Tell them the truth, tell them only the truth,
but never tell them the whole truth.
If anyone had heard Devil's question, he never said. They made all their way to the Oracle in silence. Everyone was lost in his own thoughts, unwilling to talk with the others. As far as Devil could tell their thoughts were as unpleasant as her own. "The Oracle had lied." That was written on their faces. That was written on her own face, yet somewhere deep inside her soul another thought existed. "Something is wrong." Something was definitely wrong. She could feel it. Devil imagined telling that to Morpheus and decided to remain silent. For now Neo was the only one allowed to present captain with crazy ideas.
Oracle was waiting for them in the living room, what was already unusual. Morpheus had always told, that everyone was meeting Oracle in the kitchen. That was the tradition.
"Then again, the kitchen may be just too small for all of us." Devil said to herself. "Who cares anyway? This is not happening." She was lying. She cared for this and cared deeply. Because something was wrong.
"I'm glad you made it, Neo." The Oracle finally said, after quite a long pause.
"I'm sure you are." Neo answered sarcastically. "Sending me to death you didn't actually want me to die, didn't you."
"Oh, no." The Oracle shook her head. "You were not supposed to die. You are too important for this. Let me tell you one secret. The Matrix won't allow you to die. This is how it is programmed."
" It looked like Smith was more than willing to kill me. And." - Neo started.
"Damn it." Devil suddenly said loudly. " That's why!"
"That's why what?" Neo asked curiously.
"That's why he was unplugged, of course." Devil stated. "I just couldn't figure it out. You said he was unplugged right after your resurrection. But there was absolutely no reason for this. It couldn't be about his death. You were the One and he was not supposed to beat you. It was about YOUR death. He had no right to kill you." Devil caught her breath.
"Well, I must admit I'm impressed." Oracle said looking at Devil. " Not really surprised, but still impressed. Yes, that's what happened, although it doesn't matter now." She turned to Neo. " I believe you had something else to say?"
"Yes." He answered coldly. " I'm not quite sure about the others, but I believe "returning to the Source" to be death."
"And you are wrong." Oracle sounded almost sad. " It is not death, it is exactly what it is called. Returning to the Source. Returning your powers to the Source, if you like it more that way. You should have listened more carefully, Neo. No one was talking about your death."
"I listened carefully enough. You as good as did." It didn't look like the Oracle had succeeded in convincing him.
Oracle raised her eyebrow in disbelief. "I don't really think so. But enough. That is not what I wanted to talk about."
"And what did you want to talk about? Another fake prophesy?" Morpheus spoke for the first time since they entered the Matrix.
Oracle smiled. " Who said the prophecy was fake? Zion is safe, isn't it? And believe me, if Neo would do what he was meant to do."
"Everything would start all over again." Neo interrupted.
Oracle continued to smile. " Are you sure? How can you know if you changed anything? But as I said, enough of that. We don't have much time." Her face turned serious. "You did good work recently. But there is still much to be done. In the real world this time. You see, you messed everything up and events in the Matrix influenced the real world. In fact, the Matrix and the real world are the same. So, it's my duty to warn you."
"To warn us?" Neo asked unbelievingly. " You already had. Never trust the Oracle."
"Oh, no. Do not start it all over again, please." The Oracle sighed. "If it will help you, I'm not programmed to lie. I just can't do that. And all I want is just to warn you. All of you, but especially you Neo. Your life is in danger."
"And why would you care?" Neo asked sharply. " Excuse me, but I don't believe in you liking me so much that you are trying to save my life. Not after what happened."
"Well, I indeed do like you. But if you want other reasons." Oracle tried to look into Neo's eyes, but he was still wearing sunglasses. "Let's say the Matrix still wants to use you. I, for example, do still hope that you will return to the Source by your own will. Anyway you are much useful to the Matrix alive than dead. Will you listen to me now?"
"Speak." Morpheus said. It was oblivious, that he disliked that conversation. He believed in the Oracle and prophecy as long as he could remember. It was hard enough just to think about Oracle's betrayal, not to mention listening to her justification.
"The Matrix wants you alive Neo." Oracle continued. " But there is someone who wants you dead."
"Smith." Neo said.
Oracle nodded. " Smith. He doesn't obey the Matrix anymore. More than that, he was able to send his copy to the real world. You don't notice him, but he is near you, Neo. He is very close to achieving his goal. You have to be careful."
"Impossible." Morpheus said. "How can the machine be close to Neo and stay unnoticed?"
"Who said anything about the machine?" Oracle corrected.
"But then. human?" Neo asked in disbelief. " Smith couldn't copy himself into human and leave the Matrix. This is not possible."
"But that's exactly what he did." Oracle paused for a moment. " I must admit, he never really cared about rules. Even before he was unplugged. Well, that was it. Any questions?"
Neo shook his head, " Somehow I don't believe I'll get any answers."
Others remained silent. Devil felt like having hundreds of questions. "What's going on?" "Who am I?" "Why everything feels so wrong?" She wasn't going to ask any of them though. Not the Oracle, not anyone else. Not long after she was freed, she was told that before unplugging everyone had to prove he was ready for this. The Question had to be asked. "What is the Matrix?" She never asked that question.
Just before answering the ringing phone and exiting the Matrix Devil understood that she still got her answers. "The Matrix and the real world are the one." Oracle had said. That was it. That had to be it.
