I'm glad that everyone seems to be enjoying this story so much! One thing
though - I've noticed several alterations I really ought to make to 'The
Second Hope', but I don't know whether there would be any point, and
whether I should just not make those mistakes again. What do you think?
It's just some stuff really doesn't make sense. Or do you think it did?
This is part of my MEGA-UPDATE before I go to Germany! There are quite a few new Matrix stories I've written, so if you have any time, read them, because I've been told they're funny by one of my friends.
By the way, this story is almost definitely going to be a trilogy now! Trilogies rock. I mean, Lord of the Rings, the Matrix, Star Wars...
Chapter 3 - Falcon
Asha opened her eyes in the bus station. The phone was ringing. She lifted it off the receiver. "Alright, alright, I'm in already," she said. She hung up again, and walked out of the booth. Someone was looking at her oddly. She hastily set off down the street.
Checking her notes, she read that Falcon lived on the third street from the bus station, on the second floor, in the furthest window to the right. She pulled out her palmtop, and started to load up the program Neo had written - it broadcasted a powerful signal that meant that she could hack into anyone's computer within a one-mile radius.
She reached his building and effortlessly pulled herself over the fence. Silently she made her way past the windows. Falcon lived in a surprisingly well-kept apartment building; she could feel families eating their evening meals, couples watching television, and - that must be him. From one room came the buzzing of a mind working intensely. She glanced up and saw that it was indeed the furthest window to the right.
She looked around for a way up. There, a windowsill a couple of metres above the ground. She jumped and caught onto it with her fingertips. She then flipped herself round so that the momentum carried her up to Falcon's windowsill, landing silently - well, close enough. She could have just scaled the drainpipe, but hey, this was cooler. Settling herself down, she pulled out her palmtop again to check that the program was loading.
She glanced into Falcon's room. Looking through the semi-darkness, illuminated only by a lamp and the glow from the computer screen, she saw that it was actually quite tidy; not what she was expecting. She was expecting it to be like Neo's room in the film, but it wasn't. The only cluttered place was the computer, where Falcon was now sitting. Files were spread out on the desk, and floppy disks and CDs were littered around the screen.
Falcon himself was absent-mindedly tapping the keyboard with his right hand, while he read a magazine. Asha looked at the computer screen, and blinked when she saw that he had entered the Mainframe of the Matrix. Falcon, reading a magazine, hadn't yet noticed the symbols of the Matrix starting to cluster in the corners of the screen.
Shit, thought Asha, they'll realise he's there any second. Hurriedly, she pulled out her palmtop, and clicked 'Start'. Glancing at Falcon, she typed her message.
* * * * *
Falcon was reading his magazine when he noticed the room had become considerably darker. Looking at the monitor, he saw that the screen had gone black.
"Damn!" he said loudly. He tapped a few keys, but nothing happened. He still looked calm, but inside he was raging. They couldn't be beating him again, not again. Only one other system had done this to him; this was the second time in a month. He'd found only two systems he couldn't beat in his hacking career, and both in a month?
He didn't even know what he was hacking into. Having discovered a gap in cyberspace, he, unlike many other hackers, had dived straight in. He'd been surprised to discover codes even here, so he knew he'd been onto something big. But his computer had crashed before he could find anything important.
He'd spent the last few weeks trying to rediscover the entrance. Now at last he had, and his computer had packed up again? This couldn't be coincidence. Someone, or something, was stopping him from seeing this. Not that he was intending to sell what he found - he hacked for the sheer thrill of it, and the pleasure of imagining the faces of the people in the system when they found that their security had been breached - by a teenager.
Suddenly green writing appeared on the screen. He blinked. Squinting, he read;
'Tut, tut, Falcon, that's not for you to see.'
Falcon shook his head. This was like that sci-fi film, what was it called - 'The Matrix'. But that was just a film. This was obviously some security measure.
'Are you sure about that?'
Falcon blinked. This was just too weird. But it was true - that film had stirred something in his brain, something hidden. Doubt.
'Awww, you really want to see what's hidden, don't you?'
"Hell yes," muttered Falcon. This was getting very strange. It was almost as if the computer knew what he was thinking. But that was impossible. Wasn't it?
More writing appeared. Falcon, curious in spite of himself, leant forward to read;
'Maybe if you're a good boy you'll find out what's there.'
Now the computer was taunting him. Great. Falcon sighed and reached to pull out the connection. Suddenly more writing appeared.
'Not a Matrix fan I see.'
This was just too weird. What was happening?
'Isn't it ironic? A hacker being hacked.'
