A/N: Wow! I'm overwhelmed at the great reviews on this story! I personally didn't think it would go very far, but upon closer examination I see that I really should keep with this one! Thank you so much for keeping it alive. Argh! Okay, first off I'd just like to make a couple of corrections: (1) Throughout the entire first half of the story when Cypher is mentioned, I typed 'Cypress' instead of 'Cypher' and I would just like to state that that is incorrect and I am stupid and should have read through better. (2)When Athene looks over to see if she's done uploading, she's unable to see anything, so she doesn't know if Tank nodded, but she thinks he did. Well, he didn't. So, sorry for misleading you there. My bad. (3) About Doc being released at 55..I've recently watched the movie and the conclusion I'm drawing is they don't release a mind after around twenty something. That's why everyone on the ship is young, or something. Anyway, Doc was picked up in Zion. You know what I should do? Just rewrite all of my mistakes and then post that up there as the new and improved. Okay, well, look out for that then. Hopefully I'll do it soon enough. Whew! Okay, I feel better now. Yet again, I own only the new members of the crew and the heroine-in-question. So, for those tortured souls who have waited so very long for this part two, here it is! Sit back, grab some munchies, and enjoy the show!
Part II: Release
Morning came yet again, but I was awake to meet it this time. I had been awake all night, tossing and turning, unable to become comfortable with the new appendage on my body. Normally I slept on my back, but this was impossible because anything that touched the still tender spot sent shocks of pain through my head. It made me even more anxious for the time to come.
Finally, when I could stand it no longer, I got up and headed out. My body felt like the nourishment I ate every day, with just about as much consistency. I met no one in the halls. They were all still asleep. Heading towards the bridge where I would undoubtedly find Morpheus, I planned on asking him to finish my uploading and to take me on some more training programs. I still had to make The Jump. I didn't need the Agent training program. I understood the system well. If they aren't one of us, they are one of Them, and thus should be treated with the utmost caution. Even people we were thinking of freeing we had to deal with extreme carefulness. If the Agents found out whom we were planning to free, they would infiltrate and we'd be dead.
Morpheus sat before the bubble-like windshield, blinking sleepily. Prait was steering. Though being only twenty, he had caught onto driving the huge craft easily and many a time spent his nights (and days) steering the ship. Morpheus was resting his chin on top of his fisted hands, elbows on knees, staring out into the infinite tunnels that spread before him. I placed a hand on his shoulder, making him jump slightly and swivel around to face me in his chair.
"Athene. It's very early, what are you doing up?"
"I couldn't sleep." I say, pointing to my neck. He nodded knowingly.
"It's still tender now, but it'll toughen up. Trust me."
I said nothing, and a slight silence hung between us.
"I was wondering if you could load me into the jump program, and upload everything else I still need to know."
He looked me over, and then nodded. Standing, he clasped Prait's shoulder to let him know he was leaving and then walked out with me. We got to the Matrix room, as many called it. Morpheus left to get Tank. He came quickly, Tank rubbing the sleep from his eye.
"...It's so early, Morpheus! Why couldn't it just wait?" Tank was complaining, but sat down and started to work anyway. Tank inserted the spike into my head, and the cold metal screamed into her head, and then the images flashed by again. I was being uploaded once more, and this time it wasn't so bad. I still found it hard to breathe, but it wasn't as hard as before.
Six hours later, I felt as if my head might explode, it felt so cluttered with information. I was of course happy to know all of this, as it would undoubtedly help me, but I still felt a bit overwhelmed. Morpheus walked over to me.
"We're going to do the jump program. Do you think you can handle it?" he asks me.
I nod furiously, though this is made difficult as I am still on the metallic spike. Morpheus takes a seat directly across from me and Tank plugs him in, typing in the codes and I'm suddenly in midair, looking down upon a giant sprawling city, with tall, squarish things below us, rushing up to meet us at incredible speeds until I was standing onto of one of them. I blinked. Looking around, I was in awe. It was like a sea of metal tops, all stories above the ground. My jaw was open slightly.
"Focus Athene. Do not let the view get in your way of work. Remember, you have to know that this is possible. Let everything else go. Free your mind." He gave me one of his maddening smiles and then ran to the edge, jumping off. I had seen him do this so many times that I wasn't a bit surprised when he landed on the top of another giant building several hundred yards away. I stared at the platform, trying to 'free my mind' as Morpheus put it. I licked my lips, and then started running until I was off the edge, running in mid air. This was great! I was going to make it! When a sudden sinking feeling started in my heart, and I realized I was falling. My legs and arms were pumping as if I was still running, but I was falling, falling, falling, shiny planes of glass flying past me at impossible speeds. I cried out as hard, gray ground rushed up to meet me. I sunk into the ground as if it were molding to my body, but I didn't stop flinching. I knew what would happen next. The effort of throwing me up again, I turned over and landed flat on my back, knocking the wind out of me instantly. I gasped for breath. And then I was back on the ship once more, still trying to catch my breath. I felt the sinking feeling in my heart again, like I had when I started falling.
Morpheus was already standing over me, placing a comforting hand on my forehead. "Don't be upset. Your father didn't make it until about the fifth try, and he's the One." He gave a small smile, and then unplugged me. I don't get up, and put a hand on his arm.
"Let me go again." I say, urging him with my eyes.
He chuckles and shakes his head. "And you wonder why your mother wouldn't let you go in. You never give up!"
"Please."
"No, Athene. You made it almost half way over and then fell at least six stories onto a concrete street. That is no small task. You need to recoup. And you're not going back in until you do."
I glare at him, and then roughly stand up, storming for my room and slamming the door behind me. How could he do this? I only needed a couple more times and I would have had it! But as I crumpled on my bed, I felt as if every bone in my body were in pain, and my anger diminished. I wrapped my arms around my middle and lay down, willing myself to sleep. It seemed like that's all I did anymore was sleep, but I digress.
I woke up to a light being shined in my face. The door was open every so slightly and the lights were blaring in. Someone had opened the door just a sliver and now that person was leaving.
"I'm up." I said heavily. Swinging my legs over, the person opened the door further. It was Notton.
"Morpheus wanted me to get you. He wants you to eat, and then go to the loading dock. We're going in."
This was all I needed to hear. Running my fingers through my hair, I dashed for the mess hall, pouring in a bowl of nutrients and eating them as rapidly as I could. When I was done, I didn't even bother putting the dirty dish on the tray, just took off for the loading dock.
