Disclaimer: I'm a poor college student, please don't sue me. Besides, I'm making diddly squat off this. The Matrix and many of these characters belongs to Warner Bros., Wachowski brothers and company. I'm just.....borrowing some of them for fun.
Chapter 7
"Oh shit," thought Catherine, watching the three men approach the cashier. One of them held up a sheet of paper, and she was sure that it had her photo on it.
"Stay where you are," said the young black man at the computer next to hers. She hadn't even noticed when he sat down next to her and had no idea how long he had been there.
"What? Who are you?" she asked, surprised and not liking surprises at the moment.
"I'm here to help you." The guy was typing something, Catherine couldn't see what, but he was also watching what was going on at the front of the café out the side of his eye.
"When I get up, stand up directly behind me."
"Why should I?" said Catherine, not liking being given orders. He wasn't much older than her, maybe 22, probably tall and slim, and his shaved head and stud earring made him look like some punk-ass trying to look cool.
"Look, if you want to get out of here, you'll have to do what I say," said the stranger, getting impatient.
Up front, the cashier (Jason?) was obviously playing dumb, shaking his head and shrugging. Catherine was glad that he was on her side, was glad that she was right when it came to picking him to help her, until she saw one of the men reach out and lift the boy up by his throat.
"Oh my God," said Catherine, watching the boy scratching frantically at the man's hand around his throat.
"Now!" whispered the stranger, standing up. Catherine had no choice but to follow. It was either listen to this guy or try to get away on her own from the man dangling the cashier like a rag doll. The cashier who was now pointing in her direction.
The stranger got up, and Catherine did so behind him, her body momentarily hidden from view by his. A group of cyberpunk kids sitting at one of the café tables got up just in time to cover the pair as they headed toward the kitchen.
"Pretend to tie your shoes."
Catherine ducked down and made sure her shoes were tied, just as the cyberpunk kids moved away and left them vulnerable to the Agents' sight. Ducked down though, she was partially covered by the bank of computers.
The stranger kept walking and opened the door to the kitchen, just as a waitress came out holding a tray full of drinks.
"Thanks," she said, giving him a smile.
"No problem," said the stranger, gesturing for Catherine to get up and go through the door. Catherine understood and used the waitress for cover. She scooted as low as she could through, giving one last look toward the front.
The stranger looked up too, and saw that the Agents were coming towards them.
"C'mon! Let's go!" He closed the swinging door and shoved a nearby cart in front of it.
Catherine took off running, remembering where the exit was.
"This way!" she gestured, pointing to the left. Cooks and busboys looked up bewilderedly. One of them started twitching, and then transformed into an Agent.
"Shit," said the stranger, pulling the shocked Catherine behind him.
They burst out the back door and ran down the alley. The stranger pulled out a cell phone, pushed a button, and yelled, "they're coming." Then he shoved the phone back in his pocket and they ran around the corner, dodging rotten lettuce, empty crates, and alley cats.
"Faster!" he said, pulling Catherine along harder.
"I can't!" The stranger was running unusually fast. She was sure that she'd trip any moment.
To her surprise, he scooped her up, flung her over his shoulder, and continued running without breaking his stride. He actually sped up. Catherine held on for her life, trying to keep her head from smashing into the wall as the stranger made sharp turns down a maze of alleys. The Agent behind them was gaining. Where were the other two?
"Grab my gun. Use it."
Catherine reached and found the weapon tucked into his belt.
A shot rang out and hit the brick building to their left as they made a turn around another corner.
"Fuck!"
The Agent was shooting out of a second story apartment window. The stranger turned around and went the other way. He whipped out his cell phone with his free hand.
"Link, which way?"
"Go left after the next street, and keep going northwest. They'll find you."
He hung up and kept running, knowing that Morpheus and Dante would come through. The plan was shaky, but workable.
A shot sang through the air, hitting the garbage can in front of them. Catherine raised the gun and fired. They rounded another corner, right before another bullet came at them.
Catherine went still.
"Oh shit," he thought. Did the bullet hit her?
"You're Dion, aren't you?" Catherine finally figured it out, the realization making her pause. She'd never seen him before.
"Yes," he said, relieved that she was alright.
His phone rang.
"What?!"
"Watch out, the girl!" yelled Link into the headset.
Dion realized that Catherine was starting to twitch. An Agent was trying to possess her. He stopped in his tracks, dropped the phone, whipped out his knife, and stabbed her in the arm. The transformation paused for a second, giving Dion enough time to deliver a blow to the back of her head, knocking her out and making her unsuitable for the Agent.
