Vick says: chapter 6 of the FIREWALLS saga, keep reading!...the past of Jeremy in the Matrix and the beginning of rediscovering Shiva...more action this time...and please, to all those religious people...please don't consider this chapter an attack...I am a believer...I really am...but I thought this is an interesting twist in this universe and all the references about religion are just to improve the symbolism of the characters. Also, I AM NOT , I repeat... I AM NOT talking about any religion in particular...pay close attention and you'll see how deep this chapter is...
Feedback point : vickpena@yahoo.com.mx please use encrypted email engine with fake DNS address, I suspect agents have been chasing me...
Disclaimer. Agent Smith, the Matrix and other characters related are property of other very creative persons and not mine, a fan who wants to write an entertaining and interesting Sci Fi piece based in this outstanding saga.
THE MATRIX:
Firewalls
By Vick
Vickpena@yahoo.com.mx
Book 1: The Agent and the Hacker.
Chapter 6
The reverend
Jehovah had said, " I will manage you, yes, for good, I will intercede for you, yes, In times of calamity and in the time of anguish, against the enemy
Jeremiah 15:11
Matthew Gillespie was a man of faith.
He embraced the promises of Heaven and paradise and became a brave soldier of the Lord who would spread the good news all over the Earth...the kingdom is coming, he often said to whoever wanted to hear him...
He was a beloved preacher and his flock really thought he'd get a closer relationship with God and would be, with no doubt, a man that would survive the Armageddon easily ...he was responsible for saving so much lives for God...snatching them from the claws of the iniquitous...
Satan was everywhere...Satan wanted to destroy us all...Satan presented us an easy world of drugs...liquor... noisy parties...he wanted to separate us from God....but that was the world of the End of Times...the world that preceded the Armageddon, when God would 'make all things new' and would give the men and women who acted with faith and fulfilled his requirements a paradise to live for a thousand years.
There would be no more death.
No more suffering
No more evil
Matthew believed in all that and his entire world was ruled by his faith.
In his work...in his house......at the Mall...everywhere...he testified his faith and tried to save more lives...talking people about God.
"Reverend ?" a woman called.
Matthew stopped his reading
"Hello Mrs. Woodson" he smiled " what can I do for you?"
"I was thinking that you may want to come have dinner with us tonight " she said, smiling. " Cliff will prepare Roast Beef"
Matthew nodded "I'd love to, Mrs. Woodson but first I have to prepare a speech for another congregation "
"Am I interrupting?" she asked, worried " I can go clean now if you..."
"No, don't worry " he said , patting the bible he was reading " I was just trying to find a few more verses to finish it...but it can wait...I always have time for my brothers and sisters"
"thank you, reverend " the woman smiled with joy " I don't know what we would do without you"
"you'd have to continue serving the Lord, remember there are a lot of blessing for those who take care of his relationship with HIM"
Mrs. Woodson nodded and squeezed his hand with affection. "we'll be waiting for you at 9, reverend"
"I'll be there" he said resuming his reading.
He was reading the book of the prophet Jeremiah ..how many times he had read the Bible?...too many, he mused...but I always find it interesting...there had to be a reason for that, he continued thinking ...maybe God is making me strong for the times to come...
Keep getting close to me and I will protect you.
He paused to clean his glasses and looked around.
Mrs. Woodson was using a mop to clean the entrance of the Kingdom Hall, and, once that little job was finished he would be the only one there ....he liked to be there....it was a place with all the quiet and silence he needed to concentrate.
Matthew was thinking in prepare some coffee in the little kitchen in the back of the building when he heard a window crashing and a phone ringing...
The phone was in the kitchen.
He heard more noises.
Matthew leaped to his feet and, Bible in hand, went to the kitchen, slowly, trying to make no noise.
In a world ruled by Satan he would expect everything.
"help me, God " he prayed " give me strength to face evil in whatever shape it takes"
Matthew opened the door and saw a young woman inching toward the phone...she was leaving a trail of blood as she moved, crawling on the floor... her white leather outfit was stained in red....her face was a mask of pain and one of her arms was broken...how she got there in that state was a mystery...
She let go a groan...and collapsed on the floor.
Matthew, witness of that scene of pain, thought she was dead but she moved, surprising him.
The phone continued ringing.
Maybe that was what made her move...
She wanted to pick up the phone.
"Miss?" he decided to act
The woman looked at him, at the verge of shock.
"let me help you" he kneeled down next to her "what happened to you?"
She tried to talk but blood drowned her words.
She coughed, Matthew helped her seat, holding her back
"I will call 911 now" he tried to reach the ringing phone.
"No..." she babbled but it was too late...Matthew picked up the call and then hung up again...the woman's eyes filled with tears as he picked up the phone and dialed.
"yes?...I am reverend Matthew Gillespie there is a wounded woman here...I need you to send an ambulance!"
