Disclaimer: See Part I.


Evangelion:
Deus Ex Machina

Chapter 3


Shinji woke when a jolt shook the ship. He heard movement in the hallway outside his door. He sat up, pushing the blanket off his body, and walked across the room. He opened the door nearly bumped into Asuka.

"Good morning, Third Child," she said, continuing down the corridor. A large bag was slung over her shoulder.

"What's going on?" Shinji asked, seeing Rei appear from the girls' shared room with another bag.

"Morpheus is throwing us off," Asuka said angrily.

Rei's hands danced in the air as she shook her head.

Asuka grumbled. "Yeah, yeah. He's sending us back to Zion, supposedly for our protection. The captain says that we're too valuable to risk in the Matrix unnecessarily."

"But you got to go there in order to get me out?"

While they were talking, Asuka had set her bag down and walked back up the corridor. She disappeared into her room, and came back out with another bag over her shoulder. "Yes. We convinced them that, as the current pilots, we should be able to meet you and make sure that you were decent pilot material." She dropped her bag and started up the corridor again.

"Well am I?"

"Pilot material? I don't know. But you don't seem like a total idiot, so we'll give you a chance."

Shinji looked up the corridor, where Rei was standing. She smiled and rolled her eyes. Shinji didn't have to know sign language to know what Rei meant by twirling her fingers around the side of her head. "She's crazy."

Asuka reappeared from her room with another large bag. She dropped it next to her other two and sat down. "Whew. That's everything."

"You sure about that?" asked Trinity, climbing down the ladder. "It would be terrible if you forgot something."

Asuka crossed her arms and pouted as Trinity walked toward the girls. "The Logos will be here in a minute. They're returning from a patrol, and Captain Niobe was gracious enough to come out of her way and meet us."

Trinity pulled a large lever, and the wall behind Rei and Asuka opened. They were all hit with a blast of cold, stale air. Shinji walked forward and stepped out onto the ramp. He looked around. The ship was parked in some kind of tunnel, which was lined with huge pipes. "Where are we?" he asked.

"These are the old service and sewer systems," answered Trinity. "They ran for hundreds of miles, under and between the great cities."

Any further questions Shinji might have asked were drowned out by a loud hum and cracks of thunder. He looked up and saw another ship fly over the Nebuchadnezzar. It was almost fish shaped, with numerous glowing disks extending off it in various directions. The ship turned and landed, its bow facing the Neb.

Morpheus came down the ladder and stood next to Trinity, hands clasped behind his back. "Are you okay?" asked Trinity.

Morpheus stared straight ahead. "Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

Trinity smiled slightly. "Here they come."

The ramp of the other ship had opened and two figures walked out, crossing the short distance to the Nebuchadnezzar. Shinji observed them as they approached; they were the second set of people he had encountered since his freeing. A black woman and Asian man, they were dressed in the same loose, warm clothing that the crew of the Nebuchadnezzar wore.

"Hi, Niobe!" shouted Asuka as they got close. The woman waved to her, but didn't speak until she had stepped onto the ramp.

"Captain Morpheus, the Logos is at your disposal," she said.

"Thank you for helping us, Captain Niobe. I understand that this may delay your return to Zion." Morpheus said, choosing his words.

"Commander Lock won't have any issue with a slight delay in our return." The two captains stared at each other for a moment. Shinji could feel an unspoken tension between them.

Asuka might have too, because she glanced between them, and then broke it. "He'd better not have a problem, since you came to pick us up. As Morpheus said, we're too valuable to risk unnecessarily."

"Of course, Asuka," said Niobe, smiling slightly. "Ghost, will you help them get back to the Logos? I need to discuss a few things with Morpheus and Trinity."

The man called Ghost nodded, then eyed the stack of bags. "Are all of these yours?" he asked Asuka.

The redhead put her hands on her hips. "Of course not! The small one there belongs to Rei."

Ghost picked up two of the bags, slinging one over each shoulder. Shinji noticed that he had left the largest bag for Asuka to carry. He wondered if Ghost had done that on purpose; Shinji would have.

"You packed everything you owned again, didn't you?" asked Ghost, walking down the ramp.

