Disclaimer: Yeah you know the drill… I don't own any of this and I am making jack-squat off of it, it's all the Wachowski Bro's and Warner Bro's (what's up w/the family thing anyway?) yadah, yadah, yadah. Only Seraphim is mine.
Missing Persons
Zephyr
Chapter I
A film of smog hung thick in the air, parted only by the speeding cars that only slowed down enough to allow their passengers a hasty exit. The rushed and busy atmosphere amplified by the passing cars was also reflected in the people. With their hurried ways, it seemed a wonder to outside observers that were able to survive the stress of their lives. Men, women, and children from all walks of life bustled by as they carried out their day to day lives. But they all had one thing in common. They were living in a dream world, a computer programmed prison for their minds.
Neo smiled as Morpheus's words drifted through his mind like a long lost memory. They seemed distant, but it really hadn't been that long since he'd been freed. He laughed quietly to himself and the dark haired, leather-clad woman at his side looked up at him with a questioning look in her sharp blue eyes. "What?" she asked as her fingers intertwined with his.
"It's just that, well take a look around us," he paused and gestured with a sweep of his arm. Trinity's eyes quickly scanned their surroundings. The people that swam past them were too immersed in their own pointless lives to even spare the two outsiders a glance. She had not initially taken note of this and was a bit taken aback, although not surprised. His point made, Neo continued, "These are the people I'm supposed to save. I have to free the minds of these people," he gestured again to the oblivious masses around them, "And they won't even give me the time of day!"
He laughed and looked down to see his companion's eyes shining brightly, but she only smiled. He was satisfied with that, though. Trinity's smiles were rare and he thought she looked even more beautiful when a smile graced her lips. Much to his liking, he'd found that he could provoke a smile in her better than anyone else could. Seeing a perfect opportunity, he decided to test this point. "Look, I'll prove it to you," he stated as though she had not believed him. With that, he tugged on her hand and she followed willingly.
A bemused look had already begun to creep onto her face as Neo walked right up behind a very contrite middle-aged woman leaning over an outdoor counter drinking a latté and reading Time magazine. Trinity stood off to the side to observe Neo's proof of his previous statement. What an ironic choice of reading material Trinity was thinking while Neo approached the woman. Upon closer observation she noted the woman's features. Small, metal rimmed glasses were perched near the end of her thin nose and her lips were pursed tightly together as though she were bracing herself for something catastrophic. Well, maybe she didn't need something catastrophic to set her off.
She had not noticed yet that Neo was standing right behind her. When he tapped her lightly on the shoulder she removed her glasses, set down her magazine on the counter and turned around. What she saw before her was a fairly tall and rather formidable looking man wearing sunglasses that completely shielded his eyes from view, a tight black shirt, black leather pants, dangerous looking combat boots, and a black leather duster to complete the outfit.
"Excuse me ma'am, could you tell me the time?" Neo asked in a completely innocent voice. At this point the woman's lips had come unglued and her mouth hung agape while her eyes reminded Trinity of a rabbit caught in an oncoming car's headlights. She backed up two steps and found herself against the eating counter. Her arms shot out to support herself against the counter and her hands flattened against its surface as they desperately grappled for her belongings. Meanwhile, Neo just stood there inquisitively watching her reaction.
In about three second's time, the woman had gathered her things haphazardly between her arms and rushed off as quickly as she could weave her way through the crowd that occupied the sidewalks. She only managed to stammer an incomprehensible excuse for her speedy departure as a response to Neo's inquiry.
Neo turned to Trinity in time to catch her lips part and a small laugh escape them. Beaming misheviously, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and said in an offhanded tone, "Guess she didn't' recognize me." Trinity laughed at this and punched him playfully in the arm to show her slight disapproval for frightening unsuspecting citizens. But he really did know how to make her smile.
They continued walking along the crowded sidewalk, simply enjoying each other's company. There was a purpose to their excursion into the Matrix, but they felt entitled to a few extra minutes of just being together. Considering the immense ship repairs that were occurring in order to restore the Nebuchadnezzar to its former glory (the attack from the sentinels had nearly destroyed it) and the multiple tasks that seemed always needing attention in the real world, there wasn't much down time. That meant that the new couple could rarely spare a few minutes to be alone.
Everything seems so much harder in the real world, including relationships thought Neo. Trinity squeezed his hand and rested her head against his arm. But I wouldn't trade any of it because Trinity is worth it all. He smiled down on her and returned the pressure of her hand.
