1101010010111100111110001000100Chapter 300101000101000000101000
00100101101010001110101001010010The Truth1010001010100101010010
"Excellent, Ronald," Morpheus said, astounded that Ron was already able to not only walk on his own but jog for a short periods. "You've surpassed my expectations."
"It's been six hours," Ron said between breaths, adjusting the baggy old tee shirt and baggy jogging pants he wore. "You going to let me see KP and tell me what's this all about yet? Like why I have all these plugs and why I'm almost bald?"
"Yes, I believe you are ready, and if Kimberly is ready, you will both be told the truth. We have learned that most take the information better if they are informed in pairs." Morpheus said, handing a towel to the teenager.
Ron followed Morpheus through the large metallic hallway. Morpheus stopped before the door marked 'Ladies Retraining Gym'. He knocked quickly, and Ron recognized Niobi's voice on the other side saying it was safe to enter.
Ron walked in and couldn't suppress the shocked gasp and the following chuckle at the pitiful sight he recognized as Kim Possible. Her body and face was as he remembered, but her body was like his, pale and covered in strange plugs, and her almost bald scalp was covered in a faint red shadow.
She was wearing an old one-strap tank top that still showed her trademark midriff and a pair of faded jeans over a pair of combat boots.
"This is your fault," Kim stated hoarsely, narrowing her exhausted eyes.
"What's my fault?" Ron asked, taken back by the death glare.
"You can trust him, KP," Kim said, mocking Ron's voice.
"Is it really that bad?" Ron asked, blinking at how tired and weak she seemed, while he felt almost back to normal.
Kim ran her hand over her almost bare scalp before glaring again, "If I had the energy right now, I'd kick your sorry butt."
"Perhaps you'll have the chance later, Kimberly," Morpheus spoke up, breaking Kim's glare from her best friend. "There is something I wish to show you both, if you will come with me."
Morpheus led Ron, Kim, and Niobi out of the room and on into what appeared to be a landing bay. "This is my ship," He said pointing to a strange looking craft with several saucer shaped objects on various spots down its long body, "The Nebuchadnezzar II."
He then walked up the ramp "Allow me to introduce you to the remainder of my crew," He said as they entered a large circular chamber with laid back leather chairs rounding the walls and a computer set up in the center with lines of green code running down most of the screens.
Niobi walked ahead to meet two men who were walking out to meet them. "You both have met Ghost," Morpheus said pointing to the familiar person in less fancy clothing, "And this is Link, our operator." He said pointing to the man Ron met earlier that day.
Morpheus then waved his hand toward two of the chairs along the wall, "Please have a seat and relax."
Kim's eyes widened and she stepped away from the chair, shaking her head rapidly. "Ooooh no, I am not falling for that again,"
"It's alright, Kim," Ron said in a calm, soothing voice, as he sat down and let Ghost clamp his arms and legs to the chair, "I'll be right beside you the whole time, ok?"
Kim eyed Ron carefully. He gave her his trademark carefree smile. Kim sighed before taking a seat beside him and let Niobi lock her into the chair as well.
"Ok, you guys, this is going to feel a little weird, so just relax and try not to jump, ok?" Niobi said from behind Kim.
Kim gulped lightly, and then gasped when she felt a sharp sting hit her in the back of her head as a bright flash blinded.
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"W-What happened?" Kim asked looking around her surrounding and was surprised to find nothing, but then she froze when she felt a familiar feeling on her shoulders. She let out a squeal when she saw her long ginger hair flowing down to her hips yet again. She pulled the hair over her shoulder and hugged it lovingly.
She then looked at the rest of her appearance. She was back in her green tank top and cargo pants under the leather trench coat Ron had gotten her. "Ok, something is definitely up …" She mused.
"Booyah!" She heard behind her and spun around to see Ron, and her eyes widened at the sight. He was wearing a black duster style cloth trench coat over a red, almost black, tee shirt with gold trim around the collar, form fitting black jeans, a pair of buckled combat boots, and a pair of sunglasses that were very similar if not the same as the ones the men who attacked them at Drakken's base wore.
"Ron?" She asked in a stunned voice.
"Yea, expecting Shego or something?" He asked smiling at her, pulling off his sunglasses, "Where'd these come from?" he asked as he put them in his coat pocket.
"Watch it!" a squeaky voice barked from the pocket, causing Ron to pull his hand and sunglasses back out quickly.
