Disclaimer: I don't own Neo or the Matrix, characters, locations, etc…You know who they belong to, Warner Brothers, and the Wachowski brothers, the geniuses they are. I also don't even own the poem! It's a song by Dido called "My Lover's Gone"
My Lover's Gone
My lover's gone.
His boots no longer by the door.
He left at dawn.
And as I slept, I felt him go.
She was assigned to him over a week ago, when they found his unconscious body on a rocky cliff, on the outskirts of the sewers of the Real World. He was not yet awake, but he still had a cabin, and everyday she would replace his nutrient IV, and watch him. When she checked for signs of coma, she found herself looking into dark-green eyes that were dull now, but all the same beautiful. She sat on the bed, and watched him, chest moving up and down. She jumped, as a hand moved onto her thigh, and the body shuddered. The eyes she had studied so intently fluttered open, and focused on her.
"Oh, crap, you're awake!" she whispered, and grabbed a flashlight from a table next to the makeshift bed. He began to rise, but she stopped him, supporting him with an arm. A voice croaked out, "Where am I?"
She got busy checking pulses, and heartbeats, not daring to look into his eyes.
"A ship, the Nebuchadnezzar." They had found him in true Matrix-freed clothing, so they assumed he had been on a ship, and simply fallen or been stranded.
"Ship…I was on a…" he faltered, rubbing his forehead, and a stray wisp of gleaming brown hair away from his eyes.
"Shh…" she began to check his nutrient levels, beginning to pull out assorted IV's.
"What's your name?"
"Psyche." He looked quizzically at her, and she explained patiently, "Remember? We don't keep our Matrix-born names…" Recognition registered in his eyes, "Yes! Yes...of course."
"Do you remember your name?" she ventured. He furrowed his brows and began to try and remember his name, "T-t-to…Tobias!" he finally spit out, "Yes, that's my name!" She smiled at him, and rubbed some alcohol on his IV puncture.
"Do you remember the ship you were on?" she asked.
"No…no I, can't. I fell….I'm sorry, I can't remember." She shrugged, "I didn't think you would." A knock on the door interrupted their conversation, and Neo poked his head in.
"Ah…so Sleeping Beauty is finally awake?" She nodded, grinning at him. "Well, come on Psyche-o girl, we need to take him to the Cap!" She rolled her eyes at him, noting the nickname, and helped Tobias get up, as they went to see the captain.
A few days later
Psyche was still taking care of her ward, and they were in the loading program, sitting on a black leather loveseat, in front of a laptop. They were trying to find his old crew, and Psyche was finding herself more and more attracted to Tobias. He was handsome, charming, smart…and he did flirt with her often enough.
"Okay, well if you can't recognize the schematics of your ship, lets look at the files of crew members throughout Zion." He nodded, glancing at her shyly.
"I've been thinking about Psyche…wasn't she in Greek Mythology? The one who loved her lover so much, even though she could never see his true self? Kinda a tragic heroine you picked there." She flushed, "Well…I really just liked the name." He gave a deep laugh, and she caught his eyes, green and inviting.
"So…" she faltered, as he looked back at her, and she found herself unconsciously diving in deeper to his inviting eyes. His face moved closer to hers, a dark lock of hair falling haphazardly over his forehead, and she moved to push it away.
"Thank you…." He whispered, grabbing her hand that was pushing the hair away, and bringing his lips to hers, as she kissed back, caution thrown to the wind. There was so much…so much she had wanted, from the moment they brought him aboard, but she stopped, breaking away from his touch.
"I can't do this…" she whispered, avoiding his eyes.
"Why not?" She shook her head looking for an explanation, but there came none, and she found herself diving into his tender caress again. She felt his cheek, warm and soft, even in the cold confines of the real world, ran her fingers through his soft hair, as he began to kiss her forehead and cheeks. He stopped, taking a trembling breath.
"You don't know how good that feels…" She smiled, and rested her head on his chest, as he lay back on the couch.
"Yes, I do.." She kissed his neck again, before opening his shirt, and moving a hand over his chest, before falling quietly and blissfully asleep.
Returns no more,
I will not watch the ocean.
My lover's gone.
When she awoke, she rose sleepily from the loveseat, blinking, and looking in awe at the settings around her.
