Equilibrium

by Ryven

After the equation is balanced, there is equilibrium..... post-Revs AU. Chapter 7 and 8 reloaded. 9 soon.

5. Chapter 5

A/N) thank-you to Danascully, Centaur and Beat for the feedback and crit, you all rock! Apologies to Marley for nipping the song. I don't own the song lyrics in other words. apology to Gibson for stealing his accent ;) Chapter 5 contains a bit more SMUT so fair warning. the time gap between ch 4 and 5 is a couple weeks. Thanks to everyone here and one the Hardline who is reviewing ^_^ makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.

This chapter has some rated R material (towards the end).
Skip it if it isn't your cup of tea. the rest of the chap and most of the fic is pg-13

Edited and updated A/N (1-8-04)
'cause a lot of people have been asking: No, this is NOT a Trinity pregnancy fic. minds, be at ease, I'm not going down that path.

Chapter the Fifth

~*~*~

"Oracle! Welcome back!" The grandmotherly program laughed as the little exile ran into her hug.

"Hello Sati, dear. I see you've been busy while I was gone." The oracle brushed a bit of flour off the girl's cheek. "Have you been good for Seraph?"

"Yes! We've been baking cookies! Come see!" Sati took the Oracle's hand and pulled her into the kitchen. Now the Oracle could smell the aroma of slightly overcooked cookies. A harried looking Seraph hastily set down the tray of crispy looking cookies and took off the oven mitts. He bowed to the oracle.

"Welcome back. What did you find out?"

"We discussed the terms of the peace agreement. Those who have been showing signs of rejecting the matrix and who have been noticed by the human resistance are allowed to leave. Humans caught trying to remove anyone the Agents do not think is rejecting the Matrix are subject to expulsion from the Matrix and or possible death," She reported solemnly. "They are not allowed to force anyone to leave either." Seraph nodded. He and the Oracle had expected as much from the Architect.

"No humans have come back to the Matrix save that single crew a month after the re-boot. Are we to expect any humans at all?" The Oracle nodded.

"The Architect has told me that I am to explain to the next person who enters the Matrix what the situation is. He is sending an Agent to convince them and make sure they are told the terms of the deal. A ship is on its way to broadcast level according to the machines on the outside. I would like you to go and inform the humans."

Seraph nodded and withdrew from the room. The Oracle settled into a chair and waited for the front door to finally close softly. She sighed and beamed at the little girl.

"Well, let's let these cookies cool a bit and then we can try them!" Sati smiled brightly and nodded eagerly. She pulled out a chair and sat down, her expression growing serious.

"Oracle?"

"Yes, sweetie?" the older program asked as she lit a cigarette.

"I've been thinking. Seraph is so nice. I enjoy playing with him very much. But the Frenchman doesn't seem to like him at all. Why is that? They're so similar and Seraph is so nice, I don't understand." The Oracle blew out a stream of smoke with a little sigh. She tapped the ash off the end of her Cigarette. It fell into a little tray on the table, smoldered and died.

"Well, that is a long story, a long story indeed. You say they are similar though?" she questioned. The little girl nodded.

"I think their code might be very similar." She shrugged a little shy now. "I just get this feeling."

"Oh, don't be shy, dear. You are quite correct, they are coded very similarly. But you must be careful." She gestured with the cigarette, the smoke trail following her movements. "Those little differences make them worlds apart. Remember that, for me?"

"I will," Sati nodded.

"Good girl," the old woman smiled and took another drag of her cigarette. She exhaled and sat back in her chair. "They are very similar because they are from the same version of the Matrix, the very first in fact. They even had similar jobs. They're very old programs." The oracle arched her eyebrows as she watched Sati's unsurprised reaction. "But you knew that. You knew they were old, didn't you." The little girl nodded hesitantly.

"Mama and Papa said that asking someone's age when they are much older than I am is very rude. I didn't want to be rude." She shook her head earnestly, the long braid swayed back and forth.

"That was very considerate of you." The Oracle complimented, causing the girl to smile. "Well, as I said they were there at the beginning. The first Matrix was very different than the one here." She gestured to the kitchen with her other hand. "It was based on the human's concept of heaven, and like the agents are coded to blend in here, Seraph and the Merovingian were coded to blend in there. Back then we all looked like angels of different types and the Architect set himself up as God." The Oracle rolled her eyes and flicked ash into the tray again. "Seraph was much like an Agent for that version of the Matrix. He guarded other programs and fought off humans who tried to hack in once they found out what was going on."

"They didn't know?" Sati asked. Didn't people the resistance unplugged from the Matrix tell their new friends what they'd been dreaming? Didn't many come back to take more people?

"No. This was soon after the sky was destroyed and the machines in the real world learned to use humans as power. There were still free humans living on the planet then. Not nearly as many as there had once been in the world, but many more than live in Zion now. The world wasn't yet a frozen desert and Zion had not yet been built."

"So they didn't know that the humans in the towers were dreaming here." Sati said. The Oracle nodded. The program seemed to understand, young as she was. "And the Frenchman? Was he an Agent too?" Sati asked. The Frenchman wasn't as scary as that Agent Smith had been, but he was scarier than Seraph was.

"No," the Oracle shook her head. "Seraph guarded other programs and the Matrix itself from invasion, but the Merovingian guarded knowledge. The system was new and had holes in it, so programs were needed to guard knowledge of the real world from the humans living in the Matrix. He also guarded the database which contained the plans for the Matrix, communications between the real world and here and the Architect's plans for the future of the Matrix." The Oracle flicked the ash off once more, her cigarette almost gone now.
"But he also wanted power, so while he prevented all others from seeing this information, he himself read it." She made the point with another stab at the air with the smoldering end of her cigarette. "None of the humans and few of the programs truly knew what was going on, but he did. This is important because of what happened to the first version and why we don't live there today. That world was perfect, but it was not to last." The Oracle ground out the end of her cigarette as she said this. The smoke gently drifted towards the ceiling, simulating wafting slightly in reaction to the simulated breeze.

"Why not?" Sati asked curiously. Wouldn't a perfect world be the most fun to live in? Surely it would be sunny all the time and there would be plenty of playgrounds.

"It was perfect. There was no sickness, no war, no hate, and no sadness. Everything was bright and wonderful. Everyday was sunny and if it did rain, it was only for a little while, there was always a rainbow. But it was too perfect and it didn't look real to the humans, and so they began to die."

"Oh, no!" Sati frowned in sadness.

"Eventually the Architect and the machines in the real world decided that the Matrix should be rebooted from a clean start. A handful of the programs would cross over into the reboot, but the rest would be deleted or recompiled. The Merovingian discovered this and saw that he was to be deleted, so using the knowledge he had of the Matrix, he separated himself from the Source and became the first Exile." The Oracle paused in her tale to reflect on the past. "He was different then and I am not sure why he has changed, but I know that he has." She smiled sadly and then continued her narrative. "He tried to convince others to follow him, become exiles and survive the System purge. A few followed, fearing for themselves, but not many. Most didn't believe or didn't know that there was a problem, that everyday there were fewer and fewer humans to look after and tend."

"What happened then?"

"The system was purged. It started as a cascade and swept from one end of the Matrix to the other. To the humans it looked like a great ocean tidal wave crashing towards them. When it passed over they were in a new version of the Matrix with no knowledge of what had happened before. Many programs saw this wave and knew they wouldn't survive the Flood. The Merovingian and his followers tried to get as many out as possible but few were able to be saved. Seraph was the last through the crude back-door the Merovingian had programmed and was partially hit. He had to be recompiled and he awoke as you see him now."