Ron's eyes lit up, and he dropped the sunglasses and reached into the pocket, "RUFUS!" He beamed as he pulled the naked mole rat out and hugged him, "I was worried about you!"
"Hmm, that's unusual," Morpheus' voice said from behind them, making both teens jump. He walked around them, dressed in the same alligator skin trench coat and armless glasses he wore when they met earlier. "It appears you've made that animal part of your RSI, your Residual Self Image. I've never seen that happen before."
"Um you lost me at that's unusual …" Ron said scratching his forehead.
"Residual Self Image, Ronald," Morpheus stated walking around and sitting down in one of the large red chairs sitting around a TV that appeared out of no where, "That is how your mind envisions on how you should appear. Please have a seat. Both of you."
"Where are we?" Kim asked sitting down warily.
"This is the construct," Morpheus said looking around the white nothingness, "Our loading program. We can load anything from clothing, equipment, weapons, training simulations … anything we want."
"A computer program," Ron stated, the daja'vu returning again.
"That can't be … it just …" Kim stammered, "It just isn't real …"
"What's real? How do you define real?" Morpheus questioned, "If you are referring to what you see, smell, feel, then that is only interpretations of electrical signals in your brain."
Morpheus then reached for a remote control and turned on the television, showing various sights in Middleton, "This is the world you know," He said, "The world as it was at the end of the twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first." He then pressed a button, "And this is the world as it truly is today."
Kim and Ron gasped as their surroundings changed to that of their homeroom class, only the walls were all that was at least barely standing. "We are sitting in a classroom of the remains of one of the first hit cities of Earth. Middleton California, as you know it was home to Global Justice. It, as well as all threats, was quickly annihilated some four thousand years ago."
Kim stared at Morpheus in confusion while Ron gripped the hand rests of his chair with a fearful yet knowing expression on his face.
"Mankind's greatest achievement, Artificial Intelligence, AI, or as it came to be known in the time of the Great War 'Dues Ex Machina', created a program, Mass Terran Ixsatisfaction System." Morpheus said with a sigh. "Or, the Matrix for short. We have learned in the past sixteen years mankind fired the first shots and blackened the skies. Beginning a war that has lasted over 4000 years. We tried to take away the machine's power source, thinking they could discover no more power sources, but they found one more." He then looked directly in Kim's eyes, "Us."
Kim and Ron then found themselves on a roof top, "They had many means of control," Morpheus continued as the same group of men Ron and Kim encountered in Drakken's lair stormed out of a door, approaching a man in his mid twenties standing on the edge of the roof. He resembled Ron, only older with dark blackish brown hair, smaller ears, a more matured face, and no freckles, in a fully buttoned, cloth trench coat and a pair of oval sunglasses. "The one that was quite possibly their biggest mistake was … The One."
"The One had the ability to control the Matrix, change it to whatever they saw fit." Morpheus sighed, "But that gift came at a momentous price."
The Agents pulled handguns and fired several rounds at the man, who simply turned to them and held out his hand. "No," He softly spoke, and the bullets obeyed his command, freezing in mid air. He then closed his fist and the bullets shot back at the Agents, knocking them to the ground where they laid still for a moment before morphing into ordinary people.
"They were six 'Ones'," Morpheus stated. "Five did as they were meant to do. When their time has come, when Zion -the last human city- was destroyed, each chose a group of humans from the Matrix, and released them with the purpose of rebuilding Zion then aided the machines in reloading the Matrix." Morpheus then smiled sadly at the man. "The last was … different."
"He was given a choice, and he chose to fight instead of surrender," Morpheus said, as the man dropped to one knee and lowered his fist before him toward the ground. A moment later the concrete roof bubbled around him, and he shot into the air flying faster then any bird or plane. "He sacrificed his life so that we may all live on in peace."
"Neo …" Ron said softly, his eyes widening in realization.
"That was his name, yes," Morpheus nodded to the boy, "His death is the reason you are here today, both of you." Morpheus then stood up and placed his hands on both of their chairs, "We are at peace now. While some programs and machines, and even some humans, long to continue the war, we are at peace nonetheless. Mankind is slowly being awoken from its long slumber. As you both have been."
"So we've been … dreaming? It's all been fake …" Kim choked out, "All of it …"
"That's not true, KP," Ron tried to reason with her.
