The Matrix: Empathy
Written by
Agent Wulf
© 2002 Lost Kingdom, INC.
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE MATRIX, THE PLOT OF THE MATRIX, OR ANYTHING RELATED TO THE MATRIX EXCEPT MY OWN CHARACTERS AND IDEAS IN THIS STORY. PLEASE DO NOT SUE.
Chapter One: Retrieval!
"Have we got our subject?" Cornelius' voice boomed with excitement as he asked his crew aboard the hovership Prophecy.
"Yes…" A female voice replied, "We have him. No sign of agents yet; let's hope this grab goes smoothly…"
"Let's hope it does, Slade…let's hope it does." Cornelius stated sternly.
"Captain…we're above a tolerable surface. Should we land for the broadcast?"
"Yes, Korosu…take her down."
The hovership descended onto a flat, rocky surface. Cornelius noticed a crewmember standing next to the window. He walked over to her.
"God…it's just so…desolate. No life whatsoever…technically, if we were natural humans, the only way we'd survive is by going to Zion…Nobody could live up here, on the surface…"
"Yes…Remember, though, Ferros: This is the real world; we're free now…" Cornelius wrapped his arms around the woman, "…we're married; for real now, not like in the Matrix…we can be forever united now."
It seemed like eons ago, Cornelius thought while embracing his wife, that Neo and Morpheus started freeing some of us…but it's only been a few years…and we're now employed doing what they did…only we're based in what used to be England.
"Sir? We're ready for broadcast now."
"Thank you, Nemo…I'll be along in a minute. Take the crew to broadcast deck and set everything up."
"We should be going…" Ferros turned away from the window, her front now facing her husband's.
"…I…I love you…" Cornelius said, and the two kissed. They left for broadcast deck.
"Nemo, set us up with the recall program…if anything should go wrong, just call us back…"
"…Through the cell phones…I know Cornelius. Don't worry; if anything should go wrong, you'll all be instantly transmitted to your real bodies here, no matter if you're at a wired phone or a cell phone…Newest satellite technology." Nemo had recited almost all of the features.
"…Thanks." Cornelius said, plugging himself in.
"Ladies and Gentlemen…please remain seated for the ride. Keep all appendages in the vehicle at all times…" Nemo stated, situating himself behind multiple computer monitors. He viewed his friends, the six of them, get ready for entry, "Prepare for…liftoff!" When all the crew was plugged in, Nemo hacked them into the matrix: Cornelius, Ferros, Slade, Korosu, Calibur, and Chamber.
Once inside, the crew's ratty old clothing was replaced by new cloth, each unique in the style they wore. Each of the freedom fighters shielded their eyes with dark sunglasses. They materialized in an old, run-down English hotel. A phone sat on the table in front of them, incessantly ringing. Cornelius stepped forward, picking up the receiver.
"We're in."
The crew moved outside, the empty hallway greeting them. Chamber and Calibur stepped out, pistols drawn, and secured the area. Chamber led the group, and Calibur brought up the rear. They glided into an elevator, descending towards the faux Earth. They stepped out, moving across the lobby. They exited to find a four-door sedan.
"Chamber, Calibur, and Korosu…you three stay behind, set up the transfer equipment…" Cornelius flatly stated. The trio reentered the building, ascending towards the room they'd set up. Cornelius, Ferros, and Slade went to the car. They got in and drove off.
Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at their location: A suave office building. The company handled stocks for major corporations; that didn't matter. The only thing that did matter was one man, a hacker. He would prove useful to the resistance effort to crack the matrix. The three entered and looked the man up on the employee voice mail sheet laid on the front counter: Gunther Coleus. They requested him. Minutes later, the man appeared in front of him. They eyed him: a thin man with wild black hair; his eyes matched. He was dressed in a dress shirt, slacks and a red tie.
Coleus returned the gaze: The young women had brown, bushy hair and brown eyes; she was in shape, wearing black jeans and a white tank-top, covered with a black trench-coat…The women and man with engagement rings were both dressed in black jeans with black shirts. All three hid behind dark spectacles.
The man spoke, his thick English accent coming through.
"Yea? Whot do you wahnt?"
"Mr. Coleus…" Cornelius spoke, "Let me introduce myself. I am Cornelius. This is my wife, Ferros..."
"I'm Slade." The young woman interrupted...
"Well…now that we've established tha', then wha' in the bloody 'ell are you doin' here?"
"We've been…monitoring your activities, Mr. Coleus. We know what you do…the company may not know, but we do. Don't ask us how; it'll make sense soon. You are a computer hacker, aren't you, Mr. Coleus?"
"I am…what do it mean to you?"