Everyone else was there; Scrylla, Carmen, Morpheus, Prait, Notton, Mom, and Dad. Each were standing before their respective spots except for Carmen and Notton. They were standing next to Tank at the 'switchboard' as we called it, since Tank was our 'Operator'.
Prait walked over, lowering the back till I was almost laying down, and then inserted the metallic stick into my head once more.
I didn't cry out this time, she inhaled sharply through my teeth, but as soon as I did, I was in a large, dingy room. Broken and boarded windows surrounded me and a bluish light was cast around. A phone sat on a table in front of me. The rest of the crew materialized around me, and Morpheus strode forward, picking up the phone and saying "We're in."
Putting the phone down again, he turned to the rest of us.
"Prait, Scrylla and I will be going elsewhere. We've picked up a new person whom we think would make a good addition to the team, but we need to investigate. Carmen has to bait him as well." Carmen smiled slyly at the mention of her name.
"Neo, Trinity, you have permission to take Athene out and show her around. Get her accustomed to things. We'll meet back here in three hours. If anything goes wrong, you know how to get a hold of us." Nodding to Carmen and Notton, they walked out a back door. That left me with my parents.
They walked a little bit ahead of me until we came to a door. They opened it.
"Welcome to the trap." Dad said, pushing the door open to a whole new world.
Stepping out into the blinding light, an incredible sight met me. Green ground stretched on for miles, with all kinds of plant life growing everywhere. Other people were there as well, walking, laughing, playing, running, living. It made my jaw drop.
Looking up, I saw that the sky was a clear, baby blue and the sun wasn't scorched. It was shining brightly and looking at it made my eyes hurt. I squeezed them shut and opened them again. Little dots of darkness followed my gaze everywhere, but I ignored them. I turned around to face Mom and Dad.
Now that it was light enough, I could see what they were wearing. Both were wearing black that flattered their features. Looking down, I saw that I was wearing dark jeans and an unnecessarily tight black tee-shirt. Thanks, Tank I thought sarcastically.
"What's with the black?" I asked, quite confused. After having to wear dark colors most of my life, I had been looking forward to wearing other things.
Dad shrugged. "It's just always been that way, I guess. They were wearing black leather when I first joined." I frowned slightly, but it didn't faze me too much.
"Where should we take her first?" I could hear Dad asking Mom. "Parks are covered. How about ocean?"
Ocean? I thought, confused. These words held no meaning to me whatsoever. They continued to converse about strange things until I couldn't take it any longer. Walking back a few steps so I was behind my mother, I pulled her cell out of the pocket of her shiny, long black coat.
The bottom flipping out, I put it to my ear.
"Operator." Tank's voice came out.
"Tank, do you have any World History uploading programs?" I asked, hearing the frustration in my voice. I was fed up, tired of being totally oblivious to everything they were talking about. It made me feel stupid, and that was one emotion I did not like.
"Athene? But this is-"
"Do you, or do you not have that program?" I asked, my voice rising. I could feel my parent's eyes on me, watching me. Somewhere I could hear my mother's voice yelling at me. But I tuned them out.
"I might, but I don't-"
"Look for it!"
There was a pause and I could hearing the tapping of keys on a keyboard.
"I have one, but it's not very up to-"
"Load it up, Tank."
"But-"
"Just do it!" I slipped the cover on the phone shut with a little more force than necessary, and handed it back to my mother. She was glaring at me, but I stood still, closing my eyes. And again it started, people and places and things flying past my eyes at incredible speeds, making my eyelids flutter again until it finally stopped.
Looking around, I could identify everything around me. I was wearing 'denim jeans', my mother was wearing a leather coat and dress, my father leather pants. There were trees everywhere, and the green sea before me was grass. I knew what was happening. And I knew what 'ocean' was.
Turning to face them again, I smiled. "Show me everything."
And they did. They took me to restaurants, and carnivals and shops. We were walking down one of the thousands of streets in the city, and Dad turned to give Mom a small, almost sad smile.
"Jesus..." he said softly, and she started to smile too.
"What?" she asked in an almost bored tone.
He pointed to one of the stores. It read 'Chang's Chinese'.
"I used to eat there. Really good noodles." He grinned broadly, softening his usually serious features. Mom allotted as smile as well, and intertwined her fingers with his.
Mom led us into one store in particular. I didn't see the name, but one word stuck out: chocolate. I had only heard about the stuff since that's the color my mother described mine and my father's eyes as, and then I was still a little in the dark.
Mom walked to the glass counter that held all kinds of sweets within. Staring at it, I realized what my mother meant when she said I had 'chocolate brown' eyes. Staring at one of the confections, the little label read 'amaretto creme'. I had no idea what that meant, but I figured I'd learn soon enough.
Turning back to us with a small white bag, Mom smiled a small smile. "Let's go back to the park."
We did and found a nice spot in the shade. Even though I was only wearing a black shirt, the sun was baking through and making me uncomfortably hot. This was a new sensation all together. The Neb was usually drafty and cold and many a night I couldn't sleep because it was too cold. But now, I would have rather been back in the drafty, icy ship.
The shade felt good, cooling my skin. Mom opened the bag and pulled out a piece of the candy and handed to me. I held it in my hand, staring at it.
"Eat it soon, or it'll melt." Dad cautioned in a gentle voice.
I popped it in my mouth, and I was glad I did. It was the most incredible taste I had ever experienced. Having grown up on the slop that the ship provided, I felt like I was having a sensory overload. I tried to keep the taste in my mouth as long as possible until I finally told myself that it wasn't real. This made me swallow the chocolate, but I couldn't swallow the idea that what I had just experienced wasn't real.
"That was incredible. But it's not real." I said, stating the obvious.
Exchanging glances, my parents shook their heads. No.
Dad lifted his wrist to his face and he peered at a watch. "We should probably head back, Trin. We only have half an hour to get back, and it's a good walk from here back to the warehouse."
Mom nodded, and we headed off, leaving me wanting more of the sugary goodness, but being revolted at how well the machines were able to make me feel like that.
Dad and Mom made swift, easy strides but the heat made me slow and winded me easily. Suddenly, the cell-phone chirped.
Turning to give his wife a worried look, Dad pulled his phone out of his pocket.
"We got trouble." I could hear through the tiny phone.
"Where are you?" He replied, the fear resounding through his voice.
"34th and Lake Street. You gotta get here fast. There's Agents!"
Mom looked at Dad, and though her eyes were shielded by dark sunglasses, I could feel the fear coming off of her. He nodded.
"I'll be there soon." Slapping the phone shut, he turned to us.
