CHAPTER SEVEN

I quit my job the following day.

My boss isn't too thrilled, but at the same time he in't particularly saddened, either. He leans back in his tall-backed executive chair and surveys me with both scrutiny and disdain. 'Anderson,' he says, slowly and deliberately, his top lip curling again (creepy), 'I hope you know what you're doing.'

'So do I,' I say, except I find it difficult to be civil while I know that this man is trying to kill me. 'But I have to move on. I've been offered a new job elsewhere. New places, new faces.'

'Oh,' he says, with amusement. 'Where?'

'Um…' I rack my brains for a response. 'Why?'

'Well, I thought I could put in a good word for you, Mr Anderson.'

'Oh.' I pull together a string of nonsense words in my head. 'Midtown Electrical.'

'Oh, I see. Moving onto bigger and better things, are we?' He is mocking me, I am sure. Just because I work in a game-designing firm…I bristle with anger as I shake my head.

'No sir, just new experiences.'

'Well,' he says, 'enjoy your…new life.' He lets out a derisive chuckle.

* * *

Trinity is sitting at my kitchen table when I arrive home.

'How the hell did you get in here, anyway?'

Wordlessly, she holds up a key.

I sigh defeatedly. 'Do you want a drink?'

'No thankyou,' she says. 'I've come here to tell you that your boss is watching you even more closely than before. Be careful.'

'Hey, I just quit my job,' I protest.

'I know,' she says, 'that's why I'm here.'

'I see.' Except I don't. I sit in a chair opposite her. 'Are you going to tell me anything today or what?'

I see the makings of a slight smile on her face. 'Perhaps.'

'Well, I have all night. Or all year, if you want.'

She is not amused. 'This is serious business.'

'Oh, I know it is,' I answer. I don't know what kind of mood I'm in, but whatever it is, I'm actually being kind of nice to this woman. 'So. Who are you?'

'I'm Trinity.'

'Yeah, well,' I say, 'I think we've established that.'

She sighs. 'Neo,' her voice softens. 'Can't you…remember…'

'No, I can't.'

'Come on. Please. Try.' She's pleading, but she's not taking crap. That's what I like about her, I find myself admitting. 'You have to. It's the only way. I can't tell you anything. You have to do it for yourself.'

'All right,' I say, leaning back in my chair and closing my eyes. I genuinely attempt to remember. I bring myself back to that morning, when I woke up…I can't remember anything except the vague thought of ruby slippers (not that I have any idea where that came from – unless I fell asleep one night watching the Wizard of Oz). All the images from that morning are cloudy and patchy. I can't see anything, but I feel the confusion I felt at the time.

'Do you remember?' I hear Trinity's voice.

I sigh. 'No.'

'Try harder.'

'I can't. I just don't remember.'

'Then remember this.' I hear the scraping of her chair on the slate floor, the clicking of her footsteps, and then I feel her warm breath close to my face. I tremble slightly, tingles running over my skin. Moments later, I feel the touch of her lips on mine. They are gentle, soft, and not at all hard or cold like I imagined them to be. Not that I ever imagined them...Soon, she kisses me harder and harder, stronger and stronger, until I find myself returning it in spite of myself. I part her lips gently with mine, and somehow my tongue works its way in. My eyes still closed, I reach out and wrap my arms around her shoulders. She pulls me up. And we are standing there, arms now around each other, bodies pressed up close, lips touching and probing and searching for something that neither of us can find.

And suddenly I remember. Like that. Everything. With a rushing sense of abandonment and confusion, I remember Morpheus and the pills. I remember Cypher and Dozer and the hovercraft. I remember my battle with Agent Smith (oh my God – my boss's name is Eric Smith! – and he wants to kill me!), meeting the Oracle…and then, falling in love with Trinity, kissing her, making love to her, holding her tightly when there was nowhere else to go, nowhere else to be except wrapped up in her love…and then I remember her impaled, lifeless body as I cried…

I pull away, shaking, taking quick, shallow breaths. I stare at Trinity, and all I see is memory. Memory I don't want to confront. Experiences and pain I don't want to remember.

And I run.