A/N: Yes, yes, I *know* it took me an eternity to write this, but I've been in a bit of a slum and as you can see, this isn't one of my longer chapters. It'll get better, hopefully. Well, I got some really positive feed back on part two, so I guess I'll just keep going with this one! Surprisingly, no corrections on part two, but I checked through this one lots better, so there wouldn't be. Same disclaimer mumbo jumbo...RandR, no flames! Enjoy!

Offspring

By: SunGoddess7

Part III: Revolutions

Two days after my little visit with Murdoc, he was up and moving around. Morpheus gave him the customary tour, as usual. It was his way of showing off all that he commanded. It was almost funny. He got as giddy as a little boy showing off his toys to friends. But no one ever put up a fight with it. Just smiled or nodded when their name was called for introductions.

Murdoc was getting more and more familiar with people. He'd finally figured out how to get to the bathroom without getting lost. He had finally gotten used to the fact that he only got one outfit that would have to last him just about an eternity, and he finally was able to gulp down a bowl of the nutrients without too much ado.

Finally, on about the third day, Morpheus approached him with a small smile. It was time. "Are you ready for the answers and much more than you bargained for?" He asked.

Murdoc frowned slightly, but nodded anyway. "I...guess so."

"Follow me." Morpheus turned. I glanced over at my mother who was standing not too far away. She gave a slight bob of her head in their direction, and I followed behind Murdoc for the core.

The shock had started wearing off now that he'd seen it several times before. Morpheus gestured to one of the suspension chairs, and Murdoc got in uneasily. Once he had sat down, I walked over and strapped him in.

"Is this going to hurt or something?" He asked, eyeing me nervously. I said nothing, because I had just finished buckling the last strap. I stepped back and his eyes met mine. Those pale sapphires bore into my eyes, and I tried not to blink. His eyes were full of fear and uncertainty, and he looked like a lost child in a way. My heart started thumping against my ribcage, and I looked away, heading over to stand behind Tank and watch the monitors.

Tank typed in codes and I watched his fingers fly across the keys. Both Murdoc and Morpheus were in the construct, and their forms were quite stationary in the blank screen. White snow and streaks raced across the screen at times and fuzzed the image, but otherwise, it wasn't that entertaining. Morpheus was taking Murdoc through the same old song and dance. Telling him the truth, showing him our image of the real world. It was nothing new to me. I wasn't paying attention to Morpheus though; I was watching Murdoc.

He seemed to take the news fairly well. When it was all over, he merely clasped his hands together behind him and hung his head. He looked like a man who was lost, and didn't know what to accept or believe anymore. It made my heart ache for him. This was far worse than watching him yell or scream or fight it like everyone else had. This helplessness was horrible and I had to avert my eyes. When he had finally come back I walked back over and silently pulled the spike from his head, and he took in a sharp breath. Undoing the straps, I started to walk away but he grabbed my arm and sat up.

"How can you live with this? How could you have grown up knowing that the human race's days were numbered?"

Again, his eyes were searching mine and I could feel them probing into my mind. I blinked, and wriggled my arm free from his grasp. For some reason, tears were pricking my eyes. I couldn't figure it out, but I hastily wiped them on the bright red of my sweater and hurried for my room. I met no one in the halls, but when I finally reached my door I stopped. Resting my forehead against the door, the cold metal cooled my warm skin. I leaned my whole body against it, and the cold seeped through my thin clothes and started to calm down slightly.

I didn't go into my room. Instead, I went for my corridor. I sunk down against he metal to the floor, collapsing in an exhausted heap. Folding my arms over my knees I rest my head against my forearms. It was getting harder and harder to sleep in my room. I would sit and stare at the ceiling for hours, and it seemed as if the walls were closing in on me. I was becoming more claustrophobic by the night, and I found that I could sleep just about anywhere now but my quarters. It was weird, yes, but I needed sleep.

I must have been more tired than I thought, because I was suddenly dreaming, and it was the same dream I had had before, only this time the Agent was further away from me.

"Athene...Athene..." He was saying over and over again in a cruel chant, the gun leveled at my chest. I was unable to move again. The Agent pulled on the trigger, the bullet whizzing from the Desert Eagle, and I braced myself for the bullet. But it never came, as out of nowhere Morpheus leapt forward and flew past me, the bullet hitting him instead.

"MORPHEUS!" I screamed, and my eyes flew open as I quickly sat up. I had fallen over and had been curled up in a ball on my side when I sprang apart and lifted myself up with my hands. My breathing had quickened and yet again I could feel the now familiar hard pounding of my heart against my ribcage. Quick footsteps reached my ears as Murdoc appeared in my hallway.

"You okay, Athene? I heard you screaming..." he said, looking me over. I closed my eyes and I could feel my face burning with embarrassment. I tried to hide my face somewhat, making sure that he didn't notice.

"You okay?" He repeated, walking over and sitting down next to me. I didn't trust myself with words at that moment, so I merely nodded.

"You don't look okay. You look really pale..." he said, putting one hand on my face and turning it so I faced him. My heart went from pounding to fluttering, and my stomach churned. His eyes were probing mine again. Those eyes...

"Maybe you should get some sleep," He said, matter-of-factly, dropping his hand from my face. I nodded and ran a hand through my hair. For the first time since I was jolted awake, I noticed that it was ratty and slightly soaked in sweat.

"I try. But...I can't," I said quickly. I had almost told him about the dreams, but I didn't think that was important. Mostly I didn't feel he needed to know.

"You can't? Maybe you should go into the Matrix a little more often. That uploading is better than warm milk for me. I'm so exhausted by the time I'm done."

