Hello peeps! This chapter's pretty long, but the next one is gonna be
pretty short (sorry!) The story's getting more exciting now! See ya all
next Monday!
Chapter 8 - Warning
Asha opened her eyes. They were in a hotel room, very similar to the one in the film, and the phone on the table was ringing. Morpheus went and picked it up. "We're in," he said.
Asha followed Trinity and Morpheus down the stairs. On the way, she caught sight of herself in a mirror. "Oh, neat!" she said.
Morpheus smiled. "Its residual-"
"-self image, I know," said Asha. Her wavy brown hair was back around her shoulders, and she was wearing a black leather ensemble, one she'd always wanted but could never find one that was right. "I look COOL," she said. She reached into one of her pockets and found a pair of sunglasses. "NIFTY!" she said, and immediately put them on.
They got into the black car and drove through the streets of New York. Asha had never been to America, and she certainly hadn't ever expected to go there like this.
Asha watched all the streets and people roll past. She found it amazing to believe that all of this was a computer program, and that all these people were still plugged in.
"We're here," said Morpheus. Asha opened her door.
"This doesn't look much like the apartment block in the film," said Asha.
"That's because the machines don't know what it really looks like," said Trinity. Asha walked towards the apartment building with Morpheus. They went up in the lift, again silently. "I would tell you about the Oracle, Asha," said Morpheus, "But I believe you know what I would tell you anyway."
Asha nodded. The lift doors opened. Morpheus led Asha up the corridor. He again turned to Asha. "I can only show you the door," he said.
"I know, I know, I have to walk through it," said Asha, grinning. She reached out a hand to the door. As she expected, before she could touch the knob, the door was opened by a priestess. "Morpheus, Asha, you're right on time," she said, "This way."
"This is SOOOO NIFTY!" said Asha excitedly. She followed the woman into the apartment. While the woman was saying something to Morpheus, Asha went into the living room.
"SPOON BOY!" she squealed. The little boy looked up from his spoon bending.
"What?" he said.
"Sorry," said Asha, "In the film, everyone thinks you rock, but no-one knows your name, so you're just - spoon boy."
The little boy smiled slightly.
"Come on, let me have a go," said Asha, taking a spoon. She stared at the spoon, willing it to bend. Nothing happened. Asha looked at the boy. "Why's nothing happening?"
"Because you are trying to bend the spoon," said the boy.
"No I'm not!" protested Asha, "I know that there's no spoon."
"Yes, but you are still trying to bend the spoon. Just because you are telling yourself that its not there does not mean you can bend it."
Asha shook her head. In a confusing way, it sort of made sense. She blinked and focused her mind on the spoon.
"Don't concentrate so hard," said the boy.
"OK," said Asha, and looked at the spoon. She looked at the spoon, and told herself that it wasn't there. She suddenly felt an incredible freedom in her mind; in her hand was just a liquid object, not even liquid; like a thought. She could do whatever she wanted with it. She relaxed her gaze a bit, and the spoon drooped to the right. Asha gaped as she made the spoon twist into all sorts of strange shapes. She looked past it at the boy. He nodded slightly.
"The Oracle will see you now," said the priestess. Asha nodded, and got to her feet.
"Catch ya later, spoon boy," said Asha. The boy smiled.
"Here, take this," he said, holding out the spoon she'd bent, "To remind you of this."
"I doubt I'd forget," she smiled. The boy pressed it into her hands.
"Keep it," he said, "You may need it one day."
* * * * *
Asha went into the kitchen. Inside was the Oracle.
"No cookies today?" asked Asha. The Oracle turned and surveyed Asha over the top of her glasses.
"I knew you'd be hungry," she said, "So I made some beforehand. They're just cooling over there."
"Oh," said Asha, reddening. The Oracle's face broke into a sunny smile.
"It seems only yesterday that Neo was in here," she said, "But you already know how that went, so I'm not going to bother explaining about it." She held out the tray of biscuits. Asha took one nervously. The Oracle looked at Asha.
"You are the Second Hope," she said, "You'll believe it in due time."
