK
Trinity, what are you doing?
TRINITY
I'm going in after him.
TANK
Morpheus could conform at any
minute --
TRINITY
If he does I'm sure you'll do what
has to be done.
TANK
You saw that place. It's suicide.
She glares at him. Han watches confusedly.
TANK
I know what Morpheus means to
you --
TRINITY
I'm NOT LETTING HIM GO WITHOUT
A FIGHT.
HAN
SWEET.
Trinity yanks her harness tight.
TRINITY
Not without a fight.
INT. PRESIDENTIAL SUITE (MATRIX) - DAY
Agent Smith stands in the bedroom of the enormous suite,
staring out the windows at the city below, shimmering
with brilliant sunlight.
AGENT SMITH
Have you ever stopped and wondered
at it's majesty? It's perfection?
The Matrix is the epitome of technology,
the ultimate virtual-reality...and
the ultimate prison. A prison for the
minds of humans, designed to fool them
into believing the illusion. It's the
perfect deception; 99 of humans would
simply reject the idea, thinking
it too ridiculous to be true.
Agent Brown sucks a serum from a glass vial, filling a
hypodermic needle.
AGENT SMITH
And this isn't the first Matrix.
The first one was created to be
the perfect world for humanity; a
place where nobody would have to
suffer. No more sadness, only pure
happiness. The perfect world.
Agent Smith turns around briefly to look at Morpheus.
AGENT SMITH
...It was a DISASTER. Nobody would
accept the illusion. We lost thousands
of subjects. Entire crops.
Agent Brown jams the needle into Morpheus' shoulder, and
plunges down.
AGENT SMITH
There were those of us who thought
we lacked the proper programming
to create your perfect world. But
I believe they were wrong. Humans
immerse themselves into sadness,
suffering and misery. They won't
feel they're alive unless
they can define it through pain.
Sad, isn't it?
Agent Brown studies the screens as the life signs react
violently to the injection.
AGENT SMITH
It was a perfect dream world, but
it became a failure. Which was why
the Matrix was re-designed to this;
the so-called peak of your civilization.
He turns from the window.
AGENT SMITH
'Your' civilization...But humanity
is too infantile to control itself,
so we have to start thinking for you.
Thus, it becomes OUR civilization,
not your's. You humans are powerless
to control your destiny. And that,
my dear human, is what this is all
about.
He sits down directly in front of Morpheus.
AGENT SMITH
CHANGE, Morpheus.
He lifts Morpheus' head.
AGENT SMITH
Look out that window; you can see it.
You've HAD your time. The time of your
race is OVER.
Morpheus stares hard at him, trying hard not to show the
pain racking his mind.
AGENT SMITH
The future is our world, Morpheus.
The future is our time. EVERYTHING
is OURS. The Matrix has you now.
INT. MAIN DECK
Han goes to his chair and begins strapping in.
TRINITY
What do you think you're doing?
HAN
A chick like you couldn't do
something like this by yourself.
I'm coming with you.
TRINITY
Morpheus sacrificed himself so
you could escape. No way.
There's no way you're going back
in.
HAN
That loon did what he did because
he believed that I'm something that
I'm not.
TRINITY
What the hell are you saying?
HAN
The Oracle told me that I'm not
The One. I'm not HIM. I'm only
The Two.
Trinity is stunned.
HAN
She said that I have the gift, but
that I still have a lot to learn.
I felt insulted...
TRINITY
Did you tell Morpheus?
HAN
Why? It wouldn't mean anything.
He'd still believe what he wanted
to believe. But Morpheus is the
one that matters. He's more
important than me and we both know
it.
He straps in.
HAN
I may not be what Morpheus thinks
I am, but dang it if I ain't gonna
try to be it for his sake.
INT. PRESIDENTIAL SUITE (MATRIX) - DAY
Agent Smith sits casually across from Morpheus who is
hunched over, his body twitching.
AGENT SMITH
Morpheus, I'd like to tell you
something that I had learned during
my time here; You see, humans are
NOT MAMMALS. In reality, they
are something entirely different.
The life signs continue their chaotic patterns.
AGENT SMITH
A mammal is a creature that adapts
to its surrounding enviroment and
develops an equilibrium with its
natural enviroment. Humans, on
the other hand, consume every
resource avalible in an area until
that area's natural reserves are
dried up, multiplying the entire time.
Then the humans move onto another area
and repeat the process.
He leans forward.
AGENT SMITH
And do you know what that process
mimics? A VIRUS.
He smiles.
AGENT SMITH
Humans are a disease, Morpheus.
They are a cancer on the planet.
We, the Machines, are the cure.
Morpheus' body stays limp, twitching occasionally. The monitor
stills shows chaotic patterns.
INT. MAIN DECK
Trinity and Han hang motionless in the suspension unit.
Tank is at the operations station.
TANK
Okay. Store's open. What do you
need?
TRINITY (V.O.)
Weapons. And a LOT OF THEM.
TANK
Coming right up. Wouldja like
fries with that?
TRINITY (V.O.)
Very cliche', Tank.
He loads the weapons disk.
INT. CONSTRUCT
Racks of weapons appear and Han and Trinity arm
themselves.
TRINITY
Nothing like this has been done before.
HAN
Really?
He readies an M-16.
HAN
Well, that won't be true after today.
INT. PRESIDENTIAL SUITE (MATRIX) - DAY
Agent Smith is again at the window.
AGENT SMITH
Why isn't the serum working?
AGENT BROWN
It may be because we aren't asking
the right questions.
AGENT JONES
Or rather, it is that he does not know.
AGENT SMITH
He knows. He's resisting.
AGENT BROWN
How can he? He is a mere human.
AGENT SMITH
I do not know, but if I did...
Clenching his fists and teeth together in anger, Smith
slowly walks until he is standing in front of Morpheus.
Anger is something that isn't supposed to happen to
Agents, which is why Smith is trying to hide it, but
with little success.
AGENT SMITH
...Leave me alone with him.
Agent Brown and Jones look at each other.
AGENT SMITH
LEAVE ME ALONE WITH HIM. NOW!
INT. MAIN DECK
Tank sits down beside Morpheus whose face is ashen like
someone near death. He takes hold of his hand.
TANK
...Morpheus...Hold on, they're
coming for you.
Tank turns around to look at his computer.
TANK
Oh, DAMMIT! The E-Bay auction for
that Lord of the Rings Special Edition
DVD box set ended and I lost out!
EXT. NIKO HOTEL (MATRIX) - DAY
A dark wind blows. Uh, yeah...That's all that happens.
INT. NIKO HOTEL (MATRIX) - DAY
Several guards are standing guard, with a few pacing
calmly.
Suddenly, they hear a distant ROAR of a car engine.
They stare in total shock as they see a red Mercedes
screech around a turn and head towards the front doors
of the lobby in the hotel.
The Mercedes SMASHES through the glass doors and enters
the lobby, running over a guard in the process. Out of
it jump Han and Trinity. They both leap into the air
as the car screams past them and slams into the wall
opposite the entrance where the elevators are, exploding
into flames, killing four more guards.
GUARD
MOTHERFUCKER! IT'S THEM-
His cry is cut short as a bullet rips through his neck,
bursting out the other side. His body hits the floor with
a sickening THUD.
Still hanging in mid-air using the powers of the Matrix
and their minds, Trinity and Han open up with their
guns, cutting down all the other guards in the room.
A second later, they land onto the lobby floor.
HAN
Man, that was AWESOME!