As they walked, Neo's mind drifted to the people all around them. Although
they rarely even glanced the couple's way, most of the people seemed to automatically walk around or step aside Trinity and Neo as they passed. Every one of these people and every aspect of their lives were being controlled by machines. Only a few even had the slightest inkling that there was something wrong with the world they were in. Even fewer people had done something about it. Some of these "knowledgeable" people immediately aroused suspicions and were eradicated. Others maintained a low profile, but sometimes this made locating them more difficult for the people trying to free them.
Back then there was one man. He could change whatever he wanted in the Matrix and the machines could do nothing to stop him. He took it upon himself to free the first minds. There were still many people in blissful ignorance to the plight of their minds. This fact remained at present, even though the freed minds in the resistance number in the hundreds.
Now there is one man. The machines are powerless against him. It is up to him to free the people from the hold of the Matrix. He is me. I am the One. The One who has to single-handedly save humanity. That is an awfully daunting task for one man, even the One.
"I love you Neo. Do you know that?" Neo was snapped out of his thoughts by Trinity's soft voice. "I love you too." Their eyes met and he immediately felt better. Okay, so maybe not single-handedly. He gently kissed the top of her head and knew that everything would be all right. She looked up to return his kiss but his eyes, glinted with concern, were fixed on something as he looked over her head. She followed his gaze and gasped at what she saw.
Chapter II
Wooden letters that were tinted red with faded paint designated the brick building as the DISTRICT SHERIFF'S STATION. The two large windows, one on either side of the door, allowed the interior to be blatantly visible to anyone passing by. Inside the building a young man was assisting a woman with paperwork at the reception desk while an older man relaxed in a chair just on the other side of one window. Along the right wall hung many notices, public announcements, advertisements, a calendar of local events, and a bulletin board from which a multitude of business cards and flyers were overflowing from. On the left wall there was a clock centered above five large pictures of those deemed "Wanted". Just below the wanted pictures were about twenty slightly smaller images and six larger ones.
Everything else in Neo's vision was merely a blur save for one picture in the latter category of images that he could not tear his eyes from. The man in the picture had dark, jaw-length hair, large brown eyes, about a week's worth of stubble, and looked as though he hadn't slept in a month. "Jesus," he breathed.
The sign above the photo said "Missing Persons".
As soon as Trinity saw the picture, she put two and two together and, instinctively, she dove between two buildings with Neo in tow. "That's their cover-up for the sudden disappearances of the freed minds," she reported as her analytical mind quickly processed the surprising information.
"And the ones they got rid of," Neo added. His face was solemn but his mind was racing. He wondered how it seemed that no one in the real world had considered how it was for the people left behind when someone is suddenly not in the Matrix.
CONTROL. The word flashed through his mind like a bolt of lightning. "What else did we miss before we were freed?" He looked at Trinity when she didn't respond. She had a faraway look and her eyes were unfocused as she leaned against the cool side of the building. "What is it?" He asked more softly. This time she heard him and looked him square in the eye before she began.
"When I was twelve my parents gave me a computer. At first I thought it was such an awful gift." She chuckled quietly at the ironies in her own life. "But I didn't have much of a social life so I ended up spending a lot of time sitting at that stupid box. I soon found computers to be much easier to deal with than people. I understood the precise and predictable way they functioned, unlike the irrational and changing ways of humans. After spending some time in basic programs, I taught myself to program my computer to do basically whatever I wanted. Once I had mastered my own computer, I moved on to writing my own programs and viruses that could access other computers. Within the span of two years I was hacking into the mainframe computers of my high school.
"It was during these endeavors on my computer that I first met Azure. He was an excellent hacker, as was I. We quickly became friends via late night chats and joint hacking excursions. Together we searched endlessly for any clues that would lead us to what we saw as the ultimate prize: The Matrix.
"For over a year we got to know each other while we attempted to crack every database that we thought would bring us closer to finding the truth. Despite the fact that we'd never met face to face, I thought that I loved Azure. He was smart, funny, but most appealing of all, he loved me back. My parents spent tons of money on my when I was younger because they thought that was taking care of me. But they never really loved me, I was just their possession - a novelty they had grown tired of but felt obligated to keep around just for show. They didn't care two bits about me.