Falcon started. This wasn't a security system; someone was hacking into his computer. Who, though?
'Do you want to know who I am?'
"Yes!" called Falcon out loud, not expecting them to hear. To his amazement, more writing appeared.
'Then look out the window.'
Falcon, with mounting trepidation, turned round. He didn't know what he was expecting to see. One thing he definitely wasn't was a fifteen-year-old girl waving at him through the glass, smiling brightly.
Falcon swore extremely loudly, falling off his chair. He shook his head, then looked up again. The girl was giggling. He got to his feet and opened the window. The girl slid into the room, tucking a palmtop into her pocket.
"That- that-" he said, trying to form words, which it is exceedingly difficult when a girl who has just been sitting on your windowsill is laughing at you, "That was you on my computer?"
"Come on, Shane, you're not the only teenage hacker," said the girl, finally drawing breath, "Or can I call you Falcon?"
Falcon found this all just too incredible. "But you're only-"
"Fifteen," said the girl, "You could say I learnt from the best."
"How did you do it?"
The girl grinned and waved her palmtop in front of his face.
"From that? But-"
"If you're confused now, you're going to be majorly confused later," smiled the girl, "I was too. But I'm being rude. My name's Asha."
"Asha..." said Falcon. He knew that name. "Asha? Asha WARNER? The girl who's missing?"
"That's the one," said Asha, "Tell me, have you seen the Matrix?"
"Yeah," said Falcon. He was slightly worried; a girl had just climbed in through his window. Not just any girl, but a girl who'd vanished mysteriously from her house a month ago. And she was asking whether he'd seen the Matrix?
"Great. Did it seem more than real to you?"
"What?"
"Did it stir some deep thought in your mind? Has it set your mind wondering about the world you live in?"
Falcon didn't know what to say. She was right. Since he'd seen it, he'd been wondering about the world. Was it all part of some computer system? Was that- he swallowed - was that he'd nearly hacked into? He glanced back at the girl, who was smiling.
"I'll take that as a yes."
Suddenly her phone rang. Asha pulled it out hurriedly. "Hello?" she said. She was silent for a couple of seconds, but Falcon could hear a voice on the other end. "How far?" she asked, her eyes widening slightly. Falcon could see fear in them now. "Can't you get an exit here? Yes, of course, they would have cut the hardline - just get one ready for me, and tell Morpheus what's going on. No, I don't need any help, not yet anyway, but have them ready in case I call." She hung up hurriedly and raced to the window. "Thank god," she said, when she saw the not so beautiful view of a side alley.
"Falcon!" she called, extending a hand, "We have to go, now."
"What - out there?"
"Yes, out there, come on, it's not that far."
Falcon looked at this girl, who had come out of nowhere, and in the space of two minutes completely undermined everything he'd once thought. There was genuine urgency in her eyes.
He took her hand.
* * * * *
Asha and Falcon fell through the night air, hitting the ground with a painful sounding thud. Asha was on her feet in a second, but Falcon took a little longer. As soon as he was up, she dragged him away as fast as he could go. Closing her eyes, she could sense movement in front of the building. Agents were coming. "Dammit," she muttered, "Dammit dammit dammit."
"Agents?" asked Falcon as they hurried down the street, "Like in the Matrix?"
"This isn't the place I'd have chosen to discuss it, but the Matrix is real," said Asha, "Everything in the film is true. Right now, you're plugged into the power plant."
Falcon stopped. "What?"
"I'm sorry Falcon," said Asha, glancing over her shoulder. The agents were heading their way. "I can't explain fully now, but I'm taking you somewhere you'll get all the answers. But we need to hurry, because agents are coming- "
"I don't believe you," said Falcon, "That can't be true, it just can't be-"
"Falcon, you have to trust me!" said Asha in desperation, "I didn't believe it either, but its true, and we have to go now, because agents are coming! Agents killed my parents!"
Falcon blinked, but continued running beside Asha in silence. Asha led them down another back street, always running, glancing over her shoulder. She couldn't feel them any more, but that didn't mean anything. Finally Falcon spoke again.
"They killed your parents?"
"Yes," said Asha quietly, "One night, they came to my house, shot my parents and tried to kidnap me. I managed to get away, but only just."
"Wow," said Falcon.
They stepped out onto an open street. When they got there, Asha saw two things, which made her blood run cold.
The first thing was that there were two agents standing in front of her, guns raised.
The second thing was that she saw Falcon's face in the light for the first time.
And she now knew who the other person in her dream had been.
