Chapter 5

The Analyst

...

"How dramatic!" The Analyst stirs his tea then putting the little spoon on the saucer, watching as both Trinity and Neo fly in and stand up in front of him. He takes a sip and puts the cup on the table near to his armchair "Here our GODDESS again" He stresses that word with exaggerated emphasis "So, to what do I owe the honor?"

"Tiffany?"

The Analyst chuckles, adjusting his blue-rimmed glasses on his nose.

"It was a private joke. An amusement, that's all"

Tiffany. Like the colour. A shade of blue... not turquoise, not even blue, neither aquamarine green... A reminder of the blue-pill he had forced her to be again.

Tiffany. From the ancient Greek, Theophania, manifestation of God... appearance on Earth of a deity... temporal and spatial manifestation of a deity in some tangible form.

"An amusement? Hmm"

She lightly bends her head by side and a kick hits the Analyst right in his face, breaking his jaw as his flesh tears. He lets out a groan, almost losing his balance and then standing up again, fixing his own face. The Analyst's code messes up for a few seconds and the glyphs swirl as they are put in order again.

"Okay. Ow. If you hated the name so much, why did you heel like a good little bitch so long?"

Trinity grunts. A clear reminder at how he had played with her, bringing her to heel... pulling her wires like she was just a puppet under his fingers... her body and mind at his mercy... and she feels the bile rising in her throat. He doesn't see it coming. Fast and sharp like a blade, her hand hits his throat, lacerating the flesh as blood copiously squirts from his inexistent arteries. The Analyst's body falls with a thud and he groans.

She stands there, still, towering over him and watching again the Analyst's messed-up digital code. A flowing in circle of green glyphs which reorganize quickly in the original sequence. She bends enough to hiss in his ear.

"That was for using children"

The Analyst stands up, looking at the pleased look on Neo's face. A God in black clothes, standing up behind his Goddess both in a supportive and protective way.

Protection? She doesn't need protection. She's aware of having no limits in there, anymore.

Humans. So blind they couldn't recognize she's been part of the One thing with him, from the beginning. There would have been no One without her. And without her he'd been back to be insignificant... just a man waiting for something he couldn't tell. She's made of him the One. A God with the ability to bend time and space to his own will in the Matrix. But back there she wasn't aware of her own power yet. It's not her power plus Neo's power. Together they're squared power. They can destroy everything in there just snapping their fingers.

But it's not their purpose... not now. He can read it in their codes. Io City needs machines like machines need humans. So... they're here just to make a point. They're here to remind him he has no power on them anymore. She has just made it pretty clear. So...again, she doesn't need Neo's protection. Neo is here for her, no matter if she really needs it. Why then?

Humans. What a wastefulness of energy for something so ephemeral like love.

Feelings. His predecessor hated those stupid chemical reactions... chemical mediators which can mess up a mind without an apparent real reason.

He is always been fascinated by them instead. And... he smirks to himself as he recognizes it.

Hope. The quintessential human delusion, simultaneously the source of humans greatest strength and their greatest weakness.

The Analyst meets Trinity's eyes again and sits down in his armchair, taking Deja-vu on his knees.

"Talking of puppies" He caresses Deja-vu but the cat meows and runs away from his arms, running to Neo and rubbing himself against Neo's legs instead. He scoops him in his arms and caresses the soft black fur. "Are you looking for your pet, Alice?"

A part of Trinity shivers at the sound of her old name from the Analyst's mouth and her swallowing betrayed for a second her unperturbed features.

He savors with relish the power which again just one word can have on her. A Goddess, and yet, still human.

"You had no right." Her voice low and firm again.

"Of doing what? I resuscitated the 2 of you and a sort of bug in your womb. A germ of an human being who would never be born. And what I had in change? I gave her a chance"

Her...

Trinity swallows again at that pronoun, harder this time. It's just a pronoun but enough to make her child real. A daughter. Their daughter.

"A chance?" Neo's deep voice comes from behind Trinity's shoulders and she lightly turns her neck by side, not meeting Neo's look though and still staring at the Analyst.

"The ANOMALY of the ANOMALY. The SEMEN of the ONE" He stresses and emphasizes those words one by one, slowly, like if he wants to carve them in both their mind "I had great expectations about the baby"

The Analyst moves his eyes on Trinity again.

"It's somehow fascinating you know? A human pregnancy. I mean... I studied it and we can reproduce it pretty well in our fetuses fields but, well, watching it in a human womb is... whoa! Captivating. How a body can adapt to another human being growing inside it. Action and reaction. She called, you answered, in an unspoken language between bodies, perfectly created to give the fetus whatever it needs. Like a parasite honestly. And yet your body never gave up. You gave her whatever you had"

He watched the swift swing in Trinity's code. It's even more amusing than it was watching Thomas Anderson after his so-called psychotic crisis. Pushing Trinity's mind again, like he used to do with Tiffany. It's thrilling.