"That usually happens. You're still weak, physically, and since your mind makes all that you do real you come back feeling tired. It was the same way for me," I explained in a monotone voice similar, I suddenly realized, to the one that my father had used when talking about his family. I pursed my lips and stared pointedly at the ground.

I could feel his eyes watching me, observing my every move, but I was too tired to care. I hugged my knees to my chest and then rested my chin on my knees, rocking back and forth slightly. I could hear him breathing. He got up then and left for the door, but stopped and turned to face me. He opened his mouth to say something, ended up closing it again, swallowed, and then tried once more. "I'm going to get something to eat. I think you just need something to chow on. Maybe...you should come with me?" He said in an almost careful voice, as if talking to a potentially dangerous animal. I blinked stupidly, staring at him. Our eyes were locked again, and I couldn't help but marvel at how easily this happened. Finally, I blinked again and nodded.

My legs ached and my knees were filled with pain with every step, but I walked on as if everything was okay. I followed him to the Mess Hall and sat down at the table. Murdoc got me a bowl and filled it, and placed a spoon gently next to the bowl. I stared at its not-so appetizing contents. It seemed to fester there, not moving at all. I blinked at it. Murdoc sat down across from me, eating from his own bowl but never taking his eyes off of me. I didn't look up, just stared at the food in the bowl. I stared so long, I began to see shapes in the slushy gruel.

"I think you're sick," he said finally, his diagnosis breaking the silence.

I rolled my eyes. "Thank you for pointing out the obvious. I don't think I could have gotten that one on my own."

He spread his palms in a defeated manner. "Well, I don't know what else could be wrong. Doc should give you a look over. You look like shit," he said.

'Oh, thanks,' I thought sarcastically. I finally brought my gaze up to meet his.

"I surmised that much. I think I just need a change of scenery. Maybe I'll have Tank get me into a soothing construct or something," I said, and now even I could hear the exhaustion in my voice. I stood up to leave.

Murdoc stood up. "I could go with you, if you want."

I shook my head. "Thanks for offering, but no. I need to think."

could feel that penetrating stare on me once more, but finally he nodded. "Okay. See you soon, then," he said, sitting back down and starting to eat. He looked almost disappointed, and I felt bad for him.

"You could see me off," I offered, and then I heard just how stupid that sounded. I immediately regretted it. He looked back up, shrugged a shoulder and then stood back up again. "I haven't seen enough to know what a good setting would be, anyway," I said, explaining in a way. Again, what little knowledge I had of Matrix's concepts showed, and I felt stupid. 'Man, I suck at this,' I couldn't help thinking, my pride showing once more. Together we went to the core, and there sat Tank at the console.

"Tank," I said, approaching him. He looked from the monitors to Murdoc and me. "I need you to load me into a construct. Just...something soothing. Where I can be alone."

Tank gave me a strange look, raised an eyebrow, then shrugged. "Okay, sure. Got anything in particular picked out?"

"That's why I'm here," Murdoc said, stepping forward slightly. I went over to a suspension chair and sat down. Murdoc bent over me, adjusted the straps and inserted the spike. I was then in the white room, in the same outfit I had been in when I went to pick up Murdoc.

I looked around me, staring into the depths of the nothingness. And then, it seemed as if there was some kind of oasis miles and miles away from me, rushing to surround me, and suddenly I was in the midst of a place I didn't know, until finally the word "beach" surfaced in my mind. Looking down at the ground, I saw that my clothes had changed so now I was in a breezy, lightweight "skirt" that swirled around my ankles like liquid with every step, and my feet were bare of any kind of covering, submersed in silky white "sand." A gentle, warm breeze blew my skirt forward slightly, and carried the faint scent of salt with it. Looking out, turquoise-blue "ocean" spread on for miles outward.

Looking around completely, I saw that not too far off was a small hut, surrounded by palm trees that swayed gently in the wind. From somewhere far off, the cry of "seagulls" reached my ears. I went into the hut.

It was bare except for a suspended net that I realized was called a "hammock". I guess that's where I would be sleeping. Deciding that I wasn't going to sleep, I went back outside and sat down right at the edge of the beach, and the water lapped and tugged at my toes.

I closed my eyes, trying to loose myself. I didn't know what was bothering me so much, but I was bothered anyway. It was just a few things, and yet it was a million things all at once. Worries and bothers swirled around my head, and I tried to filter them.

The biggest and most important worry right now was the dreams. In all of them, I was cornered by an Agent, unable to move, but I had always woken up before I was shot. Now, this recent addition of Morpheus taking the bullet frightened the wits out of me.

Then, there was Murdoc. I didn't know what to make of him at all. Was he interested, or did he just see me like a sister? Or maybe not even a sister, perhaps it was just a crewmate. I didn't know. At times it seemed as if he cared deeper than just a friend, but then he went right back to being friend-like. I felt drawn to him, and I knew that I cared for him better than just a shipmate, but things were so complicated.

'What am I so scared of?' I asked myself, digging my fingers into the sand, gathering handfuls and squeezing them, the grains running between my fingers, but I knew. I had always known. I was afraid of what it might mean, for me to love him. We were living in such dangerous times. To love is like to put your heart on the cutting board. Nothing was certain anymore, and people were living from day to day. I was afraid of getting hurt, of loosing him. I closed my eyes and drew a deep breath, my eyebrows deeply furrowed. How was this ever going to work? Or, more puzzling yet, was it ever going to work?

The sea breeze gently lifted my hair, pushing it away from my face, and seagulls continued to shout their shrill cry. I pursed my lips, which were now dry and tasted salty. I was glad to be away from the ship.

"You have a good taste when it comes to soothing places, Murdoc," I said quietly to no one, the only reply coming from the gulls, who couldn't understand what I was saying. And yet, I wasn't soothed. I had expected to come here and have all of my problems melt away, but found that I was even more troubled.