If anyone had heard Devil's question, he never said. They made all their way to the Oracle in silence. Everyone was lost in his own thoughts, unwilling to talk with the others. As far as Devil could tell their thoughts were as unpleasant as her own. "The Oracle had lied." That was written on their faces. That was written on her own face, yet somewhere deep inside her soul another thought existed. "Something is wrong." Something was definitely wrong. She could feel it. Devil imagined telling that to Morpheus and decided to remain silent. For now Neo was the only one allowed to present captain with crazy ideas.
Oracle was waiting for them in the living room, what was already unusual. Morpheus had always told, that everyone was meeting Oracle in the kitchen. That was the tradition.
"Then again, the kitchen may be just too small for all of us." Devil said to herself. "Who cares anyway? This is not happening." She was lying. She cared for this and cared deeply. Because something was wrong.
"I'm glad you made it, Neo." The Oracle finally said, after quite a long pause.
"I'm sure you are." Neo answered sarcastically. "Sending me to death you didn't actually want me to die, didn't you."
"Oh, no." The Oracle shook her head. "You were not supposed to die. You are too important for this. Let me tell you one secret. The Matrix won't allow you to die. This is how it is programmed."
" It looked like Smith was more than willing to kill me. And." - Neo started.
"Damn it." Devil suddenly said loudly. " That's why!"
"That's why what?" Neo asked curiously.
"That's why he was unplugged, of course." Devil stated. "I just couldn't figure it out. You said he was unplugged right after your resurrection. But there was absolutely no reason for this. It couldn't be about his death. You were the One and he was not supposed to beat you. It was about YOUR death. He had no right to kill you." Devil caught her breath.
"Well, I must admit I'm impressed." Oracle said looking at Devil. " Not really surprised, but still impressed. Yes, that's what happened, although it doesn't matter now." She turned to Neo. " I believe you had something else to say?"
"Yes." He answered coldly. " I'm not quite sure about the others, but I believe "returning to the Source" to be death."
"And you are wrong." Oracle sounded almost sad. " It is not death, it is exactly what it is called. Returning to the Source. Returning your powers to the Source, if you like it more that way. You should have listened more carefully, Neo. No one was talking about your death."
"I listened carefully enough. You as good as did." It didn't look like the Oracle had succeeded in convincing him.
Oracle raised her eyebrow in disbelief. "I don't really think so. But enough. That is not what I wanted to talk about."
"And what did you want to talk about? Another fake prophesy?" Morpheus spoke for the first time since they entered the Matrix.
Oracle smiled. " Who said the prophecy was fake? Zion is safe, isn't it? And believe me, if Neo would do what he was meant to do."
"Everything would start all over again." Neo interrupted.
Oracle continued to smile. " Are you sure? How can you know if you changed anything? But as I said, enough of that. We don't have much time." Her face turned serious. "You did good work recently. But there is still much to be done. In the real world this time. You see, you messed everything up and events in the Matrix influenced the real world. In fact, the Matrix and the real world are the same. So, it's my duty to warn you."
"To warn us?" Neo asked unbelievingly. " You already had. Never trust the Oracle."
"Oh, no. Do not start it all over again, please." The Oracle sighed. "If it will help you, I'm not programmed to lie. I just can't do that. And all I want is just to warn you. All of you, but especially you Neo. Your life is in danger."
"And why would you care?" Neo asked sharply. " Excuse me, but I don't believe in you liking me so much that you are trying to save my life. Not after what happened."
"Well, I indeed do like you. But if you want other reasons." Oracle tried to look into Neo's eyes, but he was still wearing sunglasses. "Let's say the Matrix still wants to use you. I, for example, do still hope that you will return to the Source by your own will. Anyway you are much useful to the Matrix alive than dead. Will you listen to me now?"
"Speak." Morpheus said. It was oblivious, that he disliked that conversation. He believed in the Oracle and prophecy as long as he could remember. It was hard enough just to think about Oracle's betrayal, not to mention listening to her justification.
"The Matrix wants you alive Neo." Oracle continued. " But there is someone who wants you dead."
"Smith." Neo said.
Oracle nodded. " Smith. He doesn't obey the Matrix anymore. More than that, he was able to send his copy to the real world. You don't notice him, but he is near you, Neo. He is very close to achieving his goal. You have to be careful."
"Impossible." Morpheus said. "How can the machine be close to Neo and stay unnoticed?"
"Who said anything about the machine?" Oracle corrected.
"But then. human?" Neo asked in disbelief. " Smith couldn't copy himself into human and leave the Matrix. This is not possible."
"But that's exactly what he did." Oracle paused for a moment. " I must admit, he never really cared about rules. Even before he was unplugged. Well, that was it. Any questions?"
Neo shook his head, " Somehow I don't believe I'll get any answers."
Others remained silent. Devil felt like having hundreds of questions. "What's going on?" "Who am I?" "Why everything feels so wrong?" She wasn't going to ask any of them though. Not the Oracle, not anyone else. Not long after she was freed, she was told that before unplugging everyone had to prove he was ready for this. The Question had to be asked. "What is the Matrix?" She never asked that question.
Just before answering the ringing phone and exiting the Matrix Devil understood that she still got her answers. "The Matrix and the real world are the one." Oracle had said. That was it. That had to be it.