Chapter Three: The Call
At that point in time, I obviously had no time for extremely probing questions - nor the slightly probing ones - seeing as I was swiftly guided down an imposingly dark alley by Neo and the other violently agitating man. At last we reached what I assumed to be our destination; I froze. Before us was a silent, black '86 Lincoln hardtop that Neo wasted no time in ushering me into. I shot him a strongly apprehensive glance.
"Neo," I whispered hesitantly.
"Yes Dragon?" he answered calmly, turning to look at me.
"What is happening to me right now?" I cried in desperation for answers. I was still gripping my bleeding arm, but that seemed to become the least of my worries.
He gave me a look that told me he understood what I was going through. "I'm sorry, but there is no time to explain," he assessed urgently. I shuttered at the thought of what was to come next, yet I nodded to Neo as he gently pushed me through the car's suicide door. Once inside, I came to the realization that I was sitting beside a very terrible man. I glared at him with a passionate hatred that he clearly did not understand. For that, I pitied him yet for more potent reasons I resented him. We sat in utter silence as slowly the car began to crawl forward. Ever so slowly, I noticed it gaining speed and wondered why. But, of course my questions were never voiced into the cautious, fragile air in which we waited. Then, the binds of silence broke when Neo spoke.
"Kill the lights," he directed from the passenger side of the car.
"Got it," came yet another male's voice. Suddenly the feelings of intimidation hit me like a metal bat. It wasn't that I minded the male population; but a strange male population was an entirely different story. The longer I sat there, the more I felt as if I were a tiny mouse thrown savagely into a hungry lion's den. Panic began to illogically grip my heart after several minutes in the car.
I exhaled heavily and turned my eyes to gaze out the darkly shaded window. Not much could be seen, but it was evident that we had turned down a narrow alleyway. The sides were inches from the sides of the car - nearly peeling off the paint as we rolled by. Then, finally the car came to a reluctant halt in front of a shoddy, run-down hotel. It was something that reminded me much of my own seedy home.
Merely seconds after we had stopped, Neo was out of the car and opening my door. He leaned down to look in at me. "Time to go," he confirmed. I stepped out and my assailant soon followed suit. Before I could object he was by my side and gripping my right bicep with what I suppose may have been an effort at gentleness (though by the appearance of him, "gentle" was rarely in his vocabulary). He guided me through two large doors, which gave a sickly lurch as they unwillingly gave way to the man's weight. He made a strong attempt to follow Neo, who dazzled me by moving much faster than I'd thought humanly possible. Then, after we had climbed several flights of stairs (and I was rightfully exhausted), we stood on the top level of the hotel. The man then led me before two seemingly useless doors and rapped on them heavily with his knuckles. After a few moments, Neo emerged from the room and shooed the other man inside. After the man was out of sight behind the double doors Neo faced me, his dazzling eyes appearing nearly black in the ill light.
"Are you sure you're ready?" he asked compassionately.
I had to admit to being a bit more than just confused. "For what?"
"For this," he paused and motioned towards the doors, "for the truth."
I nodded, finally understanding for the first time that entire night. "It's what I have been seeking, Neo," I answered without hesitation.
Neo gave me a contented nod. "Just remember," he went on with a knowing smile, "he already knows more that you want him to." He laughed lightly, "But, try not to worry so much."
I agreed with yet another nod as Neo pushed open both of the doors to reveal a large room. He placed his hand reassuringly on my back and led me into the center of the room where two dull leather chairs sat - seemingly lonely. Between them, a small table crouched low to the ground, holding nothing but a solitary glass of water. The rest of the room was nothing to look at either. The walls seemed as though they may crack and fall at any moment, while wall paper hung miserably in shreds. Where the wall paper had professedly 'bio-degraded', bare yellow wall shone through like a rotting set of molars. Yet again, I made the connection between my apartment and this new place, but I declared it to nobody but my own self. Neo drew my attention back to the event when he motioned toward a man at the far end, his face watching a clock wind down on an opposite mantle. Once he had re-directed my attentions, Neo exited the room and left me alone with the latter man.
"I would introduce myself," he said, still facing the clock, "but you already know who I am."
Finally, he turned and faced me. His dark skin seemed to stand out against the sickly, faded colors of the room. Much like Neo had, I thought silently. The man neared the chairs and held his hand out toward them. "Please, sit."
I warily lowered myself into the icy leather chair. I watched him for a moment, then suddenly felt exceedingly uneasy.
"Morpheus?" I began quietly, not even sure of what I would say once he answered.
"Yes," he answered.
"What am I doing here?" I asked, wondering if he had all the answers. He smiled at me warmly.
