Disclaimer: I don't own the Matrix, the red pill, the blue pill, but I did
create Strike, Reboot, Artemis and Surge.
CHAPTER 7: Split Path
Strike stepped into the record store and walked up to the counter. She leaned over and whispered in Surge's ear. "I am a friend of Artemis'. Don't talk, just close up your shop and follow me. I'm going to get you out of here."
"But it's only a quarter to eleven!"
"Didn't I say not to talk? If you want to go through the same experience as you did last night, keep your shop open."
Surge pouted like a grade-schooler but obeyed. In ten minutes the store was locked up and they were outside, looking at a black sedan. Strike opened the door and let him in. She got in behind him and slammed the door. She tapped the driver on the shoulder. "Reboot, drive." She pulled out a machine that looked like a futuristic vacuum. It had two vials on either end, and a computer screen on Strike's end. She turned it on and said, "My name is Strike. Take your shirt off."
Surge stared at her, but she gave him a look that said, "Just do what I said!" He unbuttoned his shirt, but Strike sighed. "There's no time for that, give me." She ripped his shirt off and through it aside. "You're bugged. Hold still and don't look at it. This will not be fun for either of us."
Surge held his breath as she placed one of the glass vials over his naval. In the rear view mirror, Surge could see what was on the screen. He almost yelled out loud, but caught himself just in time; in the mirror, he could see the spider.
So could Strike. "Christ," she whispered. "Surge, keep holding your breath and try not to move. Lord, this is going to be a picnic." She pressed a button and Surge felt a pulling on his naval, but he didn't look. Strike glared at the spider on her screen. "Come on, you yellow bastard." The machine sucked something out and Strike turned it off. "Nasty. If you want to, you can look now."
Surge slowly opened his eyes. All the breath he had held came out in a cry of surprise. The remains of the spider sat in the other glass tube. Strike twisted it off and through it out the window. They kept driving and Surge didn't look back.
Meanwhile, Artemis was waiting in the abandoned apartment building she and her crew used as a meeting place. There were two brown leather chairs in the center of the room, and a coffee table in between the chairs. A glass of water had been set on the table. Artemis stood by the only window in the room, which was boarded up. She couldn't help but worry. What if he was bugged? What if they were caught by agents? She snuck a peek through one of the boards. All she could see were cars and houses. Each of them belonged to the coppertops. Poor coppertops. They all believed that their world was so advanced. They would soon find a cure for cancer. They were searching for intelligent extra-terrestrial life out in space. They had created the perfect machine. A.I. would solve all of their problems. It would clean the house, walk the dog, serve the humans. If only they knew.
She quickly put her shades back on as Surge entered the room. She motioned for him to sit in one of the chairs and he did. She sat opposite him. She couldn't help but think that she couldn't possibly fall in love with him. She felt the pill case in her pocket. She looked at Surge. "Do you know why you're here?"
"I was hoping you could tell me about the Matrix. Are you Artemis?"
She smiled at him and said, "Yes. That is my name. You want to know the Truth?"
"Yes. Yes, I do."
"Well, I offer it. Do you understand everything we've told you so far, about the Matrix and about us?"
"In your e-mails?" She nodded. "Yes. And, no. I just don't know what to think. I'm waiting for my alarm clock to ring and I'll wake up from this- dream, nightmare, whatever it is."
Artemis took the pill case from her pocket and held it for him to see. She looked him in the eye. "You soon will. But what I can give you is a choice. Only a choice." She opened the box and held out two pills: one red, one blue.
"Take the blue pill, and it will end here. You'll wake up in your bed tomorrow, free to believe whatever you wish to believe about the world.
"Take the red pill, and I will open a door for you. This door will answer all of your questions about the world. So make your choice."
Surge looked at each pill, thinking so hard it hurt. Which pill?
"Remember: this choice is your split path. Once you choose a pill, there is no turning back. Be wise."
Artemis tried to see into his mind. She tried to read what he was thinking. Which pill?
But Surge couldn't see through her mirrored shades. He could only see himself, as he reached for the pill. He picked it up, looked at it. He took the glass of water and swallowed the pill.