A white beach was stretched along, beautiful clear water lapping at it's edge. She sat on a small swing hanging on the beach, and the clear sky stretched over head.
Oh my god…" she whispered, as a black horse running along the beach froze, whinnied, and transformed into a human body. Tobias's body, and he stared at her, alarmed.
"How..why, why didn't you tell me?" she whispered, staring at his frantic eyes, as he rushed to her.
"I-," she interrupted, "You're part AI?"
He faltered, and she rose to him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, swinging from his strong body.
"We have more in common then I thought…" She murmured. He smiled, his eye's flashing, before kissing her on the head, and pulling her into the warm waves. They began to run, Tobias helping them change into white horses, galloping along the water, nuzzling each other, spraying up water as they flew along.
No earthly ships will ever bring him home again.
Bring him home again.
My lover's gone.
I know that kiss will be my last,
No more his song
The tune upon his lips has past.
The crew would eye her warily as she would speak to Tobias, when they took their small sentient part of themselves, and left their bodies, before entering into different programs. They would change their forms, into whatever they desired, horses, doves, eagles, and they would be with each other at each free moment. Psyche found herself loving him more and more, and they would spend days in the programs, talking, dreaming, and loving each other.
It was on the last day they were together, that her world with him cracked apart.
She walked on the beach, her toes making tiny imprints in the pristine sand.
It was not real, none of it, but yet it felt so good.
She had been walking, it seemed, for hours, as Tobias had gone somewhere else in the program, and she waited for him.
She would always wait for him, never leave him, and never let him leave her.
Psyche's footprints washed away, the foamy waves stronger for some reason today, the skies gray, and cloudy. She was just about to go back the other way, when her foot encountered something floating in the water. Psyche picked the object up, a small datapad, and fiddled with it a moment, before forcing it to work. Spluttering on, she read in interest, as the writing scrolled down.
TO SEN/AI PRO. 1032 MN-AS
FROM SEN/HYB PRO. 01 MN-TO
Her eyes widened, recognizing the coding for a Hybrid program, which either was her or Tobias, but she kept reading, ignoring who it was to.
Found ship. Taken in. Crew is smaller than expected. Not many new people. Many weaknesses. Have attracted fem. Organism. INC:194837, MN-Lux O'Keefe. Found 'One'. Many Weakness. Report soon.
AZIA
Her knees weakened, and gave way, leaving her crumpled in the wet sand, shaking her head at the writing. The programs were easy enough to identify as Agent Programs, and she shuddered at the message. It was from Tobias, reporting on all of them, and her. It was her Matrix-born name, Lux O'Keefe, and she shook her head, slamming the pad down into the water, as light footsteps approached her.
"Hello, my love." She couldn't force herself to say anything, and she sat there, letting the waves wash over her knees.
"What's the matter? What did you find, lover?" He asked, bending over and picking the ruined pad out of the surf. He froze, picking it up, and standing stiffly, crumpling the flimsy object.
"You-you're one of them?" she asked flatly, letting no emotion break into her voice. He didn't answer.
"And what were you going to do? Would you tell me? Kill me?" in the same, flat voice, as she closed her eyes, emotion smoldering behind them.
"Psyche..you have to understand…I love you, I do love you." She shook her head. "You can't. You're one of them. Why did you do all of that? Why did you lead me on? Why couldn't you have just left me alone?" She was breaking now, as the waves crashed louder against them. He began to turn, but picked her up in one swift movement, pulling her into his touch, and for the last time, she allowed herself to melt into his love.
But she couldn't do it anymore. She broke away, and began to run, her feet tripping, sending sand flying. Tobias ran for her, grabbing her with one iron grip around her shoulder, and turning her to face him, as he grabbed a vial, inserting it into her neck. She opened her mouth, but only a strangled breath came out, as she fell against him, looking one last time into his eyes, as they flashed into an eerie, ice blue, before she fell into darkness.
I stay alone
While I watch the ocean.
My lover's gone,
No earthly ships will bring him home again.
Bring him home again.
She awoke on the small wooden swing, blinking at the water, lapping angrily against the shore, as murky drizzle poured down over the small world they had created. She shook her head, watching as the grey sky grew darker and darker, before she stood, and began to walk in the darkened sand.
