Log 8
Neo was unplugged and greeted by a cheering audience. Nearly ever crew member aboard the ship was gathered around the computer mainframe and clapping wildly. Trinity embraced him in a tight, happy hug.
"You did it Neo. I knew you could!" She beamed. Neo felt a proud, satisfied smile cross over his face.
"We all did," Morpheus said, shaking his hand tightly. Neo was taken aback by such displays of good spirits. He was momentarily humbled.
"Where is she? Did she get out alright?" Neo asked, forgetting about his accomplishments for the moment.
"Yeah, she's in the loading dock now, where Maggie is moving her to the examination room. We just fished her out. She's being worked on right now," Link said, sitting back in his chair and resuming his operator duties.
"Alright everyone, back to work. The doctors need assistance down there. Trinity, can you come with me? I'd like to go see how she's doing," Morpheus said, turning to his second in command.
"Of course," she said, and followed her leader down the hallway. Neo paused for a moment.
"Can I come?" He asked his friends. They turned around to face him.
"Yes, but be prepared to help. There's a lot we must do. We haven't much time left to get her ready. Come," he said, motioning for Neo to follow.
He took a few steps and felt pangs zing up and down his muscles and bones. He almost fell forward had it not been for his renewed sense of self and strength. He steadied himself, holding onto the pillar of the kitchen wall, and breathed in and out. He shook his head, trying to alleviate the pain and drive it from his injuries. He followed the crew down the hall to the loading dock.
Minerva was laid across a long metal table in the examination room. Maggie was pacing back and forth from one side of the room to the other, picking up syringes, vials, gauze, tape, a thermometer, and an assortment of other medical instruments.
"Maggie, how is she doing?" Morpheus asked as the trio stepped into the room. She looked up.
"Her vitals are holding, but her heartbeat is irregular. She's also suffering from dehydration and infections in both ears. Otherwise, I'd say she's gonna make it." She filled a syringe with an unidentified liquid and injected it into Minerva's right arm. Blood dripped from the wound readily due to the skin's supple and gelatinous texture from being held in the pod for entire life. She bandaged the wound and adjusted some knobs on the monitors analyzing her condition. An extra monitor switched on, specifically for surveying her blackbody curve. The electromagnetic radiation she was emitting was wholeheartedly dominating her absorption. Her infrared emission, however, was normal.
The three walked closer to her seemingly lifeless body. Her skin took on a deathly pale and jellylike appearance. Her bald head reflected light from all angles. There was, conversely, some stubble already forming, showing the prospect of a future full head of hair.
"Is there anything I can do to help, Maggie?" He asked as she raced about the room, collecting jars and fiber optics.
"Yes, actually, can you bring the IV drip? I should have plugged her in the moment she got here but I had to take care of her infections." Morpheus nodded and wheeled in the stand with the clear plastic bag. He found the correct vein in her wrist and inserted the needle.
"What is that stuff?" Neo asked. He had never quite figured out what it was.
"Saline. A simple salt solution used to make sure the body has enough sustenance when eating or drinking isn't an option. It also helps blood flow and efficient oxygen supply to the brain," Trinity explained, wiping the remains of pod slime from her skin.
Neo nodded, and looked down at Minerva. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
Maggie paused for a moment. "Sure, actually there is. Can you grab me that vial and dropper next to you? I need to administer the second set of drops in her ears." Neo handed both objects to Maggie, who put the drops into each ear. A small whimper escaped Minerva's lips. Morpheus raised an eyebrow.
"Is she coming to already?" He asked. "Newborns don't usually come to for a few hours until the shock wears off." Maggie looked up quickly at Morpheus before injecting Minerva with another antibiotic in her left arm.
"Let's just say this one has an aggressive will to live. Ever since I got her up here it seems like her consciousness is trying to burst out of her chest. I had to give her a muscle relaxer to get her to calm down - her heartbeat was through the roof." She carried an armful of vials to the cabinet and placed them back in alphabetical order. Morpheus and Trinity sterilized the syringes she had used and placed them back in the metal drawers. Maggie reached for a vial of pinkish liquid and injected a small amount into the soft flesh of Minerva's neck. The vial was labeled 'hair re- growth hormonal formula'.
"Her temperature finally seems to be stabilizing, but her electromagnetic emission rate is still through the roof." She went over a printout of the readings of Minerva's brainwaves. "She's also had some fluctuations in her cognitive reflexes. I'm going to perform some more tests after she gets some rest." Maggie pulled the white sheet tighter around Minerva's body to keep her temperature stable, as Goosebumps were breaking out all over her skin.
The group was turning to leave and head back upstairs when they heard a familiar voice.
"What.. What the hell,." she groaned. Minerva's head rolled over, her eyes struggling to open.
"That's.." Morpheus muttered, shaking his head in disbelief. He walked over to her.
"Minerva, get some rest. You've had quite a day and a long road of recovery ahead of you." She snorted softly.
"I want to get up," she moaned. "Why won't my eyes open? Where did my hair go? Where am I?" She asked, becoming flustered. She tried to move, but Maggie placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"Feisty, aren't we? You lay back Minerva, you aren't in the best of conditions to get up. Just relax. I promise you'll feel as good as new very soon." Minerva exhaled a sigh of defeat.
"What happened?" She asked after a moment. Neo looked into her face before answering. Her face was pale and sickly looking, but color was returning to her skin.
"You are no longer a prisoner of the Matrix. Welcome to the real world," he said softly.
"Real.. But,." She started. Weakness overcame her and her breathing steadied. "I'm tired."
"And you should be. Sleep now. Everything will come in time. Just be patient," Trinity soothed. The three turned and left the room.