"Then here, I'd found someone who actually cared whether I was feeling well or not and asked if I'd had a good day at school. We both knew my answer would be negative about school, which I despised with a passion because it only kept me away from my search and Azure, but he asked anyway. That made me feel wanted, like someone special. I had never felt so open with anyone in my life, and wouldn't again for a long time after.
"Once, when we were so close to finding answers I thought it might kill me, Azure…" Her voice choked and she looked away. Neo stroked her cheek lovingly, silently urging her to continue. After a minute she regained her composure. "…He, Azure, did not implant a virus correctly into the mainframe and they… They traced it. It wasn't supposed to happen that way. We were so close…" Her voice trailed off, but she wouldn't let her emotions get the best of her and she continued before Neo could encourage her.
"I knew something was wrong when all of the progress we had made on that particular mainframe was for nil. All of a sudden my programs and viruses had no affect and I did not talk to Azure for two weeks. It was then that I located a news report of a seventeen-year-old suspected of drinking under the influence who was killed when his car smashed into a tree. There was no name but I knew it was him.
"I also knew that it was not true. Sure, he had never gotten along with his family and had talked about running before or doing something else, but he did not drink and there had been no other cars involved in the accident. I could just feel that something wasn't right.
"Then one day when I was home alone there was a knock on the door and I opened the door to find myself face to face with a man of undetermined age in a brown business suit, rectangular sunglasses, and a rather noticeable ear piece. Not usually one to be easily intimidated, I immediately took a step away from him and felt a sickening knot bind my stomach. I watched as my knuckles turned white from unconsciously clutching the doorknob. Something about this man and his piercing, stony glare sent a chill down my spine despite the warm spring air. Everything in me was suddenly numb, but I still remember that conversation perfectly.
" 'Hello Miss Aviano. Or should I call you Infinity,' he said it as a statement, not a question. I let out a small noise of alarm and instantly felt dizzy. He paid no heed to my sudden illness. 'I am Agent Smith.' He had entered the house and seated himself stiffly across from me at the kitchen table without me even realizing it. 'We have been watching you for some time now and, as you no doubt have guessed, your friend Azure as well. Even though you are young, I am sure you know that hacking into government systems is not only highly illegal but also punishable by more years than you'd care to count in prison.' His voice was like the hissing of a snake whose coils were steadily wrapping themselves around me and constricting my breathing.
" 'Now I am going to give you a chance to cooperate. Your acquaintance was given similar options but he was very resistant to our efforts. We are in a position to maintain control but you people challenge our authority and force us to do something about you.' I will never forget the intense disdain in his voice when he said people. 'So you will either comply with us or you will end up like Azure. I know you want to do the right thing Miss Aviano.'
"I knew then, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that my suspicions regarding Azure's death had been correct. I immediately felt nauseous and my head pounded with increasing intensity as my vision clouded over. In a barely conscious state, I surrendered to whatever I was mandated to do."
Chapter III
"My first encounter with an agent left me with mixed feelings of shock, fright, and ultimately grief for the loss of my friend. Azure was more than a friend to me, really. Soon my grief turned to anger, at the agents, myself, and at life in general. I stayed away from computers for over a year out of the fear instilled in me be the agents and the prospect of surfacing emotions I did not care to bring up. With time my anger steadily augmented, though, instead of lessening. My hatred for the world, mistrust of people, and insatiable need for answers did not allow me to remain out of the hacking circle for long.
"Taking heed of previous mistakes, I paid vigilant attention to every minute detail in order to ensure my safety. I returned to my nightly endeavors in the computer, but this time under the pseudonym of Trinity. I could only pray the agents would not be able to detect my presence from a new alias. I basically had to start from square one, but I was back where I felt like I belonged.
"Within two years of diligent work I had cracked the Kansas City IRS D-Base. But even that did not fulfill my quest. I simply had to find the Matrix and learn what it was. And about a year later, just before the agents would've gotten to me again, Morpheus found me and I learned the truth.
"For quite some time after I was freed I distanced myself from the other crew members. I had a very deep-rooted mistrust and had decided I was safer if I didn't allow anyone into my life. I was all business and worked extremely hard for Morpheus, but I was very wary of developing relationships past acquaintances.
