A/N: Greetings again one and all! I hope no one has been just on the edge of
their seat waiting for this chapter. I said it before and I'll say it again,
until I graduate, this stays on the back burner. I hate it as much as you do,
believe me but I have to pass my chemistry exam. I just hope it's worth the
wait for you. Cookies to Rei for posting. MERCI!!!
Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to the Matrix. The song lyrics are
from Moulin Rouge. I do however own the Traditional Rose and Glitch. No
using them without my permission or, as my friend Rei says, "I shall break your
kneecaps! KNEECAPS I SAY!!!" *Ahem * …Sorry.
Rating: R for language and angst. If any kids have read it thus far, I will
tell you that your parents aren't worth a grain of salt and it's their fault
that American teenagers these days are as psycho and perverted as they are.
Not that I'm one to talk…
Ok, moving on before I get myself in any more trouble. Allow me to present the next
installment of A Glitch in his Breathing.
*Lights dim *
*Camera rolling*
And…aaaaaaction! ^_^
Chapter VII: Suddenly
Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place
Suddenly it moves with such a perfect grace
Suddenly my life doesn't seem such a waste
It all revolves around you…
******
Glitch turned around a few times in front of the full-length mirror that
hung on the back of her bedroom door. She smirked slightly at what she saw.
Ring's black dress fit her like a glove, clinging in all the right places
and leaving all the wrong ones alone. Her legs which, despite the fact that
she was short, looked very long courtesy of the high slits on either side of
the dress and Ring's four inch stiletto heels. All in all she thought she
looked pretty damn good. She had even taken time to blow dry her hair which,
accompanied by a spritz of hairspray diminished frizzies and made it look
silky. She even was wearing makeup. She only hoped that all her hard work
would pay off and Smith would find her attractive.
She stopped turning and frowned at herself. Was Smith even capable of
finding someone attractive? He was a machine, albeit a very smart one. He
could think for himself. That much was obvious but was that the extent of
his abilities? Did he have more human functions? What if he didn't? That
would complicate things unbelievably. Getting him to understand human
intimacy would be impossible if he couldn't feel the emotions that were
involved.
Then another problem dawned on her. Was he anatomically capable of having
intercourse? Glitch blushed slightly at that. "Only time will tell." Glitch
sighed to herself. Then her smirk returned as a voice in her head sounding
suspiciously like Ring - "Besides, I know I look good. If he's not wired
well enough to realize it then it's his loss."
A knock at the door shattered her musings. Glitch glanced at the wall clock
as she went to answer it. It was six p.m. exactly. Smith was lucky she
wasn't like most women or he might have been waiting another ten minutes.
Smith didn't rub off on her as being too terribly patient.
"Good evening, Ms. Carter." Smith greeted with the same emotionless tone he
always used in greeting.
"Hello, Agent Smith." She returned politely.
"You changed clothes." He stated observantly, his voice still neutral.
"Yeah, I wanted to look a little more special." Glitch said, taking a step
back so he could get a good look at her outfit.
He looked her over for a moment before he spoke. "That dress makes you look
sophisticated," he said simply after a moment's analysis. It sounded more
like a statement than a compliment but it proved he could have an opinion.
Glitch heaved a mental sigh of relief. "Halle-fucking-lujah, there is hope
yet." She thought.
"I have made reservations at the Traditional Rose as you asked," Smith
informed her in a more official voice than was necessary. "Are you ready to
go?"
Glitch nodded. "Let me get my coat." She retrieved her leather jacket from
the back of a chair in the kitchen along with her purse. "Is it still
raining outside?"
"It was not when I arrived." Smith replied.
"Good," Glitch said with a nod as she walked past Smith and out the door.
Nothing more was said on the short walk to the Traditional Rose. Glitch
discovered that her heels made it even more difficult for her to keep up
with Smith's long, easy strides. He didn't seem to notice. Glitch just kept
telling herself that being a few inches taller might come in handy later on
that night.
When they reached the restaurant, Smith stepped ahead of Glitch and pulled
the door open for her. She smiled appreciatively as she stepped inside.
"Why did you do that?" She asked over her shoulder as he followed her
inside.
"A certain amount of etiquette is programmed into my actions," Smith
answered as she smoothed the lapels of his coat. "It is proper for a man to
open the door for a woman."
