Chapter 2: Dealing the Cards

'Anata no sugu soba ni dare mo inai kara...'


--- 'Hikari no Naka e', Ohki Risa / Uematsu Nobuo

Semi-conscious, Trinity stumbled to Neo's side. He was still, unmoving, but when she checked his pulse at his neck there was a faint flicker. She couldn't be sure if she'd imagined it, so she leaned over his open mouth to try and find out if he was breathing. Please don't be dead, Neo, please...

He wasn't. Light breaths hissed against her ear, so light that his chest hardly moved because of them, but the breath was there. He was still alive - barely.

Trinity, awakened by that fact from her dreamlike state to something more like her usual self, twisted around. The rain had slowed, and the machina face was staring at them. She looked it straight in what could be called its eyes. Eye sockets, if nothing else.

"What's happened to him?" she asked, directly addressing the leader of the machines without fear for herself.

"His residual self-image is comatose. We cannot bring him back."

Trinity's heart sank into the floor. "Is there nothing I can do?"

"Why do you ask?" The machina sounded almost curious, but maybe that was just her imagination.

Trinity didn't hesitate. "I love him."

Deus Ex Machina was silent for a moment, and Trinity took the opportunity to glance down at Neo's blank face, fear for him wringing her heart.

She turned back just in time to see the machine's reply formed. "If you are plugged into the Matrix and are able to revive his residual self-image sufficiently to reach an exit, you can bring him back. You would have to be plugged into the mainframe of our system and would risk mental overload, which would kill you. You are prepared to do such a thing?"

Trinity bit her lip. Don't you think I would do anything? Without a moment's pause, she nodded her head, slowly, still disoriented and nauseous, but ready to do anything to get her lover back.

"You are injured. Medical aid must be summoned and you must rest before allowing yourself to be plugged into the mainframe or you will certainly die."

Trinity was vaguely confused by the speech, but she couldn't trace exactly why, so she just nodded again, placing a hand on the grid to support herself as another wave of nausea swept over her. "All right," she forced out, in a near-whisper.

Why am I so dizzy? She didn't know. Couldn't understand. Everything is... swaying... It was as if the world around her was one incredible blur, slow movement. Darkness swept over her heavy mind all in a moment, and a sudden throb of pain in her head was the last thing the woman remembered before slumping down, unconscious.

***

Everything was red. My eyes are still closed, Trinity thought slowly, automatically trying to open them. Immediately she squinted her eyes almost shut against the furiously bright lights that assaulted her from the edge of her vision. Where the hell am I? Where's Neo? Then she remembered, and her breath caught soundlessly in her throat. Shit.

Several things were beginning to dawn on Trinity's tentative consciousness - the absence of the pain in her left leg, the sound of metal clanking dully against metal, the whiteness of the light that intruded itself nearly through her eyelids, and the surface beneath her. So I'm lying on my stomach...on something metal. Hm. Well, it's a start.

"She's awake," an unfamiliar, thickly-accented voice announced. Trinity felt a cold hand touch her shoulder, and slowly, carefully, she opened her eyes again, still blinking against the light. She could see shapes moving, and remembering where she was, she lifted her head.

"Easy, now," the owner of the voice said - a woman who looked almost human.

Trinity shook her head to clear out the remaining cobwebs in her mind. "Where is he?"

"The blind human is right where you left him," the woman said, removing her hand from Trinity's arm. "You fainted, so we fixed you up while you were out. You should be good to go. I am K-192370," she introduced herself calmly.

"Trinity," Trinity replied, betraying none of her surprise at how human K-192370 seemed. Shifting, she turned onto her back and sat up carefully, sliding around on the wall-set shelf to face the machine woman as she ran her hands over herself, checking for injuries. Everything seemed fine, save for the tears in her clothing. "I have to go," she stated. "Neo needs my help."

"Yes, indeed," K-192370 affirmed. "Deus Ex has told me to monitor you whilst you are in the Matrix and to set up the exit. Get inside, get the human man, and get out."

"Deus Ex?" Trinity asked curiously.

K-192370 bowed her head slightly in veneration, "Our leader, Deus Ex Machina."

Oh, so that's what it's called.

Trinity could contain her question no longer. "How is it that you are so amenable to humans in your city after all these years?" she inquired, her brow furrowed.

"Your man ended the war. He saved this city from certain destruction. We are grateful," the being said simply. "Our gratitude is such that we are willing to aid you in saving his life." She turned away, looking at a silent companion who stood at the other side of the room. "After he is unplugged, you must both return to the human city. We will provide transport. Deus Ex Machina wishes yourself and the man to become ambassadors for the human race."

Trinity was stunned. Ambassadors? That must mean the machines wanted to co-operate. But why? She had little more time to think about it, as a red light clicked on in the steel wall.

"We are summoned," K-192370 told her. "Come, I must lead you to the platform."

Trinity needed no telling, already on her feet and ready to follow the machine woman out of the room they were in as soon as she moved.

***

"Are you ready?"

Trinity looked K-192370 straight in the eye. "Yes," she said steadily, lying down next to Neo's motionless body.

"Good luck."

The steel plug grated against the inside of Trinity's plug as K-192370 slid it into her brain, and she felt the swift, cold rush of transfer against her skin as she entered the Matrix.


Not the longest chapter in the world, but it fits where I am with this story so far. I hope y'all liked it :) I seem to have junkies for this one already! I'm not going to be rewriting lots of this the way I will be with TBOA.

To my reviewers: Thanks to all of you! To answer two questions in one, inori is Japanese for 'prayer'. Yes, there is definitely going to be more of this fic. Very inspired at the moment. And a question I'm sure will be asked - what does the quote at the top of this chapter mean? 'Because you have no-one by your side.' The song title is 'Into the Light' and it's from 'Final Fantasy: Pray'. I'm a quotation wh0re, what can I say. ;)

Hope you liked it. Next chapter will be up soonish.

Trialia