*****
Yes, more cliffhangers, I'm sorry... Hope you're not all too mad...
Tanuki Yasha - OK. Glad you like it too!
Two Bored Idiots - Thanks! I tried to write another serious one on LOTR, but it didn't go too well, so I've pretty much given up on it now. Yet this one seemed very successful... slightly scary really... World domination! MWAHAHAHA!!! Still haven't got enough brownies to sate the Wob-Wobs though...
T'Lorie - Yes, I did think you said you liked it. Agents in this chapter, as I realised many people were wanting them, and there'll be plenty more in later chapters!
Luna - No, I haven't seen it. Have you seen Chocolat? That has Johnny Depp as another pirate! He's funny! Not as funny as Jack Sparrow though.
Alocin - Agent Smith will be along at some point in this story, don't worry! You really think I could leave him out of a story? He's nifty!
Kit - Well, I'm trying my hardest not to make her like Neo exactly, because she's not a system anomaly. She's sort of a halfway point between Neo and Morpheus, Trinity and the others. You find out why in later chapters... Intrigued? I was. I had no idea why when I first started writing this.
Sirocco.flow - Hobbits eat second breakfast. I am like a hobbit. Ergo, concordantly, I can have second breakfast if I want. But I don't. I am, however, a strange child. You just need to read to couple of my fics to understand that...
Shadow Peach - That's OK! You really read the whole first story as well? Whoa. Thanks so much!
MollyJean - No, he wasn't, sorry. That wouldn't really make sense, would it? I didn't think so anyway. No, Falcon's just some random guy who I invented with the help of one of my friends. The name just seemed to fit.
Yilantri - Oh no! Hippy partridges are the worst! There will be some aspects of the Matrix: Reloaded in this, but not too many. Like Morpheus said, the reason they made a sequel was that people in the Matrix were becoming suspicious as to whether it was true, so it makes them believe that if there was a Matrix then it would have been destroyed by now.
Im a Brandybuck - Yay! It's out on DVD! The DVD has the parody from the MTV movie awards! Huzzah! Huzzah! Huzzah! Hey, you know when the Architect says 'Whether you are prepared to accept responsibility for the death of every human being on this planet.' Did you spot Gandalf on one of the monitors? Or am I the only one?
Huntress - Uh, why do you want an axe? Should I be worried? Sorry, cliffhangers are what make me keep writing, so expect a lot of them...
KnowInSight - More coming!
This is part of my MEGA-UPDATE before I go to Germany! There are quite a few new Matrix stories I've written, so if you have any time, read them, because I've been told they're funny by one of my friends.
By the way, this story is almost definitely going to be a trilogy now! Trilogies rock. I mean, Lord of the Rings, the Matrix, Star Wars...
Chapter 3 - Falcon
Asha opened her eyes in the bus station. The phone was ringing. She lifted it off the receiver. "Alright, alright, I'm in already," she said. She hung up again, and walked out of the booth. Someone was looking at her oddly. She hastily set off down the street.
Checking her notes, she read that Falcon lived on the third street from the bus station, on the second floor, in the furthest window to the right. She pulled out her palmtop, and started to load up the program Neo had written - it broadcasted a powerful signal that meant that she could hack into anyone's computer within a one-mile radius.
She reached his building and effortlessly pulled herself over the fence. Silently she made her way past the windows. Falcon lived in a surprisingly well-kept apartment building; she could feel families eating their evening meals, couples watching television, and - that must be him. From one room came the buzzing of a mind working intensely. She glanced up and saw that it was indeed the furthest window to the right.
She looked around for a way up. There, a windowsill a couple of metres above the ground. She jumped and caught onto it with her fingertips. She then flipped herself round so that the momentum carried her up to Falcon's windowsill, landing silently - well, close enough. She could have just scaled the drainpipe, but hey, this was cooler. Settling herself down, she pulled out her palmtop again to check that the program was loading.
She glanced into Falcon's room. Looking through the semi-darkness, illuminated only by a lamp and the glow from the computer screen, she saw that it was actually quite tidy; not what she was expecting. She was expecting it to be like Neo's room in the film, but it wasn't. The only cluttered place was the computer, where Falcon was now sitting. Files were spread out on the desk, and floppy disks and CDs were littered around the screen.
Falcon himself was absent-mindedly tapping the keyboard with his right hand, while he read a magazine. Asha looked at the computer screen, and blinked when she saw that he had entered the Mainframe of the Matrix. Falcon, reading a magazine, hadn't yet noticed the symbols of the Matrix starting to cluster in the corners of the screen.
