The Matrix Linked: A Matrix Fanfiction Story

Chapter 11:

Forty minutes later, in the 1.0 Matrix…

Brando and Glenda are escorted by Daman, Lilith, and Asura towards Destiny, Eshana, Nikita, and Raphael. Glenda, having one last chance to save both of her friends, hurls her empty pistol against one of the several bathroom lights on their sides. The light explodes in pieces, alerting the Peyote tribe. They start running, much to the tribe of Apophis's great annoyance. Daman demands, "you said you would take us to them!"

Glenda remarks, "I already did." Daman charges at Glenda, but the ground starts shifting again. He starts getting crushed between mounds of dirt and rock, until the mounds start getting redder.

Daman cries in pain as he hurls his last grenade at Glenda and Brando. They tumble out of range. The mounds bury Daman. A rockslide follows, knocking Lilith and Asura off their feet.

Brando urges, "let's move!"

Glenda adds, "don't have to tell me twice!" Lilith and Asura get up, firing pistol shots at Glenda and Brando. They run towards the stream from earlier, near some split boulders with pinkish flowery windowed walls smashed through them. Pieces of forgotten furniture are scattered in a s formation.

Lilith orders, "I guess that makes me in charge. Real nice."

Asura chuckles darkly at this. He and Lilith then realize that their ammunition is out.

Lilith assures him, "we can still get them." She and Asura chase after Brando and Glenda, but Destiny and Raphael take them out from behind by surprise with the remaining shots they have left. They fall unconscious, much to Glenda's surprise.

Glenda turns to Destiny, "I thought we parted on not so good terms." Eshana and Nikita appear.

Raphael figures, "consider us even now."

Destiny adds, "what Raphael said."

Eshana concludes, "unless you've changed your mind, that is."

Glenda mutters coldly, "ethically, you crossed the line. I could never change my mind about that! Come on, Brando."

Brando turns to Glenda, "what the hell is…?!"

Glenda assures him, "I'll explain later." Glenda and Brando walk away, leaving the Peyote tribe behind.

Nikita sighs, "stubborn, isn't she?"

Eshana sighs, "some people are just like that. Think nothing of it."

Destiny turns to Eshana, "there's something I've been meaning to ask you."

Eshana figures, "yes, Destiny? Sympathy for the closed minded?"

Destiny reasons, "sympathy, yes. An overwhelming desire to be with a closed minded person? Not so much…for this code around us is proof of a higher power."

Eshana chuckles, "glad you agree."

Destiny concludes, "but that's not all that's on my mind. Then again, it already is answered indirectly by there being a higher power."

Raphael wonders, "what is it?"

Destiny figures, "I had the question of why a lot less earthquakes happen here…but it's because you are protected by a higher power. I don't see what else it could be."

Nikita reasons with a small chuckle, "exactly."

At the same time, on the Nebuchadnezzar…

Morpheus is back to consciousness and normality besides his healing shoulder, and has gathered everyone else besides still unconscious Chavez to the center of the Nebuchadnezzar. He announces, "we are gathered here today to honor Tank: A great friend who would always lend a helping hand when you're down. He wasn't much of a fighter, but he risked everything to protect our efforts to shut down the Matrix. And I can't think of a better way to honor that memory than by shutting down the Matrix for good. Thank you." Everyone else is silent throughout the whole thing, still shaken by the fact that Tank in this timeline is gone.

Herold asks, "what should we do?"

Naimah adds, "better yet: Where do we go from here?"

Morpheus sighs, "that's a good question, but we can't stay here. Neo, get us out of here." Neo slightly nods and heads to the cockpit.

Naimah asks uneasily, "why? We could use more rations."

Morpheus concludes, "the Zion police have sealed off Zion to all outside vessels to take down the Code terrorists, but I'm sure they won't let us starve on our way out. You're in charge until I get back, Trinity." He heads for the airlock.

Trinity adds, "understood."

That night, in the pocket Matrix of the Nebuchadnezzar…

Morpheus has returned on the Nebuchadnezzar by now. Trinity and Neo are in a familiar ocean, wearing black bathing suits and kissing passionately in the water by themselves. Neo sighs, "I'm sorry too. It's not that I forgot about the resistance…"

Trinity assures him with a finger on Neo's lips, "you don't have to explain yourself. I should have realized that the resistance I know doesn't have to be the only resistance that there is."

Neo realizes uneasily, "like the Code in Zion?"

Trinity figures sadly, "yeah…except more good natured in their desires."

Neo muses, "offering a chance at Heaven to demons leads to Hell for all."

Trinity remarks, "and those that don't need the Hell that is the Matrix to survive are the people worth fighting for."

Neo adds, "it's not just the Matrix that is Hell: It's sorely misguided or overly costly causes that lead to Hell."

Trinity sighs, "yet sometimes there is no better choice than one for the greater good. Someday, you may have to make a choice of who you save. Even though you're the One…you can't save everyone."

Neo concludes, "then I hope that choice will never come." Neo starts swimming deeper into the clear water below, with not even coral life in this crude pocket Matrix.

Trinity concludes to herself teary eyed, "I had a choice." She swims after Neo.

At the same time, at one of the bunkers…

Naimah, now alone in her room, hears a small knock on her door. Naimah asks, "who is…? Oh." She sees Tara at the door.

Tara realizes, "I never got the chance to say I'm sorry."

Naimah coldly replies, "for using me?! Well, we're way past sorry. Now get out."

Tara sighs, "I know I failed you."

