Chapter 3
I threw myself down on my bed, rubbing my temples to assuage the throbbing. One of the perks of getting older is that you can tell people you need to lay down without too many questions. Neither Lilith nor Dillard bought my excuse, though - I knew that from the glances they exchanged when I walked away. Lilith knew the cause of my consternation and would most likely respect my privacy, stay away. When I heard the knock on my door, I knew it had to be Dillard.
Lilith once teased me that the women I chose to free from the Matrix were chosen because there was something about all of them that reminded me of Trinity. While I scoffed at the idea back then, in retrospect I had to admit she was right. With Zora, it was Trinity's ability to love. Lilith, her quick wit and keen mind. With Dillard, let's just say that she was one to be feared. Out of all of the ones I freed, Dillard's devotion to our cause was the most absolute. She followed it with a blind faith much like the faith Trinity had shown me. As a result, she was a force to be reckoned with. In her younger years, no one could outsmart or outrun an agent like she could. Unlike the rest of us, she never coined a Hacker name in the Matrix.
"I am what I believe. I am what and WHO I am." She said once when Zora had asked, with a voice so intense that Zora had backed away. Unfortunately for poor Zora, she did not possess the strength of the other women. A couple of years ago she asked to be removed from the Council, and now spent her days looking after her great-great grandchildren Dozer, Tank, and Zee.
Dillard did not wait for me to answer the door that I had forgotten to lock. She strode in purposefully, not wasting a movement. I knew I was in trouble.
"So?" she asked, her eyes boring into me. I shrugged my shoulders, unsure of what to say.
"If I knew all the answers we wouldn't be here right now." I responded, trying to laugh it off. She wouldn't let me.
"That's not an answer and you know it Neo!" she snapped, and I flinched at the name that I no longer identified myself with. In my heart it belonged to another. Someone more worthy.
"Trinity is freed. The moment is coming. You've known that ever since Morpheus took the helm of the Neb."
I nodded silently. "Yes, but he is so different from the one I knew." And it was true. The previous Morpheus had found me young, so he carried on a normal life. Or at least as normal as we could have here in Zion. He had married Niobe, had children of his own. This one, his cause had been allowed to burn in his breast. Slowly, we lost the happy, easygoing man that I had known. He was replaced by a man who became consumed with his divine burden. While some in Zion regarded him as downright crazy, others considered him a holy man. Our own personal John the Baptist. Supporters and detractors alike had to admit, though, he was a fine military man. On his own merits, he became the youngest Captain ever to have a ship.
"Whatever he has become, his purpose is the same." She replied, those blue eyes still boring into me. "So is yours." She paused, softening. "I believe in you. I always have. But you have choices to make here that effect us all. What do we do with Trinity when she comes to Zion?" She sat down on my bed, looking at me for an answer.
And then it came to me. The answer we needed. "Well, she had special abilities. She must be trained by the best.." I responded, as Dillard vehemently nodded in agreement.
"She also have to be under the tutelage of someone who believes in the prophecy. Nothing can be allowed to undermine her faith in the One." Dillard added, counting on her fingers as if making a list.
"Also, she's only 17. She'll need a strong female role model." I added, smirking now. Dillard stopped mid-nod when she realized my meaning.
"Me?!?!" she asked, pointing to herself incredulously.
"You were the best." I said, spreading my hands in innocence. Dillard leaned back a bit.
"WERE the best?" she asked, snorting. "Well, I guess we did just describe me, didn't we?" she gave a rueful smile and shook her head. "You always knew how to get what you wanted old man." She teased, giving that famous Dillard smile that barely flickered across her face. With that decided, she began to leave when I remembered something else I needed to ask her.
"So, how are the rest of the newly promoted doing?"
Dillard snorted, "A competent bunch, nice enough. Except for this one major league pain in the ass."
"Who?"
"This guy named Locke. Good. Quite, good actually. Just too quick to blame others for his mistakes and no personality. He's like conversing with cardboard."
I chuckled a bit. If anything, Dillard was blunt.
"I have a feeling this guy is going to go places, but he and I will have it out one day. I just know it." Dillard shook her head and walked out, closing the door behind her.
My thoughts were interrupted by Demo's voice over the intercom.
"Haman?"
"Yes?"
"The Neb is docking in Bay 3."
I took a deep breath and pulled myself up. "Thank you, Demo. I'll be right there."
Before I left, I looked in the mirror. The man I was never looked back at me, covered in a cloak of years and a name I used to cover him. Dillard had called him out, and I saw him there in the reflection in front of me.
"Come on Neo." I whispered to him, and I think I saw him smile back.