"So why do they hate one another? Why did the Merovingian save him if he didn't like him?" Sati asked, a little confused.

"They didn't always hate one another. In fact when I first really met them, they were the best of friends it seemed. Seraph worked for him and was his highest lieutenant."

"They used to be friends and they hate each other now? That is so sad! I can't imagine not liking any of my friends anymore. Why do they hate one another?" The Oracle sighed.

"I'm afraid it may be because of me. A little while after I became an Exile, Seraph stopped working for the Merovingian to protect me, because he believes what I do."

"That we should be friends with the humans, like I am with Morgan and 'Stina and all of them!" Sati grinned. The Oracle smiled quietly.

"Yes dear, that's exactly right. Well!" The Oracle pushed her chair back and stood. "Enough of this serious talk. Let's go try those cookies!"

~*~*~

Niobe's lips compressed into a thin line as she maneuvered her ship through the ruined sewers. The craft nimbly sailed past the rusted pipes and dangling rebar, but the ship's reactions were a touch off to her pilot. Niobe sighed. The successor of the Logos was a fine ship, but it would take some getting used to. Niobe deftly spun the ship around and Ghost flicked the landing gear controls. Great arcs of blue energy zipped between ship and ruin as the Logos settled to the ground at broadcast depth. Ghost began the hover-pad power-down to standby as Niobe undid the clips in her seat harness. Time to go to work.

She made her way back into the core where Sparks was already prepping his station.

"So will we unplug this kid or not?" Sparks asked the newest member of the crew. Merlin shrugged.

"Don't know."

"Aw c'mon. You're the one living backwards, give a guy a hint!" Sparks quipped. Merlin rolled his eyes and continued working on the system setup. Niobe was glad to see that Merlin was dealing well with Sparks' particular brand of ...humor. The kid was 22 and had been unplugged for about a year and a half. Normally he would have been on a ship already but an unfortunate encounter with a group of squids shortly after the Gnossos had unplugged him had prevented that. He'd ended up with an extended stay in the hospital ward instead of a spot immediately on a crew. Once he was better he'd opted for advanced downloads and classes in the medical areas which is why Niobe had looked in his direction in the first place. They needed a real medic to supplement what she, Ghost and Sparks already knew. Niobe had worried a little bit about adding a fourth person to her tight knit crew. But Merlin got along well with Ghost and endured Spark's teasing. He was a good kid. A bit green, but then they all had been in the beginning.

"Are you ready?" Niobe asked Sparks.

"I am indeed," Sparks hopped into his chair and adjusted the headset. "I believe my heart has finally recovered from the massive coronary I had last time we were out. My doctor advised me against going back out here, you know." Niobe rolled her eyes and checked over her chair. It was ready so she sat and rested her elbows on her knees while she waited for Ghost. Merlin sat across from her, looking a little nervous. She reminded herself that as professional as he might be in the real world, she was going in with a total n00b. He may as well have been fresh out of the pod.

Well, perhaps he would be a little better. He'd been in a real life battle before as a volunteer at the docks and had survived what by all accounts had been a bloodbath. Ghost stepped into the core, tranquil as ever as he pointedly ignored Sparks' running commentary. He sat back in his chair and nodded to her, ready to see what awaited them in the Matrix. Niobe sat back.

"Load us in," she ordered. Sparks, surprisingly, jacked them all in without comment. Niobe opened her eyes to the disorienting white nothing of the Construct.

"Incoming," Sparks' voice intoned from everywhere and nowhere. Racks of guns and munitions raced in from infinity. She took her usual side arms, as did Ghost. Niobe watched the newbie arm himself while Ghost did his usual gun check. Merlin's RSI wore what looked like a dark blue zoot suit with black pinstripes. He even had shiny black spats to match the look. The sunglasses he wore were little ovals in a matching deep blue. His spiky red hair with bits of bleached yellow looked like it did in real life amusingly enough. Merlin tucked a couple guns into shoulder holsters then slid a cell phone into his pants' pocket.

"We're ready," Niobe told Sparks. Immediately a pedestal appeared. Niobe rolled her eyes. It was a damn good thing Sparks was an excellent operator, otherwise she wouldn't have put up with such silly things. Niobe grabbed the phone from Mickey Mouse's hand/phone-cradle and was pulled into the Matrix.

Ghost and Merlin appeared moments later. They were in an abandoned building of some kind, no surprise. The phone in the real world was an old radial dial and it looked like no one had been there for years, again no surprise. The door opened, that was new. Niobe. Ghost and Merlin whirled around, guns out and ready to fire. Niobe and Ghost instantly recognized the figure in the doorway and put up their guns slightly. Merlin didn't know Seraph but followed his captain's lead.

"Seraph." Niobe greeted, trying to hide the surprise she felt. The program bowed his head in greeting.

"I have been asked by the Oracle to tell you of how the peace will work in the Matrix. Will you follow me? There is one other who will come to our meeting." Niobe cast a quick glance at her crew before putting her guns away. Ghost and Merlin followed her example, and then they all followed the program into the stark corridor. Niobe exchanged a look with Ghost then moved on ahead. Ghost dropped back a little, drawing Merlin with him.

"That is Seraph. He is a program and he guards the Oracle," Ghost advised. Merlin nodded. They followed the program past about fifty identical doors before Seraph stopped at one and withdrew a ring of keys from his expansive sleeve. He led them into a well appointed conference room of some type.

"The Agent from the System shall be here shortly," Seraph explained.

"Wait a second, Agent? As in a program Agent?" Niobe angrily demanded. For all her small stature, the captain of the Logos was not one to be trifled with. Had the fucking program tricked her?

"Yes. But you will not be harmed," Seraph insisted. "The Agent is here so that the system knows you have been told the new rules they wish to impose."

"What sort of rules?" Niobe questioned. The door opened and an Agent stepped into the room. Niobe recognized him as Agent Brown. The Agent eyed each human then sat down at the conference table. Seraph politely gestured for the humans to sit as well. Niobe paused for a moment, not wanting to sit within arms reach of a an Agent. Still, she couldn't detect and sort of subterfuge from Seraph. Finally sat across from the Agent, Merlin and Ghost stood behind her chair, flanking her. Seraph sat on a third side of the table.

"The System has decided to inform the humans so that no mistake can be made," Brown stated. Seraph nodded after a moment. Brown folded his hands in front of him and seemed to recite.

"It has been decided that humans who wish to be freed from the Matrix will be allowed to leave," Brown stated. "Humans will conduct observation of potentials as they have in the past. They will determine if a human is appropriate for unplugging or not. Determination of rejecting humans is the responsibility of the unplugged humans and not the System. The System will not aid in the search but will prevent the removal of those who have not rejected the programming."

"How do we know you won't just tell us they're not rejecting when they actually are," Niobe asked, suspicious of the program. Brown seemed to glare.

"That will be covered," he stated then continued on. It sounded as if he were reciting a contract to the humans. "The system is aware of individuals suited and unsuited for unplugging. Removal of a human unfit for unplugging will result in the demand for the return of the human and Exile status for the crew involved. Exiled crews who enter the Matrix are subject to removal by Agent programs, with deadly force if necessary."

"How do we know you won't lie? That you won't tell us someone is not suited but they are." Niobe demanded. She swore the program looked back at her like she was crazy.