"Ah. Programming. Of course," Glitch muttered as she watched Smith go to the
maitre'd counter and claim their table. After a moment of terse
conversation, Smith motioned for her to follow him.
They were seated on the second floor of the restaurant by a window that over
looked the city streets below. Smith saw to seating Glitch first before
sitting rigidly in his chair across from her. He took off his sunglasses and
tucked them in his jacket pocket.
After a moment of silence, Glitch asked, "Who decided your eyes got to be
blue?"
Smith frowned, looking as though her inquiry had caught him off guard. "I…
I don't know." It was as close to a stammer as Glitch had ever heard him give.
"Why do you ask?"
Glitch shrugged. "I was just wondering," She said casually. "They are just
such a pretty color, I wondered if anyone picked it or if it served a
particular purpose." She picked up a menu and began to examine it.
Smith's frown deepened in confusion. "What made you notice?" he asked.
Glitch glanced at him over the top of her menu. "Eye color is one of the
first things I notice about people, and in some cases, the first."
"Do all humans take note of such things?"
"Not always. Some people notice other things like height or hair color," she
replied as she put down her menu. "With me, it's eyes. I don't really know
why. It's just a personality quirk of mine."
Smith regarded her for a moment, his navy eyes searching her face as though
it was a wall and he was trying to find a fault. "Your eyes are gray," he
said finally.
All Glitch could do was smile, because the waiter chose that moment to arrive. He
took their drink and food orders. Glitch ordered their chicken penne pasta
and Smith picked the New York Strip steak. Glitch caught the fact that he
never picked up his menu.
"I assume you like Italian food," Smith said in an observant voice after the
waiter had taken their menus and left.
Glitch shrugged. "When I'm in the mood," she replied. "Is there any kind of
food you like?" she asked, tilting her head to one side.
"No."
"Why? Can you not taste?" Glitch asked.
"No. Not in the same way humans do. I can analyze the chemical make up of
what I'm eating, but it is not the same as 'tasting' it."
Glitch fought the urge to frown. She still didn't like the way he said the
word "human." It almost sounded like an insult.
Smith looked around the interior of the restaurant. "Tell me why it is that
you like to come here," he said inquiringly.
Glitch gave another of her casual shrugs. "Because its cozy and romantic,"
she replied, smiling slightly.
"You come here with your romantic interests?" Smith asked as the waiter
brought them their drinks.
Glitch gave the server an appreciative smile before answering Smith. "Well, I
did when I had them sometimes, and I suppose I would if I had one now. I come
alone usually."
"How can it be romantic if you are here alone?" Smith asked, regarding her
carefully. "It is my understanding that one must be with another person to
make the situation romantic."
Glitch smiled as she took a long slow sip of her water. "It's just the
atmosphere," she replied. "Seeing the couples together, snuggling in the
booths and…" She paused her eyes falling on a rose in a lovely crystal vase
on the table. "I love the roses on the table." She reached out her hand to
the stem of the crimson blossom and turned it in her fingers.
"You like roses?" Smith asked, watching her intently.
She nodded mutely, her eyes fixed on the velvety petals.
"Why?"
She laughed. It was a soft, almost sullen sound. She glanced quickly at Smith
before returning her gaze to the bloom. "I like roses because they are so
uniquely beautiful. I mean not just unto themselves, but there are lots of
kinds of roses. They come in all sorts of colors and shapes and-"
Smith cut her off with a particularly scathing comment. "The fact that roses
are a tradition of human romance has nothing to do with it." He fixed his
azure gaze on her, waiting for her response.
She sighed and dropped her hand from the rose. "That, too." She replied in a
defeated voice.
"Have you ever received a rose from someone?" He asked, his eyes still
locked onto her, like a wolf watching a lone lamb.
Every shadow in the room flew into her eyes. "I have," she replied darkly,
"But I would prefer not to discuss it."
There was a bit of a stare down between the couple and the hostility that
hung in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife. Glitch looked as
though she were daring Smith to push the issue. Mercifully, the waiter chose
that moment to arrive with a drink refill.
Glitch took a long slow sip of her water, as though she was washing away the
sudden surge of emotions. She was still staring at Smith over the rim of her
glass. Without any sort of sign he pressed his index finger against his
earpiece and listened, frowning in concentration.
