Disclaimer: Again, I don't own the One, Trinity, the Oracle, Neo or the
Matrix, but I did create all other characters in this chapter.
CHAPTER 2: Retrieval
Artemis finished her bowl of glop and it on the table. She wordlessly left the galley, something was obviously on her mind. Her crew sat around the table, too shocked to speak. Gaim and Tara silently continued eating. Reboot shifted his eyes to Box, who looked into his empty bowl. Strike stood up to follow her captain, but Box pulled her back. "Let her go. You know what's wrong, and you know how to help her deal with it: you just try not to help at all."
Gaim looked up. "She's upset about the One?"
"Yes," Reboot said. "You can't blame her. She's been waiting four years to find him. Anyone would be disappointed as her." He rinsed his bowl in the nearby sink. "The Oracle told her, promised her, that she would find him around this time."
Strike glanced to the doorway that Artemis had walked through. Box noticed and said, "I know how racking it is to see her upset like that, but you have to let her go."
Artemis sat on her cot, stared at the wall. 200 years. The war had lasted 200 years. What was taking him so long? Wasn't she supposed to find him? Wasn't the end of the war nearing? Hadn't the Oracle told her so?
(*flashback*)
The Oracle set her tea on the table and looked straight through Artemis' eyes. "So, you do know who you are, right?"
Artemis shrugged. "I've only just found out that I was a living battery- if you could call it living. Is that what you meant?"
The old woman chuckled to herself. "No, that's not what I meant. I meant in your past life."
"My past life?"
"Yes. You have heard of the One, yes? Well, in your previous life, you fell in love with him. You also fell in love with him 200 years ago, when his name was Neo. Do you know what your name was?
Artemis racked her brain. What was the name of that woman? "Ummm. No."
"Her name was Trinity. You also have fallen in love with the one. It is your destiny, and the loop with continue until the end of the war."
Artemis' face fell. "You mean that the war won't end in my lifetime?"
"Oh, I can't tell you that, my dear. You'll have to find that out for yourself."
A knock on the door. It was small, not really a knock but a tap, yet it was big enough to wake Artemis out of her trance.
"Captain?" It was Box. "Captain? Are you okay?"
"Box, you call me Artemis, I don't want to hear any more of this formal crap. Yes, I'm fine. What is it?"
"Reboot and Tara are jacked in. All we're waiting for is you, and Strike."
"Strike? What's wrong with her?"
"She needs to know if you're okay. God, sometimes I swear she has a crush on you or something."
Artemis stepped out of her cabin and rolled her eyes. "That's not funny, Box. Let's just go and get Korby out."
Artemis finished her bowl of glop and it on the table. She wordlessly left the galley, something was obviously on her mind. Her crew sat around the table, too shocked to speak. Gaim and Tara silently continued eating. Reboot shifted his eyes to Box, who looked into his empty bowl. Strike stood up to follow her captain, but Box pulled her back. "Let her go. You know what's wrong, and you know how to help her deal with it: you just try not to help at all."
Gaim looked up. "She's upset about the One?"
"Yes," Reboot said. "You can't blame her. She's been waiting four years to find him. Anyone would be disappointed as her." He rinsed his bowl in the nearby sink. "The Oracle told her, promised her, that she would find him around this time."
Strike glanced to the doorway that Artemis had walked through. Box noticed and said, "I know how racking it is to see her upset like that, but you have to let her go."
Artemis sat on her cot, stared at the wall. 200 years. The war had lasted 200 years. What was taking him so long? Wasn't she supposed to find him? Wasn't the end of the war nearing? Hadn't the Oracle told her so?
(*flashback*)
The Oracle set her tea on the table and looked straight through Artemis' eyes. "So, you do know who you are, right?"
Artemis shrugged. "I've only just found out that I was a living battery- if you could call it living. Is that what you meant?"
The old woman chuckled to herself. "No, that's not what I meant. I meant in your past life."
"My past life?"
"Yes. You have heard of the One, yes? Well, in your previous life, you fell in love with him. You also fell in love with him 200 years ago, when his name was Neo. Do you know what your name was?
Artemis racked her brain. What was the name of that woman? "Ummm. No."
"Her name was Trinity. You also have fallen in love with the one. It is your destiny, and the loop with continue until the end of the war."
Artemis' face fell. "You mean that the war won't end in my lifetime?"
"Oh, I can't tell you that, my dear. You'll have to find that out for yourself."
A knock on the door. It was small, not really a knock but a tap, yet it was big enough to wake Artemis out of her trance.
"Captain?" It was Box. "Captain? Are you okay?"
"Box, you call me Artemis, I don't want to hear any more of this formal crap. Yes, I'm fine. What is it?"
"Reboot and Tara are jacked in. All we're waiting for is you, and Strike."
"Strike? What's wrong with her?"
"She needs to know if you're okay. God, sometimes I swear she has a crush on you or something."
Artemis stepped out of her cabin and rolled her eyes. "That's not funny, Box. Let's just go and get Korby out."