This is my first fanfiction. I started by writing a character story for a
Matrix role-playing game my friend was running. The game flopped, but the
character was so interesting that I had to write it out. I've written a
little bit of fiction before, but never for anyone else to see, so there
will be revisions as I realize what I wrote sounds worse than I intended it
too. :')
Some would say that this sounds a lot like the Matrix itself, but it seems to me that anyone who finds out about the matrix and is eventually removed would follow some basic events. For example, there is first contact, weird stuff, what is the matrix, oh that's the matrix, and finally running from agents and removal. Its what you put in to flesh out your character and make the story unique and not another NEO clone that is important! Thanks Draconious
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------
Awakening - Chapter 5- Exit Stage Left
Ace followed Phoenix down the street, where they climbed into a large blue car. Opening a cell phone, Phoenix dialed a number.
"Cray, I have him. Is everything set up? We need to hurry if were going to pull this off. I'll be there in 5. Have Nero and Twip stand guard outside. Right. See you." He hung up the phone as he started the vehicle.
"So I get to take the red pill again, hmm. That's got to be a first." Ace said. Phoenix nodded.
"First man to fall down the rabbit hole twice!" They shared a laugh, as Ace's memories started to fall into place and he began remembering his friend.
"Unlike when we normally take a person out of the Matrix, with you the Agents will be expecting something, so we have to move especially fast. The Chimera is already waiting near the drop point of the node that we expect you to be in. Hopefully we can get you pulled and see how much your muscles have degenerated." Phoenix turned the car around the corner and sped up.
"Uh, Phoenix.." Ace started. "How long have we been back in? Time isn't exactly linear in the Matrix."
"It's been 5 years, give or take." Ace nodded. It could have been much worse. It could have been twenty, and he could be pulled only to learn that he was too old to do anything other than go to Zion and plant crops in hydroponics.
"So has anything happened while I was away? Any new colonies started?" Phoenix was quiet for a minute, considering what to say.
"Alpha colony fell. A stray EM Burst alerted a sentinel group, from what I heard. There were no survivors."
"What about the others? Any changes?" He asked.
"Nero has turned into quite the warrior. He runs point or guards for us all the time. While nothing is worth loosing two of your finest people, at least he is useful. We pulled a hacker named Hexadecimal, she is good with the Core. She and Twip have unofficially shacked up. I told them it was fine as long as it doesn't interfere with their duties."
Ace nodded, looking at the road. "What about the search? Has anyone found."
"You mean the One? I've heard rumors, but there are always rumors. Probably just a strong potential, like yourself and Nightshade." Phoenix turned the car into a parking lot and pulled forward into a garage. The doors closed behind them.
"I'm a little worried. Since regaining my memories of the Matrix and what it is, I've tried some of the things I used to be able to do. it didn't work. The skills I learned at the hands of Jacob are gone. (Jacob was the Operator prior to Ace's and Nightshades capture) My mind is "not Free". They climbed out of the car and walked up some stairs as the garage door closed behind them. At the top of the stairs was a man carrying a large automatic rifle in his hands. Nodding to Nero, they went inside.
"I'm not surprised. When the machines put you back in with a fake past, they probably overwrote your skills. Though you know about the Matrix, you still don't believe it, not inside, and you won't until you've been unplugged. There's nothing we can do about that. Hopefully it won't be a problem much longer." They entered a room where the "Dentist Chair" was set up, and in front of it lay a large metal basin, filled with water. Twip was manning a computer console, preparing to run the trace program.
Ace jumped in the chair as Phoenix brought out the red pill. The blue pill was nowhere to be found. Ace smiled and grabbed the pill, swallowing it dry before sitting back in the chair, waiting for the process to begin.
Because he had some idea of what to expect, it wasn't quite a surprise when the water began to move of its own accord. Behind him he could here Twip calling out readings on the trace program as the water started to come to life. It sloshed in the basin, then started forming a pseudopod which extended towards him. Ace listened as Twip said they were 90% complete obtaining the lock. The water reached him and pressed against his chest.
Ace gasped as he had forgotten the water felt like it came from the bottom of a frozen lake. The water spread across his body, coating him like a suit. Then the water rose above his shoulders, rolling across the back of his head, and finally across his face.
It felt like he was submerged in the frozen lake, looking out through the ice. He could see Twip adjusting the settings on the computer and Phoenix coming over to the chair as everything went dark.
