Chapter 11
Sydney pressed the doorbell and waited. After what had felt like eternity, the door opened. She saw her mother standing at the door.
"May I help you?" her mother asked softly. Sydney clenched her jaw tightly.
"I'm sorry, I'm at the wrong address," she said, without putting much emotion in her voice. To her surprise, her mother opened the door wider.
"I'm sorry...but do I know you?" she asked Sydney. Well, that answered Sydney's question. She stared at her mother through her sunglasses.
"No, I'm afraid you have me confused with someone else. Sorry to have bothered you." Sydney turned to leave and heard her mother close the door. She closed her eyes and took a moment to collect herself.
She took her phone out again. As she put her phone to her ear, something shot it out of her hands. She whirled around and saw Agent Smith coming towards her. 'Shit...' Sydney thought as she tried to think of what to do. She turned and started to run her ass off. As she ran, the memory of the university track came to her. She couldn't see Smith, but she knew he was behind her.
Back at the Nebuchadnezzar, Link and the rest were crowded around the monitors.
"She's running," Morpheus said. Suddenly, a sudden surge of information flashed across the screen.
"What was that?" Trinity asked.
"She's running way too fast. It's too much information to be put into the Matrix at once."
Sydney struggled to breathe. She ran and took a lot of turns. She ran past a woman wearing expensive jewellery and holding several large shopping bags. She was talking into her cell phone.
"I know! But, I want more close ups and – hey!" she yelled as Sydney grabbed her cell phone. Sydney ignored her and kept on running.
"Operator," Link said.
"Where is he?"
"Close behind, but not too close."
"Do you have an exit?"
"Yeah, the payphone beside the office building two blocks away." Two?? Sydney wasn't sure if she could make it. She hung up. She had to lose him. She climbed up the rain collector on the side of the house and to the roof. She ran and jumped from house to house. She could see Smith following below.
She saw him deftly climb up to the roof. Sydney kept running. She jumped and landed on another house. She felt a bullet graze her ear.
"Why keep running?" Smith yelled at her. Sydney turned. He was on the house beside the one she was on. "It is useless to keep running." Sydney stood her ground, but got ready to run if she had to. Smith jumped and landed in front of her. He kicked her and she fell backwards. She managed to get up and face him.
She fell to her knees and swung her leg around. He jumped and landed without losing balance at all. Sydney swung her leg upwards in a swift roundhouse kick. Her foot hit his cheek and a mark appeared on it. He glared at her. He tried to punch her and Sydney grabbed his arm. She jumped up and spun around sideways. She kept her arm locked into his and pulled her leg back. Then, she kicked him squarely in the chest. He flew backwards and landed on the roof of the next house. She turned and jumped off the roof. She landed squarely on the ground and took off.
She jumped on the top of a car that was parked on the street. Then, she jumped on the top of a car that passed her by. Thankfully, it was heading towards the exit. Suddenly, she heard a crunching noise. She turned and saw Agent Smith.
"Why, why, why?" he asked her. "Why keep running?" He jumped on top of her and she fell back. The wind blew into her face and she strained to stay on top of the car. She rolled over and Smith fell on his back. She started punching him over and over. Suddenly, she was slammed onto her back again. He grabbed her coat collar and slammed her head into the car again and again. Sydney gathered the strength she had left and flipped over. Smith fell off the car and disappeared underneath a truck that ran over him. Sydney watched as he disappeared and fell back onto the car in relief.
Once the car passed by the block where the payphone was, Sydney jumped off and landed on the concrete sidewalk. She limped over to the payphone, which was ringing. She answered it and was brought back into the ship. She was sweating.
"Are you alright?" Morpheus asked her.
"That was...amazing," Neo said. He looked at her. Sydney looked back at him.
"How did you do that?"
"Do what?"
"Run like that. It was...well, faster than anyone I've ever seen," Neo said.
"Faster than even you?" Sydney couldn't help asking. Neo looked at her for a moment. Then, he nodded. Sydney couldn't help, but feel pleased at herself. She got up and limped off to her room. Trinity clenched her jaws tightly. Her bruise was hurting more than ever.
She lay in bed and thought about what had happened. It had been a harrowing experience for her, although she couldn't imagine the numerous times Neo had probably eluded Agent Smith and even death. She wiped the sweat off with her hand and fell back into the pillow. She was so grateful to be able to rest. She thought about her mother. For some reason, she didn't cry. It wasn't real. She closed her eyes and smiled. Maybe she would get over it and accept it in time.