I stay alone
While I watch the ocean.
My lover's gone,
No earthly ships will bring him home again.
Finis
My Lover's Gone
My lover's gone.
His boots no longer by the door.
He left at dawn.
And as I slept, I felt him go.
She was assigned to him over a week ago, when they found his unconscious body on a rocky cliff, on the outskirts of the sewers of the Real World. He was not yet awake, but he still had a cabin, and everyday she would replace his nutrient IV, and watch him. When she checked for signs of coma, she found herself looking into dark-green eyes that were dull now, but all the same beautiful. She sat on the bed, and watched him, chest moving up and down. She jumped, as a hand moved onto her thigh, and the body shuddered. The eyes she had studied so intently fluttered open, and focused on her.
"Oh, crap, you're awake!" she whispered, and grabbed a flashlight from a table next to the makeshift bed. He began to rise, but she stopped him, supporting him with an arm. A voice croaked out, "Where am I?"
She got busy checking pulses, and heartbeats, not daring to look into his eyes.
"A ship, the Nebuchadnezzar." They had found him in true Matrix-freed clothing, so they assumed he had been on a ship, and simply fallen or been stranded.
"Ship…I was on a…" he faltered, rubbing his forehead, and a stray wisp of gleaming brown hair away from his eyes.
"Shh…" she began to check his nutrient levels, beginning to pull out assorted IV's.
"What's your name?"
"Psyche." He looked quizzically at her, and she explained patiently, "Remember? We don't keep our Matrix-born names…" Recognition registered in his eyes, "Yes! Yes...of course."
"Do you remember your name?" she ventured. He furrowed his brows and began to try and remember his name, "T-t-to…Tobias!" he finally spit out, "Yes, that's my name!" She smiled at him, and rubbed some alcohol on his IV puncture.
"Do you remember the ship you were on?" she asked.
"No…no I, can't. I fell….I'm sorry, I can't remember." She shrugged, "I didn't think you would." A knock on the door interrupted their conversation, and Neo poked his head in.
"Ah…so Sleeping Beauty is finally awake?" She nodded, grinning at him. "Well, come on Psyche-o girl, we need to take him to the Cap!" She rolled her eyes at him, noting the nickname, and helped Tobias get up, as they went to see the captain.
A few days later
Psyche was still taking care of her ward, and they were in the loading program, sitting on a black leather loveseat, in front of a laptop. They were trying to find his old crew, and Psyche was finding herself more and more attracted to Tobias. He was handsome, charming, smart…and he did flirt with her often enough.
"Okay, well if you can't recognize the schematics of your ship, lets look at the files of crew members throughout Zion." He nodded, glancing at her shyly.
"I've been thinking about Psyche…wasn't she in Greek Mythology? The one who loved her lover so much, even though she could never see his true self? Kinda a tragic heroine you picked there." She flushed, "Well…I really just liked the name." He gave a deep laugh, and she caught his eyes, green and inviting.
"So…" she faltered, as he looked back at her, and she found herself unconsciously diving in deeper to his inviting eyes. His face moved closer to hers, a dark lock of hair falling haphazardly over his forehead, and she moved to push it away.
"Thank you…." He whispered, grabbing her hand that was pushing the hair away, and bringing his lips to hers, as she kissed back, caution thrown to the wind. There was so much…so much she had wanted, from the moment they brought him aboard, but she stopped, breaking away from his touch.
"I can't do this…" she whispered, avoiding his eyes.
"Why not?" She shook her head looking for an explanation, but there came none, and she found herself diving into his tender caress again. She felt his cheek, warm and soft, even in the cold confines of the real world, ran her fingers through his soft hair, as he began to kiss her forehead and cheeks. He stopped, taking a trembling breath.
"You don't know how good that feels…" She smiled, and rested her head on his chest, as he lay back on the couch.
"Yes, I do.." She kissed his neck again, before opening his shirt, and moving a hand over his chest, before falling quietly and blissfully asleep.
Returns no more,
I will not watch the ocean.
My lover's gone.
When she awoke, she rose sleepily from the loveseat, blinking, and looking in awe at the settings around her.
A white beach was stretched along, beautiful clear water lapping at it's edge. She sat on a small swing hanging on the beach, and the clear sky stretched over head.
