Chapter Three: Into the Vortex
Neo walked on the curb of a street, balancing carefully. As he walked, he thought about the Matrix.
it's all a just another system of control
make up your own damn mind
the problem is choice
choose, and act
Neo sighed again, watching the green code of his breath slip into the Matrix's master code. He watched as his simple breath created disturbances in the code.
a butterfly flaps its wings and the weather in new york is different
He smiled to himself. He remembered his childhood, a simple, happy childhood. He hadn't had many friends, but they had been good ones.
it's all just another system of control
My entire life had been faked.
Trinity gasped for air. Fallen Angel rolled, kicking Firewall's feet out from under him. The program fell, and Myst darted forward, grabbing the dagger from the ground and raising it high.
Firewall twisted onto his back and kicked, hitting Myst's hand and sending the dagger flying up. He leapt to his feet and kicked the rebel away, turning in time to grab Fallen Angel's fist and hit him twice in the stomach. He turned to face Trinity again and caught the dagger as it fell. He smacked her on the back of the head and she fell into darkness.
The machines knew who I was since the beginning, and manipulated me into making the wrong choice from childhood. Now the real question is what is the truth?
The Architect's truth or the rebel's truth?
Whose truth? Which truth?
Everything changed.
the problem is choice
Ina flash of bright green, Neo's own code flickered and changed. He laughed out loud.
It's a computer. Morpheus said I could bend rules, but hackers can break computer rules as easily as anything else. The problem is choice – my choice to believe I could not break those rules. But I can.
He took another step, and he was beside Trinity.
Lynx blocked a high swing and hit a SWAT in the neck, sending him backwards. She reversed and kicked at another SWAT and sent him flying away. Two more SWAT fell to Phoenix's bullets, and Lynx turned to look down the street at Trinity.
She fell. Suddenly, Neo appeared from nowhere. He grabbed Firewall and flung him into the side of a building. The program crashed through the wall and into the basement. Neo stared at the building, concentrating. It gave a great groan and collapsed, burying Firewall.
"Let's go," Lynx said.
Feet pounded along a corridor. Neo came around the corner, running at full speed, his cloak trailing out behind him.
"Morpheus, where's Trinity?" he yelled into his phone.
"They got her."
"Damn it! Where are they taking her?"
"I don't know."
"Call me back if they move."
Neo glanced at the code and started running again. He reached for a door, but it flew open before his hand touched the knob.
"Mister Anderson…" Smith greeted him.
"Smith?" said Neo, shocked.
"Yes, it is me. I escaped the shutdown by hiding my central conciseness in a human's body. The poor man died, I believe, when I left him. No matter, "Ghost" would not have lived much longer anyway."
"No…" said Neo.
"Yes," said Smith, raising his gun. He fired, hitting Neo in the shoulder.
"Your vaunted code manipulations won't work when the code is gone."
Neo turned and ran. He smashed his way through a door and past a frozen security guard, Smith close on his heels. The former Agent fired, hitting a pipe near Neo's head. His phone rang.
"Neo, that seems to be some sort of explosive gas. Be careful."
"I will, Morpheus. Any change with Trinity?"
"They're moving her. She might still be alive."
"Okay."
Neo rounded another corner and ran straight into a rebel. Neo looked up and sighed in sudden understanding.
"You…"
"Yes," the man said, squeezing the trigger –
- Trinity woke with a gasp. Neo was kneeling next to her, alive and well.
"Trin?"
She smiled at him. "I'm fine. Let's get out of here."
The Sentinels streamed into the cavern, spotting the deactivated ships almost instantly. Feral swore and ran towards the door, diving out of his ship as three lasers hit it. He rolled onto the ground and grabbed a plasma gun, firing at one of the machines. It hit the Sentinel and destroyed it.
One down, two hundred forty-four thousand to go.
Feral dropped the plasma gun and ran. He got to a spot behind a large rock formation and turned back around, yanking the pin from an EMP grenade and throwing it. It exploded in the midst of a group of Sentinels, destroying three of them.
Ballard appeared from around the corner, grabbing Feral and dragging him farther under the rocks.
"What the hell happened?" Feral said.
"Someone triggered an EMP!" Ballard said back. "It's a disaster out there. Two ships got away, but the rest are down."
"Shit."
"No kidding. We've got to try and hold out until the army passes. They'll come back for survivors."
There was an explosion nearby, and they both winced. A shadow moved across the hole of the small cave the hid inside.
Feral motioned to Ballard to shut up. Ballard nodded. They sat and waited. The machine paused at the mouth of the tunnel, listening. After a few tense seconds, it gave up and left.
Ballard sighed in relief.
"Oh, shit," Feral said.
Neo opened his eyes. Morpheus helped him out of the chair.
"What happened in there? One minute you were with the Oracle, the next moment right beside the others."
"I had a realization," Neo explained. "The only reason my powers were limited in the Matrix was because I chose to believe they were. I was defeating myself. And if you chose to believe the body cannot live without the mind, then it won't. But you can be immortal inside the Matrix."
Morpheus shook his head.
"Neo, I just don't see how that would work. Maybe for you, because you're the One, but…"
"The One is just control, Morpheus. The reason I am the One is because I chose to believe I was! Trinity could be a One, Lynx could be a One, hell, Voyd could've been the One. All he needed – all any of them need – is a little help. Morpheus, you can be the One. The Oracle knew no one would believe this, so she told us all that we weren't the One. But we can be, Morpheus, if we choose to believe so."