TRINITY
It wasn't NECESSARY. We could have saved
time AND THE ELEVATORS if we hadn't done
that.
She motions to the heap of wreckage where the car is.
The doors to the elevators are blocked with the flaming
metal of the car, unuseable.
HAN
WOW, I mean, oops. Hang on, I
have an idea...
Han sets down a plastique explosive in the middle of the
lobby, and sets a timer on it. He then BOLTS OUT the
entrance-way to the hotel, stepping over the smashed
glass doors. Trinity follows.
EXT. NIKO HOTEL (MATRIX) - DAY
Han and Trinity stand outside the hotel and gaze upwards.
The side of the building is long, stretching upwards to
the sky. Nothing except windows peppering the otherwise
flat, smooth concrete surface.
TRINITY
You think we can do it? I'm not sure
about this...
HAN
Nah, it's alright. Come on, follow me!
Taking a deep breath, Han breaks into a sprint,
running towards the wall on the outside of the hotel.
His feet HIT the wall, and he immediately begins
RUNNING up the side of the building. Trinity follows
suit, and together they rush towards the roof of
the Niko Hotel.
A few minutes after this, while they are still running,
in the lobby below them a squad of soldiers burst into
the room, expecting to find Han and Trinity. Instead,
they find the car wreckage, several dead bodies and...
A PLASTIQUE EXPLOSIVE.
SOLDIER
SHIT!
A huge explosion rocks the entire building, and
the entrance below Han and Trinity erupts, spewing
flames.
INT. PRESIDENTIAL SUITE (MATRIX) - DAY
Agent Smith leans close to Morpheus, whispering to him.
AGENT SMITH
Morpheus? Are you listening? I
am going to be honest with you.
He removes his earphone, letting it dangle over his
shoulder.
AGENT SMITH
I DESPISE this reality. This
MATRIX. And do you know WHY?
IT'S THE SMELL. Your humans'
STINK. Not in the literal
sense. It's hard to explain.
But everytime I enter this
place, I feel like I've somehow
become infected by it.
He wipes sweat from Morpheus' forehead, coating the tips
of his fingers, holding them to Morpheus' nose.
AGENT SMITH
Sweat. You humans are covered in
it. I find it REPULSIVE.
He lifts Morpheus' head, holding it tightly with both
hands.
AGENT SMITH
You, and you alone, are my key
to get out of here.
Morpheus sneers through his pain.
AGENT SMITH
Once the sanctuary you humans
call Zion is gone, I will no
longer have any reason to be
here, you understand? I need
the codes. GIVE ME THE CODES.
THE KEY TO ZION.
He begins squeezing, his fingers gouging into his flesh.
AGENT SMITH
MY KEY. GIVE ME MY KEY!
The skull is about to shatter when Agents Jones and Brown
burst into the room. Agent Smith releases Morpheus.
AGENT BROWN
What the hell? Smith?
Agent Smith recovers, replacing his ear piece.
AGENT JONES
You have no idea. You don't know.
AGENT SMITH
...Know what?
Agent Smith listens to his earphone, not believing what
he is hearing. He is also somewhat stunned when he
feels the whole room shake from the blast of the
explosive Han planted.
EXT. ROOF (MATRIX) - DAY
Han and Trinity finally arrive at the rooftop. They
leap over the cement wall running the length of
the rooftop.
Both land with a quiet thud, and slowly stand erect
to scan the area.
HAN
Nothing?
TRINITY
Nothing. Seems clear. But I
doubt that will last.
INT. PRESIDENTIAL SUITE (MATRIX) - DAY
Agent Jones looks at Morpheus.
AGENT JONES
They're trying to save him.
EXT. ROOF (MATRIX) - DAY
Han and Trinity headed for the door that led to the stairway
leading down into the hotel. Before they managed to get there,
the steel door flung open and a dozen marines piled out onto
the rooftop. Each was carrying an assault rifle and one or two
gas grenades. The leader shouted something to the others, and
they quickly surrounded Han and Trinity. The two stood back to
back as they assessed the situation.
TRINITY
Well, this is pleasant. Any bright
ideas, Mr. Han?
HAN
Hey, you're starting to lose your
edge and cool, Trin.
TRINITY
Must be because of hanging around YOU.
HAN
Well, relax. I have an idea. This is
the Matrix, right? Well, then I should
be able to do THIS!
Han flipped backwards up into the air. His feet landed onto
Trinity's shoulders much to her surprise, and he leapt high up
into the air. The marines were stunned by this action, and didn't
react for a sec, which was all Han needed to gun them all down
while he was in the air. One marine DID react, his finger pulling
the trigger on his assault rifle before he died. The bullets
tore through the air and one hit Han in the shoulder.
Authour's Note: Usually, Trinity's shoulders wouldn't be able to support Han's
weight, but Han was using the powers of The Matrix again. There, like my convoluted
explanation?
Two seconds later he landed a little hard. He stood up, holding
onto his shoulder. Trinity ran over to him.
TRINITY
Are you alright?
HAN
Yeah, I'm fine. Just my shoulder hurts
like Hell...
He starts to feel dizzy and retches.
HAN
OH SHIT, I NEED AN AMBULANCE!
Just then, three marines ran up the stairs leading to the door
and positioned themselves on either side of the door. One
readied an explosive grenade and tossed it out onto the roof near
Han and Trinity.
TRINITY
FUCK!
INT. PRESIDENTIAL SUITE (MATRIX) - DAY
The Agents hear the BLAST AND FIRE ALARMS.
AGENT JONES
The rooftop --
AGENT BROWN
It's them. They're here.
EXT. ROOF (MATRIX) - DAY
Trinity is on the ground, coughing a little blood. She struggles
to find Han through the smoke that envelopes the whole
rooftop.
TRINITY
Han! Han, are you alright?
HAN
Yeah, but I don't think those marines
are.
TRINITY
Seeing as how you kicked that grenade
back at them, I'd say they aren't.
They stand next to each other and look at the roof-access
tower, which is now a pile of rubble.
Then, to make matters worse for the wounded heroes, a chopper
arrived. A man flying it was calling in back-up. A second
chopper arrived a minute later, and marines slid down a rope
hanging from it down onto the rooftop.
HAN
Lousy, nosy, good-for-nothings...
He pulled out a minature, fold-up single-shot rocket launcher
from under his coat and fired it at the second chopper. It hits
dead on, and the chopper fell onto the troops below it, exploding.
INT. PRESIDENTIAL SUITE (MATRIX) - DAY
An enormous EXPLOSION THUNDERS above them, shaking the
building. The ALARM SOUNDS, emergency sprinklers begin
showering the room.
Agent Smith smashes a table.
AGENT SMITH
Find them! KILL THEM!
Agent Jones nods and touches his ear piece.
EXT. ROOF (MATRIX) - DAY
The roof-access tower is engulfed in flames as Han
and Trinity lay waste to a dozen more Marines.
Guns and knives, like extensions of their bodies used
with the same deadly precision as their feet and their
fists.
Across the roof, the pilot inside the army helicopter
watches the ferocious onslaught.
PILOT
We are under attack!
I repeat, we are under attack!
Suddenly his face, his whole body dissolves, consumed by a
spreading locust-like swarm, of STATIC as --
Agent Jones emerges.
Just as she drops the last Marine, Trinity sees what's
coming.
TRINITY
...Oh SHIT...
Han sees her, the fear in her face, and he knows what is
behind him.
