Disclaimer: I do not own the Matrix concept or its involved characters. I do own all original characters and ideas mentioned here along with the plot used.
Dedicated to Jen...and our muses. *smirk*
When Will It End
The dark figure flicked off the ash of the cigarette. Its burning end was like a fiery hole in the alley's enveloping darkness. After a last lingering drag and the breathy exhale of thick smoke, the long slender fingers that held the cigarette let go and crushed it underfoot.
As approaching footsteps sounded loudly on slick wet cement, the figure drew deeper into the shadows. A young man dressed in dark leather soon came into view, out of breath and clearly frightened. He leaned against the brick wall to steady himself and looked over his shoulder to find no one. He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath.
The figure chose that moment to pull out a gun with a silencer fitted snugly at its business end. It fired once, then twice for good measure. The man slumped limply against the wall as grey eyes flickered open on his startled face. Pale lips tinged crimson, he crumpled onto the cement in a careless heap.
At that, the shooter slowly approached his prone body and kicked his leg to make sure he was past saving. Squatting down, it reached for his jacket with a gloved hand to pull out a wallet. After taking the bills inside, it straightened and threw the wallet into a nearby trash can. Pulling down a fire escape ladder, it nimbly climbed then pulled up the ladder when it got to the top.
When the sound of rushing footsteps were heard once more, the figure stiffened and turned to look down. The man in a dark starched suit stood starkly out of place in the filthy alley. He immediately noticed the dead body and bent down to check for a pulse. Finding none, he got up and coolly surveyed the area. Then, his head abruptly looked up at the spot where the figure stood. He stood like that for a long moment before finally turning on his heel and leaving.
After he'd disappeared into the broad daylight of the alley's far end, the figure followed suit but only to retreat in the opposite direction and deeper into darkness it thrived in.
It walked silently on rotting wooden floor planks, making no sound to add to the scurrying of rats and coakroaches. Then, it gently pushed open a door and went down a treacherous winding staircase. Skipping the split last step, it exited through a broken window and out into another alley. It ignored the passed-out bum that slept against a garbage can and unlocked a door to the opposite building.
Once in the safety of her room, the young woman sighed softly and eased out of her worn leather overcoat. She carelessly threw it across the room to catch onto the backrest of chair then removed her black leather gloves. Wearily slipping out of her dark utilitarian clothes, she stepped into the shower. Under the high-pressurized steaming water, she scrubbed herself clean until her skin was raw. She turned the water off when she was done and wrapped a woolen towel around her short, waif-thin figure.
Walking back into the main room, she ignored the mirror's cracked reflection of her pale face. Sometimes it was so easy to remain oblivious to everything. With a mind focused on containing pent-up fury and despair, she easily disregarded the scars on her wrists and the fresh one on the back of her hand. That scar and the broken mirror were the only reminders of that morning's rage.
She'd lost control again.
She'd been losing her formerly unshakeable composure for some time now. Fortunately, she'd managed to keep it whenever she was on a mission. But, one day she would not be so fortunate. Already the madness of living in a mental prison and the killing that came with it was starting to eat at her. She would lose her head and they would terminate her like she'd terminated so many of her former colleagues. Till that day came though, she would forge on and do her duty as she'd done so for as long as she could remember.
She was a Peacekeeper - one of the select few that kept a semblance of law and order among the rebels of Zion. The elite members of the group were picked according to some unkown measuring stick. Once picked you had no choice but to accept. It was either acceptance or the loss of life as one knew it. With all its talk of democracy, the Zion government had one law and that age old law was survival of the fittest. They would do anything to survive...even sacrifice a few of those who they struggled to save.
In that turbulent unit, there was only one certainty. No matter who got in you only got out in a body bag. There was no quitting or retiring in the group. If you were fired on grounds of corruption or instability, you were executed. If you died on the field, you were soon forgotten.
Peacekeepers were actually former coppertops who'd been unplugged and trained before being plugged back into the Matrix. Their bodies were kept in a secure location and their unplugged state concealed by masking and stealth programs. To the Matrix and its Agents, they were just another coppertop. The unit had been established soon after the discovery of the One and the sensational betrayal of one of their own. The latter had been the reason for the group's establishment and the former the reason why the group existed in the first place.
With his new-found skill, the One was able to conceal them from the System and with them, he didn't have to worry as much about a repeat of Cypher's betrayal. He had enough on his mind without having to think about a knife from behind. Still, despite the percautions, the task of systematically terminating people ate at their executioners. Sooner or later, they broke down under the strain. If they didn't end up killing themselves, newly initiated members were ordered to take them out.
She was one of the three who still survived the original group of seven. The rest of the small group were newbies with only a few executions to their credit. She knew that soon the original group would be down to two and some unfortunate soul would be chosen to take her place. She didn't like the idea of being taken out by a newbie who probably had never killed anyone before. If she was going to leave the group, she'd do it on her terms. A bullet to the head would be clean and simple. It wouldn't leave a big mess to be cleaned up - except perhaps for the poor clerk who'd deal with the redtape. Well, he'd just have to deal with it. Any day now, she'd finally get the courage to pull the trigger she'd pulled on so many of her victims. Any day now...
~Ring...ring...~
Well, it would just have to wait. Just one more mission...
*Keep telling yourself that.* She thought bitterly.
She picked up the phone at the same time flipped open the top of the line laptop on her desk. A flat voice spoke from the other end.
"Shadow."
"Here."
"Code phrase."
"Those who flee before their shadows have reason to fear."
"Your new mission is to terminate Specter. Details will follow."
She returned the phone to its rack at the sound of the dialtone and waited patiently as green code filed down the screen of her laptop. Tapping in the code key, it unscrambled to reveal the file of her next target. There was little she didn't already know. The man was one of original group. But, he wouldn't be for long.
And then there would be two.
The woman removed her dark shades and set it aside on the concrete next to her. She was alone on the roof of the building across her target's. The man was seated at his table drinking a cup of coffee. He closed his eyes for a moment in weariness.
She chose that moment to pull the trigger.
His body remained still for a moment then slumped forward to rest upon the table. The cup crashed onto the floor, broken porcelain and hot dark liquid flying everywhere.
Then, she pulled out a small flat case. She flicked open the transparent cover and punched the button. The man's apartment went up in a fiery blast. She could hear his neighbor's screams from where she was. Hopefully, they would get away in time but no one would ever know of the man's manner of death. In the end, that was what mattered. No reason to make the already suspicious Agents discover the existence of the Peacekeepers.
The woman suddenly tensed but she was too late. She felt the cold hard butt of the gun on the back of her head. She hadn't even heard the other one come up behind her. Unexpectedly, she relaxed and a bitter smile appeared on her lips.
"I guess this is goodbye."
"Goodbye," a voice devoid of emotion answered.
The sharp retort of the gun went unheard at the sound of the approaching firetrucks.
The woman's last thought was one of mixed gratitude and pity. Her executioner had been the last of the original group.
And so there was one.
The woman's corpse was rifled for money as customary. Muggings were not uncommon in the city and this was suppose to appear as such. Then, the newcomer picked up the sniper rifle the woman had just used and placed it neatly back in its case after efficient disassembly. Picking up the case, the individual left the corpse without a backward glance.
The first thing she did was to throw the case into the river. It would be carried out to sea - not that anyone would think to search for it. The shrill ring of a cellphone caught her attention as she walked out from under the bridge. She answered it on the first ring.
"Wraith."
"Here."
"Code phrase."
"Death comes to the deserving and the undeserving alike."
"You are to meet the Director in an hour. Central Park."
The line went dead and the Peacekeeper known as Wraith closed the 'end call' button of her cellphone. Pushing her dark shades up with a finger, she walked up the steep bank and slipped unobserved into the rushing crowd on the sidewalk.
Rushing...always rushing...always in a hurry...
With some odd semblance to the nature we destroyed...
She breathed in the air that was not air but code. It was amazing how the Matrix could produce so realistically what man used to know and believe in. If a man could not believe in what he saw as reality, what could he believe in? Then again, what was reality? Could it not merely be a state of mind?
A wry smile crossed her lips. She loved asking herself such questions. It gave her something to think about other than the death card she dealt others. Checking her watch, she got on a bus to deliberately miss her usual stop. Then, she got off just a block away from the park and walked the rest of the way.
Upon reaching the center, she went off the path and into the woods. She soon found herself in a clearing. A man stood there alone. But, not really. She smiled humorlessly. Hidden among the trees were operatives ready to shoot her if she turned hostile. Her smile grew at Zion's trust in her. She stopped a few paces away and addressed the man.
"Director."
"Wraith."
"Why am I here?"
"To be promoted."
"How nice. To what?"
"A position on the Neb."
"THE Neb? As in the Real World?"
"Do you know of any here?"
The woman's smile thinned at the man's weak attempt at humor.
"What will I do there? I have no combat or tech experience. I was trained for stealth and execution."
"Yes...safegaurding Zion and the One from our own. Your purpose will not change. You will merely be closer to the One. There have been attempts on his life."
"The Peacekeepers have never failed him," she protested, obviously insulted.
"I did not mean to insinuate that. The assassins come from Zion itself."
"The government?" Her dark blue eyes narrowed dangerously.
"No. The people."
She released the breath she'd been holding in. If anything she disliked government conspiracies...especially if she was a pawn in them.
"A sect of rebels to be precise," the man continued. His smile widened. "Rebels within rebels. Ironic, isn't it?"
She returned the smile humorlessly.
"So, I'll serve as his personal bodygaurd?"
"In a matter of speaking, yes. But, no one onboard must know of it. Not Morpheus...not Neo himself. We don't know who's involved and who's not. The wrong words to the wrong ear and we could wind up with a dead One. Trust no one."
Her lips thinned in disapproval. She hated the idea of secrecy, but she was only a soldier. Her duty was to follow orders not to question them.
"If so, how will you excuse my presence considering my capabilities?"
"To Morpheus, Intelligence. The crew, med officer."
Inside, her disapproval grew. She was not ignorant of the fact that everyone hated Intelligence. A warm welcome was not to be expected of Morpheus. That at least was certain.
"Med officer?" She quipped with a raised eyebrow. "I kill people not heal them."
*Now THAT's ironic.* She thought grimly to herself.
"You'll be supplied with the information you need before unplugging."
"When will I be unplugged?"
"Tomorrow. Noon. This address."
The man slipped her a piece of paper. She scanned it with disintersted eyes and tucked it into her coat pocket. Even before she'd reached the edge of the clearing, she knew he was already gone. But, she didn't bother looking back.
She looked warily at the odd-looking chair with distrustful eyes. It was a far cry from the chair she'd used for her original unplugging years back.
The pale man with thick glasses just waited patiently for her to take a seat in it. She finally did so with great reluctance and kept silent as he bound her with the safety straps. Considering that her pod location was already known, she didn't need to take the locator pills given to the uninitiated. Yet, the man couldn't conceal his anxiety very well and she knew that he was just as worried about a procedure never carried out before. That did nothing to reassure her.