*****
Warmth. Not longer cold, but warm, like a nice bath. Opening his eyes, he could barely see the pinkish gel that he was floating in. Remembering last time, he resisted the panic that he was drowning and reached up, breaking the membrane of his cocoon and sat up. He grabbed the tube that was attached to his face and pulled, gagging as the long tube came out of his mouth. Then, using a hand to wipe the gunk from his eyes, he gazed around the room, looking at thousands of batteries.
Reaching behind him, he grasped the connection to his head, struggling vainly to remove it. It, of course, wouldn't budge. His muscles were not in to bad of shape, though he had lost a good deal of muscle tone. Finally, he heard the tell-tale humming of the approaching nurse bot, which noticed him sitting up and came to inspect his cocoon. Finding it burst open, with the occupant sitting up, it assumed the battery was busted and reached to unplug it. Ace flinched when the machine grabbed him by his neck. It could quickly end his life, but it was programmed to only remove the plugs and flush his pod, making way for a new battery. After it dropped him, the other plugs on his body popped off sequentially with a hiss of compressed air and Ace took the water slide towards the drop point.
*****
Cray, who was manning the sensors of the Chimera, called to Hex as he saw the surge of water and detritus from the drain. Then out fell a body. Hex pulled it up, but found that it definitely was not Ace, being half decayed. She dropped the hook and allowed the body to float away.
"Hey Hex, you ever wander why the Plants drop some bodies down the chute, but others it grinds for food? To the Plant, they're all dead." Cray asked her.
"I assume it keeps those that die of natural causes, but those who die of disease are flushed to prevent possible infection of other batteries. Those we pull must register as an unnatural death." She replied.
"Here comes another one!" he said.
*****
Last time he had slid down the chute, he was nearly unconscious. This time, if it weren't for being sore, naked and cold, the slide would be almost fun. Ace slide down the last turn and then fell 35 feet into the fetid water. That, however, was not fun as he involuntarily took a gulp of the nasty stuff and immediately started gagging. The claw came down and grabbed him, hoisting him up into the ship. On the way, he vomited some of the water, along with what remained of his last meal. (A/N His last meal was remains, technically!)
*****
Phoenix sat up after Hex pulled his plug, then walked to the medical bay, where Ace was being checked out.
"How's he doing?" he asked Cray, who doubled as their medic.
"Better than most do when they're pulled. His muscle tone is still not too shabby." Cray replied.
"You should have seen him before he went in." Phoenix said with a smirk.
"His extra plugs will have to be removed again, and his eyes will be sensitive for a few days. Other than that, he's good. He'll be sedated until we flush the toxins from his body. took a good swig of that water when he hit. it'd suck to pull him only to have him die from the stuff."
Phoenix nodded and turned to leave.
*****
Two Weeks later.
Phoenix entered the construct, followed closely by Ace. Phoenix's RSI resembled himself, save for instead of the raggedy clothes that they all wore, he was wearing a dark blue tee-shirt, black pants, and was wearing his black trenchcoat. His normally ratty hair was well kept and pulled back.
Ace's RSI had changed since he was pulled out. His long brown hair was straighter, and less prone to flying around in the slightest breeze. His black denim jacket was replaced by a full-length dark green Army surplus trenchcoat, complete with fraying and bullet holes. He had on dark green denim pants and army boots.
"We'll skip the usual training since you've already completed it. Let's begin combat training."
"No need. My skills are coming back to me, now that I'm out of the pod."
"Prove it. Hex, load the Pier combat sequence."
On the computers that operate the core, Hex inserted a disk, loading the sequence. Then she hit the Load button and in the construct, a thick fog rolled through the room. When it thinned, Phoenix and Ace were standing on a Pier. To both sides of them rested large cargo vessels, loaded with crates. On the pier itself lay several crates that had already been offloaded.
Phoenix began taking off his trench coat, and Ace followed suit. Phoenix turned to him and bowed, and Ace attacked when motioned to do so. He started with a jump kick, which Phoenix stopped by grabbing his foot and pushing back. Ace landed, doing a back flip to regain his footing. He rushed Phoenix, a flurry of punches and kicks, all being blocked or deflected, then he landed a head-butt that Phoenix wasn't expecting.