'Great,' I couldn't help thinking. 'More sleepless nights ahead.' I was going to be screwed the next time we went in.

I ran a hand through my hair and sighed. I almost wished I hadn't been able to get plugged in. Almost. Still, this was far better than just the ship to sort my thoughts out on. Our next mission was coming up, I knew it. Morpheus was just putting it off out of respect for the dead. And then there was still Zion.

Ah, Zion! That problem had now resurfaced in my mind. How well would I put up? The city would be a nut house with the One and his family in town, and there would be slews of people clamoring to see us. I wouldn't mind it too much, I guess, but it would still be a nuisance. I'd try not to let it bother me too much.

What was really getting under my skin with the whole Zion issue was the fact that they would want to poke and prod me like some kind of science project. That's what they had done to Dad the first time he came to Zion. They were trying to determine what it was that made him the One, and if they could duplicate it or perhaps transplant it into another human. It had angered the whole crew, for they gave him no privacy at all, and kept him long into the night. That's why Dad had never gone back. That's also why I was never allowed in. They didn't want the same thing to happen to me.

I was grateful though. I didn't want to be viewed as some kind of virus that could just be put under a microscope and then observed for as long as they needed. I'm a human being, for crying out loud! No human being deserved to be treated that way.

Before I knew it, I had started to drift off, because when I woke up my surroundings had changed. It was dark, and the sea continued to sprawl before me like a giant velvet blanket, the sky mirroring that image but with diamonds dotting its surface, sparkling and glittering in different constellations and galaxies.

I blinked and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. Standing up, I stretched. I felt stiff and it was hard to move. I had been curled up for a long time, I guess. I was ready to go back. I felt slightly refreshed now that I had gotten a good bout of sleep, even if it never really existed. It had rested my mind, and that's the one organ that needed the most sleep of all.

But then I realized I had no way of getting back. I looked up to the endless sky, the orb of white light being the moon shining above me and casting white moonlight all around.

"I'm ready to go back now, Tank!" I shouted to the night sky, feeling only slightly stupid. "Hello? Can you hear me? I'm ready to go back n-" I was about to finish my sentence when a ringing suddenly sounded. I whipped around. It was coming from the hut. Going inside, the ringing got louder. Feeling my way through the darkness, I found a phone, and answered it.

After another wild ride back to reality, I still felt exhausted. My mother was un-strapping me and pulling the spike out of the back of my head. It didn't hurt anymore and I barely felt it leave my head. Getting up, I was groggy. Mom grabbed my hand and steadied me.

"Sleep well?" She asked, smiling kindly at me. I nodded, but couldn't suppress a yawn. She nodded back at me, then started off on her own way once more, so I was left alone. I started to go back to my own room, but decided to make a detour and headed for the bridge, and found who I was looking for.

Morpheus sat at the controls, alone, staring out over the distance. I sat down in the co-pilot's chair and stared out as well.

"How close are we?" I asked, referring to Zion.

"Only a few more hours," he said quietly, almost serenely.

"So soon? Have you alerted the crew yet?"

He nodded. "While you were still in the Construct. They already know."

"What did Murdoc say?"

He smiled slightly. "He was excited, but his joy can't even be matched to Tank's. He's ecstatic."

I nodded. It figured. Tank would be going home. He was so lucky.

"What are our arrangements?"

"They have already been made. Special rooms have been made up in the usual barracks at the Training Center. You will not be disturbed very often."

I swallowed. Zion was split into four different sections, the largest being the Metropolis. This is where the few food, clothing, and other essential stores were located. The other three were the Suburbs -- where all homes were located -- Farming/Manufacturing -- where most products were either made or grown -- and Militia.

The Militia is where Zion's entire arsenal was located, as well as the Zion Training Center. This is where all new recruits were brought to either be uploaded if they had recently been released and hadn't had this done to them already. Mostly it was for physical training for the citizens of Zion, who, not possessing any holes, would not be able to have the information merely uploaded into their brains. They would have to go through years and years of both physical as well as tactical training.

Even though I had just slept for God knows how long, I felt far more tired than I had going in. I went to my chambers and stretched out on the stiff mattress. Surprisingly, I fell asleep, and by the time I woke up I found the whole back half of the ship full of everyone but Morpheus and Tank. They were at the front entering the codes to get into Zion. We were going in. I was going to see home.

Home. What a strange, unusual word it was. Home to me was the faint scent of gasoline that lingered about the ship at all times. Home was the freezing cold steel and encasing pipes; sloppy nutrients and only semi-clean water. Home was so strange and weird that had anyone else suddenly been thrust here, it would be impossible for him or her to feel the same way. But this was it. This is where I had grown up for the past thirteen years. This strange and completely "un-homey" surrounding was far more home to me than any normal household.

My family was comprised of my biological family: Mom and Dad. Neo and Trinity. But it was also comprised of so many other people. Warriors, soldiers, fighters in the Cause. People who kicked such ass in another place were my family. The people that I love and had loved.

I suddenly smiled at just how screwed up my life really was.

Several minutes later Tank appeared in the back with us, grinning from ear to ear. "Welcome to Zion, ladies and gentlemen."

Everyone around me smiled, and I couldn't help the grin that was spreading across my face as well. We headed to the middle of the ship, and at to the right side. A small door stood, almost completely rusted shut. Tank stepped forward and, with a little help from Dad, shoved the door to the side and slowly the door opened, and a dim light poured into the ship.

I slowly stepped out, wishing I had about a hundred more eyes so I could take in more of the sights. We were in what was like a giant hovercraft hangar, and surrounding us were several other ships, but the thing that stood out most in my mind were the people. There were tons of other people, each working at the ship, making adjustments. My cheeks were starting to tingle from grinning so broadly. I tried to stop, but it was impossible.