She shuddered at the familiar rush as he first downloaded med files into her. From there, she went straight to the unplugging process. A feeling of nausea rose in her throat then with a jolt she found herself in a pod of clear gelatinous fluid. Using her strict discipline, she forced down both the nausea and claustrophobia. Then, she slowly sat up to remove the single plug on the back of her head with trembling hands. She shut out the pain as it coursed through her and dropped the plug. A young woman appeared at her side to help her out and handed her a towel that she gratefully took to cover her naked body. Routinely studying the other, she immediately decided that not only was the woman Zion-born but Intelligence as well. Just as she had come to this conclusion, her eyesight faltered from long disuse then the rest of her collapsed.
When she awoke again, she was in a small room surrounded by med machines and life support systems. Struggling to sit up, she was pushed down by firm but gentle hands. She furiously shrugged them off and persisted. The doctor finally gave up and let her be. Behind him stood the Director. A nod from the man and the doctor left.
"Up and about already, I see. You recovered more quickly than expected. A week ahead of schedule I've been told."
"I was always the impatient type," she remarked wryly.
"Perhaps...or maybe it's because nobody's been unplugged twice. You've already used your body for a time in this world. And after all, you were only back in the Matrix for five years."
"Five years was enough for some of the others." Her eyes darkened.
"Ah yes...the other six... We never thought it would be that way."
She shrugged carelessly as if unconcerned but both knew better.
"So, what now?" She asked.
"You've been given two days of leave. Not enough I know, but we cannot leave the One unprotected for long. In this place, he is as human...and mortal...as any of us."
"I understand."
"So, have fun, Wraith."
She just smiled humorlessly. The smile left her lips as soon as he did. Only then did she let herself lay back down on the narrow cot. She closed her eyes to wish for shed tears. She had refused to weep within the Matrix knowing that they were false and futile. But here, she wanted to do so as proof that something inside her was still human. Still, none fell and only sleep came to soothe her with its oblivion.
She slipped as easily through the crowd as she would in a Matrix one. To the others, she was just another face in a sea of those Zion-born and not. Thanks to reconditioning, her body was back to the state it was in the Matrix. That was for the benefit of those on board the Neb. They had to believe that she was an experienced med officer and not someone who'd just been recently unplugged. To ensure no slip-ups, Intelligence had uploaded recent events Zion-wise into her aside from the med upload. There was another reason for the reconditioning and that was because of her job. She could not protect the One if she was physically incapable. Her mind would not be enough in the Real World.
Ducking into a club, she headed straight for the bar and asked for a drink. The bartender handed her a worn but clean glass and poured a dark amber fluid in it. She gulped it down without question. She relished the burning sensation as it went down her throat. It was good to know that the feeling was real.
"Buy you one?"
She blinked and turned to face the owner of the voice. It was a young man about her age with a rakish appearance and a cocky aura.
"No thank you. I can buy my own."
The man raised his eyebrows as the bartender smirked.
"Play hard to get, will you?"
"I'm not playing at all."
"OK. Win some, lose some," the man shrugged. "Name's Crasher."
She stared warily at his offered hand then finally accepted it.
He sure gave up fast. But, at least, he didn't push it. She thought.
"Wraith."
"Nice to meet you."
She just nodded and waved towards her empty glass so that the bartender could refill it.
"So," he asked. "What ship do you belong to?"
"The Neb."
"As in THE Neb?"
"Is there any other?"
"Well, I'm on that ship too. How come I don't know about you? Stowaway?" He teased.
"I'm the med officer."
"Oh...I did hear that we were getting a new one."
"What happened to the old one?"
"You don't know?"
She shook her head.
"He was killed in the Matrix. An Agent."
"I see," she said tonelessly.
The man looked at her strangely, more than a little surprised at her non-reaction.
"Well, the guy was a bastard to the core. Hell of a doctor but still a bastard."
"I see," she repeated in the same manner.
"Are you always like this?"
She stiffened.
"What do you mean 'like this'?"
"Cold...indifferent."
She flashed him another twisted smile.
"It comes with the job."
"Seeing people die?"
"You could say that."
A beeping sound stopped the guy before he could speak again. Flashing her an apologetic grin, he took out a small beeper and checked it. He grimaced.
"Looks like they're calling us on board early. Supplies took a shorter time to load than expected."
He picked up his worn pack and headed for the door.
"Isn't that a good thing?" She asked as she followed.
He looked back at her with another strange look.
"Yeah...but that means shorter leave time and we get little of that as it is."
"Ah..."
"You're a strange one, you know that?"
*You don't know the half of it.*
"This is Wraith, our new med officer," Morpheus said as he introduced her to the crew.
A few smiled or nodded affably at her, while the rest just stared. Morpheus was poker-faced so she couldn't really tell how he felt about her. Still, she was sure he wasn't exactly feeling nice happy thoughts about an 'Intelligence' agent among his crew.
"Wraith, this is Neo..."
An average-looking guy with dark hair smiled shyly at her.
"Trinity, my EX-O..."
The serious woman next to Neo nodded silently. She nodded back.
"Tank, operator..."
The dark-skinned Zion-born gave her a mock salute with a warm grin.
"Vector, mechanic..."
Another Zion-born, an opposite of the first with albino features, simply nodded.
"Mastermind, tactics..."
A solemn auburn-haired woman with dark blue eyes also nodded.
"Prodigy, programs..."
A dark-haired teenager with grey eyes flashed her a weak smile.
"Puck, ship munitions..."
The Zion teenager next to the first had a shock of fiery red hair to match his bright smile.
"Astrid..."
A stunning dark-haired woman smiled coldly at her before whispering to Vector.
"And Crasher."
She managed a slight smile in response to the big one he gave her.
"You know each other?" Morpheus asked.
*Already suspicious, Captain? And we've just been introduced...*
"Yes. We met at a bar earlier."
"I see. ...Well, Trinity will show you around. Welcome to the Neb. I hope you'll fit right in."
*Yeah right...lie through your teeth, won't you. That's one on my personal hostile list...*
"Stay away from Crasher. He's mine," Astrid murmured softly as she passed Wraith.
An artificial smile and the woman disappeared into a corridor.
*And that's two...*
"Follow me please," Trinity interrupted her dark thoughts.
Wraith smiled politely and followed the woman. Life on the Neb was looking more and more interesting...and more and more like her life in the Matrix. Except this time, you couldn't shoot the hostiles.
A soft sigh broke the silence. Arms stretched upwards to the low ceiling and then eased down to rest on the metal counter. Closing the overhanging cabinet of medical supplies, Wraith turned her back on it and jumped up onto the counter. Long legs swung carelessly over the floor as she rested her head on the cabinet and looked at her companion.
"Thanks for your help."
"'Twas nothing."
"Still, thank you."
"Why do I get the feeling that those words have to be forced out of your mouth? You don't say them much, do you?"
"Not much. No."
"So, how 'bout some slop? You need all the nutrition you can get around here. Believe me."
"I believe you."
"Then, come on."
"I'll just finish up here. Go ahead."
"You sure? I can wait if you want."
"No. I'll just join you, Crasher."
"S'ok. See ya."
With her back to him, the sound of a door opening and closing was the only sign of the man's departure. She tensed imperceptibly as she sensed rather than heard someone enter soon after.
"Hey there."
"Hello, Puck."
She relaxed and turned to face the teenager. Hopping onto the examination table, he returned it with his own beaming grin. With gentle probing fingers, she examined his deeply cut hand. In seconds, the wound was cleaned and bandaged.
"All done."
"Thanks."
Looking up to meet sparkling emerald eyes, she couldn't resist ruffling the other's flaming locks with a small smile. The young boy tilted his head to one side at the unexpected move and scrutinized her. Her face remained relaxed yet gaurded under his intense gaze. Then, he finally turned away with a shake of his head.
"You lost someone, didn't you?"
"I think we all have. Some more than others."
"Yes. But, you lost someone close to you."
"Haven't you?"
Verdant eyes darkened.
"Yes." A whispered reply.
"I lost a son."
"And I, a mother."
He started to speak, hesitated then looked away. Lifting his chin, she forced him to face her.
"What is it?"
"Could you be my mother?"
She blinked in surprise then slowly nodded before she realized what she'd done. When he abruptly leaned forward to embrace her, she almost stepped back in surprise. But, she managed to catch herself and return the embrace as she remembered another boy with laughing blue eyes and his father's roguish smile.
As the days passed, Wraith settled into the routine of the Neb. When Astrid saw that the other woman had no interest in Crasher, she'd shifted interest from snobbing the former to catching the latter. It was evident that they'd played the game before with Crasher taking great pleasure in leading the woman on.
And as for Morpheus... Although he seemed to accept her presence, she knew that he still kept a close eye on her and everything that she did. It wasn't exactly a conducive work environment, but she'd undergone worse while in Peacekeeper training.
Besides now, she had Puck. She never fooled herself into thinking of him as her son's replacement. Her son was dead and that was the long and short of it. Although she was comfortable with acting as this boy's surrogate mother, she doubted that she could ever care for him more than her own son. Still, it was nice to have someone that cared when she went into one of her introvertive moods.
When days turned into weeks and weeks into months, she began to wonder if there was really someone after Neo or if Zion was simply being paranoid. Although life on the Neb was a refreshing change, the inactivity was starting to irk her. She couldn't even go on the field because the Director hadn't cleared her for that.
They say before what you wish for - you just might get it. And she did.
It seemed perfectly accidental. Neo had volunteered to fine tune the Sentinel defense system with Puck because the expert - Vector - was speaking to Morpheus. Although ordinarily they could have managed with the delay, there were rumors of increased Sentinel attacks and Morpheus didn't want to take any chances. That had actually been the reason for his talk with Vector. He'd wanted to know if an electromagnetic shield could be developed around the ship for when they weren't broadcasting.
As the two were going over the systems program, everything seemed in top condition. Then, without warning, the control panel suddenly exploded and threw both people across the room while flames went out of control. On board a ship, fire was one of the greatest fears. Everyone rushed in to put it out even as Wraith carried Puck into the clinic with Tank and Trinity supporting Neo behind them. A brief look-over proved the boy to be stunned but fine, so Wraith quickly turned her attention to the One.
Examining the man's open head wound, she shouted out instructions as Trinity rushed to obey her. In the back of her mind, Wraith marveled at the other's coolness. Refusing to break down under pressure, the younger woman helped her to sterilize and stitch up the wound. After doing some internal scans, she was relieved to find no internal injuries and declared Neo's condition to be stable. At that, Trinity's tense frame relaxed.
"Can I..."
"Of course."
Drawing the curtain partition close, she left Trinity to watch over the unconscious Neo. Morpheus rose when he saw her, summoned by Tank at the start of surgery.
"Is he..."
"He's alright."
"But, he might not have been."
She nodded, then cautiously looked about. When she saw they were alone, she leaned in on him.
"What were the others like?"
"Others?" He stiffly asked.
"The attacks. On him."
He pursed his lips and looked away at her question. Leaning in closer, she gripped his arm.
"Were they like this?"
"No."
"Then, how?"
"Poison."
