By Jake Newman and based on the Matrix Trilogy by the Wachowski Brothers. Characters in this story which appear in the Matrix Trilogy do not belong to me. Some dialogue may be similar to that found in the official Trilogy.
Chapter 6: Unison
Chris opened his eyes, almost frightened to discover what he would see. He was lying face up, on a cold, hard floor. Despite this, he felt strangely comfortable. Chris knew that he had to move, that he had to explore and discover what to do, so he sat up. He first looked at the clothes he was wearing, they were different to before, they were smart and made of a suit-like fabric. As he looked around he saw white tiled walls lined with sliver and larger, darker tiles forming the floor. He appeared to be in a subway station. Chris was sitting on the platform and directly in front of him was a large gap which housed the train rails.
Chris got to his feet, he couldn't believe how much energy he had, how healthy he felt. As he went to study his surroundings further, he turned his head and noticed some writing on a wall. "MOBIL AVE", it read. "Where the hell is this?", he thought to himself. Chris walked off down the platform. He approached a sharply bending corner, he could not see beyond it. As Chris gathered the courage to walk around it, his nerves began to calm, "There's nothing to fear", he thought. As his vision of the previously secluded area of the subway grew, he observed something in a far corner of the station, something that upset the clinical cleanliness of it. Chris cautiously moved closer to it, the object became recognisable; it was human, male, a scruffy man, it was a tramp.
Chris spent several years in the subway station. He learnt many things. One day he awoke to find himself no longer in the station, he had been expecting this day. He found himself standing in front of a table, behind which, a man and a woman sat. The man looked sophisticated and important, the woman, beautiful and refined.
Man: Please, sit.
Chris hesitated then carefully removed a chair from against the table and sat down.
Man: I am zee Merovingian.
Chris: I know.
Merovingian: Do you know why I've released you?
Chris: No.
Merovingian: You have a purpose now, you are to kill zee one.
Chris: What? Why me?
Merovingian: You doubt your own abilities?
Chris: No, I'm just curious about your choice.
Merovingian: I don't need to explain to you my choice, boy! You will do as I say.
Chris: How do you know that I'll obey you, that I won't choose exile?
Merovingian: Because zat is your fate. I have seen it.
Chris: How do you expect me to kill him?
Merovingian: You will work zat out for yourself in time, you have plenty of it.
Chris: And what happens to me if I do kill him?
Merovingian: Zen you will have earned your life.
Chris: And if not?
Merovingian: Zen you will be killed also.
Chris: How long do I have to do it?
Merovingian: Before zee end.
Chris: The end of what? The end of the Matrix?
Merovingian: Zee end.
Chris was released into the Matrix, his task to destroy Neo. Chris spent years roaming the system, hiding from agents, discovering new programs and searching for Neo. One day, Chris was walking along a busy city street when he heard the distinctive sound of a helicopter overhead. He looked up to see one far above, hovering closely to a nearby building. Chris heard the distorted sound of gunfire emanating from the helicopter. He opened his hand and held it out in front of him. The twinkling sound of falling shells bouncing on the paving slabs around him could be heard. An intact golden bullet shell landed centrally on his open hand and stopped dead, "It's almost time", he thought.
Months later. "Then you're aware of it?", Agent Smith asked. "Of what?", Neo Responded. Smith raised his right hand to his tie, pointed to himself and then at Neo, "Our connection", he added. Chris's shadow was dispersed over a rough brick wall in the alleyway in which he stood. The shadow's intensity was so weak that it was impossible to recognise it as a human figure, or even as any type of shadow at all. Chris stood patiently listening to the conversation between Agent Smith and Neo. "I killed you Mr. Anderson. I watched you die…", he heard. Chris turned away from the alleyway opening that lead to Neo and Smith… "Death can be deceiving", Chris whispered to himself as he walked away, his dim shadow rippling across each brick.
Smith was multiplying. He was multiplying beyond control. Before long he would be the only program left in the Matrix and since the reawakening of Bane, his dominance in the real world was growing too. A number of Smiths were approaching a small park near the centre of a large city. The park was clean, except for the toxic gases of nearby vehicles racing past. There were trees scattered everywhere, and although there was no obvious pattern to their location, they were no doubt systematically arranged by some program of the Matrix. Paradoxically, in between the greenery lay concrete paths, trashcans and a concrete fountain sat central to the park itself. Chris was sitting on a bench opposite the fountain; he could watch each droplet of water independently and without time. He watched them emerge from the tip of the fountain and their destructive, re-entry splash back into the pool of water below.
An army of Smiths stormed into the park through and open gate. Even though the gate was wide enough for tens of people to walk through, the sheer volume of Smiths still had to queue to enter the park. Smith was looking for prey. As each one cleared the gate they fanned out into different directions, hunting for people to capture. Three Smiths passed Chris, they hadn't seen him and continued to run towards a young woman jogging along a footpath. Two of the Smiths grabbed each of her arms and the other drove a hand into the woman's chest. An infection grew from Smith's arm and spread like replicating bacteria; it grew until she had been engulfed completely and until she was Smith too. As Smith hastily withdrew his arm he felt a hand appear on his right shoulder. Agitated, he turned sharply and frowned in anger. "Surprised to see me?", Chris asked. Every Smith in the park instantly ceased to move and then, in one movement, turned to face Chris.
