Disclaimer: I do not own the Matrix or any references therof. The Matrix is the brain-child of the Wachowski Bros, not me. :(
I only own this story. All events in this tale are my own, no relation to any event real or fictitious intended.
CHOICE
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Another day. It's strange how they sort of blend together after a couple of years free from the Matrix. You almost begin living from one mission to the next, whilst trying not to think of what you have to come back to. It's funny: now that you have a purpose, you seem to lose track of it more and more in the blatant monotony of it. I sat there, typing away on my personal processing unit, trying to find something to cure my mind numbing boredom. It didn't do any good. One grows bored of all their games after a while. I guess simulations lose their interest when you have to fight in a real one. I slammed the computer shut and got up. I exited my room and went to the core, thinking perhaps something would be more interesting there.
My name is Glitch, by the way.
Our operator, Volt, was sitting in his chair at the computers, scanning the scrolling code of the Matrix. Well, perhaps not scanning. More like mesmerized. He looked as if he was in some sort of daydream. I could relate to him. Even if you can read the code fluently, sometimes it becomes almost relaxing, hypnotizing to look at. Maybe it's just the subtle, mathematical efficiency of a computer system that can calm your nerves down. I shook my head and smiled to myself. I do tend to overanalyze things sometimes. It was just a computer system. Not to mention one in which our life goal was to destroy in order to free the human race.
I was about to walk away to find someone to talk to when something on the screens caught my eye. I don't know why, it just did. Something was out of place in the Matrix.
"Hey Volt." I said, waking him up from his reverie. "What's that?"
Volt scanned his eyes over where I was pointing.
"Oh boy. The Agents are up to something. They're carrying something into the Lanz-tech Engineering Incorporated building...." Volt said, punching a couple of keys on his keyboard. The code changed slightly. "It appears to be....information storage units.....CDs.....Hey, Cap, take a look at this!" Volt yelled over to Isis, our captain.
She walked over and stood behind Volt.
"What is it?" She said, calmly.
"The Agents are transporting something, some sort of data discs, and I have no clue what the hell is on them." Volt explained.
Isis stood there for a second. "Agents don't do stuff like that unless it's important."
"Then we have to find out what's going on." I said. At least I wouldn't be bored anymore.
I bounded and hopped into my chair, and Volt snapped me into place and put the plug in my head. It felt cold. It's been too long since our last mission. I watched as Volt plugged in some other members of the crew. Data and Circuit were coming along for the ride as well.
Lanz-tech.....I used to work there....a puny night security guard. I wonder how things have changed? Should be interesting.
The captain spoke from her chair.
"You all realize this is probably going to be one of the more dangerous missions we've been on. I hate to work on intuition alone but just can't escape this premonition. Something's going on. Keep your eyes open. We're going up against Agents. I've had Volt send word to Zion about this. Good luck."
We all nodded in agreement.
"The closest I can get you is the abandoned warehouse a couple of buildings away. Stay sharp." Volt said.
With that, he punched a couple of commands on his keyboard. I felt a surge of electricity enter the base of my skull, and I parted company with the real world. The deck of the ship dissolved and was replaced by the white expanse of the loading construct. I looked down at myself. Black slacks, black dress shirt, Black tie. Not bad. I flipped on the sunglasses that were in my hand. I heard the loading of guns and turned my attention to the table where Isis, Circuit, and Data were loading up their arsenal. I walked over to the table of weapons.
"Nice selection we got here today, huh Volt?" I said into my cell phone while grabbing two M16's, a couple of semi automatic 9mm pistols. Heck, why not throw in a grenade too. I chuckled at my pun as Volt responded.
"You're gonna need it for this one, Glitch."
Isis spoke into her phone. "Are we all ready, Volt?"
Her query was answered by the disappearance of the construct, which was soon replaced by an old, dingy looking warehouse. Isis picked up the ringing phone.
"I'll take that as a yes...." Isis said, then hung up. "Let's go."
We exited the warehouse. Staying close to the outside wall, we creeped along to get closer to our target destination. The Agents had finished bringing the package inside. It looked like we had to follow them in.
"Glitch, what's the safest way to get in the building without being detected?" Isis asked me. She knew about my previous work history, she of course had been the one that freed my mind in the first place.