Naimah remarks teary eyed, "you have no idea. You seemed to be the only one on this ship that actually cared for me...until I found out the hard way that Trinity did. Even now, everyone thinks I'm inferior just because I'm younger…like a defenseless child!"

Tara remarks, "now who's being bitchy? You wouldn't even be a technician if Morpheus thought that way."

Naimah uneasily says, "you really think so?"

Tara adds, "I think you need to get your act together…if you want to keep working on the Nebuchadnezzar."

Naimah points out as she wipes away her tears, "I do."

Tara comments, "then if not from the present me, then think on what the past me would do and compare it to what you want to do."

Naimah sighs bittersweetly, "I guess I can always dream it would've worked out."

Tara points out, "you're a good kid…I mean person…but you're just not my type. I don't do calm. I need thrills."

Naimah remarks with a small chuckle, "I guess not. But that sounds a bit like the impulsive Herold...doesn't it?"

Tara chuckles a little admittedly, "yeah…guess it does. But don't worry: You'll find someone."

Naimah checks, "you sure?"

Tara figures, "yeah. I'd go for Neo myself, but he's taken."

Naimah chuckles at that, "you and Neo?"

Tara adds, "he can sure bring the thrills. Good night." Tara blows a kiss to a somewhat confused Naimah.

Naimah adds, "good night…Tara."

Tara remarks, "guess we are now past sorry...in a good way." She then leaves Naimah to her thoughts.

On the same night, in the 1.0 Matrix…

Destiny, Eshana, Nikita, and Raphael are gathered around some of the split boulders from earlier. Destiny sighs uneasily, "so, is there anything to do around here besides eat and count the symbols?"

Nikita suggests, "roleplaying, mind games…and love making." She suggestively touches Eshana's hair as she says this.

Destiny concludes, "sounds like fun. Where do we start?"

Raphael suggests, "you want me to…?" At the same time, he suggestively touches the back of Nikita's head.

Destiny realizes uneasily, "ohh. I didn't realize…"

Eshana adds, "it's ok. If this is too disturbing for you, one of us could entertain you in another way." She suggestively touches Raphael's neck in the middle of speaking.

Destiny points out, "I wouldn't want to make someone jealous."

Raphael assures her, "don't worry. There's no jealousy here."

Destiny concludes, "all right then. Let's get physical."

Eshana chuckles warmly. All four of them start making out with each other.

On the following afternoon, on the Nebuchadnezzar…

Naimah has taken Tank's job as the chief engineer of the ship, but is also at the brain plug control pad. Morpheus checks, "you sure you have the coordinates right?"

Neo assures him, "you asked me that three times already." He is also nervous because he saw what Tara did in the fire…and told Morpheus this.

Morpheus points out, "this is the last time…because this time you, Trinity, Tara, and me are going to need to get everything right: Right down to the last digit. At top speed, we'll be getting to 1^06-1^07-1^09-1^12-0^15-0^26 by 1800 hours."

Neo concludes, "I understand."

Morpheus concludes, "good. You'll need to be focused on your part. You all will."

Trinity assures him, "we'll do better this time."

Morpheus turns to Tara, "you did good at the facility. You all did."

Tara sighs, "I wonder if Tank would think so."

Morpheus assures her, "I'm sure he would. He hates the Matrix almost as much as I do." Neo felt a little uncomfortable at these words as Morpheus taps the back of Tara's shoulder in unsaid sympathy. He then realized that Morpheus doesn't really care what the cost of his actions or orders could be…long as they resulted in stopping the Matrix. Morpheus walks back to his bunker.

Neo turns to Trinity, "remember what I said about overly costly causes?" He goes back to his bunker and Tara heads to the engine room, leaving Naimah and Trinity by themselves in the center of the Nebuchadnezzar.

Naimah asks, "what is he…?"

Trinity tries to assure her, "it's nothing."

Naimah mutters lowly, "nothing, my ass."

Trinity turns to her, "what?"

Naimah tries to assure her, "nothing."

Trinity sighs as she goes back to her bunker. In the engine room, Tara checks on Herold.

Tara checks, "how are you?"

Herold sighs a little, "it won't be the same without Tank to keep us in check."

Tara wonders, "who said anything about keeping in line?"

Herold points out, "he was close friends with Morpheus. Cold as ice, that shithead. What Tank saw in him, I'll never know."

Tara chuckles a little, "and what do you really see in me?"

Herold realizes, "wait…you're serious?"

Tara explains, "I try not to be…but it depends. Want to give us a go?"

Herold chuckles, "you want some time with a shithead like me. This is…unexpected."

Tara adds, "same here…but I like to do unexpected things for kicks."

Herold concludes, "so I'm just a man toy to you now?"

Tara remarks, "we can do a lot more than play." She suggestively touches Herold's chest. Herold starts to wrap his arms around Tara. They kiss passionately, with no one else checking up on them for what seemed like hours. It was actually one minute before Morpheus comes around to check on Herold.

Morpheus checks, "how are the…? Am I interrupting something?"

Tara assures him, "umm…we were just finishing our talk. Excuse me." She leaves Herold and Morpheus alone to talk.

Morpheus figures, "I'm glad that you're getting along better…but there is a time and a place for intimate moments. And this isn't one of them. Consider this a warning. If I hear that kind of moaning again, and you're involved…"

Herold sighs a little, "I know. I'm then officially off duty."

Morpheus adds, "glad you know it. Pray I don't actually do it."

Morpheus walks off, leaving Herold chuckling to himself.