Disclaimers: part 1

Well, Neo and the others are heading out on their quest, but what about Frodo, Sam, Aragorn and Boromir? Where have they turned up? And what pray tell has become of everyone's favorite computer program, Agent Smith?

***

It took Frodo awhile to recover his senses. He woke up clutching at the healed wound on his chest and wondering where he was. He really hoped he wasn't in Mordor though it certainly seemed like he was. The place was dark, smelly and completely made of metal.

No one else was around, not even Sam. And to his horror, he discovered he didn't even have the Ring. He had never felt like such a failure. Gandalf would never forgive him for this....if there was still a Gandalf by the time he got out of here.

He angrily kicked at something and then clutched his foot in pain. Stupid metal. Stupid Sauron. Giant red eyes shouldn't have minions.

"Whoa! I'm awake Morpheus, really!" A loud voice piped up from behind him and then "Ahhhhhhhhh!"

Frodo stared at the boy who was looking at him in confused horror. "No, no, don't panic, it's all right! I'm a prisoner here too!"

"...You're a what? All right, very funny. Who let the little midget on the Neb, huh? Guys? Guys?"

***

Once the young man calmed down and they introduced each other, Mouse thought it would be wise if Frodo went to meet Morpheus, the leader of these people who lived on a ship called the Neb or the Neberkenezer.

Frodo was a bit relieved that he wasn't in Mordor though he was beginning to get the sinking suspicion that he was still a long, long, long way from home. He wasn't very comforted when Mouse laughed at his name and asked if he was related to Bilbo Baggins. He seemed a bit shock when Frodo indignantly replied that he was which made the young man begin to chatter very excitedly about a friend named Switch and some dead fellow named Tolkien.

Mouse continued to babble above him and Frodo smiled. This boy would have gotten on very well with Pippin and Merry.  At least the people here seemed friendly enough though he did miss--

"Mr. Frodo! Oh thank goodness I've found you!"

Frodo 'oofed' as he was glomped by Sam, though he was pretty cheered at the sight of him.

"More midgets. This place is becoming a zoo," someone muttered.

"Yo, Morpheus, this hobbit named Frodo showed up in my room...where I was hard at work as usual.... Anyway, where's Switch? She has to see this."

Frodo looked up at the man who obviously was the leader or at least should have been, he seemed to be the most serious of the lot.

"A hobbit?" The man removed the strange glasses he had over his eyes and shook his head. "Well, he can just join the others that appeared and then I think we'll have to have a meeting. It seems there is a lot to discuss."

"A meeting?" Mouse groaned.

"What others?" Frodo asked anxiously.

***

Frodo was even more relieved when he was Aragorn and some other man who did not recognize. At least Sam and Aragorn were here. Aragorn would know what to do, but from the look of things, Aragorn seemed equally as overwhelmed as they were.

Morpheus did his best to slowly explain the situation. Mouse ended up doing the translating though. It seemed that though the boy was not actually that helpful to his comrades most of the time, he had paid attention to one of them about Middle Earth. He even knew Elven.

The talk was most unsettling. It seemed these people also had a Great and Mighty Overlord named MainFrame who was a green and black eye that saw all. He had many minions like the Nuzguls called A'gents. Their world was divided in two: The Matrix and the R'ealworld. And the one person who could unite these worlds and save them had disappeared after eating some mystical fruits called the green j'ellybean and red pill. Their powers combined had altered the fabric of the universe and transported them here.

Morpheus didn't seem altogether pleased by the way Mouse told the tale but he looked a bit too exasperated to make them sit through it once again.

"So through a sort of magic you can enter this Matrix and leave the R'ealworld behind?"

 "Way to be, Boromir. That's exactly right. Give me five."

Boromir stared at Mouse in confusion. Mouse in the meantime had raised his hand and was grinning.

"Slap me some skin?"

"What?"

"Hit me."

Boromir looked to Aragorn who shrugged and nodded. Boromir slapped Mouse in the face.

Morpheus chuckled and Mouse sighed as he began to explain the magical art of giving someone Five.

***

"And who are these four unknowns, Jones?"

"Hey, that rhymes."

"Shut up, Brown."

"Well, sir," Jones said loosening his tie a bit more. "If my sources are correct, they seem to be fictional characters from a place called Middle Earth."

"Middle Earth? This isn't another one of your Star Trek stories is it?" Smith said with a look of contempt. Jones wasted a lot of valuable time downloading information on science fiction and fantasy novels. This sounded like one of them...though he was sure which one. He ran a search as Jones looked slightly unsure how to respond.

"Basically, these are characters from a series called The Lord of the Rings written by a man named J.R.R. Tolkien--" Brown interjected.

"I see," Smith said waving a hand dismissively. He had already found the information he needed, "and which ones are they?"

"Frodo Baggins, Samwise Gamgee, Aragorn and Boromir who--well, before we get to that though, Jones and I were wondering something."

"Wondering something? You're always wondering something!"

Both of the other agents cowered as he chucked a stapler at their heads.

Smith blinked and regained control of himself. He straightened his tie. Well, that had been an embarrassing little outburst. He scowled as the other two tried to sneak out of the office.  "Oh, for crying out--...Fine, fine, Brown, by all means, what were you wondering?"

They stopped and looked almost sheepishly at one another before looking back at Smith.

"We're not going to have to kill them, are we? I mean, I've never met a hobbit before and--"

"Brown, say another word and so help me I will send you to Middle Earth and you can live with the hobbits!" He was mildly annoyed when both the other agents looked almost delighted with the possibility.

***

tbc