I threw myself down on my bed, rubbing my temples to assuage the throbbing. One of the perks of getting older is that you can tell people you need to lay down without too many questions. Neither Lilith nor Dillard bought my excuse, though - I knew that from the glances they exchanged when I walked away. Lilith knew the cause of my consternation and would most likely respect my privacy, stay away. When I heard the knock on my door, I knew it had to be Dillard.
Lilith once teased me that the women I chose to free from the Matrix were chosen because there was something about all of them that reminded me of Trinity. While I scoffed at the idea back then, in retrospect I had to admit she was right. With Zora, it was Trinity's ability to love. Lilith, her quick wit and keen mind. With Dillard, let's just say that she was one to be feared. Out of all of the ones I freed, Dillard's devotion to our cause was the most absolute. She followed it with a blind faith much like the faith Trinity had shown me. As a result, she was a force to be reckoned with. In her younger years, no one could outsmart or outrun an agent like she could. Unlike the rest of us, she never coined a Hacker name in the Matrix.
"I am what I believe. I am what and WHO I am." She said once when Zora had asked, with a voice so intense that Zora had backed away. Unfortunately for poor Zora, she did not possess the strength of the other women. A couple of years ago she asked to be removed from the Council, and now spent her days looking after her great-great grandchildren Dozer, Tank, and Zee.
Dillard did not wait for me to answer the door that I had forgotten to lock. She strode in purposefully, not wasting a movement. I knew I was in trouble.
"So?" she asked, her eyes boring into me. I shrugged my shoulders, unsure of what to say.
"If I knew all the answers we wouldn't be here right now." I responded, trying to laugh it off. She wouldn't let me.
"That's not an answer and you know it Neo!" she snapped, and I flinched at the name that I no longer identified myself with. In my heart it belonged to another. Someone more worthy.
"Trinity is freed. The moment is coming. You've known that ever since Morpheus took the helm of the Neb."
I nodded silently. "Yes, but he is so different from the one I knew." And it was true. The previous Morpheus had found me young, so he carried on a normal life. Or at least as normal as we could have here in Zion. He had married Niobe, had children of his own. This one, his cause had been allowed to burn in his breast. Slowly, we lost the happy, easygoing man that I had known. He was replaced by a man who became consumed with his divine burden. While some in Zion regarded him as downright crazy, others considered him a holy man. Our own personal John the Baptist. Supporters and detractors alike had to admit, though, he was a fine military man. On his own merits, he became the youngest Captain ever to have a ship.
"Whatever he has become, his purpose is the same." She replied, those blue eyes still boring into me. "So is yours." She paused, softening. "I believe in you. I always have. But you have choices to make here that effect us all. What do we do with Trinity when she comes to Zion?" She sat down on my bed, looking at me for an answer.
And then it came to me. The answer we needed. "Well, she had special abilities. She must be trained by the best.." I responded, as Dillard vehemently nodded in agreement.
"She also have to be under the tutelage of someone who believes in the prophecy. Nothing can be allowed to undermine her faith in the One." Dillard added, counting on her fingers as if making a list.
"Also, she's only 17. She'll need a strong female role model." I added, smirking now. Dillard stopped mid-nod when she realized my meaning.
"Me?!?!" she asked, pointing to herself incredulously.
"You were the best." I said, spreading my hands in innocence. Dillard leaned back a bit.
"WERE the best?" she asked, snorting. "Well, I guess we did just describe me, didn't we?" she gave a rueful smile and shook her head. "You always knew how to get what you wanted old man." She teased, giving that famous Dillard smile that barely flickered across her face. With that decided, she began to leave when I remembered something else I needed to ask her.
"So, how are the rest of the newly promoted doing?"
Dillard snorted, "A competent bunch, nice enough. Except for this one major league pain in the ass."
"Who?"
"This guy named Locke. Good. Quite, good actually. Just too quick to blame others for his mistakes and no personality. He's like conversing with cardboard."
I chuckled a bit. If anything, Dillard was blunt.
"I have a feeling this guy is going to go places, but he and I will have it out one day. I just know it." Dillard shook her head and walked out, closing the door behind her.
My thoughts were interrupted by Demo's voice over the intercom.
"Haman?"
"Yes?"
"The Neb is docking in Bay 3."
I took a deep breath and pulled myself up. "Thank you, Demo. I'll be right there."
Before I left, I looked in the mirror. The man I was never looked back at me, covered in a cloak of years and a name I used to cover him. Dillard had called him out, and I saw him there in the reflection in front of me.
"Come on Neo." I whispered to him, and I think I saw him smile back.
