Suddenly the door gave a squeaky noise and Aries walked in silently. He looked at Cypher's face, all wet from tears. "I simply don't get it, why he did it, Cypher", - he sighed. "Hey, don't call me that! I'm Reagan", - Cypher answered nervously. "Well, I WAS Todd, does it really matter"? - said Aries. He sat next to him and asked: "So what do you know, besides that you're the One"? "Well, I know that everything I believed in is actually a computer program, that I wasted time learning physical rules at school, that the world is ruled by machines, that we must save it, but there are agents who don't want it. A long story short: I'm here to save the world", - Cypher shot out. "Well, I'm sure it'll be tons of fun", - smiled Aries. For the first time this day, Cypher felt comfortable. "How did you end up in here, Aries"? - he asked. "Well, I was sort of searching for the Matrix until one day it came to me itself. It was wearing sexy leather clothes", - Aries chuckled. "Hm... Are you speaking about that girl... Trinity"? - said Cypher. Trin was the only thing he got interested so far. "Yep, she was the one that brought me to Morph", - Aries made a slight pause, smiled and continued. - "I... I had a crush on her for about 2 years, until she told me her prophecy". "What prophesy"? - asked Cypher. "Everyone who comes to the real world visits the Oracle, that will tell him his destiny. Mine was something like: "You will be the one to reveal the truth". Cool huh? And Trin's was... No, I can't tell you that". Cypher got pretty much excited: "Why not"? Aries chuckled and got up: "I bet you'll know someday. C'mon there's stuff we have to do".
For about three hours Cypher's brain was 'filled' with necessary programs, trainings, information and the whole bunch of other stuff Aries loaded. It was the rest hour and they were the only people awake. After a while Aries saw Morpheus come in. "I thought you were supposed to watch over the ship", - he said. "Well, I decided to give it a slight break and give our newcomer a pair of useful lessons", - said Aries. "Hm... Let me see what you uploaded so far", - murmured Morph, looking through the disks. "I see you have decided to leave the combat training for desert", - he sighed. It was his favorite program and he loved challenging newbies. "Ok, then load the jump program", - he said and went over to one of the armchairs. "Okey-dokey", - said Aries with a smile. As soon as Morph was plugged in, Aries yelled: "Guys! You don't wanna miss THAT"! Everybody knew Cypher had to go through the test sooner or later. It seemed it was a bit too soon this time. "He'll make it' he'll make it", - cried Mouse in excitement. "Why are you so sure"? - asked Dozer. "After wall he is kinda special", - answered Mouse. "I bet you he doesn't", - said Tank. He had seen too many falls to believe there was one to make it the first time. "Ok, I'll bet you a liter of your moonshine"! - said Mouse. "Aren't you a bit little to drink it"? - asked Switch, who was always something like a mother to Mouse. "Hey, don't disturb the men talking", - chuckled Apok. "And if you loose you'll wash the dishes for everyone for 2 months", - said Tank. He had as good as won. "Ok"... - answered Mouse and leaned over one of the monitors.
Meanwhile, Morpheus had finished explaining the rules of the program they were in and had already made his jump. "Hm. I can think of two things right now. Either he is totally snapped to let his beloved "the One" jump from roof to roof like a squirrel, or he found out that I'm just a plain Mr. Reagan from Walter Scott street and don't have anything to do with all this nonsense", - thought Cypher.
"What takes him so long"? - asked Mouse nervously. "Oh, be patient, Mousy", - said Trinity even more nervously. "Hey, don't call me that"! - said Mouse.
Meanwhile in the program, Cypher still thought about the jump. "It's suicide! Suicide... Maybe it is"... For once all his beliefs were broken and he felt like being all alone in the universe. Suicide... Just what he needed. Suicide... The answer to all his unsolvable problems. Suicide... The jump. He took his run and jumped. He was flying over the street, seeing nothing in front of his eyes.
"Yes, YES"!!! - yelled Mouse and jumped around the room as Cypher nearly reached the other roof. "Unbelievable", - thought Morpheus.
Suddenly Cypher's eyesight returned. "That's probably how suicides feel". As soon as he thought about that, he began falling, just about a half of meter away from the other roof.
