Entry 6
We're going in. That is, me, Switch, Apock, and Trinity are going in. I only go in on special occasions. They need me more here on the Neb, helping Tank. This time I get to go, though, partly because they needed another person and partly because Cypher volunteered to stay instead. Thanks, Cypher. I appreciate it. It's been a while since I went into the Matrix. Can't say I miss it, but it kinda bugs you when everyone else gets to do it and you don't.
Anyways, we're heading in to check out a new neophyte. That's what Morpheus calls them. I asked Apock what it means and he says it mean like a novice or a beginner, a new convert or something. Okay, well there's my word for today. This girl is a hacker from Taiwan. I don't know her real name, it's some funky Chinese thing, but in the channels she calls herself Aria. That's pretty. We've been watching her for almost a year now, and she seems to know exactly what she's doing. I've never seen anyone so determined to find Morpheus before. I mean, this girl must live on coffee because she's almost never away from her computer. She's twenty-one, so two years older than me. That's another reason Morpheus decided I could go- because our ages are close. It might make her feel better to have someone around her age. Rule #1: the person has to trust you to follow you. We're completely rewiring their lives, after all.
God, I can't imagine some people just coming along and pulling you pretty much out of your world. That's just crazy. When Morpheus took me, I though I was being kidnapped. It was the most terrifying moment of my life. I was walking home one day, just waiting to get on the computer. I was in the middle of a major project, on the verge of hacking into something big. What I didn't know is that the 'something big' was actually the Neb trying to get another recruit. Can you imagine if you were Morpheus and all of a sudden there's this nine-year-old kid fucking with everything you're doing? So he had to take me.
I got pretty close to home, and that's when Ben Bartlett and his buddies started chasing me. I was a little nerd- short, skinny, pale, and completely introverted. So I was the natural target for the manly boys of the fourth grade. Ben seemed to get so much satisfaction out of beating the crap out of me. Luckily, I was fast, so I could run. That was all that ever saved me. If I didn't run fast enough, I'd end up with a black eye and a bloody nose. I was running like hell, and all of a sudden I realized I took the wrong turn. So I'm practically crying, still running, when this big black guy steps out and grabs me. All I can remember thinking is that at least Ben couldn't get me now. After that it was all kind of blurry. I remember him telling me his name was Morpheus, and I had to trust him, he was taking me somewhere to save my life. I was so confused that I blindly followed him. Beyond that, I just remember waking up in the cell, having the plugs yanked out of me, and screaming as loud as I could. Then it was all dark.
I woke up about a month later on the Neb. I didn't understand where I was, and Morpheus knew he couldn't explain, so he put me on Vektor's ship. Vektor was nice enough, as I recall. I spent most of the time in total confusion or fear until he dropped me off at Zion. At least there were kids there. Through the years I was in Zion, I got adjusted to the whole concept of the Matrix. Finally Morpheus decided I was ready to join the Neb.
See, the way things work is that if you're unplugged, you belong to the ship that unplugged you. They can send you to another ship if the other people need you more, or if the group chemistry isn't working. Like say we pick up a medic. We already have Dozer, so we can send the new medic to another ship that needs one. That's how it works out here- we all cooperate when we can. The problem is that most of the time we're pretty much on our own. I mean, if you're in the sewers under what used to be, ohhhh, Chicago or something, and the closest ship is in France, that's not gonna do you a whole lot of good. You have to learn to take care of yourselves as a crew, and not depend on anyone else to save you. It's the same individually- you can't always rely on the crew to get you out of a tough spot. You have to be able to fight your way out. Now I'm not saying that if, say, Apock was getting chased by an agent we'd just stand there and watch. Hell no, we do everything we damn well can, and sometimes things that we can't, to save him. But sometimes it's just out of our control, and that's when you need to be able to do it alone. Basic survival instinct, really.
The thing is, every human has an innate will to live. It's stronger than anything else that ties us to this world, except maybe love. I wouldn't know- I've never been in love. I'd like to think that if I do fall in love I would be willing to die for her, but that's a hard question when you get right down to it. How much are you willing to sacrifice for a chance? I mean, I can say with all honesty that I would die to protect Morpheus, or Trinity, or anyone else on this ship. Even Cypher, I guess. And now that Oracle tells me I'm going to die to save the One. Well, that's honorable enough. I hope I go out in a blaze of fire, that's all I can say.
Oops. Morpheus is calling for me. Time to go.