Phoenix decided to take the initiative and began to press an attack on Ace, which he was hard pressed to block. After 4 simultaneous punches, he snuck in a kick that knocked Ace across the pier and into some stacked crates. After this, he began evading Phoenix, doing his best to stay away from the flurry of strikes that awaited him anytime he approached.
"Com'on Ace! You're a potential! You have more to bring than this! You have your skills back, that's true, but why are you running? If you can't take me on how do you expect to survive Running the Matrix?"
Ace stopped, took a deep breath, and turned towards Phoenix. Coming at him, he blocked two punches, then landed a strike to his abdomen. Following up with a knee strike, he attempted a sweep kick, which Phoenix jumped over.
"Alright! Now were talking!" Phoenix landed from the jump and did a spinning jump kick. Ducking the kick, Ace gave a double palm-strike to Phoenix's back as he revolved, which pushed him into a stack of crates.
"Okay. No holding back now!" Phoenix said as he extricated himself from the crates. *NO holding back? He's been holding back?? Jesus Christ! * thought Ace.
Phoenix came at him, punching and kicking in a blur, moving so fast that his hands and feet were not visible. Blocking and dodging as fast as he could, Ace still got struck one out of three times, and it was beginning to have an effect on him.
"Do you yield?" asked Phoenix as he pummeled Ace. "Do you yield?!" he repeated.
"NO!" shouted Ace as he was struck again. Concentrating, Phoenix's strikes took on a slow motion quality, which Ace found easier to block. Weaving in between his strikes, Ace punched Phoenix in the chest, pushing him back 5 feet, where he fell to the ground.
Hunched over with his hands resting on his knees, panting heavily, Ace stumbled over to where Phoenix was lying, his chest heaving. At first he thought Phoenix was crying, but it resolved into a low-throated laughter, that got louder as he climbed to his feet. He came over and grabbed Ace's hand.
"It's great to have you back!" he said as he grasped his friends arm. "Hex, end the sequence," he called.
TBC.
Authors note: I am getting more comfortable writing with these characters, and if enough people show interest, I am considering writing a sequel to Awakening involving the adventures of the ship Chimera and the Matrix.
Also, to clarify, Ace and Nightshade are potentials, much like the children in the Oracle's house. They can bend the rules greater than the average runner, but to nowhere near the levels as Neo can do (such as breaking them ie flying)
Please review and offer suggestions!
Some would say that this sounds a lot like the Matrix itself, but it seems to me that anyone who finds out about the matrix and is eventually removed would follow some basic events. For example, there is first contact, weird stuff, what is the matrix, oh that's the matrix, and finally running from agents and removal. Its what you put in to flesh out your character and make the story unique and not another NEO clone that is important! Thanks Draconious
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------
Awakening - Chapter 5- Exit Stage Left
Ace followed Phoenix down the street, where they climbed into a large blue car. Opening a cell phone, Phoenix dialed a number.
"Cray, I have him. Is everything set up? We need to hurry if were going to pull this off. I'll be there in 5. Have Nero and Twip stand guard outside. Right. See you." He hung up the phone as he started the vehicle.
"So I get to take the red pill again, hmm. That's got to be a first." Ace said. Phoenix nodded.
"First man to fall down the rabbit hole twice!" They shared a laugh, as Ace's memories started to fall into place and he began remembering his friend.
"Unlike when we normally take a person out of the Matrix, with you the Agents will be expecting something, so we have to move especially fast. The Chimera is already waiting near the drop point of the node that we expect you to be in. Hopefully we can get you pulled and see how much your muscles have degenerated." Phoenix turned the car around the corner and sped up.
"Uh, Phoenix.." Ace started. "How long have we been back in? Time isn't exactly linear in the Matrix."
"It's been 5 years, give or take." Ace nodded. It could have been much worse. It could have been twenty, and he could be pulled only to learn that he was too old to do anything other than go to Zion and plant crops in hydroponics.
"So has anything happened while I was away? Any new colonies started?" Phoenix was quiet for a minute, considering what to say.
"Alpha colony fell. A stray EM Burst alerted a sentinel group, from what I heard. There were no survivors."
"What about the others? Any changes?" He asked.
"Nero has turned into quite the warrior. He runs point or guards for us all the time. While nothing is worth loosing two of your finest people, at least he is useful. We pulled a hacker named Hexadecimal, she is good with the Core. She and Twip have unofficially shacked up. I told them it was fine as long as it doesn't interfere with their duties."