"There's Agents. I need to get there. You guys get there when you can."
Mom nodded. "Be careful. We'll get there as soon as possible."
Dad looked upward, and jumped, soaring into the sky. I watched in awe as he did so. It was one thing to watch it on the monitors, but to see it in real life was a whole other thing. Then I realized it wasn't real, and frowned again.
"Remember how Morpheus told you to free your mind?" Mom asked, turning to me. I nodded, a clenching feeling starting in my chest. "Now is the time to do it."
I licked my lips and nodded. She started running, running like no human should be able to. I struggled to keep up, but even then I was still at least ten yards behind.
"Free your mind, Athene, free your mind!" I panted to myself, and then tried to picture blankness in my head. The wind started coming harder against me, and when I opened my eyes I realized that I was running as fast as Mom. I was only a couple feet behind her now.
Suddenly, shots echoed off behind me and one grazed my ear. I screamed and increased my speed. "They're here!" I screamed after my mother, even though we were side by side.
"Faster, Athene! Follow me!" she suddenly took a sharp right-hand turn and I scrambled after her. Another quick right down an ally filled only with yowling cats and garbage disposals. More shots fired behind us.
"Where's that damn phone!" I yelled after her.
Mom looked up at a near-by street sign. "Right here." She put her fist through a glass window in some kind of old store that was up for rent. We climbed inside, avoiding the glass shards carefully, and then headed for the black phone that rested on its cradle. It was ringing. Mother reached for the receiver and picked it up, then thrust it at me. I grabbed it and put it to my ear. And suddenly I was whooshing through some kind of black hole. I squeezed my eyes shut, and my stomach clenched. Then, I was back on the Neb. Seconds later, my mother came to life beside me. Then Morpheus, across from me, then Notton, Carmen and Dad. Scrylla and Prait lay very still in their chairs, and deep red holes were in their chests and legs. I gasped and struggled to get up, but I was still on the spike.
"Easy, Athene." said Tank, rushing over to unplug me. I quickly unfastened myself and ran over to Scrylla and then started crying.
"They're dead! How did this happen?" I asked, almost hysterical.
"Agents." came Morpheus' morbid voice behind me. He placed a comforting hand on my shoulder and I hung my head. Tears coursed down my cheeks and left pearly trails on my flesh. I turned to see my father standing up, his deep brown eyes full of pain and sorrow. I ran to him and flung my arms about his neck, sobbing into his chest. He held me back, comforting me. Mother came over, and Dad put an arm around her as well, until we were in a three-person hug.
"Things happen, Athene. You need to realize that. This is why your father is such a gift to us all. Most times he is able to save them, but there are instances which are inevitable. And we cannot change that."
I nodded, still sniffling.
"This just makes Murdoc all the more enticing. After the loss of two people, we need to rebuild our crew again, and Murdoc will fulfill those requirements." Morpheus said, heaving a morbid sigh.
"Murdoc?" I asked through my tears. "Is that who you were going after today?"
He nodded. "Apparently, they've been watching him for months and were anticipating us. They were able to shoot Scrylla and Prait before Neo arrived, but he was able to get the rest of us out safely."
Tank got up and walked over to the bodies and pulled the spike out of each of them one last time. He looked over at my father, and together they carried the limp forms of our former comrades to behind the back chair. Tank disappeared and came back with a long sheet of canvas, and gently settled it over them.
I closed my eyes and tried to stop the flowing tears. Mom squeezed my hand again.
Morpheus turned to address the crew as a hole. "I think we all need to get some rest. Tank, I want you to help me on the bridge. The rest of you, get some sleep. When everyone's awake again, we'll go back and meet our newest member."
The crowd dispersed and each went to our respective chambers. I went back to my cell of a room, and lay on the cot, taking in deep breaths to try and stop the shaking. I had seen them come, and see them go, but it was always a shock. The Neb had seen many a great warrior, but only the strong survived. Darwin's theory; survival of the fittest. Natural selection. However you cut it, it still meant that the strong lived and the weak were killed off. And many were too used to life in the Matrix to become strong in the real world, thus were eliminated quickly. But that didn't make it any less of a shock to the rest of us.
I tossed and turned on my flimsy mattress, trying to get comfortable, but too many thoughts were rushing through my mind. Thoughts of seeing the blood seep through the holes placed by an imaginary world, thoughts of how close I had come to dying today myself. I wrapped my arms about my middle, hugging myself. I was glad to be alive.
And then anger bubbled through my system. Again, it all boiled down to the machines. It was their fault I had been trapped on the Goddamn ship for thirteen years, but now it was their fault for taking the lives of two people very close to me. It had always been their fault, and it always would be. No one else could be blamed.
I slept fitfully, drifting into dreams of smirking Agents as they blew bullets through Morpheus, Mom, Dad, and then finally me, and then waking up drenched in cold sweat, gasping for breath. It was miserable, and it left me feeling hollow, weak, and queasy.
Being unable to stand it any longer, I stood up. I was still shaking, and my legs almost gave way beneath me. I felt miserable. Placing a hand on the cold metal, I steadied myself and took deep breaths. Deciding it was just because I needed some nourishment, I headed for the Mess Hall. It was unoccupied when I arrived, and I ate my bowl of 'food' in solitude. It made me feel slightly better, but I was still weak on my legs. I headed for the bridge.
Tank was watching the surrounding fields of pods with far too much vigor, and I figured it was because he just wanted to divert his mind. On the other end of the spectrum, Morpheus sat wrapped in a ratty blanket with a glassy look over his eyes, staring off into millions of miles away. He was as still as a gargoyle.
"Morpheus?" I asked gently, easing my way into the room to stand behind him. He jerked out of his funk and looked at me, blinking slowly. His eyes were full of pain and sorrow, and my heart went out to him. "How...are things going?" I asked, and even I could hear how lame the question was.
Morpheus remained still. "We're heading for Zion. We need to drop off the bodies and stock up on fuel and other resources." he said in a monotone voice.
"Zion?" I asked, and my heart started thumping. I had only been allowed inside Zion once, but I was an infant and so I don't remember any of it. I hadn't been allowed back because of the uproar it had created. Crowds had swarmed the crew of the Neb, trying to catch of a glimpse of the child of the One, and security was a mess. So, whenever the sporadic visits to Zion resurfaced, I was left on the ship to watch over things. This would explain why Tank was in such a good mood. He was going home.
"Do...do you think I could go, now that I'm fighting?"
