Loose Ends.
Trinity
This early in the morning, the Home mess hall is quiet. A few sailors, Jacks and Zion-born, huddle in one corner, seated on tables and benches. They nurse mugs of heated water, and share crackers among each other. They're a motley crew, but they are a family of sorts. Words of their discussion drift across to where Trinity waits for Neo.
The sailors talk of theory, history, and implications of events. One Jack, a young woman, doesn't see why the mind should die when separated from the body.
"Look, the body cannot live without the mind," a Zion-born insists, his voice exasperated. It seems this 'discussion' has been going on for some time.
"You've said that already Ruck," the girl waves a cracker in annoyance. "But you haven't said how you know beyond a doubt that it's true."
"Everybody knows – "
"Every coppertop knows the world they live in is real, so don't try that for logic."
Trinity suppresses a smirk, turning her shoulder so they won't see her eavesdropping. She recognises the sailors now; Biosa's crew.
"Anyway, I don't see why it should be true the other way around."
"Maybe the mind needs a home, a shelter of something," another Jack, Radar, suggests.
The girl, Wraith, seizes his words, "But what if there was a construct that could provide a home?"
Trinity pulls her mug of water closer, wetting her throat. It sounds like Wraith has heard tell of Morpheus. Hopefully the version he heard was too close to the truth to sound realistic.
"Are you religious?" a new male voice interrupts, one Trinity doesn't immediately recognise.
"Um, not really, no," Wraith seems momentarily thrown.
"Because if you think that souls can exist independently of the body, as in, go to heaven and live happily ever after, then maybe you could say the same thing for the mind."
No one speaks. Trinity listens closely, the boy has a good point.
"I don't follow you," says Ruck.
"Do you think the mind and the soul are similar?" the young man directs his question to Wraith. "Or even something like the same thing?"
The young woman considers, turning her half eaten cracker over and over. "I guess so. At least in the fact that they're both not physical objects."
"Do you think that souls need a vessel in order to continue to exist?"
"Most religions say they don't."
"So, according to that, the mind can live without the body. But who's to say that the mind has to exist in this plane?" he taps his empty mug on the bench top for emphasis.
Trinity shifts where she sits, scanning the group from the corner of her eye. The strange Jack is young, with light brown hair tied in a bandana. Tattoos wind up his arms and neck.
Pirate. She should have known.
"Why can't the soul just float around?" he raises angular eyebrows, his whole stance a question.
Neo's hand on her shoulder almost makes her jump, she'd been so engrossed in the debate.
"Good morning," he hops up onto the table beside her. "How's the Neb?"
"She's rested and ready to roll."
"What're you up to?"
"Listening," she glances over to Pirate again, he's managed to get the whole crew listening to him.
"Right," Neo looks back to her. "Have you seen Nanu come down yet?"
"No. What's she got in store today?"
"I have to take her to get her papers," his shoulders hunch slightly, a habit that once belonged to the underfed rookie who wore a blanket like a cloak. "It's such a horrible system."
"Think of it like citizenship."
"It still feels like having a pet microchipped."
She places a hand on his knee. He smiles down at her faintly. "She was due down here at seven, she's running late."
Trinity shrugs, making a small allowance, "We ran at a different time back on the ship, she's not used to the change."
"Still, I'll have to fetch her in a minute if she doesn't come down."
"Look who's here to fetch you."
Neo turns, looking over his shoulder. BC is skipping through the hall, a few steps ahead of Tank and Achi. She runs up to their table, clambering up onto the bench beside Trinity.
"'Lo rascal," Neo laughs, ruffling her hair. She catches his hand, smiling back up at him.
"'Lo daddy," after a pause she turns to her mother. There is no giggling or grinning, only a slow, precious smile.
"She takes after you," Neo observes softly.
As the two Zion-born catch up and exchange greetings, Trinity lets her attention drift back to Biosa's crew.
"Alright," Pirate is saying, "if you don't like the idea of souls just floating around, maybe they get recycled."
"Like the machines?" Radar shudders.
"What if the mind is the same as the soul, and when it 'dies' either in the Matrix or the real world, it is remade in another person? What about that?"
Neo makes to get off the table, "I'm off to find Nanu."
But before he can move, Bobcat scrambles into his lap. Trinity focuses on her daughter.
"What's the matter BC?" Neo asks, looking down at the top of her head.
The little girl turns her face to Trinity, a slight frown creasing her forehead. The expression is like Neo's when he tries to explain the concept of flight. And there are things he knows that no other soul can understand.
Trinity swallows. "I'll get Nanu," she stands. Neo shrugs, patting their daughter's back. BC just closes her eyes.
Nanu
She carefully opens the door, holding her coat close around her. She was meant to meet Neo at 0700, but she slept in. stepping onto the landing, Nanu freezes as Trinity comes up the stairs into view.
The woman stops, studying Nanu's face. The girl tries not to look too sheepish.
"That's Gavin's room," Trinity says.
"I know."
It seems like the captain is about to say something, but then stops herself.
Nanu inhales. "What you were about to ask, the answer's yes."
"Alright then. Come on down to breakfast, you're late."
"That, that's it?" Nanu walks forward cautiously.
"I've got no advice or admonitions for you, if that's what you mean. Just don't let it get in the way of work, okay?"