Screaming, he whirls, GUNS filling his hands with
thought-speed. In one hand is a Swiss SIG 540, a GP35 Automatic
Pistol in the other.
Fingers PUMPING, SHELLS ejecting, dancing up and away, we
look through the sights and gun smoke at --
The Agent blurred with motion --
Until the HAMMERS CLICK against empty metal.
HAN
Uh, okaaaaay...
Agent Jones charges.
HAN
Well, CRAP!
His GUN BOOMS as we enter the liquid space of --
Bullet-time.
The AIR SIZZLES with wads of lead-like angry flies as Han
twists, bends, ducks just between them.
Agent Jones still running, narrows the gap, the BULLETS
coming faster until --
Han bent impossibly back, one hand on the ground as a
spiraling gray ball shears open his shoulder.
He starts to scream as another digs a red groove across
his thigh. Another nips his right knee.
He has only time to look up, to see the barrel when Agent
Jones, standing over him, pulls the TRIGGER the final
time.
CLICK. Empty.
HAN
HA! Loser!
Agent Jones frowns. Before he can react, Han kicks both of
his feet into the Agent's gut. An uppercut punch sends
Agent Jones flying backwards through the air.
Han stands up and inserts a fresh clip of ammo into his
Browning 9mm FN GP35 Automatic Pistol; a favorite gun
of his.
Han strides swiftly forward, walking towards Agent Jones'
seemingly-unconscious body laying against the brick wall
lining the roof.
Trinity is watching all this while clutching her wounded
left shoulder.
TRINITY
Han, forget about him! We have to
get Morpheus!
He tilts his head to the side, half-looking back at her
while still walking to Jones.
HAN
Hey, I wanna do this MIB freak
in, Trinity! Stay out of it!
Trinity sighs. Finally, Han is standing right in front
of Agent Jones, pistol leveled at his enemy's head.
HAN
Don't think I'm fooled. I KNOW
you're not unconscious. GET UP.
Agent Jones opens his eyes and glares at Han. His back
is pressed against the wall as he's sitting on the ground.
AGENT JONES
Smart. But not smart enough.
He kicks his feet out at Han's legs, forcing Han to
stumble back. In that split-second, Han's finger pulls
the trigger of his gun. The bullet zips towards the Agent's
head, but misses as Jones dodges it faster than the eye
can see.
Agent Jones stands up and brushes the dust off his clothing
with his hands. Han snarls in anger. He aims his gun at
the Agent, who merely smiles.
HAN
...YOU'RE the one who's not smart
enough.
Agent Jones thinks that Han will fire the gun, but instead
Han lowers the gun and rushes at him. His left fist catches
Agent Jones in the gut. Han roars with anger as he uses
that fist to lift the Agent into the air and flings him
off the rooftop. A shout is heard, then a sickening THUD
as the body hits the sidewalk below.
Han and Trinity look over the side of the building and see--
The pilot's body.
HAN
Crap, he switched out of that body.
TRINITY
What now?
Han is already looking at the helicopter.
HAN
Can you fly that thing?
TRINITY
I soon WILL.
She pulls out a cellular phone.
INT. HOVERCRAFT
Tank is back at the controls.
TANK
Operator.
TRINITY (V.O.)
Tank, I need a pilot program for a
military M-109 helicopter.
Tank is immediately searching the disk drawers.
TRINITY (V.O.)
Hurry, dammit!
His fingers flash over the gleaming laser disks, finding
one that he feeds into Trinity's supplement drive,
punching the "load" commands on her keyboard.
EXT. ROOF (MATRIX) - DAY
Trinity's eyes flutter as information surges into her
brain, all the essentials of flying a helicopter absorbed
at light-speed.
HAN
UGH. THAT doesn't look natural...
TRINITY
Shut up. Let's go now.
INT. HALL (MATRIX) - DAY
Marines, trying to communicate with the men on the roof,
are beginning to panic when Agent Jones comes around the
corner.
SERGEANT
Sir, we've lost contact with
the marines on the roof!
AGENT JONES
Stay at your posts.
SERGEANT
But, sir, we should evacuate!
The fires--
AGENT JONES
REMAIN AT YOUR POSTS.
SERGEANT
...Yes, sir.
Agent Jones marches into the Presidential Suite.
INT. PRESIDENTIAL SUITE (MATRIX) - DAY
Agent Jones throws open the bedroom door and enters,
walking through the puddles pooling in the carpet.
AGENT JONES
Damn fire sprinklers...
Over the RUSHING WATER and the ALARMS, Agent Smith hears
a SOUND and understands the seriousness of the attack.
He turns to the wall of windows as the helicopter drops
INTO VIEW --
Han is leaning out the passenger door, holding a G36 Assault
Rifle.
HAN
EAT LEAD, YOU PIECE OF--!
The expletive he shouts after that is drowned out by the
piercing scream of bullets that spew forth from the barrel,
shattering the glass. Shards of the window fall to the floor
like hail--
As the Agents go for their weapons.
But Han is too close, his G36 too fast and
BULLETS are everywhere, perforating the room, as he
sweeps the gun from side to side. It had too small
a screen of bullets that it fired, but was sufficient
enough to keep the Agents on their toes.
Agent Smith is hit first, his body jack-knifing back,
blood arcing out with a sudden flash of light --
Then Agent Brown, his GUN still FIRING as his body falls.
And finally Agent Jones.
HAN
YEEEEEAAAH-HEH-HEH-HEH-HAH!!!
TRINITY
HELL YEAH!
Han glances at Morpheus curiously, wondering why he hasn't
moved.
HAN
Get UP, man! GET UP!
Morpheus sits unmoving, his head still down. Drool slides
down his chin, eyes twitching occasionally.
Han jumps into the room through the broken window, G36 slung
over his right arm.
He lands on the floor of the room with a wet thud, water
splashing everywhere. Han races towards Morpheus. Trinity
is leaning out of the helicoptor, right hand holding onto
the control stick of the 'coptor while she fired an Uzi
at the Agents with the other hand, providing Han with
surpressive fire.
Han attaches only one end to his harness to Morpheus when
they OPEN FIRE.
Quickly he swings the GUN, SPRAYING the other room,
WINDOWS SHATTERING, FURNITURE EXPLODING, marines diving
for cover.
INT. HALL (MATRIX) - DAY
Just outside the Presidential Suite, three marines
blister with snow-static. A janitor who is walking
by them stares at them, eyes wide. His eyes roll back
into his head and then he faints, not believing
what he just saw.
INT. PRESIDENTIAL SUITE (MATRIX) - DAY
Morpheus lifts his face into the room's rain. His eyes,
still white, begin to blink, twitch, then close.
And when he opens them, they are again dark and flashing
with fire.
HAN
Boy, HE doesn't look good...
The Agents knife into the room, FIRING even as Trinity's
BULLET TRAILS chase them. Han ducks and rolls, then opens fire.
Morpheus strains at his handcuffs. Han quickly ducks over
to him. Pointing his G36 pointblank at the chains linking
both cuffs, he fires a short burst. The bullets tear through
the metal, releasing Morpheus.
MORPHEUS
I could've done that.
HAN
The HELL you could.
The Agents and the marines turn the tide, BLASTING LEAD,
RICOCHETING, POCK-MARKING the COPTER. Trinity ducks back
inside the helicoptor and maneuvers it around to avoid
most of the hail of bullets.
TRINITY
Will you hurry up, dammit?! I'm
taking some severe fire over here!
