Part 3
The Matrix does NOT belong to me. Sure, I want it and all, but it's not happening. Judging by all the money they're raking in, I don't think the Wachowskis will ever be willing to give it up to a person like me.
Summery: Trinity has a secret, a secret threatening to destroy her. But has she made the right decision to keep it a secret?
Neo sat in Tank's 'operator' chair watching the green code that was the matrix scroll down the multiple screens. He tried to use the code as a distraction to help him forget about Trinity, at least for the time being. He never thought he'd ever not want to think about Trinity, but then again there were always bumps along the road of love that had to be paved over no matter how difficult.
He hadn't truly meant what he said to Trinity about being stupid to believe she truly loved him, but he was still angry. She was hiding something from him and he wanted to know what it was. Trinity was supposed to love him, not keep secrets from him.
'No, Trinity's not supposed to do anything. She's her own person. She can take care of herself.' That was all too true. In fact, she never let anyone help her. She had her problems – she was only human – but wouldn't let anyone get involved. She tortured herself to keep it all inside. If only she could let Neo in, then maybe he could help her.
But could he really help her? He didn't even know what was wrong. Trinity had been on board the Neb much longer than Neo. He had no idea what could have happened before, and he couldn't count on Trinity to tell him. She never told him the truth; just lies. Why couldn't she tell him?
Neo heard footsteps coming closer and closer from below. Then he heard the sound of someone climbing the ladder. He knew it was Morpheus without even looking. It was time to go back into the Matrix. Neo took a deep breath. He hadn't been in the Matrix since he "died", but he didn't feel ready to go back. He didn't want to go back, not just yet.
"Hello, Neo."
The look on Morpheus' face was of excitement, the kind of excitement a little kid had in a toy store. It was The One's return to the Matrix – he had everything to be excited about. Neo nodded, although he wasn't excited.
"Should I go get Tank?" Neo asked as he rose from the chair, but Morpheus shook his head.
"Tank's asleep. Leave him be. I'll take care of things." He turned to Neo, who kept his eyes down so Morpheus wouldn't see how nervous he was. "Are you ready?"
Neo took a deep breath, not noticing Trinity standing in a corner, nearly hidden from view. He looked up at Morpheus and shrugged. "I'm nervous."
Morpheus smiled. "You have no need to be. You are the One. Nothing can harm you."
Trinity watched silently. She wanted to be there for Neo, to help him if he needed it. Why was Morpheus letting him go in alone after what happened? Yes, he destroyed Agent Smith but he also died. She feared that death was becoming more casual by the day. There have been so many…
She pressed herself against the wall with hopes of keeping herself from going over to Neo. She wanted to comfort him, let him know that he'll be all right.
Neo walked over to the jack-in chair and sat down. Morpheus' eyes met Trinity's and he called her over. Neo looked up, unaware that Trinity was in the room. He wanted to talk to her, to ask her what was wrong, but she walked past him and into the operator chair. Her fingers flew over the keys as Morpheus stepped in front of her. "Whatever you do," He lowered his voice so that only Neo could hear him. "You better sort things out with her. You owe her your life. She has a lot on her mind, and no matter what she says, she needs you."
The next thing he felt was the spike enter his brain. He winced – he couldn't help it. In all the years he knew he would spend on the Neb, he would never get used to that feeling. He marveled at how all the others reacted like it was the most casual thing for a foreign object to be inserted into your brain. But that was the Real World. It was better than living a lie, wasn't it?
And then Neo was in the Matrix. He stood on a busy sidewalk, people bustling too and fro, all having plans that didn't exist, appointments that were never made, events that would never happen. It was all an illusion, a mirage. That was the horrifying truth that made Neo's blood run cold.
Why didn't anyone else notice that there was something wrong with the world that might just be that it wasn't real? Cypher's haunting words came to mind.
"Ignorance is bliss."
It was all too true. Most people in the Matrix wouldn't want to be freed. They would rather live a slave than have to deal with the harsh conditions of Real life. Neo had to admit that he missed the sun. And the food. The goop was supposed to be healthy, but its taste could make one believe otherwise.
A small woman carrying a bulging messenger bag bumped into Neo. The collision sent books flying all over the sidewalk. She stammered apologies, feeling horribly embarrassed, but her words trailed off when Neo turned to her. There was something about him, something eerie that frightened her.
To her surprise, Neo bent down and picked up some of the books. She looked stunned; why would anyone want to help her? People rarely even noticed she was alive. Neo put her books in the bag and stood back up. He towered over her almost menacingly, if it wasn't for a small grin on his face when he pocketed his sunglasses to make it seem like he wanted to get a better look at her, even though he could only see green code.
"I-I'll be more careful next time." She stammered, gathering the rest of her books and tucking them in her bag and trying not to make eye contact with Neo. "Thanks…thank you." She walked past Neo as quickly as she came. He sighed. No, she did not notice that the world was all a lie, but she did notice something weird about him. How interesting how people could pick up on the most subtle things yet completely overlook what's right there in front of them. He'd have to fix that if he wanted to free the world, so to speak.
