CHAPTER TWOp
Neo sat beside the old woman and, after a few minutes' silence, asked, 'Why?'p
'It was our choices, Neo. Your choice was to be with Trinity forever, at least in your mind.'p
'I didn't know it would happen.' Neo pulled on his sunglasses.p
'You didn't have to.' The Oracle inhaled her cigarette, gazing out at the cityscape around her, and the miasma of colours washed in the sky. 'Everything that has a beginning has an end, of course, but our choices allow us to decide when that end will be.'p
Neo considered this. 'How did I get to the station?'p
The Oracle took another drag on her cigarette, and spent a few moments considering her answer before replying. 'That station is the separator of life and death.'p
'But it's the same as the station I was in when I met the Indian family.'p
'You're right,' the Oracle answered, 'but you're wrong. It was the separator of the Matrix and the human world. But after you conquered the matrix, it reverted to its old purpose.' She stubbed her cigarette. 'Neo, you are blessed to be still in this world. Before you ended the reign of the Matrix, nobody had a chance to live or die. If you died, you were dead; it was as simple as that.p
'But without the matrix, everybody has a chance to live or die. You were chosen to live. So were all those people you saw at the Station…Morpheus, Dozer, Trinity…me. We chose to live, when we were alive.'p
'But…'p
'I've always told you, Neo, that it is our choices that bring about a conclusion. Your choices, my choice, throughout our lifetimes, determined that one final decision.'p
Neo stared out at the sky. 'So everybody else…did die?'p
'You know the answer, Neo.'p
'They're gone? Everything's normal?'p
The Oracle shrugged. 'Sort of. Of course, the matrix doesn't exist. Yet. You see, one day, I'm sure, humankind will begin the cycle again. The matrix will return; we haven't seen the end of it. But at least we can feel safe in the knowledge that those who formed the evil are paying the price for it now.'p
'But they'll come back?'p
'When the matrix returns, then yes. Evil only spawns evil. But until then, our world should be as happy as we can make it.'p
Neo bent over and kissed the old woman on the cheek. 'Now you're not a machine; I'm glad.'p
'Damn right, boy!' The Oracle looked horrified. 'I ain't no machine no more.'p
Neo pulled an envelope from his pocket. 'I want you to have this,' he said.p
The Oracle eyed him wearily. 'Of course I'm coming, you silly boy. Don't go wasting paper.'p
Neo smiled. 'I'll tell Trinity. She'll be happy.'p
The two sat; one, the saviour; one the prophet, enjoying the intoxicating sensation of peace, and the sweet contemplation of the future.p
Neo sat beside the old woman and, after a few minutes' silence, asked, 'Why?'p
'It was our choices, Neo. Your choice was to be with Trinity forever, at least in your mind.'p
'I didn't know it would happen.' Neo pulled on his sunglasses.p
'You didn't have to.' The Oracle inhaled her cigarette, gazing out at the cityscape around her, and the miasma of colours washed in the sky. 'Everything that has a beginning has an end, of course, but our choices allow us to decide when that end will be.'p
Neo considered this. 'How did I get to the station?'p
The Oracle took another drag on her cigarette, and spent a few moments considering her answer before replying. 'That station is the separator of life and death.'p
'But it's the same as the station I was in when I met the Indian family.'p
'You're right,' the Oracle answered, 'but you're wrong. It was the separator of the Matrix and the human world. But after you conquered the matrix, it reverted to its old purpose.' She stubbed her cigarette. 'Neo, you are blessed to be still in this world. Before you ended the reign of the Matrix, nobody had a chance to live or die. If you died, you were dead; it was as simple as that.p
'But without the matrix, everybody has a chance to live or die. You were chosen to live. So were all those people you saw at the Station…Morpheus, Dozer, Trinity…me. We chose to live, when we were alive.'p
'But…'p
'I've always told you, Neo, that it is our choices that bring about a conclusion. Your choices, my choice, throughout our lifetimes, determined that one final decision.'p
Neo stared out at the sky. 'So everybody else…did die?'p
'You know the answer, Neo.'p
'They're gone? Everything's normal?'p
The Oracle shrugged. 'Sort of. Of course, the matrix doesn't exist. Yet. You see, one day, I'm sure, humankind will begin the cycle again. The matrix will return; we haven't seen the end of it. But at least we can feel safe in the knowledge that those who formed the evil are paying the price for it now.'p
'But they'll come back?'p
'When the matrix returns, then yes. Evil only spawns evil. But until then, our world should be as happy as we can make it.'p
Neo bent over and kissed the old woman on the cheek. 'Now you're not a machine; I'm glad.'p
'Damn right, boy!' The Oracle looked horrified. 'I ain't no machine no more.'p
Neo pulled an envelope from his pocket. 'I want you to have this,' he said.p
The Oracle eyed him wearily. 'Of course I'm coming, you silly boy. Don't go wasting paper.'p
Neo smiled. 'I'll tell Trinity. She'll be happy.'p
The two sat; one, the saviour; one the prophet, enjoying the intoxicating sensation of peace, and the sweet contemplation of the future.p