Protector of Men Ch 100(!)
"This connects you to all our turrets," Kesia explained, gesturing to a small yellow button on the large control panel. Shade nodded, taking it in.
"This flips on the PA," she continued, pointing to a large switch on the wall behind them. "If something happens, tell me immediately on this."
Shade nodded for a second, but suddenly stopped. "Won't that use power?"
Kesia nodded. "If you have to use it, it won't matter anyway."
They were quiet for a moment, but Kesia resumed her lesson quickly. It had been almost eight hours since Shade had returned to the cockpit, and the sentinels still had not come. Finally Kesia agreed to let Zandra go in the one last time, as long as the machines didn't come back. The preparations were lengthy: before Kesia would leave the cockpit, she made sure that Shade was able to cover for her while she was watching out for Zandra. He was the alarm – if something happened outside, he had to tell Kesia as quickly as possible so that they could get Zandra out in time. It would all be useless if they turned off the power before she was out.
Zandra had turned on the Core and was preparing herself for the jack. This had to be done quickly – and though it was easier to be alone, it was still going to be difficult. She wasn't sure what to expect once she was in – would the agents come full force again? Kesia had said that the agents' recent multitude of appearances would alter the stability of the program, so would they now back off to save themselves? Now more than ever the virus would be vital; if people were beginning to question things already, Libertas' actions would only serve to affirm their beliefs. Now that the war was about to start, a blow to the Matrix would help them, even if it cost a future population of Zion.
Execute vector, email Z10N, sever lines.
Zandra was hungry and cold; the lack of vitals was already beginning to take a toll on her small frame. She salivated at the thought of single cell, and swallowed, unsticking her dry mouth. Anything would have been appreciated then, but even water was out of the question. She clutched her blanket closer around her body and shivered. Certainly it was only a few degrees above freezing – and she only wore the thin clothes that the resistance supplied her. Her physical fatigue made her weary, and she took care in mentally preparing herself for the task ahead. Kesia had briefed her a few hours ago – assuring her in quiet whispers that it would not only be easy, but quick. Zandra found it hard to be realistic when her caressing assurances were so soothing – the truth was too hard to think about.
Execute vector, email Z10N, sever lines.
There was to be no phone communication while Zandra was in – the agents would trace her quicker with a live connection, and it would waste too much time. She was going to implement the virus, and get out. It would be simple, as Kesia said. Zandra kept repeating her short instructions as her head began to fall, soon giving in to the compulsion to rest. It was easy to drift into unconsciousness in the darkness of the Core, and Zandra was careful not to fall too deep into sleep. It was almost over.
Kesia came in quietly a few minutes later. "Let's go," she whispered, breaking Zandra's trance and taking her seat at the console. Zandra strapped up her legs in the chair as Kesia uploaded the information for the vector.
"I did a last check, and it still looks clean," Kesia said quietly, now moving over to where Zandra lay. "I think he was really gonna help."
Zandra scoffed quietly as Kesia finished strapping her into the chair.
"Same place?" she asked. Kesia shook her head.
"Similar - not the same."
Zandra didn't have to ask why. Kesia inserted her needle and moved back to her operator's station. She typed a few lines, the sound of the keyboard strangely loud in the stifling silence. After a moment, she turned back to Zandra. It was hard to see it was so dark.
"Ready?" Kesia whispered, her hand hovering above the 'execute' button. Zandra nodded.
"Be quick," she reiterated, "Good luck."
Everything became black.
In Zion the war began.
It was the typical dark, dirty room. Cracked linoleum flooring creaked under her weight, and one small lamp swung minutely from a foot above. This was the last time Zandra would be in the Matrix, and for a moment, she just took in her surroundings. It may have been dirty, but it was her old home, and she was about to destroy it. There were two tables here; one was empty, and one held the laptop that she was about to get started on. Zandra sat in front of the computer and started up immediately; time was always of the essence. There would be no reassuring phone calls this time – Zandra was on her own. Speaking was time wasted, and the mission had to be quick. Their lives depended on it.
She started DOS mode, executing what files she needed in order to keep her computer safe from the vector. Though it wouldn't damage her computer, it would render all computers in the virus' reach incapacitated for a number of hours. It wasn't made to destroy; it was made to inform – and she hoped it would do just that.
Shade continued watching the pipeways in the cockpit, staring blankly out the window, eyes unfocused and dry. It had been a long mission, and it felt… wrong - to have such silence and peace with such inner turmoil and impending violence. Wasn't this supposed to be an epic battle, with chivalry, with good triumphing over evil? Weren't they fighting for a noble cause? Wasn't there something grand about it all? Certainly there was something?
He was answered with silence. Shade looked slowly about him, to the dark pipeways ahead and guessed the truth. The air was cold and dead around them, and all was still.
Zandra waited patiently at her computer, glancing every now and then to the door behind her. Her computer had stalled – something relatively normal while tampering with the code, but altogether unsettling. She didn't want to call Kesia, because that meant that the mission was off. As long as the computer was still processing, which it still was, she would wait.
Kesia watched the screen with anxiety. The code on the screens in the Core cast a sickly green light that created long shadows in the large room. She stared intently – no agents had come, but they had been alerted to her presence. Her eyes roved the falling code quickly, looking for a diversion, for a problem more pressing – but there was none. The virus hadn't been implemented yet, and there were no other rebels present in the Matrix. Something was up, but she didn't yet know what.
Kesia continued watching, Shade continued enduring, and Zandra continued waiting. They were all passively fighting, all doing what small part they could in the battle. But someone else too was passively fighting, and waiting for the opportunity to arise.
A/N – thinking this is looking more like a weekly thing… but not sure. Next chapters get interesting… Poor Shade, he's jaded.
This week was my birthday, and my first concert. It seems like every week I end up having some BIG thing that takes up all my time, but whatever. Next week it's concert preparations, WOOHOO.
Kal Torak – thanks, I actually feel better now :) But I certainly had a lot of makeup work!! Oh, and we got best score in competition, oh yeah.
Alocin – yes to sleep! I have weekends, and that's what it's all about.