Again, Morpheus stayed still. He didn't respond at first, so I thought maybe he was either ignoring me, or hadn't heard the question. I waited with bated breath for his verdict.
"I want you to go this time. You are of age now, and can take care of yourself. Security will not be so big a problem now that you are older and can better watch out on your own." he replied in the same monotone voice. My heart soared, despite previous happenings. I smiled, but didn't cheer or celebrate or carry on. This was a somber time, and small victories meant little when two crewmembers were dead.
"She's approaching quickly, sir. We'll be there in about half an hour. Should we crank speed?" Tank reported, looking anxiously at Morpheus.
Morpheus shook his head. "Wait. I want to have Murdoc before we go in."
Tank nodded, and looked slightly put out. "Should we at least dock there?"
"No. Keep her at broadcast depth, but at least ten minutes away from Zion. When Murdoc recovers, we'll go in."
"But Captain, that could take weeks! And we don't have the resources..."
"We will wait until Murdoc and the rest of the crew is ready." Morpheus said in a final tone, and Tank quickly turned his attention back outside.
"How soon should we go in?" I asked quietly, making small talk.
"When we left it was mid afternoon. Right now, it should be about two in the morning. We'll wait a few more hours and catch him at school."
I closed my eyes, searching for what 'school' meant. Images of squat brick buildings and multitudes of kids both younger, older and same age as me were called up into my head, along with pictures of math problems, paper and pencils, and much more. I imagine that had I been originally born in the Matrix, I would have liked school.
There was silence amongst us again, and I turned and left. I would have to occupy myself for several more hours. I now found it mind boggling how I had been able to entertain myself so easily for the past twelve years when a whole other world was waiting for me in the Matrix. I decided on trying to finish my reading of The Odyssey, but it was impossible. My eyes wouldn't focus, and I kept thinking of what I had seen in the Matrix. How easily I could have been wiped off the face of the earth. How much more real everything seemed in that unreal world. How in the real world, all you saw was blood suddenly seeping through the body from unseen inflictions, but in the dream world, you saw the pain on their faces, the surprise, the anger, or whatever their final expression may have been. You had to see the bullets rip through flesh and bone. Had to watch them die.
I walked to what I had claimed as 'my' corridor. It was a small passageway with a flat metal wall on one side, a grated floor, and some boilers directly across from you. Dad used it often too, but now that his excursions in the Matrix were far more exhausting, he slept. But I didn't. Not any more.
So now I was sitting on the grated floor, my back against the flat metallic wall, breathing. It was getting harder and harder to sleep on my hard cot in that cell of a room. Now, in one of the most uncomfortable places on the ship, I could feel myself drifting away...
I was in the Matrix, and one of the vindictive Agents was before me, gun head at point-blank. I was yelling at myself to move, to kick, to punch, to take him down. But my body was rigid, and refused to move. The Agent was smirking now, an evil, cold smile of victory. My reflection was visible in his dark sunglasses, and he was saying my name, over and over in an icy, scratchy voice: "Athene...Athene...Athene..."
I jerked away. "Athene? Athene, wake up." Someone was shaking me and repeating my name. I took a sharp breath. "Good, you're awake. What are you doing here?" asked my mother.
I looked up. Her pale blue eyes were full of concern, and she blinked confusedly at me.
I started to stand up. " I was...Just thinking and I guess I drifted off. What? Has something happened?"
"We're going in now. Morpheus figures the time is right now. Are you ready?"
"Why wouldn't I be?" I ask while yawning.
She shrugged. "I was just wondering. Come. He's waiting."
I followed behind her until we got to the core. I took my customary seat closest to the console, and Carmen walked over, buckled me in, then inserted the spike.
I winced, but it didn't last long, because now I was in. I was in the middle of a park, surrounded by green grass and long-since rusted jungle gyms. A light breeze made a swing move back and forth in the wind.
Mom, Dad, Morpheus, and Notton then appeared around me. Morpheus pulled out his cell phone and gave Tank the okay. He walked to the front of the crowd, and we followed behind him. A black Lincoln sat before us, the windows tinted with sunlight glinting off of them. We got in, with Notton driving, and Morpheus in the front seat. I sat on the end, with Mom next to me and Dad on the end. The car started and we were off.
I watched as the surroundings flew past, and the windows made everything look as if it were nighttime. Kids and businessmen walked along the sidewalks, and other cars streaked past us. More stately houses lined the sidewalk, and eventually we came to stop before a large, squat brick building that I instantly recognized even though I'd never seen it before: school.
Mom and I got out a the same time and shut the doors simultaneously, perfectly coordinated. She was wearing her usual outfit; tight leather shirt and black pants. I was in something I'd never worn before; tight black leather pants that were incredibly uncomfortable, and a soft, cottony black shirt with a cow neck. My long black hair was in one thick braid down my back, and dark shades adorned my eyes. Black leather boots with an inch thick heel made me slightly taller than usual. The ensemble made me feel powerful. I felt like I could maybe do this now.
I walked around the car, and stood before my mother. She watched me from behind her wrap-around sunglasses. I could feel her gaze from behind them.
"You sure you can do this?" she asked, her voice full of motherly concern. I nodded. I didn't trust myself with speaking.
She nodded back and looked behind her to where Dad stood, then looked back at me. Notton walked over to stand next to me. "I'll take you where you need to go." he explained. He started walking at a brisk pace, and I struggled to stay up with him. I didn't think it necessary to bend the rules when we were surrounded by the slaves of the Matrix. We walked up to a large wire fence. Notton jumped over it easily, and I copied him. We were inside a large cement court, with three large buildings rising up on all four sides. I figured that's where the classes were held. Notton was still walking until he came to one door and stopped. "This is his door. He'll be coming out in about-" he checked his watch. "Two minutes, which means I need to scoot. Just, erm, be as cryptic and mysterious as possible. Keep him wanting more. Oh, and here's what he looks like." Notton pulled out several Polaroid's. They showed a mature looking boy with sandy brown hair and green eyes.
I nodded, but frowned. Notton gave me the thumbs up and then walked away. I watched him as he disappeared, and then leaned against the wall next to the door. Figuring that the door would open coming out, no one would see me until I wanted to be seen by Murdoc. With my arms crossed, and one leg lifted so that the shoe was against the wall, I imaged I looked like one of the old Wild West ombre's, right before being discovered in the dingy bar for a shoot out. I didn't move.
Suddenly, a loud bell rang, and the doors each opened with a bang. Kids poured from the doors like water from a cup, I kept an eye out for the boy with the sandy hair and green eyes. There. He walked out, book in hand, looking as if he'd just woken up from a nap.