Agent Matthews stood inside Room 303, his earpiece plugged into a terminal. His eyes opened.
"Reloaded," he said to himself. "Thank you."
"You are most welcome," came the voice of the Motherboard, sweet and deadly, like a beehive.
"What is my purpose?" Matthews asked.
"The virus I mutated has gone out of control. It is destroying the crop. We are already down by twenty percent. We have to stop it, or we will all die. These orders come directly from Dues Ex Machina."
"Yes, mistress," Matthews said. "What do I do?"
"Go to room 101. Use your key. Unlock it and walk to the far end. In a cabinet is the red switch that shuts down the Matrix temporarily. Pull it to freeze all non-independent coding – the humans, the virus, and most subroutines will be defended."
"Yes, mistress. And then?"
"I will purge the Matrix from the Source. Then we will reload it from here. During this time we will be most vulnerable to the Exiles and the rebels. You must be on your guard."
"Yes, mistress."
"However, the Anomaly has had a realization. He's unlocked the secrets of the Matrix. You are to stay here unless the Anomaly or the Guardian enters the Matrix. If they do, take the Guardian. Kill the Anomaly."
"Me?"
"No, the Virus will take care of him for us. We have a traitor inside the rebel's organization who will finish him for us."
"Yes, mistress."
"Remind this traitor not to kill him. We still need his code."
Matthews got up to leave.
"And Matthews?"
"Yes."
"Don't fail me again."
Matthews left the room at a brisk pace.
Falcon dived underneath the Caduceus as two Sentinels flashed by him. He rolled to the opposite side and dropped an EMP mine. It exploded, taking down the group of Sentinels harassing rebels on the ridge. They cheered and rose from cover, renewing their attacks.
The cavern shook from explosions. Falcon unhooked a grenade from his belt and threw it towards the digging machine, which was already far below. The grenade struck the massive thing and detonated, the digger grinding to a halt. Falcon whipped out his radio.
"Go for the diggers!" he shouted to everyone. He heard a few affirmatives, but most people were too busy fighting for their lives.
If I can buy Zion only a little time…
Falcon jumped off his perch and ran towards one of the two remaining diggers. He grabbed a mine, activated it, and dropped it down the hole. Before he could confirm a hit, he ran. The explosion lifted him up and threw him near the edge of the final digger.
Sentinels were coming at him. Falcon couldn't stand. He activated his last mine and rolled into the digger's hole.
Shadow crept out from his shelter and ran for the tripod the rebels had set up. She took a seat at the gun and powered up, turning to face the hordes of machines. She began firing, taking out three Sentinels in his first volley.
Every little bit helps. If each rebel can destroy one Sentinel, Zion will be saved – albeit at massive cost. I only have but one life to give for my race.
The Sentinels came towards her. Shadow hit a button and powered the machine up full. As the Sentinels came within range, the gun exploded, a wave of EMP energy trailing out from the spot and destroying many.
Matthews slid his key into the lock and opened the door to room 101. He shut the door behind him and began walking forward, keeping his eyes straight ahead.
From the shadows came screams of pain and horror. Prisoners muttered brokenly to themselves, indulging in their own private fantasies. The head Agent walked quickly through the room until he reached the cabinet. He unlocked it and pulled it open, revealing a large, red switch.
He pulled it down.
"Neo!" Morpheus yelled.
"What?"
Neo walked over to the monitors and glanced at the Matrix coding over Morpheus's shoulder.
"What the hell is happening, Neo?"
"I don't know…looks like the Matrix is crashing!"
"Like the Architect said it would?"
"No, almost like its being shut down on purpose…"
"Maybe they're trying to get rid of that virus…"
"Maybe. I think so…I also think…"
"What?"
"This would be an excellent time to attack."
Sentinel 10-55A scanned the battlefield.
ALL TARGETS DESTROYED
1 LIFE SIGNATURE FOUND
It coasted over the rocks, coming to hover above the dead body of Feral and another rebel. It charged its laser, but a new order stopped the Sentinel.
DO NOT DESTROY – ALLY
The Sentinel's reply shot back.
diggers neutralized. orders?
NEW DIGGERS ON THE WAY.
A rebel ship appeared on the scene. It was small, smaller then normal. Members of the task force rushed for the ship, and it pulled its EMP, blanketing the area in blue light. Sentinels fell.
PAUSE ATTACK. DO NOT ATTACK ANY SHIPS FOR 6 HOURS.
The Nebuchadnezzar flew over the battlefield.
"What a disaster…" Trinity whispered.
Neo nodded. "Any survivors?"
"My computer is reading three life forms," Phoenix said. "There!"
The hovercraft coasted over the rocks, coming into a small depression where three rebels hovered: Ghost, Myst, and Ballard. They stood by the wreckage of the Logos arguing animatedly.
Fallen Angel lowered the hovercraft and opened the doors. The three rebels climbed on.
"What happened?" Morpheus asked.
"An EMP was triggered prematurely," Ballard explained. "When the machines broke through, it wasn't a battle – it was a slaughter."
"But one of the rebels took out the diggers. That should stall them," Myst said, hopefully.
"Good. We're going into the Matrix."