Chapter Two - Play With Ice
Neo woke up slowly, feeling his body return to consciousness. It was something he had never done when he was in the Matrix, but on second thought, it didn't matter anyway. He arched his back, curling and uncurling his fingers and toes which tingled as blood flowed through them. Finally, he opened his eyes, to see her lying there, still asleep and dreaming. He watched her, as her brow furled and her arms twitched, as if to reach out to someone. Her expression changed, revealing disappointment. or was it rejection? He leaned down, placing his hand on her head, and kissed her. She roused from her sleep, her hand reaching out to take his before her eyes opened. Neo was always surprised how warm her hands were, how real they felt. The novelty of the experience had never diminished for him, and he hoped the same was for her.
"What time is it?" She asked, still not opening her eyes.
"Time we should get going." Neo said regretfully.
"Damn." She muttered, opening her eyes and sitting up to find Neo still laying with her hand in his, not moving. She prodded him in the shoulder.
"Get up."
Neo threw her one smirk, and got out of bed, but found that now he was pulling her.
"I didn't mean all the way." She quipped.
Neo gazed at her face, admiring how soft it was, how the day had not yet had a chance to place any lines upon it. Lines of worry, grief, stress. He tugged her arm.
"Get up." He smiled. "Get up, because today's going to be a good day."
She eyed him skeptically. "Why?"
Neo placed his hand over his mouth dramatically, like a school girl who had revealed too much of a rumor to a friend.
"None of your business." He shot at her.
Without giving her time to reply, Neo walked out the door, leaving Trinity alone. She never liked surprises - they always had the way of going wrong. Standing up, she ran her fingers through her hair, let it fall. Pulling on her boots, she left her quarters. She rounded the hall, and turned sharply.
She knew she had heard it. A squeak. He had always tried to be as quiet as possible, but Trinity had always known when Mouse had stuck his head out to look at her, then hide himself way. She wondered if he knew that squeak always gave him away. She smiled fondly, but it was bittersweet. She walked to Mouse's door, which was left slightly ajar, and entered.
There was nothing. The walls, once covered with drawings in charcoal of women and schematics of different ships, were barren. The bed sat unadorned, unused for many months. Trinity stood a moment longer, lost in thought, but was roused by the sound of footsteps. She stepped out, to see Link walking down the hall. Trinity didn't know much about him but what she did know was that he could be trusted. He had promised Dozer that were he or his brother Tank, to die, that Link would come to the Neb, to serve in their place. Seeing him was another bittersweet reminder of another comrade lost.
"Hey, Trinity, what's up?"
"Nothing. You?"
Link smiled, his grin large. "Nada. Morpheus relieved me a minute ago, and I'm grabbing some grub. Wanna come with?"
"Sure."
The pair walked to the mess hall, silently. Link watched Trinity's feet as they walked. The woman can't take a soft step, he mussed, watching her feet connect solidly and with determination, planning. Link couldn't imagine walking like that. Watching the way she held herself he was made uncomfortable. Was she always this aggressive, or did the Matrix make her like this? He wondered what she was like with Neo. He knew he couldn't live with a woman so military in action and thinking.
Trinity strode into the mess hall, picked up her bowl and an extra for Link. She filled them, handed one off to him, and sat down. She observed the goop moving in reaction to her spoon. She remembered the Oracle. Are we all moving in a pre-determined pattern from some external force? What choices do I really make?
Link interrupted her thoughts. "So, what are you doing today?"
"Running diagnostics, checking the drop boxes." She took a bite of her food.
Link looked confused. "Morpheus already had me do that this morning though. Are we expecting some heavy drop traffic today?"
Trinity's spoon paused over her bowl. "You checked the phone drops?"
"Yeah, I did." Link replied. "And I ran all the diagnostics for the day earlier. Everything's fine."
Something's going to happen today, Trinity thought, irritably. She frowned unconsciously. Neo was acting strange. She'd never seen him happy. Well, yes she had, but this was different. It was an innocent, childish kind of happy. Something that made Trinity uncomfortable, to say the least.
Link sat back, having finished his breakfast, and watched Trinity, who was looking at her half-eaten bowl and frowning. It's not like he knew what was going on. All he knew was that Morpheus had gotten him up early (too damn early if you asked Link) to do the diagnostics, to make sure that the ship was ready to leave. Link mentally shrugged. A realization hit him. He stood up, threw his dish in the mess, and left the hall without a word to Trinity.