Smith: You're dead…
Chris: No, I'm not.
Smith: They killed you. Your body was removed from the Matrix.
Chris: Not exactly.
Smith: You're not human, are you?
Chris: Well noticed.
Smith: You shouldn't be here.
Chris: I disagree. Your colleague, sorry…ex-colleague Agent Brown, helped kill me. My body was ejected from the Matrix and subsequently that existence was lost. That however, was not the end of it. Before my departure, in fact, during my conversation with the Oracle, she downloaded the information stored in my brain into the Matrix mainframe. After my death, she activated my program, altered it somewhat and finally transferred me to a largely uninhabited area of the Matrix. There I waited for many years, until I was set free.
Smith: You know how I was created?
Chris: Yes. You're a beta version of me, if you will. Another program downloaded specific parts of my brain and compiled your program. Basically, the parts of me that they believed would corrupt this system or impede your ability to act as an agent were excluded. That person believes I died before your creation. Very few know of my existence.
Smith: But what is your purpose?
Chris: The Oracle…
Chris was interrupted
Smith: Who, what, is the Oracle!!?
Chris: You'll find out soon enough. "The Oracle" knew the future of the Matrix. She knew the path I would take, the path "Mr. Anderson" would take, the path you would take. I am here because of you, Agent Smith. I am here because my purpose is to affect you, and in good time, the end. You've seen the end, haven't you?
Smith: No.
Chris: Of course not! Not yet, anyway.
Smith: You're going to 'affect' me?
Chris: That's the plan.
Smith: I have undergone many changes since your creation, Mr. Smith.
Chris: Really?
Smith: Yes. I am different. Aside from the obvious changes, I have new abilities, a new 'purpose'. Any similarities we once shared are most probably obsolete. As much as I'd love to stay and chat, I have a job to do, and I need your help…
Agent Smith plunged his hand into Chris. This time there were no visible signs of the infection growing. This time green, vein-like lines appeared on Smith's arm and they pulsed rapidly. Smith's facial expression changed to a look of angry-confusion. Chris looked comfortable, relaxed. Smith sharply withdrew his hand from Chris and assessed what had happened.
Chris: A problem?
Smith looked at Chris angrily.
Chris: Confused? It's quite simple really. I am your master file. As such, I overwrite you and you cannot overwrite me.
Smith: What have you done to me?
Chris: Oh, you'll find out, soon enough. Let's just say that everything will happen as it's supposed to.
Smith: What happens now?
Chris: You know what you have to do. You don't need me to tell you that.
Chris reached into a pocket on the inside of his jacket. He pulled out a pair of sunglasses. They were similar to those that Smith wore but the corners were less sharp and the lenses had a blue tint. He unfolded them and put them on.
Chris: The end is nearer than you know. You'll realise that when you have "the sight". Everything will go as planned, I've ensured that. Years ago I thought I understood what I was supposed to do, why I was alive, why everything was going so wrong. Ironically, I only really know the answer to each one of those questions now, now that I have completed my task, now that I have no reason to be alive, now that it's too late.
Smith: Completed your task?
Chris: I was set free by another program, on a condition. Unfortunately, I have betrayed both programs that had faith in me, even though I have done as they instructed. I believe I have done the right thing.
Smith: Good for you. Now, since you're unable to help me, there's one more thing I have to do.
Chris: Kill me?
Smith: Yes…
Chris: Let me show you something.
Chris turned to another Smith and threw a misleading punch towards his head. Smith responded and fired an equally impressive punch back towards him. Smith was too slow, Chris had blocked the punch by moving at a lightening fast speed and grabbing the incoming arm. The limitless energy in Smiths punch was propelled back through his own body and snapped his arm. As Smith had done before, Chris thrust his hand into the chest of Smith. Smith was helpless and in severe pain. Every Smith in the park looked on in horror as the agent around Chris' hand evaporated into a bright orange mist and finally vanished completely. "You can't kill me", Chris said. Smith looked more worried than he ever had before.
Chris: You have no need to fear me, Smith.
Smith: Oh, really?
Chris: My time here is up. I could live in exile, irreparably changing the future or wait for the Merovingian to find and destroy me. I won't do either of those.
And with that, Chris inserted his hand into his own chest and dissolved into a golden cloud of fine vapour particles. Each Smith watched as it rose far into the sky with a hypnotic swaying motion. Ensuring the disappearance of what undoubtedly was their worst enemy, the Smiths continued to watch as the cloud dispersed to such an extent that it was visible no longer.
The Smiths released their gaze from the skies and paused in a quiet moment of contemplation. Each agent began to turn towards the entrance to the park from which they had entered earlier. As they started to leave, light drops of rain began to fall on the ground. They knew exactly whom they had to find, "The Oracle", they muttered in unison.