AUTHOR'S NOTE:
alocin- Why would I ever want to even consider getting rid of such a helpful reviewer and writer?
Aoden Half-elven-You put me on your Favourites list! *looks flattered*
Exobiologist- Haha, yes I did get rid of Johnson rather quickly there, didn't I? And yes, I have read Conversations With Smith ^^
Selina Enriquez-Hey, which Moby track were you listening to while reading it? ^_~
NOTICE: Unfortunately, I do not own any of the original characters from the Matrix trilogy. HOWEVER: All other characters in this fanfic do belong to me, as they're all products of my overactive imagination.
13. Persis Shows Her Hand.
Persis warily replaced the earpiece into her left ear and allowed the stream of information to flow into her now human consciousness. She sighed as she withdrew the tool and placed it back down on the roof of the car next to the sedan she'd driven to the meeting point.
Hours earlier she'd slipped from the motel room and a motionless Smith, experimenting with the adoption of human sleeping patterns. He looked different while he was sleeping, well, attempting to recreate the experience of sleeping, at least. He looked human. He looked relaxed, peaceful. It had been nearly impossible to leave him but still, still she'd made her way to the nearest phone booth. She'd made the call and now the time had come.
It was time to put all her cards on the table.
She walked slowly across the street and stood half in, half out of the relative shadow of the looming building on the corner of the junction. Persis sighed gently, also experimenting with readjusting to her human mannerisms.
It was still dark and early morning, 2:36am to be preci- stop it Persis, you're not an agent anymore, she countered herself. That was not you. Don't keep acting like it was. She looked up with a jerk.
"You wanted to see me".
A human stood before her. He was tall, dark haired and had a slight androgynous quality to him. The long lines of his black fitted coat with its almost mandarin collar whispered along the ground as he stepped forward into the pool of light created by a lone streetlamp.
Neo.
"Thank you for coming".
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now".
Persis nodded. She'd been expecting that.
"I'll do just that if your friends would stop lurking in the shadows and show themselves. Besides", and here she smiled a little bleakly, "it's not as if I'm unable to see them".
Slowly, the regal and imposing physique of Morpheus and the compact but graceful figure of Trinity revealed themselves. Both were heavily armed. Persis nodded courteously at both of them.
"Morpheus, Trinity".
There was something of a quiet sadness in Morpheus' expression as he returned the gesture at the image of the captain he'd vaguely known as Persis of the Antigone. There was a steely toughness and suspicion in Trinity's face. Persis reached into her jacket and immediately both swung their machine guns up into firing positions.
Persis stopped.
"Proof of my good intentions".
She pulled out her gun and threw it casually to fall in the gutter. Neo straightened at the movement. It was so like Smith's motion when he'd discarded his weapon in the underground station where they'd fought. But then Persis was Smith, effectively. She was the result of the agent being imprinted onto her. He could see the codes.
"You want a reason, here's the one I've got. I have been an agent, for all intents and purposes as you well know. You also know I was human before my unfortunate transformation. My memory and almost all recollections of who I was were erased by the Matrix. They've recently been returned to me".
"By who?" Neo questioned.
Persis looked at him meaningfully.
"Smith".
Morpheus and Trinity exchanged looks.
Neo shook his head.
"Impossible. Smith would never do something to-"
"Aid a human?", Persis cut in, "because he's a sentient programme, void of emotion and generally in contempt of all non-machine related life forms? Smith is different, Neo, and I am willing to bet that you already know this".
His silence confirmed her theory.
"You're running out of time. It will not be long before the sentinel army reaches the point where it is capable of launching a full on attack on Zion. I don't need to prove how reliable my sources are concerning that. Some time ago a young rebel was killed trying to reach an exit. She was carrying a disc of great importance to the resistance, regarding the project only known as the Exodus".
Trinity lowered her machine gun and flipped on the safety.
"I remember hearing about that. It could be the only other deciding factor in this war aside from Neo".
The One turned towards his lover with a bemused expression on his face.
"No pressure there, Trin".
"Sorry", the woman smiled back.
Persis nearly smiled at the affection the two showed towards each other, and then stopped herself when it provoked thoughts of Smith. Would he ever accept what she was doing? No, Persis, consider what's at stake here.
She held up the tiny disc in one hand. All three figures moved in a unanimous intake of breath.
"I am in possession of the disc. It was I who elimi-", Persis's features contorted into a grimace as she cut herself short, "killed the girl. I'm asking you now what the disc holds that is so vital".
Morpheus stepped slightly forward. Her guilt seemed genuine.
"It is believed that the disc contains the information to destroy the Matrix, a part of the machines' master plan to destroy and then recreate the Matrix after a certain number of years, decades."
"A kind of self destruct mechanism, if you will", volunteered Neo.
As the two men filled her in on the purpose and activation rules of the disc Persis took in the information in total silence. She fingered the disc carefully before looking up at the One. Her decision lay before her. She made it.
"I'm asking you to let me activate the Exodus from within the Matrix. You are aware that it needs to be set in motion this way. It cannot be started in the Real World. From what you have told me, I gather that once made active, the disc needs an entity to act as the weapon of destruction, if you will", she looked at Neo, who seemed almost curious, "through which the Matrix will be destroyed. This means a living entity. The risks are high. From what you've found out, it is not known whether the person acting as the weapon would be subject to the destruction as well. Its obvious that your talents wil be needed in the defence of Zion", she looked at Neo, "which is why-"
Persis took a deep breath. She held out the disc in her palm to Neo.
"I'm asking you to allow me to carry out the Exodus. To destroy the Matrix".
Neo glanced at Trinity and Morpheus questioningly. Clearly they had not been expecting this.
"Why should we let you? Why should we even trust you?"
"Because I owe Zion a lot of lives. I need to make up for what I've destroyed".
"So that you can feel better about yourself?"
"Yes, my motives are purely selfish", Persis remarked dryly, "but if there's one thing I can give to you, it's this. Smith gave me my past, I'm giving you the future. Call it a gift. If you don't believe me then take the disc yourself. You have my word, for what it's worth."
It was certain that she was telling the truth. After scrutinising her Neo came to that conclusion and slowly pushed back the offered hand with the disc in its upturned centre.
"I hope you find what you're looking for".
Persis smiled thinly.
As the trio turned away and walked down the darkened street, Neo paused and spoke, his head turned slightly over one shoulder.
"And if you don't keep your word, I will kill you".
Persis nodded in agreement.
"I wouldn't expect anything less".
She walked back to the sedan and got in, closing the door as quietly as possible. She exhaled with relief. Now it was up to her. Neo would need to defend Zion in the final battle. In turn Zion would need her to carry out the Exodus.
In the cloying veil of the early morning darkness the sentient programme that Persis mentally admitted she needed slipped back to the motel room, where it had woken to find her gone.