Chapter I

            Neo checked his watch. Late. People walked past him, not even paying notice to his black clothing and sunglasses. Their daily lives went on, day by day – without the knowledge of their blindness.

Neo paced on the street corner. "Where is he?" He asked to the sky. He looked to his left – vendors at their stalls selling fruits and newspapers. On his right, lines of bright yellow cabs and people walking or riding their bikes on the pavement.

He checked his watch again. 10:23. Eight minutes late. Neo leaned against the marble support of the bank behind him, and smoothly took off his sunglasses. He looked across the street at the passers-by as Morpheus walked up behind him.  "You're late." He sighed.

"It's not my fault, Neo." Morpheus laughed.

"Well then whose fault is it?" Neo joked. They shook hands and walked the street together. "So what have you been up to?"

"We've been rather busy," more people passed them without taking notice. "People can be so stubborn."

"What do you mean?"

Morpheus stopped and turned to Neo. "I have told thirteen people in the last three days the truth. Not one chose the red pill."

"It's so utterly obvious. Why are people so blind?"

"Because they refuse to accept the truth. They have no reason to leave the life they live. They don't want to." He turned and began to walk through the oncoming hoard of people.

"Why don't they want to?"

"I just told you why."

"You said they have no reason to leave the life they live!" He protested.

"And they don't. At least from their perspective."

"From ours they do." Neo then turned his body to wedge between two people. "And that's what matters, right?

"No, Neo. That is not what matters." He walked around a group of people talking by a building.  "Our perspective means nothing. The truth is all that matters."

They walked for a few more minutes, saying nothing. Neo looked at Morpheus, he was a pace faster than him. "Where are we going?"

"To a phone."

"Why?"

"I need to show you something. Something you need to know."

Neo stopped as Morpheus turned right into an alley. "What do I need to know? What's going on?" He yelled as he ran after Morpheus. He ran into the alley just in time to see the edge of Morpheus' coat go into a steel door. "Alright.." he sighed and followed.

He walked up the stone steps, his hand gliding softly on the steel handrail. He opened the door. It was dark inside, he could barely see anything. He stepped inside. "Morpheus?" He whispered. There was a dark hallway before him, and he could see that it shortly ended and split. He walked cautiously to the end of the hallway. "Morpheus?" he asked softly. "Where are you?" There was a wall before him, and a hallway on the left and one on the right.

"I'm in here, Neo."

Neo turned to the right, in response to Morpheus' voice. He could see there was a lit room twenty feet ahead on the left. He walked a bit anxiously to the door. "Morpheus?" He turned into the room and squinted, blinded by a bright light in the room. His eyes adjusted, and he could see that there was no one in the room. He paused for a moment, looking at the bland yellow walls that surrounded him. He turned back to the door and walked out. He turned to head back to the intersection of hallways but was suddenly grabbed from behind.

A strong arm found its way around his neck and covered his mouth. His other arm was taken and slammed against his own back as he was thrown against the wall. He was helpless.

Neo then heard a firm, familiar voice from behind him.

"Hello, Mr. Anderson."