A man in clothes of a very fine quality and clad in deep navy blue approached us looking very stately and in charge. He held out a hand to Morpheus.

"Welcome to Zion, captain. We hope you and your crew," at this his eyes instantly moved over to my father. "Will enjoy themselves while staying here." His gaze lingered on my father just long enough to make him shift uncomfortably. Dad looked down at the ground.

"Follow me. I've had a special building cleared for your use." We followed behind him in a line with me between my mother and father.

We passed by more and more ships, still encased in metal. People stopped their work and stood staring at us, following us with their heads and eyes, mouths dropped, not trying to conceal their awe. I swallowed, and the bottom dropped out of my stomach. It felt as if I was on display for something, which I sort of was. The longer it took for us to get to the barracks where we would be staying, the more obvious it became that the general was taking the "scenic route" so he could show us all off to his underlings. It made me slightly angry, but I let it slide.

We climbed several flights of stairs before we came to what I assumed to be the top floor. It was a short corridor, with four doors similar to those on the Neb. A large window rested at the ended of the hallway, and as the others dispersed to their rooms I continued to the window. I placed my forehead against the cool glass and looked out. Squat boxes of metal sprawled before me, and just along the horizon I could make out faint traces of an almost greenish color that I could only assume showed where the Farming country started. Tiny lights lined the buildings and streets, shedding light to the people below. It was night all day long here.

I turned around and started to walk for a door that would be my room when I suddenly froze. There were four rooms. I knew Tank and Doc had already left to go home. My mother and father would obviously share a room, and Morpheus, of course, had a room of his own. Carmen and Notton would have probably wanted to share a room, which left....

I squeezed my eyes shut and sighed. How did I know this was coming? I walked up to each door and opened it slightly, checking to see which one held Murdoc. Seeing his form standing at the back of the room, I pushed the door open further and walked in. It creaked, and he turned and grinned shyly at me.

"Guess we're sharing a room, huh?"

I half smiled back at him. "Yep. Guess so. I'll take the floor. I've practically been sleeping on one for the past thirteen years."

He laughed a little. "Okay, if you're sure."

I nodded, and started to look around. A small hallway led from the door and opened up into a huge room. I felt my jaw drop slightly at the sheer size. It was like a sitting room, only very formal and stiff. Ratty furniture (but really just two chairs) sat in the middle of the room, and off to the side was a kitchenette, but this was fruitless, as there was never anything to cook anyway. I frowned but turned away.

Off to the right of the room was a door. I went over and opened it. Inside it was a very small bedroom, but it was much larger than my room on the Neb. A large mattress sat with the thinner end, which I could only assume to be the head, pushed against the wall. I shut the door and backed out, going back to the sitting hall and flopping into one of the chairs. I felt exhausted somehow. I guessed it was because of the adrenaline rush of arriving here, and now that we were here, the anxiety was wearing off. That was the practical explanation. Murdoc sat down in the other chair.

"It's something, isn't it?" He said, indicating the room. "Who would have thought that such a large place could exist with the Machines crawling all over the place?"

"The man who started the town was an incredibly intelligent, bright man," I said in a slight monotone. Murdoc nodded, looking at the floor. There was a heavy silence in the room, as he continued to stare aimlessly at the floorboards, and I just sat back at closed my eyes. Finally, he spoke.

"Do you-" he started to say, then stopped, and tried again. "Why do you think they put us in the same room?"

I sighed and squeezed the bridge of my nose. "My parents are trying to manipulate us both. Of course they want us to be happy, and I guess this was the most subtle way they could think of making that obvious," I couldn't keep the annoyance out of my voice. "I'm going to give my father a good tongue lashing for this though, you can be sure of that."

He laughed again. "It is a bit annoying, I guess. And you're right: this wasn't exactly the most inconspicuous way of going about things. I just kind of felt this pressure whenever we were on the ship, you know? I saw everyone paring up all over the place, and I could just feel everyone's eyes turn in our direction, expecting us to be next. Did you ever feel that way?" He asked, turning to face me. I looked at him out of the corner of my eye.

"Actually, that's exactly how I felt. I'm glad I'm not the only one." I responded, not feeling so tired anymore.

"I kind of feel like those pandas that the Chinese kept putting into the zoos, trying to make them mate and breed. Of course, I really don't seriously think your parents are trying to make us breed," he added hastily. "That would just be creepy."

I smiled in spite of myself. "That sounds more like something Tank would pull. And somehow I think he did; only that was a little more along the lines of with Notton and Carmen. He's like my big brother, so I hope he wouldn't do something like that to me."

"I just hope they won't disturb us..." he said slowly, glancing over at the wall that we shared with Carmen and Notton's room. He grinned a mischievous smile and I groaned, burying my face in my hand. Underneath my palm, I was trying to suppress a smile.

"Ugh, now you've given me a really bad mental image. Shame on you!"

He laughed. "Sorry. It was irresistible." He clapped his hands together. "So, what is there to eat around here? Or is it the standard shit that we have to eat on the Neb?"

I could only shrug. "Beats me. I haven't been in here since I was a couple months old."

He snorted. "No way. You're pulling my leg."

I shook my head slowly and half-smiled. "Nope. They wouldn't let me in after the fiasco that happened. They kept trying to run tests on me and Dad and it drove Morpheus nuts, so after that, Morpheus just stopped letting us in. From then on it was just Morpheus that went in to restock or get repairs done."

Murdoc shook his head and leaned back in the chair. "God. You were a celebrity before you even knew it."