He turned around, following the woman with his eyes as she walked past a phone booth. She hurried inside and dialed a number. She talked rapidly into the phone and then exited the booth and waited on the street corner. Neo thought for a few moments what to do.
Should he just wander around a little and be as inconspicuous as he could so he wouldn't attract the Agents' attention? Or should he do something bold, threaten them, make them a little nervous? He couldn't expect to destroy the Matrix by just waiting for things to happen. He eyed the phone booth, then walked towards it, having made his decision. He would be bold.
He entered the booth and shut the door behind him, noticing the woman still standing at the corner. She glanced back at Neo and the phone booth but turned away quickly when she noticed he was looking her way. Neo picked up the phone, but his fingers never touched the numbers. He saw the code of the Matrix and searched for an Agent. There weren't any near. They were probably scared, Neo thought. In the code, he located the nearest phone and put the number into the telephone. On the Neb Tank had just begun teaching him to read code, but in the Matrix he was already fluent in it.
He held the receiver to his ear, waiting, listening to it ring. Then the ringing stopped and a dull male voice answered.
"Hello."
Neo took a deep breath. This is what he had to do. If he just waited the war would never be won. He had to do this.
"I know you're out there."
He heard the Agent on the other line clear his throat, but he continued.
"I can feel you now…"
Trinity watched in amazement as Neo flew up into the air. She carefully looked over the code again to make sure she wasn't seeing things. He might have just jumped high or maybe, no, he was definitely flying. But how?
"Morpheus, come over here."
Morpheus showed no signs of surprise at the aspect of Neo flying. He knew all along that Neo was the one, and that was the only thing he could say to prove this feat. Was it because he was the One, or that he had freed his mind? Trinity had been on board longer than Neo, and Morpheus had been here even longer than her, but neither one of them could accomplish flying.
It could have been that the mind was so convinced that flying was impossible because it was only accomplished by special effects. But Neo, he was really flying. Like superman. Trinity amused herself with the thought of Neo flying around the Matrix with a red cape billowing behind him.
At first Neo was surprised to find that he never landed on the building he planned to, but instead climbed higher and higher into the sky. He was flying, just like in the movies, only without the wires and effects. How did he do it? Many different thoughts filled his mind at once, but he settled for one; because he was the One, he now believed in himself, that he could free his mind enough. Did he accomplish the task of flying just because he was the One?
Could Trinity ever fly with him? Would she even want to after what he said?
He looked up above him at the shining sun and hollered so loud and happily that one would think he won the lottery jackpot, that is if they heard him. He was free! He could have total control of the Matrix if he wasn't planning on destroying it.
He pulled his phone out of his pocket, nearly dropping it in the altitude, and held it to his ear.
"Morpheus!" He spoke in a tone no one had ever heard him speak in. He was happy, excited. He felt like he could do anything, like he owned the world.
"Guess again." The female voice on the other line said in a voice opposite of Neo's. Trinity sounded sad, almost disappointed. Neo had flown, a feat that no one else had ever accomplished. Could she say she was jealous?
Neo focused on lowering himself to the ground, or a skyscraper to be safe. "Trinity, oh my god, you'll never believe this!"
"I can see you, Neo, remember?" She was always amused at Neo's innocence, for he still had a hard time grasping some concepts of reality. "Just because you can't read code doesn't mean we can't."
"And that's a damn good thing too, otherwise I'd be dead at least three times. Maybe four." Trinity knew Neo was grinning. She knew his tone of voice was serious, but casual enough to joke about it. "I want you in here. I want you flying with me."
Neo was always quick to forgive. He knew that Trinity was another reason, as well as reading code, that he was still alive. Why should he be mad at her? She was the one he'd be spending the rest of his life with. The Neb wasn't a big ship; your problems were everyone else's problems unless you were Trinity and were exceptionally good at masking them.
"Neo, I can't fly. Only you can."
Neo raised his eyebrow. "Is that so?"
Trinity wondered what Neo had in mind. She didn't want to go into the Matrix to fool around. She'd end up dead. No, Neo would protect her, but that wasn't the point. The point was that she went into the Matrix with a purpose, not to enjoy herself. How could she enjoy herself when everything around her was a lie?
"The Matrix is not a computer game, Neo. Fifth and Harmon is your exit." She could feel his frustration as he hung up the phone and took to the skies once more. She did want to be with him, but she just couldn't bring herself to letting her guard down enough to make her vulnerable. She had let that happen once before and it left her 3 months pregnant if she remembered correctly. When traveling aimlessly through sewers, each day the same routine, one tended to lose track of time.
She made the call once Neo had landed on the sidewalk. He slowly walked to the phone booth, not wanting this moment to end so soon. But he had to go. Trinity was right; the Matrix wasn't a game. He should be taking it more seriously, but were else could he be able to fly?
Neo's eyes fluttered open and saw Trinity standing over him, removing the spike from his head and walking away. He sat up and watched as she stumbled, clutching her stomach with one hand and grabbing the wall for support with the other. Neo rose from the chair to assist, but Trinity was already running down the hallway.