"After some time, I broke down, unable to handle pressure I had put on myself. Morpheus, ever the protector, was there to break my fall. Ever since he'd freed me, he'd been attempting to reach me, to get through to me somehow, in every way he knew how. Finally, once when he was making his nightly rounds through the ship he heard me crying and went into my room to check on me. I didn't even resist as he embraced me and I cried in his arms until I fell asleep from sheer emotional and physical exhaustion. When I woke up a few hours later, he was still with me, sitting quietly at the foot of my bed. We talked for a long time that night and that was when I began to think that maybe it was better to open up to people. I regretted how cold I'd been and vowed to do better and make amends with my shipmates.
"I'd finally moved on from my heart breaking experience with Azure. Shortly thereafter, I had formed closer relationships with the other freed minds on the Nebuchadnezzar. I will never forget the first time that Tank made me laugh, it was so wonderful. It was the best feeling in the world to release all my tensions for a moment of pure bliss."
She looked up at Neo and smiled with only a tinge of sadness to taint her affectionate look, "That's kind of how I feel when I'm with you." He smiled back and took one of her hands in each of his own and lifted her up from where she had been seated on the ground of the alleyway.
"You know, I hardly know anything about your life before we met."
"Well I'm not always very good at conversation, and my past is especially hard for me to talk about. I just… I just get so scared sometimes that I will lose you like I've lost so many others I've loved. Then I saw your face in that Sheriff's office and it brought back so many emotions and memories…" her voice wavered a little, stripped of its usual authoritative tone to bare raw emotion.
Seeming to suddenly wake up from a rather disorienting dream, Trinity looked about her and gave a little gasp, "Oh God, Seraphim! We've got to go." She gave a tug on Neo's arm to lead him quickly out of the alley but met unexpected resistance.
"Trin," his voice was serious and concerned, "Seraph can wait. How are you doing, I mean, are you really okay?" His eyes searched hers for some clue as to what was going on inside her head. Sometimes it seemed he could never figure out what she was thinking. "We don't have to do this now. Should I call for an exit for us?"
She looked away for a moment and took a deep breath. Turning back to face Neo she shook her head definitively, "No. I'll be all right. Actually, I feel a bit better for having told you about that." He could tell it was difficult for Trinity to admit to her emotions. At the same time he felt honored at her openness with him.
"Okay. Let's go scout this new girl out then." With that, the two leather-clad rebels strode, hand in hand, through the crowded streets of a world based on rules. And as they made their way toward 316 Blaine Street, they were the exceptions to the rules.
Missing Persons
Zephyr
Chapter I
A film of smog hung thick in the air, parted only by the speeding cars that only slowed down enough to allow their passengers a hasty exit. The rushed and busy atmosphere amplified by the passing cars was also reflected in the people. With their hurried ways, it seemed a wonder to outside observers that were able to survive the stress of their lives. Men, women, and children from all walks of life bustled by as they carried out their day to day lives. But they all had one thing in common. They were living in a dream world, a computer programmed prison for their minds.
Neo smiled as Morpheus's words drifted through his mind like a long lost memory. They seemed distant, but it really hadn't been that long since he'd been freed. He laughed quietly to himself and the dark haired, leather-clad woman at his side looked up at him with a questioning look in her sharp blue eyes. "What?" she asked as her fingers intertwined with his.
"It's just that, well take a look around us," he paused and gestured with a sweep of his arm. Trinity's eyes quickly scanned their surroundings. The people that swam past them were too immersed in their own pointless lives to even spare the two outsiders a glance. She had not initially taken note of this and was a bit taken aback, although not surprised. His point made, Neo continued, "These are the people I'm supposed to save. I have to free the minds of these people," he gestured again to the oblivious masses around them, "And they won't even give me the time of day!"
He laughed and looked down to see his companion's eyes shining brightly, but she only smiled. He was satisfied with that, though. Trinity's smiles were rare and he thought she looked even more beautiful when a smile graced her lips. Much to his liking, he'd found that he could provoke a smile in her better than anyone else could. Seeing a perfect opportunity, he decided to test this point. "Look, I'll prove it to you," he stated as though she had not believed him. With that, he tugged on her hand and she followed willingly.
A bemused look had already begun to creep onto her face as Neo walked right up behind a very contrite middle-aged woman leaning over an outdoor counter drinking a latté and reading Time magazine. Trinity stood off to the side to observe Neo's proof of his previous statement. What an ironic choice of reading material Trinity was thinking while Neo approached the woman. Upon closer observation she noted the woman's features. Small, metal rimmed glasses were perched near the end of her thin nose and her lips were pursed tightly together as though she were bracing herself for something catastrophic. Well, maybe she didn't need something catastrophic to set her off.
