Chapter 7: Initiations

The next morning, I woke up to a dull, throbbing ache, radiating from the core of my body. I supposed it was compensation for all the heavy sedation I'd experienced in the past month or so, and possibly for the fact that this was my first time experiencing a natural, dreamless sleep. My entire being cried out in protest as I gently eased myself into an upright position. I massaged my temples in an attempt to find my bearings. Unfortunately, I was not given the chance, for as soon as I could begin to form a coherent thought, Mouse conveniently burst into the room.

"Wakey-wakey, eggs and AK... Oh, you're already up. Well, come along then, I didn't get up early for nothing. After all, I wouldn't want to miss your first breakfast."
Seeing the expression of blank, forlorn exhaustion on my face, he lifted me up, took my hand and lead me to the dining area. There gathered the whole crew, and for the first time since my arrival, I could identify them all. Sitting at the head of the table was Morpheus, looking less regal than usual in threadbare rags. Next him sat a thin, black haired woman with sharp cheekbones, who introduced herself as Trinity. She was the one that rescued Mouse, so I was told. Then there was Switch, whom I suspected still despised me, and a man I later realized was actually named Apoc. Curious bunch.

Finding myself a spot at the corner of the table, I folded my legs together in the typical manner. Sitting in front of me was an old tin filled halfway with a milky, malted mixture. I eyed the mystery substance with caution, stirring occasionally in an attempt to discern its identity. I had little inclination to actually taste it, but given the judgment I saw in the looks I received, I had no choice but to do so. Immersing the ladle within it, I took a deep breath, and swallowed.

The food, as it may have been called, was of a taste and texture not dissimilar to the mucuous membrane I was kept in prior to awakening. I grimaced, nearly regurgitating it along with the remaining contents of my stomach. In spite of my efforts to conceal this, I was met with some amusement from the man sitting next to me.
"Everybody's like that at the start. But you get used to it, you know?"
This remark came from a youthful, curly haired man with small eyes and a cheery disposition. His name was Tank, and as I'd learn soon, he'd be my operator.

Despite the shockingly unpleasant breakfast, Mouse seemed to have acquired a new vigor as he approached me with our next task.
"Alright, today's your first day! I hope you're ready, because I sure wasn't."
"My first day for...?"
"I could tell you that, but then, that would ruin the surprise. One thing's for sure: you're gonna love it."
I hadn't seen anything that'd created a significant impression upon me so far, so I was hoping that this would live up to its name. Mouse, along with Tank, directed me to the Nebuchadnezzar's main chamber. A ring of tattered reclining chairs circled the middle of the room. Next to them was a control center, consisting of a patchwork of computer screens down which rivers of code flowed and spilled over into the monitors below. I squinted.
"What is that," I asked, curious at the sight.
"That? That's the Matrix," Tank answered matter-of-factly.
"You told me that the Matrix was a massive computer simulation designed to contain humanity while our energy was harvested by sentient machines."
"Well, it is, this is just a very basic way of visualizing it."
"Ah."
"However, the Matrix isn't the only thing we can access from this place. We also have a wide variety of software to choose from, which we can then load into the Construct."
He gently tapped one of the screens.
"Everything we need is right here."
He paused for a moment, seemingly distracted.
"Look, it's all a little hard to explain, I think it's best if I just show you, alright?"
He instructed me to recline in the chair closest to him. I did as he commanded.

My fingers picked at the edges of the cheap synthetic garb I wore, unraveling its fibres nervously. In the meantime, Tank's own fingers leapt into action, skittering over the keys of what he apparently liked to call his operating table. The name did not give me confidence.

The boy soon crouched underneath my chair, tinkering with the apparatus located at its back. I twisted around, curious to see his progress in the task he was attempting to accomplish. The sight I met with, however, was anything but pleasant. The instrument he was calibrating was composed of a long, pointed shaft connected to a mass of tangled wires that led back to the operating center. With some dis-ease, I felt the back of my skull. As was expected, I located a small, circular extrusion, much like the plugs that dotted the rest of my body. Noticing the worried look on my face, he stopped to quietly reassure me, whispering a few forgotten words. The comfort washing over me would not linger, however, since just as he spoke those words, he suddenly thrust the jack into my head.

I jerked my head back, mouth wide open in a silent scream that seemed to last forever. The dull exhaustion of reality was replaced by a dizzying void of sensation, and I stood on the precipice of the abyss. As I begged for a mercy that would never come, I felt my world turning black once more.

All of the pain, the agony and the crushing weight of existence melted away in a fraction of a second. I rejoiced in my newly found freedom, yet I could still tell that something wasn't quite right, as if reality hadn't quite calibrated to my specifications. Looking around, the harsh white radiance of my environment lent my mind to the idea that perhaps, I might have been at heaven's gate. The sudden apparition of my friend next to me assured me that this was not the case.

Regaining clarity enabled me to understand that we were no longer in any place that was familiar to me. Invariably, I posed a single question:
"What is this place?"
"This, my friend, is the Construct."
Parsing the limited information given to me, I came to a startling conclusion.
"Are you trying to tell me-"
"Yes, we're actually inside of a simulation."
I took some time to fully processing the thought, paling at the news when I finally understood it. Although, remembering that I've spent my entire life in a computer program reassured me to some extent.

Despite the fact that I was genuinely impressed, I was still starving to see more. Nonchalantly, I observed that the Construct was merely a blank slate, so far. It was my mistake to think this, for as soon as the query entered my mind, I was once again whisked into the heart of a new, unfamiliar reality.