I woke up in a hospital bed. The image of the man's face seemed etched
onto my retinas. His shaggy hair was as black as my own, and he had the
most brilliant blue eyes. He was familiar somehow. I wasn't sure quite
how so, but I had seen him or spoken with somewhere before.
He was one of us. That much I knew. It didn't shock me at all that I referred to myself in the group, which included Clique and Iron. Must have been the pain meds.
As I processed that, the pain began to register. My arm ached. I looked down at a row of neatly placed stitches running up the inside of my forearm. An IV was hooked up to my other arm, no doubt administering morphine in addition to the fluids, judging from the lack of sharp pain. I took a deep breath. And another. I had to find him. I needed to find him. There was something I had to ask him. I already knew who he was, even though my muddled brain wouldn't supply me with the name.
I had to get out. Had to find a computer. The first thing I had to do was get the IV out. I managed to close off the drip, but getting the tape off my hand was another story. The fingers of my injured arm weren't working properly so it took a few minutes of working at it with my teeth before I could rip it off without ripping the cathoder out as well. I carefully eased it out of my hand, immediately applying pressure to the hemorrhage which formed using my chin.
Holding my arm close to my side, I gingerly swung my feet onto the floor. I still wore my stockings over my fishnets, and my skirt and partially ruined T-shirt as well. At least they hadn't put me in one of those gowns. I must have been in an ER recovery room. They would have made me change into a gown if I would have had to stay too long. I glanced at the clock above the door. It was only 11:00.
As I was preparing to go for the door, I was stunned to hear a cell phone ring in my back pocket. I don't own a cell phone. I reached back with my good arm and yanked it out.
"Hello?" I knew somehow to answer it in English.
"Glad to see you're alive." That soft, gravelly voice.
"Glad to be alive."
"Do you know who I am?"
I smiled. "Jesus Christ?"
"Not exactly."
"I've been searching for you for a long time."
"I know. Not as long as I have been searching for you, though. But there will be time for talk later. You are in danger now. They know we are searching for you."
"What?"
"Explanations must wait. Right now, I have but one question for you. Do you want your answer?"
I didn't hesitate. He didn't have to explain what answer. "Yes."
"Then realize that the world will never be the same for you. The Matrix is everywhere, and it is everything. It is an elaborate construct, to which you still belong. To learn the truth, to truly understand, you must see it for what it is. With your own eyes. You will wake up, and open your eyes for the first time. To truly see. Is your answer still yes?"
"It is."
"Then leave this hospital. Have a cab take you to 45 Rue Jeanne. Attract as little attention as possible. I will see you there."
I grabbed my boots, my bag, and left. Sneaking out of the hospital was not difficult. Nor was hailing a cab. The hard part was forcing the excited butterflies in my stomach down during the long cab ride. The building we arrived at was the same one that he had taken me to last night. I sat in the cab for a moment, staring at the dilapidated structure, before the impatient cabby prompted me to get out. I overpaid him, and stepped out onto the curb.
The door swung open at my touch, and I found myself looking up the dusty stairwell at Clique.
"You've made the right choice. Come with me, and I'll take you to him."
I followed her up the stairs, keeping my arm straight down at my side. We passed three empty doorways, took a right, and came to a closed door. Clique turned to me again.
"You can trust him. We all do, but you will have realize that on your own. Go into this room with an open mind."
I looked into her eyes. They were calm, yet strangely bright. God, I hoped I wasn't making a mistake. Before I could second guess myself, she opened the door for me. I stepped into the room with the two chairs. Next to the phone on the coffee table now sat a glass of water.
He was standing behind a chair, waiting for me. I think I took him by surprise when I walked right up to him. I had to look up to meet his eyes, even in my boots. He glanced down at my arm. I didn't flip it over for inspection, just held it pinned to my side. There wasn't much else I could do. The pain had multiplied tenfold since the morphine was wearing off, but damned if I'd show it.
He smiled, and I got the distinct impression that he knew exactly what I was thinking. "Welcome, Aero. As you already know, I am Raine." He gestured toward one of the chairs. "Would you care to sit?"
I shook my head. "What did you mean earlier?"
Again, no explanation between us was necessary. "You may have been searching for me for these past several years, but I have been looking for you since..." His lips quirked. "For a long time. You are destined to join us in our war. You are the final soldier we need. The Matrix still has you, but if you choose, you can free yourself." He moved around the chair slowly.
Raine was a tall man, perhaps a little older than myself. He was strong of build, but without the bulky muscling Iron displayed. His was the long, lean strength that so easily can be underestimated. That more than anything kept me wary. He once again wore his leather coat.
What was he talking about? "Soldier? What--what do you mean, free myself?"
"I'm afraid you won't understand yet. I give you one last choice." He reached into a pocket and removed two small pills, which he placed in his palms.
"If you take the red pill, we will leave you as you are. You will be free to live your life without the burden of remembering what has passed this day. You're life will return to normal, and that hollow feeling will drive you until the end of your days. Take the blue pill, and find the answer to your question, however unpleasant it may be. The journey will be difficult, but you will not be alone. It is your decision. There is no turning back."
I met his eyes. I've found that few people can meet mine for long. Something about the strange pale green color of my irises making people uncomfortable. Raine's gaze, however, didn't waver. "That's no decision."
"Everything is a decision."
