Points of View, By Lady Smith

Introduction: I had this odd idea, and I hope it will serve as a chance to streatch my writing muscles, because I do almost no first person, and I'd like to.

Thus, I present Points Of View, an odd little self-imposed contest. Name me any scene from the Matrix trilogy or the animatirx, and any character that was present/is plausible to have been present at that scene. I will write that scene from the 1st-person POV of that character, and post it here as a new chapter. The full rules can be found at my livejournal. I would really appreciate it if you'd read them before submitting your idea. Thanks!

Scene I: Some Promises Can't Be Unmade

Character: Tank
Scene: Tank's Death (Offscreen, alluded to in Reloaded)
Requested By: computerboy

I thought I was O.K. I thought I was "out of the woods".

Guess I was wrong.

It's getting harder and harder to think; hell, it's getting hard and harder to do anything, including breathe.

I want to yell, see if anybody's there, but my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth and my throat's dry.

I can't seem to open my eyes.

I know Neo's not around. He left a little while ago to go help Trinity with something, maybe refitting the Neb, maybe something more personal.

Damn, you spend your whole life hearing about how the One is coming, and he's going to end the war and bring down the Matrix and set everybody free, and he finally shows up and turns out he's a normal guy with a goofy smile and a crush on a shipmate – who he ends up shacking up with - and a fear of heights, and hopes and dreams - just like anybody – and sometimes he just wants to get away and have some time alone with his girl friend.

Damn. In a way it's scary, knowing that The One is human, just a guy, but in another way?

…it's really good to know. Comforting.

Anyway, that means Trinity's not around either.

And Morpheus is still dealing with all the reports and hearings. Between having a traitor on board, losing over half the crew, surviving being interrogated by Agents, and claiming to have brought back the One, I think maybe they don't know whether to give him a medal or a kick in the ass.

If I know old Deadbolt, and the guys on the council, my money's on both.

Going back to wondering who's likely to come to see me, it hits me; I mean really hits me. Morpheus, Trinity, Neo. That's all of the Neb crew accounted for. Everyone else… not around.

Cypher, you Agent-whoring son of abitch! I hope I'm going to hell so I can meet up with you and kick your sorry ass all over again.

I wanted to testify at the hearing, but I'd already collapsed by then, and was in here. Morpheus told me that there was more enough evidence to convict him after the fact, and so he and his kin lost distribution rights on his body and belongings. I would've felt better if they'd burned both, but that's really not practical, and I know it. Besides, the little bastard might as well make some contribution to Zion, even if it's fertilizing some potatoes and giving a kid a blanket and clothes.

Still wish I could've had my say, but I guess it wasn't meant to be. I was okay, more or less, when the Caduceus picked us up and towed the Neb back to Zion, but as soon as I got back it was like whatever was holding me together gave out and I pitched down onto the deck, BAM!

Internal bleeding, they said. They're still not sure if I'll make it.

And I've gotten to thinking…. How bad it that? When you think that I could've not gotten back up when Cypher fried me, I'm actually pretty lucky.

Sure, I'd like to watch my niece and nephew grow up and meet people to fall in love with and have little bitty kids of their own and all that. But Idid get to see them again, and more importantly I now know - beyond the shadow of a doubt – that they will get to do all that stuff.

And sure, I'd like to've met a really nice girl and fallen in love and maybe had kids and all that, too. I mean I'm sure as hell not a virgin, but I can't say I've ever had what Neo and Trinity, Link and Zee, or even Apoch and Switch have. (Or had, in that last case. Damn Cypher.) But on the other hand, I can say that I've never really had my heart broken; not by romance, anyway. Not like Dad when Mom left after that big fight, and then the squiddies took the ship before they could make up again.

Oh, and b hell /b yeah, I'd like to be around for the end of the war, see all the people wake up for good, see the squiddies fall from the sky when the power's cut, see everyone dance for joy on the walkways of Zion.

Hell, I'm gonna miss that one most of all.

But at least I can say that I was there at the Start. I saw The One unplugged, and I saw him first tap his powers. I've seen the death, the honest-to-god final destruction - of an Agent.

First of many, I'll bet.

So if that's it? If this is all I get? What the hell, like the philosopher said, I'll take it anyway.

There's just one thing I gottta take care of before I go, so I muster up all my strength,

"Hey," I croak, "Anybody there?"

"Shit!" A welcome voice says, and I'm grinning to myself as I hear Link scoot his chair to the edge of my bed and I feel him take my hand.

Must be fate. Just the man I wanted to talk to.

"Damn, Tank," he says, "we thought you were asleep, maybe even…."

I shake my head, or try to, anyway. " …'s Zee here?" Damn, just talking takes so damn much outta me…

"No, she stepped out for a second. I'll get her…" I hear him rise and turn to call out the door behind him and I panic; pure adrenaline lets my arm come up and grab him, and my eyes open and look right into his.

"No," I say, and he's staring at me like I'm crazy. "Not yet, I gotta talk to you first." He sits back down in the chair, willing to hear me out, but he looks doubtful.

Link never was very good at faith. Never really believed in the One. But he will. Someday soon, everybody will.

"Okay, Tank. What is it?"

"You got your console certification, right Link?"

"You know I did, Tank! Dozer…"

"Dozer made you swear you'd go in for the training in case we didn't come back, did you finish?"

"Yeah, but…" he shakes his head. "Even if the Neb needs a new operator, there's gotta be a ton of dock controllers more qualified than me, and anyway…" He swallows, and his voice starts to shake "…you're gonna be fine…"

I can tell from his voice he doesn't believe what he just said. But he wants to. And in the end, that's really why I do what I do next.

"Don't, Link. I don't have time. Just listen. Morpheus gets final say of who gets on that ship, and Morpheus will accept you, if you ask."

I stare right into his wide eyes again.

"Ask, Link. I don't want anybody behind my console but you. Promise me you'll ask."

We stare at each other for a while, and finally he nods. "I promise, Tank. I swear." His voice is real quiet, but strong.

I sink back into my bed, my eyes closing, every muscle relaxing. Link may not have faith in much of anything, even himself, but he'll never break his word. Not on something like that.

I realize that I can't open my eyes again, and the loosening of my muscles is more than just relaxing tension.

"Link, get Zee." Damn, is that me? My voice is so quiet. "It's time to get Zee."

I hear him run out of the room, yelling her name.

She comes in about a half a minute later; she must have been on her way back.

From the sounds of voices, she's got Cassie and the kids with her.

Damn. I'm a lucky man, to have had the family I got.

"Tank! " She sounds pretty upset, so I must look pretty bad. She takes my hand and touches my face.

"Don't be mad, Zee." I try to look up at her, but my strength's all used up.

"I'm not mad at you, baby." She's crying, my big sis is crying, and I feel bad, but it's too late to stop it now.

"Not me, Zee. Don't be mad at him." I want to tell her, explain everything, but there's no time anymore and there's more important things to say.

"I love you, Zee. I love Link and Cassie and Chip and Tick, and I'm sorry, and please, please don't be mad…"

She's crying again. They're all crying.

I wish I could tell them it's going to get better.

I wish I could explain that good things come out of bad things.

Please don't be mad at him.

Don't you see?

It had to be this way.

Next Installment: "May I take Your…" The Hel Club Fight from the POV of The Coat Check Girl, as requested by matrixrefugee