"Poison..." She repeated under her breath. Then, it clicked.
*Poison... The former med officer... Shadow's last hit...*
"Of course..." She murmured. "Then, it's someone else now."
"What are you talking about?"
"Nothing."
The man scowled at her. Fists clenched, he turned and left.
*So, it was a bomb.* She mused. *Now, where would it have been planted? Somewhere about the control panel...that's what Puck said went off first. I have to check it.*
Slipping out of the clinic, she went into the charred defense room unnoticed. After securing the door behind her, she sifted to the burnt remains of the panel. Metal twisted out of shape by heat creaked and bent under her fingers as she cautiously felt about for whatever might have been left by the bomb.
Suddenly, she froze as her fingers met empty space. Deft appendages grazed the rough sides to confirm her suspiciouns. Something had been thrown out after the explosion. Someone had removed whatever evidence had been left. The bomber.
Once she knew who had the missing component, she'd know who was behind all this. Then, she'd deal with him.
The morning after the explosion, Morpheus kept everyone away with his cold demeanor. Aside from Neo's continued condition, the defense system was unsalvageable and they'd have to go to Zion for repairs. Problem was they were a long way off from the city and Sentinel attacks were still rampant. The EMP was the only defense they still have, that unit being located on the bridge.
During the midday meal, Tank walked in and tapped Wraith on the shoulder as he sat down.
"What?"
"Morpheus wants to talk to you."
"Where?"
"Bridge."
Briskly cleaning her empty dish, she set it to dry on the counter and walked towards the bridge.
"Captain?"
He coldly gestured for her to come closer and tapped something into the panel's message system. At that, the image of her Intelligence liason flashed onto the screen.
"Wraith. A word with you. Alone."
Morpheus curtly nodded at the other's pointed look and left. At his departure, the liason was replaced by the Director. Her superior looked anything but pleased.
"How bad is it?"
"He's fine. Just a head wound."
"Just a head wound? We're talking about THE One here, Wraith!"
"What do you want me to do? Check every item and person he comes into contact with? That's not possible under these circumstances. Not with me working under cover."
"Well, make it possible. High Command is in chaos over this incident. Find whoever's behind this and deal with him. I want this resolved at once. Do your job, damnit!"
"Yes, sir."
"Good."
The image flickered and the familiar green code appeared again on the screen. Wraith continued to stare at the screen as ideas went through her head.
*Who could it be?*
"Wraith!"
"What?" She snapped.
Whirling around, her face softened at the sight of a breathless Puck leaning against the bridge's entry.
"Vector...Vector...he's dead..."
Immediately driven to action, she rushed past the boy to head for the man's quarters. A small crowd had already gathered outside the room. Roughly pushing them aside, she went forward and stopped at the doorway. Morpheus leaned over the body of the mechanic. Light colored eyes stared blankly upward as a slit wrist hung over the side of the blood-soaked bed. The other wrist held a similar cut pattern as it lay against the man's chest.
"Everyone return to your posts," Morpheus flatly ordered. "Wraith, come in and shut the door behind you."
Having done so, she joined him by the bed and bent over the corpse to put two fingers against the cold neck.
"He's dead."
"I just want to be sure. ...How was he found?"
"He was off-duty and said he'd have a nap. Then, Prodigy went to see him about adding some systems for his latest program. The boy found him like this and freaked out. Mastermind found him and managed to calm him down enough to find out what happened. She called me...and this."
"Where was everyone?"
Morpheus' eyes narrowed at her question.
"Are you suggesting..."
"Just being sure."
"All my people are loyal to me and each other."
"What of Cypher?"
The man glared angrily at her.
"After I left you, I went to see Neo. Trinity was with him. I passed Puck on the way to the mess room. There, I found Tank, Astrid, and Crasher. Mastermind was on duty. According to her, Prodigy was going over his program before he left to talk to Vector."
"Did Vector have any reason to kill himself?"
"Not that I know of."
"Then, someone must have slit his wrists while he slept. A week ago, he came to me and said that he had trouble sleeping. I gave him some pills."
She picked up a nearby bottle and shook it.
"Empty. ...He wouldn't have felt a thing."
"But, he could also have done it to himself."
"Yes. I'll have to look into this."
As if to dismiss him, she turned her back on Morpheus and began to sift through the deceased's belongings. After a while, the man left and she seriously begun her search. When she found an irregularly-shaped melted lump, she stifled a gasp. Turning it in her hand, her fingers touched the rough edges.
*As the mechanic, he would have access to everything at the systems panel. After the explosion, he could have easily removed this under cover of checking the burnt unit. And when it failed to kill Neo... He killed himself? It doesn't make sense. Why didn't he destroy the remnants of the bomb afterward? Why didn't he just try again?*
Tucking the bomb remnants into a pocket, she hastily rearranged the things as they were. As she did, she noticed a tape recorder with its tape half finished. After a moment's thought, she hurriedly tucked it in along with the bomb remnants then turned to the corpse. Arranging it at the center of the soaked sheets, she tightly wrapped it and then rewrapped it with a fresh sheet. When she was done, she opened the door to find Crasher passing outside.
"Crasher."
"Yes, Doc?"
"Can you help me with this?"
The man paled slightly then nodded. Stepping into the room, he took one end of the corpse as she took the other. Together, they placed it in the ship's cold storage unit so that the body would be preserved and could be buried later on in Zion. That done, they parted as she took her shift.
Alone with the screens that displayed the scrolling Matrix code, she examined the tape recorder as well as the tape itself. For an antique item, it was remarkably well-preserved and its former owner had obviously taken great care of it. But, she had to smile wryly as she saw how the original magnetic tape had been replaced with a modern form so that it could record more on less space. Returning the tape inside, she snapped it shut and then jabbed at the button marked play.
"I don't care if the thing's wrong. So what if I pull something nasty on Neo. It's all good. I win antisocial of the year, but that doesn't make me stupid. I'll kill the kid. Long live the New Revolution."
She frowned as she listened to the scratchy voice on tape. It sounded off to her. The speech pattern and use of words were nothing like the soft-spoken Vector. Suspicious, she recorded the voice onto the ship's system and started the voice analysis unit that the ship mechanic had finished before his death.
~Voice Analysis Completed.~
~Identification of voice?~ She typed in.
~Voice Database Incomplete.~
~List of voices on database?~
~Morpheus, Ship Captain. Trinity, Executive Officer. Neo, The One. Tank, Operator. Vector, Ship Mechanic.~
*Much help that is.* She thought bitterly. *...But, wait. If that wasn't Vector's voice... Someone must have manipulated if not taped over his last recording.*
~Any abnormalities in recording?~
~Affirmative.~
~What type of abnormality?~
~Recording Manipulation.~
~Original recording retrievable?~
~Affirmative.~
~Please play.~
There was a slight pause then the dead man's voice sounded softly from the speakers.
"There's something wrong here. I just know that someone's trying to take out Neo. That isn't good. I might win antisocial of the year, but I'm not stupid. I know we need the kid. Long live Zion and the Revolution."
*Oh f*ck. Back to square one...and the killer's still loose on board. He killed someone who got in his way and I bet he'll do it again.*
Replacing the tape in her pocket, she spent the rest of her shift trying to think up a plan to catch the killer before he went too far. By the time the next person came to replace her, she barely managed a tight smile.
Alone with the screens, the person idly tapped at the keyboard then muffled a curse as the wrong code was punched in. When a recent file was accidently called up, the person suddenly froze. After a brief moment, fingers flew to type in a new command.
~Replay.~
"There's something wrong here. I just know that someone's trying to take out Neo. That isn't good. I might win antisocial of the year, but I'm not stupid. I know we need the kid. Long live Zion and the Revolution."
"F*ck."
~Person to access program?~
~Information Unavailable.~
~Time of access?~
~Within 10-Hour Span.~
~Narrow down?~
~Impossible.~
"Mastermind and Wraith... Well, you both have had the unfortunate occurence of having the shift before me." A humorless smile crossed the person's lips. "Now, who could it be? Who could have figured out that there was more to the tape? They'll have to be dealt with. But, another death so soon after the first would arouse the other's suspicions. I can only afford one more 'accident'. So, I have to find out who knows...who knows..."
When the shift was done, the person gave the other crew member a false smile and went down the hall. Pausing at the first room, the silent figure entered at the lack of sound to find an empty room. A quick search bore no fruit, so it moved on. At the next room, it listened to the soft breathing behind the door. Dodging in, it shut the door noiselessly and covered its penlight's illumination with a cupped hand. With silent speed and efficiency, it searched the room, carefully not to disturb the sleeper. Taking a metal case, it shifted the worn playing cards within and probed the bottom to be rewarded by a soft click. It tilted the case to one side and removed the tape recorder concealed in the hidden compartment.
After placing the item in an inner pocket, it bent over the sleeping woman to brush her hair with a gentle hand. A twisted smile distorted its face.
"Soon, pretty one...soon..."
Wraith looked distractedly into her slop as her spoon went round and round about in the bowl. Only Trinity was there to keep her company, while Morpheus watched over the recovering Neo. But, the dark-haired woman was lost in her own thoughts, so both sat in companionable silence as they played with their food.
The only disturbance had been when Tank had walked in earlier to call the tardy Puck for his shift. The Zion-born could only roll his eyes at the other's rueful grin before disappearing back down the hall to take a nap. Then, just as Trinity was leaving, a scream shattered the silence. At the sound, both women exchanged quick looks before rushing out to see what had happened. While Trinity headed straight for the clinic, Wraith forged on to the origin of the sound. Walking into the shower room, she was met with thick steam and a bolting Prodigy. She quickly grabbed hold of the babbling boy and shook him firmly.
"What's wrong?"
"Ma-mastermind...sh-she's de-dead..." He stuttered, wide-eyed.
"Stay here."
With that sharp command, she left the boy and went deeper into the room. She fell on her face just as she caught a brief glimpse of the shower heads and handles that lined the tiled wall. As she pushed herself up, she caught sight of what she'd fallen over. Stifling the urge to gag, she pushed herself away from the pool of blood that surrounded the cracked head of the former tactical adviser. She leaned against the nearby wall and forced herself to look away from the staring orbs so much like her own. She'd seen death in many forms but always with intent behind it. This was different. ...Right? Getting to her feet, she headed for the exit to meet Morpheus and Prodigy.
"Is she really..."
She nodded at the man's question.
"She must have slipped and cracked her head," she forced herself to calmly explain.
Then, she turned to Prodigy.
"What were you doing here?"
"I wa-was go-going to ta-take a sha-shower to-too."
"You didn't know she was there?"
The boy shook his head shakily.
"Nn-no. Sh-she ha-had the shi-shift af-after Pu-puck."
"So, she must have fallen much earlier," Morpheus said. "She's due to replace Puck in a few minutes. Ordinarily, she would have eaten first."
Wraith nodded in agreement then turned back to the boy.
"Do you want to take something? You must have had quite a shock."
Prodigy could only nod.
"I'll have Astrid and Crasher take care of the body," Morpheus volunteered. "You check on Neo. He was conscious when I left him."
