The next thing I remember is waking up aboard the ship. I have no
recollection of the pod fields, of the Odyssey picking me up from the waste
dump, or my first days in the real world. I know only what I was told. I
remember seeing the plugs in my arm and chest for the first time, then the
sense of alarm when I felt my bald head, then the large outlet at the base
of my skull. I only vaguely recollect learning to speak again, to force my
aching muscles to hold a spoon, to stand. And I remember his face. But I
remember little else of my early days.
My first meeting with the entire crew is perhaps the first completely clear memory. I was on the main deck, staring at the back of a man wearing a ratty, poorly patched shirt and rough gray pants. He didn't have a plug in the back of his head.
He heard me behind him and turned. I had to revise my initial assessment. He was not a man, but a boy, maybe in his late teens. His face lit up in a huge grin when he saw me. "Hey, you speak English, right? I mean, they told me you were French in the Matrix, but I mean, I'm assuming you speak English, because they sent Clique in to get you and all and she doesn't speak anything else. Won't let us upload a language program for her. She was an American while she was plugged in. That must explain it. We all speak English in Zion, pretty much, I mean, there are a few of the gutter rats and such that speak something else, but for the most part--" He took a breath and grinned sheepishly. "So you do speak English, right?"
"Yeah." I couldn't help but smile. He seemed like a nice kid.
"Good. My name is Com. I bet you're wondering why you have those," he pointed at one of the jacks that were visible in my arm, "and I don't." He pulled up his own sleeve to show smooth skin.
"Bear and I are the only ones onboard the Odyssey that don't have the plugs. We weren't born in the Matrix like the rest of you guys. Which means we can't go in, so we're the operators for you when you go back in. My name doesn't mean comrad or commando or command or communications or anything fun like that. Its just what my mom named me. No cool back story or anything, just plain Com."
"What? I don't-"
"Oh, man. I'm sorry! I shouldn't be saying this. Raine hasn't talked to you yet. Well, he has, you just were sort of out of it when he did. I mean, you've been out for almost a month now--" He cut off at my alarmed expression. "Shit, I'm really sorry. I need to get Raine."
Com disappeared through a metal submarine-type door. It gave me the opportunity to look around the chamber. It looked like the inside of a submarine. Only bigger. Wiring and welding everywhere. In the center of the room stood six metal chairs and a large terminal with several monitors. I took a few steps toward the nearest chair. It looked like something from a bad dental torture movie.
I ran my fingers over the headrest. There was a spike of some type hanging from its wire on the back of the chair. I gingerly lifted it. It was some seriously heavy hardware. The port would have to be equipped to take a huge surge of power, if the size of the prong was any indication of conduction.
Instinct crashed through me. I touched the node on the back of my head.
"It's how we get back in."
I spun, and faced the voice. It was Raine. He was leaning against the frame of the portal Com had left through.
He looked different! Not as dangerous, perhaps. He wore the same rags that Com and I wore. More human, I had thought at the time. His eyes were the same blue, his hair a bit shorter than I remembered, but the beauty of his face was the same.
Raine pushed off from the doorframe and entered the room. Iron, Clique, Com, two women and a men entered the room behind him. Everyone but Iron had a welcoming look on their face.
Raine introduced everyone. "You've already met Com I see. And this our other Zion-born, Bear." He indicated the first woman. "She is our main mechanic, and our sometimes-operator."
She was probably about twenty-five or so. Her mousy brown hair was tied in a ponytail, and her skinny frame didn't wear her clothes well. She grinned, displaying a huge gap between her front teeth I liked her immediately.
Raine moved on to the man. He was of medium height, in his middle to late twenties, with brown hair and brown eyes. He looked to be of Asian decent, and his face was not unpleasant. "Aero, this is Heiro." Heiro smiled and we shook hands.
Heiro stood back, and Raine introduced the other woman. She was tall, with medium-length white-blonde hair, and big blue eyes. She was beautiful. She looked me up and down in a way that set my teeth on edge. Raine's expression didn't change, but I could tell he felt the waves of cold coming off the other woman. "This is Glaze." I extended my hand and waited for a moment. She didn't immediately take it, but when she saw that I wouldn't feel foolish for holding my hand out, she took it reluctantly.
"Welcome."
I certainly didn't feel it from her. Not then.
Isn't it strange how life can work out? Glaze turned out to be one of my best friends.
Everyone but Raine, Heiro and Com left the room.
"So you want to know what the Matrix really is? I'll show you." Raine smiled and motioned for me to sit in one of the metal chairs as he did the same. Com moved to the terminal, and Heiro strapped my feet and forehead with some type of restraint. I looked up at him, alarmed.