Ace nodded, looking at the road. "What about the search? Has anyone found."
"You mean the One? I've heard rumors, but there are always rumors. Probably just a strong potential, like yourself and Nightshade." Phoenix turned the car into a parking lot and pulled forward into a garage. The doors closed behind them.
"I'm a little worried. Since regaining my memories of the Matrix and what it is, I've tried some of the things I used to be able to do. it didn't work. The skills I learned at the hands of Jacob are gone. (Jacob was the Operator prior to Ace's and Nightshades capture) My mind is "not Free". They climbed out of the car and walked up some stairs as the garage door closed behind them. At the top of the stairs was a man carrying a large automatic rifle in his hands. Nodding to Nero, they went inside.
"I'm not surprised. When the machines put you back in with a fake past, they probably overwrote your skills. Though you know about the Matrix, you still don't believe it, not inside, and you won't until you've been unplugged. There's nothing we can do about that. Hopefully it won't be a problem much longer." They entered a room where the "Dentist Chair" was set up, and in front of it lay a large metal basin, filled with water. Twip was manning a computer console, preparing to run the trace program.
Ace jumped in the chair as Phoenix brought out the red pill. The blue pill was nowhere to be found. Ace smiled and grabbed the pill, swallowing it dry before sitting back in the chair, waiting for the process to begin.
Because he had some idea of what to expect, it wasn't quite a surprise when the water began to move of its own accord. Behind him he could here Twip calling out readings on the trace program as the water started to come to life. It sloshed in the basin, then started forming a pseudopod which extended towards him. Ace listened as Twip said they were 90% complete obtaining the lock. The water reached him and pressed against his chest.
Ace gasped as he had forgotten the water felt like it came from the bottom of a frozen lake. The water spread across his body, coating him like a suit. Then the water rose above his shoulders, rolling across the back of his head, and finally across his face.
It felt like he was submerged in the frozen lake, looking out through the ice. He could see Twip adjusting the settings on the computer and Phoenix coming over to the chair as everything went dark.
*****
Warmth. Not longer cold, but warm, like a nice bath. Opening his eyes, he could barely see the pinkish gel that he was floating in. Remembering last time, he resisted the panic that he was drowning and reached up, breaking the membrane of his cocoon and sat up. He grabbed the tube that was attached to his face and pulled, gagging as the long tube came out of his mouth. Then, using a hand to wipe the gunk from his eyes, he gazed around the room, looking at thousands of batteries.
Reaching behind him, he grasped the connection to his head, struggling vainly to remove it. It, of course, wouldn't budge. His muscles were not in to bad of shape, though he had lost a good deal of muscle tone. Finally, he heard the tell-tale humming of the approaching nurse bot, which noticed him sitting up and came to inspect his cocoon. Finding it burst open, with the occupant sitting up, it assumed the battery was busted and reached to unplug it. Ace flinched when the machine grabbed him by his neck. It could quickly end his life, but it was programmed to only remove the plugs and flush his pod, making way for a new battery. After it dropped him, the other plugs on his body popped off sequentially with a hiss of compressed air and Ace took the water slide towards the drop point.
*****
Cray, who was manning the sensors of the Chimera, called to Hex as he saw the surge of water and detritus from the drain. Then out fell a body. Hex pulled it up, but found that it definitely was not Ace, being half decayed. She dropped the hook and allowed the body to float away.
"Hey Hex, you ever wander why the Plants drop some bodies down the chute, but others it grinds for food? To the Plant, they're all dead." Cray asked her.
"I assume it keeps those that die of natural causes, but those who die of disease are flushed to prevent possible infection of other batteries. Those we pull must register as an unnatural death." She replied.
"Here comes another one!" he said.
*****
Last time he had slid down the chute, he was nearly unconscious. This time, if it weren't for being sore, naked and cold, the slide would be almost fun. Ace slide down the last turn and then fell 35 feet into the fetid water. That, however, was not fun as he involuntarily took a gulp of the nasty stuff and immediately started gagging. The claw came down and grabbed him, hoisting him up into the ship. On the way, he vomited some of the water, along with what remained of his last meal. (A/N His last meal was remains, technically!)
*****
Phoenix sat up after Hex pulled his plug, then walked to the medical bay, where Ace was being checked out.
