Morpheus gave an exhausted sigh, "It's time to head in." The
Nebuchadnezzar and Logos crews had been investigating the area around the
Control Center for the last thirteen hours. Despite sincere efforts to
avoid any contact with enemy forces, costly skirmishes had occurred and the
troops were reaching the end of their endurance.
"Sparks needs to see a doctor," the captain finished, motioning to the operator on his right. Sparks was determined to help the mission any way he could, but had taken a bullet to the thigh during one of the recent fights. Neo nodded, judging by the operator's dangerously pale complexion, she would be out of combat for at least a week. Morpheus turned on a pocket communicator, "Niobe; we need to head back to the ship for medics and supplies. What's your condition?"
"Morpheus, we should keep looking as long as possible," Neo argued, "You and Sparks return to the ship without me. I'll keep searching."
"I agree with Neo," Niobe replied. "Despite what the other captains think, we can't afford to take anymore breaks than absolutely necessary. Trinity will continue the search over here while Link and I will return to the Logos." Morpheus nodded and turned off the communicator.
"I'll return to base in a little while," Neo promised as he departed.
Once out of Morpheus' line of sight, Neo took the picture and letter out of his pocket. "I'll find out about this," he thought to himself. He worked his way toward the spot where they battled yesterday: the place he hoped to find some answers.
To Neo's surprise, he found someone down in the rubbish. He came closer to meet the boy, who appeared to be about seven years of age. The child was digging through the wreckage, clearly searching for something a profound importance.
"What are you looking for, kid?" Neo asked sympathetically.
The child jumped, noticing Neo's presence for the first time. He quickly recovered his dignity. "I'm not a kid!" he proclaimed defiantly, "My name is Samuel."
Taken aback, Neo quickly attempted to apologize, "Sorry, kid- I'm mean Samuel- I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. What are you doing on the surface? It's dangerous here. Would you please tell me who you are looking for?"
His anger spent, Samuel turned around and answered in a quiet remorseful voice, "My father. He said he'd be here. That was yesterday...when the attack came." He trailed off, mumbling to himself.
"Maybe I can help. I was here yesterday, defending the people- "
"That's what my daddy does!" the boy amiably declared, cutting Neo short. "And I'm going to grow up and be just like him. He fights the Matrix-"
"You know about the Matrix?" Neo asked, having already noted that the child showed no signs of ever being enslaved.
Samuel paused mid-sentence and gave Neo a quaint look. "Yeah. I'm not stupid," he replied like it was obvious information that everyone knew, "It's a computer. It spans dimensions. The computer conquers more and more people to get more and more energy...It got my mom just after I was born..."
"I'm sorry to hear that Samuel," Neo whispered with true remorse.
Cheerfully, "Oh, don't be, cause my daddy is going to get revenge. He's been practicing for years. He plugs up to the computer and enters a dimension the Matrix already controls. There he searches. Hunting and looking for the One!"
"-I-,"
"And when I get bigger, I can help him kill the Matrix. Daddy says, 'Sam –' "
Neo put his finger to Samuel's mouth, hushing him temporarily, "Don't worry Samuel, I'm the One. I'm here to help you, not hurt you. I'll find your father."
Samuel looked and Neo as if he had just received a major revelation. Surprise, fear, grief, hope, and anger passed over the young boy's face. For a moment of silence, they stared at each other, Samuel digesting this new information. Then, unexpectedly, he charged Neo.
Catching Neo off-guard, the boy scored a punch. Acting on reflexes born of endless training and fighting, Neo turned and caught the boy's small fist before he could ready a second shot. The boy resisted but Neo held him still.
"It's you!" Samuel shouted. "You're the one responsible! You invaded this world, you're the one my daddy's trying to kill!"
Neo held the boy tighter, trying to desperately to calm him, "I'm not the bad guy-"
"Let me go!"
Neo withdrew slightly as Samuel bit his finger. Urgently he asked, "Samuel, What's your father's name?"
"Why do you want to know?" the still-struggling child demanded.
"Please, just tell me," Neo politely requested. Turning Samuel around, he looked into the child's eyes. The child glared and continued to resist.
After a brief second, he reluctantly answered, "Alex Kreiger."
A look of relief flashed upon Neo's face. "Why are you fighting me? What do you mean? Is this the Matrix?"
Seeing the serious look in Neo's eyes, Samuel paused, "No, but- " His words were halted when a small black-tipped dart pierced his neck. The boy looked at Neo, this time with a glimmer of hope. He died instantly.