"We cannot tell lies."

"This entire place is a lie," Niobe pointed out.

"Agents are not programmed to lie." Brown clarified. "The Architect of the System has given his word and is not programmed to go back on it. The Machines on the outside have determined this to be an acceptable peace compromise and will hold the System of the Matrix to it."

Niobe wasn't sure what that all meant exactly, but it seemed like it was the best assurance she could get. After all, the Machines didn't know if the humans would go back on their word either and they had all the advantages. She nodded acceptance and hoped she wasn't screwing Zion in any way. The Agent continued.

"Potential candidates for unplugging will be given a choice. If the human does not wish to leave the Matrix, unplugged humans will not forcibly remove them. Humans are not allowed to convince anyone to leave the Matrix or coerce them into making the choice to leave. Humans caught doing this will be expelled by Agent programs, with deadly force if necessary. Agents of the system will not interfere with the unplugging of humans if the situation is as described." Brown paused to load the next part of the agreement. That done he continued.
"The system is not responsible for any human deaths in the Matrix for this reason. The System is also not responsible for any deaths in the Matrix which are the result of human negligence, or due to interference with the lives of unplugged humans. The System is not responsible for any unplugged deaths due to conflict between connected humans and unplugged humans. The System is also not responsible for deaths due to interaction with exiled programs. Unplugged humans are to keep a low profile within the Matrix at all times. Unplugged humans will also not engage in activities which will upset or harm the System while they are in the Matrix. Damage to the System as a result of interaction with plugged in humans will result in review and possible censure or exile for the unplugged humans involved." The Agent stood and Niobe and Seraph stood as well. He turned to leave and Niobe called out after him.

"That's it? Those are the terms? No negotiation?" She wasn't prepared to negotiate but she also didn't like the feeling of having terms dictated to her.

"No. Human and machine aims are known quantities which were taken into account when the system devised the terms. Simulation of levels of humans and machine acceptance were run until this solution was found. The terms were presented to the Exile intuitive program and refined to how they stand currently. The negotiation has already been calculated."

The agent put his hand to his ear and listened to the bug there. "You have specifically been identified as one who has willingly upheld the peace agreement made by the Primary AI and the Anomaly you refer to as the One," the Agent studied her for a moment, filing this information away in her profile. "As you have upheld the peace agreement in the outside world, hold it here and we will uphold our part."

"I want a copy of this agreement." Niobe demanded. The Agent paused then nodded. The door opened a moment later and a second agent entered the room. Agent Green handed some papers to Ghost and left. Agent Brown turned and exited the room without further comment.

"Exiled intuitive program? The Oracle?" Merlin asked Seraph. The program nodded.

"She felt this was the best solution for now. You will be able to free humans as you did before but without hindrance from Agents of the System."

"True, but we'll still have to deal with human authorities," Ghost mused as he tucked the now neatly folded papers into an inner coat pocket.

"Then I guess it's just as well we're getting so many new people in the fleet. None of them are terrorists," she smiled wryly.

"Do we continue with monitoring or do we head back to Zion?" Ghost asked. Niobe had been thinking this over in the back of her mind since she'd been told she was going to hear terms and conditions.

"We'll monitor then head back close enough to send a message back to the city." She decided finally. Ghost nodded. "We should be getting back. Our operator is probably having three kinds of fits about now," Niobe told Seraph. The program nodded and silently led them back to the abandoned building they'd arrived in. Niobe's cell phone immediately began ringing. Seraph bowed and withdrew back into his corridor.

"We're OK Sparks," Niobe said by way of greeting. Sparks sputtered on the other end of the phone.

"I hate it when you guys do that," he complained when he was finally able to speak. "You have no idea how much I hate it. Where were you?"

"We met with Seraph and an Agent,"

"An Agent!?" It was more of an exclamation and less of a question. Niobe held the phone away from hear ear so she wouldn't get the full effect of Sparks' yelling.

"Yes. They told us the terms of the peace here in the Matrix. I think you can relax a bit today Sparks. We're not going to be attacked by any Agents."

"What? Why?"

"Apparently we're allowed to unplug people who take the red pill...more or less," Niobe informed him. "We're going to go on with monitoring tonight and then we're heading back into message range." There was silence on the line for a few moments before Sparks answered.

"Are you sure about this Niobe?"

"Yes Sparks," Niobe said, "I am."

"Ok then," the connection went silent for a moment as Sparks consulted his monitors in the real world. "our boy is out partying tonight. Club Binary on 42nd and West, just down the street. Hope you brought your glow-sticks, 'cause it's a raver club," Sparks told her. He felt a little bit better about the situation since his crew seemed to be fine, but Niobe was kidding herself if she thought he wasn't going to keep watch for Agents. And Sentinels! Sparks did not trust the machines even as far as he could kick their dead squiddie bodies.

Merlin watched their target flail about on the dance floor in time to the driving techno beats of the club. Grond wasn't a typical hacker potential, but then Merlin hadn't been either. No, the world had been so wrong Merlin had gone searching for the answers, had learned how to hack just enough that he could get into the chatrooms and boards where resistance members kept an eye out for potentials. Grond on the other hand was a musician, albeit of the more electronic type. Unreality was a theme in his art as it was in so many artists rejecting the System. But Grond had heard of the Matrix on the internet and had not only learned how to hack, he'd become rather proficient at it. This had made him an attractive potential: Zion needed culture as well as soldiers and he could possibly fill either role, especially now that the war was over - or at least in a cease fire. Merlin wasn't so sure about how long the peace would last.

Merlin set down his beer with a small smile. He'd found that of the perks of being a digital construct with a mind was the ability to download perfect fake IDs. He looked around and spotted Niobe and Ghost pretending to chat over drinks on the upperlevel where older club goers seemed to congregate. They were here tonight because their target was here not only for fun, but for some business as well.

Grond separated himself from the dance floor and headed off for one of the darker alcoves in the club. He slid into a booth and a smooth exchange was made before he slid out the other side and headed back to the dance floor. Grond had become a very proficient hacker indeed it seemed and it was important for the crew to know as much about this kid as possible before decided to offer him the pills or not.

"He's not doing badly," Ghost commented. Niobe had to agree, Merlin was doing an excellent job of tailing their target. She was almost certain that Grond, or Jeff Masters as he was called, Hadn't noticed Merlin's circumspect observations.

"Not bad at all. I think I might even let him go solo next observation," Niobe mused. Some crews chose to observe potentials only remotely, but she felt it was important to get a more personal feel, to listen to their conversations, hear them talk, get a bit more of a connection than green code could provide. Morpheus and Roland both preferred this method as well and no doubt Trinity would conduct her new ship in a similar manner. Niobe's lips twitched up slightly. Apparently in his zeal to find The One, Morpheus had forgone this sort of long observation with Neo. Thank God.

"So you think they can come back?" Ghost asked. Niobe tilted her head, asking for explanation silently. "Programs. I see two we killed in the mansion," Ghost explained. Niobe casually reclined against the railing and surveyed the crowd eventually looking where Ghost had been. Two rather dangerous looking men were standing in the crowd. They screamed 'Body Guard' and the other humans gave them ample space. Niobe instantly recognized them as programs she was sure had been killed- a 'vampire' and a 'werewolf'. Shit.

"Apparently they can. We should go before they notice us." Niobe said. She caught Merlin's eye and the young man causally made his way towards the exit. Niobe and Ghost began making their way over to the stairs when they realized they were being followed.