"What is it?" Glitch asked, setting her glass down.
Smith's face twitched into an odd smile after a moment. He almost looked
amused. "I just received news from my superiors."
"Gods," Glitch breathed. "And I thought having a cell phone made some people
too connected."
Smith ignored her comment. "I was told that they have just left your house."
"And what did they say?" She asked as the waiter arrived with their food.
Smith glanced warily at the waiter, choosing to give his reply after
the waiter had left.
"They are very pleased that you have come upon the codes," Smith replied as
he began to cut his steak into pieces.
Glitch frowned at him. He had hardly seemed pleased when he had first come
to her apartment. "I hear a 'but' coming," she said suspiciously.
Smith frowned back at her, clearly not understanding the cliché.
She waved her fork at him before spearing her pasta with it. "Never mind.
Just keep talking."
Smith returned his attention to his food as he continued on. "But certain
measures will have to be taken with you to ensure the integrity of the
system." He said before taking a bite of his steak. Glitch noted he looked
like he was chewing a piece of candle wax, but what stood out to her more
was Smith's tone when speaking the word "measures."
He quickly swallowed and continued before she could raise a question. "They
are telling me that you must not be allowed to remember finding the codes."
Glitch's stomach gave an involuntary lurch and she nearly gagged on the piece
of penne she was eating. After taking a moment to cough, she raggedly
managed, "You're going to brain wash me?!" she exclaimed, her voice rising in
volume a little more than she had wanted.
Smith glanced around them to make sure no one was listening. "No," he
answered, "Not in the crude sense you are familiar with."
"What exactly are you wanting to do to me?" she asked, fighting to keep her
voice down.
"The human mind is a computer. You said so yourself this afternoon, did you
not?"
She nodded slowly as she took another bite of her pasta.
"If a mind is a computer, then it can be hacked into and files can be
altered, added, or deleted," Smith stated simply.
Glitch looked skeptical. "So in essence you can destroy memories?" she
asked.
Smith nodded, a strange glint shining in his unnaturally blue eyes. Glitch translated it as something almost
akin to pride.
"Is it painful?"
"No."
An odd smile curled Glitch's thin lips.
"What are you smiling about?" Smith asked.
"Could you make me forget dating you?" she asked, deviously.
Smith sneered darkly. "Absolutely," he replied. "That was part of the plans
for you."
"Excellent," Glitch said, her smile widening to flash her small teeth.
Smith's smile faded a bit. "Why do you want us to make you forget that?" he
asked.
Glitch glanced up at him and noted his rather peculiar expression. Had she
wounded his ego by saying she wanted to forget dating him? Did he even have
an ego? He was a machine, after all. "Remembering dating an AI would make my
life too fucking complicated."
"If I were human, would you want to forget?" he asked, his expression
remaining unchanged.
Glitch gave him a long contemplative look before she gave her most honest
answer. "I don't know."
Something about that seemed to please Smith, because he returned to his food.
At the end of dinner, Smith paid the bill, leaving a tip of exactly 15
percent. He and Glitch walked wordlessly back to her apartment.
"When would you like to do something again?" Smith asked as Glitch unlocked
her apartment door.
She smiled a bit as she opened the door. "Call me tomorrow afternoon. I
should be home since it's Saturday."
Smith gave a slow nod. "Is there anything I should do before leaving?"
"A hug would be nice." Glitch answered, giving him her cutest smile.
Smith hesitated, as though the thought of having to touch Glitch had never
crossed his mind. He bent slightly at the waist, almost like a courtly bow
and wrapped his arms around Glitch. He gave her tiny body a nearly
imperceptible squeeze and released her quickly, as though their first contact
had been more awkward than he had planned.
"Not bad for a first try," Glitch commented, leaning against the doorframe.
She had been pleased with herself. Not only had she not backed down, but
her heels had also allowed her to place her chin comfortably on Smith's shoulder.
She made a mental note to thank Ring later.
Smith wordlessly straightened his tie and smoothed the lapels of his coat as
though he was trying to brush the touch away.
"I'll talk to you tomorrow," Glitch said, smiling.
"Tomorrow afternoon," Smith confirmed, his tone sounding a touch
professional.
"Alright then," she said. "Good night, Agent Smith."
"Good night, Ms. Carter."
*******