HAN
Okay, okay!
FIRING wildly, Han turns to see Morpheus rising, snapping
the handcuffs, starting for the window.
Agent Smith stops and sees Morpheus run past the open
bedroom door.
AGENT SMITH
NO...NOOO!
He FIRES, sweeping across the sheetrocked wall in a
perfect line.
For an instant, we see the BULLETS SHRED, PUNCTURING the
WALL, searing through the wet air with jet trails of
chalk.
And as Morpheus starts to dive for the window, a bullet
buries itself in his leg --
Knocking him off balance.
HAN
Crap, he's not gonna make it!
Morpheus lunges, out of control --
As Han spins, every move a whip crack --
Snapping the other rope-end onto a bolted bar.
Morpheus begins to fall when Han hurls himself into the
wide blue empty space --
Flying for a moment.
The rope snaking out behind him; an umbilical cord
attached to a machine.
As their two bodies, set in motion, rushing at each other
on a seemingly magnetic course until --
They collide.
Almost bouncing free of each other, arms, legs,
scrambling, hands searching in furious desperation,
finding hold and clinging.
HAN
Crap-crap-crap-crap!
Until the line ends, snapping taut, cracking their
fragile embrace. Morpheus tumbles, legs flipping over,
falling down --
The ground deliriously distant --
As Han snatches hold of his mentor's still handcuffed
wrist.
HAN
Dammit---!
Trinity is already pulling the copter up and away.
As Agent Smith grabs the M-16 from the nearest marine.
AGENT SMITH
No, no! Dammit, you can't get away!
He'll bring them all down. Targeting the helicopter, he
aims at something only he can see: the oil line.
Bullets tear through the metal hulk, shredding it.
Oil gushes out, rapidly emptying the helicoptor.
TRINITY
Oh, SHIT! No, no!
Han is pulling Morpheus up to him when he hears the
HELICOPTER BEGIN TO DIE.
HAN
THAT'S not good...
Trinity struggles with the helicoptor, steering it
towards the nearest building.
Morpheus clings to Han as the machine begins to fall.
Han, of course, is trying to push Morpheus away.
HAN
EWWWW! Don't HUG me! I don't swing
that way, baldy!
Morpheus starts screaming like a little girl, saying
'We're all gonna DIIIIIIIE!'.
The ENGINE GRINDS, the CHOPPING BLADES start to slow
while --
The Agents stand in the open shattered window, watching
the helicopter disappear behind taller buildings.
AGENT SMITH
We'll meet again, Mr. Shackleford...
AGENT JONES
Hey, wanna catch a movie?
AGENT SMITH
Only if you're paying this time.
AGENT JONES
Jerk.
Carried by its momentum, Trinity guides the parabolic
fall over the nearest roof where --
Han and Morpheus smack right into a large billboard and
are pressed against it, unable to move because of the
helicoptor and the cord.
MORPHEUS
OUCH...
HAN
(Seeing the Budweiser billboard)
WASSSUUUUUUUPP!
Han and Morpheus drop to the roof.
Morpheus manages to get free of the rope. Han gets up,
but he can't get himself free.
The helicoptor is falling too fast. The rope is too tight.
Han begins to get dragged across the rooftop like a
parachuter who's stuck to a chute. He's headed for the
edge of the roof.
HAN
NOT COOL, NOT COOOOOOLL!
Trinity lunges for the back door, her gun in one hand,
grabbing for the rope with the other --
Han flies like a skipping stone, hurtling straight AT us,
when his feet hit the rain gutter --
HAN
HOOOOOLY CRAAAAAAAAAP!
A fulcrum that levers him up just as --
Trinity pulls the trigger of her gun, tearing apart the
cord from the helicopter, and leaping out, just as the
'copter SMASHES into the side of a glass skyscraper.
Holding onto the rope she swings, connected to Han, who
stands on the building's edge watching her arc beneath
him as the HELICOPTER EXPLODES --
She bounces against a shatterproof window that spider-
cracks out while FLAMES ERUPT behind her.
HAN
COOOOOOOL!
INT. MAIN DECK
Tank stares at the screen, his mouth agape.
TANK
He's GOTTA be the One...I think.
Dunno. Could be wrong.
EXT. ROOFTOP (MATRIX) - DAY
Han helps Trinity up and holds her, but Trinity shoves
him away, disgusted.
MORPHEUS
I knew it! I KNEW it! Yes!
HAN
Knew what? What the heck are you
babbling on about?
TRINITY
Morpheus!
She runs at him, throwing her arms around him.
HAN
Oh, SURE! HE gets a hug and I DON'T!
MORPHEUS
I was right, wasn't I?! Han HAS to
be the One! Nobody else could have
done that!
HAN
Hey, baldy! I'm NOT! That Oracle
granny told me that I'm NOT the One!
MORPHEUS
Well, that doesn't matter at all,
Han --
His eyes light up.
MORPHEUS
Not if you believe in yourself.
HAN
Oh, go fu-
TRINITY
HAN!
HAN
What? I was gonna say 'Go fub your
congratulations until we're back at
the ship'.
Yeah, it's a real word. Go look it up! 'cause learning is FUN!
This message is brought to you by the National Learning Council.
INT. MAIN DECK
The PHONE RINGS.
TRINITY (V.O.)
Get us outta here, Tank.
TANK
You got the old man?!
Intercut to Trinity and the others. She looks at Han and smiles.
TRINITY
Thanks to our friend Han here, yes.
We got 'im, Tank.
Back on the Main Deck, Tank whoops with joy.
TANK
HELL YES! I KNEW you guys would do
it!
Han grabs the phone from Trinity.
HAN
No you didn't, you freak! You were
the one who kept telling us that
it was suicide to go rescue him!
Tank slams his head on the console and groans.
TANK
Look, do you guys want the exit or
not?!
HAN (V.O.)
Mebbe we DON'T! Mebbe we WANT to stay
here!
Trinity slaps Han across the face and takes the phone
from him.
TRINITY
Dammit, Han! Tank, just give us the
exit, okay?
TANK (V.O.)
Fine. Underground El Station, State
and Balbo.
TRINITY
Seeya, Tank.
LINE GOES DEAD. Tank looks at the bodies and smiles.
TANK
Yeah. Seeya soon.
He minimizes the Matrix code window on the monitor and
starts playing Quake.
EXT. ROOFTOP (MATRIX) - DAY
The rope is all that remains. Agent Smith can barely
control his anger.
AGENT BROWN
Trace completed.
AGENT JONES
Position located.
AGENT BROWN
The extermination unit is in place
and ready.
AGENT JONES
Time to order the strike.
AGENT BROWN
Say Jones, you catch that episode of
Battlestar Galactica last night?
AGENT JONES
Yeah, I did. I even recorded it.
AGENT BROWN
Pretty insane how the Cylons occupied
New Caprica, huh?
AGENT JONES
I KNOW! And I still can't believe the
writers killed off Billy! I LIKED him!
AGENT BROWN
They had NO RIGHT to do that.
Smith paces back and forth quickly, unable to stand there
listening to the two goofballs. He mutters something under
his breath and then moves to the edge of the building, looking
at the city surrounding him.
AGENT SMITH
...They haven't escaped YET. We still
have time.
He unwraps a lollipop and pops it into his mouth, sucking on
it. Brown and Jones look at him.
AGENT BROWN
Uh, sir?
AGENT SMITH
Not now. It's time for my siesta.
He turns around and goes back into the building to take a nap.
