Vick says: Chapter 9...Shiva tries to complete Sonic's program but something is wrong with her...a strange connection is working between she and Smith...come with us to discover Smith's plan and see what the Mordecai crew will do.

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

The Agent and the Hacker.

Chapter 9

Blue Prince unlimited

inspired in Matrix Reloaded OST track 16 'Chateau' by Rob Dougan

"Great...just what I needed..." Homer 'Big Guy' Martinez pressed the brakes of his trailer and saw, with growing anger how the others drivers did the same, the road was blocked a block ahead...something big, he thought, chewing his beloved tobacco.

Homer sighed, and leaned back, cleaning his sweaty forehead with a soft towel he always had at hand.

He was late and that meant bye bye to his 'On time' bonus

Wonderful, simply splendid.

He grabbed the steering wheel and moved the shift gear to Neutral, activating the parking air brake.

His door opened.

"hey!"

"I will make you choose " a man with long black coat and sunglasses said, calmly, his gun aiming at him "either you get down now and save your life or go with me to what will surely be your death"

Homer was not impressed "put the gun down, amigo, this shit is loaded with Gasoline!..."

Jeremy smiled coldly "I know...that is why I need it...."

Homer tried to snatch the gun out of the man's hand but instead of that he found himself being literally pulled out of the vehicle in a single movement.

The driver of the Gasoline pipe hit the ground between the trailer and the adjacent car and, by the time he recovered the man with the long coat was releasing the parking brake

There was a row of vehicles in front of him...the man with the long coat didn't seem to notice and rammed against them.

***

The Mustang was like a white rocket running in the street at full speed toward the barricade...a trailer was close behind.

"ready!" Smith lifted a hand

The cry of surprise of the policemen behind him attracted his attention.

Smith swirled

He saw the pipe opening a path in his direction, fast, very fast....people running away from their cars...vehicles being taken out of the way

The cops began firing, forgetting about the incoming Mustang....some of them decided to get out of the way...

Smith stood in his position and began firing to the driver's side...that was not an accident...he was sure...the bullets broke the windshield , the pipe continued its trajectory ...the cops continued firing but the voice of alarm of one of them warned them about the contents of the pipe...

The police officers ran for their lives...

The driver's door of the pipe opened and a man jumped out, landing in his feet and firing against the pipe when it left him behind

Smith aimed at Jeremy but the truck loomed over him.

Jeremy fired his last round and this time he succeeded

The pipe exploded, destroying the building's windows and sending flames all over the place...the barricade was smashed to pieces as the ignited vehicle continued its trajectory out of control, leaning on one side and moving away from the center line, hitting a store in the corner of the intersection...

"thats the signal" Joyce said

"what are you gonna do?" Shiva asked but it was obvious

The Mustang darted through the open path the explosion left

The flames surrounded the car but it was very fast and could make to the other side , speeding away while the trailer driven by the agent stopped, unable to follow...

"We underestimated them" said Agent Kane getting down of the trailer

"but the virus works" Smith replied appearing from the other side of the trailer" now all we have to do is to wait...let the Sentinels continue ...soon, there will be no more Zion ships"

Shiva's cold

Shiva opened her eyes and sat in the chair, panting and sweating.

"are you ok?" Jung asked

"yes...yes..." she answered , frantically " I am fine...Jesus !"

Jeremy and Joyce were unplugged.

"How could he find us so damn quickly?" Joyce asked once they were in the diner room "they are not that fast"

later,

Jeremy, arms folded, continued paying attention to what his crew had to say.

"Smith is the one who found you first " Jung noted " this is relevant because you know Smith only takes charge of important events..."

"what are you trying to say, Jung?" Abraham asked but he knew it.

"Smith usually allow other agents to do the job unless he has some interest in it..." the operator explained, looking at Shiva.

"Me?" she asked, dumbfounded

"yes" the operator nodded " I think you're important for him somehow"

"that does not explain how he found us that fast " Joyce retored

Freud shook his head " we have the latest report of ships lost...fifteen "

"we can't waste time " Abraham stated

Jung sighed " the firewall have to be uploaded soon....Even Sonic ignored how much time his protection would last...the Mordecai could be spotted anytime ...even as we speak now"

A heavy silence fell over them for a couple of minutes.