"Hello, Murdoc." I called out, still not looking up from the ground or changing my posture. Murdoc froze in his tracks and spun around. He caught sight of me, and I saw as his eyes gave swept over me.
"Who are you? How do you know that name?" he asked, trying to sound cool but unable to stop the hint of fear in his voice.
"We have our ways." I say, still not moving.
"Who's we?" He asked, standing still and staring at me. I stood upright, and gave a small smile, then started to walk away, my boots making sharp staccatos on the concrete ground.
"Wait, who are you? How do you know that name?!" he was sounding slightly frantic now, and I had to suppress a larger grin. I kept walking. I had to get him off school grounds. Talking to him in the middle of a deserted blacktop probably wouldn't go over well with the teachers. "Wait! Stop! I have classes, and I need to know *now*!" he cried after me.
I kept walking, but looked over my shoulder. "You've skipped classes before. Why not do it again?" I said in a smooth, cool voice. This was a lot easier than I had thought it might be. The words just seemed to flow, and I didn't even have to think.
I walked until I was right at the fence and then jumped, sailing over it easily. I then heard his footsteps stop, and I turned around. He was gaping at me. "What the..." I heard him murmur. Then, he ran at the fence, and took a hold. It took him several minutes before he was able to climb over the fence and join me once more. I continued walking.
"Where are you going? Why won't you answer me?" he continued shouting. It took me a minute to realize just how quickly I was walking. I slowed down so he could catch up, when I realized that I had no place to take him. We were in the open, and anyone was bound to see us. I pulled out my cell phone.
"Operator." I heard Tank say as if he'd said it hundreds of times before.
"Tank, where can I take him? We're out in the open, and that's never a good place. Give me a secure location."
"Hold on." he said, and the sound of keys being typed could be heard in the background. "Okay, got it. Got a location on 23rd and Main. A building for lease with a back storage room. You can go there."
I looked at the nearest street sign. I was on 54th. "Shit." I muttered.
"What?"
"I'm a long ways away from that. Got anything closer?"
"Nope. That's probably as secure as it gets. You gonna be able to do this?"
"Yeah of course...I'll just need to bend some rules, is all. He won't be ready for it, it'll be impossible for him to keep up."
"Do what you need to do, Athene. Just give him the speech. We need this kid."
I sighed. "Yeah, I know. Got any directions?"
"Umm..." More typing. "Head south till you get to 32nd, then turn west and go straight. It's mostly walking. Shouldn't take too long."
"Can't you get us a motorcycle or something?"
"Hmm, that could work. Give me a sec." More key typing. "Alright, got ya covered. Just go to the corner, and there should be one sitting there."
"Thanks." I say, slapping the phone shut and putting it back in my pocket.
"Who were you talking to?" I suddenly heard him ask from behind me.
I turned around. "You'll meet him soon enough. Now, if you really want answers, some *straight* answers, follow me. And be quick about it." I started my brisk walk once more, and he stayed right at my heels.
"So-who-are you?" he panted.
"All will be answered in time." I say smoothly, and we finally get to the corner. Waiting for us is a beautiful black Harley, gleaming in the sun. I grinned.
"Holy shit...this yours?" he asked, running a hand lovingly along the great thing.
"Temporarily." I said, straddling the great machine. Then something hit me. I pulled out my phone again.
"Operator."
"Tank, I can't drive this thing. Upload me."
"Alright. Done."
I hung up and closed my eyes. More images, this time of people checking gauges, steering the machine, and pulling clutches. It took several seconds. Not have as long as the preliminary uploading had.
I put my hand on the clutch and revved up the motor. It roared beneath me and a sense of power filled me. Murdoc got on behind me, and I kicked, and off we went. Wind whipped through my hair and pulled several loose hairs from the tight braid. Adrenaline pumped through my body as I sped down the street, the motor roaring. The streets signs flashed past me, but I kept a close eye on them. 46th, 47th, 48th...we were still a ways away. I pushed for speed, and the wind increased around us, howling in my ears.
We were getting closer. 32nd, 31st, 30th...just a few more left. There. We were in the twenties. 27th, 26th, 25th, 24th...There! I made a sharp left-hand turn.
Run down buildings with broken windows lined the street, and litter was blown about by the wind. I parked the bike in front of a small abandoned store that had a great white sign proclaiming 'For Lease' in bright red lettering in the dirty window. I walked in, Murdoc following behind me.
The room was covered in dust and white-sheeted furniture. I headed for a door at the back that sat behind a counter. Opening it, more dust was disturbed and it floated down onto us.
In the back room, only a small, rectangular window was almost on the ceiling, light barely coming through. Crates littered the floor, and Murdoc sat down on one of them.
"Can you tell me just what the *hell* is going on here?" he asked, sounding annoyed and slightly angry all at once.
I smiled again. "I think you already know."
The pissed-off look left his face and was replaced by a look of fear trying to be masked. He got very pale very quickly. "The Matrix." he said weakly.
I nodded. "Bingo."
"What is the Matrix." he said. It was a statement, not a question.
"You're like a person with a porcupine quill caught in your finger. No matter how hard you try to wiggle and pull the quill out, the barbs just catch and sink deeper in. At the first prick of the Matrix, you tried to dismiss it as fantasy and extricate it from your life. But this just sunk it in further, and before you knew it you weren't trying to take it out, but get it further in. Except you have it all backwards. The Matrix isn't stuck in you...You are stuck in the Matrix." I tried not to look too surprised. That little speech had come from no where. It had just came to me. It wasn't too bad either, if I did say so myself.
Murdoc stared at me, his startling green eyes boring into mine. He shook his head in disbelief. "This is crazy. You're nuts." He stood up to leave. I grabbed his arm.
"You're only leaving because you know it's all true." I said. I was grasping at straws, and it was the only cryptic thing I could think to say. I could have said 'Hell no! You're staying right here till Morpheus shows up with the pills' but I figured that wouldn't have kept him. "You've always run from the truth, but you can't now. And you know it."
He froze, and I could feel him tense under my grip. He turned to face me. He closed his eyes and shook his head, taking a deep breath. "This is crazy." he said, but no longer made a move to leave. "So, now what? Do we go off to see the wizard or something?"
It took a minute for this statement to register with me. Wizard of Oz. Right. I snorted. "Not exactly." I opened the door slightly, getting a little nervous. I whipped out the cell again.
"Operator." came Tank's voice once more.