"Damn! DAMN"! - cried Mouse. "Don't worry. It was still amazing", - said Tank, gazing at the monitor. Everyone was speechless. Although Cypher didn't make it, he was so close to it. Closer than anybody was before. As soon as he was unplugged everybody began cheering him up. "You've done great"! "Dozer owes me a half-liter of moonshine"! "Morph was right about you". Cypher didn't answer and just sat in the armchair, staring at the roof. "Morph, is he OK"? - asked Mouse, running over to Morph, who was quite forgotten. "He's OK. More than that. He just needs to be left alone for a while", - he said, patting Mouse on the head. "Alone", - he repeated, making sure everybody heard him. The crew looked at him with understanding and left the main room. Cypher was now left to his thoughts. He didn't feel himself, but he knew he was alive, because his smart, witty brain that got him out of various situations was still working. He wished it didn't. He wished he was dead. He felt his nose bleeding slightly. He wiped the blood with his hand and stood up. Suddenly he heard footsteps approaching the room. It was her...
On to chapter 4.
For about three hours Cypher's brain was 'filled' with necessary programs, trainings, information and the whole bunch of other stuff Aries loaded. It was the rest hour and they were the only people awake. After a while Aries saw Morpheus come in. "I thought you were supposed to watch over the ship", - he said. "Well, I decided to give it a slight break and give our newcomer a pair of useful lessons", - said Aries. "Hm... Let me see what you uploaded so far", - murmured Morph, looking through the disks. "I see you have decided to leave the combat training for desert", - he sighed. It was his favorite program and he loved challenging newbies. "Ok, then load the jump program", - he said and went over to one of the armchairs. "Okey-dokey", - said Aries with a smile. As soon as Morph was plugged in, Aries yelled: "Guys! You don't wanna miss THAT"! Everybody knew Cypher had to go through the test sooner or later. It seemed it was a bit too soon this time. "He'll make it' he'll make it", - cried Mouse in excitement. "Why are you so sure"? - asked Dozer. "After wall he is kinda special", - answered Mouse. "I bet you he doesn't", - said Tank. He had seen too many falls to believe there was one to make it the first time. "Ok, I'll bet you a liter of your moonshine"! - said Mouse. "Aren't you a bit little to drink it"? - asked Switch, who was always something like a mother to Mouse. "Hey, don't disturb the men talking", - chuckled Apok. "And if you loose you'll wash the dishes for everyone for 2 months", - said Tank. He had as good as won. "Ok"... - answered Mouse and leaned over one of the monitors.
Meanwhile, Morpheus had finished explaining the rules of the program they were in and had already made his jump. "Hm. I can think of two things right now. Either he is totally snapped to let his beloved "the One" jump from roof to roof like a squirrel, or he found out that I'm just a plain Mr. Reagan from Walter Scott street and don't have anything to do with all this nonsense", - thought Cypher.
"What takes him so long"? - asked Mouse nervously. "Oh, be patient, Mousy", - said Trinity even more nervously. "Hey, don't call me that"! - said Mouse.
Meanwhile in the program, Cypher still thought about the jump. "It's suicide! Suicide... Maybe it is"... For once all his beliefs were broken and he felt like being all alone in the universe. Suicide... Just what he needed. Suicide... The answer to all his unsolvable problems. Suicide... The jump. He took his run and jumped. He was flying over the street, seeing nothing in front of his eyes.
"Yes, YES"!!! - yelled Mouse and jumped around the room as Cypher nearly reached the other roof. "Unbelievable", - thought Morpheus.
Suddenly Cypher's eyesight returned. "That's probably how suicides feel". As soon as he thought about that, he began falling, just about a half of meter away from the other roof.
"Damn! DAMN"! - cried Mouse. "Don't worry. It was still amazing", - said Tank, gazing at the monitor. Everyone was speechless. Although Cypher didn't make it, he was so close to it. Closer than anybody was before. As soon as he was unplugged everybody began cheering him up. "You've done great"! "Dozer owes me a half-liter of moonshine"! "Morph was right about you". Cypher didn't answer and just sat in the armchair, staring at the roof. "Morph, is he OK"? - asked Mouse, running over to Morph, who was quite forgotten. "He's OK. More than that. He just needs to be left alone for a while", - he said, patting Mouse on the head. "Alone", - he repeated, making sure everybody heard him. The crew looked at him with understanding and left the main room. Cypher was now left to his thoughts. He didn't feel himself, but he knew he was alive, because his smart, witty brain that got him out of various situations was still working. He wished it didn't. He wished he was dead. He felt his nose bleeding slightly. He wiped the blood with his hand and stood up. Suddenly he heard footsteps approaching the room. It was her...
On to chapter 4.