I shrugged. "When your dad is the only one who can determine the fate of the human race, it's just a little difficult not to be well known. You're going to be a celebrity now, too, you know. Anyone and everyone who's been part of the Nebuchadnezzar crew and thus has rubbed elbows with the One becomes and instant celebrity."

He smiled a little. "Well that'll be a first. Never been a celebrity before."

There was a knock at the door. We both turned to look before I stood up and opened it. Outside stood Carmen.

"We're going to the Med wing. They need to scan us for bugs and viruses. You too, Murdoc," she said, leaning in further and spotting him. "Gotta hurry too. I hear it's quite the walk."

I waited for Murdoc to catch up before shutting the door behind him and then following behind Carmen to the end of the hall where the rest of the crew was already waiting. Silently, we headed down the endless, maze-like hallways of the Military building. It seemed to take hours before we finally arrived at a long, white corridor. It seemed as if I touched anything it would be soiled, so was the hue of white. I kept my hands as close to my body as possible and even tried to breathe quieter. There was an air of foreboding over the entire place.

"I feel like I'm going to get my booster shots or something," Notton commented, looking around with a slightly apprehensive look on his face. I thought for a moment. Booster shots. Right. Of course. The doors before us opened and we stepped through.

It was like the Med wing on the Neb, except ten times more advanced and sterile looking. Everything was white or metallic. Very stately. Very high-tech.

Stopping as one, a woman with short brown hair approached us. She had thin, black-rimmed makeshift glasses on that she looked at us over, making her look a lot older than she probably was, which was about twenty by my guesses. She was in a stiff, white lab coat and held a metal clipboard to her side.

"I'm Zel, and I will be your medical attendant today. If one of you will come with me, we'll start the scanning now. You will each be going individually, and if you will be so kind as to not touch anything while you are waiting for your turn," she said briskly, with an air of authority to her voice. She sounded a lot older, too.

"Now, will Captain Morpheus please come forward, and we will begin," she said. Morpheus stepped from the group and followed the woman through the first room and through a set of doors to our right. I waited in the room with my parents, Notton, Carmen, and Murdoc. It was incredibly boring. I was too afraid to touch anything that looked even remotely interesting. Somehow I knew that woman would know I had, and would totally bust me. No one spoke, and the room was deathly silent except for the humming of the lights above and the buzzing of some distant machines. We stood around silently, shifting uncomfortably and waiting.

When Morpheus came back, he looked nonplussed, so I didn't know what to expect. Next went Carmen, then Notton, then my mom. When Zel got to my dad's name, she started, squinted at the paper, then shook her head and said it again, looking up. Dad didn't look too happy about this, and I actually thought I saw a slight tinge of red coming over his face. It made me smile. I'd always seen my father as some kind of almost benevolent being, always there for me, but never one of us. Seeing him almost blush made him look a lot more human, and I loved him all the more for it. After Dad went, it was my turn. I was thankful and happy to have something to do again. I followed her through two more sets of doors before having to stop in a short holding room.

"You will need to be scanned before entering the medical room. Please stand with your arms held out like this-" she demonstrated, putting her arms out and looking like a bird. It looked kind of funny, but I was afraid to laugh, so I just did what she told me to do. Two more medics had suddenly appeared and were holding what looked like huge guns, only with elongated ends. They ran them all over my body and doing what I assumed was "scanning." I knew they had finished when one of the medics nodded and I was allowed to enter the next room.

It was still all white but a metal table sat in the middle, not unlike the sick bay on the Neb. I sat on the table while the medics swarmed around, checking me over with countless other devices that I didn't bother getting the names of. They thumped me a couple times on the knees, and tested several other ligaments. I had to do a lot of the stuff that Doc had made me do on the Neb. This time I felt even dumber. Finally, it was all over and I was allowed to go back to the crew.

"What happens in there?" Murdoc asked me quietly. I shrugged.

"Nothing, really. They just scan you and have you do a few tests."

He nodded and looked down and away.

An hour later were all back in our quarters, not sure of what to do. I had been sitting in the ratty chair, thinking about everything and nothing, when I heard voices in the hallway. Quietly walking to my door and opening it, I looked out. One of the generals was speaking quickly and quietly as possible with Morpheus, Mom, and Dad. I frowned and strained my ears to listen while still striving to be unseen.

"We must talk to them, immediately. The Council has already gathered, and that's a feat in itself. Please, Captain. We request your presence and this is quite the urgent situation."

Morpheus seemed to glare at the man before looking back to my parents. Dad glanced over at Mom before turning back to Morpheus and nodding slightly. Morpheus sighed. "All right then. But I will not have them testing him like some kind of machine like they did the last time we were here. It will not happen again."

The general was already nodding furiously. "You have our word. Now, please, follow me." And they did just that, with one more person in tow; me. I followed behind them stealthily, hiding behind corners and staying in the shadow. They were going upstairs and as we did, the surroundings were getting slightly fancier and nicer. I knew they were going to the main council room. 'Damn,' I thought. 'There's no way I'll be able to hear what they're saying. There's bound to be security all over the place.' But I didn't need to be able to hear them up close as I soon found out.

I sat in the dark around the corner near the solid doors that lead to the room, huddled up and trying to go unnoticed. For fifteen minutes the only things I could pick out were muddled conversation, and the voices started to get louder and louder. Soon I could almost understand Morpheus, though not enough to have any idea what they were discussing.

"Will not...danger...too risky...insane...do you want..." were the only things I could manage to get, and, though the generals were shouting back, their voices were all lost in one big tangle of people talking and I couldn't understand them at all.

What on earth where they talking about?

The shock of finally being in a place other than the Neb was definitely starting to wear off by now, and I was rapidly becoming bored. There wasn't a whole lot to do in the Barracks and most of the time I spent with Murdoc, either playing word games or something that I normally would have raised an eyebrow at. Finally, something exciting happened.