"The kid almost killed you at last, you know?" The Analyst's eyes move quickly from Trinity's eyes to her lower abdomen and then back to her eyes "Can you remember it? It's been a mess. Your pressure got crazy, your kidneys ceded, your liver began to fail. We quickly succeeded in pull her out just in time. A fast and clean job" he says " well, faster than cleaner I have to admit"

Again he can taste satisfaction as Trinity lips lightly part. Oh, he knows she can remember. Part of it at least.

... Pain. Sweat. Labored breathing. And crying. Screaming and weeping. And cold. Cold, enough to condense the breath and to thicken the sweat on the skin. She cries out and gasps at the pain suddenly radiating from her body. An oppressing and agonizing pain, sharp and crushing. Her body is doubled up with pain, writhing and struggling against something she can't see. Her vision is blurred but she can smell metal and her own blood. Cold metal. Smell of ionized air and metal dust and welding. Dark and red shadows in front of her blurred eyes. The nauseating smell of burned flesh.The smell of ionized air is almost unbearable. She can taste the blood in her mouth as her teeth bit hard on her lips in a worthless attempt to focus on something else but pain. Her ears are filled of her own screams and crying mixed to a baby's crying. She can't think anymore. She feels like falling down in the darkness... like precipitating into the void...

Trinity inhales deeply. Slowly. And Neo moves closer to her, just a step behind her, but enough for her to feel his presence right there. To tie her to reality again. Because Neo can see it, like the Analyst does. The swing in Trinity's code. A flickering in the green glyphs. It's pure pleasure at the Analyst's eyes.

See? I can still bring you to heel, my little bitch. A pull at your weak link and you're down on your knees, at my mercy, again.

The Analyst doesn't say those words out loud and yet she can read it in his code. And Neo too.

A smirk plays on the Analyst's face.

Orgasm. It has to be like this. It's something they can't reproduce perfectly yet. Something still unknown to machines. A mix of sweat, hormones and different kinds of fluids and then a sort of electric shock through the entire body. Another charming reaction of human body he'd like to be able to experience. Whatever it is, the electrifying wave which goes through him now is the nearer thing to orgasm he can experience. The pure pleasure of having her at his mercy again. His Tiffany. His Goddess. He had liked to watch her in the world he had created for her. Too bad he had underestimated human mind. Once again.

"A waste of time anyway" The Analyst cuts off quickly in a firm and annoyed tone, like it's a bitter memory still "Too bad your baby turned out to be just insignificant as whatever else of human beings' children. Just a little body producing more dross than energy, like every human spawn. Insignificant and useless."

Trinity swallows again at those words. Her stomach twists despite her unperturbed features. And again, the Analyst regards Trinity's reaction. Then he looks down at her flat abdomen, perfectly wrapped in a leather corset under her long leather black coat. He smiles, amused, and folds his perfectly manicured hands.

"But as I found out you two were powerful together I understood I could use your daughter to improve at least energy production from my favorite battery. You were my Goddess, babe!" He looked at Trinity right in her eyes enjoying the moment ""The more you missed her... the more you grieved and mourned on your lost baby the more energy you produced. Nightmares is always me pushing your limited mind to the edge"

"Tiffany's stillbirth..." Trinity whispered as the Analyst gave her a pleased look.

"What an idea, um?" He pushes again "To keep pushing Tiffany's mind with that recurrent dream. With the memory of her so unlucky delivery"

Tiffany's first child.

Of course she can remember it. But what came after that day had always been blurred, like wrapped in thick fog. She was so high with tranquillizers and antidepressants she could barely remember to be alive. But she remembered her stillborn baby.

Adopting the children had been Chad's idea, a few years later. After all a woman is supposed to have children. To be complete just having children. That's what society expects. She has accepted it like she had accepted to be married to a good man, no matters if he wasn't the love of her life. And again she had never been satisfied about that. Not her husband, nor her children. She had done her best, trying to be the most careful and lovely mother but... it wasn't something she could control with her mind. And her heart just tell her that there was something wrong... something missing. She just couldn't tell what it was. But... could she risk losing everything? That family was the only family she had. That Tiffany had.

"Again, desire and fear, babe. I'm a genius right?" He gives her another teasing mischievous look.

"You're a fucking bastard."

Trinity's voice shakes despite her attempt not to show it.

"We are what we are." The Analyst shrugs. Again a pleased smile plays on his lips.

"Is our daughter still alive?"

Neo's voice this time. Low and piercing like a sharp blade. And Trinity shivers... that word hurts even more when it comes from Neo's lips.

"Why? Are you going to look for her? Between 8 billion of people? Suit yourself and good luck, Thomas! But, sorry, I don't know where she is anymore. Like I said she was of no importance to me."