"Tank, why aren't they here? They should be here by now."
"Sheesh, Athene! Chill out, will ya? Look, they're only a few blocks away, and the building you're being taken to is only a couple doors down. The computers are set up in the old Strong building near by, and Morpheus has the pills. Just calm down."
I nodded, even though he couldn't see me. "Okay. Sorry to bother you." I slapped the phone shut and pocketed it.
"Who should be here by now?" Murdoc asked, standing up.
"You shall see." I peeked out again. There. The black Lincoln was pulling up before the building and I opened the door all the way. I waved an arm so he'd know to follow me, and went to the car.
I got in the back seat and sat on the far end. Murdoc sat at the other end. Carmen was driving and Notton was sitting in the passenger seat, a gun leveled at his head.
Murdoc raised his hands. "Whoa...what's up with this? I didn't do anything!"
"We have to be careful, Murdoc. We don't know if they've gotten to you or not. This is to be safe."
"If who's gotten to me?" He asked, flicking his eyes from the gun barrel that was only a few inches away from him, to me.
"The sentinels."
"The who?" he asked, and Carmen shifted the gun slightly, making the barrel move up and down, and making Murdoc scoot further back from it.
"You heard us. Look, Coppertop, I'm not gonna fire this thing unless you give me reason to, so just chill out."
He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing.
"She's right, Murdoc. She has no reason to shoot you. But it is a precaution."
Notton stopped the car in front of a large, old brick building that seemed to be falling apart before their very eyes. Carmen flicked the gun in the direction of the door.
"Get out." she said, and he rushed to do so.
I got out and looked over. The sun was starting to go down. Had it really been that long already? It seemed to have happened so quickly...
Carmen was leading us inside, with Notton close on her heels. I was getting the feeling that the two had grown much closer than just shipmates, but I didn't say anything. Murdoc walked in front of me, and I behind him, bringing up the rear.
Inside, it was dark and I could barely see anything. Someone clicked on a single light bulb, and it cast a dim, eerie light over everything. A large group of computers similar to Tank's console on the Neb sat sprawling over the entire back section of the room.
Murdoc stopped, gawking at the computers. But I was looking back over at the computers. In the midst of the monitors, CPU's and cords, stood my mother, father, and Morpheus. I caught Morpheus' gaze, and he emitted the smallest of smiles.
Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder. "We should probably leave. Morpheus has to pop the question and then we come and program him." said my father's voice in my ear. I nodded, and together we walked into another room, my mother, Notton, and Carmen following behind me. The door was shut, but I ran over and pressed my ear against the wood, listening.
I couldn't make out what Morpheus was saying, his voice was too low and deep. Murdoc's voice was much more distinguishable.
"How do I know these aren't ecstasy pills in a new, easy to swallow gel capsule form?" asked Murdoc in a voice full of sarcasm and disbelieving.
I could hear Morpheus give a small chuckle. "These are not narcotics, but I can assure you that when all of this is over, you're going to fell...a little detached from the world." I could hear the smile in Morpheus' voice, and I couldn't help but smile myself. I pulled away from the door. My mother gave me a reproving look, and I shrugged, making my eyes wide an innocent. She sighed and rolled her eyes, but was smiling none the less.
Then, Dad swept forward and through the door. It was time. He looked to Morpheus, who stood up and gave him the slightest of nods. We each went to a different monitor. Mine measured heart rate, adrenaline, and vital organs. At just a glance, I could see that his vital organs were fine, but that heart rate was up and adrenaline was racing. I gave a chuckle.
I was too busy watching the screens to realize what had happened when he suddenly shouted "What the hell?"
Glancing up, I saw that a silvery liquid was crawling up his arm. I glanced over at my mother, who gave a slight nod. This was normal. This is what always happened. I looked back at the screen. His heart was far above normal, and he'd go into cardiac arrest soon if it didn't go down.
The liquid was spreading all over his body and over his head, covering him. He shouted as it entered his mouth, and from Notton's computer I heard "Locked! We got 'em!" and then he was gone.
Morpheus walked over to the phone that was hidden by shadows in the corner. It had started ringing, and he picked up the receiver, then disappearing. Dad walked over, replaced the receiver on the cradle, and it rang almost immediately. He picked up the phone, and then Dad was gone. This process kept going and going until I was the only one left. The receiver had just touched the cradle once more and then it rang. I reached out a hand and picked it up. Suddenly, I was hurdling through some kind of different dimension. Surrounding me on all sides was the Matrix code, but it only lasted a second, because then my eyes were flying open and I was back on the Neb again.
After I was unplugged and unstrapped, I headed towards the bridge. Morpheus was already there with Doc, and the two were steering the ship at a fast speed.
"We have to get there in time. There's no margin for error." Morpheus was saying to Doc, who nodded grimly, and inched the throttle forward slightly.
We were sailing over the fields and fields of pods until we stopped over a space that didn't look any different from the rest. Doc reached out and pressed a sequence of buttons, then gripped a joystick nearby. The 'arm' as we called it was released from below the ship, and was reaching down deep into what seemed a bottomless crevice. I knew what we would see next, and just as I thought it, it happened
The pale, pink, and quite naked form of Murdoc was being lifted up by the giant arm and pulled into the ship. I knew that my mother and father and several other crewmembers were already there, waiting with blankets and nourishment. I stayed at the bridge. The thought of standing there next to some guy whom I found very attractive but completely naked at the moment made me quite uncomfortable and awkward. I stayed in the bridge for a little while longer, but finally the images of the endless fields of pods because too depressing and I got up and left. Heading towards the back, I was planning on getting some sleep, but the urge to go and see Murdoc became too great and I stopped at the Sick Bay on my way to my sleeping quarters.
Morpheus and my mother were laboring by his side, checking vitals and other read outs. He looked like a giant pincushion with the acupuncture pins stuck all over his body, with a towel draped over his lower waist and thighs. I was grateful for that. Saved me many awkward moments later on.
He was still quite devoid of hair, but his eyebrows had finally grown back, and a stubble of the same sandy brown hair I had seen the Matrix had now broken out over his scalp. I took him in, watching. I knew he'd only be like that for a days more. Morpheus was starting to turn around, I quick darted away, making a beeline for my room.
Laying down slowly on my mattress, I cushioned my arms behind my head and closed my eyes, taking deep rhythmic breaths.
How was any of this going to work? Something was going to wrong...