Oh my god…" she whispered, as a black horse running along the beach froze, whinnied, and transformed into a human body. Tobias's body, and he stared at her, alarmed.
"How..why, why didn't you tell me?" she whispered, staring at his frantic eyes, as he rushed to her.
"I-," she interrupted, "You're part AI?"
He faltered, and she rose to him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, swinging from his strong body.
"We have more in common then I thought…" She murmured. He smiled, his eye's flashing, before kissing her on the head, and pulling her into the warm waves. They began to run, Tobias helping them change into white horses, galloping along the water, nuzzling each other, spraying up water as they flew along.
No earthly ships will ever bring him home again.
Bring him home again.
My lover's gone.
I know that kiss will be my last,
No more his song
The tune upon his lips has past.
The crew would eye her warily as she would speak to Tobias, when they took their small sentient part of themselves, and left their bodies, before entering into different programs. They would change their forms, into whatever they desired, horses, doves, eagles, and they would be with each other at each free moment. Psyche found herself loving him more and more, and they would spend days in the programs, talking, dreaming, and loving each other.
It was on the last day they were together, that her world with him cracked apart.
She walked on the beach, her toes making tiny imprints in the pristine sand.
It was not real, none of it, but yet it felt so good.
She had been walking, it seemed, for hours, as Tobias had gone somewhere else in the program, and she waited for him.
She would always wait for him, never leave him, and never let him leave her.
Psyche's footprints washed away, the foamy waves stronger for some reason today, the skies gray, and cloudy. She was just about to go back the other way, when her foot encountered something floating in the water. Psyche picked the object up, a small datapad, and fiddled with it a moment, before forcing it to work. Spluttering on, she read in interest, as the writing scrolled down.
TO SEN/AI PRO. 1032 MN-AS
FROM SEN/HYB PRO. 01 MN-TO
Her eyes widened, recognizing the coding for a Hybrid program, which either was her or Tobias, but she kept reading, ignoring who it was to.
Found ship. Taken in. Crew is smaller than expected. Not many new people. Many weaknesses. Have attracted fem. Organism. INC:194837, MN-Lux O'Keefe. Found 'One'. Many Weakness. Report soon.
AZIA
Her knees weakened, and gave way, leaving her crumpled in the wet sand, shaking her head at the writing. The programs were easy enough to identify as Agent Programs, and she shuddered at the message. It was from Tobias, reporting on all of them, and her. It was her Matrix-born name, Lux O'Keefe, and she shook her head, slamming the pad down into the water, as light footsteps approached her.
"Hello, my love." She couldn't force herself to say anything, and she sat there, letting the waves wash over her knees.
"What's the matter? What did you find, lover?" He asked, bending over and picking the ruined pad out of the surf. He froze, picking it up, and standing stiffly, crumpling the flimsy object.
"You-you're one of them?" she asked flatly, letting no emotion break into her voice. He didn't answer.
"And what were you going to do? Would you tell me? Kill me?" in the same, flat voice, as she closed her eyes, emotion smoldering behind them.
"Psyche..you have to understand…I love you, I do love you." She shook her head. "You can't. You're one of them. Why did you do all of that? Why did you lead me on? Why couldn't you have just left me alone?" She was breaking now, as the waves crashed louder against them. He began to turn, but picked her up in one swift movement, pulling her into his touch, and for the last time, she allowed herself to melt into his love.
But she couldn't do it anymore. She broke away, and began to run, her feet tripping, sending sand flying. Tobias ran for her, grabbing her with one iron grip around her shoulder, and turning her to face him, as he grabbed a vial, inserting it into her neck. She opened her mouth, but only a strangled breath came out, as she fell against him, looking one last time into his eyes, as they flashed into an eerie, ice blue, before she fell into darkness.
I stay alone
While I watch the ocean.
My lover's gone,
No earthly ships will bring him home again.
Bring him home again.
She awoke on the small wooden swing, blinking at the water, lapping angrily against the shore, as murky drizzle poured down over the small world they had created. She shook her head, watching as the grey sky grew darker and darker, before she stood, and began to walk in the darkened sand.
I stay alone
While I watch the ocean.
My lover's gone,
No earthly ships will bring him home again.
Finis