"what is your address?" the voice on the other side of the line
"quickly...she is dying...send the ambulance to the 212 of Regina Hilburn St"
"on their way, sir" the 911 woman said and hung up
Matthew hung up , the woman was trying to say something.
"hang in there..." Matthew didn't know first aids and for the first time in his life he wished to
"the cell phone...." the woman cried , his hands trying to find something in her pockets....but her coordination was getting worst and she didn't succeed...Matthew got the idea and searched for it. "pick up the cell phone, reverend"
"but..."
The phone began buzzing "please " she begged " it is the only..." cough " the only way you can survive now that you've seen me...."
"it doesn't matter what you've done....I will help you "
"you don't understand..." she babbled ...her voice getting weak " please, reverend...they can be here any minute"
The phone insisted.
"who?...the ones who did you this?"
"pick...the call...father..." she commanded so vehemently Matthew had to obey
"she will die..." the voice on the phone said " she will die if you don't help her in the only way you can "
"what can I do?"
The other phone, the one on the table, rang.
"put her on the phone...quickly..."
Matthew reached for the phone , the cellular still held in his ear, and was about to do as they said when he heard the scream of Mrs. Woodson.
He looked at the door.
Mrs. Woodson screamed again and this time, the vision of what was happening filled Matthew's heart with terror.
As Incredible as it may seem, the woman began to transform, avoiding all logic...the woman vanished and became a man in gray suit wearing sunglasses.
"Jesuscrist " Matthew said.
"PUT HER ON!" the voice on the other side of the line commanded.
Matthew did it.
But she was dead...killed by a clean shot in the forehead by the man in gray suit...Matthew witnessed that display of cruelty with his mouth open...in the eyes of the woman, the last thing he saw was sadness...like if her last thought was 'I don't want to die like this..."
Time seemed to move slowly as he put the body on the floor
At first...he didn't know what to do...
But he still had weapons against demons...because what he just saw was the proof of Satan's existence...and he had the Lord with him...
The man in gray suit aimed
No!
"Go away in the name of Jesuscrist!" Matthew rose...the phone receiver hit the ground with a loud thump "this is the house of God and you can do nothing against his power!...I...in the name of the Lord , command you to leave !"
"do you really think there is a God?" Agent Smith asked, smiling "I will tell you something very important...keep this in mind...for all intents and purposes I am God."
He held his breath...
The window! He never realized he still had the cellular phone until he heard the voice now!
He jumped out the window, falling heavily on the sidewalk but managed to keep the phone with him...that seemed to be the only way to survive...
The breath was knocked out of him but he got up, he felt the bullets zipping as they missed for inches ...the people on the street looked at him in surprise...why was the reverend being chased by a man with a gun?...but there was no time to answers and all of them moved aside to avoid getting killed.
"Turn left next intersection...there will be a car waiting for you....a navy blue Lincoln without license plates " the voice on the phone said
"who are you?"
"no time for that now"
A bullet hit a man with a shopping bag to his right...people started to scream...Matthew turned left and saw the car...the back door was open...he used his last shred of energy to dive into the car in time to miss the Agent who simply stopped in short, apparently indifferent
One more saved from the claws of the iniquitous.
***
Inside the car he saw three persons. One, the woman who was driving the car at full speed and the other two...a man and a girl who just left her teens , all of them had grave faces and wore similar black outfits...
He just stood there for more than 10 minutes...gasping for air...his suit stained with blood...the cell phone firmly clenched in his hands.
"No need for that now..." the girl said. " you're safe with us"
"who are you?...drug dealers?....the mob?..."
"You only wish we were...would that be easier for you, reverend?"
"I...." he babbled
"My name is Fury " the man said and practically ripped the phone out of his hands "hello?"
He listened for a couple of minutes and then hung up
The driver slowed down, looking more calm.
"we lost him" she informed.
"Matthew, you were not supposed to be part of this...we thought the building was empty..." Fury said and it sounded like an apology " the phone in your church was the last chance for our friend...unfortunately...she didn't make it "
Matthew's voice was low and desperate
"what kind of demon is that man?...why he killed her like that?"...what happened to Mrs. Woodson?"
The girl answered "for you to understand it...Smith is Satan in person"
"Mrs. Woodson is dead..." Fury stated "and so will you which is why I will make you choose..."
"Choose what?" he asked, rising his voice " I will not participate with you...I want to get down....I will go to the nearest precinct and will tell them about you!"
The driver looked at him using the rear view mirror.
"Maya" Fury called
She pulled the car to the curb and parked
"you are free to go " the girl said
Matthew promptly opened the door to get down.
"you won't reach the next corner..." the girl continued "Smith is everywhere"
"Jung is right..." Fury added " Agents are everywhere..."