Neo was unplugged and greeted by a cheering audience. Nearly ever crew member aboard the ship was gathered around the computer mainframe and clapping wildly. Trinity embraced him in a tight, happy hug.
"You did it Neo. I knew you could!" She beamed. Neo felt a proud, satisfied smile cross over his face.
"We all did," Morpheus said, shaking his hand tightly. Neo was taken aback by such displays of good spirits. He was momentarily humbled.
"Where is she? Did she get out alright?" Neo asked, forgetting about his accomplishments for the moment.
"Yeah, she's in the loading dock now, where Maggie is moving her to the examination room. We just fished her out. She's being worked on right now," Link said, sitting back in his chair and resuming his operator duties.
"Alright everyone, back to work. The doctors need assistance down there. Trinity, can you come with me? I'd like to go see how she's doing," Morpheus said, turning to his second in command.
"Of course," she said, and followed her leader down the hallway. Neo paused for a moment.
"Can I come?" He asked his friends. They turned around to face him.
"Yes, but be prepared to help. There's a lot we must do. We haven't much time left to get her ready. Come," he said, motioning for Neo to follow.
He took a few steps and felt pangs zing up and down his muscles and bones. He almost fell forward had it not been for his renewed sense of self and strength. He steadied himself, holding onto the pillar of the kitchen wall, and breathed in and out. He shook his head, trying to alleviate the pain and drive it from his injuries. He followed the crew down the hall to the loading dock.
Minerva was laid across a long metal table in the examination room. Maggie was pacing back and forth from one side of the room to the other, picking up syringes, vials, gauze, tape, a thermometer, and an assortment of other medical instruments.
"Maggie, how is she doing?" Morpheus asked as the trio stepped into the room. She looked up.
"Her vitals are holding, but her heartbeat is irregular. She's also suffering from dehydration and infections in both ears. Otherwise, I'd say she's gonna make it." She filled a syringe with an unidentified liquid and injected it into Minerva's right arm. Blood dripped from the wound readily due to the skin's supple and gelatinous texture from being held in the pod for entire life. She bandaged the wound and adjusted some knobs on the monitors analyzing her condition. An extra monitor switched on, specifically for surveying her blackbody curve. The electromagnetic radiation she was emitting was wholeheartedly dominating her absorption. Her infrared emission, however, was normal.
The three walked closer to her seemingly lifeless body. Her skin took on a deathly pale and jellylike appearance. Her bald head reflected light from all angles. There was, conversely, some stubble already forming, showing the prospect of a future full head of hair.
"Is there anything I can do to help, Maggie?" He asked as she raced about the room, collecting jars and fiber optics.
"Yes, actually, can you bring the IV drip? I should have plugged her in the moment she got here but I had to take care of her infections." Morpheus nodded and wheeled in the stand with the clear plastic bag. He found the correct vein in her wrist and inserted the needle.
"What is that stuff?" Neo asked. He had never quite figured out what it was.
"Saline. A simple salt solution used to make sure the body has enough sustenance when eating or drinking isn't an option. It also helps blood flow and efficient oxygen supply to the brain," Trinity explained, wiping the remains of pod slime from her skin.
Neo nodded, and looked down at Minerva. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
Maggie paused for a moment. "Sure, actually there is. Can you grab me that vial and dropper next to you? I need to administer the second set of drops in her ears." Neo handed both objects to Maggie, who put the drops into each ear. A small whimper escaped Minerva's lips. Morpheus raised an eyebrow.
"Is she coming to already?" He asked. "Newborns don't usually come to for a few hours until the shock wears off." Maggie looked up quickly at Morpheus before injecting Minerva with another antibiotic in her left arm.
"Let's just say this one has an aggressive will to live. Ever since I got her up here it seems like her consciousness is trying to burst out of her chest. I had to give her a muscle relaxer to get her to calm down - her heartbeat was through the roof." She carried an armful of vials to the cabinet and placed them back in alphabetical order. Morpheus and Trinity sterilized the syringes she had used and placed them back in the metal drawers. Maggie reached for a vial of pinkish liquid and injected a small amount into the soft flesh of Minerva's neck. The vial was labeled 'hair re- growth hormonal formula'.
"Her temperature finally seems to be stabilizing, but her electromagnetic emission rate is still through the roof." She went over a printout of the readings of Minerva's brainwaves. "She's also had some fluctuations in her cognitive reflexes. I'm going to perform some more tests after she gets some rest." Maggie pulled the white sheet tighter around Minerva's body to keep her temperature stable, as Goosebumps were breaking out all over her skin.
The group was turning to leave and head back upstairs when they heard a familiar voice.
"What.. What the hell,." she groaned. Minerva's head rolled over, her eyes struggling to open.
"That's.." Morpheus muttered, shaking his head in disbelief. He walked over to her.
"Minerva, get some rest. You've had quite a day and a long road of recovery ahead of you." She snorted softly.
"I want to get up," she moaned. "Why won't my eyes open? Where did my hair go? Where am I?" She asked, becoming flustered. She tried to move, but Maggie placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"Feisty, aren't we? You lay back Minerva, you aren't in the best of conditions to get up. Just relax. I promise you'll feel as good as new very soon." Minerva exhaled a sigh of defeat.
"What happened?" She asked after a moment. Neo looked into her face before answering. Her face was pale and sickly looking, but color was returning to her skin.
"You are no longer a prisoner of the Matrix. Welcome to the real world," he said softly.
"Real.. But,." She started. Weakness overcame her and her breathing steadied. "I'm tired."
"And you should be. Sleep now. Everything will come in time. Just be patient," Trinity soothed. The three turned and left the room.