Looks can be deceiving, and that was what Zoe learnt in the next few data uploads. The man who was giving her tea in the morning was really a former employee of the Merovingian, who was still on the deletion list at the Source. Not that the Frenchman was any safer from the steady reworking of the system than any other program bar the Oracle, and with a very sore and tired deletion program in possession of his codic signature he was undoubtedly in more peril. No one spoke to her about the events that lead to her confinement in the apartment, no one said a word about Diablo or the Merovingian or John or even the Agent she had blindly attacked. She was getting sick of the same four walls, her singing out of key and ineffective at changing the code. Frustrated beyond belief, she opened the door slowly, hoping that the Oracle wouldn't worry if she disappeared for a few hours. Thankfully, the danger meeting the One entailed forced the older program to leave the safety of her apartment. The door creaked, which is really to be expected considering the nature of the escape, and she looked around the corner carefully. Caitlyn was busy preparing to take her place at the nightclub she had been singing at before the Hunter found her, Seraph was with the Oracle and the children were somewhere else, probably indulging in confusing those coppertops still plugged into the system. A smile curved her lips, turning wolfish as she remembered the structure of the best cure for a sore throat. Holding out her hand, she concentrated, eyes narrowing as a cup slowly took form from the air code surrounding her. The contents whirled slowly, one element dissolving into another until the ratio was just right. Wickedly grinning, Zoe hurried to bathroom where she promptly gargled the contents of the blue cup. Her nose wrinkled, it tasted disgusting but then, salt water does that. It also kills the viruses that live in your throat. So instead of sucking on a lozenge, which contains menthol that numbs pain so you can tear your throat to bits, gargle salt water. Zoe spat the liquid out, glad that she wasn't really needed to do it on a regular basis. The doors opened, simply because she was determined to open the locks by moving, not changing code. Something felt wrong as the door swung towards her, a white corridor stretching vastly either way. Taking a deep, she cast an apprehensive glance to her left, then right, then left.
'I should be crossing the street now,' she thought wryly, laughter bubbling in her throat. She stepped confidently to the left, trying to pick a door to open, there were so many. Sometimes choice is a real pain. Suddenly, someone appeared from the door in front of her.
"Damn," the suited man said, slightly put out, "not who I was hoping for." A shudder ran through her image. Sometimes she couldn't help her human reactions, hiding for so long in this false world made it more difficult.
"Who are you looking for Smith?" Her voice was calm and true, some of it's clear tone returning.
"Neo, the One, the anomaly, the Bane of my existence…" A smirk touched his lips and for a moment Zoe experienced synthesized fear coursing through her code.
"I haven't seen him, but I'm sure you'll find him." It didn't seem enough for the rogue Agent.
"I think you might be able to help me, Miss…"
"I don't have a last name, I'm a program you fool." Her laughter echoed in her voice.
"I see," a cruel smile curved his lips, "this day gets better and better." As fast as an electrical current, he tried to thrust his hand into her chest.
"Sorry, but I have to run, good luck finding the anomaly." Concentrating on two things at once was a little difficult but she managed to dodge the hand and partially transform herself at the same time, the sound of hooves echoing as she raced down the corridor. His laughter followed, making the silence eerie. Something drew her to a door on the right, she couldn't explain what it was but she reared up on her hind legs, being a centauress has definite advantages, and crashed the green obstacle open. A cold wind roared over her ears and the scream was almost too much for her to hear. In all her time singing and listening to the myths the other exiles talked of, she had never expected what greeted her eyes. It was the Desert of the Real, stretching forever and ever. Spires dragging the sky harshly were pillars of fear, each on having a program's image defragging on it, pinned down by cords of code. And there, on the far side of her vision, was something she had thought never to see. The reasons for the aversion of the Hunter as a topic became clear as her optics took in her focus. Feet transforming into talons, arms into great wings, she launched from the ground, fighting against the fierce false wind. Someone had to do something to end the suffering
*~*
A/N: This chapter has been a long time coming I know, but I've been trying to work on about four Matrix stories at once, which is more difficult than I expected :p But still, here is the next installment and I hope you liked it. Please let me know if it's confusing, I think it might be..
Beguile: I really wish that you would be nicer to programs, they do make life easier for you you know. But it is your choice who you keep in your room so I'll just wait until they've destroyed everything :P And do you seriously think that Smith will ever learn people skills? I mean, just look what her tried to do to Zoe? I'm not sure this is the kind of person you really want in your bedroom. EW EW EW EW EW EW EW!! No Merovingian and cheesecake Smith!!! No No No No No No No!!!!! Smith and Seraph have fought some time before, I think. I'll have to look into that…
Leeloo-dalas-multipass84: You do realise that your name is really annoying to write out, right? Glad you liked my little Persephone bit, let me know what you think of this bit :)
Gypsy Dancer: You cannot steal that which is freely given. You are the Drama Queen this year, I have no claim on the title as I am not there anymore. But I can look back on my years with pleasure and say that I am the Drama Queen of Glenormiston. Oh, we so have to get together when you get back from world tour and gossip! Missing you heaps :( Hope to see you soon.
Audrey A: Glad you like and the first two chapters I had lots of fun writing, I got a bit side tracked later though. *Sheepish grin* Let me know what you think of this chapter.