She had not noticed yet that Neo was standing right behind her. When he tapped her lightly on the shoulder she removed her glasses, set down her magazine on the counter and turned around. What she saw before her was a fairly tall and rather formidable looking man wearing sunglasses that completely shielded his eyes from view, a tight black shirt, black leather pants, dangerous looking combat boots, and a black leather duster to complete the outfit.
"Excuse me ma'am, could you tell me the time?" Neo asked in a completely innocent voice. At this point the woman's lips had come unglued and her mouth hung agape while her eyes reminded Trinity of a rabbit caught in an oncoming car's headlights. She backed up two steps and found herself against the eating counter. Her arms shot out to support herself against the counter and her hands flattened against its surface as they desperately grappled for her belongings. Meanwhile, Neo just stood there inquisitively watching her reaction.
In about three second's time, the woman had gathered her things haphazardly between her arms and rushed off as quickly as she could weave her way through the crowd that occupied the sidewalks. She only managed to stammer an incomprehensible excuse for her speedy departure as a response to Neo's inquiry.
Neo turned to Trinity in time to catch her lips part and a small laugh escape them. Beaming misheviously, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and said in an offhanded tone, "Guess she didn't' recognize me." Trinity laughed at this and punched him playfully in the arm to show her slight disapproval for frightening unsuspecting citizens. But he really did know how to make her smile.
They continued walking along the crowded sidewalk, simply enjoying each other's company. There was a purpose to their excursion into the Matrix, but they felt entitled to a few extra minutes of just being together. Considering the immense ship repairs that were occurring in order to restore the Nebuchadnezzar to its former glory (the attack from the sentinels had nearly destroyed it) and the multiple tasks that seemed always needing attention in the real world, there wasn't much down time. That meant that the new couple could rarely spare a few minutes to be alone.
Everything seems so much harder in the real world, including relationships thought Neo. Trinity squeezed his hand and rested her head against his arm. But I wouldn't trade any of it because Trinity is worth it all. He smiled down on her and returned the pressure of her hand.
As they walked, Neo's mind drifted to the people all around them. Although
they rarely even glanced the couple's way, most of the people seemed to automatically walk around or step aside Trinity and Neo as they passed. Every one of these people and every aspect of their lives were being controlled by machines. Only a few even had the slightest inkling that there was something wrong with the world they were in. Even fewer people had done something about it. Some of these "knowledgeable" people immediately aroused suspicions and were eradicated. Others maintained a low profile, but sometimes this made locating them more difficult for the people trying to free them.
Back then there was one man. He could change whatever he wanted in the Matrix and the machines could do nothing to stop him. He took it upon himself to free the first minds. There were still many people in blissful ignorance to the plight of their minds. This fact remained at present, even though the freed minds in the resistance number in the hundreds.
Now there is one man. The machines are powerless against him. It is up to him to free the people from the hold of the Matrix. He is me. I am the One. The One who has to single-handedly save humanity. That is an awfully daunting task for one man, even the One.
"I love you Neo. Do you know that?" Neo was snapped out of his thoughts by Trinity's soft voice. "I love you too." Their eyes met and he immediately felt better. Okay, so maybe not single-handedly. He gently kissed the top of her head and knew that everything would be all right. She looked up to return his kiss but his eyes, glinted with concern, were fixed on something as he looked over her head. She followed his gaze and gasped at what she saw.
Chapter II
Wooden letters that were tinted red with faded paint designated the brick building as the DISTRICT SHERIFF'S STATION. The two large windows, one on either side of the door, allowed the interior to be blatantly visible to anyone passing by. Inside the building a young man was assisting a woman with paperwork at the reception desk while an older man relaxed in a chair just on the other side of one window. Along the right wall hung many notices, public announcements, advertisements, a calendar of local events, and a bulletin board from which a multitude of business cards and flyers were overflowing from. On the left wall there was a clock centered above five large pictures of those deemed "Wanted". Just below the wanted pictures were about twenty slightly smaller images and six larger ones.
Everything else in Neo's vision was merely a blur save for one picture in the latter category of images that he could not tear his eyes from. The man in the picture had dark, jaw-length hair, large brown eyes, about a week's worth of stubble, and looked as though he hadn't slept in a month. "Jesus," he breathed.