With a parting nod, she placed an arm about the boy and led him to the clinic. After he'd lain down on the other bed, she turned away to puncture a vial of sedative with a syringe and drew some of the clear liquid into it.
"How're you feeling now?"
"I-it's a-all go-good."
She stiffened slightly at the familiar words. But, as if nothing was wrong, she continued to pull at the syringe until it contained a full dosage instead of the intended half.
"Well, this will make you feel better," she said with a false gentle smile.
A quick jab on the arm and she covered the spot with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol. After discarding the used syringe and empty vial, she closed the curtain partition and walked over to where Neo was. She gave a low cough and the curtain was drawn open while Trinity stepped aside for her. Nodding vaguely at the other, she bent over to examine her patient.
"How're you feeling?"
"Like a truck ran over me."
"Hm. Well, in that case, I'd better keep you here longer."
"Please, no!" The man begged. "I'll go nuts if I stay here any longer!"
*And you'll probably wind up dead if you don't do so.*
"That might be so. But, I think it would be better if you stayed under observation for a few more days."
"Trinity?"
"I think she's right, Neo."
The man sighed dramatically and threw up his hands in defeat at the women's united front.
"Fine. But, only for a few more days. Any longer and I'm breaking out of here whether you women like it or not."
Trinity gave Wraith a wry smile.
"Don't worry. I'll make sure he stays here."
*Where it's safe. You know something's wrong...don't you, Trinity?*
"I'll hold you to that," Wraith said aloud.
"So, he's fine now?"
She turned to find Morpheus behind her and nodded in answer to his question.
"Good. ...Can I speak to you, Doctor?"
"Of course."
Drawing the partition close once more, Wraith led him to the privacy of the far side of the clinic.
"I have two dead bodies and two injured ones in the clinic. I don't like this. Ever since you came on board, there's been nothing but trouble. I want to know what's happening and I want to know now."
"I can't tell you anything."
"Damnit! I deserve to know! This is my ship!"
"I know that as does Zion - "
"At times, I doubt that," Morpheus retorted.
"But, you forget that Neo is also on board this ship. And THAT changes everything. He is going to save us and the only way he's going to do that is if he's alive. That's how he is now and that's how I intend on keeping him. I've already said more than I should have. Please, just let me do my job and don't do anything to further compromise my position on board this ship."
The man just stared at her for a long moment, then finally, he nodded.
"Fine. But, you better catch who's behind this."
"You don't think her death was an accident?"
"I found this in Mastermind's hand," the man said flatly.
Taking the article he held in his hand, she examined it.
"It's an amulet. It could belong to anyone."
Morpheus gave her a disbelieving stare.
"What kind of Intelligence agent are you - "
*Not a real one...and not even a well-informed bodyguard, it would seem.*
"It's engraved with the symbol of the New Revolution," he said angrily.
"I see."
"Now, if there's going to be another dead body in the storage unit, it better be corpse of the bastard behind this," Morpheus hissed.
With those last words, he stormed out of the clinic. Placing a hand to her aching forehead, she collapsed onto her chair and let out a shaky sigh.
*Prodigy. Prodigy's the one behind all this. ...Isn't he? I mean he's been the one to find both bodies, but that could just be by chance. He was with Neo at the explosion, but that could have been staged. I can't base everything on one phrase. I need proof. But, what do I have? The bomb remnants... Well, everyone on board knows how to make a bomb. The tape record - F*ck.*
Springing to her feet, she rushed to her room and hastily rummaged through her things.
*Shit. Where is it?* She abruptly halted her search as she remembered somthing. *Mastermind... "Could I borrow your playing cards?" ...Oh f*ck. The bastard found out that his planted 'evidence' had backfired and been discovered. So, he looked for it and found it... He found it in her room and...and he killed her for it.*
Staggering backwards, she fell onto her bed and clutched at its metal side until her knuckles went dead white. Thoughts of guilt and failure raced through her head like a wildfire in the brush. Only discipline finally calmed her.
*Focus. I have to focus. He's killed twice already and you can bet your life he'll kill again. He can't get to Neo now without going through Morpheus or Trinity. So, he'll have to wait for things to calm down...and I'll have to catch him before that. Now, who could it be? Someone with bomb skills... Everyone on board. Someone with brains and cunning... Pretty much everyone again. Yet, someone also cocky... He should have known better than to wear something like that. But, he must have been to allow Mastermind to tear it off. ...And he'll be looking for it. He'll be worried about where he'd lost it and who could have found it. Great. If he's afraid of being discovered, he won't hesitate to kill again to protect himself. Nothing worse than a tiger painted into a corner. But, damnit, who is he? And how sure am I that he's even a he?*
"That's dangerous."
"Something has to be done. Now."
"You could get yourself killed."
"Comes with the job."
"You're really going to do this?"
Wraith nodded grimly at Morpheus.
"Well, I hope you know what you're doing."
"Oh, I know, but this has to end now."
"Well, it's definitely gone on long enough."
"So, tonight then."
"Tonight."
As Wraith leisurely washed her bowl, she could hear the dull clink of metal spoon to metal bowl as the others ate behind her. Then, she suddenly spoke up in nonchalant tone.
"Have any of you lost a pendant?"
Turning to place her bowl to dry on the metal rack, she cast the others an idle sideways glance. In that moment, she caught a flash of excitement just before it disappeared and she completed her turn. But, she'd seen it. She smiled in grim triumph. Now, she knew. Quickly quelling the surge of lightheaded euphoria, she turned to face them again with the smile gone.
"Have you?"
Tank shook his head as he drew away from the slop machine with a full bowl. Astrid and Crasher momentarily looked up from their conversation to do the same while Puck shrugged, his smiling mouth full of slop.
"Well, if any of you need me, I'll be doing the clinic inventory."
With a parting pat on Puck's head, she left the mess hall for the clinic. After checking on Neo and Trinity, she closed the curtain again and headed for the other partitioned area.
There, she found Prodigy still fast asleep from the dosage she'd given him. Lightly touching his inner wrist, she felt the steady beat of his pulse before setting the arm down on the cot. After pulling the thin cover over him, she walked away and closed the curtain behind her. Stopping at the counter nearby, she took out a fresh syringe and set it there. Then, she reached into her pocket and brought the vial in her hand to the light. Squinting slightly, she read the label before placing it next to the syringe.
*Who knows? That might come in handy sometime soon.* She thought wryly to herself.
Continuing to the supply room, she took out a slim machine and its stylus and immediately started to make an inventory of supplies for when they docked at Zion. When the lights suddenly went off, she instinctively gasped in surprise and whirled around. A hand abruptly grabbed hold of her arm. She felt a sharp jab then everything went dark.
"That's the third 'accident' in a row, Morpheus. I don't like it," Tank uneasily said under his breath. "You know what they say. One is chance. Two is coincidence and three is conspiracy."
The two watched as Crasher set the third wrapped body into the cold storage unit. The pale-face Puck stood behind them before abruptly leaving, his emerald eyes flat and dead. Crasher quickly stepped out of the unit and the door shut firmly behind him with a thud as the latch caught. He left right after, muttering something about a distraught Astrid. The recently awakened Prodigy was also absent as he was once again confined in the clinic. When he'd woken up that morning, he'd looked for Wraith and tripped over her body in the darkness of the supply room. Now, he was heavily sedated under Trinity's watch as the woman stayed with Neo.
The dark figure watched with narrow eyes as the two men spoke before stepping away to go different directions. Dodging into an empty room, it barely escaped the scrutiny of Morpheus as he walked past. When the hall was empty again, it came back out and walked towards its own quarters. Locking the door behind itself, it sat at its desk as its hands flew over a complex component. Slender fingers gripped scissors as wires were snipped then let the sharp article go so they could fiddle with screws and plasticine. When its work was done, it let out a happy sigh and leaned back in its chair to stretch its weary limbs. Then, it abruptly froze as footsteps stopped at his door to be followed by voices in conversation.
"Have you seen Crasher?"
"No. He said something about Astrid though."
"I haven't seen her either."
"Have you checked their rooms?"
"Not yet. Someone needs to take Prodigy's shift."
"I could take it."
"You already have the next one."
"Oh, yeah. I forgot."
"I better check their rooms."
"I could look around too."
"Please do."
Footsteps were heard to walk away and the figure started to relax when a loud knocking started at his door. It jumped in its seat before tensing as the knocking ceased and the knob was tried. The person on the other side eventually gave up and walked away. Still jumpy, the figure touched the finished component with trembling fingers.
"Soon. Soon, it will all be over."
It slipped amongst the shadows as if it was one of them. Upon reaching the clinic, it set the component at the door just next to the electrical lines that crawled all about the ship. As fingers punched at the start button, the figure frowned at the lack of response.
"Missing this?"
The figure turned and froze at the sight of the newcomer. The other just gazed back with a thin humorless smile, tossing a knot of various wires and catching it as it fell.
"A faked death. Smart move. I always suspected there was more to you than was seen."
"Now you know for sure. The game is over and I have won."
"Was that all it was to you? Merely a game to be won?"
"No," the other whispered. "But, you gave me no choice."
The small space between them was covered by a jolt of ice blue electricity.
"There was everything to win...or lose. I chose to win."
"It's not over, you know." Croaked words came from crimson-tainted lips. "There will be others."
"And I will be waiting for them until I too am gone and another shall take my place."
"Politics is a vicious cycle."
"Or perhaps life is just cruel."
The tainted lips managed one last twisted smile. It remained frozen in place even after the light had left emerald eyes and a child's body had slumped against the wall behind. For a moment there was silence. Then, a choked sob broke the silence as a crude modern armament was released from numb fingers. Arms reached out to clasp close as body bent over the burnt corpse.
And memories came to mind of another boy. A boy destroyed just as deliberately and unwillingly. A boy controlled by a higher authority, a merciless system. ...A boy with laughing blue eyes.
Wraith watched wearily as dark-clad men carried out the frozen corpses and placed them onto the truck bed nearby. They were soon gone along with most of the whispering gossips. A few remained though to watch vulturelike the remnants of the Nebuchadnezzar's crew. These remnants soon drifted off themselves, leaving its core group to wait for the officials that would come. The dark-haired woman stood at the edge of their huddle. She did not belong with them. She doubted that she belonged anywhere. Soon, a neatly suited man came up and greeted them solemnly.
"Morpheus, we've read your report. All the deaths seem to be accidental. So, you're cleared to go after you've resupplied and you're men have had their leave." The man then turned to Neo. "...I hope you're feeling better."
The young man managed a weak grin.
"Then, that'll be all." The other nodded in satisfaction. "If you'll just sign these papers..."
The captain hastily scrawled his signature onto the sheets of paper as Neo, Trinity, and Tank wandered off. Wraith was well on her way in the opposite direction when a light hand clasped her arm. Staying just a step behind her, the person kept his hand on her arm as he spoke under his breath so only she could hear him.
"The good doctor was on board the same time as the other. You know what that means. There was more than one. And there can be more than two. It isn't over. They'll try again and again and again until the One is dead or there is none of them left. Their words are nothing but false promises with him alive."