The speed with the which he found himself in that situation overwhelmed him, suddenly he didn't know who was telling the truth or what was real...he saw Mrs. Woodson transforming in Smith ...he also had to admit they helped him...he'd be death by now...like the woman he tried to help.
"We didn't want to get you involved..." Jung repeated , her voice calm. " but now we can't let you go without telling the truth..."
"truth?...what truth?" Matthew's heart was pounding so hard he thought it would jump off his chest." I don't know other truth than the one that is in the Bible"
They exchanged knowing glances...Fury sighed...the girl called Jung looked at him
"We know...reverend..." she stated " but if you believe in the omnipresence of God then you'll have to face the truth that it was him the one who sent you our way "
"Lies!"
"We all wish it would be lies, reverend but they are not" Jung continued " you can go if you want but you won't last much...the Agents will look for you...they will want to know what we told you and will use you to try to find us..."
"I have nothing to say!" Matthew said, bitterly " I am not a man of violence...and I have nothing to hide"
"that is true " Jung said, sadly " but the truth won't save you this time...you have to trust me, Reverend... otherwise...you'll discover in the worst way how badly this world is in the hands of Satan"
"let me go...please...." he begged
"give yourself the chance to live, reverend " Jung continued "you don't have to die like our friend....now, choose...do you want to keep living in this world ruled by Satan or would you like to have the chance to fight back in the real war against evil?"
He looked at the trio...their worry about him seemed real and their words sincere...after all.. he saw Smith killing the wounded woman and shooting at him even when the street was crowded...this persons could've killed him or could've let him there but they saved him...
"promise you won't hurt me..."
"we do..." Jung said, firmly , taking his hands and pulling him inside the car again. " we will only show you the real world..."
"a paradise?"
"I am afraid not..."
The car accelerated
Nobody knew what happened to Reverend Matthew Gillespie...his beloved flock cried his death and prayed for him wishing to see the day he'd be resurrected like the others who are sleeping in hope, waiting for the fulfillment of god's promises.
Jeremy , The future Captain of the Mordecai was born.
Shiva unplugged meets the Matrix
He'd always remember that day...a day far away in his past ...and she'd always remember the woman he couldn't save because he didn't know how...Soul...that was her name...
The ship he was carried to, the Solomon was destroyed in battle two years later....only he and Jung could make it...barely...hiding from Sentinels until the rescue ships arrived...when they were brought back to Zion they were put in different crews but, when the Mordecai was rebuilt and he was named Captain she looked for the girl who saved him...Jung.
"this is the construct...."
Shiva found herself in an empty blank white space next to Jeremy.
"This is our loading program...if we need something then we just load it here...weapons...vehicles...clothes....training programs...everything..."
"It is incredible...is this a computer program?"
"yes.." Jeremy pointed to her right " please, have a seat"
She could've swear there was no chairs there a moment ago. But she sat.
Shiva was so shocked she was starting to think nothing could surprise her anymore.
"I will tell you the story of how the world ended like this and how we became slaves of the machines...it is a must-to-be-told story we have all heard at a moment...it will be hard to believe but it is completely true and you've seen the proof...."
Shiva listened with full attention, willing not to miss a single detail...the story was just as he said...unbelievable but she had no choice but believe it...she heard how the humans created Artificial Intelligence and how machines conquered the world slaving the humans to produce energy now that the sky was a mass of darkness...she heard how they harvested humans and how they fed them with a virtual reality called The Matrix...a computer world of feelings and fake lives in the form of electric signals fed directly to the brain.
She felt sad.
But sadness was a feeling that passed quickly eclipsed by a raising anger...the thorn of betrayal digging deep in her soul...
"show me more" she said.
"load the training program, Jung " he said in his cell phone.
In a wink, Shiva was at his side in a crowded street near a Church where the wedding bells were heard...a black long limousine was parked at the gate, waiting for the newly weds.
Shiva looked around , clearly surprised.
"This is what I call 'being beamed up' " she said, feeling like waking up from a nightmare, she felt the rays of sun, the wind blowing in her face, she felt the touch of the long coat she was wearing...she even had her long black hair tied in a pony tail...everything was normal.
He hated leather but she found that outfit was very comfortable.
"this is the Matrix" Jeremy said opening his arms .
She looked around , the people walking, the buildings...the birds...the sky...everything was just like she remembered it...it was familiar.
"hey...this is my neighborhood"
"As a matter of fact it is..." Jeremy said, amused " Jung has a strange sense of humor..."
Shiva smiled and pointed left " that's Mr. Yang's grocery store" she said " and that's Julia's Boutique..."
Jeremy kept silent and followed her to the building down the street.
Shiva said hello to some persons as they walked that way...a man jogging with his dog...an elder lady who was locking the door to her house...a young girl who was buying some Fashion magazines in the newspaper stand in the corner and finally, to the security guard in the building's door.
"hey Martin" she said.
"hey Gillian " the man replied, hobbling to meet her " long time not see...where were you?"