"Mr. Coleus…the governmental sites you hacked into alerted some nasty, nasty people…people who want you dead."
Ferros broke into her husband's speech, "Come with us if you wish to live."
Mr. Coleus thought, and then turned to the secretary, "Sarah?"
"Yes?"
"I'm off for the rest of the day…"
"Good choice, Mr. Coleus…" Slade said.
Slade, Ferros, Cornelius, and Mr. Coleus exited the building and entered the sedan. They drove to the hotel.
"What? You brought me to an old hotel for no bloody reason?"
"It's not the hotel…its what's inside the hotel."
They entered, crossing the lobby. Ferros and Slade caught an elevator up. Cornelius and Coleus stood waiting for the second one to arrive. When it did, they, too, ascended.
"You shure this is safe, chap?" Gunther asked, a glint of worry hinting in his speech.
"Yes…" Cornelius confirmed, adding, "What isn't safe, however, is the world you live in now…"
A spider dropped from the ceiling, then climbed back towards the top, exiting through a grate. A minute later, another spider did the exact same thing. Coleus was filled with a sense of déjà vu.
The elevator dinged. The doors slid open to the awaiting sounds of gunfire.
"Shit!" Cornelius shouted, grabbing his cell phone from his pocket. He dialed "0".
"Operator, how may I help you?"
"RECALL, NEMO! RECALL!"
The six members of the group blinked and were all back in the broadcast deck of Prophecy.
Gunther Coleus shriveled into the corner of the elevator, not wanting to believe that a group of people just vanished in front of him. Voices echoed in the now silent hallway.
"They're gone, Agent Swesson."
"Yes…but they brought him…we can prevent them from ever getting him, Westwood."
"I agree." Agent Toless stated.
Hallow steps proceeded towards the box where Coleus hid like an abused item in a toy box. Three men in black suits and darkened shades stepped into the doorframe, blocking the light from the hallway. One of the men stepped forward, obviously the leader.
"Mr. Coleus…" Swesson said in a stern voice, "You must die. You know too much already and we can't have you hacking into the matrix with them…those others…you all would've been a threat to us; I'm glad they didn't transfer you to…well…"
Coleus shrieked in hysterics, not believing his ears. What was this "matrix"? The man who had talked to him now leaned down and removed the shades, revealing his ice-cold eyes. Coleus screamed.
"Mr. Coleus, seeing as we are definitely killing you, would you like to be let in on a secret that'll blow your mind?" Coleus didn't respond, but Swesson continued, "You see…The world you live in now…it's actually a computer program meant to cage humans like the filthy animals they are. You're alive, all right; but only in the real world, where robots rule the Earth. Here, when you believe it is 2005, it is actually 3005 in the real world. Isn't that crazy?"
Coleus shook in fear.
"Now, you must die…" Swesson removed his pistol from its holster, gripping the handle. He aimed it at Coleus and fired three shots, two hitting his lungs and one hitting his kidney. Swesson then switched the gun around, gripping the barrel. Coleus wheezed for air as Swesson struck the man's face with the gun's grip. Blood exploded from Coleus' nose, and more gushed as Swesson repeatedly struck him. He wouldn't stop; blood splattered everywhere. It turned Swesson's white dress shirt into a crimson shade. Speckles hit the agent in the face. Agent Westwood stepped in, pulling Swesson away.
"That's enough, Goddamn it!" His eyes watered and a tear struck the blood-encompassed ground.
Swesson then struck Westwood in the same fashion. Suddenly, the ground rushed up to meet Westwood. Before he blacked out, he saw Swesson and the other agent, Toless, go to work again, continually mutilating the human's body.
Back aboard Prophecy, the crew all got up and walked around behind Nemo.
Cornelius sighed, "If Zion hadn't developed and launched the Recall Satellite, then we might not have made it back alive…let alone with the grab…"
Calibur showed disgust, her face turning pale. "Did they…?"
Nemo nodded, his eyes closed. "I'm not picking up his signal anymore; he's dead."
Chamber erupted with anger, slamming his fist onto a nearby table. "Those bastards!"
Ferros held Cornelius. "What do we do now…?"
"Report in to Zion, and receive a new assignment…" Cornelius sighed.
Meanwhile…
Swesson reached up to his ear, receiving orders from an unknown source.
"What'd they say?" Toless inquired, covering what was left of Coleus with a drapery from a hotel room.
"They'll take care of Westwood. He betrayed us; he showed empathy for that vile plague…" Swesson said, indicating humans.
"What'll they do?"
"They didn't say; they just said that if he had emotions for those creatures, then they'd make it right for him…he can't continue being an agent. It's too much of a risk. To us, to the matrix…"