Chapter One – The Inevitable Choice.
Morpheus stood before the familiar door, preparing himself. As he raised his fist to knock, the door swung open. "Punctual as always, Morpheus." The greeter stepped aside, allowing Morpheus to brush past her. "She's where she always is." He gave her a brief nod of acknowledgement, and walked to the kitchen, brushed aside the beads, and entered. The Oracle was sat at the table, smoking. Mingled with the cigarette smoke was the smell of baking cookies. The Oracle smiled slowly at him as he stood there. "Morpheus. Nice to see you again. Been a while, hasn't it?" She asked. "Yes," he replied, sitting facing her at the table. "I haven't been since-" He broke off, thoughtful. "Since you freed that poor boy." "It has been a while. We've not found any potentials recently." He lapsed into silence, feeling awkward and fooling. "And now you're here about Niobe." He looked up, into her eyes. "I have come for advice." The Oracle smiled slightly. "You love her." The Oracle took a drag of her cigarette then continued, "And she loves you." Morpheus let out a breath he hadn't realised he was holding. "But, I still can't help but feeling something is wrong-"He trailed off, and the Oracle didn't supply anything. Eyes down, she snubbed out her cigarette in the crystal ashtray. She methodically removed another one from a depleted pack on the table next to the ashtray, and lit it. After a long moment, she exhaled the smoke, and spoke, slowly, as if weighing her words. "Her love for you is stronger than anything she has ever known. She would lay down her life, just to be with you." She held Morpheus's gaze, and he felt his unease grow. "And the odds are, that she will." "I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news." She said quietly, as pain and stricken disbelief flooded his features. "That can't be true. I refuse to believe it! Not after all we've been through." He pulled back, turned away from her. He realised that his eyes were stinging. "You have a choice, Morpheus." She stated. He swung back to face her. "Choice? What choice?" She could sense his anger, close to the surface of his words. "Niobe either lives or dies. If she remains on the Nebuchadnezzar with you, she will die, it is certain. If, however, she leaves, soon, she will be spared, and she will see this war through. It is my belief that she will be vital to the fate of the One, and to the outcome of this war. Therefore, I cannot just stand back, and allow her to die. So, now we come to your choice, Morpheus." She took a drag on the cigarette. "Either she stays on the Neb, and dies your woman, or she leaves, and lives." Several moments passed before Morpheus raised his head to look at her, his eyes wet. "If she leaves," his voice was barely audible, "will we...?" His unfinished question hovered in the air. "She will love another." The finality of this statement was unmistakable. The Oracle put out her cigarette. "How long do we have?" he asked, choking back his tears. "Not long." She replied. "There is little sense is delaying the inevitable.
Morpheus stood before the familiar door, preparing himself. As he raised his fist to knock, the door swung open. "Punctual as always, Morpheus." The greeter stepped aside, allowing Morpheus to brush past her. "She's where she always is." He gave her a brief nod of acknowledgement, and walked to the kitchen, brushed aside the beads, and entered. The Oracle was sat at the table, smoking. Mingled with the cigarette smoke was the smell of baking cookies. The Oracle smiled slowly at him as he stood there. "Morpheus. Nice to see you again. Been a while, hasn't it?" She asked. "Yes," he replied, sitting facing her at the table. "I haven't been since-" He broke off, thoughtful. "Since you freed that poor boy." "It has been a while. We've not found any potentials recently." He lapsed into silence, feeling awkward and fooling. "And now you're here about Niobe." He looked up, into her eyes. "I have come for advice." The Oracle smiled slightly. "You love her." The Oracle took a drag of her cigarette then continued, "And she loves you." Morpheus let out a breath he hadn't realised he was holding. "But, I still can't help but feeling something is wrong-"He trailed off, and the Oracle didn't supply anything. Eyes down, she snubbed out her cigarette in the crystal ashtray. She methodically removed another one from a depleted pack on the table next to the ashtray, and lit it. After a long moment, she exhaled the smoke, and spoke, slowly, as if weighing her words. "Her love for you is stronger than anything she has ever known. She would lay down her life, just to be with you." She held Morpheus's gaze, and he felt his unease grow. "And the odds are, that she will." "I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news." She said quietly, as pain and stricken disbelief flooded his features. "That can't be true. I refuse to believe it! Not after all we've been through." He pulled back, turned away from her. He realised that his eyes were stinging. "You have a choice, Morpheus." She stated. He swung back to face her. "Choice? What choice?" She could sense his anger, close to the surface of his words. "Niobe either lives or dies. If she remains on the Nebuchadnezzar with you, she will die, it is certain. If, however, she leaves, soon, she will be spared, and she will see this war through. It is my belief that she will be vital to the fate of the One, and to the outcome of this war. Therefore, I cannot just stand back, and allow her to die. So, now we come to your choice, Morpheus." She took a drag on the cigarette. "Either she stays on the Neb, and dies your woman, or she leaves, and lives." Several moments passed before Morpheus raised his head to look at her, his eyes wet. "If she leaves," his voice was barely audible, "will we...?" His unfinished question hovered in the air. "She will love another." The finality of this statement was unmistakable. The Oracle put out her cigarette. "How long do we have?" he asked, choking back his tears. "Not long." She replied. "There is little sense is delaying the inevitable.