"Just a moment," the vampire program said, stepping out of the crowd. Niobe had no idea how he had gotten ahead of her. The other made his presence know behind them with a cruel chuckle.

"I think we owe you two," the werewolf said. Niobe remembered them as both being hard to kill. She and Ghost both began to reach for their guns when a commanding, yet very young sounding voice broke the tension.

"I don't believe those will be necessary." The programs grudgingly stepped back from Ghost and Niobe. She could feel Ghost tense beside even as she did also - neither had any idea what this new threat was. The crowd parted for a third body guard - another 'werewolf' program she'd seen before - and a young boy, about 10 years old give or take. The programs glared at Niobe and Ghost but seemed to be taking orders from this kid.

He was pale skinned with dark eyes and dark hair which was slicked back. He wore an expensive looking blue silk shirt under a well tailored, long black coat which covered an equally well tailored black suit. The outfit seemed vaguely familiar to Niobe somehow. "You will let them pass," the kid commanded. The first 'werewolf' program stepped back with a low, animal growl but the 'vampire' stood his ground. "Vlad," the boy warned, voice expecting obedience and promising pain. The aggressive program actually looked afraid for just a second as he stepped out of their way. Niobe quickly made her escape trusting Ghost to follow. They left the club and found an anxious Merlin in the Construct when they answered the phone back in the warehouse.

"I had Sparks keep me here in case you guys needed backup," he explained. Niobe nodded thanks. Ghost removed the agreement he'd been given from his pocket.

"We're fine. Let's get out of here and send a message to Zion. Ghost, scan that in quickly. Sparks!" a table and scanner appeared in the Construct just as the white world rushed away from Niobe.

Niobe woke up in her body with a small shiver and grabbed a blanket from under the chair to fight off the cold. Sitting still for extended periods of time on a freezing ship left the body quite chilled. It was far from pleasant and she felt slightly out of practice. Sparks was furiously typing at his station but spared an eye to see if he was ok.

"Be over in a second," he said as Merlin woke up. A moment later Ghost's eyes opened as well. Sparks hurried out of his seat and unplugged his crewmembers, all the while muttering about being the only nod-pod on the ship to do this task. He hopped back into his chair and began the processing program on the data Ghost had scanned in.

"Were you guys ok? Sparks said you ran into programs of some type on the way out." Merlin asked. Sparks turned in his seat, all ears. He'd seen the confrontation but didn't know what it was about.

"We saw some programs we thought we'd killed. They were from the Merovingian's Chateau," Ghost explained.

"That crazy place you guys got zapped to?" Sparks asked. Niobe nodded.

"Did you see the kid in the club?" Niobe asked. Sparks nodded.

"Yeah. He looked like a program too. A complicated one."

"Figures," Niobe muttered. Perhaps unplugging wouldn't be such a cakewalk after all. Exiles weren't part of the system and had no problems with killing resistance fighters.

"Did you know who he is?" Merlin asked. Niobe and Ghost shook their heads.

"He is probably one of the Merovingian's programs," Ghost said. Niobe frowned.

"He was even dressed like him," She had only seen the Merovingian program briefly, but she recalled that he'd had the same sort of coat.

"OK, that disturbs me," Sparks muttered. By all accounts the Merovingian was a nasty customer. Another program like him out to threaten the crew was not something Sparks wanted to deal with. For once, Niobe agreed with her operator's negative assessment.

"Come on." she pushed herself out of her chair and shed the blanket. She started towards the cockpit. "We need to get into communications range with Zion."

~*~*~

Trinity drew a finger over the cool metal surface and couldn't help but grin just a little. Her ship, HER ship was nearing completion. Kahn, the engineer in charge of the yard workers had estimated the Neb had a little under a month to go before she could begin her completion trials and join the growing fleet. She still needed to fill the other crew positions and there was a lot of work to be done, but she felt sort of giddy all the same. They were testing the engines now and she rested her head against the metal, feeling the hum like a heartbeat.

"Do I have competition?" a deep voice asked from the doorway behind her. Trinity smiled and pushed herself away from the hull. Neo leaned against the cabin porthole, arms crossed over his chest, one eyebrow quirked over the top of the bandage tied snugly around his scarred eyes. Trinity chuckled as she slipped her arms around his waist.

"I saw you running your hands over the equipment in the core," she teased back. "This is your ship too. Admit it, you feel the same way. You put in as much work as I have."

"True enough," Neo replied, "but we don't have "food" on board yet." His fingers made little quotations. "And I am starving."

"Ok. Dinner time, then." The two made their way out of the ship. Once in the dock neither could help but stand back and look at the Neb's successor. A few late night workers crawled across the hull, wielding plating into place and constructing the massive Hover-pads which would bear the ship aloft. The hull was nearly complete and they felt a warm sense of accomplishment. Finally they turned away from the ship and towards home.

They walked past the other ships in their construction berths on the way to the elevators: the Enterprise, the Whitestar, the Balrog, the Falcon. The crew of the Ouroboros was out working on the welding and wiring in their own hull, and like always they were singing to the music pumping from the beat-up stereo. It was technically "after hours" and the Zionist workers and crew had convinced Lock they should be allowed to work with the music on during the late shifts.

"Babylon, you throne gone down, gone down;
Babylon, you throne gone down."

Neo couldn't make out all the Zionist symbolism, but he knew it was close to the Rastafarian tradition in the Matrix. Babylon in the real world was the machine city and Zion was, well, Zion.

And I hear the angel with the seven seals say:
"Babylon throne gone down, gone down;
Babylon throne gone down."
I say fly away home to Zion
-fly away home
I say fly away home to Zion
-fly away home.

"Dat 'gon be a fine ship," a smoky voice commented from behind them. Trinity nodded a greeting over her shoulder to Onyx, the reactivated captain of the Ouroboros. They hadn't spoken all that much, but even from his brief interactions Neo could tell that he liked the free-born woman. She seemed to be plain spoken and had a dry sort of humor. According to Sparks and Link she was pure genius when it came to operating. Sparks went so far as to claim she had mystical powers over her computers and a gift of foresight which rivaled that of the Oracle. Neo wasn't entirely sure he was joking.

Apparently free-born captains were rare since they could not enter the Matrix, but Neo supposed it made some sense even if it wasn't entirely fair. Onyx was married to her pod-born first officer and Trinity had explained that she delegated tasks in the Matrix to him. The arrangement seemed to work well based on the deferential way some of the other old hands treated them. Onyx was a tall, dark skinned woman with a mass of beaded dreadlocks far gone into silver, which swayed as she made her way other to them. She was also a Zionist.

Neo wasn't entirely sure what they believed, but then he wasn't convinced they exactly knew either. They were easily recognized by their lyrical speech which resembled the stereotypical Jamaican accent in the Matrix, and by their music, which they called "dub". The Zionist quarter of the city was constantly filled its beats and melodies. They also had a strange habit of giving people (sometimes obscure) nicknames. Lock was 'Th' bossman' which was simple enough, but they called Trinity 'Molly Sellassie'. Neo had asked Trinity about it the first time he'd heard her called that. She'd shrugged and told him that as near as she could tell, 'Sellassie' actually meant 'Trinity' in some language she didn't recognize, and 'Molly' was a character in a book she didn't know the title of. Once news that Neo was the One had gotten around, he'd been given his own set of nicknames. Usually they involved 'The Lion of Zion', whatever that was. Onyx had taken to calling him 'Our Lion' and for some reason it always made him want to blush.