"Samuel..." Neo whispered, holding the boy gently, "What do you mean? Come on, get up...you can't die... please Samuel...I can help you ... I'm the One..." The boy did not stir. He was dead.
Neo looked around angrily for the killer. "Who did this? Come out!" Neo listened closely, but no voice met his challenge. He then turned and headed toward the Logos.
Neo stormed onto the ship. Morpheus rose to intercept him, but Neo just walked past him. He was breathing hard, but soon managed to regain control of himself. Again Morpheus moved to intercept him.
"Neo, What's wrong?" the captain inquired.
"Something has happened," Neo whispered. He faced Morpheus, barely managing to control his anger. He opened his mouth to say more, but no words came.
"Neo," Morpheus said patiently, "You have obviously had a rough day. It's late and we are all tired. Go get some rest and we'll figure this out in the morning."
Neo started to object but found he did not have the energy. Following Morpheus' instructions, he pivoted and tramped toward his bedroom. Trinity was sitting on the bed deep in thought.
"Neo...What happened?" she asked empathetically.
Trinity's open concern finally dissolved the anger that had dominated Neo's thoughts. Suddenly exhausted, Neo fell onto the bed. He spoke quietly; "There was a kid... Samuel..."
"There was kid on the surface?" Trinity asked with concern, "How? The refugees wouldn't be here until tomorrow afternoon."
"I don't know how he got to the surface, but he was looking for his father. He knew-"
"Neo, what would you have done?"
Neo took a moment to comprehend the abrupt change of subject, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"What would you have done if you never knew about this world? What if you never knew about the this war, the Matrix, what if you never knew you were the One?"
Neo kissed her, "If I didn't know about the Matrix...I would never had known about you...my life would just be empty..."
Trinity gave Neo a look he didn't completely understand. In Trinity's ear, Neo quietly whispered, "You've changed since we've met, haven't you?"
Suddenly pulling back, Trinity bowed her head, as if ashamed. She responded so quietly that Neo had to lean forward to hear, "Yes..."
"That's nothing to be embarrassed of. How so?"
"Because you reminded me of something..."
"Of what?" Neo asked encouragingly.
He lifted Trinity's chin so that they were looking eye to eye. Trinity paused, trying to correctly phrase her words, "You reminded me of... what it means to care. Of what it means to live. You reminded me of what it is to love. You reminded me what is to be..."
"Human?"
"Yes."
"Sparks needs to see a doctor," the captain finished, motioning to the operator on his right. Sparks was determined to help the mission any way he could, but had taken a bullet to the thigh during one of the recent fights. Neo nodded, judging by the operator's dangerously pale complexion, she would be out of combat for at least a week. Morpheus turned on a pocket communicator, "Niobe; we need to head back to the ship for medics and supplies. What's your condition?"
"Morpheus, we should keep looking as long as possible," Neo argued, "You and Sparks return to the ship without me. I'll keep searching."
"I agree with Neo," Niobe replied. "Despite what the other captains think, we can't afford to take anymore breaks than absolutely necessary. Trinity will continue the search over here while Link and I will return to the Logos." Morpheus nodded and turned off the communicator.
"I'll return to base in a little while," Neo promised as he departed.
Once out of Morpheus' line of sight, Neo took the picture and letter out of his pocket. "I'll find out about this," he thought to himself. He worked his way toward the spot where they battled yesterday: the place he hoped to find some answers.
To Neo's surprise, he found someone down in the rubbish. He came closer to meet the boy, who appeared to be about seven years of age. The child was digging through the wreckage, clearly searching for something a profound importance.
"What are you looking for, kid?" Neo asked sympathetically.
The child jumped, noticing Neo's presence for the first time. He quickly recovered his dignity. "I'm not a kid!" he proclaimed defiantly, "My name is Samuel."
Taken aback, Neo quickly attempted to apologize, "Sorry, kid- I'm mean Samuel- I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. What are you doing on the surface? It's dangerous here. Would you please tell me who you are looking for?"
His anger spent, Samuel turned around and answered in a quiet remorseful voice, "My father. He said he'd be here. That was yesterday...when the attack came." He trailed off, mumbling to himself.
"Maybe I can help. I was here yesterday, defending the people- "
"That's what my daddy does!" the boy amiably declared, cutting Neo short. "And I'm going to grow up and be just like him. He fights the Matrix-"
"You know about the Matrix?" Neo asked, having already noted that the child showed no signs of ever being enslaved.