"What?" said Asha, "I didn't know that you were supposed to tell me that straight away."
"You were expecting me to do that," she said, "But we have little time, so I must go straight to what is essential at this point."
"What?" said Asha, "Why don't we have much time?"
"The next time you see Morpheus, he'll tell you," she said, "But I must tell you. You are in danger."
"What?" said Asha, "You mean - more danger than I'm already in?"
"Yes," she said, "You're going to have to make a choice."
"... It's not between my and Morpheus' lives, is it?"
"No. I can't tell what this choice is. But all I ask is that you remember that you are our only hope, while Neo is as he is."
"Oh! I needed to ask about this," she said, suddenly remembering, "What can we do about Neo? Trinity is really worried, and so is Morpheus, though he doesn't show it."
"I can't tell you," said the Oracle, "Because I don't know. Neo's future is wrapped in shadow, I can't see what's going to happen to him. But I do know that you, and you alone, will have a chance to bring him back; but at a price."
This sounded so much like the Oracle that Asha was half expecting the soundtrack to kick in.
"Is that the choice I have to make?" said Asha nervously, "It sounds like a toughie."
"You have no idea," said the Oracle, "But now you must leave. The danger is not as far away as you may believe."
"Thank you," said Asha, smiling.
"I'm sorry about this, Asha," said the Oracle, "As I said to Neo, you have a good soul; and I hate giving good people bad news."
"I know," said Asha. She turned to leave, but then remembered something. "Hey - it took Neo a bit of time to realise that he was the one, and even to longer to fully be able to use his powers. How long will it take me?"
The Oracle smiled. "You can already use them. You just need to free your mind."
"Oh, and I have one more question," said Asha, "My friend, Jon - the one I left behind. How is he?"
The Oracle smiled. "I was waiting for to ask me that," she said, "He's fine. But he, like everyone else in Kent, is wondering what has become of you."
* * * * *
Asha walked out of the Oracle's apartment. Morpheus stood up to greet her.
"What was said was for you alone," he said.
"I know," said Asha, "But she said... she said I was in danger."
"You are," said Morpheus, "The agents are still looking for you. We once lost a person we had unplugged to them."
Asha felt as though her stomach was filling with ice as she remembered the Oracle's words. "Who, who did you lose?"
"A boy about your age. We thought that he was the One. Thankfully, we were mistaken."
"What happened?"
Morpheus looked up and down the hallway, as if to check if anyone was there. He then leant close to Asha. "We unplugged him, which we rarely do when the person is as young as you are. But as I said, we believed that he was the One. Soon we realised our mistake.
"He mastered his powers quickly. He was headstrong, reckless. He would never follow orders. He became incredibly strong, as strong as Neo. There was nothing we could do, so we transferred him to another ship and resumed our search.
"But the agents had learnt of his value. One time, when we were in the Matrix, we were ambushed by agents; more than I have ever seen before. Yet once they had him, they let the rest of us go. We couldn't figure out why, but now, too late, we realize; he went with them willingly. He joined their side."
"What - like Cypher?"
"No," said Morpheus, "He was a far too valuable asset to reinsert into the Matrix. He became one of them."
Asha put a hand to her head. This couldn't be. Morpheus continued.
"The first we learnt of it was when we came to the other ship and found everyone on it dead. There was one still alive on the ship, who told us. He had just appeared out of nowhere, and killed them all. That person died soon after.
"He's still out there, Asha."
Asha heard the Oracle in her head. "The next time you see Morpheus, he'll tell you... You are in danger."
* * * * *
Trinity Eternity - *GASP* YOU HATE BILL + TED? HOW CAN YOU? THEY ARE MOST EXCELLENT!!!! *air guitar* Well, I guess you're entitled to your own opinion.
Amy - I :D plan :D to. :D
Im a Brandybuck - Thanks!
KnowInSight - Mmmmm.. Triple chocolate..
T'Lorie - Yup, more agents coming. I'm not going to tell you when, though!
Sway - Thanks!