"No, Ron, it isn't real," yelled Kim, standing up and backing away from both of them, "How can you be taking this so easily, Ron? Are you even real too? Is anything real?" She questioned, holding her head while her whole body trembled.
"Kimberly, please relax," Morpheus said soothingly, as Ron approached her.
"Don't touch me!" Kim spat, slapping Ron's hands away, "I want to go home, I want to get out of here, I want … I want …"
Next thing Kim knew she was laying back in the chair, her breath ragged, she stumbled out of her chair, and rolled down on the floor roughly. "I don't want to be here … I want to go home …" she sobbed before throwing up her last meal.
"Kim!" Ron gasped, jumping out of his chair, and going straight to her side. He grabbed a rag from beside her chair, and cleaned her face, before bringing her into a tight hug. She didn't hug back, but instead rested her head on his shoulder and softly sobbed while her body trembled in his arms.
"That's enough for today," Morpheus stated, walking toward them, "Niobi, take them to their quarters."
"I'm staying with her," Ron said, reluctantly letting Niobi pick up the near-catatonic Kim in her arms.
Niobi looked questioningly at Morpheus, and he wordlessly nodded an affirmative. "Ok, kid, lets get her in bed," Niobi said as she carried the distraught teen and led her friend out of the room.
Morpheus and Ghost watched the three leave before Link walked up beside them, "I've never seen that before."
"You've been a operator how long and never seen a girl pop before?" Ghost asked, cocking an eyebrow at his friend.
"No not that," Link stated, "I'm talking about him. He took the news and didn't pop. That just doesn't happen."
"A lot?" Ghost asked, raising an interested eyebrow.
"Ever." Morpheus finished with a proud smile, gazing at the door.
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Kim's eyes slowly opened, and they immediately recognized Ron's worried features, "R-Ron?"
"Right here, KP," he said, shoving a straw in her mouth, "It's water- it might taste a little funny, but it's water."
She took a few sips, before looking at Ron questioningly, "What time is it?"
"Three fifteen in the morning I believe," Ron said with a sleepy smile.
"You've stayed up with me this late," Kim gasped, "You should be sleeping or at least resting!"
"I'm ok," he replied, "Besides I'm sure you can understand me having a lot on my mind, after what we both found out."
Kim nodded, flinching slightly at the thought. "Hey, it can't be that bad, KP," Ron smiled, "We'll get through this together, we're a team remember? No matter where we go, that isn't going to change, right?"
"Right," Kim nodded again, feeling a bit braver, "But it will take a lot of getting used to …"
"Yeah, I guess," said Ron, looking at the door warily.
"Ron?" Kim spoke up softly.
"Yeah, KP?"
"Sleep with me," Kim commanded, scooting over on the cot. She then looked up and turned scarlet at seeing the look on Ron's face. "Not like that, stupid," Kim quickly added, slapping him with her pillow, "I just meant I don't want to sleep alone tonight, ok?"
Ron nodded in understanding, though still blushing, and climbed into the bed beside her. Kim curled up beside him, resting her head on her shoulder. "Thanks, Ron," Kim sighed, getting comfortable, "I don't know what I'd do without you as my best friend …"
Ron smiled and with his free arm, tucked the blanket around her shoulders, "You'll never have to worry 'bout that, Kim, I'm not going anywhere." He said softly before kissing her forehead and attempting to follow her to sleep.
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Ron and Kim both jerked awake at pounding at the metal door of their room. They both set up quickly, as Morpheus opened the door and walked in, "Good morning," He said sitting down on the bed beside them, "I wanted to apologize for yesterday. I know the truth can be a hard thing to hear and comprehend, I too was newly freed from the Matrix like you, but then the times were much bleaker. We have a peace now, we do not have to hide as much as we did before."
"Morpheus, sir," Kim spoke up politely, "I was wondering, if there's peace now, why were the … Agents after Ron yesterday?"
"Do you recall what I spoke about the One?" Morpheus asked looking at Ron, "the One is an anomaly, the remainder of an equation the creator the Matrix could never work out. I guess you could call it Pi. There have been six Ones, including Neo. But now, I believe the seventh has come earlier then normally."
He then gave Ron a smile, "Ron, lately have you been able to see things others can't, have you noticed items that didn't look as if they belong, noticed world around you appear to change into something you can not describe properly? I myself witnessed you disarming the Agents yesterday."
"Are you saying I'm the newest One?" Ron asked, a strange nervousness growing in his stomach.