"Shit, where are they?" he thought, picking up the gun that Catherine dropped. His heart was racing. It seemed like forever had come and gone, but in reality, it had only been two minutes since they burst out the back door of the café.
The Agent behind them caught up during the time it took Dion to disable Catherine. It stopped just inside the dark, narrow alley where Dion and Catherine were, pulled out its gun, and was about to fire when shots rang out from the roof. Dante and Morpheus, who had been running and jumping from roof to roof following Dion, were poised across from each other at the edge of the roof and fired down at the Agent from two different angles. The Agent ducked their first two bullets, but the third time, the three rebels fired at the same time and the Agent couldn't duck three bullets from three different angles. It fell and vacated the body of a middle-aged woman.
"Let's go," said Dante. He jumped down into the alley, picked up the unconscious Catherine, and nodded at Dion. "Good work."
"Thanks," said Dion, who was slightly out of breath. It was a good thing that Catherine was so skinny and light, but the run was tiring.
They weren't done yet though. They had maybe thirty seconds before the Agents found another body and converged on them. The only reason why it would take the Agents that long was because Dion had set a course for the least populated area of the city as planned. Morpheus and Dante had spent the half-hour securing the area so that the Agents would have to go at least four blocks to find a suitable host. Morpheus drove up in the car, they got in, and sped off toward the high school ten minutes away.
****************************************************************************
*at the school*
Cora had just finished setting up when the three men brought the unconscious Trinity into the school library's archives room. Set up had taken longer than expected because she kept bumping into card catalogue cabinets and the cramped space made it difficult. Why here, of all places? she thought. Looking up as Morpheus, Dante and Dion came in, she gasped.
"What happened to her? I didn't know you guys were going to knock her out."
"Agent tried to possess her," said Dion. "Only thing I could do."
He felt bad, but it was only a flesh wound. He had done his best to dress it during the car ride over and had managed to stop the bleeding. It would pose a problem when she woke up though, because she would have to use both her arms to get out of the pod. The injury could also get infected when the machines flush her into the sewage system. It was better than letting the Agent possess her because then she would've been a lost cause.
"Is everything ready?" asked Dante. Cora nodded in response. "Ok, get ready to run the trace program. Dion, come with me."
The two brought Catherine into the main library area where there were couches. They laid her down on one of them and Dante produced some smelling salts from his pocket. Waving them under her nose, she soon woke up.
"Mmmmmm....." said Catherine, groggily. She went to rub the back of her head, where there was a pounding sensation, but froze immediately. "Fuck!" Red-hot pain invaded her arm when she tried to move it, making her clutch her arm with her other hand.
"Shhh....don't move," said Dante soothingly. He stroked her head to lessen the headache. "You've been injured."
"No shit. What the hell happened?" she said, blinking. As her vision cleared more, she saw two faces hovering over her. One was the smooth, youthful face of Dion and the other was the face of someone she had never met but looked strangely familiar. She stared, trying to figure out if he was someone she knew offhandedly. A teacher she never had, perhaps? There were so many at her school and she didn't know half of them yet.
"I'm sorry, but it was for your own good," said Dion. "You saw what happened to the cook."
Catherine remembered how the guy started twitching and all of a sudden morphed into one of the men who were chasing them. Watching that was like watching squirrels dancing in pink tutus: completely absurd and impossible. She remained silent for a while, trying to make sense of all the madness. After ten seconds, she gave up, decided that she wasn't in the mood to deal with morphing G-men. "Get a grip on yourself, Catherine," she thought. "First things first, deal with the situation at hand."
"Who are you?" she asked out loud.
"My name is Dante. I'm here to help you," he said.
Catherine wasn't sure what to make of that. Truth be told, she wasn't sure what to make of anything she had seen in the last.....how long had it been since they left the café?
"You've already met Dion, I imagine," he continued, gesturing to Dion beside him.
"I don't need your help," said Catherine, not liking that she wasn't in control and didn't know what was going on. "I was fine until you showed up."
"Well, maybe we need your help then," said Dante, kindly.
He gestured for Dion to go help Morpheus and Cora continue making preparations. Dion nodded, gave Catherine an encouraging smile and exited the room.
"What the hell is going on here?" asked Catherine. "I don't appreciate being stabbed and hit in the head."