Agents Brown and Jones stand there for a minute, wondering what
to do.
AGENT BROWN
...Wanna go get ice cream, Jones?
AGENT JONES
Sure.
INT. "EL" STATION (MATRIX) - DAY
A metal gate is locked, the sign reading, "Station
Closed." Han stops and groans.
HAN
Ah, crap! I can't get in! It's
closed! Oh, wait, I have THIS-
He pulls out his handgun and shoots off the lock, then
runs inside.
In the moist underground distance he hears the MUTED
RING of a TELEPHONE.
HAN
Izzat for ME? Oh, right...
The PHONE is RINGING inside a graffiti-covered booth.
Across from it, sitting hunched against the red concrete
wall, is an OLD MAN. He stares at the RINGING PHONE,
taking a final pull off his T-bird. No one is around.
It continues to RING.
He belches.
HOBO
I'll get that! Hold my calls!
He picks up the reciever.
TANK
Han? Izzat you?
HOBO
Hullo! I hate Mondays! Tea
time izzat four!
TANK
Oh, I'm sorry! I thought you were
someone else!
HOBO
No soliciting! Details at eleven!
The Hobo hangs up and shuffles away deeper into the urban
cave just as Trinity and Morpheus arrive.
TRINITY
Alright, let's blow this joint.
She steps up to the RINGING BOOTH and looks back at Han.
TRINITY
Ladies first, boys.
HAN
Nah, let the old man go first.
He deserves it.
Morpheus gets in and answers the phone.
Lost in the shadow, the Old Man turns back and watches as
Morpheus disappears, the phone dropping, dangling by its
cord.
His eyes grow wide, glowing white in the dark as he munches
on an old tuna sandwich he got out of a garbage can.
EXT. ROOFTOP (MATRIX) - DAY
Agents Brown and Jones are eating ice cream cones as
Smith arrives back on the rooftop.
AGENT SMITH
Dammit, I couldn't get to sleep.
AGENT BROWN
What was keeping you up?
Agent Smith stares, his face twisted with hate.
AGENT SMITH
The thought that I will NEVER be
free of this Matrix...
He walks up to the edge of the rooftop and slams his fists
down onto the waist-high concrete wall along the edge. He
can barely contain his rage as his mind races.
AGENT SMITH
No...NO, it CAN'T be this way. NOT
like this, it won't.
AGENT JONES
Suit yourself. Brown and I are gonna
go back inside and watch some reruns
of 'Jeopardy'.
He starts to turn from the edge of the building when he
suddenly hears it, his head whipping back around,
staring --
INT. "EL" STATION (MATRIX) - DAY
As the Old Man stares.
As Trinity steps into the phone booth, she turns to Han.
TRINITY
He's right, you know.
HAN
Who's right??
TRINITY
MORPHEUS, you dipshit.
HAN
What was he right about?
TRINITY
About how it doesn't matter what
he himself believes or what the
Oracle believes. The only thing
that matters is that you believe
in yourself.
HAN
Geez, you sound so cheesy, you
know that? Now what are you gonna
tell me; that 'Knowledge is Power'?
Or that 'Friendship is Everything'?
Trinity growls. The PHONE begins to RING.
TRINITY
I swear, Han, if you weren't the
One, I would have killed you by now.
She picks up the reciever when something catches their
eyes and they look to where the Hobo had been. They see --
Agent Smith raising a fistful of black gun-metal.
TRINITY
Oh God...
Han shouts but it's muted out by the SCREAM of the gun.
The BULLET flies towards Trinity and BURSTS through the
WINDOW of the booth, striking --
Nothing.
The handset dangles from the machine.
Han is standing several feet away from the PHONE BOOTH.
His EYES glance back and forth from Smith to the phone.
HAN
HELL NO...
He DIVES for the reciever, but Agent Smith's GUN SCREAMS
again. Han's HAND REACHES for the handset, but the bullet
SHATTERS the handset.
HAN
CRAP!
INT. HOVERCRAFT
Trinity blinks, shivering as her conscious exits the
Construct.
TRINITY
Oh shit! Han!
TANK
Mind telling me what the hell is
going on?
TRINITY
There was an Agent! You HAVE to send
me back, Tank!
TANK
No can do, Trin. That phone's broken.
INT. "EL" STATION (MATRIX) - DAY
Han starts to get up, his body twisting and turning to
avoid the shots Agent Smith fires at him. He hops up to
his feet and CHARGES towards Smith. He pulls out a Beretta
and FIRES it at Smith.
HAN
EAT LEAD, YOU FREAK!
He roars with rage as the Agent easily dodges the bullets.
Then, they reach each other.
AGENT SMITH
I am going to enjoy this, Mr. Shackleford.
HAN
So will I. I've always wanted to beat the
stuffing out of an Agent.
Fists and feet flying in a deadly, choreographed dance of death,
Han unrelentingly ATTACKS Agent Smith, who merely blocks each
attack.
Finally, Han manages to land a blow on Smith, STRIKING him under
the chin, his palm DRIVING the Agent's lower jaw upwards into his
skull. Agent Smith jumps away from Han and wipes the blood off
his mouth.
AGENT SMITH
Very good, Mr. Shackleford. Very good. But
this time it won't be so easy.
HAN
Shyeah right. I'm gonna pound you into the
pavement, you freak.
Han LEAPS towards Agent Smith again, simultaneously dodging and
attacking. This time, Smith himself attacks as well, BLOCKING each
strike and pummeling Han. His fists are soon covered in Han's blood.
Han is sweating and panting, while his opponent remains calm, cool
and calculating as he continues the assault. Han and Smith both
draw their guns.
For a brief moment, we enter BULLET-TIME.
The two AIM their handguns at each other's head and fire at the same
time, but like synchronized dancers, both tilt their heads back to
avoid the blasts.
They continue FIRING at each other at impossible speed, gun smoke
filling the station as cartridges cartwheel into space.
In an instant, they are on top of each other in a deadly embrace,
their guns again pointed at each other's head at point-blank range.
AGENT SMITH
You are empty, Mr. Shackleford.
Han grins, blood flowing between his teeth from his internal
injuries.
HAN
Obvious, ain't it? But you're empty,
too.
Smith desperately pulls the TRIGGER. CLICK.
He seethes with RAGE and he ATTACKS, roaring in anger, unable
to believe that ANYONE could hold their own in a fight against
an Agent such as himself.
But Han does.
Although he has a hard time keeping up with the Agent's moves,
Han manages to defend himself against the Agent. But suddenly,
in an eyeblink, Agent Smith grips Han's right arm and FLINGS
him aside, DRIVING Han's head through a steel column.
HAN
OUCH...
His head still buried in the column, Han's legs shoot upwards and
KICK into Agent Smith's stomach, causing the Agent to fall backwards
onto the floor. Han removes himself from the column, clearly pissed
off. Agent Smith stands up and brushes himself off. He glares at Han;
his eyes icy blue.
AGENT SMITH
You know you can't win, Mr. Shackleford.
HAN
I already have...I think.
He attacks with a vicious series of blows but the Agent
seems to absorb them, waiting for his opening.
And this time Agent Smith's attack is too much, an
unrelenting fury, fists pounding like jackhammers.
INT. HOVERCRAFT
Trinity watches Han as his body jerks, mouth coughing
blood, his life signs going wild.
TRINITY
That bastard! He's KILLING Han!
TANK
I thought you hated him. He DID
call you a hooker.
TRINITY
Oh, right.