"No, for I have been informed the One only comes every five hundred years. And Neo fell sixteen years ago next week." Morpheus stated, his eyes growing sad, "You hold traits of the One, but I am not the one to determine if you are or not."
Ron nodded and felt a gentle squeeze at his hand and looked down to see Kim's on his. "Now then, are you two ready for some lessons?" Morpheus asked, sounding a bit more chipper.
Ron answered with a loud sigh, "We still have to go to school out here?"
"I think you'll find these lessons different then what you are accustomed to," Morpheus smiled, "Get dressed and come."
Morpheus led them back to the central chamber where the 'Jack Chairs' were located. The two walked in to see Link waiting patiently. "Morning guys, sleep good?" He asked, but continued without waiting, "Will tonight, I'm gonna make you two STRONG!"
Link helped them both into a pair of chairs, and placed the link connectors into the plugs in the back of the heads. Once the discomfort pasted he sat back down in his computer chair roughly. Turning he pulled a handful of minidisks, "Lets see … shit, shit, shit, shit, shit," he said as he threw a few over his shoulder, "here we go, you two like Jackie Chan?"
A moment later Kim and Ron jerked and their eyes rolled back in their heads for only a second. Ron and Kim looked at each other in awe, "So that's how he did that …" Ron said, a smile playing on his lips.
Link laughed a moment, "So, want more?"
Ron sat back with dead serious expression on his face, "Bring it on!"
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Hours passed before Morpheus came in to check on them. "How are they doing, Link," He asked, looking at the two teenagers.
"Six hours so far. They're playing chicken right now," Link smiled, "First one to say they've had enough loses. And I'm running out of disks."
Morpheus walked over to stand between them. When the effect of the programming let up, they both looked up at him. "Guess what, I can fight like Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee, and Jet Li!" Ron stated proudly. Kim nodded just as excitedly.
Morpheus looked back as Niobi walked into the room, "Let us see what you have learned." Morpheus said, smirking.
A moment later Kim and Ron found themselves standing in a karate dojo, both dressed in martial arts uniforms. Kim immediately went to running her hands lovingly through her once again long red hair before noticing where Ron was staring.
"RON!" Kim gasped, closing the top of her gi tighter to show less cleavage, "grow up!"
"I have often heard," Morpheus started, walking into the room with Niobi, both in similar uniforms, "From recently freed, and also some inside the Matrix, that Team Possible is the most formidable fighting force one can go up against. I wish to learn if this is a fact."
"So ya want a go with the Ron-Man," Ron asked confidently.
"Ms. Fashion Nightmare's mine," Kim said stepping up and popping her knuckles, "You take Mr. Clean."
"Kim, remember," said Ron, his voice strangely and uncharacteristically serious, "This isn't real, we're not really here, so just think of a video game where you can bend the rules. You can bet these two will."
"How do you know about this?" Kim asked, taken back by Ron's uncharacteristic seriousness.
"I … don't know, I just do," Ron stated, shaking his head, "Just remember: don't try. Do."
"Yes, Master Yoda," Kim smirked before running toward Niobi.
Kim started out by dropping to the ground and doing a quick leg sweep, which Niobi easily jumped. Kim looked up and her eyes widened at the fact that she jumped a good six feet in the air and appeared to be able to hold it, before coming back down quickly and kicking her in the chest.
"Let us see what you can do," Morpheus said running toward Ron and threw a punch at his face, but as soon as it would of made contact with Ron's nose, he vanished. Morpheus looked around, and turned to glance behind him, only to meet a foot to his face, sending him flying backwards into a pillar.
Morpheus shook his head and stared in awe at the boy who's arms were moving so fast they blurred, "You're too slow, old man," Ron smirked, completely unaware of how fast he was really moving.
Kim was finally starting to get the hang of the physics of the Matrix in her fight with Niobi. She took a deep breath then dodged a punch, and leaned forward in a scorpion kick, before leaping into the air for a crane kick. She placed her hips eye level to Niobi, and held it for a second and a half before kicking the older woman across the room.
On the other side of the dojo, Morpheus and Ron stood face to face. "Stop me," he ordered before running toward the teen and diving at him, Ron stepped back and held out his hands, only thinking about stopping the man, and Morpheus came to a halt in mid air.
Morpheus smiled before Ron's hold on him dropped and he hit the floor with a sickening thud.
"Very good," Morpheus stated as Ron helped him up.