Neo's hand finds Trinity's forearm and gives it a little squeeze before she can hit the fucking headshrinker again.

"It does not end here." Trinity says giving him a piercing glare then looking down at Deja-vu as the bell of the cat calls for attention and he strokes himself, somehow affectionately, against her legs.

There it was again. The impression of reliving something or a sudden memory... a deja vu or a flashback...

She looks down at the cat. And her body stiffens.

...Deja vu. His soft fur under her fingers. He's in her lap, his warm body pressed against her stomach. And caressing him in there is like caressing her baby bump again. His purr is a comforting sound in her ears. The shrink's voice isn't instead.

"Yeah, can you remember? It didn't work with you. Psychotherapy. That's why I got for motorbikes" The Analyst says at her reaction "Little-fur-ball here had a sort of soft spot for you, he messed up your digital code. I had to quit pet therapy either" he gives a chuckle at his own joke.

Trinity doesn't react though. Her eyes are focused on the blue of the Analyst's eyes again. Blue meeting blue in a piercing way. And it's the Analyst's code the one flitching this time.

"Fine. Go and find your own kitten, Alice. I'll be here to toast when you find her."

.

Being unplugged is like passing out. The world fades out in front of your eyes and for a second everything is dark... then it fades in again, in black and white shades at first and then colours appear again.

Lungs seem to tighten for a second and then every alveolus suddenly expands as brain registers the incoming real air.

Both Neo and Trinity open their eyes on the Mnemosyne again with a gasp as Bugs and Lexy unplug them.
Neo turns his head to Trinity as she just watches in front of herself instead.

"What he said?" Bugs asks watching both Trinity and Neo.

Trinity just inhales sharply and glances at Neo, meeting his eyes just for a moment and then looking away.

"Trinity?"

Neo's voice.

"Sorry. I-I need time" She whispers and swallows hard, standing up and hurrying to leave.

Again denial, anger, bargaining... depression.

Trinity lightly loses her balance as soon as she is on her feet and her hand instinctively looks for Bugs' arm, using it to support and to steady herself.

Their looks meet again but the young captain can read that unspoken plead in her eyes and she doesn't ask anything else.

Neo watches Trinity's shoulders as she walks to their room, but he doesn't follow her. She needs time. She's asked for it. And he knows exactly how she feels right now.

Acceptance looks still far.

.

Trinity leaves her room a few hours later and meets the crew in the kitchen. She can feel all the eyes on herself as soon as she opens the metal door. For a moment her eyes find Neo's and their eyes speak silent words to each other. A few seconds and then she looks away. Her eyes look around in the room and stop on Bugs' instead.

"Do you still want to train in the dojo?"

Bugs meets Neo's eyes in turn, like to ask an approval from him that she actually doesn't need. Then she nods.

He knows exactly what's in Trinity's mind right now. Sometimes her eyes are like open doors to him, no matter if she tries to hide her feelings putting on her usual armor. He knows her. And she needs to be back in control. Tiffany had gone back to her bikes after her grieve. Trinity needs to go back to fighting, to be back at her invincible, untouchable, unperturbed facade.

So... there they are. Bare feet on the lino floor of the dojo.

Blue hair, a red short-sleeve shirt and red leather tight-fitting pants.

Short dark hair and a lucid black tight-fitting outfit.

"I like your hair cut." Trinity says with a smirk.

"Can you see me or my code?" Bugs asks

"Both." Trinity teases.

"Cool."

It's an uneven fight honestly, but it's been Bugs' idea. She's totally fascinated by Trinity. There's something in her she can't explain... a perfect mix of concentration, coordination, agility, strength... and elegance and grace. She could break you face letting you there asking for more. Her moves are like a dance, just a potentially lethal dance.

"You ok?"

Bugs looks at the arm stretched out toward herself, at the long fingers wrapped in a leather glove, and just nods, panting but letting out a chuckle.

"Remember me not to train with you anymore" Bugs chuckles again and massages her arm, shaking her head. Then she takes Trinity's hand and stands up.

"Fuck," Bugs shakes her head again "You're not great, you're incredible."

Trinity smirks. A warm smile, not a teasing or an arrogant one.

"It's easier when you see the code. I can foresee your moves coming. Agents do the same in the Matrix"

Bugs nods and smiles in turn still shaking her head in an attempt to catch her own breath.

"So?" Bugs teases "How many times did I die till now?"

Trinity chuckles in turn giving her an half amused half thoughtful look.

"Um... seven?" Her smile grows at the look in the captain's eyes "But, this one last time, you gave me a hard time, Captain"

Bugs smiles back.

"I used to train Neo, before he became aware he was the One. After that we just fought twice, back on the Neb. The first one he tried to coddle me. He let me win the fight... and I refused to sleep with him for days. To make amends he agreed to fight with me again, at my conditions. I almost needed a safe word"

Bugs laughs and Trinity smirks in turn.