"So, when will it end?"
But, the voice was silent.
Dedicated to Jen...and our muses. *smirk*
When Will It End
The dark figure flicked off the ash of the cigarette. Its burning end was like a fiery hole in the alley's enveloping darkness. After a last lingering drag and the breathy exhale of thick smoke, the long slender fingers that held the cigarette let go and crushed it underfoot.
As approaching footsteps sounded loudly on slick wet cement, the figure drew deeper into the shadows. A young man dressed in dark leather soon came into view, out of breath and clearly frightened. He leaned against the brick wall to steady himself and looked over his shoulder to find no one. He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath.
The figure chose that moment to pull out a gun with a silencer fitted snugly at its business end. It fired once, then twice for good measure. The man slumped limply against the wall as grey eyes flickered open on his startled face. Pale lips tinged crimson, he crumpled onto the cement in a careless heap.
At that, the shooter slowly approached his prone body and kicked his leg to make sure he was past saving. Squatting down, it reached for his jacket with a gloved hand to pull out a wallet. After taking the bills inside, it straightened and threw the wallet into a nearby trash can. Pulling down a fire escape ladder, it nimbly climbed then pulled up the ladder when it got to the top.
When the sound of rushing footsteps were heard once more, the figure stiffened and turned to look down. The man in a dark starched suit stood starkly out of place in the filthy alley. He immediately noticed the dead body and bent down to check for a pulse. Finding none, he got up and coolly surveyed the area. Then, his head abruptly looked up at the spot where the figure stood. He stood like that for a long moment before finally turning on his heel and leaving.
After he'd disappeared into the broad daylight of the alley's far end, the figure followed suit but only to retreat in the opposite direction and deeper into darkness it thrived in.
It walked silently on rotting wooden floor planks, making no sound to add to the scurrying of rats and coakroaches. Then, it gently pushed open a door and went down a treacherous winding staircase. Skipping the split last step, it exited through a broken window and out into another alley. It ignored the passed-out bum that slept against a garbage can and unlocked a door to the opposite building.
Once in the safety of her room, the young woman sighed softly and eased out of her worn leather overcoat. She carelessly threw it across the room to catch onto the backrest of chair then removed her black leather gloves. Wearily slipping out of her dark utilitarian clothes, she stepped into the shower. Under the high-pressurized steaming water, she scrubbed herself clean until her skin was raw. She turned the water off when she was done and wrapped a woolen towel around her short, waif-thin figure.
Walking back into the main room, she ignored the mirror's cracked reflection of her pale face. Sometimes it was so easy to remain oblivious to everything. With a mind focused on containing pent-up fury and despair, she easily disregarded the scars on her wrists and the fresh one on the back of her hand. That scar and the broken mirror were the only reminders of that morning's rage.
She'd lost control again.
She'd been losing her formerly unshakeable composure for some time now. Fortunately, she'd managed to keep it whenever she was on a mission. But, one day she would not be so fortunate. Already the madness of living in a mental prison and the killing that came with it was starting to eat at her. She would lose her head and they would terminate her like she'd terminated so many of her former colleagues. Till that day came though, she would forge on and do her duty as she'd done so for as long as she could remember.
She was a Peacekeeper - one of the select few that kept a semblance of law and order among the rebels of Zion. The elite members of the group were picked according to some unkown measuring stick. Once picked you had no choice but to accept. It was either acceptance or the loss of life as one knew it. With all its talk of democracy, the Zion government had one law and that age old law was survival of the fittest. They would do anything to survive...even sacrifice a few of those who they struggled to save.
In that turbulent unit, there was only one certainty. No matter who got in you only got out in a body bag. There was no quitting or retiring in the group. If you were fired on grounds of corruption or instability, you were executed. If you died on the field, you were soon forgotten.
Peacekeepers were actually former coppertops who'd been unplugged and trained before being plugged back into the Matrix. Their bodies were kept in a secure location and their unplugged state concealed by masking and stealth programs. To the Matrix and its Agents, they were just another coppertop. The unit had been established soon after the discovery of the One and the sensational betrayal of one of their own. The latter had been the reason for the group's establishment and the former the reason why the group existed in the first place.
With his new-found skill, the One was able to conceal them from the System and with them, he didn't have to worry as much about a repeat of Cypher's betrayal. He had enough on his mind without having to think about a knife from behind. Still, despite the percautions, the task of systematically terminating people ate at their executioners. Sooner or later, they broke down under the strain. If they didn't end up killing themselves, newly initiated members were ordered to take them out.
She was one of the three who still survived the original group of seven. The rest of the small group were newbies with only a few executions to their credit. She knew that soon the original group would be down to two and some unfortunate soul would be chosen to take her place. She didn't like the idea of being taken out by a newbie who probably had never killed anyone before. If she was going to leave the group, she'd do it on her terms. A bullet to the head would be clean and simple. It wouldn't leave a big mess to be cleaned up - except perhaps for the poor clerk who'd deal with the redtape. Well, he'd just have to deal with it. Any day now, she'd finally get the courage to pull the trigger she'd pulled on so many of her victims. Any day now...
~Ring...ring...~
Well, it would just have to wait. Just one more mission...
*Keep telling yourself that.* She thought bitterly.
She picked up the phone at the same time flipped open the top of the line laptop on her desk. A flat voice spoke from the other end.
"Shadow."
"Here."
"Code phrase."
"Those who flee before their shadows have reason to fear."
"Your new mission is to terminate Specter. Details will follow."
She returned the phone to its rack at the sound of the dialtone and waited patiently as green code filed down the screen of her laptop. Tapping in the code key, it unscrambled to reveal the file of her next target. There was little she didn't already know. The man was one of original group. But, he wouldn't be for long.
And then there would be two.
The woman removed her dark shades and set it aside on the concrete next to her. She was alone on the roof of the building across her target's. The man was seated at his table drinking a cup of coffee. He closed his eyes for a moment in weariness.
She chose that moment to pull the trigger.
His body remained still for a moment then slumped forward to rest upon the table. The cup crashed onto the floor, broken porcelain and hot dark liquid flying everywhere.
Then, she pulled out a small flat case. She flicked open the transparent cover and punched the button. The man's apartment went up in a fiery blast. She could hear his neighbor's screams from where she was. Hopefully, they would get away in time but no one would ever know of the man's manner of death. In the end, that was what mattered. No reason to make the already suspicious Agents discover the existence of the Peacekeepers.
The woman suddenly tensed but she was too late. She felt the cold hard butt of the gun on the back of her head. She hadn't even heard the other one come up behind her. Unexpectedly, she relaxed and a bitter smile appeared on her lips.
"I guess this is goodbye."
"Goodbye," a voice devoid of emotion answered.
The sharp retort of the gun went unheard at the sound of the approaching firetrucks.
The woman's last thought was one of mixed gratitude and pity. Her executioner had been the last of the original group.
And so there was one.
The woman's corpse was rifled for money as customary. Muggings were not uncommon in the city and this was suppose to appear as such. Then, the newcomer picked up the sniper rifle the woman had just used and placed it neatly back in its case after efficient disassembly. Picking up the case, the individual left the corpse without a backward glance.
The first thing she did was to throw the case into the river. It would be carried out to sea - not that anyone would think to search for it. The shrill ring of a cellphone caught her attention as she walked out from under the bridge. She answered it on the first ring.
"Wraith."
"Here."
"Code phrase."
"Death comes to the deserving and the undeserving alike."
"You are to meet the Director in an hour. Central Park."
The line went dead and the Peacekeeper known as Wraith closed the 'end call' button of her cellphone. Pushing her dark shades up with a finger, she walked up the steep bank and slipped unobserved into the rushing crowd on the sidewalk.
Rushing...always rushing...always in a hurry...
With some odd semblance to the nature we destroyed...
She breathed in the air that was not air but code. It was amazing how the Matrix could produce so realistically what man used to know and believe in. If a man could not believe in what he saw as reality, what could he believe in? Then again, what was reality? Could it not merely be a state of mind?
A wry smile crossed her lips. She loved asking herself such questions. It gave her something to think about other than the death card she dealt others. Checking her watch, she got on a bus to deliberately miss her usual stop. Then, she got off just a block away from the park and walked the rest of the way.
Upon reaching the center, she went off the path and into the woods. She soon found herself in a clearing. A man stood there alone. But, not really. She smiled humorlessly. Hidden among the trees were operatives ready to shoot her if she turned hostile. Her smile grew at Zion's trust in her. She stopped a few paces away and addressed the man.
"Director."
"Wraith."
"Why am I here?"
"To be promoted."
"How nice. To what?"
"A position on the Neb."
"THE Neb? As in the Real World?"
"Do you know of any here?"
The woman's smile thinned at the man's weak attempt at humor.
"What will I do there? I have no combat or tech experience. I was trained for stealth and execution."
"Yes...safegaurding Zion and the One from our own. Your purpose will not change. You will merely be closer to the One. There have been attempts on his life."
"The Peacekeepers have never failed him," she protested, obviously insulted.
"I did not mean to insinuate that. The assassins come from Zion itself."
"The government?" Her dark blue eyes narrowed dangerously.
"No. The people."
She released the breath she'd been holding in. If anything she disliked government conspiracies...especially if she was a pawn in them.
"A sect of rebels to be precise," the man continued. His smile widened. "Rebels within rebels. Ironic, isn't it?"
She returned the smile humorlessly.
"So, I'll serve as his personal bodygaurd?"
"In a matter of speaking, yes. But, no one onboard must know of it. Not Morpheus...not Neo himself. We don't know who's involved and who's not. The wrong words to the wrong ear and we could wind up with a dead One. Trust no one."
Her lips thinned in disapproval. She hated the idea of secrecy, but she was only a soldier. Her duty was to follow orders not to question them.
"If so, how will you excuse my presence considering my capabilities?"
"To Morpheus, Intelligence. The crew, med officer."
Inside, her disapproval grew. She was not ignorant of the fact that everyone hated Intelligence. A warm welcome was not to be expected of Morpheus. That at least was certain.
"Med officer?" She quipped with a raised eyebrow. "I kill people not heal them."
*Now THAT's ironic.* She thought grimly to herself.
"You'll be supplied with the information you need before unplugging."
"When will I be unplugged?"
"Tomorrow. Noon. This address."
The man slipped her a piece of paper. She scanned it with disintersted eyes and tucked it into her coat pocket. Even before she'd reached the edge of the clearing, she knew he was already gone. But, she didn't bother looking back.
She looked warily at the odd-looking chair with distrustful eyes. It was a far cry from the chair she'd used for her original unplugging years back.
The pale man with thick glasses just waited patiently for her to take a seat in it. She finally did so with great reluctance and kept silent as he bound her with the safety straps. Considering that her pod location was already known, she didn't need to take the locator pills given to the uninitiated. Yet, the man couldn't conceal his anxiety very well and she knew that he was just as worried about a procedure never carried out before. That did nothing to reassure her.