Borderline-Chan - Yup, I think I would have tackle-hugged Neo as well. How many bananas did you eat?
Chapter 8 - Warning
Asha opened her eyes. They were in a hotel room, very similar to the one in the film, and the phone on the table was ringing. Morpheus went and picked it up. "We're in," he said.
Asha followed Trinity and Morpheus down the stairs. On the way, she caught sight of herself in a mirror. "Oh, neat!" she said.
Morpheus smiled. "Its residual-"
"-self image, I know," said Asha. Her wavy brown hair was back around her shoulders, and she was wearing a black leather ensemble, one she'd always wanted but could never find one that was right. "I look COOL," she said. She reached into one of her pockets and found a pair of sunglasses. "NIFTY!" she said, and immediately put them on.
They got into the black car and drove through the streets of New York. Asha had never been to America, and she certainly hadn't ever expected to go there like this.
Asha watched all the streets and people roll past. She found it amazing to believe that all of this was a computer program, and that all these people were still plugged in.
"We're here," said Morpheus. Asha opened her door.
"This doesn't look much like the apartment block in the film," said Asha.
"That's because the machines don't know what it really looks like," said Trinity. Asha walked towards the apartment building with Morpheus. They went up in the lift, again silently. "I would tell you about the Oracle, Asha," said Morpheus, "But I believe you know what I would tell you anyway."
Asha nodded. The lift doors opened. Morpheus led Asha up the corridor. He again turned to Asha. "I can only show you the door," he said.
"I know, I know, I have to walk through it," said Asha, grinning. She reached out a hand to the door. As she expected, before she could touch the knob, the door was opened by a priestess. "Morpheus, Asha, you're right on time," she said, "This way."
"This is SOOOO NIFTY!" said Asha excitedly. She followed the woman into the apartment. While the woman was saying something to Morpheus, Asha went into the living room.
"SPOON BOY!" she squealed. The little boy looked up from his spoon bending.
"What?" he said.
"Sorry," said Asha, "In the film, everyone thinks you rock, but no-one knows your name, so you're just - spoon boy."
The little boy smiled slightly.
"Come on, let me have a go," said Asha, taking a spoon. She stared at the spoon, willing it to bend. Nothing happened. Asha looked at the boy. "Why's nothing happening?"
"Because you are trying to bend the spoon," said the boy.
"No I'm not!" protested Asha, "I know that there's no spoon."
"Yes, but you are still trying to bend the spoon. Just because you are telling yourself that its not there does not mean you can bend it."
Asha shook her head. In a confusing way, it sort of made sense. She blinked and focused her mind on the spoon.
"Don't concentrate so hard," said the boy.
"OK," said Asha, and looked at the spoon. She looked at the spoon, and told herself that it wasn't there. She suddenly felt an incredible freedom in her mind; in her hand was just a liquid object, not even liquid; like a thought. She could do whatever she wanted with it. She relaxed her gaze a bit, and the spoon drooped to the right. Asha gaped as she made the spoon twist into all sorts of strange shapes. She looked past it at the boy. He nodded slightly.
"The Oracle will see you now," said the priestess. Asha nodded, and got to her feet.
"Catch ya later, spoon boy," said Asha. The boy smiled.
"Here, take this," he said, holding out the spoon she'd bent, "To remind you of this."
"I doubt I'd forget," she smiled. The boy pressed it into her hands.
"Keep it," he said, "You may need it one day."
* * * * *
Asha went into the kitchen. Inside was the Oracle.
"No cookies today?" asked Asha. The Oracle turned and surveyed Asha over the top of her glasses.
"I knew you'd be hungry," she said, "So I made some beforehand. They're just cooling over there."
"Oh," said Asha, reddening. The Oracle's face broke into a sunny smile.
"It seems only yesterday that Neo was in here," she said, "But you already know how that went, so I'm not going to bother explaining about it." She held out the tray of biscuits. Asha took one nervously. The Oracle looked at Asha.
"You are the Second Hope," she said, "You'll believe it in due time."
"What?" said Asha, "I didn't know that you were supposed to tell me that straight away."
