Chapter 8
"What do you mean?" Sydney asked her. She studied the cookie and took a bite out of it. It was soft and chewy. Sydney thought, 'Why am I eating this? It's not real. Whatever.' The Oracle sighed.
"When I prophesized Neo's coming, I also prophesized the coming of another. But, I didn't reveal this to Morpheus because the other could only be revealed when he or she came."
"Wait...another one? Isn't there only 'The One'?"
"Yes, there is only 'The One'. But the other is nothing like the One. He or she is more like a guide for the One. He or she is the only one who helps the One tap into the source to unleash his full powers," the Oracle explained. Sydney chewed the last bit of cookie. "The other is known as the Second One –," the Oracle stared again. But, Sydney interrupted with, "Gee, how creative." The Oracle laughed.
"Are you telling me that I'm the Second One?" The Oracle raised her eyebrows and shrugged.
"It's all a matter of what you think." Sydney stared at her boots. "Why isn't the Second One Trinity? After all, she's the one who Neo loves."
"Well, the Second One was to come after the One. And the Second One would only seek Neo. Usually, before a mind is freed, it becomes aware of the Matrix and Neo and Morpheus and Trinity. They are the ones who help free minds. However, you came after the One was freed and that's why you saw only Neo in those dreams you had." Sydney shook her head.
"No, it has to be all wrong. I can't be the Second One. I can't do anything Neo can do. I'm not as fast or as strong as he is."
"Well, that's why I said the Second One is nothing like the One." She stood up and walked out of the kitchen. Sydney walked out and put her hand on the door knob.
"What about Morpheus? What do I tell him?" she asked. The Oracle looked at her and shrugged.
"Whatever you want, kid," she said.
"But, you already know if I will or not." Sydney left the apartment and put her sunglasses on. Neo and Morpheus stood up. 'Should I tell them?' she asked herself. They started to walk back to the car. Morpheus's phone rang.
"Hurry, there are agents coming!" Link said urgently.
"Shit, we have to get moving," Morpheus said to them. They ran out of the building and dived into the car. Trinity hit the accelerator. They raced down the street. There was an SUV following them close behind. Sydney looked in the rear-view mirror and saw that the drivers were agents. She started to get scared.
"Watch out!" Morpheus said. Trinity made a sharp 90-degree turn and slammed into a car that was parked on the side of the street. Sydney heard a horrible crunching noise of plastic being crushed against plastic. They were near a playground. The SUV stopped near them and agents got out. The four of them stood their ground.
"Mr. Anderson," one of them said, smiling evilly. "I see you have recruited a new member into your little group. I remember you. The runner," he said to Sydney. She remained silent. She recognized him as one of the agents who had chased her in the park.
One of them threw a punch at Trinity, which she easily blocked. Soon, a full brawl had begun. The agent grabbed Sydney's neck and tried to choke her. She shot her leg extremely fast and high. Her heel hit the agent in the forehead. He staggered backwards and Sydney drew out her gun. But, when she fired the gun, the agent moved too fast. He became a blur as he dodged her bullets. 'I'm in deep shit,' she thought.
Then, he drew out his own gun. Sydney could hear and see the bullet leaving the gun. Her brain barely registered it. She bent her knees and threw herself backwards. She flew up in a somersault. The bullets flew by her. But, one hit her leg. She fell in surprise and pain. She grasped her thigh. It was bleeding profusely.
The agent pointed his gun at her head. "You are still human," he said in disgust. Sydney's hand slowly travelled to her hip, where she had holstered her gun. Then, in one smooth movement, she took it out and shot the agent. She shot him again and again for good measure. She was surprised he didn't see that coming. 'Who's the fast one now?' she thought. The agent's body crackled and turned into another man. Sydney limped over to the other three. The agents were gone and they had turned back into the bodies of the hosts they had taken over.
"Oh, God, your leg," Neo said. Sydney winced.
"It's okay," she said. "We have to get to an exit." They hot-wired a car and drove to a payphone near an office building. The phone rang and Sydney picked it up.
She woke up and grabbed her leg as the pain started to come back. She lifted up her pant leg and revealed a huge bluish-black bruise already forming. Link went to the medic bay and got a white package for her. It was a coolant that was supposed to alleviate the pain. He tied it with a white strap around her leg.
"Are you going to be alright?" Morpheus asked her. Sydney nodded. She limped off to her room. It was difficult for her to sleep because her leg made her feel uncomfortable. She only felt comfortable while sitting up. She pulled her legs together and winced when she accidentally pressed the coolant pack. The door opened and Neo came in.
"Are you alright?" he asked her. She was touched by his concern. Sydney nodded.
"So...do you want to talk?" he asked as he sat down next to her.
"Sure," she said. "Who was that agent? The one who called you Mr. Anderson."
"His name is Smith. He's...well, the leader, I guess. He's been after me since I was unplugged. So how was it with the Oracle?" Sydney was silent for a beat. 'This is it. Do I tell him?' she asked herself.