She shuddered at the familiar rush as he first downloaded med files into her. From there, she went straight to the unplugging process. A feeling of nausea rose in her throat then with a jolt she found herself in a pod of clear gelatinous fluid. Using her strict discipline, she forced down both the nausea and claustrophobia. Then, she slowly sat up to remove the single plug on the back of her head with trembling hands. She shut out the pain as it coursed through her and dropped the plug. A young woman appeared at her side to help her out and handed her a towel that she gratefully took to cover her naked body. Routinely studying the other, she immediately decided that not only was the woman Zion-born but Intelligence as well. Just as she had come to this conclusion, her eyesight faltered from long disuse then the rest of her collapsed.
When she awoke again, she was in a small room surrounded by med machines and life support systems. Struggling to sit up, she was pushed down by firm but gentle hands. She furiously shrugged them off and persisted. The doctor finally gave up and let her be. Behind him stood the Director. A nod from the man and the doctor left.
"Up and about already, I see. You recovered more quickly than expected. A week ahead of schedule I've been told."
"I was always the impatient type," she remarked wryly.
"Perhaps...or maybe it's because nobody's been unplugged twice. You've already used your body for a time in this world. And after all, you were only back in the Matrix for five years."
"Five years was enough for some of the others." Her eyes darkened.
"Ah yes...the other six... We never thought it would be that way."
She shrugged carelessly as if unconcerned but both knew better.
"So, what now?" She asked.
"You've been given two days of leave. Not enough I know, but we cannot leave the One unprotected for long. In this place, he is as human...and mortal...as any of us."
"I understand."
"So, have fun, Wraith."
She just smiled humorlessly. The smile left her lips as soon as he did. Only then did she let herself lay back down on the narrow cot. She closed her eyes to wish for shed tears. She had refused to weep within the Matrix knowing that they were false and futile. But here, she wanted to do so as proof that something inside her was still human. Still, none fell and only sleep came to soothe her with its oblivion.
She slipped as easily through the crowd as she would in a Matrix one. To the others, she was just another face in a sea of those Zion-born and not. Thanks to reconditioning, her body was back to the state it was in the Matrix. That was for the benefit of those on board the Neb. They had to believe that she was an experienced med officer and not someone who'd just been recently unplugged. To ensure no slip-ups, Intelligence had uploaded recent events Zion-wise into her aside from the med upload. There was another reason for the reconditioning and that was because of her job. She could not protect the One if she was physically incapable. Her mind would not be enough in the Real World.
Ducking into a club, she headed straight for the bar and asked for a drink. The bartender handed her a worn but clean glass and poured a dark amber fluid in it. She gulped it down without question. She relished the burning sensation as it went down her throat. It was good to know that the feeling was real.
"Buy you one?"
She blinked and turned to face the owner of the voice. It was a young man about her age with a rakish appearance and a cocky aura.
"No thank you. I can buy my own."
The man raised his eyebrows as the bartender smirked.
"Play hard to get, will you?"
"I'm not playing at all."
"OK. Win some, lose some," the man shrugged. "Name's Crasher."
She stared warily at his offered hand then finally accepted it.
He sure gave up fast. But, at least, he didn't push it. She thought.
"Wraith."
"Nice to meet you."
She just nodded and waved towards her empty glass so that the bartender could refill it.
"So," he asked. "What ship do you belong to?"
"The Neb."
"As in THE Neb?"
"Is there any other?"
"Well, I'm on that ship too. How come I don't know about you? Stowaway?" He teased.
"I'm the med officer."
"Oh...I did hear that we were getting a new one."
"What happened to the old one?"
"You don't know?"
She shook her head.
"He was killed in the Matrix. An Agent."
"I see," she said tonelessly.
The man looked at her strangely, more than a little surprised at her non-reaction.
"Well, the guy was a bastard to the core. Hell of a doctor but still a bastard."
"I see," she repeated in the same manner.
"Are you always like this?"
She stiffened.
"What do you mean 'like this'?"
"Cold...indifferent."
She flashed him another twisted smile.
"It comes with the job."
"Seeing people die?"
"You could say that."
A beeping sound stopped the guy before he could speak again. Flashing her an apologetic grin, he took out a small beeper and checked it. He grimaced.
"Looks like they're calling us on board early. Supplies took a shorter time to load than expected."
He picked up his worn pack and headed for the door.
"Isn't that a good thing?" She asked as she followed.
He looked back at her with another strange look.
"Yeah...but that means shorter leave time and we get little of that as it is."
"Ah..."
"You're a strange one, you know that?"
*You don't know the half of it.*
"This is Wraith, our new med officer," Morpheus said as he introduced her to the crew.
A few smiled or nodded affably at her, while the rest just stared. Morpheus was poker-faced so she couldn't really tell how he felt about her. Still, she was sure he wasn't exactly feeling nice happy thoughts about an 'Intelligence' agent among his crew.
"Wraith, this is Neo..."
An average-looking guy with dark hair smiled shyly at her.
"Trinity, my EX-O..."
The serious woman next to Neo nodded silently. She nodded back.
"Tank, operator..."
The dark-skinned Zion-born gave her a mock salute with a warm grin.
"Vector, mechanic..."
Another Zion-born, an opposite of the first with albino features, simply nodded.
"Mastermind, tactics..."
A solemn auburn-haired woman with dark blue eyes also nodded.
"Prodigy, programs..."
A dark-haired teenager with grey eyes flashed her a weak smile.
"Puck, ship munitions..."
The Zion teenager next to the first had a shock of fiery red hair to match his bright smile.
"Astrid..."
A stunning dark-haired woman smiled coldly at her before whispering to Vector.
"And Crasher."
She managed a slight smile in response to the big one he gave her.
"You know each other?" Morpheus asked.
*Already suspicious, Captain? And we've just been introduced...*
"Yes. We met at a bar earlier."
"I see. ...Well, Trinity will show you around. Welcome to the Neb. I hope you'll fit right in."
*Yeah right...lie through your teeth, won't you. That's one on my personal hostile list...*
"Stay away from Crasher. He's mine," Astrid murmured softly as she passed Wraith.
An artificial smile and the woman disappeared into a corridor.
*And that's two...*
"Follow me please," Trinity interrupted her dark thoughts.
Wraith smiled politely and followed the woman. Life on the Neb was looking more and more interesting...and more and more like her life in the Matrix. Except this time, you couldn't shoot the hostiles.
A soft sigh broke the silence. Arms stretched upwards to the low ceiling and then eased down to rest on the metal counter. Closing the overhanging cabinet of medical supplies, Wraith turned her back on it and jumped up onto the counter. Long legs swung carelessly over the floor as she rested her head on the cabinet and looked at her companion.
"Thanks for your help."
"'Twas nothing."
"Still, thank you."
"Why do I get the feeling that those words have to be forced out of your mouth? You don't say them much, do you?"
"Not much. No."
"So, how 'bout some slop? You need all the nutrition you can get around here. Believe me."
"I believe you."
"Then, come on."
"I'll just finish up here. Go ahead."
"You sure? I can wait if you want."
"No. I'll just join you, Crasher."
"S'ok. See ya."
With her back to him, the sound of a door opening and closing was the only sign of the man's departure. She tensed imperceptibly as she sensed rather than heard someone enter soon after.
"Hey there."
"Hello, Puck."
She relaxed and turned to face the teenager. Hopping onto the examination table, he returned it with his own beaming grin. With gentle probing fingers, she examined his deeply cut hand. In seconds, the wound was cleaned and bandaged.
"All done."
"Thanks."
Looking up to meet sparkling emerald eyes, she couldn't resist ruffling the other's flaming locks with a small smile. The young boy tilted his head to one side at the unexpected move and scrutinized her. Her face remained relaxed yet gaurded under his intense gaze. Then, he finally turned away with a shake of his head.
"You lost someone, didn't you?"
"I think we all have. Some more than others."
"Yes. But, you lost someone close to you."
"Haven't you?"
Verdant eyes darkened.
"Yes." A whispered reply.
"I lost a son."
"And I, a mother."
He started to speak, hesitated then looked away. Lifting his chin, she forced him to face her.
"What is it?"
"Could you be my mother?"
She blinked in surprise then slowly nodded before she realized what she'd done. When he abruptly leaned forward to embrace her, she almost stepped back in surprise. But, she managed to catch herself and return the embrace as she remembered another boy with laughing blue eyes and his father's roguish smile.
As the days passed, Wraith settled into the routine of the Neb. When Astrid saw that the other woman had no interest in Crasher, she'd shifted interest from snobbing the former to catching the latter. It was evident that they'd played the game before with Crasher taking great pleasure in leading the woman on.
And as for Morpheus... Although he seemed to accept her presence, she knew that he still kept a close eye on her and everything that she did. It wasn't exactly a conducive work environment, but she'd undergone worse while in Peacekeeper training.
Besides now, she had Puck. She never fooled herself into thinking of him as her son's replacement. Her son was dead and that was the long and short of it. Although she was comfortable with acting as this boy's surrogate mother, she doubted that she could ever care for him more than her own son. Still, it was nice to have someone that cared when she went into one of her introvertive moods.
When days turned into weeks and weeks into months, she began to wonder if there was really someone after Neo or if Zion was simply being paranoid. Although life on the Neb was a refreshing change, the inactivity was starting to irk her. She couldn't even go on the field because the Director hadn't cleared her for that.
They say before what you wish for - you just might get it. And she did.
It seemed perfectly accidental. Neo had volunteered to fine tune the Sentinel defense system with Puck because the expert - Vector - was speaking to Morpheus. Although ordinarily they could have managed with the delay, there were rumors of increased Sentinel attacks and Morpheus didn't want to take any chances. That had actually been the reason for his talk with Vector. He'd wanted to know if an electromagnetic shield could be developed around the ship for when they weren't broadcasting.
As the two were going over the systems program, everything seemed in top condition. Then, without warning, the control panel suddenly exploded and threw both people across the room while flames went out of control. On board a ship, fire was one of the greatest fears. Everyone rushed in to put it out even as Wraith carried Puck into the clinic with Tank and Trinity supporting Neo behind them. A brief look-over proved the boy to be stunned but fine, so Wraith quickly turned her attention to the One.
Examining the man's open head wound, she shouted out instructions as Trinity rushed to obey her. In the back of her mind, Wraith marveled at the other's coolness. Refusing to break down under pressure, the younger woman helped her to sterilize and stitch up the wound. After doing some internal scans, she was relieved to find no internal injuries and declared Neo's condition to be stable. At that, Trinity's tense frame relaxed.
"Can I..."
"Of course."
Drawing the curtain partition close, she left Trinity to watch over the unconscious Neo. Morpheus rose when he saw her, summoned by Tank at the start of surgery.
"Is he..."
"He's alright."
"But, he might not have been."
She nodded, then cautiously looked about. When she saw they were alone, she leaned in on him.
"What were the others like?"
"Others?" He stiffly asked.
"The attacks. On him."
He pursed his lips and looked away at her question. Leaning in closer, she gripped his arm.
"Were they like this?"
"No."
"Then, how?"
"Poison."
"Poison..." She repeated under her breath. Then, it clicked.