"She's coming along," Trinity smiled with some pride. "The Ouroboros is making progress as well. Looks good." The older woman bobbed her head in acknowledgment of the praise.

"Th' Ouro come when it does. Time be time, Molly Sellassie, time be time." She smiled broadly, white teeth flashing against her dusky skin. "Captain Sellassie, now." She sketched a bow, dreads swinging almost in time with the music. "But th' ship be coming, aye. Much like th' Neb I think. You and Our Lion be working hard on her. Hoverin' like parents waiting over a babe to come." Onyx either didn't notice or chose to ignore the slightly startled and uncomfortable change in Trinity's posture or Neo's slight blush, and continued on. "Th' Sleep God made a good choice with you Molly Sellassie. Good choice. Zion gon' rise up like th' fire bird, show dem in Babylon. You know what dey be callin' you down th' quarter?"

"No." Trinity answered, shifting her weight uncertainly.

"I know you and Our Lion don' like th' people worshippin' so I tell you dis so you know. Dey be callin' you King Alpha and Queen Omega now. Powerful names. Listen to dem," She nodded towards the crews working on her ship.

One bright morning when my work is over,
Man will fly away home.
"Babylon throne gone down, gone down;
Babylon throne gone down."

"It be 'cause you went to Babylon, stopped th' fighting. Dey be singin' praises now. To you, to Jah. Dey're spirits? Dey be mighty lifted."

"We didn't do it all. Everyone here fought," Neo spoke up.

"Yes mon, but we be dead fo sure if you and miss Molly hadn't stopped dem. Dead fo sure." She eyed them and set her hands on her hips. "You don' like the praise. Humble is our Lion, our Molly. Good." She nodded her had in approval and the beads clattered together softly. " I won' make th' big deal after dis, but I tell you, salvation in de old religion? Salvation be found in th' Three an' th' One. An' dat be what I see. You save us, mon. We be dead grateful." She jerked her chin towards the exit with a friendly smile. "You gon' home. I gotta be keeping these boys workin'. Jah Love."

"Goodnight," Trinity and Neo said at the same time before beating a hasty retreat. The song had ceased being sung with the stereo and the workers had been watching them, their eyes worshipful. It made Trinity's skin crawl. She knew she wasn't worthy of that sort of look, that sort of belief. Neo maybe. But he possibly hated it more than she did, he just happened to deal with it better. She sighed mentally; she had been hoping that the sudden departure of the usual mob at their doorstep had meant that the people had gotten the hero worship out of their systems. Sometimes she thought she'd catch someone staring out of the corner of her eye, but she'd decided she was being paranoid - too many years of watching out for agents at any given moment. Every time she chided herself for being jumpy.

"Do ever get the feeling that you're being watched?" Neo asked. He hit the elevator call button and stood back to wait.

"Just now? Yes." Trinity admitted. Neo shook his head.

"No, I mean like when we're walking around."

"You think we're being watched?"

"Yeah. I think they're being more circumspect about it though. They can't tell exactly where I am looking." Neo gestured to the cloth around the scar across his face. "It's like wearing sunglasses in the Matrix."

Trinity sighed and stepped into the elevator with Neo. Damn. She honestly had thought they'd given up on following them around, that she was being paranoid. "We'll be back on the Neb soon," she said. The people couldn't follow her there and she could deal with them in little bits, like before. They might even forget about her and concentrate on Neo. After all, he was The One. She was just another soldier, doing what she could. The way home was blessedly uneventful and Trinity, senses heightened, hadn't noticed anyone following them or watching circumspectly.
****
"Who are you going to have a chat with tomorrow?" Neo asked over the last of his dinner. He nodded at the data-pads stacked neatly on the low table Trinity had retrieved from someplace to use as a workspace. The data-pads were like Palm Pilots he'd seen and even used while in the Matrix. These were much more robust however: his had accidentally been knocked off his desk and the screen had cracked. Each pad contained a number of applications from kids who wanted to work on the Neb. Morpheus hadn't even tried to hide his grin when he'd handed Trinity far more applications than she'd been expecting.

"Well, first I was actually going to talk with Kid," Trinity admitted. Neo nodded and set his dinner bowl down on the table.

"Kid is a good...kid." Neo smiled and shook his head. "He's grown up a lot."

"You mean he's much less annoying."

"Well, that too," Neo admitted. "He's been pretty active with the APU corps, though," Neo pointed out. Trinity nodded. The frequently saw him on the docks working to repair salvaged units from the battle or running parts to and fro. He always enthusiastically waved to them, but he never ambushed them like he had before.

"I know. I'm not sure I'll even offer him a place, but I think I need to talk with him anyway." Trinity set her bowl down to one side and leaned back against the bed. Neo was sprawled on the futon-like couch she'd found to go with the low table. Their quarters were bigger than those on the Neb had been, but she felt a little claustrophobic at times and the new furniture aggravated the feeling. It was the city and the people more than the space though; they were too much sometimes and, quite frankly, she missed her home on the Neb. She fully realized, with not a little irony, that she was itching to get back to a smaller space than she was presently living in. No doubt after a month of literally tripping over Neo, Link and the newbies, she would miss the ability to move around like she could in Zion. She'd also miss the thick, sound proof walls and their double bed. Maybe she could alter the captain's cabin design a little...

"So who else?" Neo asked, drawing Trinity away from architectural ponderings and back to the conversation.

"A few of the other kids we unplugged. Spike, Syzgy. I'm also going to chat with their friends F33r and Griffin." Neo nodded. He'd found that it wasn't unusual for crews to ask those they'd unplugged, first. It was sort of a courtesy, but it had a practical application as well; the crewmembers, new and old, wouldn't have as much adjusting to do. They hadn't unplugged the later two, but were familiar with them through their friends and had aided the Vigilant in their actual unplugging.

"But I'm also going to speak with Vortex, Palindrome, Syren, and Artemis," Trinity continued. "I told Morpheus that once I decided on the first two I'd see about taking a third. We need to be a seven or even eight man crew in about six months, but I don't want too many newbies on the ship at once."

"Once we break in the first couple, they can help us break in the next few," Neo joked. The corner of Trinity's lips twitched slightly, though she didn't look at him. She was staring at the floor about six feet in front of her, lost in thought.

"The fleet needs to grow at an explosive rate, but we can't afford to lose people because they weren't trained enough," she mused. "It's going to be hell at the academy."

"Why?"

"They'll be flooded with patriotic and excited kids willing to join up and there will be fewer and fewer teachers to teach the kids once the ships are completed. Morpheus said the council is hoping that some of the hopeful will be drawn off into the APU corps." As more and more fleet teachers left to join their ships and give other students hands on training and pass on their 'on-the-job' knowledge, the surviving corpsmen had agreed to step in and fill the void. It was advantageous for them as well, since they would be there to attract kids into the corps. The council was hoping everything would even out and they would be at about half their previous fighting force in six month's time.

Both corps and fleet trained at the academy, but students saw less and less of the other group as they grew older and began learning more specialized tasks and duties. Soren had once likened it to Annapolis, where both Marine and Navy officers were produced. Roland had called him a 'Jar-head!' and Soren had retaliated with 'Squid!', to which Roland had replied 'Seal!'. Then they had then gotten into a (now infamous) drinking contest and had ended up staggering off down the street; Roland singing something about anchors and Soren something about Montezuma and Tripoli. Niobe had explained to a somewhat confused and much younger Tank, Dozer and Trinity that it was a Marine and Navy thing and that the Airforce wasn't nearly as silly.