"He's in on whatever it is too, damn it." She muttered. She stood and spun on her heels to place her dish in the auto cleaner.
Link hurried through the corridors, to his console. He began typing furiously. Accessing the operator communication protocols, he sent a message to the Logos.
Find any Rabbits to cook yet? He typed. Link paused, waiting. The response came.
Even if I did, you won't eat my cooking anyway. :p
That's because your cooking sucks. Link retorted.
So what do you want? I only got a few minutes to type, Niobe's been on my ass to finish my diagnostics and shit.
Link's fingers paused on the keyboard. Maybe Sparks didn't know anything.
So have I, but I finished. Trin's all pissed about something, and Neo's been walking around like he got laid. Link struck the enter key, looking over his shoulder. He waited for Spark's response.
Is there another woman? :) No, jk. I know what you feel - Niobe's been running around like something special is going on today. Ghost is. well, Ghost. He seems more pensive than normal today though. Really? Link typed, then stopped, thinking. What is today, anyway? Is it a holiday or anniversary or something?
I don't know. oh shit, she's comin'.
*CONNECTION CLOSED BY REMOTE HOST*
Link sat back. Was this some joke between Niobe and Morpheus? They seemed to be the only two who knew what was going on. That and Neo. Sparks looked over his shoulder again. No one was on deck except him. Leaning back in his chair, he pondered what was going to happen. Realizing that he still had work to do on the main AC and hard drives, Link left the main deck.
Neo watched Link pass him without seeing, and came out of the darkness behind the secondary power couplings. Quietly, he walked up to the terminal. Neo yawned and cracked his knuckles. He sat down to cracking into the Operator Communication Protocols. Finally the system bent and he was in. He proceeded to read the most recent archives. He was glad. Niobe hadn't tipped off Sparks, and Link didn't seem to know anything either. He closed his eyes and smiled. Lately, Trinity had become more and more stressed. She had trouble sleeping and was distant with him. The Neb hadn't been back to Zion in over two months, and Neo and Morpheus both knew what the problem was. While she may love Neo, there was another she loved. Neo knew, and wished often that he had someone he could call sister the way Trinity called Ghost brother.
Neo woke up slowly, feeling his body return to consciousness. It was something he had never done when he was in the Matrix, but on second thought, it didn't matter anyway. He arched his back, curling and uncurling his fingers and toes which tingled as blood flowed through them. Finally, he opened his eyes, to see her lying there, still asleep and dreaming. He watched her, as her brow furled and her arms twitched, as if to reach out to someone. Her expression changed, revealing disappointment. or was it rejection? He leaned down, placing his hand on her head, and kissed her. She roused from her sleep, her hand reaching out to take his before her eyes opened. Neo was always surprised how warm her hands were, how real they felt. The novelty of the experience had never diminished for him, and he hoped the same was for her.
"What time is it?" She asked, still not opening her eyes.
"Time we should get going." Neo said regretfully.
"Damn." She muttered, opening her eyes and sitting up to find Neo still laying with her hand in his, not moving. She prodded him in the shoulder.
"Get up."
Neo threw her one smirk, and got out of bed, but found that now he was pulling her.
"I didn't mean all the way." She quipped.
Neo gazed at her face, admiring how soft it was, how the day had not yet had a chance to place any lines upon it. Lines of worry, grief, stress. He tugged her arm.
"Get up." He smiled. "Get up, because today's going to be a good day."
She eyed him skeptically. "Why?"
Neo placed his hand over his mouth dramatically, like a school girl who had revealed too much of a rumor to a friend.
"None of your business." He shot at her.
Without giving her time to reply, Neo walked out the door, leaving Trinity alone. She never liked surprises - they always had the way of going wrong. Standing up, she ran her fingers through her hair, let it fall. Pulling on her boots, she left her quarters. She rounded the hall, and turned sharply.
She knew she had heard it. A squeak. He had always tried to be as quiet as possible, but Trinity had always known when Mouse had stuck his head out to look at her, then hide himself way. She wondered if he knew that squeak always gave him away. She smiled fondly, but it was bittersweet. She walked to Mouse's door, which was left slightly ajar, and entered.