"Hmm.. lets see. At this time of night they have the building pretty well locked shut, there's alarms everywhere. I think we might have a chance through the back loading entrance. I remember that the guards usually were the most lax over there." I said.
"You heard him, people. Let's move out." Isis commanded.
We all moved towards the back of the building.
"We probably won't be able to sneak in quietly.." Circuit said, looking around. "Guess we have to blow this sucker open. Too bad it'll ruin the surprise..."
"Do it." Isis said.
Circuit threw a grenade at the garage-type doors. She along with the rest of us ran for cover. The grenade blew, along with the alarms, ringing violently.
"We only have a few seconds before the guards get over here. Let's get moving." I said.
We all began to run inside, infiltrating the building. Isis's phone rang.
"Yeah?" She said, still running.
"You gotta hurry, I got guards tracking you guys down and I lost track of the Agents....this isn't looking good. Run to the second floor delivery room, that's where the disks are." Volt said.
"Second floor, delivery room. Move!" Isis said.
We ran up the staircase and into the metallic luster hallway. Just as we began moving down the hallway the security guards from the first floor came up the stairway and some came running from around the corner behind us. Bullets whizzed by or heads, we had all dodged just in time. Data opened a door besides him and ducked behind it for cover, firing from behind it.
"I'll keep them busy! You get going!" Data said, firing at the throngs of guards.
We did what he said. We continued to run. We took a right turn into a large room which contained cubicles. The delivery room was beyond this room, down the hall and to the left. As we were halfway through the rows of endless cubicles we heard the door break down behind us. Two Agents began firing at us.
"Crap, they must've got Data....." Isis said, diving behind cubical walls for cover. The three of us in our cubicles threw down the metal desks, seeing as the thin cubical walls would do almost nothing to stop the bullets of a .45 caliber handgun.
I called Volt.
"Volt, is Data.....?"
"Yeah........he's gone...."
"Damn...."
I hung up, biting my lower lip, trying to fight back emotions and concentrate.
The sound of exchanging gunfire resounded throughout the room.
"Glitch!" Isis yelled. "Go! You have to get those disks!"
"What about you..."
"Forget about us, We'll hold them off. Go. Now!"
I ran out from behind my cover as the agents were reloading. I fired a couple of shots back at them with my 9mm, just to keep them busy. I slammed into the door and ran down the hall, taking out my phone.
"Volt! Am I clear?" I practically yelled into my phone.
"Um, no not really you got guards coming towards you at the end of the hall!!"
I ducked behind a door just as guards appeared at the end of the hall, where I needed to be.
The sound of bullets hitting the metal door created a painful ringing in my ears. No time to worry about that now, though. I grabbed my M16 and peeked out from behind the open door, firing. I got most of them. I ducked back again, and fired again. They were all down by the time I finished my M16 ammo. I tossed the empty gun to the ground and phoned Volt again.
"How are the others....?"
"..........they got into hand to hand combat with the Agents.......they didn't stand a chance..."
I hung up the phone, not wanting to face the truth. All I cared about now was completing the mission, avenging their deaths....
I reached the door and slammed through it. There was the box. I ran up to it and ripped it open, searching the disks. They were labeled.....
"Virus?...what the.....?"
Suddenly another security guard slammed through the door behind me. We both raised our pistols to each others head, guns cocked.
A moment of silence entered the room.
"Oh my God...........Michael? Is that you?!" The security guard said.
"Todd...." I said.
It was Todd...my best friend from my life in the matrix.......
Suddenly all of my thoughts went blank. Todd doubled over, his body contorting. Shifting. Transforming.
Into an Agent.
Oh God. My brain froze. In what was a few seconds seemed like an eternity.
What choice did I have?
Was there a choice?
Push the trigger or die.
This was my best friend.......we did everything together. We met at work, but it turned out that we hung out together all the time..people teased us and called us Siamese twins...wow, it must have been devastating on him when I disappeared......
My brain was wandering again. I had to focus...what to do!? All my rational judgment and feelings of self preservation tried to tell me to shoot, to save myself....but I couldn't press the trigger. This wasn't just anybody, this was my best friend....Dammit.
I couldn't do it....I just couldn't....
My time was up. The choice was made. Todd was gone, replaced by an Agent. His face was Cold. Ruthless. Machine.
He raised his gun at me.
I didn't think it would end like this.............
Oh God.......
Somewhere, far in the distance, came the steady tone of a flat-line....