"I apologize for that, but it was the only way to get you here safely," said Dante, pulling up a chair, sitting down, and leaning forward towards Catherine. Catherine sat up slowly, being careful to move her arm as little as possible.
"Before I answer your question, I want to ask you one," said Dante. He clasped his hands before him and looked Catherine in the face. "Have you ever felt like the world is a dream?"
Catherine was about to make some smart-ass remark when it occurred to her that he was right. She'd always had this feeling that the world around her was unreal and that the things happening to her weren't really happening. She felt that way especially after the death of Joe, because governments didn't commit murder and then cover it up in the real world. It was like she was floating in some alternate reality. The Twilight Zone, maybe.
Dante could tell by her silence what her answer would've been. "Most people don't notice the dreamlike quality of this world, but some eventually do and they are the ones who are seeking the answers."
Catherine acknowledged that she had been looking for answers.
"Have you found the answer?" asked Dante.
"I've found the question," she answered.
Dante smiled a little, quietly pleased. "And what is the question?"
"What is the Matrix." It was a statement, not a question.
"I'm not sure, but you're going to tell me."
It was very straightforward and a little bold of her, this command, which pleased Dante even more.
"I can do more than that, Trinity, I can show you."
"How do you know that name?"
"I know many things that I'm willing to share with you, but only if you want to know."
"I want to know," said Catherine without hesitation.
"Do you really? Even if it will cost you this life?"
"This life?"
"Yes, because once I show you the answer, you can never go back," he said. "You are at an identity crossroad. Going down one road will lead to your fate as Catherine Morgan; going down the other will lead to your fate as Trinity."
Catherine thought about this. Her life was over anyways, because now the entire fucking government would be after her. So many things happened tonight that she still wasn't sure if what she saw wasn't some hallucination. It was like the night Joe died-everything was surreal. She had prepared herself for tonight, but she didn't foresee such insanity.
"My life is already over," she replied. "I have nowhere to run. I'm ready to move on."
"Very well. I will give you one last chance," said Dante, fishing a silver case out of his pocket and emptying its contents into his hand. Catherine saw that there were two pills, a red pill and a blue pill. He put one in each hand and held them up before her. "If you take the blue pill, you will continue as Catherine Morgan. If you take the red pill, you will be reborn as Trinity and you will know the truth. Choose your life carefully."
Catherine made to reach for the red pill.
"Remember," said Dante, "I cannot tell you what your fate will be and I make no guarantees. I can only show you the truth. You decide the possibilities."
Catherine nodded, took the red pill, and swallowed it without water.
"Follow me, we don't have much time."
The two went into the back room, where Dante's crew had finished setup. Dion escorted Catherine to what looked like the electric chair.
"Wait a minute," she said, stopping in her tracks.
"It's alright, the chair is just to make sure you don't hurt yourself," said Dion. "I went through the same thing. Just sit still."
Catherine settled into the chair, trying to relax. Taking deep breaths, she looked around the room. Dante was supervising a young girl who couldn't have been more than 19 and a young man who looked in his mid-to-late twenties.
Noticing her looking at the others, Dion explained, "The girl with the freckles and short red hair is Cora, she's our programmer. The older black guy next to her is Morpheus. He's the second-in-command."
"Are you guys some kind of army?"
"You could say that. You'll find out everything on the other side."
"What do you mean?"
"You'll see."
Catherine didn't like that. There was no going back though, so she took a deep breath, closed her eyes and tried to relax.
"You knew Joe, didn't you?" she asked, her eyes still closed.
"Yeah, I knew him. We can talk about that later," he answered. "How we doing?" he asked the others.
"Closing in," said Morpheus.
Catherine could feel the temperature in the room dropping. It kept getting colder and colder, she felt like she was sinking into the chair, the world was warping...
"Close your eyes," said Dion, holding her still when she tried to get out of the chair. "Just close your eyes, think of your favorite song."
"It's so cold, oh my God, it's so cold." She was starting to panic, the room was swimming, she couldn't see, it was like she was being sucked out of the room. "Oh my God."
"You're fine."
"Oh shit, somebody..."
"Just hang on, Trinity."
"It's so cold, oh my God, oh my GODDDD.........."
******************************************************************************
She saw pink and tried to touch it. Something restrained her and she couldn't understand. It was so hard to move and....oh God, she couldn't breathe. She was drowning, choking on something. The pink was all around her, drowning her, holding her down. She had to get out.