INT. "EL" STATION (MATRIX) - DAY
Agent Smith grabs hold of him, lifting him into the air,
hurling him against the curved wall of the train tunnel,
where he falls inches from the electrified third-rail.
The Agent is about to jump down, and press his attack
when he hears something. From deep in the tunnel, like
an animal cry; a burst of high-speed METAL GRINDING
against METAL.
The sound of an ON-COMING TRAIN.
INT. HOVERCRAFT
Tank is trying to find another entrance.
TRINITY
Look, I KNOW he's stupid, and I know
he called me a hooker, but he's STILL
the One! You GOTTA send me back, Tank!
Anywhere!
TANK
I'm looking, Trin! Hey, you want me to
send you to JCPenny? They got a sale on
brassieres. What's your size?
TRINITY
Nice try, Tank.
TANK
DAMN...
From the cockpit, an ALARM sounds. Morpheus hurries to
the front console, typing, bringing up the radar.
Trinity follows him.
TRINITY
...oh no. Oh SHIT.
In every pipe surrounding them, they see the
Extermination Unit.
TRINITY
Damn. SENTINELS...
INT. SEWER MAIN
The killing machine we saw in the History Program blister
by us like tracer bullets shot down the throat of the
abyss.
INT. "EL" STATION (MATRIX) - DAY
Han tries to get up. Agent Smith jumps down onto the
tracks and drop-kicks him in the face.
HAN
OWW...
The world begins to shake, RUMBLING as the TRAIN NEARS.
AGENT SMITH
Can you hear that?
HAN
Uh, no?
AGENT SMITH
The train moves closer, the sound growing LOUDER.
HAN
...Ah! I hear it now! Okay, I see
what you're talking about now!
Agent Smith grabs Han in a choke-hold, forcing him to
look down the tracks, the train's headlight burning a
hole in the darkness.
AGENT SMITH
It is the sound of inevitability,
Mr. Shackleford.
Han sees it coming and he starts to fight.
AGENT SMITH
The sound of your death, drawing
your life to a close.
HAN
Hey, I'm too young to die!
There is another METAL SCREECH, MUCH LOUDER, closer, as
Agent Smith tightens his hold. Han is unable to breathe.
AGENT SMITH
To be honest, I'm going to miss you,
Mr. Shackleford. It's not often that
I meet someone who can be a worthy
opponent.
HAN
Ah, how nice of you.
Smith TIGHTENS his grip even more. Han gags.
HAN
GAAAH! NOT NICE! NOT NICE!
AGENT SMITH
Now that I think about it, I WON'T
miss you. I guess I'll be GLAD once
you die.
The TRAIN ROARS at them, swallowing Agent Smith's words.
The veins bulge in Han's head, as he grits through the
pain.
He is not ready to die.
HAN
Uh, hey! Your shoelace is untied!
Agent Smith pauses for a moment, then ties his shoe with
one hand while using the other to keep a hold on Han.
HAN
DAMN, you didn't fall for it...
Suddenly, Agent Smith's cellphone RINGS. He grabs it out
of his pocket with his free hand and answers it.
AGENT SMITH
Hello?
AGENT BROWN (V.O.)
Hey Smith, Jones and I are gonna order
some pizza from Captain Jack's Pizza
Palace. You want anything?
AGENT SMITH
Not now, Brown! I'm busy killing the One!
AGENT BROWN (V.O.)
The One?? You mean that little brat we were
after is the One? Wow.
AGENT SMITH
He soon won't be, once I kill him.
We hear beeps from Brown pressing the buttons over the phone,
but Brown forgot to hang up. He speaks, thinking he's already
called Captain Jack's.
AGENT BROWN (V.O.)
I'd like to order a large pepperoni and
anchovy pizza with Captain Jack's Famous
Four-Cheese sauce, a large Coke and---
AGENT SMITH
DAMMIT, BROWN! You're not ordering NOW!
You didn't call them yet!
AGENT BROWN (V.O.)
Oh, I guess I forgot to hang up the phone.
AGENT SMITH
What IS that I hear in the background?
AGENT BROWN (V.O.)
Oh, that's the goat that Jones bought.
We're inviting some chicks over for a
party, and---
AGENT SMITH
You're a sick, SICK bastard, Brown...
AGENT BROWN (V.O.)
Hahahahaha!
Agent Smith abruptly turns off the phone and stuffs it into his
pocket. Han is staring in confusion at Smith, wondering what the
hell he was talking about on the phone.
Impossibly, he manages to grab Agent Smith and TOSS him towards
the EL TRAIN.
Unfortunately, Smith manages to BURST THROUGH the front of the
train and land inside. The passengers are screaming in terror
as Smith SNAPS the neck of the train conductor.
HAN
DAMN...
Han runs towards the out-of-control train and LEAPS inside
through the hole in the front that Smith made.
AGENT SMITH
As I have said before, Mr. Shackleford--
The passengers sitting in the seats turn into a wave of
swarming energy as they transform into dozens of Agent Smiths.
They all look at Han and speak as one;
AGENT SMITHS
--YOU CAN'T WIN.
HAN
...THIS isn't good.
The first Agent Smith charges towards Han and throws a right,
but Han blocks it and knees him in the stomach. The Agent clone
doubles over in pain and Han shoves him off the train.
Two more Agents throw themselves at Han, but he knocks them both
away with relative ease. Han then DASHES through the crowd of Agents,
dodging their attempts to grab him, running towards the rear of the
train.
Upon reaching the end of the train, in the last car, he turns around
to face the HORDE of Agent Smiths walking towards him with mechanical
determination and evil intent.
HAN
Well, if they could change the Matrix,
why can't I? After all, I AM the One.
We ZOOM IN on his face as he closes his eyes and concentrates. His
eyelids flutter briefly and we see lines of code RACING across his
eyes.
INT. HOVERCRAFT
Tank is sitting at his usual station, monitoring Han's situation
in the Matrix using the code window. Confused at the sudden changes
in the code that he sees, he stutters.
TANK
W-w-w-what the HELL? What IS this?
INT. "EL" TRAIN (MATRIX) - DAY
As the Agents advance on him, Han kicks open the backdoor on
the car he's in, opening it up. The rails RUSH below like a
raging river as the train barrels out of control on the
track. Han grins at the Agent Smiths.
HAN
Been nice knowing you, you MIB
bastards.
With those words, he DIVES OUT OF THE TRAIN CAR and hits the
ground rolling.
The Agents stand there at the door to the car and are about to
jump out when the first Agent Smith turns around and sees what
Han changed about the Matrix---
The train tracks lead to a DEAD-END.
AGENT SMITH
...NO. DAMN HIM!
With a SCREAM of metal, SPARKS FLYING like a storm, the train
CRASHES into the brick wall at the end of the tracks, EXPLODING
in a cloud of fire and debris.
AUTHOUR'S NOTE: I dunno if it really would be possible for Han
to change the Matrix like the Machines do, but hey, he's the ONE,
alright?
Han, standing just a few meters away from the wreck, looks down
at his feet and spots Smith's cellphone that he dropped at some
point during the fight.
HAN
Hey, free phone! And I'll bet the
Agents have an calling plan! No
crappy fees for ME!
He stoops down and picks it up, then dusts it off. He is about to
put it in his pocket when it RINGS.
HAN
SHIT, not NOW!
He opens it up and answers it.
HAN
Hoy-hoy?
AGENT BROWN
Hey, Smithy boy! Pizza arrived and we're
having that party now! Wanna come?