"No!" shouted Asuka, hefting her own bag and following him. "I left over half my belongings in Zion! I just hope that..."

Shinji ignored the rest of the conversation, noticing that Rei had not followed yet. She turned to Morpheus and raised her right hand, waving to him. She then touched her thumb to her temple, with her open palm facing forward. Finished talking, she stepped forward and hugged Morpheus tightly.

The tall man returned her hug. "Behave yourself, Rei," he said. "Do what Niobe and the others tell you to."

Rei nodded, then turned and walked down the ramp, hurrying to catch up with the others.

Morpheus turned to Niobe. "What did you have to tell us?"

"Four days ago, our operator called us out of the Matrix. Sparks had detected a dozen Sentinels, patrolling as a single group."

"A dozen?" asked Trinity. "They never put so many together."

"They were together this time. Before we could try to escape, or even charge the EMP, they were on us. They flew right by, with only one pausing long enough to inspect us."

"The Sentinels fulfilled their end of the treaty?" Morpheus smiled. "It's about time."

"The thing is," continued Niobe, "we were broadcasting. Surely, they could detect that, but they let us be."

"Something may be happening then," said Trinity.

Morpheus nodded. "Time is getting short. We will be contacting the Oracle when we get to broadcast depth. I'll see what She can tell us."

Niobe agreed. "I'll tell all this to Commander Lock and the other captains. We'll see if anyone else has had similar experiences." She turned and walked down the ramp. "Good luck, Morpheus."

"Take care of them," he called as the ramp closed.

"I hope we'll be as fortunate as the Logos," said Trinity.

"Perhaps." Morpheus turned and walked up the corridor. "We should get to broadcast depth as quickly as possible. If Niobe is correct, it should be easy to find a good broadcast position."

Shinji had followed them up the corridor. "Trinity? Um..." He had several questions, but one drove his curiosity.

She turned to him as Morpheus climbed the ladder. "Yes?"

"What did Rei sign to Morpheus, before she left?"

"She said 'goodbye, father'."




A few hours later, the Nebuchadnezzar had reached a broadcast position and landed. They hadn't encountered any Sentinels, and Shinji was sure that that was a good thing.

He found himself lying in one of the chairs again, with the metal rod in his head. After having been connected a few times, it didn't hurt, though it was still a disturbing sensation.

Shinji noticed for the first time that there were seven of these chairs, arranged in a semi-circle around the Operator's panel. Only one was empty. Neo, Morpheus, Trinity, Switch, and Apoc occupied the rest.

Misato inserted the plug into Apoc's head, then ran back to her post. "Please keep your hands and arms inside the ride while it is in motion," she announced jovially. "Let's go!" She pressed a button on one of her screens, and all six were jacked in.




Shinji found himself in a large, old room, similar to the one he had first met Morpheus in. An old phone sat in the middle of the room, ringing loudly. Morpheus picked it up. "We're in."

The six quickly descended the stairs and reached a door. Morpheus stepped out and looked around, then turned back to the group. "Apoc, Switch..."

"I know," interrupted Apoc. He smiled whimsically. "We stand guard here."

Morpheus smiled and nodded. "We'll be back shortly." He walked to a large sedan, and drove it to the door. Neo and Trinity emerged from the building, leading Shinji to the car. He climbed in back with Neo, while Trinity took the front passenger seat.

Shinji stared out the window as the car drove. "Where are we?" he asked after several miles.

"This would be Chicago, if it were real," said Neo.

Shinji continued to stare out the window. "Where are we going?"

"We're taking you to the Oracle. She will show you your path."

Shinji turned from the window. "My path?"

Neo nodded. "What you are meant to do."

Shinji turned back to the window. "That would be nice to know," he mused.

The car stopped at a large, old building. Neo opened his door to get out, but turned back when he realized Morpheus hadn't moved from behind the wheel. "You're not coming?" he asked.

Morpheus shook his head. "I think that the Oracle does not need to see me. It is more important that you two speak to Her. She will tell you anything I need to know."

Neo nodded and stepped out of the car, followed by Shinji. "Who is this Oracle?" Shinji asked.