And yet, I couldn't help thinking that it wasn't absolutely perfect. I finally had found a friend who wasn't at least five years older than me. I'd have someone to relate with...sort of. There would still be a huge rift between us. He'd had a normal life, and I hadn't. I'd always known the truth...he hadn't. I'd always be one step ahead of the game, and he wouldn't. I'd always be the teacher, and he'd always be the student.
I took another deep breath. Breath. Breathe breathe breathe. Just breathe. Let yourself worry about it when the time comes, but don't concern yourself with it now.
The next several days passed in a blur. Things were dull, but there was an anxious buzz in the air. Everyone was waiting for the muscles to be rebuilt, for clothing to finally get shipped in, for the final touches to be made. Finally, the pins were taken out of Murdoc's body. I don't know if he was awake for the procedure or not; I didn't witness it.
In fact, I hadn't even so much as looked at him since when he first arrived. I was giving him as wide a berth as possible. I didn't want to seem too smitten with him. That would lead to instant ridicule, then my parents would get involved with it, and it would just become one whole awkward mistake.
Although, while I'm on the subject of couples, I must note that Carmen and Notton have become *much* closer since the killings...no, murders of Scrylla and Prait. They are hardly seen without the company of the other, and Morpheus told me that they reminded him of my mother and father when Dad had first joined the ship. I thought it was nice, how the two had found comfort in the other during such times. But it just made things a little more weird; everyone was pairing up, save Morpheus Tank, Doc, and me. It was obvious that males far outweighed the females, but I don't think anyone minded.
After spending my whole life with Morpheus, I gathered that he was too in love with his ship and his life's work to ever concentrate on a woman. Perhaps he had tried, many years ago, but once he found the Neb, no woman would ever be able to catch his attention.
I remember long ago someone telling me that Tank had a love in Zion, but perhaps that was a long time ago. No one's mentioned anything since. As for Doc, I know that for a fact he had had a wife in Zion for twenty-three years, but she died of Dysentery. It was during the Great Famine; when I was six, the Machines got hold of some of Zion's food import cities. Though the cities were tiny, almost non-existent, they still provided the vital things needed for Zion. When the Machines took hold, it caused a famine. Many died of starvation, mal nutrition, the list goes on and on. Doc's wife was one of those victims, which is partially why he was so eager to join the Neb. He'd been moving from ship to ship, and finally he'd settled on the Neb as his personal home.
So that left me. I was the only eligible 'bachelor' left. And since Murdoc was my age, it would only be natural...
I shook my head. No. You're letting them control you again. It was hard, since everyone on the ship was so close. You usually did what the others expected of you, whether it was verbally announced or not. But I always tried to listen to what *I* wanted to do. And so far, it had worked. Unless it was specifically told to me to do something, I did whatever the hell I felt like doing.
I had been sitting at the Matrix console, spacing off and getting lost in my thoughts while watching the falling green letters. A hand on my shoulder. I turned around.
"The Consuela is here." said Morpheus' voice. "It's bringing supplies."
"Why did we have to have it transported when we could just go into Zion?" I asked. Some of Morpheus' orders were strange, and I didn't agree with them at all.
"You heard me earlier. If you'd like to come, you can. Otherwise, I'd like to watch over Murdoc."
The thought of watching Murdoc sleep made the muscles in my stomach clench, and I wanted to do that badly. But the thought of seeing outsiders was by far more enticing, so I got up and followed Morpheus.
Walking behind him, we came to about midway on the ship on the bottom deck. Beneath us was the trap door that opened below so the arm could reach down and grab the people we had freed. That very arm was resting in coils not too far away.
I stepped back so I was off the flap. I didn't feel like falling to my death or worse, being taken by Machines today. A whirring sound suddenly came from below and around us, and the flaps gave way, folding downward and out.
The form of another great ship was slowly rising towards us, and a door was opening on its hull. The ship was then touching ours, the two windows to the outside meeting so there was no space at all. A resonating clicking sound said that the two ships had locked.
More sounds, this time of feet climbing the metallic wrung of a ladder were coming from the Consuela. And then, a new face appeared. This one belonged to a man with shocking blonde hair and growth on his chin. His eyes were like pale sapphires and he was built similar to Tank. I didn't see any plugs, so I figured he was from Zion as well.
Behind him were several more men, and they each had packages with them. Some were large, metallic barrels that I could only guess held the nourishment we ate everyday as well as water. The others were boxes that looked like they were made from either thick cardboard (something very rare in the Real World these days), or a very thin wood. It was most likely the latter, and I surmised that these held clothing. I was glad. The wide legged pants and heavy sweater that I wore everyday, though warm and comfortable, were getting quite old. The pale gray pants were starting to itch me and the light blue sweater was starting to smell. We were hardly ever allowed to wash our clothing, because that would require water and water is one of the bare essentials of life, so we took great care of our clothing. Mine had several stains on it, but nothing incredibly noticeable. It suddenly felt like the Christmas' my mother had told me about as a child.
The pale eyed man with the blonde hair put out a muscular arm and Morpheus put out his own, pumping hands.
"We've brought the supplies, Captain Morpheus." the man stated. I thought he needn't said that since it was quite obvious. "Is there anything else you'll be needing?"
"No, Zephyr. That will be all. My crew and I thank you deeply."
"How's the new member?" the man called Zephyr asked, trying to make small talk.
"He's recovering. We've finished rebuilding his muscles, and right now he's sleeping it off. He should be recovered by tomorrow, and when he's finished uploading we'll be going into Zion."
Zephyr nodded. "If that's all, Morpheus, we'd better be off. The Legion is asking that all ships try and dock as quickly as possible. It's something important. In fact, they told me to tell you to hurry it up, though in that high and sophisticated way they have of doing things." He gave a small, sideways smile. "They want the One present, just like always. They're pretty upset with you, actually. You've been disobeying them for so long..."
This wasn't news to me. The Legion of Zion was the group of superiors, captains, and so forth that now ruled Zion, and the other tiny cities scattered all over the world. They controlled everything; militia, government, currency, food rationings...everything. Everyone respected them, because they was no one else to turn to if the Legion kicked you out. Everyone, that is, except Morpheus. He had always been given a free reign for two reasons; the first one is because of what the Oracle had foretold of him; that he would find the One. He had succeeded in that, and that's reason number two; the One, and his family were all aboard the Nebechadnezzer. But though many respected the Legion's wishes and orders, they didn't respect the Legion in general. The Legion was called the LZ or the Lazies for short. It took forever to process a request with the Legion, and so many said it was because there was a lot to ruling the free world, but I figured it was just because they didn't care. Either way, the Legion still had lots of power.