"You were expecting me to do that," she said, "But we have little time, so I must go straight to what is essential at this point."
"What?" said Asha, "Why don't we have much time?"
"The next time you see Morpheus, he'll tell you," she said, "But I must tell you. You are in danger."
"What?" said Asha, "You mean - more danger than I'm already in?"
"Yes," she said, "You're going to have to make a choice."
"... It's not between my and Morpheus' lives, is it?"
"No. I can't tell what this choice is. But all I ask is that you remember that you are our only hope, while Neo is as he is."
"Oh! I needed to ask about this," she said, suddenly remembering, "What can we do about Neo? Trinity is really worried, and so is Morpheus, though he doesn't show it."
"I can't tell you," said the Oracle, "Because I don't know. Neo's future is wrapped in shadow, I can't see what's going to happen to him. But I do know that you, and you alone, will have a chance to bring him back; but at a price."
This sounded so much like the Oracle that Asha was half expecting the soundtrack to kick in.
"Is that the choice I have to make?" said Asha nervously, "It sounds like a toughie."
"You have no idea," said the Oracle, "But now you must leave. The danger is not as far away as you may believe."
"Thank you," said Asha, smiling.
"I'm sorry about this, Asha," said the Oracle, "As I said to Neo, you have a good soul; and I hate giving good people bad news."
"I know," said Asha. She turned to leave, but then remembered something. "Hey - it took Neo a bit of time to realise that he was the one, and even to longer to fully be able to use his powers. How long will it take me?"
The Oracle smiled. "You can already use them. You just need to free your mind."
"Oh, and I have one more question," said Asha, "My friend, Jon - the one I left behind. How is he?"
The Oracle smiled. "I was waiting for to ask me that," she said, "He's fine. But he, like everyone else in Kent, is wondering what has become of you."
* * * * *
Asha walked out of the Oracle's apartment. Morpheus stood up to greet her.
"What was said was for you alone," he said.
"I know," said Asha, "But she said... she said I was in danger."
"You are," said Morpheus, "The agents are still looking for you. We once lost a person we had unplugged to them."
Asha felt as though her stomach was filling with ice as she remembered the Oracle's words. "Who, who did you lose?"
"A boy about your age. We thought that he was the One. Thankfully, we were mistaken."
"What happened?"
Morpheus looked up and down the hallway, as if to check if anyone was there. He then leant close to Asha. "We unplugged him, which we rarely do when the person is as young as you are. But as I said, we believed that he was the One. Soon we realised our mistake.
"He mastered his powers quickly. He was headstrong, reckless. He would never follow orders. He became incredibly strong, as strong as Neo. There was nothing we could do, so we transferred him to another ship and resumed our search.
"But the agents had learnt of his value. One time, when we were in the Matrix, we were ambushed by agents; more than I have ever seen before. Yet once they had him, they let the rest of us go. We couldn't figure out why, but now, too late, we realize; he went with them willingly. He joined their side."
"What - like Cypher?"
"No," said Morpheus, "He was a far too valuable asset to reinsert into the Matrix. He became one of them."
Asha put a hand to her head. This couldn't be. Morpheus continued.
"The first we learnt of it was when we came to the other ship and found everyone on it dead. There was one still alive on the ship, who told us. He had just appeared out of nowhere, and killed them all. That person died soon after.
"He's still out there, Asha."
Asha heard the Oracle in her head. "The next time you see Morpheus, he'll tell you... You are in danger."
* * * * *
Trinity Eternity - *GASP* YOU HATE BILL + TED? HOW CAN YOU? THEY ARE MOST EXCELLENT!!!! *air guitar* Well, I guess you're entitled to your own opinion.
Amy - I :D plan :D to. :D
Im a Brandybuck - Thanks!
KnowInSight - Mmmmm.. Triple chocolate..
T'Lorie - Yup, more agents coming. I'm not going to tell you when, though!
Sway - Thanks!
Borderline-Chan - Yup, I think I would have tackle-hugged Neo as well. How many bananas did you eat?