"Oh, you know, business..." she stated, warmly , patting the old man in the back
"I have been feeding your cat " Martin informed "little Moxie misses you"
"oh, that reminds me...I missed my keys...can I borrow yours?"
"Absolutely...I'll meet you at the elevator to go up with you "
Shiva smiled and continued walking, Jeremy at her heels.
They rang for the elevator and waited
"I love that old sod, " Shiva said, " he is a sweet"
Jeremy continued in silence.
"why you brought me here?" she asked " you showed me this is not real but you brought me to my apartment?"
"I believe you cannot measure the reaches of the Matrix unless you experience them....I know I did"
"and how exactly are you going to make me 'experience' that?"
Martin's voice came from the back.
" Gillian..."
She swirled with a smile in her face but the cold metal of the gun in her forehead whipped it immediately....she held her breath when she saw who was there, about to kill her.
"Smith..." she let go in a whisper.
"Stop"
Smith froze...as did the rest of the world...outside, beyond the entrance, the wold seemed to enter in a 'pause mode', cars were frozen even when it was obvious they were running...people were static...everything...including the animals were...it was like looking a photo.
"I see you remember him " Jeremy sighed " these are the Matrix's security programs we know as Agents...Sentient Software Units linked to the Matrix main core....they are everywhere...they can do anything..."
"how...?"
"Agents can use any person in this world... " pause " we have a saying ...'if you're not one of us...then you're one of them'...you cannot trust anyone inside the Matrix...they probably wouldn't cause you any harm...like Martin...but they would eventually...Agents would use them to find you destroying the person in the process..."
"Is Martin...?"
"...Dead?" Jeremy shook his head " this is just a program Jung wrote...don't worry about him...now...Shiva...do you understand how far the Matrix reach?"
Shiva felt sad ..all of her life, her memories...her friends and family was a lie...all of what she believed in was just an illusion to keep her mind busy while her body produced energy for the machines...
"I do..." she said, bitterly " now...if they can do all that shit you mention what is the case if we are only humans and not... " she swayed her fingers in front of Jeremy's face " Superman"
Jeremy grinned " we are not, you're right but we have certain advantage over the rest of people..." he pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed " the jump program, please"
Shiva felt dizzy when the view changed...she felt being transported, against all natural laws of motion and space...to the rooftop of a building...she didn't know how many stories it had but it was tall....across the street, there was another similar in height.
She tried to remain calm but...
Her pulse is increasing...
Oh, joy, don't tell me she is afraid of heights...
"do you like the view?" Jeremy asked.
"I..."
"You said we are not Superman " he shrugged his shoulders " that is right but we have the knowledge of the truth...we know this is a computer program " the wind howled whipping Jeremy's long coat to the side "Natural forces like gravity are emulated by the Matrix , cold, heat....everything that is needed to make us believe this is real but....all of those rules can be broken ...if you embrace the truth you'll be free.."
Jeremy spun , running hard at the edge of the rooftop and jumped. He sailed through the air, his coat billowing out behind him like a cape.
He landed on the roof of the building across the street ..at impossible fifty feet away.
"Holy Shit!" she said...if he wanted her to do it then he was totally out of his mind...he'd never do something that crazy...truth or no truth...Matrix or no Matrix...
what is she waiting for?
She chickened out
Jeremy jumped back to her side, landing hard, one knee on the floor, breaking the tiles.
"I will need you to try to do it"
"In your wildest dreams " Shiva stepped back "there is no way in hell I am going to jump off this building...I...I...saw you doing it but I won't!"
"you'll have to learn to do it...it is a necessary skill for all of us..." Jeremy tried to persuade her "your life can depend on it"
"I said no!"
Jeremy rolled his eyes and sighed in contained exasperation. "Jung, take us out...it is enough for one day"
Shiva opened her eyes and saw Freud looking at her with a big smile.
"feeling afraid of heights, eh, cutie?"
"very funny, Freud " she barked and she would probably said something more but the feeling of being disconnected kept her shut...it was a terrible sensation...
Abraham was chuckling next to a very calm and neutral Jung who was still typing in a keyboard.
Joyce was nowhere in sight
Jeremy clapped " well, Shiva...what do you say?"
"Why me?" she asked becoming very serious
"I'll explain it later, why don't we go have something to eat now, I think you're hungry"
The mention of food was enough to make her feel better...her stomach reminded her she didn't eat since....since...well, since the day before she was taken to the Mordecai...in fact, the last thing she ate was a delicious meatloaf sandwich.
"Yes..." she let Freud help her up " show me the way..."
Freud pointed to her left and she walked that way being followed by the others in exception of Jung who continued her job.
"do you have any chicken?" she asked in hope but the laughter of the others told her she was not lucky and that the nearest Kentucky Fried Chicken was, truly, inside her head...