There was nothing. The walls, once covered with drawings in charcoal of women and schematics of different ships, were barren. The bed sat unadorned, unused for many months. Trinity stood a moment longer, lost in thought, but was roused by the sound of footsteps. She stepped out, to see Link walking down the hall. Trinity didn't know much about him but what she did know was that he could be trusted. He had promised Dozer that were he or his brother Tank, to die, that Link would come to the Neb, to serve in their place. Seeing him was another bittersweet reminder of another comrade lost.
"Hey, Trinity, what's up?"
"Nothing. You?"
Link smiled, his grin large. "Nada. Morpheus relieved me a minute ago, and I'm grabbing some grub. Wanna come with?"
"Sure."
The pair walked to the mess hall, silently. Link watched Trinity's feet as they walked. The woman can't take a soft step, he mussed, watching her feet connect solidly and with determination, planning. Link couldn't imagine walking like that. Watching the way she held herself he was made uncomfortable. Was she always this aggressive, or did the Matrix make her like this? He wondered what she was like with Neo. He knew he couldn't live with a woman so military in action and thinking.
Trinity strode into the mess hall, picked up her bowl and an extra for Link. She filled them, handed one off to him, and sat down. She observed the goop moving in reaction to her spoon. She remembered the Oracle. Are we all moving in a pre-determined pattern from some external force? What choices do I really make?
Link interrupted her thoughts. "So, what are you doing today?"
"Running diagnostics, checking the drop boxes." She took a bite of her food.
Link looked confused. "Morpheus already had me do that this morning though. Are we expecting some heavy drop traffic today?"
Trinity's spoon paused over her bowl. "You checked the phone drops?"
"Yeah, I did." Link replied. "And I ran all the diagnostics for the day earlier. Everything's fine."
Something's going to happen today, Trinity thought, irritably. She frowned unconsciously. Neo was acting strange. She'd never seen him happy. Well, yes she had, but this was different. It was an innocent, childish kind of happy. Something that made Trinity uncomfortable, to say the least.
Link sat back, having finished his breakfast, and watched Trinity, who was looking at her half-eaten bowl and frowning. It's not like he knew what was going on. All he knew was that Morpheus had gotten him up early (too damn early if you asked Link) to do the diagnostics, to make sure that the ship was ready to leave. Link mentally shrugged. A realization hit him. He stood up, threw his dish in the mess, and left the hall without a word to Trinity.
"He's in on whatever it is too, damn it." She muttered. She stood and spun on her heels to place her dish in the auto cleaner.
Link hurried through the corridors, to his console. He began typing furiously. Accessing the operator communication protocols, he sent a message to the Logos.
Find any Rabbits to cook yet? He typed. Link paused, waiting. The response came.
Even if I did, you won't eat my cooking anyway. :p
That's because your cooking sucks. Link retorted.
So what do you want? I only got a few minutes to type, Niobe's been on my ass to finish my diagnostics and shit.
Link's fingers paused on the keyboard. Maybe Sparks didn't know anything.
So have I, but I finished. Trin's all pissed about something, and Neo's been walking around like he got laid. Link struck the enter key, looking over his shoulder. He waited for Spark's response.
Is there another woman? :) No, jk. I know what you feel - Niobe's been running around like something special is going on today. Ghost is. well, Ghost. He seems more pensive than normal today though. Really? Link typed, then stopped, thinking. What is today, anyway? Is it a holiday or anniversary or something?
I don't know. oh shit, she's comin'.
*CONNECTION CLOSED BY REMOTE HOST*
Link sat back. Was this some joke between Niobe and Morpheus? They seemed to be the only two who knew what was going on. That and Neo. Sparks looked over his shoulder again. No one was on deck except him. Leaning back in his chair, he pondered what was going to happen. Realizing that he still had work to do on the main AC and hard drives, Link left the main deck.
Neo watched Link pass him without seeing, and came out of the darkness behind the secondary power couplings. Quietly, he walked up to the terminal. Neo yawned and cracked his knuckles. He sat down to cracking into the Operator Communication Protocols. Finally the system bent and he was in. He proceeded to read the most recent archives. He was glad. Niobe hadn't tipped off Sparks, and Link didn't seem to know anything either. He closed his eyes and smiled. Lately, Trinity had become more and more stressed. She had trouble sleeping and was distant with him. The Neb hadn't been back to Zion in over two months, and Neo and Morpheus both knew what the problem was. While she may love Neo, there was another she loved. Neo knew, and wished often that he had someone he could call sister the way Trinity called Ghost brother.
