It was later that afternoon. The attack had been called off
and the Logos now took temporary refuge in the sewers away from the Control
Center. The machines were on guard now and another direct assault was
would be impossible without more preparation and troops.
"The doctor's say you'll be all right," Neo said from Morpheus' side, "It was just a abdominal wound, painful, but the ship's facilities will have you back up on your feet by tonight."
"You don't know how important that run was. You just saved the world."
Neo attempted to appear unworried but his words betrayed him. "No," he whispered with a twinge of regret. "I chose to save Trinity."
"You're still thinking about what happened three days ago in the Matrix?" Morpheus asked with fatherly concern, "I said it before and I'll say it again, you got one special woman, she can take care of herself."
"Of course she's special, that's why I love her."
"And she loves you. That love is the most precious thing in the universe. It's a thing that you won't completely appreciate until it's gone. And love from Trinity, that's the rarest diamond of them all."
Neo's raised an eyebrow, "How do you know that?"
"That, you will have to ask her yourself," Morpheus replied bluntly. "All I'll say is that you truly are the One, Neo."
Again Neo frowned regretfully, "I'm not supposed to be, not outside the Matrix, everything seems so... strange. I simply don't know how I'm doing all this. It doesn't make sense." He leaned back in his chair, worrying. He felt something in his pocket and took it out to reveal a metal spoon. Upon seeing it, Neo actually smiled.
"Where did you get that?" Morpheus inquired.
Still smiling, Neo replied, "It was a gift, or rather a reminder. When I first went to see the Oracle, one of the children there told me not to try to bend the spoon, because that's impossible. Rather, I must realize that there is no spoon and it is only my mind that bends."
"Let me see... small kid, very pale and wears a white monk's robe?" Neo nodded. "His name is Prometheus, one of our top trainees."
"Trainees? The Oracle's assistant called them 'the other potentials'."
"Sadly, their training is by necessity very rigorous and only a few of those submitted are able to survive long enough to complete the program. Hence the term 'potentials'."
"You send Zion's children to be trained by the Oracle? A program who was essential in the creation of the Matrix?"
Morpheus hesitated before answering Neo's question, his voice full of shame, "The Oracle's true nature is only known by a few. Even Captain Niobe is unaware of it. Most of Zion would refuse to believe the truth and the rest could not afford the resulting doubt. They need that pillar of support, the reassurance that they have someone powerful and trustworthy looking out for them. I feared you would be among them, which is why I did not tell you before; just as I have not told the rest of Zion."
"Do you trust her?"
"I don't seek her advice more the I must, nor do I reveal more then absolutely necessary; which is why I told her assistant that you were in to be evaluated for training. The Oracle herself knew the truth, but that is an unavoidable risk. Frankly, we have no other option. We need her guidance, which has never failed us. Her years bring understanding unknown outside the Matrix. The select children are sent to her for training because she teaches them that wisdom. If you need proof, just look at the spoon in your hand."
Neo looked down and discover the spoon to be bent and twisted past all recognition. "Prometheus," Neo whispered understandingly. He stood up to take his leave and allow Morpheus to get the rest he needed, but thought of one more question as he reached the door, "What did you say the children were training to be?"
"Captains."
"The doctor's say you'll be all right," Neo said from Morpheus' side, "It was just a abdominal wound, painful, but the ship's facilities will have you back up on your feet by tonight."
"You don't know how important that run was. You just saved the world."
Neo attempted to appear unworried but his words betrayed him. "No," he whispered with a twinge of regret. "I chose to save Trinity."
"You're still thinking about what happened three days ago in the Matrix?" Morpheus asked with fatherly concern, "I said it before and I'll say it again, you got one special woman, she can take care of herself."
"Of course she's special, that's why I love her."
"And she loves you. That love is the most precious thing in the universe. It's a thing that you won't completely appreciate until it's gone. And love from Trinity, that's the rarest diamond of them all."
Neo's raised an eyebrow, "How do you know that?"
"That, you will have to ask her yourself," Morpheus replied bluntly. "All I'll say is that you truly are the One, Neo."
Again Neo frowned regretfully, "I'm not supposed to be, not outside the Matrix, everything seems so... strange. I simply don't know how I'm doing all this. It doesn't make sense." He leaned back in his chair, worrying. He felt something in his pocket and took it out to reveal a metal spoon. Upon seeing it, Neo actually smiled.
"Where did you get that?" Morpheus inquired.
Still smiling, Neo replied, "It was a gift, or rather a reminder. When I first went to see the Oracle, one of the children there told me not to try to bend the spoon, because that's impossible. Rather, I must realize that there is no spoon and it is only my mind that bends."
"Let me see... small kid, very pale and wears a white monk's robe?" Neo nodded. "His name is Prometheus, one of our top trainees."
"Trainees? The Oracle's assistant called them 'the other potentials'."
"Sadly, their training is by necessity very rigorous and only a few of those submitted are able to survive long enough to complete the program. Hence the term 'potentials'."
"You send Zion's children to be trained by the Oracle? A program who was essential in the creation of the Matrix?"
Morpheus hesitated before answering Neo's question, his voice full of shame, "The Oracle's true nature is only known by a few. Even Captain Niobe is unaware of it. Most of Zion would refuse to believe the truth and the rest could not afford the resulting doubt. They need that pillar of support, the reassurance that they have someone powerful and trustworthy looking out for them. I feared you would be among them, which is why I did not tell you before; just as I have not told the rest of Zion."
"Do you trust her?"
"I don't seek her advice more the I must, nor do I reveal more then absolutely necessary; which is why I told her assistant that you were in to be evaluated for training. The Oracle herself knew the truth, but that is an unavoidable risk. Frankly, we have no other option. We need her guidance, which has never failed us. Her years bring understanding unknown outside the Matrix. The select children are sent to her for training because she teaches them that wisdom. If you need proof, just look at the spoon in your hand."
Neo looked down and discover the spoon to be bent and twisted past all recognition. "Prometheus," Neo whispered understandingly. He stood up to take his leave and allow Morpheus to get the rest he needed, but thought of one more question as he reached the door, "What did you say the children were training to be?"
"Captains."