"Only you can answer that question," he replied, his lips in a serious line. A thought for a moment - why was I here? Then, it hit me as Neo's words rose from the back of my mind.
"I," I paused, then firmly went on, "I want to know the truth for once in my life."
"I know," he answered, rather bluntly. "You have been searching for me."
I nodded affirmation, so as not to interrupt whatever he might say next. He gave a slight smile and went on. "And I have been searching for you."
I was shocked for a moment. Why would such a powerful man be looking for someone like me? Things were suddenly not fitting together as they should. He could obviously see the fear and consternation in my eyes. I leaned closer to the opposite chair where he sat and lowered my voice into a trembling whisper. "Why me?"
He smiled, that same almost non-existent smile he had just moments before. For some bizarre reason, I almost felt as if I belonged here - but it still made no sense. He read my eyes again.
"Sometimes," he said nobly, "what is right is not always what is easy."
He did not wait for a reply, but instead continued to speak to me. "You have been hunting this truth your entire life, and it's driving you insane." He predicted. I was almost stunned - almost. For the strangest reason, I had come to expect Morpheus to know how I felt. It was irrational and illogical of course, but it seemed as if those things were swiftly becoming my reality.
I stared up into his deeply chocolate eyes and searched them for reassurance. To my amazement, I found it. "What is the Matrix?" I finally managed to get out of my mouth, awe and reverence lacing every syllable. Morpheus nodded in my main direction, his face almost expressionless - almost. He leaned back in the chair at looked at me squarely.
"Nobody can be told what the Matrix is. You have to be shown." He explained. I shook my head at him, not really understanding why he had brought me here at all.
"But, what is it?" I asked with hesitation.
Morpheus looked at me silently for another moment, before pulling a tiny metal box from his pocket. It twisted in his hands for what seemed like hours, then he finally spoke.
"The Matrix," he began with what could have been remorse - or more so hatred, "is a hoax; an elaborate mind game played with you as the main tool." He leaned closer to me. I was intimidated, but did not bother to move away. Instead, I just sat there twisting the edge of my shirt to keep my nervous hands busy. He continued to turn the box in his fingers and went on.
"It is there when you sleep and when you wake. It is the streets you walk down and the people you meet. It is whatever is real to you. Emotions, life, death, your friends, and your family are all a part of it. And, there is only one way for this reality to be for you what it is for me - a tightly knit lie."
When he had finished, he looked at me, watching for a reaction. I was shocked - astounded, and yet somewhat skeptical. Then suddenly, I had the strangest urge to know more - to know the truth.
"What is this lie, Morpheus?" I asked with curiously scared eyes.
Morpheus' eyes fell deliberately, almost sorrowfully. Then, he picked up his head to look at me straight on. Finally, he spoke once again.
"That you are free; that you are here, now. The truth is Dragon, that you are a slave trapped inside your own mind," he stated.
I gaped at him, in utter shock. "What do I say to something like that?" I breathed, more to myself than anyone else. Morpheus leaned back again, the shiny box still twisting in his hands.
"You need not say anything at all," he said clearly. "Just understand one thing."
I sat silently, waiting in anticipation, not really sure if I should answer him or not. He did not say anything, but opened the tiny silver box. In his hand two objects fell, which I could not tell what they were. But, it was apparent that they were blue and red in color. He shifted one each to different palms and finally spoke yet one more time, in that tone that makes one feel unsure if his news is good or heart-breaking.
"Once you choose, there is no going back." He said clearly. I nodded at that, with somewhat of an attempt to laugh.
"Point of No Return," I murmured to myself, referring to a title track from my favorite Broadway show. After living in New York for over ten years, I'd seen it at least twice. And, though that wasn't many; on my income it was astounding that I had even seen it once. Morpheus gave me one of those secret smiles.
Not hearing my comment, he went on. "Everything about your life is going to change, but I can't guarantee that you will appreciate it very much."
I shrugged, trying to act as casual as possible. "What's the choice?"
Morpheus put his hands before him, balled up in loose fists. I tried to gaze through his glasses - to read his expression, but it was utterly useless. His lips were a straight line until he spoke. He opened his left hand and the object inside I assumed to be some sort of a pill.
"You take the blue pill - the show's all over. We both go back wherever we came from, and you believe whatever you wish." He paused to open his other hand. Inside was another pill - identical in fact besides in color. This one was red.
"You take the red pill - the show goes on, and I show you the line between your reality and mine."
As I sat there, I felt my jaw about to hit my lap in shock. Could this really be happening to me? The decision before we - was it real? How could it be so? I exhaled sharply, trying to decide what I should say - no, what I should choose. The answer was simple enough, but the question still remained - Was I willing to answer the call?