Murdoc and I had been sitting in our makeshift living room, talking about his life in the Matrix.

"Back there I was known as David. I was always kind of the prankster in my class, I guess. Never really got any serious kind of trouble of course, or else I would have had my mom breathing down my back 24/7, but I was no stranger to detention. It got me a lot of friends, being the class clown, but the thrill of pulling a great prank on the teacher was nothing compared the kicks I got from hacking. Man, that was my life. I lived to hack. Sometimes I would ditch school just to sit at the computer and go through files because I could. It was a power trip, now that I look back at it, but hey, it got me here, right?" He said, giving a half smile. Suddenly, the door slammed open and in came Notton. We both spun around.

"We're goin' in! C'mon, we gotta be at the core now if we're going to make it." Murdoc and I glanced at each other before jumping up and hurrying after Notton. The core turned out to be not too much different than the one on the Neb, but it was obvious that this one was a lot more advanced. The steel wasn't quite as rusted and used as that on the ship, and the chairs looked as if they were cared for once in a while, except, there were much fewer suspension chairs. This made sense, since most of the previous coppertops were on the pirate ships while only Zioners who had grown up in the Military were sent on the ships. Hardly anyone had a plug out here and no one ever went into Zion anymore.

Luckily, there was enough so that Mom, Dad, Morpheus, Murdoc and I could go. Carmen, and Notton stayed behind. I wasn't sure were Doc and Tank had gotten to, but something told me they'd gone home to the Residentials.

Sitting down in the chair, I closed my eyes, anticipating the stake to be driven though my head and it was, but it wasn't such a shock as it had been in previous times. Slowly but surely I was getting used to it.

But never entirely.

When we arrived, I wasn't exactly sure where we were, but it looked like some kind of rundown alleyway. Eventually, everyone else materialized around me and down to my left a phone rang in the booth that was suddenly there as well. I ran over and picked up the phone, saying Morpheus' traditional line: "We're in."

Hanging up, I walked back to the group. Again, we were all dressed up in our leathers, the black letting us blend into the shadows. My long black hair had been tamed into a single, thick braid that hung down my back and kept my hair out of my eyes. I'd have to learn how to do this in the real world. It was very convenient.

"I have come to the decision that it is time for you to see the Oracle. Both of you," he added, looking at both Murdoc and I. "Every new recruit is taken to her. She is a guide, and a leader to us all. Trinity," He suddenly looked at my mother. "Bring the car around. Athene, Murdoc, don't be nervous."

My mother disappeared, then came back several minutes later with a black Lincoln Continental. I got in without question, followed by Murdoc, and my father. Mom was driving, and Morpheus always had front passenger seat. Captain's privilege was my guess.

Despite Morpheus' announcement not to be nervous, Murdoc still seemed a little twitchy. I couldn't explain it, but he kept jiggling his left leg and his gaze kept darting around the car.

He was clad in a nice, black button-shirt and black slacks, and looking down, I found myself in a skirt. It was a tight, lamb-leather skirt that went to my ankles, and from there down were boots that were far nicer than the ones that I had worn in here before, and on top I wore a low-cut, long-sleeved shirt. A single, silver cross hung around my neck on a thick, black cord, tying the look together. The only problem I had was with the skirt. It was tight and constricting and I felt I could barely move in the damn thing. I made a mental note to myself to tell Tank never to upload a skirt on me again.

Finally, we pulled up to a rundown apartment building in a, quite obviously, bad part of town. Mom parked the car and Morpheus stepped out of the car, as did Murdoc and I. In his wireless glasses I could see our reflections mirrored. Murdoc's light, brown hair seemed to stand out even more against his dark attire, and somehow I felt taller than usual. I walked behind Morpheus into the building and tried to keep my walk stiff. The stupid skirt made me feel as if I was shaking my butt all over the place. Not the most attractive feeling in the world, but I felt even dumber with the walk I was using now, so resorted to just trying to not be seen from behind.

We had to climb a flight of stairs before reaching an elevator. The wood walls of the small moving room were carved. Initials, phone numbers, messages and names covered the walls and made a community chat room all around me. I stared at the floor, leaning with my back against the farthest wall from the doors, my legs crossed and waiting for the ride to stop. Finally, with a musical ding! the doors opened and I stepped forward, still being the last in our little line.

"Do not take what she says as the only way. She is a guide, there to show you a potential path for you to take. But, she knows more than you could know," Morpheus told us before knocking on the door twice. A woman clad in white answered the door and smiled at us. "Hello Morpheus. It's nice to see you again. Athene, she'll be with you shortly. Murdoc, if you'd come with me, she'll see you now."

Murdoc swallowed and his Adam's Apple bounced before stepping over the threshold and following the woman into the depths of the dingy apartment. I followed him in and took in my surroundings.

A small, old T.V. sat against the wall farthest from me, and a window above that. The carpet was dark brown and shag, and a couch sat against the left wall. Morpheus turned his head to scan the entire apartment.

"They've all left," He said quietly, more to himself than to me.

"Who?" I asked, unable to stop the question.

"Her children. They've been gone for a while, but I still can't get over being here without them being here as well."

I frowned and sat down on the carpet, curling my legs to the side and beneath me, digging my fingernails into the plush. I could hear muffled conversation from the kitchen off to the right, but nothing intelligible. Instead, I merely waited, and I could feel a knot of nervousness start to tie itself in my stomach as well. I couldn't understand why.

'Of course, going to visit the woman who will clue you in on your destiny could make you just a bit nervous,' I thought sarcastically, and couldn't help but close my eyes and shake my head at my stupidity. I shouldn't let this get to me, shouldn't let it get to me, shouldn't-

"The Oracle will see you now, Athene," a voice suddenly said above me. I started and looked up. The woman in white was smiling down at me, her coffee colored skin crinkled in a kind smile.