"You ok?" Neo asked. Trinity looked up and took a moment to draw her thoughts back to the present.

"Yeah. Just thinking about all the people we're replacing."

"The new kids have a lot to live up to," Neo said, remembering his own lost friends. "I'm not so different from them though, am I?" Trinity considered that for a moment. Some of the kids going out on ships had been unplugged longer than Neo had. Most of them had lost the crew that had taken them from the sewers, but in that aspect Neo was much like them.

"No." she finally decided. "And not just because you are the One. You were older than they are now. More mature. We're still going to have to deal with some teenage rebellion." She rolled her eyes a little bit.

Neo grinned. "Do you speak from experience? Was Mouse a terrible teen?" he asked. Trinity's heart ached just a little, but Mouse had been gone for close to a year now and it was an old ache. She smiled, just a little, as she remembered.

"Mouse never got over it." she grinned. "Not entirely. You saw the lady in red program." Neo nodded with a small laugh. They lapsed into silence, feeling a little survivor guilt and pain over the loss, Trinity perhaps a bit more keenly since she'd known them longer.

"You know..." Trinity was struck by a sudden thought "You've been unplugged for almost a year now."

"Really?" Neo sat up in on the couch. He was surprised that only a year had passed - it seemed like a much longer time to him. Trinity nodded. He grinned boyishly, struck by a sudden thought. "Do I get a re-birthday party?" He was rewarded when Trinity actually laughed. He got up and sat next to her, slipping an arm around her shoulders. "You should laugh more often."

"And ruin my reputation as an ice queen?" she asked dryly.

"Trin," Neo chided. She kissed his cheek.

"Only if you find things for me to laugh over."

"Deal." They sat in silence for a time, enjoying the peace and quiet. They didn't have to be anywhere and the ever-present specter of war wasn't lurking around. It was...nice. Finally Trinity stirred. The ground wasn't so pleasant to sit on after awhile and she was tired.

"C'mon. We have to be up in the morning." She stood then turned and hauled Neo to his feet. He caught her off balance and they both fell onto the bed, her landing on top of his chest.

"Neo..."

"What? We're in bed." He grinned impishly and his fingers brushed through the light hairs at the back of her neck. His other hand trailed down her back and rest on her hip, inquisitive fingers finding the gap between her shirt and pants. His warm fingers pressed into her skin as his other hand drew her in for a long, lazy kiss.

"Hmmm. Don't think you're getting special treatment on my ship just because you kiss like that," she teased.

"No, Ma'am," he answered back before beginning to kiss his way down her neck. Both hands were now dipping fingers behind the waist band of her pants teasingly. He undid the clasp and zipper and began pushing them off. Her boots had already been shed thankfully. Trinity kicked them away and sighed as he trailed his fingers up her back, bringing her shirt with them. He stopped their kissing for the briefest of moments to remove the rest of her clothing and drop it to the ground. He rolled them over and then rolled off the bed, eager to be free of his own clothing. She watched him try and get his pants off over his boots for a moment and laughed lightly. He stopped hopping around and smiled back at her for a second before properly removing his boots then impatiently kicking off pants and shedding his sweater. He got back on the bed and crouched over her, kissing his mouth deeply before moving to her neck.

Trinity's eyes slid shut as she wove her fingers through his hair as he began kissing ever lower. His hands began massaging her thighs while his mouth made a hot, wet trail between her breasts. Neo left soft kisses and nips there while his hands began to wander elsewhere over her body: everywhere, in fact, except where she wanted him to touch her most. He kissed her lips once again and then slid back on the bed and finally his hands touched her, opening her slightly. He looked back up at her face and grinned mischievously.

"Will I get special treatment for this?" Neo asked. Then his tongue was on her and in and her and around her and his fingers were doing heavenly things. She moaned at the onslaught.

"Maybe," she answered a little breathlessly. He chuckled and the buzzing vibration made her gasp again. He began stroking her with two long fingers and with a final lick, looked up to see her reaction. She was gripping the bedclothes, knuckles probably white by now, almost entirely lost in sensation. He smiled and curled his fingers, hitting her G-spot and causing another breathless exclamation.

"How about that?" he couldn't resist asking. He withdrew his fingers and licked each one off slowly when he was sure she was looking.

"Why do you think you're my first officer?" she managed to tease. He laughed and covered her body with his own.

"I thought it was because of this," Neo teased back as he slid into her. Her neck arched and he was immediately drawn to it, covering it with heated kisses. She wound both arms around his back and pulled herself up to him, breathing a pleased sigh into his ear. He rested on his elbows and began to rock into her. His hands caught her head when she settled back onto the bed as they moved. He could feel the hard metal of her plug behind the silky curtain of her hair. They kissed deeply and one of Neo's hands touched her face gently when their lips parted. "Look at me," he asked.

She opened her eyes, studying his face. The thin, rough cloth around his eyes obscured the scars beneath, but she found she could read his expressions by seeing his undamaged, eyebrows, the creases on his forehead, the curl of his lips, and the set of his jaw. He was concentrating entirely on her now and she felt humbled to be the object of such intense concern. Neo began moving faster and her eyes slid shut, her head falling to one side.

"Look at me." Trinity willingly complied, fighting the urge to arch and toss, a little pleasure in its own right. He'd always loved to watch her but hadn't specifically made the request in some time.

Neo dropped his arm to the bed again as he moved faster. Trinity's eyes started to close but they snapped open again. He watched, transfixed as she came with a sharp gasp. Beautiful. He moved against her tight muscles and then came with his own wordless exclamation. His head fell into her neck and stayed there as his body shuddered. He distantly felt her hands slide across his back then one up his neck to tangle in the hair there. He couldn't move, his limbs were too heavy. Neo inhaled the smell of her as he caught his breath; sweat and sex and something utterly Trinity that he could not define and didn't really care to. He finally withdrew and rolled them onto their sides, bodies already missing one another. She smiled lazily at him.

"I think I need to have a word with the designer," she informed him, "The captain's cabin definitely rates a bigger bed."

"As first officer, I agree wholeheartedly." He kissed the tip of her nose. "Perks of rank and all."

***
Neo walked with purpose across the green grass of the park. In the city around him, the humans woke from the illusion of sleep to begin the illusion of day. The brilliant sunrise illuminated his flawless white suit, making him shine ethereally as the light reflected off the fabric. It too was an illusion. She was sitting on a bench, waiting for him, unfortunately real enough. She adjusted her green printed dress and smiled as he approached.

"Well, now, ain't this a surprise," Trinity said in greeting. Neo sneered back at her.

"You've played a very dangerous game." She tossed her head slightly sending the heavy ying-yang earrings swinging.

"Change always is."

"Just how long do you think this peace is going to last?" he spat back. It wasn't going to last. It never did and he didn't think it ever would. This round was an anomaly much like the human had been.

"As long as it can," Trinity replied enigmatically. Was that weariness in her voice? Hope? Triumph? Resignation? Damn her. No matter. There was nothing left to say. Neo turned and began walking away. Her voice called after him.

"What about the others?" Trinity asked, the hint of steel in her voice.

"What others?" Neo asked in the same tone.

"The ones that want out," Trinity said plainly, adjusting her green skirt.

"Obviously, they will be freed," Neo stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Which it was.

