Two days to my birthday…it's on the 23rd. Not that it matters to anyone. Sheesh, I have to find some way to stop this aging thing or I'll end up dead eventually… I'm getting old…
A sleek, black car pulled up next to the sidewalk, and a hand pushed the door open. He turned to see Anna, still dressed in black, waiting for him. "Get in," she said quietly. He finally hung up the phone and turned toward her. She tossed him the sodden sweatshirt he had left under the bridge. "You should take care of your things. Now come on."
Quietly, he got in, noticing the seats were leather, and hoping they didn't mind how wet he was getting them. It was to be expected, of course, considering how heavily the rain was coming down, but he felt awkward all the same.
He couldn't see the faces of the two people in the front of the car, though the driver was male and had curiously pointed black hair, and the other was female, with smooth blue hair. The girl turned around to face him suddenly, as if she could tell he had been thinking of her.
Yoh grinned a nonchalant greeting smile, and then discovered he was staring down the barrel of a gun. "What…??"
"It's for our protection…and yours," said Anna calmly.
"From what??" asked Yoh incredulously.
"From you."
"Take off your shirt…ah, never mind," said the blue-haired girl, her gun never wavering, though her eyes had suddenly noticed that Yoh's shirt was not buttoned anyway.
"Lovely greeting, Pilica," said the driver, his voice tinged with sarcasm.
"Shut up, Ren," she replied.
"What is this?" demanded Yoh, quite unnerved by Pilica's command. It really sounded very wrong.
"Stop the car," she said tersely to Ren. Yoh nearly smashed his forehead on the barrel of her gun as they skidded to a halt. "Listen, you," she snapped, "we don't have time for twenty questions. Right now there's only one rule: our way or the highway."
He was really getting to hate that pistol trained between his eyes. "All right then." Opening the door, he put one foot out. He should have known better than to come to a rendezvous at this time of night.
"Wait, Yoh," said Anna softly. "Please, you have to trust me."
"Why?" he asked. Like he enjoyed being in a car with some maniac girl threatening him with death.
"Because you've been down that road," she said, gesturing behind him with her hand. "You know where it ends."
Yeah, my place. That's where it ends. Home. Without anyone…
"And that's not where you want to be."
He sat, the rain still coming down, unbothered by petty mortal affairs. Then he pulled his leg back in and shut the door with a sigh.
"Good," she said, pulling out a large mechanical contraption from the floor of the car. "Now just lie back."
There was a hollow, clear plastic tube about three centimeters in diameter protruding from the gadget she held in her hands, and she put its open end against his stomach, peering into a small screen attached higher up.
"What is that thing?" he asked tentatively, hoping Pilica would not begin ranting about twenty questions again.
"We think you're bugged," Anna said, still absorbed with whatever was on the screen. "Come on…"
Pilica was now paying more attention to the screen; the gun in her hand drifted absently and was now pointed approximately at Yoh's elbow.
"Come on…" said Anna softly again.
"It's on the move," said Pilica.
Yoh winced, sure he had felt something move inside him.
Anna swore quietly.
"You're gonna lose it!" said Pilica frantically.
"No I'm not," replied Anna, regaining control of herself. "Clear!"
Yoh bit back a cry as what looked like tiny bolts of lightning writhed in the plastic tube, concentrating around his navel. Something was moving beneath the skin. Then, with the awful feeling of a small hole being ripped in him, he gave a yell, but the other occupants of the car looked relieved.
Anna sat back, triumphantly holding a vial containing the worm-like mechanism he had seen not long ago.
"That thing's for real?!" spluttered Yoh, his hand on his stomach, though it was already healed as if nothing had happened.
Pilica nodded as Anna tossed the capsule out into the street. "And now, there's someone who wants to meet you."
*
They drove up in front of a dilapidated building, its dark windows like brooding, half-asleep eye focused blearily on them. Yoh, however, seemed the only one unnerved by the idea, so he followed them through the back door without protest.
No one spoke as they waited for the elevator and then walked in. It had the ominous feeling of going to a funeral; no one smiled.
Anna pressed the button for their floor.
Yoh cocked his head, looking at it. "That's weird."
"What is?" she inquired, her voice betraying little interest.
"Just, most buildings don't have a thirteenth floor. I mean, I'm not superstitious or anything, it's just…different."
The other three occupants of the elevator shared a wry, knowing smile.
"Yoh," said Anna, "a lot of things will be different very, very soon."
Ren and Pilica followed them down the hall and turned into room 1312. Yoh caught site of a curious mass of wires, buttons, and screens before the door closed. Anna took him to 1313. "You go here," she said quietly. "And let me tell you one thing: be honest. He knows more than you can imagine."
Yoh nodded nervously and stepped through the door she held open. She shut it as soon as he was through, leaving him alone with the man called Morpheus.
Yoh could see nothing but a silhouette against the faintly lit window, a man standing – no, sitting – on a chair and gazing out at the rain. He turned slowly a few drawn-out moments after Anna had left, studying his visitor carefully. Yoh noticed with a shock that Morpheus was standing. On the chair. And he was still shorter than Yoh.
"At last," said Morpheus softly, completely ignoring the shock on the newcomer's face if he noticed it at all. He leaped down from the chair so that his head was no longer even level with the window and walked forward, his eyes shining with excitement. "Welcome, Yoh-kun. As you no doubt have guessed, I am Morpheus."