"You already know my answer." It was a statement, not a question.
"Yes." I could no longer meet his piercing eyes.
I swallowed the red pill.
He was one of us. That much I knew. It didn't shock me at all that I referred to myself in the group, which included Clique and Iron. Must have been the pain meds.
As I processed that, the pain began to register. My arm ached. I looked down at a row of neatly placed stitches running up the inside of my forearm. An IV was hooked up to my other arm, no doubt administering morphine in addition to the fluids, judging from the lack of sharp pain. I took a deep breath. And another. I had to find him. I needed to find him. There was something I had to ask him. I already knew who he was, even though my muddled brain wouldn't supply me with the name.
I had to get out. Had to find a computer. The first thing I had to do was get the IV out. I managed to close off the drip, but getting the tape off my hand was another story. The fingers of my injured arm weren't working properly so it took a few minutes of working at it with my teeth before I could rip it off without ripping the cathoder out as well. I carefully eased it out of my hand, immediately applying pressure to the hemorrhage which formed using my chin.
Holding my arm close to my side, I gingerly swung my feet onto the floor. I still wore my stockings over my fishnets, and my skirt and partially ruined T-shirt as well. At least they hadn't put me in one of those gowns. I must have been in an ER recovery room. They would have made me change into a gown if I would have had to stay too long. I glanced at the clock above the door. It was only 11:00.
As I was preparing to go for the door, I was stunned to hear a cell phone ring in my back pocket. I don't own a cell phone. I reached back with my good arm and yanked it out.
"Hello?" I knew somehow to answer it in English.
"Glad to see you're alive." That soft, gravelly voice.
"Glad to be alive."
"Do you know who I am?"
I smiled. "Jesus Christ?"
"Not exactly."
"I've been searching for you for a long time."
"I know. Not as long as I have been searching for you, though. But there will be time for talk later. You are in danger now. They know we are searching for you."
"What?"
"Explanations must wait. Right now, I have but one question for you. Do you want your answer?"
I didn't hesitate. He didn't have to explain what answer. "Yes."
"Then realize that the world will never be the same for you. The Matrix is everywhere, and it is everything. It is an elaborate construct, to which you still belong. To learn the truth, to truly understand, you must see it for what it is. With your own eyes. You will wake up, and open your eyes for the first time. To truly see. Is your answer still yes?"
"It is."
"Then leave this hospital. Have a cab take you to 45 Rue Jeanne. Attract as little attention as possible. I will see you there."
I grabbed my boots, my bag, and left. Sneaking out of the hospital was not difficult. Nor was hailing a cab. The hard part was forcing the excited butterflies in my stomach down during the long cab ride. The building we arrived at was the same one that he had taken me to last night. I sat in the cab for a moment, staring at the dilapidated structure, before the impatient cabby prompted me to get out. I overpaid him, and stepped out onto the curb.
The door swung open at my touch, and I found myself looking up the dusty stairwell at Clique.
"You've made the right choice. Come with me, and I'll take you to him."
I followed her up the stairs, keeping my arm straight down at my side. We passed three empty doorways, took a right, and came to a closed door. Clique turned to me again.
"You can trust him. We all do, but you will have realize that on your own. Go into this room with an open mind."
I looked into her eyes. They were calm, yet strangely bright. God, I hoped I wasn't making a mistake. Before I could second guess myself, she opened the door for me. I stepped into the room with the two chairs. Next to the phone on the coffee table now sat a glass of water.
He was standing behind a chair, waiting for me. I think I took him by surprise when I walked right up to him. I had to look up to meet his eyes, even in my boots. He glanced down at my arm. I didn't flip it over for inspection, just held it pinned to my side. There wasn't much else I could do. The pain had multiplied tenfold since the morphine was wearing off, but damned if I'd show it.
He smiled, and I got the distinct impression that he knew exactly what I was thinking. "Welcome, Aero. As you already know, I am Raine." He gestured toward one of the chairs. "Would you care to sit?"
I shook my head. "What did you mean earlier?"
Again, no explanation between us was necessary. "You may have been searching for me for these past several years, but I have been looking for you since..." His lips quirked. "For a long time. You are destined to join us in our war. You are the final soldier we need. The Matrix still has you, but if you choose, you can free yourself." He moved around the chair slowly.
Raine was a tall man, perhaps a little older than myself. He was strong of build, but without the bulky muscling Iron displayed. His was the long, lean strength that so easily can be underestimated. That more than anything kept me wary. He once again wore his leather coat.
What was he talking about? "Soldier? What--what do you mean, free myself?"
"I'm afraid you won't understand yet. I give you one last choice." He reached into a pocket and removed two small pills, which he placed in his palms.
"If you take the red pill, we will leave you as you are. You will be free to live your life without the burden of remembering what has passed this day. You're life will return to normal, and that hollow feeling will drive you until the end of your days. Take the blue pill, and find the answer to your question, however unpleasant it may be. The journey will be difficult, but you will not be alone. It is your decision. There is no turning back."
I met his eyes. I've found that few people can meet mine for long. Something about the strange pale green color of my irises making people uncomfortable. Raine's gaze, however, didn't waver. "That's no decision."
"Everything is a decision."
"You already know my answer." It was a statement, not a question.
"Yes." I could no longer meet his piercing eyes.
I swallowed the red pill.