Samuel paused mid-sentence and gave Neo a quaint look. "Yeah. I'm not stupid," he replied like it was obvious information that everyone knew, "It's a computer. It spans dimensions. The computer conquers more and more people to get more and more energy...It got my mom just after I was born..."
"I'm sorry to hear that Samuel," Neo whispered with true remorse.
Cheerfully, "Oh, don't be, cause my daddy is going to get revenge. He's been practicing for years. He plugs up to the computer and enters a dimension the Matrix already controls. There he searches. Hunting and looking for the One!"
"-I-,"
"And when I get bigger, I can help him kill the Matrix. Daddy says, 'Sam –' "
Neo put his finger to Samuel's mouth, hushing him temporarily, "Don't worry Samuel, I'm the One. I'm here to help you, not hurt you. I'll find your father."
Samuel looked and Neo as if he had just received a major revelation. Surprise, fear, grief, hope, and anger passed over the young boy's face. For a moment of silence, they stared at each other, Samuel digesting this new information. Then, unexpectedly, he charged Neo.
Catching Neo off-guard, the boy scored a punch. Acting on reflexes born of endless training and fighting, Neo turned and caught the boy's small fist before he could ready a second shot. The boy resisted but Neo held him still.
"It's you!" Samuel shouted. "You're the one responsible! You invaded this world, you're the one my daddy's trying to kill!"
Neo held the boy tighter, trying to desperately to calm him, "I'm not the bad guy-"
"Let me go!"
Neo withdrew slightly as Samuel bit his finger. Urgently he asked, "Samuel, What's your father's name?"
"Why do you want to know?" the still-struggling child demanded.
"Please, just tell me," Neo politely requested. Turning Samuel around, he looked into the child's eyes. The child glared and continued to resist.
After a brief second, he reluctantly answered, "Alex Kreiger."
A look of relief flashed upon Neo's face. "Why are you fighting me? What do you mean? Is this the Matrix?"
Seeing the serious look in Neo's eyes, Samuel paused, "No, but- " His words were halted when a small black-tipped dart pierced his neck. The boy looked at Neo, this time with a glimmer of hope. He died instantly.
"Samuel..." Neo whispered, holding the boy gently, "What do you mean? Come on, get up...you can't die... please Samuel...I can help you ... I'm the One..." The boy did not stir. He was dead.
Neo looked around angrily for the killer. "Who did this? Come out!" Neo listened closely, but no voice met his challenge. He then turned and headed toward the Logos.
Neo stormed onto the ship. Morpheus rose to intercept him, but Neo just walked past him. He was breathing hard, but soon managed to regain control of himself. Again Morpheus moved to intercept him.
"Neo, What's wrong?" the captain inquired.
"Something has happened," Neo whispered. He faced Morpheus, barely managing to control his anger. He opened his mouth to say more, but no words came.
"Neo," Morpheus said patiently, "You have obviously had a rough day. It's late and we are all tired. Go get some rest and we'll figure this out in the morning."
Neo started to object but found he did not have the energy. Following Morpheus' instructions, he pivoted and tramped toward his bedroom. Trinity was sitting on the bed deep in thought.
"Neo...What happened?" she asked empathetically.
Trinity's open concern finally dissolved the anger that had dominated Neo's thoughts. Suddenly exhausted, Neo fell onto the bed. He spoke quietly; "There was a kid... Samuel..."
"There was kid on the surface?" Trinity asked with concern, "How? The refugees wouldn't be here until tomorrow afternoon."
"I don't know how he got to the surface, but he was looking for his father. He knew-"
"Neo, what would you have done?"
Neo took a moment to comprehend the abrupt change of subject, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"What would you have done if you never knew about this world? What if you never knew about the this war, the Matrix, what if you never knew you were the One?"
Neo kissed her, "If I didn't know about the Matrix...I would never had known about you...my life would just be empty..."
Trinity gave Neo a look he didn't completely understand. In Trinity's ear, Neo quietly whispered, "You've changed since we've met, haven't you?"
Suddenly pulling back, Trinity bowed her head, as if ashamed. She responded so quietly that Neo had to lean forward to hear, "Yes..."
"That's nothing to be embarrassed of. How so?"
"Because you reminded me of something..."
"Of what?" Neo asked encouragingly.
He lifted Trinity's chin so that they were looking eye to eye. Trinity paused, trying to correctly phrase her words, "You reminded me of... what it means to care. Of what it means to live. You reminded me of what it is to love. You reminded me what is to be..."
"Human?"
"Yes."