Protector of Men Ch 9

"Are you excited?"

"Yeah, I really am,"

"It's absolutely awe inspiring to see it,"

"... For the first time." They paused, almost for the effect.

"I can't wait."

Alias and Trim left the mess room, leaving Zandra to eat alone. It was early morning, and they had all just been told by Cover that they would be leaving broadcast depth to return to Zion for recharging. It would be Zandra's first time to see the last city. She was excited.

Ever since the day she had gone through the agent training programs she had been fairly bored. They hadn't needed to do anything inside the Matrix, so they contacted Zion. It's pretty empty here, they replied, and invited Purgatory back in for recharging. Since then Zandra just tried her best to help everyone out in preparing the ship. She couldn't do much.

It had been only two days since Purgatory had started the trip back to Zion, and it would take a few more. She barely saw Cover since he was steering the ship. Only he and Trim knew the way back to Zion - a precautionary measure in case someone or everyone was compromised. It was pretty quiet in Purgatory, and most of the day Zandra was left to wander around the ship in search of someone to chat with. For the time being she had given up, and was amusing herself quietly in the mess room.

Shade sauntered in and sat across from her.

"So, excited yet?"

"Actually initiating conversation?" she joked. Shade looked offended, but didn't leave.

"I had my reasons." Zandra detected a hint of slyness in his voice, but he still sounded miffed. She continued anyway, grateful that he was actually talking to her now. Don't ruin it.

"Yeah, there might actually be something to do there." She smiled jokingly.

"Isn't it nice though to relax?"

"I'd rather be helping or something," she replied. "Hell, I'd do the training again."

Shade shook his head slowly and laughed. "I don't think you need any more of that,"

Zandra looked at him curiously.

"That agent training was quite a feat,"

"I got my ass kicked the first time,"

"Do you know how many times you'll get your 'ass kicked' regularly at this?"

"How many." She was a bit sarcastic. Not this again.

"Lemme just say that Cover was... Happy... With your progress." He pulled back a piece of hair that had landed in his face.

"He said I was ready, if that's what you mean,"

"More like hoping we'd get called in for another job." He leaned back on the bench, obviously finished with his side of the conversation. Shade wanted to change the subject, and Zandra could sense it.

"Anyways," he sighed, leaning forward again, "ready to meet the council?"

"What?" What council?

"The council of Zion," he said, "I think there are twenty or something, but they like to meet every new person."

Zandra was silent. They had a council of Zion? Twenty seemed like a pretty big number.

"It's nothing," He added, "They ask you some questions and then advise you on what to work on, no big deal."

"Right," Zandra replied. She believed him, but only a little. Shade shot her a look which told her he had caught her slight tone. Zandra smiled back at him.

"How long will we be in Zion?"

"A week at the most,"

"Oh." That seemed like quite a short time to stay in the city that was supposedly so 'awe-inspiring'. Speaking of which...

"Where do we stay?"

Shade looked suddenly very uncomfortable. He shifted in his seat before answering.

"Well we're supposed to stay with our families," he replied. So that was why he was uncomfortable - neither of them had families.

"I have a place to myself though," he continued, "Since I've been there before I registered and all that."

So that would be a problem. Where would Zandra stay? She didn't get a chance to answer though, because Shade kept on talking.

"So, ah, if you need a place to stay..." he shifted again in his seat, "I guess you can stay with me,"

Zandra was still trying to take in the whole conversation, and nodded blankly. Shade looked a little fearful.

"Yeah," she finally answered, "thanks."

Shade was the one nodding now, looking more comfortable as he briefly told her where his room was. Zandra imagined that Zion was a mecca and it sounded absolutely huge. It would definitely be unlike any city she had ever been to.

"Well, I have to work," he said, getting up. He smiled before leaving the room.

Zandra was alone again, with her bowl of uneaten slop in front of her though she really wasn't that hungry anymore. She got up and put her bowl away. What to do? Maybe she would visit Kesia. Zandra wandered over to the control room, where she found Kesia talking to what appeared to be no one. Upon looking closer, she found that Kesia was on the phone talking to what looked like another ship's captain.

"How is Tevy?" Kesia asked. Zandra got a little closer and could see the captain, an older woman with short black hair. Must be captain of the Mayflower, Zandra remembered. Her name was Colombus. Zandra was reluctant to get any closer, but Kesia smiled at her and motioned for her to come.

"He is doing okay," the woman replied, "It was rough getting him out but I think he's making the change."

The woman noticed Zandra and smiled, too.

"Zandra," she said warmly, "I've heard about you."

Heard about me?

"I'm Colombus, the captain of the Mayflower."

"Hi," Zandra replied in a small voice. She mentally kicked herself - how could she be so rude to a captain? Zandra immediately tried to rectify her mistake.

"It's nice to meet you, captain."

"Likewise. You had quite an impression on our Tevy," she continued.

"Impression?"

"Oh yes," she continued, "it was your little project that convinced him the Matrix was real." She paused for a moment.

My project? She must have meant her physics project – though it would have gotten much larger than she anticipated.

"So Kesia," Colombus started again. Zandra guessed that her place in the conversation had ended, "I think we will be 'in town' at around the same time..."

She left with a small wave to Kesia. Kesia waved back enthusiastically, but at an angle that Colombus would not see. It was going to be a long, uneventful trip. Only a day or so to go.