She lashed out, but pain immediately shot up her arm. Still, she struggled to get out, get away from the cold and the sucking thickness surrounding her. Her lungs burned as she frantically struggled and tried to pant but couldn't. With one final effort, her good arm broke through.
She struggled up through the small opening, forcing her head through, digging with her feet, until she was free. Choking, she pulled the tube out of her mouth, gasping for air. Panting, she clutched her injured arm and leaned against the side of the pod to catch her breath.
Her mind was a mess, questions and thoughts crashing into each other like chaotic stars. She looked down and saw another pod much like the one she was in. She realized that there were thousands, maybe millions, that she was impossibly high up and the thought made her nauseous.
A horrifying creature flew up to her, stretched out its claws, and pounced upon her. She tried to scream, and struggled as it unhooked the tubes and cords attached to her but only gasps came out. The creature dropped her, leaving her limp, and she was flushed out the back of the pod.
She screamed as she slid down the slimy dark slide; her stomach felt like it was coming up her throat. She flailed out wildly but her hand only hit the side of the pipe, scraping skin off her knuckles. The end of the terrifying ride came suddenly as she came out the end, seemed to hang in the air forever, and was plunged into cold darkness.
The Anubis, hovering over the sewage exit, lowered its claw after her like one of those arcade games kids love to play but never win at. The crew was experienced though, and slowly reeled her up into the ship.
**************************************************************************
Morpheus found Dante sitting beside the operating table, facing but not looking at Trinity, who lay unconscious on the table, wrapped in blankets to keep her warm. It had been ten hours since she came on board, and Dante had hardly left her side except when Trace and Cora shooed the men before cleaning her off, dressing her wounds, and starting the rebuilding process. The entire crew was excited, but Trace insisted that they keep their voices down. Now, Dante was keeping watch over her voluntarily while Trace and Cora slept. He was so lost in thought that he didn't move until Morpheus cleared his throat and asked the question that everyone on the ship was wondering. Dante had hardly said a word since Trinity came on board, and none of them forgot his reaction to her picture before they went in. They were worried about their captain, but did not want to push him. They decided that since Morpheus was the most senior of them and knew Dante the best, he would be the one to broach the subject.
"Sir, do you know her?" asked Morpheus.
"What do you think?" Dante said, not looking up.
"I'm not sure what to think."
Dante remained silent. It wasn't a matter of explaining his thoughts, because the words felt like a torrent being held back by the shakiest dam. But he didn't want to re-live the memories. He didn't want to go back to the day he was unplugged, back to the horror, the anguish, the utter darkness when his eyes first saw light. He wouldn't have broken out of his pod, would've probably let the cold fluids surrounding him numb him back to darkness, except the image of his wife made him want to scream, to lash out, until he finally broke free of the pod and of everything else.
Dante saw the concern in Morpheus's face, and knew that he would have to tell his story sometime. Maybe the Oracle was right. Maybe there was a grand scheme to things.
Morpheus, sensing that this was going to be a long story, pulled up a chair beside the operating table and faced Dante, waiting for him to begin.
"Take all the time that you need," he said. "I can see the story fighting to get out of you."
Dante smiled half-heartedly. "Sometimes, I forget that I am the older man here. You are wise beyond your years, Morpheus."
"We all are," replied Morpheus. "The war forces us to be like this, and so we adapt. Those who don't adapt, die."
Dante nodded, knowing that it was true. "When I'm gone, you will become a great captain, Morpheus. You will be the one to lead this war."
"But sir-"
"I mean it," said Dante, looking Morpheus straight in the eye. "I know that my time is growing short. I can feel the forces of Fate converging on me. If this girl is the One, I know that I will die to save her. But don't worry, the Oracle said that my end will pave the way for the realization of the One."
"Does knowing that bring you comfort?"
"Yes, if it ensures her survival," said Dante, gesturing to the unconscious Trinity. "I won't let her die a third time."
"Third time?" Listening to Dante talk was sometimes like looking at a picture with missing pieces. Big pieces.
"Yes. I've never told anyone on this ship about the day I was freed, or what the Oracle told me later. I think that now is time."
*****************************************************************************
Author's Note: Finally, an update. Got all my papers and crap behind me. Uh, sorry if it's a little skimpy on details, but I'm tired right now. Maybe I'll go add more details later. Anyways, let me know what you think.
