Jumping in shock, Neo quickly slipped off of Trinity, flipping the switch
for the intercom.
"Morpheus! Link! We have a proximity warning! I'm shutting down the ship now!"
Neo spun around, seeing Trinity already charging the EMP. Several quick keystrokes and the core was shutting off, lights going out, the cold seeping into their bones.
"Now!" Neo whispered harshly.
Trinity quickly turned the EMP switch and a blue shock wave slammed out of the ship, short-circuiting all sentinels in the surrounding area.
~~*~~
In the quiet moments that followed, Morpheus slid down the ladder, followed quickly by Link.
"Why did we have to use the EMP? Why didn't you notice them before they got too close?" Link asked, eyes searching.
His questioning was halted when Morpheus lifted his hand. He had already noticed the frazzled and rumpled sight of Neo and Trinity. Drawing conclusions, he figured they simply had not heard anything.
"Here and now there is a new rule. No activities whatsoever other than the job of Operator or sentry duty will take place on this chair, am I understood?"
~~*~~
"Neo, may I speak with you for a moment?" Morpheus asked upon finding Neo in the mess hall alone.
"Sure."
Sitting down, Morpheus paused a moment before beginning.
"I know that your relationship is new to you both and you-can't get enough of each other. Trinity, who has kept her emotions closed off from everyone save you, probably has much to let out. And you, a new love that helped you to become the One. I understand this all. But- you have to understand, there is a time to express your love, and a time not to. On this ship, I ask, to keep it to a minimum. You are fighting a war where daily our lives are endangered. I ask you to remember that."
"In other words, keep the sex part of our relationship in Zion?" Neo asked, raising his eyebrows.
"Well, that is up to you, but the walls on this ship are thin, privacy is next to none and there is little time to indulge. That's all." Morpheus smiled gently before standing and exiting.
~~*~~
Elsewhere:
"So you want me to infiltrate the Nebuchadnezzar and kill the One? That's my job in order to be reinserted into the Matrix?" a dark haired, scruffy faced, brown eyed man asked Agent Jones.
"Yes. If at all possible, eliminate every rebel on the ship, but the eradication of the One is your first priority." Agent Brown replied.
"Did I ask you?"
"Do you want to make it out of this reality alive rebel?" Brown replied.
Swallowing, the man squared his shoulders, but kept silent.
"Your reward for eliminating the One will be to be reinserted, your memory erased save for what you asked for, yes." Jones cut in, smoothing over the rough turn of conversation.
"All right, as long as we're clear on that. How am I supposed to get on the Neb? They don't want to take people on I've heard."
"We will take care of that for you. All you have to do is your job." Jones answered simply.
"Right, right, mercenary, got it. Easy as pie." The man replied as he turned to leave.
~~*~~
One Week Later
"Morpheus, we need a mechanic to fix this, we can't do it alone and we're too far from Zion." Neo proclaimed from his position against the counter in the mess hall.
The four crewmembers of the Nebuchadnezzar sat, or stood in the mess hall, talking out the problems and possible solutions after yet another sentinel attack that had caused enough damage to the energy stores of the ship to make them a sitting duck without hope in less than 24 hours.
"I know. Link, go run S.O.S. call to any ship that is closest that has someone who can be spared for a week."
"Yes sir." Link stood quickly and left for the cockpit.
"Trinity and Neo, can you two try to minimize the damage so we can hold out until help arrives?"
"We can try." Trinity replied, standing.
~~*~~
"Sir? The Conquistador has answered our call. They be here within the hour if there are no sentinel problems." Link informed Morpheus who had joined Trinity and Neo in the bowels of the ship.
"Thank you Link. I'll be up in a moment and then you can watch over the Matrix." Morpheus replied.
"I think we've done as much as possible down here." Neo commented to Morpheus as he moved towards the ladder.
"Well, check to see if there is anything else that we can stabilize and then you can take a break until the Conquistador arrives."
"Trinity? Trinity!" Neo called out after Morpheus left.
She had moved much further into the back end of the ship and they had long since been unable to hear any sounds she made. Moving through the water from ruptures, Neo slowly arrived at the back end of the ship, only to find Trinity's soaked clothes draped on a pipe. Climbing up and over a torn piece of metal, Neo found that that piece had acted as a wall between the cold water that was up to his knees and the warm water that was now up to his midsection. Figuring Trinity to be in this area- skinny-dipping, of all things, Neo slipped off his boots, shirt and pants, knowing he could move much easier naked and figuring when he found her, it would only be fair.
Diving underwater, Neo saw a movement to his left. Immediately breaking the surface, and keeping only his head above water, Neo came face-to-face with his counterpart.
"Having fun?" Neo asked.
"You don't get to go swimming too often in the real world. I say take advantage of the opportunity when it arises. Besides, I already double- checked; there is nothing else we can do. We have an hour break before the Conquistador arrives, am I right?" Off Neo's nod, "Then I'm taking my break here. In warm water."
"Do you hear me complaining?" Neo replied, a smile gracing his face.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
YAY! I finally started a plot! I'm so happy. It only took 7 bloody chapters. Oh well. Time to sound like a commercial: Up next, Neo and Trinity spend an hour... swimming? Plus, Who is that infiltrator? Everything and nothing will be answered next chapter!