They walked into the building and onto a waiting elevator. "She is our advisor, our guide. She has helped the resistance since the very beginning." At the top floor, they exited the elevator. Neo led Shinji down the hall. "I'm not sure what She'll have to say to you, but you can trust whatever She tells you."

Neo opened the apartment door and stepped aside, letting Shinji enter first. He walked into a small, cozy apartment. While the walls outside where covered in graffiti and dirt, the interior was clean and neat.

A tall black woman walked from another room to greet them. "Hello, Neo. Welcome back. Is this the boy?"

Neo placed a hand on Shinji's shoulder. "Yes. This is Shinji Ikari."

"I will tell the Oracle that you are here." She turned and walked out of the room.

Shinji quickly looked around. There were a half dozen children in the apartment's living room, mostly younger than him. Most of them regarded Shinji and Neo with curious stares. Two who appeared to be closer to his age, however, didn't even acknowledge their presence, engrossed in some sort of game.

Both sat on the floor, legs crossed. The girl, who had short, blond hair, passed a spoon to the bald boy in front of her. Shinji's jaw dropped when, under the boy's intense gaze, the spoon bent, twirling around like a leaf in the wind. It snapped back upright, and the boy released it. The spoon floated upwards, slowly turning in the air over his hand. After a moment, it floated back down to his open palm.

The boy handed the spoon back to the girl. She frowned momentarily, then tossed the spoon into the air. It hung there for a moment, before it began spinning rapidly, dancing in figure eights before her.

Not content with that, the girl stretched a hand toward a small cage near her. A white mouse lifted into the air and floated to the center of the room, between the two children. The spoon orbited around the mouse, which was surprisingly calm, like it was used to this treatment.

"Saga!" Shinji started, and turned to see that the woman had come back into the room. "You know you are not allowed to manipulate the pets like that."

The girl grabbed the mouse out of the air and held it, lowering her head. "Yes, ma'am. I'm sorry."

The woman turned to Shinji. "The Oracle is waiting for you. This way, please."

As Shinji followed the woman out of the living room, he glanced back at the two kids. The girl looked up, and flashed him a mischievous grin. She quickly floated the mouse to the boy across from her, who caught it before it latched onto his face.

Shinji followed the woman to the kitchen. Another, older woman was there, sitting on a stool. He found himself under another visual inspection, though he felt that this woman was reading his mind, too.

"You look about like I expected, Shinji," She finally said, smiling. "I doubt you'll say the same about me."

Shinji shrugged slightly. "Well, nothing has been like I expected, since I was freed."

"That's what everyone says, at first." She leaned forward, lowering Her voice to a near whisper. "But your experience will be very different."

"You mean...the gift, that Neo told me about?"

Instead of answering, the Oracle turned to the over. Grabbing two oven mitts, She opened it, and removed a small cake pan. "This looks good, doesn't it?"

Shinji nodded, not sure if She had missed his question.

"We're having a going away party tonight for some of the potentials. They will soon be freed from the Matrix. You remember the red pill you took? This cake is the same thing. It will only be eaten by the children who are ready to leave my home."

"Is there a blue pill for them?" Shinji asked.

The Oracle set the cake pan on the counter, letting it cool. "These children have already made their decision. They don't need one.

"I've baked many of these cakes over the years. I wish I could have made one for you. You asked about you gift, Shinji? You do have a very special, rare power. You're only the third child we've found with this power.

"Rei and Asuka each have gifts like yours, and the same burden to bear. But I see it weighing heaviest on you. In the end, you may have to bear it alone. Let Morpheus and the others help you, as well as they can. The time will come when they will depend on you more than you depend on them."




After Shinji left, the Oracle turned to Her cake. It had cooled enough that She could begin to spread the frosting on it. "Hello, Neo." She smiled as the One entered Her kitchen. "I'm impressed. I didn't expect you to find the boy so quickly."

"So he is the one you wanted?" Neo asked.

"It's not that I wanted him in particular. Unlike you, what the Children are, and are capable of, is not so well defined. To identify one, we have to meet them in person."

"You didn't expect them," Neo said. It was a statement, not a question.

