NOTICE: I do not own the following characters: Agent Smith, Agents Jones and Brown, Neo, or the location Zion. HOWEVER: I do own the characters Persis, Calyx, Priest, Aei, Seefa, Sol, Titus, Neso, Echo, Syenes, Syllis and the ships Antigone and Apollo.
11. Confidantes and Captains.
Neso and Titus crept as quietly as they could to Persis' cabin. Neso scratched softly on the door. A muffled, quiet voice from within answered them.
"Who is it?"
"It's us, Captain-me and Titus. Can we come in?"
The door opened slightly. Titus entered first, Neso second, checking the ship for any sign of movement. Especially from Sol's cabin.
Neso shut the door. Persis sat on her bunk, her hands clasped in her lap. Her appearance was immaculate but she looked tired. Shadows were forming under her eyes.
"We just wanted you to know that we-kinda sympathise with you, Captain", the words left Titus' mouth.
Persis looked up at him and smiled, if a little wearily.
"Thank you Titus. You-both of you have been so kind to me. I don't know how to thank you".
Neso shrugged the compliment off, "Forget it-we just thought you should know that, if you wanted to talk about-anything, well, me and Titus-"
Persis cut him off with a shake of her head, "Forgive me for being judgemental, but I don't think you know what its like for me at the moment".
Neso sat down in the chair next to the bunk. "Actually, I think I do".
Persis looked up at him through her hands.
"My best friend-he was a rebel fighter like you-with the-", Neso pointed awkwardly at the holes in her arms, "-anyway, he spent a lot of time in the Matrix too, like you do, and he used to sit in his cabin after every time he came out. He used to say that the Matrix was the only real thing he had ever known, and that even when he was in the real world and saw the sentinels and the fields of human beings, he dismissed it as a bad dream he hoped he'd wake up from".
Persis nodded. Not the same situation exactly, but close enough.
"So, he used to stay in the Matrix as long as he could, each time. It got so bad that the captain of his ship ensured that he wasn't allowed back in. He sent him back to Zion,
to recover and rest..but-" Neso's voice faltered.
Titus placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Neso patted the hand gratefully.
"-he just wasn't the same. A few weeks later he-killed himself, cos he couldn't take it anymore".
Persis reached over and took his hand in hers. "I'm so sorry, Neso".
The admirable operator nodded, "Anyway, me and Titus don't want to see you go the same way, because even if you do-love-the agent, he's still dangerous, and I don't mean for us..we can take care of ourselves, but for you. Captain's angry-worse than I ever seen him before..we just thought you should know".
Persis exhaled. Standing up, she took their hands in hers.
"Thank you, Neso, Titus. I didn't want for anyone else to get dragged into this...but-",
her voice became steady and calm, "I want you to do something for me".
The two looked at each other.
"If I'm in the Matrix and it endangers anyone's and I mean anyone's lives on this ship, then I want you to pull the plug on me".
Neso dropped his hand. "I can't promise that, Captain".
Persis' face took on a look of acute suffering,"Please. I'm asking you to do this for me. I don't want anyone to hesitate if and when the situation arises. Just cut the cord. Spare me another experience like the one I've already had".
They stared at her calm face, now changed, not revealing a single emotion. Both nodded.
"Thank you-you'd better go, I don't want you to get into trouble with Sol, sincerely I don't".
They made for the door. Titus swung his head back before closing it.
"He still shouldn't have hit you".
Despite the seriousness of the situation, Persis smiled. "Thank you Titus, it's nice to know that someone cares".
* * * * * * *
Sol paced his cabin like a man possessed. It wasn't right, it just wasn't-natural..Persis, ..with an agent?
He'd pondered, obsessed over the issue for the past few days. How could you even
begin to..even..like a- he shook his head, exasperated. He just couldn't understand why she had done..what she'd done. Grudgingly, he admitted that each time she's been in the Matrix the ship had been in safe territory, away from the usual haunts of the sentinels. He couldn't use "risking the crew's lives", as an excuse for his actions.
He shouldn't have hit her.
But he had. It made him feel nauseous, physically sick to see her defending an agent, a programme designed to kill all rebels and keep mankind enslaved, alleging that it had feelings, that it could reciprocate emotion. His crew didn't seem to think on the
same wavelength.
His crew..oh God, what had he done? They had taken immediately to Persis from the moment she had consciously set foot on the deck of the Apollo. Everyone seemed to
get along with her except him. Despite her aloofness, her silent phases, she had won their respect for her deeds with and before she had joined the crew of the Apollo.
Damn her, he thought. She wants to go in the Matrix, she wants to see her agent again, then she'll go. And it'll look like she's endangering my life if I tag along, Sol viciously thought. His plan formed quickly in his heated mind. Force her back in the Matrix. Go in with her. The agent was bound to attack him, a rebel fighter, and then Persis would be in the wrong. He'd destroy the agent. He'd have his crew's respect and trust back. He could handle one agent, he thought ambitiously.
Down the corridor, Persis slept uneasily, as if she knew the events that the next day would bring.
* * * * * * *