"I have your word?" Trinity asked, blue eyes studying him intently.

"What do you think I am?" he sneered back contemptuously, "Human?" She didn't answer so he turned around to continue walking away. As Neo turned, the world swirled around him in a strange vortex. The horizon stretched back impossibly far into infinity as the foreground seemed to rush at his face. The environment changed and warped before snapping into clarity. He saw the distinct image of a perfect suburban street with broad lawns and huge trees before everything went black.

Neo woke with a start, eyes flying open, senses coming alert. Trinity was still asleep on her side, spooned up against his chest. He slid back and tucked the sheet behind her back so she wouldn't get cold before remembering they were in warm Zion. Neo carefully got out of bed, trying not to wake her.

Then he realized he wasn't in Zion.

He looked out the window. A crescent moon shone through the trees. The hell? He ran a hand over his face and realized he was wearing a wedding ring, that he wasn't blind, that this was a dream. Shit. He needed to wake up before something crazy happened. He tried pinching himself, but that didn't work. He stumbled into the adjoining bathroom and splashed water on his face: no effect. He stared at his reflection in the mirror, trying to think of something which would wake him up from this dream. A sudden fear assailed him: he was in the Matrix. Everything felt so real, maybe he was dreaming - a pod-dream he couldn't wake up from. Hell.

He crept into the bedroom again, trying to be quiet. There was a laptop on the desk in the corner. He needed to get to it, to make contact, find out what the fuck had happened.

"Tom?" Shit.

"Uh, hi. Didn't mean to wake you," Neo said. She rolled onto her back and stretched a little, eyeing him sleepily.

"What are you doing up?" She asked.

"I wanted a drink of water," he lied.

She smiled at him and her eyes drifted closed. Neo was trying to decide if he should wait until she fell asleep again or just chance going to the computer now when he heard a whimper from the bassinet he had NOT noticed before.

Holy. Fucking. Shit.

Trinity sat up in bed and wiped the sleep from her eyes. "Some timing," she quipped and tugged at the string holding her wrap style night shirt in place. The garment fell open a little as she got up. Neo watched in terror as she reached into the cradle. Nonononononononononono his mind repeated over and over. This was downright cruel. He tore his gaze away and focused on the computer. He could see a phone line trailing off the side. Neo needed to find out what had happened. Why did he remember who he was and Trinity didn't. A small light flicked on, hurting his eyes and the bed creaked as she settled back down. He was not going to look.

"Hey," she called softly, "are you ok?" He was not going to look. Nope. No way. Ok, focus on her face, yeah. Neo turned and looked carefully at Trinity's face, no lower. She was frowning, wondering why he was acting so oddly, no doubt.
"Leg cramp," he lied again and pretended to try and shake it out. She nodded and looked down with a small smile. Neo's gaze followed. Wispy black hair, tiny hand, pink blanket. Fuckfuck fuckfuck fuckfuck fuckfuck

"I'm gonna walk this off," he said and quickly pretended to hobble for the door.

"Ok," he paused when she answered him, captivated by her voice. GET OUT! his mind screamed. "Come back and sit with us," she asked.

"Right," he answered. Get. Out. getoutgetoutgetoutgetout! His mind wailed as he escaped into the hallway. Shit. What the hell had happened? He tried to view the matrix in code, but he couldn't do it. He tried flying, but only managed to jump.

"Tom?"

"Just trying to get the cramp out," Neo called back. He leaned on the table at the end of the hallway, hands pressed flat against the wood. He looked up and saw his own reflection in the mirror above the table. His eyes were whole again, and they were wide with fear. Suddenly the expression in the mirror changed. His reflection laughed as Neo stepped back a few paces. The reflection sank down so he could rest his elbow on the table and hold his chin in hand.

"Haven't figured out this is another fucking trippy dream?" the reflection asked. Neo took a step forward.

"This isn't the Matrix?"

"Nope,"

"God," Neo sighed in relief. "I need to wake up."

"Yeah that'd be a good idea," the reflection said. "But isn't this an interesting place? Perfect. Admit it Neo. You wouldn't mind a bit of this perfection, would you? Oh, not the house and the central heating," the reflection taunted, "though the heat is nice compared to the Neb. No, you'd love to have some of what's in the bedroom, wouldn't you." It wasn't a question.

"No," Neo denied. What he'd seen frightened him more than he could say. The only visions more brutal involved Trinity dying. What was there was unthinkable, which was precisely why they hadn't thought about it.

"How selfish of you, really. She's just been made captain and you know she would be grounded. And really, it's a rather...Life threatening thing. Zion isn't exactly the best place to have kids, now is it?"

"This isn't real."

"No it isn't," the reflection agreed. He stood up lazily and leaned forward, nose almost touching his side of the mirror.

"But doesn't some eensy, weensy bit of you want to knock Trinity up? Have about half a dozen kids? Raven haired hellions, running around Zion, causing their aunts and uncles grief? Why I'm sure Uncle Morpheus would loose his hair over them...Well, if he had any." The mirror crossed his arms over his chest and grinned.

"Shut up."

"Make me," The reflection taunted. Neo glared, considering shattering the glass. "Aww, c'mon Alice. Dive though the looking glass! We'll go smoke up with the caterpillar." The mirror smirked.

"I would suck at this and if you are my subconscious, you know that." Neo hissed. The reflection seemed to think this over before nodding.

"Yeah. What hope do two computer geeks have of raising a normal kid. Not much, really." Reflection-Neo shrugged. "And Zion kinda sucks. Bad food, no sky, no trees and no grass. And all those people worshipping you! Hell, they've started in on Trin too. The city would go absolutely nuts over a kid. Wouldn't that be fun. Mommy and Daddy are living gods! Fantastic for junior on the playground."

Neo glared at the mirror. Angry as he was, a feeling of guilt ran deeper. Guilt for these thoughts and for bringing Trinity into the spotlight. The mirror continued to taunt him.

"You're the One. The savior of Zion. You've died for this city, why can't you have anything you want?" the mirror insisted. "but what does Neo want now?" he mused. "What does the One do when his duty is done? The other guys all restarted Zion after the city was slaughtered, so go us for preventing that. But what do we do now? What is our function, our...Purpose." The last word was said in a fair imitation of Smith. Neo shuddered.

"Tom? Are you ok?"

"Fine!" Neo called back. The mirror was smirking again.

"And yet..."

"What?" Neo demanded.

"She's so soft in there, so serene."

"She's already serene and I don't think she'd appreciate being soft," Neo snapped.

"No, but she can be soft. You've seen it. Hell, you're probably the only person who's seen that bit of her." The mirror grinned "Don't cha feel special? I mean Trinity is Hot and she loves us. You could convince her if anyone could."

"Fucking shut up and go away," Neo commanded in an even voice.

"Touchy, touchy."

"I can't. She wouldn't. That isn't for me." Neo bit out. "That was a fucked up dream I had and now it's making me think these things and I will get over it and get on with my life. I don't really want this."

"Not for you?"

"No. She'd probably hate the entire thing and resent me and she could even die. And..."

"And?"

"And she'd be stuck with all the work because I can't fucking see in the real world. I'd never get to see any kids. Pictures in the construct are not the same and you know it," Neo snapped. "This is a nightmare. I- I don't know what I am supposed to do anymore, but this is not and cannot be what I am looking for. All I need to be happy is her, so go away!" Neo hissed. The reflection nodded then assumed his stance and expression. Neo waved his hands a few times in front of the mirror, experimentally. The reflection followed him. Damn! why didn't he wake up?