At that point in time, I obviously had no time for extremely probing questions - nor the slightly probing ones - seeing as I was swiftly guided down an imposingly dark alley by Neo and the other violently agitating man. At last we reached what I assumed to be our destination; I froze. Before us was a silent, black '86 Lincoln hardtop that Neo wasted no time in ushering me into. I shot him a strongly apprehensive glance.
"Neo," I whispered hesitantly.
"Yes Dragon?" he answered calmly, turning to look at me.
"What is happening to me right now?" I cried in desperation for answers. I was still gripping my bleeding arm, but that seemed to become the least of my worries.
He gave me a look that told me he understood what I was going through. "I'm sorry, but there is no time to explain," he assessed urgently. I shuttered at the thought of what was to come next, yet I nodded to Neo as he gently pushed me through the car's suicide door. Once inside, I came to the realization that I was sitting beside a very terrible man. I glared at him with a passionate hatred that he clearly did not understand. For that, I pitied him yet for more potent reasons I resented him. We sat in utter silence as slowly the car began to crawl forward. Ever so slowly, I noticed it gaining speed and wondered why. But, of course my questions were never voiced into the cautious, fragile air in which we waited. Then, the binds of silence broke when Neo spoke.
"Kill the lights," he directed from the passenger side of the car.
"Got it," came yet another male's voice. Suddenly the feelings of intimidation hit me like a metal bat. It wasn't that I minded the male population; but a strange male population was an entirely different story. The longer I sat there, the more I felt as if I were a tiny mouse thrown savagely into a hungry lion's den. Panic began to illogically grip my heart after several minutes in the car.
I exhaled heavily and turned my eyes to gaze out the darkly shaded window. Not much could be seen, but it was evident that we had turned down a narrow alleyway. The sides were inches from the sides of the car - nearly peeling off the paint as we rolled by. Then, finally the car came to a reluctant halt in front of a shoddy, run-down hotel. It was something that reminded me much of my own seedy home.
Merely seconds after we had stopped, Neo was out of the car and opening my door. He leaned down to look in at me. "Time to go," he confirmed. I stepped out and my assailant soon followed suit. Before I could object he was by my side and gripping my right bicep with what I suppose may have been an effort at gentleness (though by the appearance of him, "gentle" was rarely in his vocabulary). He guided me through two large doors, which gave a sickly lurch as they unwillingly gave way to the man's weight. He made a strong attempt to follow Neo, who dazzled me by moving much faster than I'd thought humanly possible. Then, after we had climbed several flights of stairs (and I was rightfully exhausted), we stood on the top level of the hotel. The man then led me before two seemingly useless doors and rapped on them heavily with his knuckles. After a few moments, Neo emerged from the room and shooed the other man inside. After the man was out of sight behind the double doors Neo faced me, his dazzling eyes appearing nearly black in the ill light.
"Are you sure you're ready?" he asked compassionately.
I had to admit to being a bit more than just confused. "For what?"
"For this," he paused and motioned towards the doors, "for the truth."
I nodded, finally understanding for the first time that entire night. "It's what I have been seeking, Neo," I answered without hesitation.
Neo gave me a contented nod. "Just remember," he went on with a knowing smile, "he already knows more that you want him to." He laughed lightly, "But, try not to worry so much."
I agreed with yet another nod as Neo pushed open both of the doors to reveal a large room. He placed his hand reassuringly on my back and led me into the center of the room where two dull leather chairs sat - seemingly lonely. Between them, a small table crouched low to the ground, holding nothing but a solitary glass of water. The rest of the room was nothing to look at either. The walls seemed as though they may crack and fall at any moment, while wall paper hung miserably in shreds. Where the wall paper had professedly 'bio-degraded', bare yellow wall shone through like a rotting set of molars. Yet again, I made the connection between my apartment and this new place, but I declared it to nobody but my own self. Neo drew my attention back to the event when he motioned toward a man at the far end, his face watching a clock wind down on an opposite mantle. Once he had re-directed my attentions, Neo exited the room and left me alone with the latter man.
"I would introduce myself," he said, still facing the clock, "but you already know who I am."
Finally, he turned and faced me. His dark skin seemed to stand out against the sickly, faded colors of the room. Much like Neo had, I thought silently. The man neared the chairs and held his hand out toward them. "Please, sit."
I warily lowered myself into the icy leather chair. I watched him for a moment, then suddenly felt exceedingly uneasy.
"Morpheus?" I began quietly, not even sure of what I would say once he answered.
"Yes," he answered.
"What am I doing here?" I asked, wondering if he had all the answers. He smiled at me warmly.
