The day was quickly coming to an end and the army of Zion was
advancing on the Control Center itself, the place they hoped they could end
this war once and for all.
While majority of troops worked to keep the outside defenses distracted, a few select soldiers had already sneaked behind enemy lines. They were the dagger that hopefully would strike the Matrix's back and forever save their world.
"Niobe," Morpheus whispered to his side, "We need your squad to spread out through the building. Create as much havoc as possible, but don't be caught. Keep the machines busy so they don't realize what the true danger. We can't hope to catch them totally off guard, but this way we show be able to buy some time." The fighters, nodded, ready for the oncoming struggle.
They departed as Morpheus, Trinity, and Neo raced toward the heart of the Control Center. Morpheus pulled out the book and worked furiously to shut down the center. The sounds of explosions echoed from the upper levels; Niobe was doing her job well. But before long, robots began to file into the room. Trinity and Neo rapidly attacked with their EMP guns and were miraculously able to keep the drones at bay.
Throughout the battle there was a low ticking noise that grew increasingly louder. "Morpheus, what's that sound?" Trinity inquired as she narrowly dodged an oncoming shot.
"The timer," Morpheus replied, motioning to an odd apparatus to his left, "The computer is automatically set to explode if utilized by an unregistered user. We have three minutes before detonation."
More robots entered through the doorway, evidently surmising the threat that Morpheus represented to the plant. Trinity and Neo fired constantly but the increasing mass of machines was beginning to overwhelm them. In desperation, Neo turned to the door and gestured with his hand. An earthquake began to rumble, shaking the building's very foundations. The roof near the doorway began to crack and ultimately tumble, completely sealing the exit. The timer clicked down to the last seconds-
"I got it!" Morpheus shouted in victory. And then everything seemed to stop. The timer, the remaining drones, the lights, all simply stopped functioning. Morpheus pulled out a light and looked at the damage they had caused. The room looked on the verge of collapse, piles of dismantled robots lay on the floor. The computer terminal showed no signs of life.
"I think we did it," Morpheus proclaimed in triumph, "I'm calling into base." He pulled out a small communication device, "Link, how are things going?"
"We're still waiting for you to shut down the Matrix-" he replied from the other end.
Morpheus shut off the communicator and looked grievously at Neo and Trinity, "It didn't work. The Matrix is still up."
"But how? We shut the plant down, that should have terminated the Matrix-" Trinity was interrupted by the sounds of rubble being cleared. Some of their opponents were still up as well! And they were forcing their way into the room.
"There our too many for us to fight and win," Morpheus stated solemnly. He cocked his weapon, "We will not survive this battle, but I'm going to take as many of them down with me as I can."
Neo peered at the door; their death would swiftly make it's way through the remaining rubble. He thought of what the Oracle had said; how he had come to care for the people of Zion. He remembered Matrix's simple enslavement of all life. If they lost this battle, the people of Zion would not have any defense. At best, they would be mercilessly slaughtered; man, woman, and child alike. The Matrix had to be stopped. If they failed- if he failed to destroy the Matrix... all hope for the human race would forever be lost.
"We didn't kill the Matrix," the One whispered, "We didn't finish the job we set out to do. This is the Matrix's substance...This battle must be won; the Matrix must be destroyed. No matter the cost." Suddenly, Neo lurched out and grabbed the gun from Trinity's hands. He pivoted to his left and aimed for the controls.
"No!!!" Morpheus yelled.
"You'll kill them!" Trinity shouted.
Neo looked at them with deep remorse but his hand did not waver. "It's the only way," he muttered, "It must be done, it is the only way. I have no choice." He fired.
While majority of troops worked to keep the outside defenses distracted, a few select soldiers had already sneaked behind enemy lines. They were the dagger that hopefully would strike the Matrix's back and forever save their world.
"Niobe," Morpheus whispered to his side, "We need your squad to spread out through the building. Create as much havoc as possible, but don't be caught. Keep the machines busy so they don't realize what the true danger. We can't hope to catch them totally off guard, but this way we show be able to buy some time." The fighters, nodded, ready for the oncoming struggle.
They departed as Morpheus, Trinity, and Neo raced toward the heart of the Control Center. Morpheus pulled out the book and worked furiously to shut down the center. The sounds of explosions echoed from the upper levels; Niobe was doing her job well. But before long, robots began to file into the room. Trinity and Neo rapidly attacked with their EMP guns and were miraculously able to keep the drones at bay.
Throughout the battle there was a low ticking noise that grew increasingly louder. "Morpheus, what's that sound?" Trinity inquired as she narrowly dodged an oncoming shot.
"The timer," Morpheus replied, motioning to an odd apparatus to his left, "The computer is automatically set to explode if utilized by an unregistered user. We have three minutes before detonation."
More robots entered through the doorway, evidently surmising the threat that Morpheus represented to the plant. Trinity and Neo fired constantly but the increasing mass of machines was beginning to overwhelm them. In desperation, Neo turned to the door and gestured with his hand. An earthquake began to rumble, shaking the building's very foundations. The roof near the doorway began to crack and ultimately tumble, completely sealing the exit. The timer clicked down to the last seconds-
"I got it!" Morpheus shouted in victory. And then everything seemed to stop. The timer, the remaining drones, the lights, all simply stopped functioning. Morpheus pulled out a light and looked at the damage they had caused. The room looked on the verge of collapse, piles of dismantled robots lay on the floor. The computer terminal showed no signs of life.
"I think we did it," Morpheus proclaimed in triumph, "I'm calling into base." He pulled out a small communication device, "Link, how are things going?"
"We're still waiting for you to shut down the Matrix-" he replied from the other end.
Morpheus shut off the communicator and looked grievously at Neo and Trinity, "It didn't work. The Matrix is still up."
"But how? We shut the plant down, that should have terminated the Matrix-" Trinity was interrupted by the sounds of rubble being cleared. Some of their opponents were still up as well! And they were forcing their way into the room.
"There our too many for us to fight and win," Morpheus stated solemnly. He cocked his weapon, "We will not survive this battle, but I'm going to take as many of them down with me as I can."
Neo peered at the door; their death would swiftly make it's way through the remaining rubble. He thought of what the Oracle had said; how he had come to care for the people of Zion. He remembered Matrix's simple enslavement of all life. If they lost this battle, the people of Zion would not have any defense. At best, they would be mercilessly slaughtered; man, woman, and child alike. The Matrix had to be stopped. If they failed- if he failed to destroy the Matrix... all hope for the human race would forever be lost.
"We didn't kill the Matrix," the One whispered, "We didn't finish the job we set out to do. This is the Matrix's substance...This battle must be won; the Matrix must be destroyed. No matter the cost." Suddenly, Neo lurched out and grabbed the gun from Trinity's hands. He pivoted to his left and aimed for the controls.
"No!!!" Morpheus yelled.
"You'll kill them!" Trinity shouted.
Neo looked at them with deep remorse but his hand did not waver. "It's the only way," he muttered, "It must be done, it is the only way. I have no choice." He fired.