1) If anyone finds any inconsistencies, let me know. It's been a while since I've touched this story, so if I say Cora has brown hair in chapter 6 and red hair in this chapter, let me know. Hard to keep everyone in my head. Too lazy to write everything down (besides, that's what I'm doing by writing this story).
Chapter 7
"Oh shit," thought Catherine, watching the three men approach the cashier. One of them held up a sheet of paper, and she was sure that it had her photo on it.
"Stay where you are," said the young black man at the computer next to hers. She hadn't even noticed when he sat down next to her and had no idea how long he had been there.
"What? Who are you?" she asked, surprised and not liking surprises at the moment.
"I'm here to help you." The guy was typing something, Catherine couldn't see what, but he was also watching what was going on at the front of the café out the side of his eye.
"When I get up, stand up directly behind me."
"Why should I?" said Catherine, not liking being given orders. He wasn't much older than her, maybe 22, probably tall and slim, and his shaved head and stud earring made him look like some punk-ass trying to look cool.
"Look, if you want to get out of here, you'll have to do what I say," said the stranger, getting impatient.
Up front, the cashier (Jason?) was obviously playing dumb, shaking his head and shrugging. Catherine was glad that he was on her side, was glad that she was right when it came to picking him to help her, until she saw one of the men reach out and lift the boy up by his throat.
"Oh my God," said Catherine, watching the boy scratching frantically at the man's hand around his throat.
"Now!" whispered the stranger, standing up. Catherine had no choice but to follow. It was either listen to this guy or try to get away on her own from the man dangling the cashier like a rag doll. The cashier who was now pointing in her direction.
The stranger got up, and Catherine did so behind him, her body momentarily hidden from view by his. A group of cyberpunk kids sitting at one of the café tables got up just in time to cover the pair as they headed toward the kitchen.
"Pretend to tie your shoes."
Catherine ducked down and made sure her shoes were tied, just as the cyberpunk kids moved away and left them vulnerable to the Agents' sight. Ducked down though, she was partially covered by the bank of computers.
The stranger kept walking and opened the door to the kitchen, just as a waitress came out holding a tray full of drinks.
"Thanks," she said, giving him a smile.
"No problem," said the stranger, gesturing for Catherine to get up and go through the door. Catherine understood and used the waitress for cover. She scooted as low as she could through, giving one last look toward the front.
The stranger looked up too, and saw that the Agents were coming towards them.
"C'mon! Let's go!" He closed the swinging door and shoved a nearby cart in front of it.
Catherine took off running, remembering where the exit was.
"This way!" she gestured, pointing to the left. Cooks and busboys looked up bewilderedly. One of them started twitching, and then transformed into an Agent.
"Shit," said the stranger, pulling the shocked Catherine behind him.
They burst out the back door and ran down the alley. The stranger pulled out a cell phone, pushed a button, and yelled, "they're coming." Then he shoved the phone back in his pocket and they ran around the corner, dodging rotten lettuce, empty crates, and alley cats.
"Faster!" he said, pulling Catherine along harder.
"I can't!" The stranger was running unusually fast. She was sure that she'd trip any moment.
To her surprise, he scooped her up, flung her over his shoulder, and continued running without breaking his stride. He actually sped up. Catherine held on for her life, trying to keep her head from smashing into the wall as the stranger made sharp turns down a maze of alleys. The Agent behind them was gaining. Where were the other two?
"Grab my gun. Use it."
Catherine reached and found the weapon tucked into his belt.
A shot rang out and hit the brick building to their left as they made a turn around another corner.
"Fuck!"
The Agent was shooting out of a second story apartment window. The stranger turned around and went the other way. He whipped out his cell phone with his free hand.
"Link, which way?"
"Go left after the next street, and keep going northwest. They'll find you."
He hung up and kept running, knowing that Morpheus and Dante would come through. The plan was shaky, but workable.
A shot sang through the air, hitting the garbage can in front of them. Catherine raised the gun and fired. They rounded another corner, right before another bullet came at them.
Catherine went still.
"Oh shit," he thought. Did the bullet hit her?
"You're Dion, aren't you?" Catherine finally figured it out, the realization making her pause. She'd never seen him before.
"Yes," he said, relieved that she was alright.
His phone rang.
"What?!"
"Watch out, the girl!" yelled Link into the headset.
Dion realized that Catherine was starting to twitch. An Agent was trying to possess her. He stopped in his tracks, dropped the phone, whipped out his knife, and stabbed her in the arm. The transformation paused for a second, giving Dion enough time to deliver a blow to the back of her head, knocking her out and making her unsuitable for the Agent.