"Morpheus! Link! We have a proximity warning! I'm shutting down the ship now!"
Neo spun around, seeing Trinity already charging the EMP. Several quick keystrokes and the core was shutting off, lights going out, the cold seeping into their bones.
"Now!" Neo whispered harshly.
Trinity quickly turned the EMP switch and a blue shock wave slammed out of the ship, short-circuiting all sentinels in the surrounding area.
~~*~~
In the quiet moments that followed, Morpheus slid down the ladder, followed quickly by Link.
"Why did we have to use the EMP? Why didn't you notice them before they got too close?" Link asked, eyes searching.
His questioning was halted when Morpheus lifted his hand. He had already noticed the frazzled and rumpled sight of Neo and Trinity. Drawing conclusions, he figured they simply had not heard anything.
"Here and now there is a new rule. No activities whatsoever other than the job of Operator or sentry duty will take place on this chair, am I understood?"
~~*~~
"Neo, may I speak with you for a moment?" Morpheus asked upon finding Neo in the mess hall alone.
"Sure."
Sitting down, Morpheus paused a moment before beginning.
"I know that your relationship is new to you both and you-can't get enough of each other. Trinity, who has kept her emotions closed off from everyone save you, probably has much to let out. And you, a new love that helped you to become the One. I understand this all. But- you have to understand, there is a time to express your love, and a time not to. On this ship, I ask, to keep it to a minimum. You are fighting a war where daily our lives are endangered. I ask you to remember that."
"In other words, keep the sex part of our relationship in Zion?" Neo asked, raising his eyebrows.
"Well, that is up to you, but the walls on this ship are thin, privacy is next to none and there is little time to indulge. That's all." Morpheus smiled gently before standing and exiting.
~~*~~
Elsewhere:
"So you want me to infiltrate the Nebuchadnezzar and kill the One? That's my job in order to be reinserted into the Matrix?" a dark haired, scruffy faced, brown eyed man asked Agent Jones.
"Yes. If at all possible, eliminate every rebel on the ship, but the eradication of the One is your first priority." Agent Brown replied.
"Did I ask you?"
"Do you want to make it out of this reality alive rebel?" Brown replied.
Swallowing, the man squared his shoulders, but kept silent.
"Your reward for eliminating the One will be to be reinserted, your memory erased save for what you asked for, yes." Jones cut in, smoothing over the rough turn of conversation.
"All right, as long as we're clear on that. How am I supposed to get on the Neb? They don't want to take people on I've heard."
"We will take care of that for you. All you have to do is your job." Jones answered simply.
"Right, right, mercenary, got it. Easy as pie." The man replied as he turned to leave.
~~*~~
One Week Later
"Morpheus, we need a mechanic to fix this, we can't do it alone and we're too far from Zion." Neo proclaimed from his position against the counter in the mess hall.
The four crewmembers of the Nebuchadnezzar sat, or stood in the mess hall, talking out the problems and possible solutions after yet another sentinel attack that had caused enough damage to the energy stores of the ship to make them a sitting duck without hope in less than 24 hours.
"I know. Link, go run S.O.S. call to any ship that is closest that has someone who can be spared for a week."
"Yes sir." Link stood quickly and left for the cockpit.
"Trinity and Neo, can you two try to minimize the damage so we can hold out until help arrives?"
"We can try." Trinity replied, standing.
~~*~~
"Sir? The Conquistador has answered our call. They be here within the hour if there are no sentinel problems." Link informed Morpheus who had joined Trinity and Neo in the bowels of the ship.
"Thank you Link. I'll be up in a moment and then you can watch over the Matrix." Morpheus replied.
"I think we've done as much as possible down here." Neo commented to Morpheus as he moved towards the ladder.
"Well, check to see if there is anything else that we can stabilize and then you can take a break until the Conquistador arrives."
"Trinity? Trinity!" Neo called out after Morpheus left.
She had moved much further into the back end of the ship and they had long since been unable to hear any sounds she made. Moving through the water from ruptures, Neo slowly arrived at the back end of the ship, only to find Trinity's soaked clothes draped on a pipe. Climbing up and over a torn piece of metal, Neo found that that piece had acted as a wall between the cold water that was up to his knees and the warm water that was now up to his midsection. Figuring Trinity to be in this area- skinny-dipping, of all things, Neo slipped off his boots, shirt and pants, knowing he could move much easier naked and figuring when he found her, it would only be fair.
Diving underwater, Neo saw a movement to his left. Immediately breaking the surface, and keeping only his head above water, Neo came face-to-face with his counterpart.
"Having fun?" Neo asked.
"You don't get to go swimming too often in the real world. I say take advantage of the opportunity when it arises. Besides, I already double- checked; there is nothing else we can do. We have an hour break before the Conquistador arrives, am I right?" Off Neo's nod, "Then I'm taking my break here. In warm water."
"Do you hear me complaining?" Neo replied, a smile gracing his face.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
YAY! I finally started a plot! I'm so happy. It only took 7 bloody chapters. Oh well. Time to sound like a commercial: Up next, Neo and Trinity spend an hour... swimming? Plus, Who is that infiltrator? Everything and nothing will be answered next chapter!