"How's he doing?" he asked Cray, who doubled as their medic.
"Better than most do when they're pulled. His muscle tone is still not too shabby." Cray replied.
"You should have seen him before he went in." Phoenix said with a smirk.
"His extra plugs will have to be removed again, and his eyes will be sensitive for a few days. Other than that, he's good. He'll be sedated until we flush the toxins from his body. took a good swig of that water when he hit. it'd suck to pull him only to have him die from the stuff."
Phoenix nodded and turned to leave.
*****
Two Weeks later.
Phoenix entered the construct, followed closely by Ace. Phoenix's RSI resembled himself, save for instead of the raggedy clothes that they all wore, he was wearing a dark blue tee-shirt, black pants, and was wearing his black trenchcoat. His normally ratty hair was well kept and pulled back.
Ace's RSI had changed since he was pulled out. His long brown hair was straighter, and less prone to flying around in the slightest breeze. His black denim jacket was replaced by a full-length dark green Army surplus trenchcoat, complete with fraying and bullet holes. He had on dark green denim pants and army boots.
"We'll skip the usual training since you've already completed it. Let's begin combat training."
"No need. My skills are coming back to me, now that I'm out of the pod."
"Prove it. Hex, load the Pier combat sequence."
On the computers that operate the core, Hex inserted a disk, loading the sequence. Then she hit the Load button and in the construct, a thick fog rolled through the room. When it thinned, Phoenix and Ace were standing on a Pier. To both sides of them rested large cargo vessels, loaded with crates. On the pier itself lay several crates that had already been offloaded.
Phoenix began taking off his trench coat, and Ace followed suit. Phoenix turned to him and bowed, and Ace attacked when motioned to do so. He started with a jump kick, which Phoenix stopped by grabbing his foot and pushing back. Ace landed, doing a back flip to regain his footing. He rushed Phoenix, a flurry of punches and kicks, all being blocked or deflected, then he landed a head-butt that Phoenix wasn't expecting.
Phoenix decided to take the initiative and began to press an attack on Ace, which he was hard pressed to block. After 4 simultaneous punches, he snuck in a kick that knocked Ace across the pier and into some stacked crates. After this, he began evading Phoenix, doing his best to stay away from the flurry of strikes that awaited him anytime he approached.
"Com'on Ace! You're a potential! You have more to bring than this! You have your skills back, that's true, but why are you running? If you can't take me on how do you expect to survive Running the Matrix?"
Ace stopped, took a deep breath, and turned towards Phoenix. Coming at him, he blocked two punches, then landed a strike to his abdomen. Following up with a knee strike, he attempted a sweep kick, which Phoenix jumped over.
"Alright! Now were talking!" Phoenix landed from the jump and did a spinning jump kick. Ducking the kick, Ace gave a double palm-strike to Phoenix's back as he revolved, which pushed him into a stack of crates.
"Okay. No holding back now!" Phoenix said as he extricated himself from the crates. *NO holding back? He's been holding back?? Jesus Christ! * thought Ace.
Phoenix came at him, punching and kicking in a blur, moving so fast that his hands and feet were not visible. Blocking and dodging as fast as he could, Ace still got struck one out of three times, and it was beginning to have an effect on him.
"Do you yield?" asked Phoenix as he pummeled Ace. "Do you yield?!" he repeated.
"NO!" shouted Ace as he was struck again. Concentrating, Phoenix's strikes took on a slow motion quality, which Ace found easier to block. Weaving in between his strikes, Ace punched Phoenix in the chest, pushing him back 5 feet, where he fell to the ground.
Hunched over with his hands resting on his knees, panting heavily, Ace stumbled over to where Phoenix was lying, his chest heaving. At first he thought Phoenix was crying, but it resolved into a low-throated laughter, that got louder as he climbed to his feet. He came over and grabbed Ace's hand.
"It's great to have you back!" he said as he grasped his friends arm. "Hex, end the sequence," he called.
TBC.
Authors note: I am getting more comfortable writing with these characters, and if enough people show interest, I am considering writing a sequel to Awakening involving the adventures of the ship Chimera and the Matrix.
Also, to clarify, Ace and Nightshade are potentials, much like the children in the Oracle's house. They can bend the rules greater than the average runner, but to nowhere near the levels as Neo can do (such as breaking them ie flying)
Please review and offer suggestions!