"Only you can answer that question," he replied, his lips in a serious line. A thought for a moment - why was I here? Then, it hit me as Neo's words rose from the back of my mind.
"I," I paused, then firmly went on, "I want to know the truth for once in my life."
"I know," he answered, rather bluntly. "You have been searching for me."
I nodded affirmation, so as not to interrupt whatever he might say next. He gave a slight smile and went on. "And I have been searching for you."
I was shocked for a moment. Why would such a powerful man be looking for someone like me? Things were suddenly not fitting together as they should. He could obviously see the fear and consternation in my eyes. I leaned closer to the opposite chair where he sat and lowered my voice into a trembling whisper. "Why me?"
He smiled, that same almost non-existent smile he had just moments before. For some bizarre reason, I almost felt as if I belonged here - but it still made no sense. He read my eyes again.
"Sometimes," he said nobly, "what is right is not always what is easy."
He did not wait for a reply, but instead continued to speak to me. "You have been hunting this truth your entire life, and it's driving you insane." He predicted. I was almost stunned - almost. For the strangest reason, I had come to expect Morpheus to know how I felt. It was irrational and illogical of course, but it seemed as if those things were swiftly becoming my reality.
I stared up into his deeply chocolate eyes and searched them for reassurance. To my amazement, I found it. "What is the Matrix?" I finally managed to get out of my mouth, awe and reverence lacing every syllable. Morpheus nodded in my main direction, his face almost expressionless - almost. He leaned back in the chair at looked at me squarely.
"Nobody can be told what the Matrix is. You have to be shown." He explained. I shook my head at him, not really understanding why he had brought me here at all.
"But, what is it?" I asked with hesitation.
Morpheus looked at me silently for another moment, before pulling a tiny metal box from his pocket. It twisted in his hands for what seemed like hours, then he finally spoke.
"The Matrix," he began with what could have been remorse - or more so hatred, "is a hoax; an elaborate mind game played with you as the main tool." He leaned closer to me. I was intimidated, but did not bother to move away. Instead, I just sat there twisting the edge of my shirt to keep my nervous hands busy. He continued to turn the box in his fingers and went on.
"It is there when you sleep and when you wake. It is the streets you walk down and the people you meet. It is whatever is real to you. Emotions, life, death, your friends, and your family are all a part of it. And, there is only one way for this reality to be for you what it is for me - a tightly knit lie."
When he had finished, he looked at me, watching for a reaction. I was shocked - astounded, and yet somewhat skeptical. Then suddenly, I had the strangest urge to know more - to know the truth.
"What is this lie, Morpheus?" I asked with curiously scared eyes.
Morpheus' eyes fell deliberately, almost sorrowfully. Then, he picked up his head to look at me straight on. Finally, he spoke once again.
"That you are free; that you are here, now. The truth is Dragon, that you are a slave trapped inside your own mind," he stated.
I gaped at him, in utter shock. "What do I say to something like that?" I breathed, more to myself than anyone else. Morpheus leaned back again, the shiny box still twisting in his hands.
"You need not say anything at all," he said clearly. "Just understand one thing."
I sat silently, waiting in anticipation, not really sure if I should answer him or not. He did not say anything, but opened the tiny silver box. In his hand two objects fell, which I could not tell what they were. But, it was apparent that they were blue and red in color. He shifted one each to different palms and finally spoke yet one more time, in that tone that makes one feel unsure if his news is good or heart-breaking.
"Once you choose, there is no going back." He said clearly. I nodded at that, with somewhat of an attempt to laugh.
"Point of No Return," I murmured to myself, referring to a title track from my favorite Broadway show. After living in New York for over ten years, I'd seen it at least twice. And, though that wasn't many; on my income it was astounding that I had even seen it once. Morpheus gave me one of those secret smiles.
Not hearing my comment, he went on. "Everything about your life is going to change, but I can't guarantee that you will appreciate it very much."
I shrugged, trying to act as casual as possible. "What's the choice?"
Morpheus put his hands before him, balled up in loose fists. I tried to gaze through his glasses - to read his expression, but it was utterly useless. His lips were a straight line until he spoke. He opened his left hand and the object inside I assumed to be some sort of a pill.
"You take the blue pill - the show's all over. We both go back wherever we came from, and you believe whatever you wish." He paused to open his other hand. Inside was another pill - identical in fact besides in color. This one was red.
"You take the red pill - the show goes on, and I show you the line between your reality and mine."
As I sat there, I felt my jaw about to hit my lap in shock. Could this really be happening to me? The decision before we - was it real? How could it be so? I exhaled sharply, trying to decide what I should say - no, what I should choose. The answer was simple enough, but the question still remained - Was I willing to answer the call?