"Shit, where are they?" he thought, picking up the gun that Catherine dropped. His heart was racing. It seemed like forever had come and gone, but in reality, it had only been two minutes since they burst out the back door of the café.
The Agent behind them caught up during the time it took Dion to disable Catherine. It stopped just inside the dark, narrow alley where Dion and Catherine were, pulled out its gun, and was about to fire when shots rang out from the roof. Dante and Morpheus, who had been running and jumping from roof to roof following Dion, were poised across from each other at the edge of the roof and fired down at the Agent from two different angles. The Agent ducked their first two bullets, but the third time, the three rebels fired at the same time and the Agent couldn't duck three bullets from three different angles. It fell and vacated the body of a middle-aged woman.
"Let's go," said Dante. He jumped down into the alley, picked up the unconscious Catherine, and nodded at Dion. "Good work."
"Thanks," said Dion, who was slightly out of breath. It was a good thing that Catherine was so skinny and light, but the run was tiring.
They weren't done yet though. They had maybe thirty seconds before the Agents found another body and converged on them. The only reason why it would take the Agents that long was because Dion had set a course for the least populated area of the city as planned. Morpheus and Dante had spent the half-hour securing the area so that the Agents would have to go at least four blocks to find a suitable host. Morpheus drove up in the car, they got in, and sped off toward the high school ten minutes away.
****************************************************************************
*at the school*
Cora had just finished setting up when the three men brought the unconscious Trinity into the school library's archives room. Set up had taken longer than expected because she kept bumping into card catalogue cabinets and the cramped space made it difficult. Why here, of all places? she thought. Looking up as Morpheus, Dante and Dion came in, she gasped.
"What happened to her? I didn't know you guys were going to knock her out."
"Agent tried to possess her," said Dion. "Only thing I could do."
He felt bad, but it was only a flesh wound. He had done his best to dress it during the car ride over and had managed to stop the bleeding. It would pose a problem when she woke up though, because she would have to use both her arms to get out of the pod. The injury could also get infected when the machines flush her into the sewage system. It was better than letting the Agent possess her because then she would've been a lost cause.
"Is everything ready?" asked Dante. Cora nodded in response. "Ok, get ready to run the trace program. Dion, come with me."
The two brought Catherine into the main library area where there were couches. They laid her down on one of them and Dante produced some smelling salts from his pocket. Waving them under her nose, she soon woke up.
"Mmmmmm....." said Catherine, groggily. She went to rub the back of her head, where there was a pounding sensation, but froze immediately. "Fuck!" Red-hot pain invaded her arm when she tried to move it, making her clutch her arm with her other hand.
"Shhh....don't move," said Dante soothingly. He stroked her head to lessen the headache. "You've been injured."
"No shit. What the hell happened?" she said, blinking. As her vision cleared more, she saw two faces hovering over her. One was the smooth, youthful face of Dion and the other was the face of someone she had never met but looked strangely familiar. She stared, trying to figure out if he was someone she knew offhandedly. A teacher she never had, perhaps? There were so many at her school and she didn't know half of them yet.
"I'm sorry, but it was for your own good," said Dion. "You saw what happened to the cook."
Catherine remembered how the guy started twitching and all of a sudden morphed into one of the men who were chasing them. Watching that was like watching squirrels dancing in pink tutus: completely absurd and impossible. She remained silent for a while, trying to make sense of all the madness. After ten seconds, she gave up, decided that she wasn't in the mood to deal with morphing G-men. "Get a grip on yourself, Catherine," she thought. "First things first, deal with the situation at hand."
"Who are you?" she asked out loud.
"My name is Dante. I'm here to help you," he said.
Catherine wasn't sure what to make of that. Truth be told, she wasn't sure what to make of anything she had seen in the last.....how long had it been since they left the café?
"You've already met Dion, I imagine," he continued, gesturing to Dion beside him.
"I don't need your help," said Catherine, not liking that she wasn't in control and didn't know what was going on. "I was fine until you showed up."
"Well, maybe we need your help then," said Dante, kindly.
He gestured for Dion to go help Morpheus and Cora continue making preparations. Dion nodded, gave Catherine an encouraging smile and exited the room.
"What the hell is going on here?" asked Catherine. "I don't appreciate being stabbed and hit in the head."
"I apologize for that, but it was the only way to get you here safely," said Dante, pulling up a chair, sitting down, and leaning forward towards Catherine. Catherine sat up slowly, being careful to move her arm as little as possible.