Yoh took the hand offered to him and shook it. "You're…ehh…"
"There is no shame in unnaturally diminutive stature," said Morpheus with dignity, though he did not seem too offended. His pale brown hair was smooth and unruffled, and he had the appearance of one who was fully aware of everything going on around him.
"Well," said Yoh warmly, taking a liking to the person before him, "it's an honor."
Morpheus smiled back. "Please. Come. Sit."
He and Yoh walked to the two leather chairs facing each other, a small table between. A glass of water sat on the table with no indication toward its purpose. They sat down, watching each other in the dim light.
"I imagine," ventured Morpheus, "you feel like Alice right now, tumbling down the rabbit hole with no indication of relief."
"Maybe," said Yoh, sitting back in the chair. "I dunno. I figure everything'll be all right, but, sure, I don't get everything that's happening." We just met and he's making storybook references. His NAME is a story reference. Is this some kind of nerd?
"It's in your face," said Morpheus. "You look like you're sure you'll just wake up from this at any moment."
"It's happened before," said Yoh.
"Funny how close that is," said Morpheus. "But, Yoh-kun, can you tell me why you're here?"
Why is he asking me the questions? "Eh…you wanted to meet me. I mean, you're Morpheus. I know people…a person who would die to meet you." He closed his eyes momentarily, remembering.
"We both know there's more than that," said Morpheus. "Yoh-kun, do you believe in fate?"
"No," said Yoh shortly, running his fingers absently through his hair.
His answer seemed to intrigue the youth before him. "Why not?"
"Dunno," said Yoh, "I guess…I guess I don't like the idea that I can't control what happens in my life. You know? Like, maybe I'm destined to experience something awful and I can't do anything about it." I don't like the idea that maybe I'm not meant to ever see Hao again.
Morpheus smiled, but said nothing. "I'll tell you why you're here. You have the gift."
"What gift?" What is that program Hao gave me last Christmas? I knew I shouldn't have accepted anything from him after her turned hacker! I'm in for it now…
"What you do on a computer," said Morpheus. "It's incredible, unnatural. I've seen it. It's magic."
Back to the storybooks, huh? It he a Harry Potter fan too? "It's not magic."
"But it is, Yoh-kun, it is," insisted Morpheus. "How else do you explain what's been happening to you?"
"What?"
"We are trained to accept only what is rational or logical. Ever wonder why?"
Yoh's mouth opened noiselessly, his brow furrowed, but he said nothing.
"As children, we do not separate as much reality from fantasy. That is why young minds are so much easier to free. An older one like yours is much harder."
"Free from what?"
"From the matrix."
It was a moment for inexplicable thunder and lightning, had they been in a movie. Instead, only a very pregnant silence followed. It's here, thought Yoh, there are answers for me. I'll find them; I'll find Hao.
"Do you know what it is, Yoh-kun?" asked Morpheus, opening a large book on his lap. Yoh had not noticed it before.
He did not answer, though he felt that perhaps he did know. He wanted to see what Morpheus would say.
"You've felt it all your life," said Morpheus, flipping through the pages of his book. "Like it's always there, but you don't know exactly what. It drives you mad. But what is it?"
Yoh waited. Funny, he had felt pretty happy most of his life listening to music. It was Hao who was restless all the time, and only after he was gone had Yoh begun to feel that something was distinctly wrong. But he let Morpheus talk.
He closed the book with a snap, his eyes still on Yoh. "The matrix is everywhere. It is there whatever you do, wherever you are. It is the world that is meant to blind you from the truth."
The truth is out there, Yoh… It is looking for you… echoed Anna's voice within his memories. "What truth?"
"That you are a slave, Yoh-kun," said Morpheus softly. "Born into bondage…into an intangible, invisible prison. A prison for your mind."
"I…I don't really understand," said Yoh reluctantly, feeling awkward.
"Unfortunately," sighed Morpheus, "I cannot tell you what the matrix is. No one can. You have to see it for yourself."
"But you said it's invisible…"
"Sometimes you have to see things differently to really understand them." Morpheus reached into his jacket and pulled out a small metal box. It reminded Yoh unpleasantly of the box Agent Jeanne had had, and he fervently hoped it carried no mechanical creature. It contained two things, apparently; Morpheus slipped on into each hand and closed the container.
"This is your last chance," he said, his eyes not wavering. "After this, there is no going back." He opened his right hand, revealing a translucent cerulean capsule. "You take the blue pill, the story ends. You wake up in bed and go on believing whatever you want."
And forget all my leads on finding Hao?? I don't think so.
"Or…" Morpheus opened his left hand, revealing an identical capsule, but crimson instead "…you take the red pill, you stay in wonderland, and I show you just how far the rabbit hole goes."
Erk. Storybooks again. Could I possibly just take nothing and go home?
"I give you only the truth. Nothing more."
The truth. I'm trying to find Hao, who disappeared after living lie after lie in his illegal hacking worlds. If only I could be sure…
The silence was pressing down on him.
If only… If only…
Hand shaking, he reached out and took the red pill from Morpheus' small hand. Slipping it into his mouth, he took the glass of water from the table before him and swallowed.
Morpheus only smiled, then slid from his seat to the floor. "Come with me."
To be continuedSorry, 'twill get more interesting pretty soon.