Heiro patted my shoulder and said in his an Australian accent, "No worries, love. This'll give ya a bit of a jolt."
I felt a sudden pain in the back of my head, then the world turned white. Raine was standing in front of me.
He proceeded to answer the question.
My first meeting with the entire crew is perhaps the first completely clear memory. I was on the main deck, staring at the back of a man wearing a ratty, poorly patched shirt and rough gray pants. He didn't have a plug in the back of his head.
He heard me behind him and turned. I had to revise my initial assessment. He was not a man, but a boy, maybe in his late teens. His face lit up in a huge grin when he saw me. "Hey, you speak English, right? I mean, they told me you were French in the Matrix, but I mean, I'm assuming you speak English, because they sent Clique in to get you and all and she doesn't speak anything else. Won't let us upload a language program for her. She was an American while she was plugged in. That must explain it. We all speak English in Zion, pretty much, I mean, there are a few of the gutter rats and such that speak something else, but for the most part--" He took a breath and grinned sheepishly. "So you do speak English, right?"
"Yeah." I couldn't help but smile. He seemed like a nice kid.
"Good. My name is Com. I bet you're wondering why you have those," he pointed at one of the jacks that were visible in my arm, "and I don't." He pulled up his own sleeve to show smooth skin.
"Bear and I are the only ones onboard the Odyssey that don't have the plugs. We weren't born in the Matrix like the rest of you guys. Which means we can't go in, so we're the operators for you when you go back in. My name doesn't mean comrad or commando or command or communications or anything fun like that. Its just what my mom named me. No cool back story or anything, just plain Com."
"What? I don't-"
"Oh, man. I'm sorry! I shouldn't be saying this. Raine hasn't talked to you yet. Well, he has, you just were sort of out of it when he did. I mean, you've been out for almost a month now--" He cut off at my alarmed expression. "Shit, I'm really sorry. I need to get Raine."
Com disappeared through a metal submarine-type door. It gave me the opportunity to look around the chamber. It looked like the inside of a submarine. Only bigger. Wiring and welding everywhere. In the center of the room stood six metal chairs and a large terminal with several monitors. I took a few steps toward the nearest chair. It looked like something from a bad dental torture movie.
I ran my fingers over the headrest. There was a spike of some type hanging from its wire on the back of the chair. I gingerly lifted it. It was some seriously heavy hardware. The port would have to be equipped to take a huge surge of power, if the size of the prong was any indication of conduction.
Instinct crashed through me. I touched the node on the back of my head.
"It's how we get back in."
I spun, and faced the voice. It was Raine. He was leaning against the frame of the portal Com had left through.
He looked different! Not as dangerous, perhaps. He wore the same rags that Com and I wore. More human, I had thought at the time. His eyes were the same blue, his hair a bit shorter than I remembered, but the beauty of his face was the same.
Raine pushed off from the doorframe and entered the room. Iron, Clique, Com, two women and a men entered the room behind him. Everyone but Iron had a welcoming look on their face.
Raine introduced everyone. "You've already met Com I see. And this our other Zion-born, Bear." He indicated the first woman. "She is our main mechanic, and our sometimes-operator."
She was probably about twenty-five or so. Her mousy brown hair was tied in a ponytail, and her skinny frame didn't wear her clothes well. She grinned, displaying a huge gap between her front teeth I liked her immediately.
Raine moved on to the man. He was of medium height, in his middle to late twenties, with brown hair and brown eyes. He looked to be of Asian decent, and his face was not unpleasant. "Aero, this is Heiro." Heiro smiled and we shook hands.
Heiro stood back, and Raine introduced the other woman. She was tall, with medium-length white-blonde hair, and big blue eyes. She was beautiful. She looked me up and down in a way that set my teeth on edge. Raine's expression didn't change, but I could tell he felt the waves of cold coming off the other woman. "This is Glaze." I extended my hand and waited for a moment. She didn't immediately take it, but when she saw that I wouldn't feel foolish for holding my hand out, she took it reluctantly.
"Welcome."
I certainly didn't feel it from her. Not then.
Isn't it strange how life can work out? Glaze turned out to be one of my best friends.
Everyone but Raine, Heiro and Com left the room.
"So you want to know what the Matrix really is? I'll show you." Raine smiled and motioned for me to sit in one of the metal chairs as he did the same. Com moved to the terminal, and Heiro strapped my feet and forehead with some type of restraint. I looked up at him, alarmed.
Heiro patted my shoulder and said in his an Australian accent, "No worries, love. This'll give ya a bit of a jolt."
I felt a sudden pain in the back of my head, then the world turned white. Raine was standing in front of me.
He proceeded to answer the question.