"He practically tore me apart, making me regret my choice pretty bad at last, but I gave him hard time. I lost obviously, but I think I never felt prouder of myself. Even if... again, he couldn't touch me for days... it would have been like having sex with a battered corpse"

Bugs laughs again, massaging her still hurting arm.

"I got it. The lesson is... be proud of yourself for having done your best even if your ass has been kicked pretty bad" She teases.

Trinity shakes her head

"No lessons actually. Pride can't keep you alive in front of an agent. Back there, I got shot when I tried to fight one of them. Um... Trust. Belief. Choice. They changed everything. For me it happened when I understood I was part of the One thing, when I chose Neo again. You have to find your own"

"And in the meantime... better for me to keep running"

"Yeah. Better for you to keep running. Definitely"

They both laugh.

Bugs stares at Trinity again, till a curious 'what?' exits from Trinity's lips. It's clear the captain wants to ask something, probably something inappropriate giving to her look. And she invites her to ask.

"How did you take Neo back to life?"

Trinity smiles.

"Exactly how he took me back to life after I got shot" she says "Trust. And choice" she looks at Bugs' thoughtful eyes "I loved him. He trusted my love and chose to be my beloved. To trust his love for me. It's not a one-way road, it's never been"

"Unbelievable"

"Yeah. But it's your choice to make it believable instead"

Whoa! Has she already said she is incredible? So different from the blue-pill she had observed in the Matrix. Bugs had read and heard something about Trinity obviously, stories from Zion... but knowing her, talking to her... it's like watching things from a different prospective.

"You're the most incredible and fascinating woman I ever known" Bugs says, realizing just in that moment she's said it out loud. She blushes at the piercing look in Trinity's eyes and hurries to apologize "Er, sorry, it was not a sexual proposal, I-" She wants to say that she definitely wants to be like her, but it sounds inappropriate again and she just stops talking then.

Trinity chuckles instead.

"No need to apologize" she says with a reassuring smile "And Neo is not jealous anyway" she teases.

"What? How can he not being jealous of a woman like you? I don't buy it. It's something definitely... unbelievable"

Trinity just lifts her eyebrows and Bugs rolls her eyes.

Yeah, she gets it. Trinity doesn't like the word 'unbelievable'. Trust and choice again. Again, she gets it. But it sounds unbelievable anyway.

"And you're not jealous of him in turn?" Bugs teases "I mean, surely there were a lot of women who wanted to jump all over the One's bones. Did you really trust him that much?"

Trinity bits lightly on her lower lip fighting a smile from appearing on her face.

"I still do" she replies with a smirk "He was and is in my bed at night. He never let me doubt that mine were the only bones he wanted to jump"

"Fuck. I mean... whoa"

The curse escapes Bugs' lips at Trinity's stare. Once again the captain holds back how much she would like to share such an intense feeling with a man. Such an understanding and agreement. Such a connection. But she doesn't want to sound pathetic. She learned how to turn frustration in joking, to avoid making fool of herself.

"Is he really that good in bed then?" Bugs asks with a chuckle.

Trinity doesn't answer and she just stares back at Bugs with a teasing and amused look. She isn't going to answer but, even if she would, the operator's call breaks the moment and Bugs hurries to answer.

A moment later they open their eyes on their seats. Neo stands up near Trinity and touches her hand as soon as she looks at him. Just a light touch, nothing else, but again that little gesture screams complicity and caring and something so intense Bugs can't even tell. She just stares at their hands, at their fingers interlacing, for a moment longer but enough to catch Neo's attention.

"What was going on in there? You two stopped fighting at least ten minutes ago" He asks in an amused tone meeting Trinity's eyes.

"Girl talk" she replies with a smirk meeting Neo's eyes and then Bugs'.

Neo turns to Bugs with what is a 'you must be kidding' gaze.

"You don't want to know" The captain replies with a mischievous look making fun of him.

He glances at Trinity and then stares at Bugs again with an intrigued look. She stares back with a defiant look.

"She was telling me how many orgasms you can give her at once"

Bugs voice is nonchalant like they're talking about how they like their coffee in the morning. And Neo turns to Trinity who replies just staring back at him and lifting her eyebrows. Her features unperturbed. He doesn't buy it. Or does he?

"I'm not sure I'm buying you're that good anyway" she pushes again "Wanna tell something about it?"

Neo looks from Bugs to Trinity again. Her lips curls up almost imperceptibly.

"One thing I understood is 'never say anything you might regret'," he says with a smirk looking at Trinity

"You got that 'aging'?" Bugs teases

"No. Staying with her" he teases in turn.

.

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Author's note: Hi, if you're reading this story and you like it, please leave a little review and let me know if I have to go on or not