*Poison... The former med officer... Shadow's last hit...*
"Of course..." She murmured. "Then, it's someone else now."
"What are you talking about?"
"Nothing."
The man scowled at her. Fists clenched, he turned and left.
*So, it was a bomb.* She mused. *Now, where would it have been planted? Somewhere about the control panel...that's what Puck said went off first. I have to check it.*
Slipping out of the clinic, she went into the charred defense room unnoticed. After securing the door behind her, she sifted to the burnt remains of the panel. Metal twisted out of shape by heat creaked and bent under her fingers as she cautiously felt about for whatever might have been left by the bomb.
Suddenly, she froze as her fingers met empty space. Deft appendages grazed the rough sides to confirm her suspiciouns. Something had been thrown out after the explosion. Someone had removed whatever evidence had been left. The bomber.
Once she knew who had the missing component, she'd know who was behind all this. Then, she'd deal with him.
The morning after the explosion, Morpheus kept everyone away with his cold demeanor. Aside from Neo's continued condition, the defense system was unsalvageable and they'd have to go to Zion for repairs. Problem was they were a long way off from the city and Sentinel attacks were still rampant. The EMP was the only defense they still have, that unit being located on the bridge.
During the midday meal, Tank walked in and tapped Wraith on the shoulder as he sat down.
"What?"
"Morpheus wants to talk to you."
"Where?"
"Bridge."
Briskly cleaning her empty dish, she set it to dry on the counter and walked towards the bridge.
"Captain?"
He coldly gestured for her to come closer and tapped something into the panel's message system. At that, the image of her Intelligence liason flashed onto the screen.
"Wraith. A word with you. Alone."
Morpheus curtly nodded at the other's pointed look and left. At his departure, the liason was replaced by the Director. Her superior looked anything but pleased.
"How bad is it?"
"He's fine. Just a head wound."
"Just a head wound? We're talking about THE One here, Wraith!"
"What do you want me to do? Check every item and person he comes into contact with? That's not possible under these circumstances. Not with me working under cover."
"Well, make it possible. High Command is in chaos over this incident. Find whoever's behind this and deal with him. I want this resolved at once. Do your job, damnit!"
"Yes, sir."
"Good."
The image flickered and the familiar green code appeared again on the screen. Wraith continued to stare at the screen as ideas went through her head.
*Who could it be?*
"Wraith!"
"What?" She snapped.
Whirling around, her face softened at the sight of a breathless Puck leaning against the bridge's entry.
"Vector...Vector...he's dead..."
Immediately driven to action, she rushed past the boy to head for the man's quarters. A small crowd had already gathered outside the room. Roughly pushing them aside, she went forward and stopped at the doorway. Morpheus leaned over the body of the mechanic. Light colored eyes stared blankly upward as a slit wrist hung over the side of the blood-soaked bed. The other wrist held a similar cut pattern as it lay against the man's chest.
"Everyone return to your posts," Morpheus flatly ordered. "Wraith, come in and shut the door behind you."
Having done so, she joined him by the bed and bent over the corpse to put two fingers against the cold neck.
"He's dead."
"I just want to be sure. ...How was he found?"
"He was off-duty and said he'd have a nap. Then, Prodigy went to see him about adding some systems for his latest program. The boy found him like this and freaked out. Mastermind found him and managed to calm him down enough to find out what happened. She called me...and this."
"Where was everyone?"
Morpheus' eyes narrowed at her question.
"Are you suggesting..."
"Just being sure."
"All my people are loyal to me and each other."
"What of Cypher?"
The man glared angrily at her.
"After I left you, I went to see Neo. Trinity was with him. I passed Puck on the way to the mess room. There, I found Tank, Astrid, and Crasher. Mastermind was on duty. According to her, Prodigy was going over his program before he left to talk to Vector."
"Did Vector have any reason to kill himself?"
"Not that I know of."
"Then, someone must have slit his wrists while he slept. A week ago, he came to me and said that he had trouble sleeping. I gave him some pills."
She picked up a nearby bottle and shook it.
"Empty. ...He wouldn't have felt a thing."
"But, he could also have done it to himself."
"Yes. I'll have to look into this."
As if to dismiss him, she turned her back on Morpheus and began to sift through the deceased's belongings. After a while, the man left and she seriously begun her search. When she found an irregularly-shaped melted lump, she stifled a gasp. Turning it in her hand, her fingers touched the rough edges.
*As the mechanic, he would have access to everything at the systems panel. After the explosion, he could have easily removed this under cover of checking the burnt unit. And when it failed to kill Neo... He killed himself? It doesn't make sense. Why didn't he destroy the remnants of the bomb afterward? Why didn't he just try again?*
Tucking the bomb remnants into a pocket, she hastily rearranged the things as they were. As she did, she noticed a tape recorder with its tape half finished. After a moment's thought, she hurriedly tucked it in along with the bomb remnants then turned to the corpse. Arranging it at the center of the soaked sheets, she tightly wrapped it and then rewrapped it with a fresh sheet. When she was done, she opened the door to find Crasher passing outside.
"Crasher."
"Yes, Doc?"
"Can you help me with this?"
The man paled slightly then nodded. Stepping into the room, he took one end of the corpse as she took the other. Together, they placed it in the ship's cold storage unit so that the body would be preserved and could be buried later on in Zion. That done, they parted as she took her shift.
Alone with the screens that displayed the scrolling Matrix code, she examined the tape recorder as well as the tape itself. For an antique item, it was remarkably well-preserved and its former owner had obviously taken great care of it. But, she had to smile wryly as she saw how the original magnetic tape had been replaced with a modern form so that it could record more on less space. Returning the tape inside, she snapped it shut and then jabbed at the button marked play.
"I don't care if the thing's wrong. So what if I pull something nasty on Neo. It's all good. I win antisocial of the year, but that doesn't make me stupid. I'll kill the kid. Long live the New Revolution."
She frowned as she listened to the scratchy voice on tape. It sounded off to her. The speech pattern and use of words were nothing like the soft-spoken Vector. Suspicious, she recorded the voice onto the ship's system and started the voice analysis unit that the ship mechanic had finished before his death.
~Voice Analysis Completed.~
~Identification of voice?~ She typed in.
~Voice Database Incomplete.~
~List of voices on database?~
~Morpheus, Ship Captain. Trinity, Executive Officer. Neo, The One. Tank, Operator. Vector, Ship Mechanic.~
*Much help that is.* She thought bitterly. *...But, wait. If that wasn't Vector's voice... Someone must have manipulated if not taped over his last recording.*
~Any abnormalities in recording?~
~Affirmative.~
~What type of abnormality?~
~Recording Manipulation.~
~Original recording retrievable?~
~Affirmative.~
~Please play.~
There was a slight pause then the dead man's voice sounded softly from the speakers.
"There's something wrong here. I just know that someone's trying to take out Neo. That isn't good. I might win antisocial of the year, but I'm not stupid. I know we need the kid. Long live Zion and the Revolution."
*Oh f*ck. Back to square one...and the killer's still loose on board. He killed someone who got in his way and I bet he'll do it again.*
Replacing the tape in her pocket, she spent the rest of her shift trying to think up a plan to catch the killer before he went too far. By the time the next person came to replace her, she barely managed a tight smile.
Alone with the screens, the person idly tapped at the keyboard then muffled a curse as the wrong code was punched in. When a recent file was accidently called up, the person suddenly froze. After a brief moment, fingers flew to type in a new command.
~Replay.~
"There's something wrong here. I just know that someone's trying to take out Neo. That isn't good. I might win antisocial of the year, but I'm not stupid. I know we need the kid. Long live Zion and the Revolution."
"F*ck."
~Person to access program?~
~Information Unavailable.~
~Time of access?~
~Within 10-Hour Span.~
~Narrow down?~
~Impossible.~
"Mastermind and Wraith... Well, you both have had the unfortunate occurence of having the shift before me." A humorless smile crossed the person's lips. "Now, who could it be? Who could have figured out that there was more to the tape? They'll have to be dealt with. But, another death so soon after the first would arouse the other's suspicions. I can only afford one more 'accident'. So, I have to find out who knows...who knows..."
When the shift was done, the person gave the other crew member a false smile and went down the hall. Pausing at the first room, the silent figure entered at the lack of sound to find an empty room. A quick search bore no fruit, so it moved on. At the next room, it listened to the soft breathing behind the door. Dodging in, it shut the door noiselessly and covered its penlight's illumination with a cupped hand. With silent speed and efficiency, it searched the room, carefully not to disturb the sleeper. Taking a metal case, it shifted the worn playing cards within and probed the bottom to be rewarded by a soft click. It tilted the case to one side and removed the tape recorder concealed in the hidden compartment.
After placing the item in an inner pocket, it bent over the sleeping woman to brush her hair with a gentle hand. A twisted smile distorted its face.
"Soon, pretty one...soon..."
Wraith looked distractedly into her slop as her spoon went round and round about in the bowl. Only Trinity was there to keep her company, while Morpheus watched over the recovering Neo. But, the dark-haired woman was lost in her own thoughts, so both sat in companionable silence as they played with their food.
The only disturbance had been when Tank had walked in earlier to call the tardy Puck for his shift. The Zion-born could only roll his eyes at the other's rueful grin before disappearing back down the hall to take a nap. Then, just as Trinity was leaving, a scream shattered the silence. At the sound, both women exchanged quick looks before rushing out to see what had happened. While Trinity headed straight for the clinic, Wraith forged on to the origin of the sound. Walking into the shower room, she was met with thick steam and a bolting Prodigy. She quickly grabbed hold of the babbling boy and shook him firmly.
"What's wrong?"
"Ma-mastermind...sh-she's de-dead..." He stuttered, wide-eyed.
"Stay here."
With that sharp command, she left the boy and went deeper into the room. She fell on her face just as she caught a brief glimpse of the shower heads and handles that lined the tiled wall. As she pushed herself up, she caught sight of what she'd fallen over. Stifling the urge to gag, she pushed herself away from the pool of blood that surrounded the cracked head of the former tactical adviser. She leaned against the nearby wall and forced herself to look away from the staring orbs so much like her own. She'd seen death in many forms but always with intent behind it. This was different. ...Right? Getting to her feet, she headed for the exit to meet Morpheus and Prodigy.
"Is she really..."
She nodded at the man's question.
"She must have slipped and cracked her head," she forced herself to calmly explain.
Then, she turned to Prodigy.
"What were you doing here?"
"I wa-was go-going to ta-take a sha-shower to-too."
"You didn't know she was there?"
The boy shook his head shakily.
"Nn-no. Sh-she ha-had the shi-shift af-after Pu-puck."
"So, she must have fallen much earlier," Morpheus said. "She's due to replace Puck in a few minutes. Ordinarily, she would have eaten first."
Wraith nodded in agreement then turned back to the boy.
"Do you want to take something? You must have had quite a shock."
Prodigy could only nod.
"I'll have Astrid and Crasher take care of the body," Morpheus volunteered. "You check on Neo. He was conscious when I left him."