"Before I answer your question, I want to ask you one," said Dante. He clasped his hands before him and looked Catherine in the face. "Have you ever felt like the world is a dream?"
Catherine was about to make some smart-ass remark when it occurred to her that he was right. She'd always had this feeling that the world around her was unreal and that the things happening to her weren't really happening. She felt that way especially after the death of Joe, because governments didn't commit murder and then cover it up in the real world. It was like she was floating in some alternate reality. The Twilight Zone, maybe.
Dante could tell by her silence what her answer would've been. "Most people don't notice the dreamlike quality of this world, but some eventually do and they are the ones who are seeking the answers."
Catherine acknowledged that she had been looking for answers.
"Have you found the answer?" asked Dante.
"I've found the question," she answered.
Dante smiled a little, quietly pleased. "And what is the question?"
"What is the Matrix." It was a statement, not a question.
"I'm not sure, but you're going to tell me."
It was very straightforward and a little bold of her, this command, which pleased Dante even more.
"I can do more than that, Trinity, I can show you."
"How do you know that name?"
"I know many things that I'm willing to share with you, but only if you want to know."
"I want to know," said Catherine without hesitation.
"Do you really? Even if it will cost you this life?"
"This life?"
"Yes, because once I show you the answer, you can never go back," he said. "You are at an identity crossroad. Going down one road will lead to your fate as Catherine Morgan; going down the other will lead to your fate as Trinity."
Catherine thought about this. Her life was over anyways, because now the entire fucking government would be after her. So many things happened tonight that she still wasn't sure if what she saw wasn't some hallucination. It was like the night Joe died-everything was surreal. She had prepared herself for tonight, but she didn't foresee such insanity.
"My life is already over," she replied. "I have nowhere to run. I'm ready to move on."
"Very well. I will give you one last chance," said Dante, fishing a silver case out of his pocket and emptying its contents into his hand. Catherine saw that there were two pills, a red pill and a blue pill. He put one in each hand and held them up before her. "If you take the blue pill, you will continue as Catherine Morgan. If you take the red pill, you will be reborn as Trinity and you will know the truth. Choose your life carefully."
Catherine made to reach for the red pill.
"Remember," said Dante, "I cannot tell you what your fate will be and I make no guarantees. I can only show you the truth. You decide the possibilities."
Catherine nodded, took the red pill, and swallowed it without water.
"Follow me, we don't have much time."
The two went into the back room, where Dante's crew had finished setup. Dion escorted Catherine to what looked like the electric chair.
"Wait a minute," she said, stopping in her tracks.
"It's alright, the chair is just to make sure you don't hurt yourself," said Dion. "I went through the same thing. Just sit still."
Catherine settled into the chair, trying to relax. Taking deep breaths, she looked around the room. Dante was supervising a young girl who couldn't have been more than 19 and a young man who looked in his mid-to-late twenties.
Noticing her looking at the others, Dion explained, "The girl with the freckles and short red hair is Cora, she's our programmer. The older black guy next to her is Morpheus. He's the second-in-command."
"Are you guys some kind of army?"
"You could say that. You'll find out everything on the other side."
"What do you mean?"
"You'll see."
Catherine didn't like that. There was no going back though, so she took a deep breath, closed her eyes and tried to relax.
"You knew Joe, didn't you?" she asked, her eyes still closed.
"Yeah, I knew him. We can talk about that later," he answered. "How we doing?" he asked the others.
"Closing in," said Morpheus.
Catherine could feel the temperature in the room dropping. It kept getting colder and colder, she felt like she was sinking into the chair, the world was warping...
"Close your eyes," said Dion, holding her still when she tried to get out of the chair. "Just close your eyes, think of your favorite song."
"It's so cold, oh my God, it's so cold." She was starting to panic, the room was swimming, she couldn't see, it was like she was being sucked out of the room. "Oh my God."
"You're fine."
"Oh shit, somebody..."
"Just hang on, Trinity."
"It's so cold, oh my God, oh my GODDDD.........."
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She saw pink and tried to touch it. Something restrained her and she couldn't understand. It was so hard to move and....oh God, she couldn't breathe. She was drowning, choking on something. The pink was all around her, drowning her, holding her down. She had to get out.
She lashed out, but pain immediately shot up her arm. Still, she struggled to get out, get away from the cold and the sucking thickness surrounding her. Her lungs burned as she frantically struggled and tried to pant but couldn't. With one final effort, her good arm broke through.