"What do you mean?" Sydney asked her. She studied the cookie and took a bite out of it. It was soft and chewy. Sydney thought, 'Why am I eating this? It's not real. Whatever.' The Oracle sighed.
"When I prophesized Neo's coming, I also prophesized the coming of another. But, I didn't reveal this to Morpheus because the other could only be revealed when he or she came."
"Wait...another one? Isn't there only 'The One'?"
"Yes, there is only 'The One'. But the other is nothing like the One. He or she is more like a guide for the One. He or she is the only one who helps the One tap into the source to unleash his full powers," the Oracle explained. Sydney chewed the last bit of cookie. "The other is known as the Second One –," the Oracle stared again. But, Sydney interrupted with, "Gee, how creative." The Oracle laughed.
"Are you telling me that I'm the Second One?" The Oracle raised her eyebrows and shrugged.
"It's all a matter of what you think." Sydney stared at her boots. "Why isn't the Second One Trinity? After all, she's the one who Neo loves."
"Well, the Second One was to come after the One. And the Second One would only seek Neo. Usually, before a mind is freed, it becomes aware of the Matrix and Neo and Morpheus and Trinity. They are the ones who help free minds. However, you came after the One was freed and that's why you saw only Neo in those dreams you had." Sydney shook her head.
"No, it has to be all wrong. I can't be the Second One. I can't do anything Neo can do. I'm not as fast or as strong as he is."
"Well, that's why I said the Second One is nothing like the One." She stood up and walked out of the kitchen. Sydney walked out and put her hand on the door knob.
"What about Morpheus? What do I tell him?" she asked. The Oracle looked at her and shrugged.
"Whatever you want, kid," she said.
"But, you already know if I will or not." Sydney left the apartment and put her sunglasses on. Neo and Morpheus stood up. 'Should I tell them?' she asked herself. They started to walk back to the car. Morpheus's phone rang.
"Hurry, there are agents coming!" Link said urgently.
"Shit, we have to get moving," Morpheus said to them. They ran out of the building and dived into the car. Trinity hit the accelerator. They raced down the street. There was an SUV following them close behind. Sydney looked in the rear-view mirror and saw that the drivers were agents. She started to get scared.
"Watch out!" Morpheus said. Trinity made a sharp 90-degree turn and slammed into a car that was parked on the side of the street. Sydney heard a horrible crunching noise of plastic being crushed against plastic. They were near a playground. The SUV stopped near them and agents got out. The four of them stood their ground.
"Mr. Anderson," one of them said, smiling evilly. "I see you have recruited a new member into your little group. I remember you. The runner," he said to Sydney. She remained silent. She recognized him as one of the agents who had chased her in the park.
One of them threw a punch at Trinity, which she easily blocked. Soon, a full brawl had begun. The agent grabbed Sydney's neck and tried to choke her. She shot her leg extremely fast and high. Her heel hit the agent in the forehead. He staggered backwards and Sydney drew out her gun. But, when she fired the gun, the agent moved too fast. He became a blur as he dodged her bullets. 'I'm in deep shit,' she thought.
Then, he drew out his own gun. Sydney could hear and see the bullet leaving the gun. Her brain barely registered it. She bent her knees and threw herself backwards. She flew up in a somersault. The bullets flew by her. But, one hit her leg. She fell in surprise and pain. She grasped her thigh. It was bleeding profusely.
The agent pointed his gun at her head. "You are still human," he said in disgust. Sydney's hand slowly travelled to her hip, where she had holstered her gun. Then, in one smooth movement, she took it out and shot the agent. She shot him again and again for good measure. She was surprised he didn't see that coming. 'Who's the fast one now?' she thought. The agent's body crackled and turned into another man. Sydney limped over to the other three. The agents were gone and they had turned back into the bodies of the hosts they had taken over.
"Oh, God, your leg," Neo said. Sydney winced.
"It's okay," she said. "We have to get to an exit." They hot-wired a car and drove to a payphone near an office building. The phone rang and Sydney picked it up.
She woke up and grabbed her leg as the pain started to come back. She lifted up her pant leg and revealed a huge bluish-black bruise already forming. Link went to the medic bay and got a white package for her. It was a coolant that was supposed to alleviate the pain. He tied it with a white strap around her leg.
"Are you going to be alright?" Morpheus asked her. Sydney nodded. She limped off to her room. It was difficult for her to sleep because her leg made her feel uncomfortable. She only felt comfortable while sitting up. She pulled her legs together and winced when she accidentally pressed the coolant pack. The door opened and Neo came in.
"Are you alright?" he asked her. She was touched by his concern. Sydney nodded.
"So...do you want to talk?" he asked as he sat down next to her.
"Sure," she said. "Who was that agent? The one who called you Mr. Anderson."
"His name is Smith. He's...well, the leader, I guess. He's been after me since I was unplugged. So how was it with the Oracle?" Sydney was silent for a beat. 'This is it. Do I tell him?' she asked herself.