Protector of Men Ch 89
"Zandra, Shade, get ready," the intercom said, "We're clear. We can't waste time."
She got up from her place on the floor, rubbing her eyes from the sudden change in light. She knocked on the door behind her and heard Shade rousing from his place in bed. He didn't look at her as he entered the hallway, but all the same she could tell how he felt.
His hair was disheveled on one side; his eyes were alert, but deep and baggy. His mouth drooped in what seemed like a permanent frown. His shoulders slumped, and he shuffled by her on route to the core. He was afraid, and she didn't blame him. If things went well, they would survive… but even she didn't know anymore.
Barely anyone said anything as they prepared to go in. It would be just her and Shade; Kesia had to operate, Cover had to oversee, and Trim had to watch for sentinel activity. Zandra's anxiety crept back – Trim's absence at the core wasn't a good sign. Nonetheless, it may just have been because he had a job to do.
"Try to be quick," Cover said as she reclined into her seat, "We don't know how much time we have."
Zandra nodded and sighed.
"Kesia put a marker on this professor, so we know where he is. She'll get you as close as she can, and then guide you there. Just tell him, and get out."
She looked to Shade, who also nodded weakly.
"We're set," she replied.
"Then let's go."
It was a dark basement. Zandra could barely make out her surroundings; it was a bare concrete floor, a few old tables, and an old phone on the wall. She and Shade soon stepped up a few stairs to the back exit and into the open air.
They were both shocked at the environment they occupied. Ancient oaks were to their left and right; their glittering green leaves making shadows that danced on the ground in front of them. A dirty sanded path led from where they stood to a central walkway, and lush green grass covered the bright ground. Benches spotted the park, and patches of flowers dotted the greenery. Zandra sighed longingly, remembering the beauty of nature. She had left all of this, and it seemed almost that beauty was only a memory. Anguish invaded her previously stoic countenance – this was all going to be destroyed if things went well. There would be nothing left except for dirty steel and smog. Beauty would be lost forever.
Shade's phone rang. He answered it, and moments later hung up again.
"He's in the building over there," he told Zandra, pointing off into the distance, "Kesia said he's in the conference room alone."
Zandra looked around expectantly.
"Is it safe to go that far?" she asked, keeping an eye out for any people, "Can we call him? Get him to come to us?"
Shade nodded and pulled out his phone again. A few moments later, he handed it back to her. "It's ringing," he told her. Dr. Sherman picked up after the third ring.
"Hello, Dr. Sherman speaking."
Zandra waited a moment to respond - just enough to let him know this wasn't just any person on the line.
"…Hello?" He asked, persistent.
"Hi Dr. Sherman," Zandra said tentatively, almost fearing the prospect of speaking to her old teacher – her old mentor – again. The professor said nothing, but remained on the line.
"Do you know who this is?" she asked, trying to remember the old 'college-girl', 'not-a-care-in-the-world' syntax of speech.
Dr. Sherman waited again.
"…I think so," he finally said, his voice firm and confident.
"Meet us outside. You'll know where I am."
She hung up the phone, realizing that her hands were shaking. Whether it was because of their tense situation, or her brief talk with the person that could break the barred floodgates of her dangerous memories, she didn't want to know. She looked around once more, then gestured for Shade to follow her.
"He's coming out."
It was clear to Shade that both of them were trying to conceal their surprise at seeing each other. The three of them were hidden in an alcove of the building; it wasn't safe from the agents, but it was safe from any passerby's, and that was good enough for the moment.
"It's been you?" Dr. Sherman asked, his eyes unfocused, staring at Zandra. She nodded jerkily. "So it's all true?" She nodded again.
"How much have you seen?" she asked, trying to keep to her schedule. Questions began forming in her mind… how is William… did they ask about me… do they remember?
"The glitch was right," he said, glancing upwards, "Something's wrong."
"Feel like something's wrong with the world?" Shade asked, but was quiet again.
Dr. Sherman nodded slowly.
"This Matrix thing," he started-
"Tell as many people as you can," Zandra whispered while Shade kept watch, "It's going to change soon. Tell the scientists, and tell the students. Tell everyone."
Dr. Sherman blinked a few times, but nodded again. Their time would soon be running out. Agents would have a lock on them soon… and might have a lock on Dr. Sherman, as well.
"Watch the glitches, and report them. It's safer that way."
"Can I get out?" the professor asked, his eyes wide in uncertainty. Anguish passed over her again: he wouldn't be able to get out. If he was lucky, he'd become their martyr. She quickly shoved the old memory of Professor Sherman aside.
"Maybe in a while," she said, "But it's not safe now. What you have to do now is convince them of the truth. We'll be sending out a virus on the internet within a day or so. It may screw things up, but they'll know the truth. It's going to get dangerous in a little while."