I slowly got to my feet, as the skirt from Hell made this feat very difficult, and then followed behind the woman carefully. She stopped at the front of the opening into the small kitchen while I continued in through the wooden beads that covered the doorway.

"Well, well, well. I've been waiting for this day a long time, Athene," someone said from over to my right. I whipped my head around. A petite, portly woman was sitting at a card-table that was next to the wall, a pair of brightly painted reading glasses perched on her nose along a beaded chain that hung around her neck. She was reading a thick book whose title I could not see, but I suddenly realized she hadn't even looked up.

"Are-are you--?"

She looked up at me and grinned. "That I am. And I'm so glad that this time has finally come." She stood up and looked up at me. She was several inches shorter than I was. Her eyes searched my face, taking me in. "My, my, you look so much like your father..." she said quietly still looking me over before her smile widened. "But you have your mother's spirit. A good combination, if I do say so myself..."

I wasn't sure what to do, so I merely smiled politely while being unable to filter out the uncertainty that still, no doubtfully, lingered about my face.

"I think you're a little lost, Athene," she said, her voice an amused purr. "Well, all the newbies are. Of course, you know more than almost all of them did at the beginning. You've shown strength to hold that knowledge for so long."

"It's been too long..." I said before I could stop myself, and a revulsion I hadn't meant to come through rang in my ears.

She chuckled. "Too true, my dear. Too true. I've been waiting as long as you have. Only thing keeping me going is waiting for your father to finish what he's started."

I chewed my lip and looked around. Above the table read a sign in some language I couldn't decipher. If I wanted to, I could have just called Tank and had him upload a languages program, but I didn't feel like it. Not now, anyway.

"So, you're as anxious as anyone to get this thing over with, is that right? I'd say you're right alongside your papa on this one, when it comes to want of victory. Of course everyone wants this over, but it's still a difficult road ahead. Very difficult..."

"What do you mean?" I asked, snapping my attention back to her. She had sat back down again and was pulling the glasses off her face.

"The end is very near now, Athene. The wait is over. But, though it is close, this will be, needless to say, one of the most difficult times you'll ever face. There will seem to be more losses than wins, but in the end, well..."

"Well what?" I asked, my eyes searching her face, probing for an answer.

"Novus ordo seclorum. Have you ever heard that before?" She suddenly asked me. I frowned.

'Why did she suddenly change the subject?'

Shaking my head, she continued. "It's on the dollar bill. It's Latin for 'A new order is rising'. I believe that term can be applied here, though it could be used since the beginning. A new order is rising, Athene, but will you be a part of it?"

"What?" I suddenly burst out. "What do you mean 'will I be a part of it'? I've been a part of it since I was born. Why would I stop now?"

She picked up a cigarette that had been smoldering in an ashtray near the book. I thought it a bit risky to smoke and read, but hey, to each his own. She took a long drag and smoke billowed from her lips as she spoke to me, smiling again.

"You've got the same temper as your mother too, I see. I guess I touched a nerve, huh?"

I started to blush in embarrassment. "N-no," I stammered. "I…just...um…"

She chuckled. "Forget about it. I never said it was a bad thing, did I? But, you will have to make a choice, Athene. If I were to give you that choice now, your answer would come quickly, but I can't tell you that choice now. You must wait for the time to come."

I swallowed again, though my mouth had suddenly gone dry. Instead, I frowned. "What is that choice?"

"Like I said, kiddo, you have to wait. Patience is a virtue, you know," She suddenly grinned. "Now, you give your parents some peace and quiet. You're a pretty high-maintenance person. Take it easy."

I nodded and turned out to leave before stopping and turning back to face her.

"How will I know what the choice is?"

She took a puff of her cigarette once more and got that knowing look once more. "You'll know when the time comes. Trust me."

"Oh, and honey, take care of Murdoc," She said as I was almost out. I stopped and turned around.

"Huh?" I asked, completely bewildered.

"You know he's still new to all of this. Just keep an eye on him. I'm under the impression that he really trusts you," She elaborated.

I frowned, still confused. She laughed and I continued out to join the other two, sighing.

Murdoc stood up as I came into view. He had been squatting on the floor next to Morpheus.

"You done?" He asked, and I nodded in assent.

"First, before you two tell everything that happened, I must say that whatever was discussed is between you and her. No one else. Understood?" Morpheus suddenly said, standing up as well.

I glanced over at Murdoc, who had both his eyebrows raised. I nodded slowly before he turned around and headed out the door while the two of us followed like a couple of ducklings behind their mother.

Novus ordo seclorum. A new order is rising.

God, I hope she's right.

We headed outside and got into the car. Mom was still there, waiting in the driver's seat with Dad standing in front of the car to the passenger side door, his arms crossed over his chest, his gaze locked on the ground. As we came back into view, he looked up and glanced at Morpheus.

"Everything go okay?" He asked.

I nodded, just wanting to go. Her words had not put me at ease, and I was barely stopping myself from still blushing after what she'd hinted about Murdoc and I. That had been just a tad too much for me, and I felt as if she'd crossed the line. I said nothing though. Morpheus needn't have told me to keep what I knew to myself. There was no way I was telling anyone about that.

I crawled into the black seat, the skirt sticking to the leather and making my efforts to change how I was seating very difficult. When I'd finally gotten situated, we started to drive down to a street corner where a phone was waiting. I could hear the rings over the noise of the city and the car engine. We parked right at the corner, despite the fact that a small, white square sign with a red 'P' and a black slash through the 'P' stood right in front of us. I snorted, and then turned to get out of the car. Stepping out, the heels of the boots clicking on the cement. God, I would kill for a pair of combat boots right now.