Morpheus stayed stationary, as if not responding. "The Legion has made many requests that I do not agree with. As I am captain of this ship and I choose what we do, I will not follow those requests."
Zephyr stared at him, then shrugged. "I wasn't accusing you, just stating a simple fact." He glanced sideways over at his crewmates, who looked at him in return. "We should probably be going now. Please, hurry back though. Otherwise Tulmute will have my ass for breakfast..." he said, and started going back. They carefully lowered themselves back into their own ship, then pulled away. Our lower flaps slowly closed, and the outside world was shut away once more.
Notton, my father, and Tank all carried the containers of food and water to the mess hall. Morpheus, Mom, Carmen and I headed back upstairs, my mother and Morpheus carrying the crates of clothing and blankets.
As soon as we were upstairs, I grabbed the crate from my mother and broke into it, using a nearby tool to pull up the boards. Inside was a bundle of clothing, and I grabbed a handful. Spreading the material before me, I saw that I had pulled a pair of black pants, a black sweater, and a gray undershirt.
I pulled out more and more handfuls, each in drab colors of black, light grayish blue, and gray. Finally, at the bottom of the second crate, I pulled out a beauty.
It was a thick, warm sweater of a vibrant red. I gasped, pulling it out. We had gotten varied colors on the ship before, but never in red. We'd gotten green, purple, two to three different shades of blue and brown, but never red. The dye for that color was hard to come by. I held the sweater in my hand, staring at it, savoring its softness in my hand.
My mother gently pushed the sweater still in my hands towards me. "Take it." she said. "You always get passed over for the colored clothing. It's yours."
I reached over and hugged her, and hugged the sweater to my chest. It was so warm! I pulled back and quickly grabbed a pair of black pants, and a gray undershirt, as well as the other underclothes offered. With the bundle of clothing in my arms, I raced for my room. Quickly pulling off my clothing, I pulled on the new clothes. I felt clean and brand new in these new shipments. They were still very large, as all of our clothing came in one size. I rolled the sleeves of the sweater up so that they hung at my knuckles, pulled the drawstring tightly around my waist, and pulled the new pair of foot coverings over my old ones, making my feet even warmer. It was a wonderful feeling, and I wrapped my arms around myself, savoring the warmth.
In the excitement of the moment, I'd forgotten to eat. Now, my stomach rumbled in protest, and I quickly headed off for the mess hall. Inside, Carmen and Notton sat eating, giggling about something. I flopped down.
"Nice duds, kid." Notton said, noticing my sweater. I flashed him a smile as I sat down with my food. I started eating it ravenously, and though it felt empty in my system, strength was slowly filling me. Placing my bowl on the tray on my way out, I stopped. An idea had suddenly bloomed in my head.
I quick grabbed another bowl and filled it. Doing the same with a tin cup, I placed these two items and a spoon on a tray and headed out of the room. Walking down the hall with these items I found Murdoc's room and went in.
The only light came from outside. With the door open, a beam of light was thrown over him. He was sleeping on his side, his face visible for me to see. He looked...helpless, as he slept there, breathing in through his mouth with his lips slightly parted. I walked up and placed the tray near him, then turned to leave.
"What'd you do that for?" asked a sleepy voice behind me. He had woken up.
I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks. "Do what?" I asked, turning back around to face him.
His face was flushed and pale, and he was blinking sleepily in the light. He had lifted himself up onto one elbow so he could see me easier. "That. Why'd you bring me a meal?"
Keep it cool, Athene. Just keep it cool. I shrugged. "I just figured you wouldn't want to be bothered with getting up to eat. You've been through a difficult ordeal. I was just being kind."
He nodded and bent down to pick up the tray. Placing the spoon into the goop, he scooped some up and let it fall back into the bowl.
"What is this crap?" he asked me, looking back up at me with a disgusted face. I broke into a smile.
"Ah, the eternal question; what is this shit that we must feast upon? It's amino acids, vitamins and minerals. Everything the body needs." I quipped. Everyone had said this that it was the common response. He spooned some into his mouth, and gagged.
"Ugh! It's awful!"
I laughed. "You get used to it, trust me. After living on it for thirteen years, it doesn't bother me any more."
He glanced me over. "You grew up here?"
I nodded. "I'm Neo and Trinity's daughter."
His eyebrows knitted in thought for a moment. "You mean the chick with the short black hair and the other guy?"
I thought this was a very different way of thinking of my parents, but sure. I nodded. "That would be them, yes."
"I'll get to meet them eventually though, right?"
"You'll get to meet some of the people on this ship so much you'll never want to meet them again." I said with a smile. He was so easy to talk to...
He gave a small laugh. "So, will we just live on this ship then, or do we go to other worlds, like Star Trek?"
I thought for a moment. What was Star Trek? Oh yeah...okay, right. "We're not on another planet. We're still on good ol' earth, but it's not so good any more..."
"What are you talking about?" he asked, thoroughly confused.
I shook my head and gave a small smile. "No more for now. Morpheus will tell you everything in time."
He shook his head and lay back down. "This is such a mind trip. I mean, I'm going to be living the rest of my life with some of the most infamous and mind boggeling computer hackers of my time..."
"You won't see them as computer hackers for much longer. They've moved on from that. There are much more important things to deal with." I suddenly found myself in the room once more, and not just at the door. I was standing near him, close enough to touch him. I didn't.
He sighed. "I can't wait till I know what the heck it is you're talking about. This so confusing...what were those things that I saw? What *was* all of that?"
"The answers will come in time. Just be patient."
He sighed again. "Okay. I'll be patient." A silence passed between us.
"You know, I never did learn your name." he said suddenly, turning his head to look at me.
I smiled again. "I am Athene."
He smiled back and held out his hand. "Hello Athene. I'm Murdoc."
I shook his hand. "A pleasure, Murdoc."
He looked as if he might say something, but ended up yawning instead. He put a hand to his mouth. "Sorry. I'm still really tired, I guess."
I blinked sympathetically. "Go back to sleep then. There will be plenty of time for other things later."
He nodded and obligingly lay back down. "Thanks, Athene..." he said before drifting back off again.
I watched him for a moment more, and my heart began to pound slightly. I swallowed, and then headed to leave. With one final look at Murdoc, I shut the door.
A/N: Okay, I hope this was as good as you were hoping for it to be. I pray there aren't as many things wrong with this one as there were in the first part. R and R NO FLAMES! (I'm talking to YOU, Kirstma!) Thanks so much! God bless!