She struggled up through the small opening, forcing her head through, digging with her feet, until she was free. Choking, she pulled the tube out of her mouth, gasping for air. Panting, she clutched her injured arm and leaned against the side of the pod to catch her breath.
Her mind was a mess, questions and thoughts crashing into each other like chaotic stars. She looked down and saw another pod much like the one she was in. She realized that there were thousands, maybe millions, that she was impossibly high up and the thought made her nauseous.
A horrifying creature flew up to her, stretched out its claws, and pounced upon her. She tried to scream, and struggled as it unhooked the tubes and cords attached to her but only gasps came out. The creature dropped her, leaving her limp, and she was flushed out the back of the pod.
She screamed as she slid down the slimy dark slide; her stomach felt like it was coming up her throat. She flailed out wildly but her hand only hit the side of the pipe, scraping skin off her knuckles. The end of the terrifying ride came suddenly as she came out the end, seemed to hang in the air forever, and was plunged into cold darkness.
The Anubis, hovering over the sewage exit, lowered its claw after her like one of those arcade games kids love to play but never win at. The crew was experienced though, and slowly reeled her up into the ship.
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Morpheus found Dante sitting beside the operating table, facing but not looking at Trinity, who lay unconscious on the table, wrapped in blankets to keep her warm. It had been ten hours since she came on board, and Dante had hardly left her side except when Trace and Cora shooed the men before cleaning her off, dressing her wounds, and starting the rebuilding process. The entire crew was excited, but Trace insisted that they keep their voices down. Now, Dante was keeping watch over her voluntarily while Trace and Cora slept. He was so lost in thought that he didn't move until Morpheus cleared his throat and asked the question that everyone on the ship was wondering. Dante had hardly said a word since Trinity came on board, and none of them forgot his reaction to her picture before they went in. They were worried about their captain, but did not want to push him. They decided that since Morpheus was the most senior of them and knew Dante the best, he would be the one to broach the subject.
"Sir, do you know her?" asked Morpheus.
"What do you think?" Dante said, not looking up.
"I'm not sure what to think."
Dante remained silent. It wasn't a matter of explaining his thoughts, because the words felt like a torrent being held back by the shakiest dam. But he didn't want to re-live the memories. He didn't want to go back to the day he was unplugged, back to the horror, the anguish, the utter darkness when his eyes first saw light. He wouldn't have broken out of his pod, would've probably let the cold fluids surrounding him numb him back to darkness, except the image of his wife made him want to scream, to lash out, until he finally broke free of the pod and of everything else.
Dante saw the concern in Morpheus's face, and knew that he would have to tell his story sometime. Maybe the Oracle was right. Maybe there was a grand scheme to things.
Morpheus, sensing that this was going to be a long story, pulled up a chair beside the operating table and faced Dante, waiting for him to begin.
"Take all the time that you need," he said. "I can see the story fighting to get out of you."
Dante smiled half-heartedly. "Sometimes, I forget that I am the older man here. You are wise beyond your years, Morpheus."
"We all are," replied Morpheus. "The war forces us to be like this, and so we adapt. Those who don't adapt, die."
Dante nodded, knowing that it was true. "When I'm gone, you will become a great captain, Morpheus. You will be the one to lead this war."
"But sir-"
"I mean it," said Dante, looking Morpheus straight in the eye. "I know that my time is growing short. I can feel the forces of Fate converging on me. If this girl is the One, I know that I will die to save her. But don't worry, the Oracle said that my end will pave the way for the realization of the One."
"Does knowing that bring you comfort?"
"Yes, if it ensures her survival," said Dante, gesturing to the unconscious Trinity. "I won't let her die a third time."
"Third time?" Listening to Dante talk was sometimes like looking at a picture with missing pieces. Big pieces.
"Yes. I've never told anyone on this ship about the day I was freed, or what the Oracle told me later. I think that now is time."
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Author's Note: Finally, an update. Got all my papers and crap behind me. Uh, sorry if it's a little skimpy on details, but I'm tired right now. Maybe I'll go add more details later. Anyways, let me know what you think.
1) If anyone finds any inconsistencies, let me know. It's been a while since I've touched this story, so if I say Cora has brown hair in chapter 6 and red hair in this chapter, let me know. Hard to keep everyone in my head. Too lazy to write everything down (besides, that's what I'm doing by writing this story).