Sydney pressed the doorbell and waited. After what had felt like eternity, the door opened. She saw her mother standing at the door.
"May I help you?" her mother asked softly. Sydney clenched her jaw tightly.
"I'm sorry, I'm at the wrong address," she said, without putting much emotion in her voice. To her surprise, her mother opened the door wider.
"I'm sorry...but do I know you?" she asked Sydney. Well, that answered Sydney's question. She stared at her mother through her sunglasses.
"No, I'm afraid you have me confused with someone else. Sorry to have bothered you." Sydney turned to leave and heard her mother close the door. She closed her eyes and took a moment to collect herself.
She took her phone out again. As she put her phone to her ear, something shot it out of her hands. She whirled around and saw Agent Smith coming towards her. 'Shit...' Sydney thought as she tried to think of what to do. She turned and started to run her ass off. As she ran, the memory of the university track came to her. She couldn't see Smith, but she knew he was behind her.
Back at the Nebuchadnezzar, Link and the rest were crowded around the monitors.
"She's running," Morpheus said. Suddenly, a sudden surge of information flashed across the screen.
"What was that?" Trinity asked.
"She's running way too fast. It's too much information to be put into the Matrix at once."
Sydney struggled to breathe. She ran and took a lot of turns. She ran past a woman wearing expensive jewellery and holding several large shopping bags. She was talking into her cell phone.
"I know! But, I want more close ups and – hey!" she yelled as Sydney grabbed her cell phone. Sydney ignored her and kept on running.
"Operator," Link said.
"Where is he?"
"Close behind, but not too close."
"Do you have an exit?"
"Yeah, the payphone beside the office building two blocks away." Two?? Sydney wasn't sure if she could make it. She hung up. She had to lose him. She climbed up the rain collector on the side of the house and to the roof. She ran and jumped from house to house. She could see Smith following below.
She saw him deftly climb up to the roof. Sydney kept running. She jumped and landed on another house. She felt a bullet graze her ear.
"Why keep running?" Smith yelled at her. Sydney turned. He was on the house beside the one she was on. "It is useless to keep running." Sydney stood her ground, but got ready to run if she had to. Smith jumped and landed in front of her. He kicked her and she fell backwards. She managed to get up and face him.
She fell to her knees and swung her leg around. He jumped and landed without losing balance at all. Sydney swung her leg upwards in a swift roundhouse kick. Her foot hit his cheek and a mark appeared on it. He glared at her. He tried to punch her and Sydney grabbed his arm. She jumped up and spun around sideways. She kept her arm locked into his and pulled her leg back. Then, she kicked him squarely in the chest. He flew backwards and landed on the roof of the next house. She turned and jumped off the roof. She landed squarely on the ground and took off.
She jumped on the top of a car that was parked on the street. Then, she jumped on the top of a car that passed her by. Thankfully, it was heading towards the exit. Suddenly, she heard a crunching noise. She turned and saw Agent Smith.
"Why, why, why?" he asked her. "Why keep running?" He jumped on top of her and she fell back. The wind blew into her face and she strained to stay on top of the car. She rolled over and Smith fell on his back. She started punching him over and over. Suddenly, she was slammed onto her back again. He grabbed her coat collar and slammed her head into the car again and again. Sydney gathered the strength she had left and flipped over. Smith fell off the car and disappeared underneath a truck that ran over him. Sydney watched as he disappeared and fell back onto the car in relief.
Once the car passed by the block where the payphone was, Sydney jumped off and landed on the concrete sidewalk. She limped over to the payphone, which was ringing. She answered it and was brought back into the ship. She was sweating.
"Are you alright?" Morpheus asked her.
"That was...amazing," Neo said. He looked at her. Sydney looked back at him.
"How did you do that?"
"Do what?"
"Run like that. It was...well, faster than anyone I've ever seen," Neo said.
"Faster than even you?" Sydney couldn't help asking. Neo looked at her for a moment. Then, he nodded. Sydney couldn't help, but feel pleased at herself. She got up and limped off to her room. Trinity clenched her jaws tightly. Her bruise was hurting more than ever.
She lay in bed and thought about what had happened. It had been a harrowing experience for her, although she couldn't imagine the numerous times Neo had probably eluded Agent Smith and even death. She wiped the sweat off with her hand and fell back into the pillow. She was so grateful to be able to rest. She thought about her mother. For some reason, she didn't cry. It wasn't real. She closed her eyes and smiled. Maybe she would get over it and accept it in time.