The phone booth continued to ring, and my Dad stepped forward to take the call first. He slowly melded away into nothingness. Mom went next, and just as she was disappearing a bullet whizzed past me. I cried out, and a small hole crashed through the glass of the back of the booth. Murdoc and I whirled around at the same time, and behind us stood an Agent, tall and erect, his Desert Eagle leveled at us, sunlight glinting off his dark sunglasses.

"Shit!" Murdoc yelled, and as soon as the phone was replaced, he picked up the receiver, shoving at me. "Quick, go!"

Without thinking, I put the phone to my ear and opened my eyes again in the core of the Barracks. "Murdoc," I suddenly said as I realized that he was still left behind, but minutes later he came back as well. The spike coming out of my head and making me wince, I was pulling off the metal straps from my feet before the chair was all the way lowered. Jumping out, I ran over to Morpheus' chair.

"What happened?" I demanded of Murdoc as he came up right behind me. His eyes were worried and scared and he was licking his lips in nervousness.

"When-when you'd disappeared, I quick hung the phone up again, and then Morpheus grabbed the phone and pressed it to my ear before I could stop him. I-he might still be in there."

"Oh, Jesus.." I whispered, squeezing my eyes shut.

I felt his hand on my shoulder. "He'll be back. He wanted us to get out. He'll come back. I know it."

I pursed my lips, still keeping my eyes shut. "Come on, Morpheus..."

Suddenly, a trickle of blood burst from Morpheus' arm. "Oh, shit. They've shot him!" Murdoc cried behind me, his grip on my shoulder squeezing tighter.

"Why can't he use our booth?" I demanded, turning towards the person that was serving as operator.

"They shot through the receiver. He has to find another exit, fast. Jesus, I should have never let you people in there," they guy muttered bitterly, typing on the boards and trying to do something.

"Get him out of there, dammit!" I murmured, not really to the Operator, more for my own comforting.

Another spurt of blood burst in his leg and tears caught in my throat. "Oh, God. He's going to die," I whispered, letting despair take me over, but just as I said that, Morpheus' eyes flew open.

"Oh, thank God!" Murdoc sighed, rushing forward to pull out the plug.

"We thought..."

"I'm much harder to kill than that, you know that, Athene," he said with a small smile.

I smiled back, but it was still tainted with worry.

"You could have been killed, Morpheus. Why did you do that?" Murdoc asked, his voice stern.

Morpheus rose from his chair, looking as powerful as ever. "Murdoc, my crew always comes before me. And you are in Zion, with Neo. There is no better place to loose your captain than Zion."

"We're not loosing our captain," I said fiercely. Morpheus patted my shoulder.

"I'm glad you feel so strongly about that, Athene."

I shook my head, walking away. After all of this, I was very intent on sleeping in my new room, so I headed back that way. The minute I hit the mattress of my bed I was asleep, images of Murdoc, the Oracle, Morpheus and my father swimming around in my head and in and out of my dreams.

The thing that brought me back to consciousness was I felt a pair of eyes on me. I slowly opened my eyes and rolled over. A dark form was silhouetted in the doorway, and a tray of food sat at my bedside.

"Murodc?" I asked, my voice slurred with sleep.

"Sorry I woke you," He said quietly.

"S'okay. What were you doing?"

"You brought my food that one time, so I thought I'd repay the favor."

"That's really nice of you, Murdoc. Thank you."

"You okay?"

"Well, that little stunt of Morpheus' didn't help, but yeah, I'm okay."

"I still can't believe he did that. Is he always like that?"

I sat up and swung my legs over the side of the bed to get up. "He's been that way for as long as I can remember. You still haven't heard the story of the One, have you?"

He shook his head. "I know your dad's the One and all, but I still don't get any of it."

"You'll have to ask him to tell you about it some time."

He snorted. "Yeah, right. 'Hey, uh, Neo? You're the One, but why?' Like that wouldn't totally creep him out."

"He told me."

"That's different."

"How?"

"You're his daughter."

"It still doesn't matter."
"Of course it does. You are blood relation. You have every right to know."

I shook my head. "It doesn't matter."

He shrugged. "Whatever. I'm going to go look around, see if I can find anything interesting."

"Okay. Maybe I'll join you later."

"Yeah."

He didn't move, though. I sat on the edge of my bed, him almost out the door, and the two of us looking at each other and around the room in silence.

"What did she say to you?"

"Who? The Oracle?"

"Yeah. What did she say?"

I pursed my lips and looked down. "Nothing," I muttered.

He frowned, his eyebrows knitting together. "She told you something. Why won't you tell me?"

"Morpheus said-"

"Yeah, but...Look, if you don't want to tell me you don't have to."

I sighed and leaned back, the back of my head resting against the wall. "She said I'd have to make a choice," I said after a time.

"Well, that's rather vague, isn't it?" He asked, the smile evident in his voice.

"She said my answer would be obvious now if she asked me, but it would be harder to make when it actually comes."

"Well, let's hope the choice is between some real food and the shit we've still gotta eat. Of course, that choice is really obvious, too."

I couldn't help but grin. "Yeah. Yeah, let's hope so."

Editor's note to readers: Please forgive us that it took as long as it did. It took SunGoddess a long while to write this, and it took me extra longer time than it should have to edit it (mainly in part from a certain screw up with Yahoo e-mail. Damn them!).

Once again, we both humbly apologize to you, and hope you had just as a good time reading this chapter, as SunGoddess had a good time writing it, and I, editing it. We will try to get the other chapters out as soon as possible, just remember: quality always comes first.

-Xenogears