CHAPTER 7: Split Path
Strike stepped into the record store and walked up to the counter. She leaned over and whispered in Surge's ear. "I am a friend of Artemis'. Don't talk, just close up your shop and follow me. I'm going to get you out of here."
"But it's only a quarter to eleven!"
"Didn't I say not to talk? If you want to go through the same experience as you did last night, keep your shop open."
Surge pouted like a grade-schooler but obeyed. In ten minutes the store was locked up and they were outside, looking at a black sedan. Strike opened the door and let him in. She got in behind him and slammed the door. She tapped the driver on the shoulder. "Reboot, drive." She pulled out a machine that looked like a futuristic vacuum. It had two vials on either end, and a computer screen on Strike's end. She turned it on and said, "My name is Strike. Take your shirt off."
Surge stared at her, but she gave him a look that said, "Just do what I said!" He unbuttoned his shirt, but Strike sighed. "There's no time for that, give me." She ripped his shirt off and through it aside. "You're bugged. Hold still and don't look at it. This will not be fun for either of us."
Surge held his breath as she placed one of the glass vials over his naval. In the rear view mirror, Surge could see what was on the screen. He almost yelled out loud, but caught himself just in time; in the mirror, he could see the spider.
So could Strike. "Christ," she whispered. "Surge, keep holding your breath and try not to move. Lord, this is going to be a picnic." She pressed a button and Surge felt a pulling on his naval, but he didn't look. Strike glared at the spider on her screen. "Come on, you yellow bastard." The machine sucked something out and Strike turned it off. "Nasty. If you want to, you can look now."
Surge slowly opened his eyes. All the breath he had held came out in a cry of surprise. The remains of the spider sat in the other glass tube. Strike twisted it off and through it out the window. They kept driving and Surge didn't look back.
Meanwhile, Artemis was waiting in the abandoned apartment building she and her crew used as a meeting place. There were two brown leather chairs in the center of the room, and a coffee table in between the chairs. A glass of water had been set on the table. Artemis stood by the only window in the room, which was boarded up. She couldn't help but worry. What if he was bugged? What if they were caught by agents? She snuck a peek through one of the boards. All she could see were cars and houses. Each of them belonged to the coppertops. Poor coppertops. They all believed that their world was so advanced. They would soon find a cure for cancer. They were searching for intelligent extra-terrestrial life out in space. They had created the perfect machine. A.I. would solve all of their problems. It would clean the house, walk the dog, serve the humans. If only they knew.
She quickly put her shades back on as Surge entered the room. She motioned for him to sit in one of the chairs and he did. She sat opposite him. She couldn't help but think that she couldn't possibly fall in love with him. She felt the pill case in her pocket. She looked at Surge. "Do you know why you're here?"
"I was hoping you could tell me about the Matrix. Are you Artemis?"
She smiled at him and said, "Yes. That is my name. You want to know the Truth?"
"Yes. Yes, I do."
"Well, I offer it. Do you understand everything we've told you so far, about the Matrix and about us?"
"In your e-mails?" She nodded. "Yes. And, no. I just don't know what to think. I'm waiting for my alarm clock to ring and I'll wake up from this- dream, nightmare, whatever it is."
Artemis took the pill case from her pocket and held it for him to see. She looked him in the eye. "You soon will. But what I can give you is a choice. Only a choice." She opened the box and held out two pills: one red, one blue.
"Take the blue pill, and it will end here. You'll wake up in your bed tomorrow, free to believe whatever you wish to believe about the world.
"Take the red pill, and I will open a door for you. This door will answer all of your questions about the world. So make your choice."
Surge looked at each pill, thinking so hard it hurt. Which pill?
"Remember: this choice is your split path. Once you choose a pill, there is no turning back. Be wise."
Artemis tried to see into his mind. She tried to read what he was thinking. Which pill?
But Surge couldn't see through her mirrored shades. He could only see himself, as he reached for the pill. He picked it up, looked at it. He took the glass of water and swallowed the pill.