Dr. Sherman sighed, and they were all quiet for a few moments. But just as Shade was about to tell them to get going, Dr. Sherman spoke up again.
"This is where you've been, all this time," he breathed, looking to the ground, "And they told us you were dead."
Zandra didn't say anything, but dreaded what he might say next. She longed to know more of the inside… her old life… but at the same time shied from the thought of them. She was a soldier, and she had a job to do. It was nothing more than a rogue desire.
She never found out what else he had to say. Somewhere far off Zandra could hear someone running – running towards them, and looked to see who it was. Alarms rang in her mind as she recognized the approaching being.
"Get out!" she yelled to Sherman, thrusting herself in front of his body. Shade immediately pulled out his Glock-17, and aimed it at their assailant. Behind them Sherman was running, and was soon at least out of sight.
"What do you want?" Zandra yelled as she pulled out her weapon as well. It seemed like hours had passed, but it had only been seconds since he had been spotted. She grabbed Shade's arm and jerked him forward and out of the alcove. It was a short run to their exit, but already it was looking perilous.
Smith snarled and said nothing. Instead he continued to approach them, stiffly and purposefully.
"Do you want Neo?" She continued to shout, all the time nudging Shade in the direction of their exit, "I don't know where he is, so don't ask me!"
Smith stopped stomping towards them and frowned.
"Run," Zandra whispered at Shade, who began on his way to the exit. Smith apparently didn't take notice to him, because he pulled out his weapon and trained it on her instead. If there was a time to escape, it was now. Abandoning her pretense she followed Shade to their exit, easily reaching him in seconds. The exit was only a hundred yards away, and they were coming at it quickly. Soon they'd be out again.
Shots rang out from behind them, and it was clear from the noise that the explosions were from more than one gun. Shade faltered a moment, but Zandra pushed him forward.
"Go," she urged him, "I'll stop them." He agreed, and went ahead. Zandra turned around, her Berettas ready.
"Well, Zandra," One of the Smiths sneered as he came to a stop, "You're outnumbered."
She paused before shouting back a retort, because he was right: there were roughly a dozen of him in the area, and only one of her. She just hoped that Shade was close to the exit.
"I don't know where he is," she told them, keeping her guns on various Smiths, changing targets every few seconds. It was obvious to them that she was worried, and it pleased them.
"Oh, I wouldn't be too sure of that," one of them answered, coming closer to her. "There's only one way to know for sure."
Zandra abandoned her aim and turned to sprint. Surprisingly, her way wasn't blocked. She ran as fast as she could – the building was coming closer, and Shade wasn't in sight – and almost made it to the exit before they made it to her. She struggled for freedom as one of the Smiths grabbed hold of her wrist. She continued holding her gun in his grip, and fired 5 shots into the dust next to them. Soon it was quiet again.
"Have you ever wished you were someone else?" he asked with a grin, holding her wrist even tighter. Zandra struggled for freedom as the other Smiths gathered together to watch at a safe distance. For a moment everything moved slowly, but then it sped up again with terrifying intensity. Smith plunged his arm into her stomach, and things began to grow dark as his existence spread into her. Zandra watched with curiosity as the virus spread through her body, locked in a state of semi-consciousness that kept her from acting. This had happened before, hadn't it? But that wasn't an issue now, because it was about to end… Smith smiled as her gaze became distant, and she stopped struggling.
But Shade hadn't gone to the exit. He was hiding next to the door as Zandra struggled to follow him, and now he was watching as she died. No, he told himself, not yet!
Zandra was jolted back to consciousness instantly, the aborted Smith at her feet. She made a quick glance to Shade – his outstretched arm holding the gun he fired – and sprinted to where he stood. A moment later he too had turned tail and disappeared into the room. It was a whirlwind of action. Zandra could hear the phone already ringing, and knew the Smiths would be upon them in a matter of seconds.
"You first!" she yelled into the building as she flung the door closed behind her. Loud pounding outside alerted her to their approach, and the sudden quietness in the room meant that Shade was gone. She bolted down the short stairs and the phone began to ring again. There was a loud explosion, and light poured into the basement. The Smiths had gotten in. Zandra picked up the phone with strong hands, and she was gone.
A/N - yay! I have a whole chapter outline set up, so I know what I want in chaps. So I'm on in the fast-lane, now!
Radrandy – wow, that was the most awesome review I've received in a long time. And thanks for telling me about that spelling error – I can't believe no one else alerted me to that! I must have been delirious.
And I'm really glad that you enjoy more of the part with the theory, the 'what-if' part. The AU's are most interesting to me… and I tend to think more along the theoretical line than story-making line. I'd like to think of this journey as 'exploring a concept', rather than 'making a story'. And you're absolutely right about chapter shortness… I seem to have fallen into the 2.5 page chapter rut, and I've been trying to get out of it.
Thanks again for your thorough review, and I hope you continue to enjoy it! :)