"Can't I simply write the program here?" Shiva asked

"No...I explained you..." Joyce said, facing away "the program must be written inside the Matrix"

"but I prefer to consider unwise to send you there again...not if there is the slightest possibility of being spotted that fast by Smith...we were lucky this time " Jung stated. " and he won't be very happy for that"

Shiva took a deep breath

"What about the construct?" she asked, "isn't that a replica of the Matrix?"

Jung and Freud exchanged knowing glances.

"it is, " Abraham nodded " but it has limitations..."

"What kind of limitations?" Shiva sneered " we can load weapons, cars and other things there, can't we?...well...maybe we can create a program there and upload it to the Matrix"

Joyce shook her head " we can load programs that had been copied from the Matrix, Shiva...remember?...cars, weapons and clothes are just files "

"Exactly " Shiva said " files..." she rose and hovered around the table " All I need is Sonic's files...I will continue from there ...can they be copied from the Matrix?."

Freud nodded " yes, but what we don't know is how much the Matrix will accept the codes written in the Construct ...it may accept the codes from Sonic but yours?" he shrugged his shoulders " who knows?"

"are you telling me you have never written a program outside the Matrix?" she asked, surprised

"Not one that works..."Jung stated "the Matrix recognizes the code from the construct and voids it"

Shiva sighed "We'll have to change that" she stated,

"Can't be done" Joyce folded her arms "Jeremy?, why don't we simply retreat to Zion and find other way to solve this problem?"

"Fifteen ships have been destroyed, " the Captain of the Mordecai said, rising his voice " do you really think we can simply got back home like this?" he shook his head " I don't think so, "

"but..."

"What would Sonic do?" Jeremy asked

Everybody stared at her, she didn't let that intimidate her.

"He can't do nothing..." she said, bitterly " he is dead, remember?"

She rose and stormed to the door but Jeremy's voice stopped her

"then you prefer living knowing he died for nothing?" he asked, matter of factly " are you gonna sit down and wait for death?..."

Joyce faced him, fury in her beautiful face.

"We are soldiers, Joyce, we have a duty and a mission...remember that"

"Sonic died because he thought she could do what he couldn't " Joyce yelled " and look at her....she seems to be a magnet for agents...and she is trying to do something impossible...there is no mission here ...the mission is over...and so is Sonic!"

"you are an officer of this ship " Jeremy said, his voice grave and firm " and you will follow my orders!"

She pondered the matter for a couple of seconds.

"alright" Joyce returned to her chair " fine...I will continue with this absurd charade but mark my words and mark them well ...Shiva will mean our doom and the end of Zion's defense "

She then fell in a hermetic silence

Jeremy regained control " Jung, I want you to help Shiva in all she asks you while Abraham and Joyce go get the files..."

The group rose and one by one, began walking out.

"Freud, you stay"

The operator locked the door and folded his arms.

"what's on your mind, Captain?"

Jeremy sat in the chair used by Shiva "our conversation won't leave this room, understood?"

"you can trust me, Jeremy"

"I know " he sighed, intertwining his hands on the table " that is why I asked you to stay..." pause " what do you think about all this?"

"Shiva, Joyce and the firewall?"

"yes..."

"I think Smith knows something we don't and Shiva is part of it"

"you're modest in your opinion this time " Jeremy noted

Freud chuckled. " we have to keep an eye on her...to be alert...and ..." he paused, " and..."

"pull the plug if necessary?"

"yes..." Freud shrugged his shoulders "I sincerely don't know if she will be able to do all the things Sonic thought she could but one thing is true...she wants to give it a shot and will do it seriously..."

Jeremy agreed "what about Joyce?"

"I think she is the most dangerous now...for Shiva and for us...I suspect given the correct circumstances she will betray us...she doesn't know how to deal with his death and thats a big problem for us...she is an easy target for Smith..."

"how so?"

Freud sorted his thoughts before talking " she is here because of Sonic...she could handle living in this world because of his love...I know a thing like love is not practical in our situation but that is the way things are..." pause " give her the way to get out of here and she'll take it even at our expense..."

Jeremy pondered the matter for a couple of seconds...

" are you sure?"

" she told me "

Silence

" Keep an eye on her too, Freud, follow her closely"

" I will " Freud unlocked the door

"unplug her at the minor sign of problem" Jeremy commanded , bitterly

Freud walked out in silence.