Shit, thought Asha, they'll realise he's there any second. Hurriedly, she pulled out her palmtop, and clicked 'Start'. Glancing at Falcon, she typed her message.
* * * * *
Falcon was reading his magazine when he noticed the room had become considerably darker. Looking at the monitor, he saw that the screen had gone black.
"Damn!" he said loudly. He tapped a few keys, but nothing happened. He still looked calm, but inside he was raging. They couldn't be beating him again, not again. Only one other system had done this to him; this was the second time in a month. He'd found only two systems he couldn't beat in his hacking career, and both in a month?
He didn't even know what he was hacking into. Having discovered a gap in cyberspace, he, unlike many other hackers, had dived straight in. He'd been surprised to discover codes even here, so he knew he'd been onto something big. But his computer had crashed before he could find anything important.
He'd spent the last few weeks trying to rediscover the entrance. Now at last he had, and his computer had packed up again? This couldn't be coincidence. Someone, or something, was stopping him from seeing this. Not that he was intending to sell what he found - he hacked for the sheer thrill of it, and the pleasure of imagining the faces of the people in the system when they found that their security had been breached - by a teenager.
Suddenly green writing appeared on the screen. He blinked. Squinting, he read;
'Tut, tut, Falcon, that's not for you to see.'
Falcon shook his head. This was like that sci-fi film, what was it called - 'The Matrix'. But that was just a film. This was obviously some security measure.
'Are you sure about that?'
Falcon blinked. This was just too weird. But it was true - that film had stirred something in his brain, something hidden. Doubt.
'Awww, you really want to see what's hidden, don't you?'
"Hell yes," muttered Falcon. This was getting very strange. It was almost as if the computer knew what he was thinking. But that was impossible. Wasn't it?
More writing appeared. Falcon, curious in spite of himself, leant forward to read;
'Maybe if you're a good boy you'll find out what's there.'
Now the computer was taunting him. Great. Falcon sighed and reached to pull out the connection. Suddenly more writing appeared.
'Not a Matrix fan I see.'
This was just too weird. What was happening?
'Isn't it ironic? A hacker being hacked.'
Falcon started. This wasn't a security system; someone was hacking into his computer. Who, though?
'Do you want to know who I am?'
"Yes!" called Falcon out loud, not expecting them to hear. To his amazement, more writing appeared.
'Then look out the window.'
Falcon, with mounting trepidation, turned round. He didn't know what he was expecting to see. One thing he definitely wasn't was a fifteen-year-old girl waving at him through the glass, smiling brightly.
Falcon swore extremely loudly, falling off his chair. He shook his head, then looked up again. The girl was giggling. He got to his feet and opened the window. The girl slid into the room, tucking a palmtop into her pocket.
"That- that-" he said, trying to form words, which it is exceedingly difficult when a girl who has just been sitting on your windowsill is laughing at you, "That was you on my computer?"
"Come on, Shane, you're not the only teenage hacker," said the girl, finally drawing breath, "Or can I call you Falcon?"
Falcon found this all just too incredible. "But you're only-"
"Fifteen," said the girl, "You could say I learnt from the best."
"How did you do it?"
The girl grinned and waved her palmtop in front of his face.
"From that? But-"
"If you're confused now, you're going to be majorly confused later," smiled the girl, "I was too. But I'm being rude. My name's Asha."
"Asha..." said Falcon. He knew that name. "Asha? Asha WARNER? The girl who's missing?"
"That's the one," said Asha, "Tell me, have you seen the Matrix?"
"Yeah," said Falcon. He was slightly worried; a girl had just climbed in through his window. Not just any girl, but a girl who'd vanished mysteriously from her house a month ago. And she was asking whether he'd seen the Matrix?
"Great. Did it seem more than real to you?"
"What?"
"Did it stir some deep thought in your mind? Has it set your mind wondering about the world you live in?"
Falcon didn't know what to say. She was right. Since he'd seen it, he'd been wondering about the world. Was it all part of some computer system? Was that- he swallowed - was that he'd nearly hacked into? He glanced back at the girl, who was smiling.
"I'll take that as a yes."
Suddenly her phone rang. Asha pulled it out hurriedly. "Hello?" she said. She was silent for a couple of seconds, but Falcon could hear a voice on the other end. "How far?" she asked, her eyes widening slightly. Falcon could see fear in them now. "Can't you get an exit here? Yes, of course, they would have cut the hardline - just get one ready for me, and tell Morpheus what's going on. No, I don't need any help, not yet anyway, but have them ready in case I call." She hung up hurriedly and raced to the window. "Thank god," she said, when she saw the not so beautiful view of a side alley.