"Yes ma'am."
Trinity smiles at her, and Nanu has to grin back. "Come on, you're late."
***
"So why do I have to be registered?"
"You're a citizen of Zion. Like everyone else who lives here, you need to be kept track of. And you won't be the only one with the name Nanu."
"I thought it was pretty original, seeing as I made it up."
"So it doesn't mean anything."
"I don't think so. Why?"
He lowers his voice, glancing around the busy stairwell as if the populace of Zion are listening in, "Morpheus wanted to know."
"Neo," she takes a few quick steps, catching up to walk beside him. "How many people know about him?"
He doesn't answer straight away, moving on through the crowd on the way to the registration offices.
"Neo?"
"Not many people know. Almost no one knows."
Nanu can guess why. In a city dedicated to the war against machines, it would not be well accepted that an artificial construct was keeping a mind alive.
"We're here," he pauses, opening a door in a side landing and showing her inside.
***
They sit her down in front of a computer terminal, and ask her to fill in the fields shown; her Matrix given name, date of birth, address, school, family details, etcetera, etcetera.
Then Neo takes over and fills in her real world details; her chosen name, the date of her withdrawal in real world time, her ship, captain, and guide. Gavin. She hadn't known he'd had a title.
"You need a surname. What would you like?"
"Um. Grau."
"Meaning?"
"German for grey."
He enters the name. "Just a number then you're done."
"Number?"
The screen flashes, then displays a table with her basic information and links to other details.
Name
Nanu (Grau)
DOW
24/07/2102
Ship
Nebuchadnezzar II
Captain
Trinity (Noir)
Guide
Gavin (Hawk)
No. Issued
143522INT
"I'm not sure that I like this Neo."
"Well I'm sure that I don't but there's not a lot I can do is there?"
"No."
Gavin
For dinner that night, Trinity manages to secure a separate room for the Neb crew. For the first time in over a week, they are all together.
He slides onto the bench beside Nanu. Nanu gives him a sidelong glance and a small smile. Trinity glances at them briefly before going back to her food. She knows.
He looks around. Neo, Trinity, Tank, Achi, Key, Tod and Nanu. There is something very final about this gathering. They all eat in silence, taking their slop seriously.
Suddenly Trinity pauses, dropping her spork back into her bowl.
"I have an announcement."
Eyes turn to her. They've all been waiting for this. Only Key keeps her eyes down.
"The day after tomorrow, the ship is going back out. And I'm sad to say we won't all be on board."
Gavin sees Nanu look across to Key. The medic plays with the remains of her meal.
"Key will be moving to the Detox unit."
A congratulatory murmur begins, and Key flushes a little. The Detox unit only takes the best medics. And when Key had still been in the Matrix, she'd been studying to be a surgeon. Unlike so many Jacks, she'll actually be able to pursuer the vocation she wants.
Neo holds up a hand and the talking stops. "Key is not the only one who will be leaving us. Tod has also applied for a transfer.
There is not response to that. Tod looks down, and there is a firm set to Trinity's mouth. Nanu tilts her head as if listening, and frowns.
"As a result, we'll be finding a new crewmember. Just one."
Achi and Tank exchange a smile. Gavin looks to Nanu, she seems confused.
"Meaning we'll be going for a new target," Trinity catches her eye and explains. "Once we've found a new medic, we're leaving."
Nanu
"We'll see you when we come back," calls Neo, waving to Key. Then, one by one, the crew begin to board the ship.
Nebuchadnezzar the second looms her, a mass of plated grey and rivets. Nanu's steps slow.
Her real life began on this ship. It is more of a home to her than Zion will ever manage to be.
She ducks under the ship, tracing her fingers along the plate metal, then pulling herself up through the hatch. The curved lines of piping and wiring gleam blue and shadowy. Metal, all around her. Steel that echoes underfoot. Her ship.
Home.
Nanu follows Gavin up to the main deck. The familiar shapes of the chairs greet her, the familiar pattern of wires and cables wound around the rails and walkways around the walls reassure her. Trinity and Achi have continued up to the bridge, only Gavin and Neo remain on deck.
"Good to be back?" Neo smiles.
She replies with her trademark feral grin, "Hell yes."
There is a rumble, then a muted roar as the engines start, and a slight tilt to the deck as the ship lifts from the ground. The three of them move to the galley to ride it out.
***
Nanu greets every surface of the galley with a faint smile, taking a seat on the table while Neo double checks the cupboard doors are all shut and locked.
"So, where's the new recruit?" Gavin asks.
"He's on board already. I showed him to his cabin this morning."
Nanu closes her eyes. Something is calling for her attention, asking her to listen. Like a presence, it's familiar, it's –
"Pirate," Neo pours a cup of water. "There you are."
Her eyes snap open.
"Where were you?" asks Gavin. Nanu fidgets, she hadn't thought to ask who their new medic may be. She'd never expected Pirate.
"Accidental detour," he tucks hair out of the way under his blue bandana. "The Solomon has a very different layout to this ship."
There is a brief quiet. Pirate has that effect sometimes.
"So, um, what happens now?" Nanu directs her question to Neo.
"We go back into the City and start from scratch, looking for a new target."
"Great," she smiles. "I've missed flying."