Morpheus looked over and saw Kim and Niobi had also stopped. "You know, if you can't beat us, you could join us," Ron replied smugly but blinked when Morpheus saw no humor in it, in fact he visibly paled.
"Is something wrong, Morpheus," Niobi asked worriedly as she and Kim walked over to them.
"Lets try something else," Morpheus said, shaking it off as coincidence, "Link, load the next program."
Kim and Ron then found themselves on the streets of a busy city. "Come along, you two," Morpheus stated as he and Niobi, now back in their trench coats and sunglasses walked ahead of the teens. Kim and Ron looked at each other and found they were in their every day 'normal' clothes; Kim's green tank top and cargo pants, and Ron's red and yellow T and baggy jeans. They both shrugged and followed the two adults down the busy streets.
"There are a quarter of a million people still plugged into the Matrix," Morpheus stated, "Many of which are not ready to accept the truth of the world around them. Because of the peace treaty and the sky clean-up, we are freeing close to fifty a month. Zion is now not the only human city any longer. The Human Race is populating the earth once again, but we are not ready to free everyone. And many of who remain in the Matrix will probably not accept the truth easily or at all. Some of them even now fight to protect it."
A woman walked past them in a skintight red dress that left nothing to the imagination. Ron's jaw dropped and focused on specific parts of the woman. "Ronald," Morpheus spoke, grabbing the teen's attention, "Were you listening to me? Or were you looking at the woman in the red dress?"
"I um …" Ron stuttered.
"Look again," Morpheus nodded behind him. Ron turned and saw an Agent with a gun pointed at his head, "Freeze it!" Morpheus barked, and all but Morpheus, Niobi, Kim and Ron froze in place.
"Pig," Kim hissed, slapping Ron hard in the chest.
"Agents are out there, and they seem to want you, Ron," Morpheus informed, "We have not seen them in sixteen years, so we know not what kind of upgrades they could have been given, so you must constantly be on your guard. The Agents are everywhere, but they are nowhere. Anyone who is still plugged into the Matrix has the potential to be an Agent."
"Now, one last test," Morpheus stated, "Link, load the Jump."
Kim and Ron then found themselves on the roof of a tall skyscraper with another building a good hundred feet away the same height. "Now I want you two to jump to the other building," Morpheus stated.
"That's impossible!" Kim barked looking down, seeing that it was a good seventy-story building.
"I thought nothing was impossible to Kim Possible," Niobi smirked.
"Nothing is impossible in the Matrix, my young friend," Morpheus smirked, "All you must do is … free your mind," he said as he ran and leapt all the way across the gap and landed on the other rooftop with ease.
"You go first, Ron," Niobi nodded.
Ron gulped then swinging his arms back and forth building momentum, before running as fast as he could across the roof. He prepared to jump when the ever-present Stoppable luck finally caught back up.
Ron's buckle came undone and his baggy pants slid down to his knees causing him to trip up and tumble across the roof, falling right over the edge. "RON! NO!!!" Kim cried out, running toward the edge in a useless attempt at catching him. She watched in horror as he plunged head first toward the pavement. But as he hit the pavement it gave to him, almost as a trampoline. Then it flung him back into the air, before gravity brought him back down to the solid asphalt with a solid 'thud', bruised but alright.
"He might need a lil more work …" Niobi shook her head before looking at Kim, "Ok Kimmie. Your go."
Kim nodded and walked back to the opposite edge of the roof and relaxed her whole body. She then opened her green eyes focused only on the other building. She then ran as fast as she could and leapt across the gap, her mind only on landing on the other side to the point she didn't even notice she was flying through the air almost inhumanly. She hit the side of the building and gripped the edge of the building for dear life, before scampering up the side, and dropping to the rooftop safe and sound. She never once noticed Ron lying on his back on the pavement, holding his hand up toward her as she jumped.
"Not bad," Morpheus stated as the girl caught her breath, "Not bad at all."
As the four began to awaken from the training programs, Link and Ghost watched the event again on the monitors.
"She made the Jump," Link said in awe, "No one's ever made the jump on the first try!"
"No, one other person made the Jump on the first try before." Ghost said his eyes shining with a bit of sadness, "Trinity."
Morpheus got out of his chair and walked over to the two teens, "Go and get some food, then get to sleep. We're getting up bright and early in the morning." He then turned and started to walk out. "It's time you met an old friend."
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