The sign above the photo said "Missing Persons".
As soon as Trinity saw the picture, she put two and two together and, instinctively, she dove between two buildings with Neo in tow. "That's their cover-up for the sudden disappearances of the freed minds," she reported as her analytical mind quickly processed the surprising information.
"And the ones they got rid of," Neo added. His face was solemn but his mind was racing. He wondered how it seemed that no one in the real world had considered how it was for the people left behind when someone is suddenly not in the Matrix.
CONTROL. The word flashed through his mind like a bolt of lightning. "What else did we miss before we were freed?" He looked at Trinity when she didn't respond. She had a faraway look and her eyes were unfocused as she leaned against the cool side of the building. "What is it?" He asked more softly. This time she heard him and looked him square in the eye before she began.
"When I was twelve my parents gave me a computer. At first I thought it was such an awful gift." She chuckled quietly at the ironies in her own life. "But I didn't have much of a social life so I ended up spending a lot of time sitting at that stupid box. I soon found computers to be much easier to deal with than people. I understood the precise and predictable way they functioned, unlike the irrational and changing ways of humans. After spending some time in basic programs, I taught myself to program my computer to do basically whatever I wanted. Once I had mastered my own computer, I moved on to writing my own programs and viruses that could access other computers. Within the span of two years I was hacking into the mainframe computers of my high school.
"It was during these endeavors on my computer that I first met Azure. He was an excellent hacker, as was I. We quickly became friends via late night chats and joint hacking excursions. Together we searched endlessly for any clues that would lead us to what we saw as the ultimate prize: The Matrix.
"For over a year we got to know each other while we attempted to crack every database that we thought would bring us closer to finding the truth. Despite the fact that we'd never met face to face, I thought that I loved Azure. He was smart, funny, but most appealing of all, he loved me back. My parents spent tons of money on my when I was younger because they thought that was taking care of me. But they never really loved me, I was just their possession - a novelty they had grown tired of but felt obligated to keep around just for show. They didn't care two bits about me.
"Then here, I'd found someone who actually cared whether I was feeling well or not and asked if I'd had a good day at school. We both knew my answer would be negative about school, which I despised with a passion because it only kept me away from my search and Azure, but he asked anyway. That made me feel wanted, like someone special. I had never felt so open with anyone in my life, and wouldn't again for a long time after.
"Once, when we were so close to finding answers I thought it might kill me, Azure…" Her voice choked and she looked away. Neo stroked her cheek lovingly, silently urging her to continue. After a minute she regained her composure. "…He, Azure, did not implant a virus correctly into the mainframe and they… They traced it. It wasn't supposed to happen that way. We were so close…" Her voice trailed off, but she wouldn't let her emotions get the best of her and she continued before Neo could encourage her.
"I knew something was wrong when all of the progress we had made on that particular mainframe was for nil. All of a sudden my programs and viruses had no affect and I did not talk to Azure for two weeks. It was then that I located a news report of a seventeen-year-old suspected of drinking under the influence who was killed when his car smashed into a tree. There was no name but I knew it was him.
"I also knew that it was not true. Sure, he had never gotten along with his family and had talked about running before or doing something else, but he did not drink and there had been no other cars involved in the accident. I could just feel that something wasn't right.
"Then one day when I was home alone there was a knock on the door and I opened the door to find myself face to face with a man of undetermined age in a brown business suit, rectangular sunglasses, and a rather noticeable ear piece. Not usually one to be easily intimidated, I immediately took a step away from him and felt a sickening knot bind my stomach. I watched as my knuckles turned white from unconsciously clutching the doorknob. Something about this man and his piercing, stony glare sent a chill down my spine despite the warm spring air. Everything in me was suddenly numb, but I still remember that conversation perfectly.
" 'Hello Miss Aviano. Or should I call you Infinity,' he said it as a statement, not a question. I let out a small noise of alarm and instantly felt dizzy. He paid no heed to my sudden illness. 'I am Agent Smith.' He had entered the house and seated himself stiffly across from me at the kitchen table without me even realizing it. 'We have been watching you for some time now and, as you no doubt have guessed, your friend Azure as well. Even though you are young, I am sure you know that hacking into government systems is not only highly illegal but also punishable by more years than you'd care to count in prison.' His voice was like the hissing of a snake whose coils were steadily wrapping themselves around me and constricting my breathing.