HAN
Sorry, you got the wrong person, dude.
Smith be dead!
AGENT BROWN
What?! No WAY! How could you DO that?!
Han grins.
HAN
I'm the friggin' ONE, BITCH.
He turns off the phone, flips it shut and stuffs it into his pocket.
HAN
Hahaha, SWEET.
Han turns and starts to run, racing for the escalator --
As the smoke clears and Agent Smith BURSTS OUT in furious, determined
pursuit, his glasses and suit intact as if nothing happened.
Han glances behind him and sees Smith, then runs FASTER.
HAN
Awww, DAMMIT! Why can't he just STAY
dead?!
INT. HOVERCRAFT
Morpheus checks the ship's self destruct key.
TRINITY
What the hell do you think you're
DOING? You can't use that! Han's
not out yet!
MORPHEUS
...He'll make it.
EXT. CITY STREET (MATRIX) - DAY
A man sits in his Mercedes, talking on his car phone when
his door is thrown open. Han yanks him out and jumps in.
MAN
What the FUCK?! That's my RIDE, man!
HAN
Hey, when YOU'RE being chased down by
Agents who want to kill you, YOU can
'jack your OWN car.
Further down the street, Agent Smith slows, calmly
touching his ear-piece.
Han throws the car across traffic, rocketing down a side-
street. The man who owned the car stands up, confused as
he watches Han drive away.
MAN
What the HELL--?
INT. CAR (MATRIX) - DAY
Driving like a demon with one hand, he grabs the cell
phone and dials long distance.
HAN
Bwahahaha! Wait 'til that Agent
sees his phone bill after THIS!
The phone rings for a bit, and a voice answers him.
MAN (V.O.)
What you doing with my CAR, man?!
Realizing it's the same guy, Han abruptly turns it off.
HAN
Gah, DAMMIT!
He turns on the car's radio and switches it to a rock station,
headbanging to the music as he drives.
HAN
Grand theft auto, man! Yeehaw!
He dials again.
INT. HOVERCRAFT
Tank answers.
TANK
Operator.
HAN (V.O.)
Hey Tank, gimme a way outta here,
will ya?
TANK
Well if it ain't Hanny boy! We
been waiting for yeh!
INT. CAR (MATRIX) - DAY
Looking over his shoulder, watching the mirrors, Han
drives almost unconsciously. As a result, he begins
to veer off the road and drive along the sidewalk, running
down people who dive out of the way.
HAN
Couldja hurry it up, Tank? I got
some Agents hot on my tail!
INT. HOVERCRAFT
The keyboard clicking, Tank searches for an exit.
Trinity screams into the headset.
TRINITY
Han, you better get your ass back
here!
INT. CAR
HAN
Well, nice to know that you're
thinking of me, Trin. That's VERY
nice...
TANK (V.O.)
Woohoo! Got an exit for yeh, Hanny
boy!
Han glances to his right and sees Agent Brown, now
driving the car beside his. Agent Brown swerves,
slamming into him.
AGENT BROWN
So, YOU'RE the 'friggin' One, HUH?
Han curses as he tries to keep the car from being run
off-course as Brown continues to drive into him.
TANK (V.O.)
There's a hotel on Wabash and Lake!
HAN
Thanks, Tank. You've just saved my
ass!
TANK (V.O.)
Oh, and Han? Couldja pick me up a
bottle of soda and a bag of chips?
HAN
...SCREW YOU, Tank.
Han fights the steering wheel as Agent Brown pushes the
car up over the median.
TANK (V.O.)
The exit's in Room 303.
HAN
Okay. What I don't understand is
THIS; why can't you make an exit
at a place NEARER me? I'm passing
by several phone booths that I'm
SURE would make decent exits, Tank!
TANK (V.O.)
...I have years of experience. You
wouldn't understand.
HAN
Uh-HUH...Nice one, Tank.
TANK (V.O.)
Thanks. It WAS one of my better
excuses.
Han drops the phone as his car bucks into the opposing
lane --
Directly into the charging path of an enormous truck
driven by Agent Smith.
AGENT SMITH
So, you think you can run up my
phone bill, HUH?!
HAN
HOLY CRAP!
Han dives from the Mercedes as the truck plows into it,
rending metal and GLASS, crushing through, totaling other
cars, as it EXPLODES.
Han is up and running even as orange and black clouds
billow up behind him.
HAN
NOT my day!!
EXT. CITY STREET (MATRIX) - DAY
Three figures silhouetted by the burning wreckage become
the three agents.
Further down the street, Han continues to haul ass towards
Wabash and Lake.
Agents Brown and Smith slow, touching their ear-pieces as
Agent Jones continues chasing full-bore.
AGENT BROWN
Haha! Lookit the stupid way Jones
runs!
Han spins around a corner, racing toward the 'Heart of Chicago'
hotel.
Only Agent Jones is behind him now.
Han dives into the alley. At the far end he sees Agent
Brown charging. Han leaps for the fire escape and begins
to climb.
HAN
DANGIT! They JUST won't STOP, will
they?!
INT. SEWER MAIN
Sentinels open and shift like killer kaleidoscopes as
they ready their weapons, swarming around the
Nebuchadnezzar.
INT. HOVERCRAFT
The hovercraft booms as machines drop onto it.
TANK
--THAT doesn't sound good.
MORPHEUS
Better make the call, Tank!
INT. "HEART OF CHICAGO" HOTEL (MATRIX) - DAY
Agent Smith is in the elevator when he hears the DISTANT
RING of a PHONE.
AGENT SMITH
Time for your end, Mr. Shackleford.
EXT. ALLEY (MATRIX) - DAY
The agents chase Han, FIRING, BULLETS SPARKING and
RICOCHETING even as Han jumps for the third-floor
platform.
Han kicks in the window, jumping into the hall. The
doors count backwards: 310... 309...
HAN
Which door was it? 303, I think.
INT. HOVERCRAFT
Morpheus grabs the biggest gun he can find. The lasers
begin to slice through the hull.
TRINITY
GODDAMMIT, where IS he?
TANK
Who?
TRINITY
HAN, you smartass!
TANK
GEEZ LAWEEZ, lady. Calm down.
The boy's almost there.
MORPHEUS
He will make it.
TRINITY
Hurry, Han...
INT. HALL (MATRIX) - DAY
Han can hear the PHONE RINGING as he continues to count.
HAN
306...305...
He stubs his toe and curses.
HAN
Dammit! Now WHERE was I?!
Too stupid to check the room numbers again, he silently
counts on his fingers, trying to remember where he left
off.
Agent Brown closes in as Han counts.
HAN
Oh! Now I remember! This was--!
He looks up and sees the room number and realizes how
stupid he was.
HAN
...305...right.
Han continues to count the rooms in a hurry.
HAN
I think this is 303!
He opens the door and sees a naked woman dressing. The woman
screams, covering herself, and Han quickly closes the door
again, leaving himself back in the hallway.
HAN
...Wait, the PHONE'S in there! I
can't just NOT go in!
Agent Brown reaches the broken window behind him just as
Han grabs the handle of 303, throwing open the door to
find --
Agent Smith, waiting, .45 cocked. No naked lady anymore.
HAN
...AWWW, CRAP!
BOOM.
INT. HOVERCRAFT
Han's body jerks, and everyone hears it as the life
monitors snap flat-line.
Trinity screams. Morpheus is frozen in disbelief.
Tank turns around in his chair to see what's going
on.