With a parting nod, she placed an arm about the boy and led him to the clinic. After he'd lain down on the other bed, she turned away to puncture a vial of sedative with a syringe and drew some of the clear liquid into it.
"How're you feeling now?"
"I-it's a-all go-good."
She stiffened slightly at the familiar words. But, as if nothing was wrong, she continued to pull at the syringe until it contained a full dosage instead of the intended half.
"Well, this will make you feel better," she said with a false gentle smile.
A quick jab on the arm and she covered the spot with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol. After discarding the used syringe and empty vial, she closed the curtain partition and walked over to where Neo was. She gave a low cough and the curtain was drawn open while Trinity stepped aside for her. Nodding vaguely at the other, she bent over to examine her patient.
"How're you feeling?"
"Like a truck ran over me."
"Hm. Well, in that case, I'd better keep you here longer."
"Please, no!" The man begged. "I'll go nuts if I stay here any longer!"
*And you'll probably wind up dead if you don't do so.*
"That might be so. But, I think it would be better if you stayed under observation for a few more days."
"Trinity?"
"I think she's right, Neo."
The man sighed dramatically and threw up his hands in defeat at the women's united front.
"Fine. But, only for a few more days. Any longer and I'm breaking out of here whether you women like it or not."
Trinity gave Wraith a wry smile.
"Don't worry. I'll make sure he stays here."
*Where it's safe. You know something's wrong...don't you, Trinity?*
"I'll hold you to that," Wraith said aloud.
"So, he's fine now?"
She turned to find Morpheus behind her and nodded in answer to his question.
"Good. ...Can I speak to you, Doctor?"
"Of course."
Drawing the partition close once more, Wraith led him to the privacy of the far side of the clinic.
"I have two dead bodies and two injured ones in the clinic. I don't like this. Ever since you came on board, there's been nothing but trouble. I want to know what's happening and I want to know now."
"I can't tell you anything."
"Damnit! I deserve to know! This is my ship!"
"I know that as does Zion - "
"At times, I doubt that," Morpheus retorted.
"But, you forget that Neo is also on board this ship. And THAT changes everything. He is going to save us and the only way he's going to do that is if he's alive. That's how he is now and that's how I intend on keeping him. I've already said more than I should have. Please, just let me do my job and don't do anything to further compromise my position on board this ship."
The man just stared at her for a long moment, then finally, he nodded.
"Fine. But, you better catch who's behind this."
"You don't think her death was an accident?"
"I found this in Mastermind's hand," the man said flatly.
Taking the article he held in his hand, she examined it.
"It's an amulet. It could belong to anyone."
Morpheus gave her a disbelieving stare.
"What kind of Intelligence agent are you - "
*Not a real one...and not even a well-informed bodyguard, it would seem.*
"It's engraved with the symbol of the New Revolution," he said angrily.
"I see."
"Now, if there's going to be another dead body in the storage unit, it better be corpse of the bastard behind this," Morpheus hissed.
With those last words, he stormed out of the clinic. Placing a hand to her aching forehead, she collapsed onto her chair and let out a shaky sigh.
*Prodigy. Prodigy's the one behind all this. ...Isn't he? I mean he's been the one to find both bodies, but that could just be by chance. He was with Neo at the explosion, but that could have been staged. I can't base everything on one phrase. I need proof. But, what do I have? The bomb remnants... Well, everyone on board knows how to make a bomb. The tape record - F*ck.*
Springing to her feet, she rushed to her room and hastily rummaged through her things.
*Shit. Where is it?* She abruptly halted her search as she remembered somthing. *Mastermind... "Could I borrow your playing cards?" ...Oh f*ck. The bastard found out that his planted 'evidence' had backfired and been discovered. So, he looked for it and found it... He found it in her room and...and he killed her for it.*
Staggering backwards, she fell onto her bed and clutched at its metal side until her knuckles went dead white. Thoughts of guilt and failure raced through her head like a wildfire in the brush. Only discipline finally calmed her.
*Focus. I have to focus. He's killed twice already and you can bet your life he'll kill again. He can't get to Neo now without going through Morpheus or Trinity. So, he'll have to wait for things to calm down...and I'll have to catch him before that. Now, who could it be? Someone with bomb skills... Everyone on board. Someone with brains and cunning... Pretty much everyone again. Yet, someone also cocky... He should have known better than to wear something like that. But, he must have been to allow Mastermind to tear it off. ...And he'll be looking for it. He'll be worried about where he'd lost it and who could have found it. Great. If he's afraid of being discovered, he won't hesitate to kill again to protect himself. Nothing worse than a tiger painted into a corner. But, damnit, who is he? And how sure am I that he's even a he?*
"That's dangerous."
"Something has to be done. Now."
"You could get yourself killed."
"Comes with the job."
"You're really going to do this?"
Wraith nodded grimly at Morpheus.
"Well, I hope you know what you're doing."
"Oh, I know, but this has to end now."
"Well, it's definitely gone on long enough."
"So, tonight then."
"Tonight."
As Wraith leisurely washed her bowl, she could hear the dull clink of metal spoon to metal bowl as the others ate behind her. Then, she suddenly spoke up in nonchalant tone.
"Have any of you lost a pendant?"
Turning to place her bowl to dry on the metal rack, she cast the others an idle sideways glance. In that moment, she caught a flash of excitement just before it disappeared and she completed her turn. But, she'd seen it. She smiled in grim triumph. Now, she knew. Quickly quelling the surge of lightheaded euphoria, she turned to face them again with the smile gone.
"Have you?"
Tank shook his head as he drew away from the slop machine with a full bowl. Astrid and Crasher momentarily looked up from their conversation to do the same while Puck shrugged, his smiling mouth full of slop.
"Well, if any of you need me, I'll be doing the clinic inventory."
With a parting pat on Puck's head, she left the mess hall for the clinic. After checking on Neo and Trinity, she closed the curtain again and headed for the other partitioned area.
There, she found Prodigy still fast asleep from the dosage she'd given him. Lightly touching his inner wrist, she felt the steady beat of his pulse before setting the arm down on the cot. After pulling the thin cover over him, she walked away and closed the curtain behind her. Stopping at the counter nearby, she took out a fresh syringe and set it there. Then, she reached into her pocket and brought the vial in her hand to the light. Squinting slightly, she read the label before placing it next to the syringe.
*Who knows? That might come in handy sometime soon.* She thought wryly to herself.
Continuing to the supply room, she took out a slim machine and its stylus and immediately started to make an inventory of supplies for when they docked at Zion. When the lights suddenly went off, she instinctively gasped in surprise and whirled around. A hand abruptly grabbed hold of her arm. She felt a sharp jab then everything went dark.
"That's the third 'accident' in a row, Morpheus. I don't like it," Tank uneasily said under his breath. "You know what they say. One is chance. Two is coincidence and three is conspiracy."
The two watched as Crasher set the third wrapped body into the cold storage unit. The pale-face Puck stood behind them before abruptly leaving, his emerald eyes flat and dead. Crasher quickly stepped out of the unit and the door shut firmly behind him with a thud as the latch caught. He left right after, muttering something about a distraught Astrid. The recently awakened Prodigy was also absent as he was once again confined in the clinic. When he'd woken up that morning, he'd looked for Wraith and tripped over her body in the darkness of the supply room. Now, he was heavily sedated under Trinity's watch as the woman stayed with Neo.
The dark figure watched with narrow eyes as the two men spoke before stepping away to go different directions. Dodging into an empty room, it barely escaped the scrutiny of Morpheus as he walked past. When the hall was empty again, it came back out and walked towards its own quarters. Locking the door behind itself, it sat at its desk as its hands flew over a complex component. Slender fingers gripped scissors as wires were snipped then let the sharp article go so they could fiddle with screws and plasticine. When its work was done, it let out a happy sigh and leaned back in its chair to stretch its weary limbs. Then, it abruptly froze as footsteps stopped at his door to be followed by voices in conversation.
"Have you seen Crasher?"
"No. He said something about Astrid though."
"I haven't seen her either."
"Have you checked their rooms?"
"Not yet. Someone needs to take Prodigy's shift."
"I could take it."
"You already have the next one."
"Oh, yeah. I forgot."
"I better check their rooms."
"I could look around too."
"Please do."
Footsteps were heard to walk away and the figure started to relax when a loud knocking started at his door. It jumped in its seat before tensing as the knocking ceased and the knob was tried. The person on the other side eventually gave up and walked away. Still jumpy, the figure touched the finished component with trembling fingers.
"Soon. Soon, it will all be over."
It slipped amongst the shadows as if it was one of them. Upon reaching the clinic, it set the component at the door just next to the electrical lines that crawled all about the ship. As fingers punched at the start button, the figure frowned at the lack of response.
"Missing this?"
The figure turned and froze at the sight of the newcomer. The other just gazed back with a thin humorless smile, tossing a knot of various wires and catching it as it fell.
"A faked death. Smart move. I always suspected there was more to you than was seen."
"Now you know for sure. The game is over and I have won."
"Was that all it was to you? Merely a game to be won?"
"No," the other whispered. "But, you gave me no choice."
The small space between them was covered by a jolt of ice blue electricity.
"There was everything to win...or lose. I chose to win."
"It's not over, you know." Croaked words came from crimson-tainted lips. "There will be others."
"And I will be waiting for them until I too am gone and another shall take my place."
"Politics is a vicious cycle."
"Or perhaps life is just cruel."
The tainted lips managed one last twisted smile. It remained frozen in place even after the light had left emerald eyes and a child's body had slumped against the wall behind. For a moment there was silence. Then, a choked sob broke the silence as a crude modern armament was released from numb fingers. Arms reached out to clasp close as body bent over the burnt corpse.
And memories came to mind of another boy. A boy destroyed just as deliberately and unwillingly. A boy controlled by a higher authority, a merciless system. ...A boy with laughing blue eyes.
Wraith watched wearily as dark-clad men carried out the frozen corpses and placed them onto the truck bed nearby. They were soon gone along with most of the whispering gossips. A few remained though to watch vulturelike the remnants of the Nebuchadnezzar's crew. These remnants soon drifted off themselves, leaving its core group to wait for the officials that would come. The dark-haired woman stood at the edge of their huddle. She did not belong with them. She doubted that she belonged anywhere. Soon, a neatly suited man came up and greeted them solemnly.
"Morpheus, we've read your report. All the deaths seem to be accidental. So, you're cleared to go after you've resupplied and you're men have had their leave." The man then turned to Neo. "...I hope you're feeling better."
The young man managed a weak grin.
"Then, that'll be all." The other nodded in satisfaction. "If you'll just sign these papers..."
The captain hastily scrawled his signature onto the sheets of paper as Neo, Trinity, and Tank wandered off. Wraith was well on her way in the opposite direction when a light hand clasped her arm. Staying just a step behind her, the person kept his hand on her arm as he spoke under his breath so only she could hear him.
"The good doctor was on board the same time as the other. You know what that means. There was more than one. And there can be more than two. It isn't over. They'll try again and again and again until the One is dead or there is none of them left. Their words are nothing but false promises with him alive."
"So, when will it end?"
But, the voice was silent.