" 'Now I am going to give you a chance to cooperate. Your acquaintance was given similar options but he was very resistant to our efforts. We are in a position to maintain control but you people challenge our authority and force us to do something about you.' I will never forget the intense disdain in his voice when he said people. 'So you will either comply with us or you will end up like Azure. I know you want to do the right thing Miss Aviano.'
"I knew then, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that my suspicions regarding Azure's death had been correct. I immediately felt nauseous and my head pounded with increasing intensity as my vision clouded over. In a barely conscious state, I surrendered to whatever I was mandated to do."
Chapter III
"My first encounter with an agent left me with mixed feelings of shock, fright, and ultimately grief for the loss of my friend. Azure was more than a friend to me, really. Soon my grief turned to anger, at the agents, myself, and at life in general. I stayed away from computers for over a year out of the fear instilled in me be the agents and the prospect of surfacing emotions I did not care to bring up. With time my anger steadily augmented, though, instead of lessening. My hatred for the world, mistrust of people, and insatiable need for answers did not allow me to remain out of the hacking circle for long.
"Taking heed of previous mistakes, I paid vigilant attention to every minute detail in order to ensure my safety. I returned to my nightly endeavors in the computer, but this time under the pseudonym of Trinity. I could only pray the agents would not be able to detect my presence from a new alias. I basically had to start from square one, but I was back where I felt like I belonged.
"Within two years of diligent work I had cracked the Kansas City IRS D-Base. But even that did not fulfill my quest. I simply had to find the Matrix and learn what it was. And about a year later, just before the agents would've gotten to me again, Morpheus found me and I learned the truth.
"For quite some time after I was freed I distanced myself from the other crew members. I had a very deep-rooted mistrust and had decided I was safer if I didn't allow anyone into my life. I was all business and worked extremely hard for Morpheus, but I was very wary of developing relationships past acquaintances.
"After some time, I broke down, unable to handle pressure I had put on myself. Morpheus, ever the protector, was there to break my fall. Ever since he'd freed me, he'd been attempting to reach me, to get through to me somehow, in every way he knew how. Finally, once when he was making his nightly rounds through the ship he heard me crying and went into my room to check on me. I didn't even resist as he embraced me and I cried in his arms until I fell asleep from sheer emotional and physical exhaustion. When I woke up a few hours later, he was still with me, sitting quietly at the foot of my bed. We talked for a long time that night and that was when I began to think that maybe it was better to open up to people. I regretted how cold I'd been and vowed to do better and make amends with my shipmates.
"I'd finally moved on from my heart breaking experience with Azure. Shortly thereafter, I had formed closer relationships with the other freed minds on the Nebuchadnezzar. I will never forget the first time that Tank made me laugh, it was so wonderful. It was the best feeling in the world to release all my tensions for a moment of pure bliss."
She looked up at Neo and smiled with only a tinge of sadness to taint her affectionate look, "That's kind of how I feel when I'm with you." He smiled back and took one of her hands in each of his own and lifted her up from where she had been seated on the ground of the alleyway.
"You know, I hardly know anything about your life before we met."
"Well I'm not always very good at conversation, and my past is especially hard for me to talk about. I just… I just get so scared sometimes that I will lose you like I've lost so many others I've loved. Then I saw your face in that Sheriff's office and it brought back so many emotions and memories…" her voice wavered a little, stripped of its usual authoritative tone to bare raw emotion.
Seeming to suddenly wake up from a rather disorienting dream, Trinity looked about her and gave a little gasp, "Oh God, Seraphim! We've got to go." She gave a tug on Neo's arm to lead him quickly out of the alley but met unexpected resistance.
"Trin," his voice was serious and concerned, "Seraph can wait. How are you doing, I mean, are you really okay?" His eyes searched hers for some clue as to what was going on inside her head. Sometimes it seemed he could never figure out what she was thinking. "We don't have to do this now. Should I call for an exit for us?"
She looked away for a moment and took a deep breath. Turning back to face Neo she shook her head definitively, "No. I'll be all right. Actually, I feel a bit better for having told you about that." He could tell it was difficult for Trinity to admit to her emotions. At the same time he felt honored at her openness with him.
"Okay. Let's go scout this new girl out then." With that, the two leather-clad rebels strode, hand in hand, through the crowded streets of a world based on rules. And as they made their way toward 316 Blaine Street, they were the exceptions to the rules.