TANK
Hey, what's all the hubbub abo--
...OH...Okay. NOT good.
INT. HALL (MATRIX) - DAY
Three holes in his chest, Han falls to the blue shag
carpeting, blood smearing down the wallpaper.
HAN
My...dying...words...are...
'Crap, why ME?'...
Agent Smith stands over him, still aiming, taking no
chances.
AGENT SMITH
I WIN, Mr. Shackleford.
INT. HOVERCRAFT
Through the lasered opening, Morpheus screams, blasting
away at the machines; comet-wads of plasma burning holes
in their armored housings.
Trinity collapses onto Han's body.
TRINITY
No, you CAN'T be dead! You just
CAN'T! Sure, you were an idiot
and all, but you were still the
ONE!
TANK
Aw, DAMMIT, now we're gonna haveta
have a BIIIIG funeral for him, and
THAT means me wearing a SUIT for
the funeral. And we gotta get a
hearse, too, and then there's
the flowers...Man, do you KNOW
how much that all adds UP to?
TRINITY
Han's DEAD, Tank! And all you
can think about is how much it'll
cost you?!
TANK
Well...YEAH...
INT. HALL (MATRIX) - DAY
Kneeling beside him, Agent Brown checks his vital signs.
AGENT BROWN
Patient died at 9:20 PM. No
vital signs. Brain activity
non-existent. Shot three times
in the chest. Make a note of
that, Dr. Jones.
Agent Jones pretends to hold a notepad and scribble
on it.
AGENT SMITH
Oh, for GOD'S SAKE, Brown!
AGENT BROWN
Sheesh, SOH-REE, Smith. Just
trying to have a little fun
here.
Agent Smith smiles, standing over him.
AGENT SMITH
...There IS no One. And there
never WILL be.
INT. HOVERCRAFT
Tank is hit, a laser bolt knocking him to the ground.
They can't hold them off any longer. Morpheus lunges for
the self destruct --
As Trinity whispers in Han's ear.
TRINITY
Han, you can't let go. You just
CAN'T, you hear me? I won't let
you go.
TANK
Dammit, now she's talking to a
DEAD GUY?
INT. HALL (MATRIX) - DAY
The agents walk to the elevator, leaving Han's body
behind.
INT. HOVERCRAFT
Morpheus flicks the Plexiglas shield of the self-
destruct, which is labeled 'In case of attacking
Sentinels, press to kick ass'.
TRINITY
Dammit, Han! Don't give up! Not
now!
She pounds on his chest.
TRINITY
Not now!
MORPHEUS
I don't think talking to him is
going to make him come back to
life, woman!
INT. HOTEL HALL (MATRIX) - DAY
The BLOW ECHOES deep in his mind.
His eyes snap open.
HAN
Wha-zuh-HUH?
INT. HOVERCRAFT
Trinity screams as the monitors jump back to life. Tank
and Morpheus stare, unbelieving.
It is a miracle.
TRINITY
Now get up, dammit! GET UP!
INT. HALL (MATRIX) - DAY
Han struggles, holding his chest, sitting up. Down the
hall, he sees the elevator closing and --
Agent Smith staring at him as if he were looking at a
ghost.
Han smiles and waves at Smith.
HAN
Hi! Remember ME?
AGENT SMITH
Nooooo!
Agent Smith pounds on the elevator door AGAIN AND AGAIN,
and BURSTS through, pissed and ready to fight.
HAN
All right, bring it ON!
The Agents draw their guns and FIRE at Han. But the storm
of bullets PASS THROUGH HAN as if he wasn't there. Han
didn't even need to dodge; the bullets just didn't hit
him, as though he were an illusion.
The Agents stare in disbelief.
For the first time, Han is able to SEE the Matrix. We look
through his eyes for a moment and see an ocean of computer
code rather than the hallway in the hotel.
HAN
Wow. NEAT!
INT. HOVERCRAFT
Tank is doing his best to fight off a Sentinel when he
glances over at the computer. He sees the rushing lines
of code fluctuating wildly, as if the computer were unable
to keep up or even describe what was happening.
TANK
...He's the One. Han is the One...
INT. HALL (MATRIX) - DAY
Agent Smith screams at the top of his lungs in rage and
charges towards Han. His attack is ferocious, but each
blow is blocked by Han easily. Han's face is calm while
Smith's is boiling with rage.
HAN
Dude, you need to take some Anger
Management classes.
Finally, Han decides to end the fight by grabbing Agent
Smith by the throat. Smith's body twitches VIOLENTLY.
His eyes roll back as his body flickers in and out like
a malfunctioning hologram. Suddenly, he disappears,
phased out of existence by Han.
Agent Brown and Agent Jones look at each other wide-eyed.
For the first time since their inception into the Matrix,
the Agents know fear.
AGENT JONES
...CHEESE IT!
The two Agents run away as Han laughs at them.
INT. HOVERCRAFT
A sentinel BLOWS a hole in Morpheus' right arm and he
screams, refusing to let go of the detonator.
INT. ROOM 303 (MATRIX) - DAY
Han dives for the RINGING PHONE.
INT. HOVERCRAFT
Machines split open the craft, pouring in, lasers
targeting everywhere.
A beam finds the center of Morpheus' forehead and he
screams, ready to die.
TRINITY
Now!
He turns the key.
INT. OVERFLOW PIT
A blinding shock of white lights flood the chamber;
sentinels blink and fall instantly dead, filling the pit
with their cold, metal carcasses.
INT. HOVERCRAFT
In the still darkness, only the humans are alive.
TRINITY
Han?
His eyes open. Tears pour from her smiling eyes as he
smiles.
HAN
I really showed those Agents, didn't
I?
TRINITY
Yes. Yes, you did.
FADE TO BLACK.
FADE IN:
ON COMPUTER SCREEN
as in the opening. The cursor beating steadily, waiting.
A PHONE begins to RING.
It is answered and the screen fills instantly with the
trace program. After a long beat, we recognize Han's
voice.
HAN (V.O.)
Yo. It's me. And I know you're
listening. I know you're out
there, trying to catch me. But
you won't.
We CLOSE IN ON the racing columns of numbers shimmering
across the screen.
HAN (V.O.)
I've called to let you know how
things are now.
We DIVE THROUGH the numbers, surging UP THROUGH the
darkness, sucked TOWARDS a tight constellation of stars.
HAN (V.O.)
You must be really proud of this
little world you've made. The way
it works, with all the fancy-pants
rules and so forth. But I've got
some news for ya, buddy. And it's
not 'New York Times' news news.
It's 'bad news' news.
We realize that the constellation is actually the holes
in the mouthpiece of a phone. Seen from inside.
HAN (V.O.)
And the news is that I've decided
that things should change around here.
And I'm gonna make those changes.
We SHOOT THROUGH the holes as Han hangs up the phone.
He steps out of the phone booth and starts walking,
wearing a long black coat and dark glasses. He passes a
mother dragging her little BOY, who cranes his neck as --
Han takes off, flying up into the air.
BOY
Mommy! Mommy!
MOMMY
What is it?
BOY
That man! That man flies!
MOMMY
Don't be silly, honey. Men don't
fly.
There is a RUSH of AIR as the Boy stares up as Han shoots
overhead. His coat billowing like a black leather cape
as he soars up, up, and away, faster than a speed bullet.
He curses as he accidentally flies into a flock of geese
who attack him, pecking his face and arms in anger.
FADE OUT.
THE END