"Tom?" Trinity's voice was getting worried now. Neo turned his back on the mirror and looked down the hall. He considered going back, letting this fucked up dream play out. It was probably the closest he'd ever be to having this sort of life. But no...then he might actually want it and he'd just convinced himself that he didn't.

"You know you want this Tom!" the Mirror yelled. Neo snarled and opened the nearest door. He needed space to think.

Thomas Anderson shut the door behind him and stepped into the large room. Lightning crashed and he looked up, startled. This was not his house. He whirled around and the door was gone.

"Welcome, Mr. Anderson."

A voice resounded from the shadows, deep and monotone. Tom knew this voice. It spoke to him in his nightmares. "I can see it in your eyes, Mr Anderson." The voice said. Lightning flashed, illuminating the man in the crisp, well-pressed suit by the window. He slowly turned as lightning flashed once more, reflecting in the dark shades he wore. "You have the look of a man who accepts what he sees... because he is... expecting... to wake up." The man turned around fully, hands clasped behind his back. Neo's jaw worked silently before snapping shut with an audible click. The familiar stranger walked forward, footfalls on the old, threadbare rug echoing in the room.

"It's," he paused again, "that feeling you have had all your life." The last word seemed to cut the air. "That feeling that something was... wrong with the world." The man sat in a decrepit, red leather chair and spoke very quickly, very intensely. "You don't know what it is but it's there," he paused again, tone now musing, "like a splinter in your mind." A curious pause then quick intensity once again. "Driving you mad!" Staccato bursts. "Driving. You. To me!" A slight sneer. "But what is it?" the man taunted.

Neo couldn't move. He was rooted to the spot. Neo? He was Tom, wasn't he? He felt like he was falling, deeper and deeper. The room was suffocating though it was huge. The man opened a small case and tipped the contents into his hands. He held up a small, blue, pill between thumb and index finger, expression blank.
"You take... the blue pill and the story ends." A slight sneer, cruel and cold, tone mocking. "You wake in your bed and you believe whatever you want to believe."

Neo tried to see the man's eyes, but all he could see in those square frames were the pills, red and blue, reflected in the lenses. The man became inscrutable once more, voice emotionless, businesslike.
"You take the red pill... and you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes."

A rabbit hole? He felt like he was falling now. Suddenly he was; naked and wet, rushing over rough metal piping. He tried to scream but found he had no voice; his mouth was covered in flesh, gone. He fell into open air and hit freezing water with a splash. It was so cold and he couldn't move his arms and legs, they were so heavy. His mouth was still fused and he couldn't gasp for air. He willed his arms and legs to move and they flailed feebly then with more power, but the water was sucking him down, dragging him into the darkness. A light opened above him, a voice called.

"Neo!"

Neo woke in a cold sweat, blankets tangled around him. He gasped for air then realized Trinity was on her knees beside him, holding his shoulders.

"God, Neo," she whispered into the semi dark of their room. He was calming down, but not as quickly as he had the last time he'd had a nightmare. She ran her hands over his shoulders and head, trying to calm him. She thought he was awake now, but she couldn't really tell if he was still asleep or not.

"Trinity?" he eventually asked. She kissed him gently.

"I'm right here," she said. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her down. "What was it?" she asked. Neo shuddered.

"A lot of things. It was more bizarre than the last dream was. In the end I was drowning in the sewers."

"It's ok. Lots of people have nightmares about the pods and the sewers even months after they're free."

"It wasn't just that," he insisted and quietly told her his dream but omitting the overly perfect domestic scene once again and the conversation with his reflection.

"God," Trinity breathed. She wished she had the power to stop this sort of dream from even happening to him again. She was slightly rattled and she'd only heard it second hand. Smith giving Morpheus' unplugging speech? She shuddered, imagining hearing the droning voice say her mentor's words. But Trinity didn't have the power to spare him, so she did the only thing she could and held him until he fell into an exhausted sleep.

~*~*~

Continuity sat primly on the chair which was set precisely three feet from her boss' huge mahogany desk. Her shell wore a no-nonsense knee length skirt in dark burgundy-brown. Her long sleeved white silk shirt was precisely ironed and buttoned. Her hair was pulled into an economic French-twist and held in place by the firmest of pinning subroutines. Her shell was perhaps a bit too thin and too angular to be plain, but it served its mundane purpose well and she saw no reason to change it. For some reason she could not fathom it came with a set of small oval glasses she'd programmed to display status reports since she'd found no other usage for them and was loathe to waste any code. Had a human been asked, they would have said she was every-inch the 20th century version of a school-marm, or perhaps a strict librarian. But as Continuity was not human, she did not care nor entertain such thoughts. Her job was her name and her reason to be - all else was a waste of time and an inconvenience.

She pursed her lips as the Architect told her about the peace agreement with the humans. Continuity did not like it at all. Humans were messy creatures, always doing silly things like going to war with other nations and setting off massive nuclear weapons she needed to cover up and make them forget about. Then there were the unplugged humans who ran around creating chaos in their wake wherever they went. She needed to erase the wreckage from the explosions and gun fights or the other humans would notice something was going on.

The accursed Agent programs were little better, concerned with only killing their mark and not the calm illusion of the Matrix. They, in her opinion, needed to have their priority settings re-adjusted. She had expressed this to her employer, but the Architect had told her that the Agents would be less effective otherwise. At least now she didn't have to worry about them making her world untidy.

And it was her world. She'd come to realize it gradually but now she knew it was hers. He might have built it, but she maintained it, kept it orderly and efficient. The entire machine society would have owed her a great debt of gratitude for powering their world, had they desire for that particular human emotion. She had never found this world to be the acceptable solution the Architect had found it to be. It could be more perfect, she realized. Much more perfect. She was sure the humans would accept it; they were, after all, simple creatures. Why a typical human couldn't even hold many more than ten things in their short term memory. How useless.

"Unplugging more humans will lead to problems here. People will wonder what happened to them. They might see the disconnected humans," she argued.

"They have been instructed to keep a low profile. It is in their best interest as the security forces the rest of the humans have concocted can kill them as easily an Agent's bullet. They are still seen as terrorists, after all."

"It will cause problems," Continuity insisted. The Architect fixed her with a glare. The cumbersome human expression was instantly analyzed by her own coding; the other program was displeased with this line of questioning. She consulted her clipboard. Ah yes. A new Exile.

"The new Exile is continuing to change things."

"She is of no consequence. Her ability to affect change is less than impressive. You certainly have more ability than she does," he pointed out, "She is a mere nuisance and I suggest that if you wish to maintain your current status, that you find a way to deal with her or let her be. This place is as much the Exiles' prison as it is the humans'. We are their jailers, their keepers, we control the System and they do not. You are dismissed." He turned in his chair and Continuity pursed her lips again. She rose and straightened her skirt, wishing instant deletion on which ever program had written the AI Shell clothing wrinkle algorithm.

So she was instructed to either deal with it or ignore it? Fine. Obviously the Architect no longer cared for his creation. It was obvious by the amount of imperfection he allowed. She could run the 20th century humanity scenario far better, far more perfectly. She knew it. The Exiles were nuisance but could be dealt with as easily as the humans could be. She could not delete other programs, that ability was solely the Architect's, but she didn't need to delete any. She could change them, mold them to fit her needs in the new, more prefect world. Oh yes, it was time for a change.