"Falcon!" she called, extending a hand, "We have to go, now."
"What - out there?"
"Yes, out there, come on, it's not that far."
Falcon looked at this girl, who had come out of nowhere, and in the space of two minutes completely undermined everything he'd once thought. There was genuine urgency in her eyes.
He took her hand.
* * * * *
Asha and Falcon fell through the night air, hitting the ground with a painful sounding thud. Asha was on her feet in a second, but Falcon took a little longer. As soon as he was up, she dragged him away as fast as he could go. Closing her eyes, she could sense movement in front of the building. Agents were coming. "Dammit," she muttered, "Dammit dammit dammit."
"Agents?" asked Falcon as they hurried down the street, "Like in the Matrix?"
"This isn't the place I'd have chosen to discuss it, but the Matrix is real," said Asha, "Everything in the film is true. Right now, you're plugged into the power plant."
Falcon stopped. "What?"
"I'm sorry Falcon," said Asha, glancing over her shoulder. The agents were heading their way. "I can't explain fully now, but I'm taking you somewhere you'll get all the answers. But we need to hurry, because agents are coming- "
"I don't believe you," said Falcon, "That can't be true, it just can't be-"
"Falcon, you have to trust me!" said Asha in desperation, "I didn't believe it either, but its true, and we have to go now, because agents are coming! Agents killed my parents!"
Falcon blinked, but continued running beside Asha in silence. Asha led them down another back street, always running, glancing over her shoulder. She couldn't feel them any more, but that didn't mean anything. Finally Falcon spoke again.
"They killed your parents?"
"Yes," said Asha quietly, "One night, they came to my house, shot my parents and tried to kidnap me. I managed to get away, but only just."
"Wow," said Falcon.
They stepped out onto an open street. When they got there, Asha saw two things, which made her blood run cold.
The first thing was that there were two agents standing in front of her, guns raised.
The second thing was that she saw Falcon's face in the light for the first time.
And she now knew who the other person in her dream had been.
*****
Yes, more cliffhangers, I'm sorry... Hope you're not all too mad...
Tanuki Yasha - OK. Glad you like it too!
Two Bored Idiots - Thanks! I tried to write another serious one on LOTR, but it didn't go too well, so I've pretty much given up on it now. Yet this one seemed very successful... slightly scary really... World domination! MWAHAHAHA!!! Still haven't got enough brownies to sate the Wob-Wobs though...
T'Lorie - Yes, I did think you said you liked it. Agents in this chapter, as I realised many people were wanting them, and there'll be plenty more in later chapters!
Luna - No, I haven't seen it. Have you seen Chocolat? That has Johnny Depp as another pirate! He's funny! Not as funny as Jack Sparrow though.
Alocin - Agent Smith will be along at some point in this story, don't worry! You really think I could leave him out of a story? He's nifty!
Kit - Well, I'm trying my hardest not to make her like Neo exactly, because she's not a system anomaly. She's sort of a halfway point between Neo and Morpheus, Trinity and the others. You find out why in later chapters... Intrigued? I was. I had no idea why when I first started writing this.
Sirocco.flow - Hobbits eat second breakfast. I am like a hobbit. Ergo, concordantly, I can have second breakfast if I want. But I don't. I am, however, a strange child. You just need to read to couple of my fics to understand that...
Shadow Peach - That's OK! You really read the whole first story as well? Whoa. Thanks so much!
MollyJean - No, he wasn't, sorry. That wouldn't really make sense, would it? I didn't think so anyway. No, Falcon's just some random guy who I invented with the help of one of my friends. The name just seemed to fit.
Yilantri - Oh no! Hippy partridges are the worst! There will be some aspects of the Matrix: Reloaded in this, but not too many. Like Morpheus said, the reason they made a sequel was that people in the Matrix were becoming suspicious as to whether it was true, so it makes them believe that if there was a Matrix then it would have been destroyed by now.
Im a Brandybuck - Yay! It's out on DVD! The DVD has the parody from the MTV movie awards! Huzzah! Huzzah! Huzzah! Hey, you know when the Architect says 'Whether you are prepared to accept responsibility for the death of every human being on this planet.' Did you spot Gandalf on one of the monitors? Or am I the only one?
Huntress - Uh, why do you want an axe? Should I be worried? Sorry, cliffhangers are what make me keep writing, so expect a lot of them...
KnowInSight - More coming!