The Oracle stopped working on the cake, and stared out the kitchen's window. "No, I did not. What has happened is beyond anything I anticipated. These Children are the only salvation for all life, human or machine."

"How much time do we have?"

"None. Everything will change, in here and out there. You've heard of it already, no doubt. The Sentinels are backing off, preparing to fight another enemy.

"Here in the Matrix, the Agents are getting worse. They're pushing harder to catch every rebel who connects. They're getting closer to me, too. I'll be leaving here in a few days, relocating. Another crew will be picking up several of the potentials, and the rest will come with me."

"How can we contact you?" asked Neo.

The Oracle finished spreading the frosting. "I will contact you, when it is time. Look after those Children, Neo. They're far stronger, and far more fragile, than they seem."

"I will," Neo promised. He turned and walked out of the kitchen.




In the living room, Neo found Shinji under the intense interrogation of the young blond girl. "What's it like, getting out?" she asked.

Shinji searched for words to explain. "I guess it's like...waking up, from the deepest sleep ever."

The girl shook her head. "No, I mean, what exactly happened? I want to know for when my time comes."

"You'll get your chance soon enough, Saga," Neo said, with an amused smile.

"But I don't want to wait any longer," she pouted, walking away.

Shinji followed Neo out of the apartment, and into the elevator. "Do most of you live with the Oracle first?" he asked, pressing the button to take them to the lobby.

"No, very few do, actually. Most..." Neo paused, and quickly looked around. He pulled a cellular phone from his pocket and hit speed dial.

"Operator."

"Misato, tell Morpheus to get over here quickly. Agents have come."

"Agents?! We'll have you two out in no time."

"No! Get Shinji out. I've got to keep them occupied, and draw them away from the Oracle."

Misato was silent for a moment. "Copy."

Neo hung up the phone and grabbed Shinji's collar when the elevator doors opened. He quickly dragged the boy into a nearby alley, and shoved him into a pile of trash bags. "Stay here until Morpheus arrives, and then go with him."

"What about you?" asked Shinji, frightened.

"I can handle the Agents. Stay quiet." Neo put a large piece of cardboard over Shinji, then ran to the other end of the alley.

He stopped and turned back, facing the alley's entrance. Three Agents stepped around the corner, striding toward him. Neo held his breath as they reached Shinji's hiding place. They passed it, unaware that the boy was there.

The Agents stopped, facing the black clad man. The lead Agent spoke. "We meet again, Mister Anderson. You're not going to walk away this time."

"Do you think you can stop me, Smith?"

The Agent sneered at him. "I killed you, Mister Anderson. I shot you in that hallway, but you didn't stay dead. You stood back up and answered that phone. There's no exit waiting for you now. I intend to correct my mistake."

All three Agents drew their pistols, firing at Neo. He calmly raised a hand, stopping the bullets with an invisible barrier. Smith growled and tossed his weapon aside, rushing down the alley. The other Agents holstered their weapons and followed Smith's charge.

They flung themselves at Neo, attacking with feet and fists. Neo met and countered every blow, easily tossing the Agents away. The four fighters moved faster than Shinji could see, leaping off walls and high into the air. Neo caught one of them in the air with a vicious kick, sending the Agent flying down the alley. He crashed down on Shinji's hiding place and leapt back to his feet, unaware of the poor boy who had nicely broken his fall.

The black sedan screeched to a halt, with Trinity leaning out of the passenger side window. "Shinji, get in!" she yelled. Shinji climbed out of the garbage pile and ran forward, yanking the door open.

"Stop them!" shouted Agent Smith, just before Neo kicked him. His impact added another agent shaped dent to the brick wall. One of the other agents turned and ran back up the alley. He was half way to the car when Trinity raised a submachine gun. The agent slid to a halt and dodged the bullets, blurring as they passed him. He was to busy dodging to notice Neo coming up behind him, until Neo's foot connected with his head. The agent added yet another dent to the wall.

"GO!" Neo shouted, grabbing another Agent before he could leap on the car. Morpheus jammed the accelerator down, pulling away as Neo turned and punted the agent back down the alley.

"He'll be okay, right?" asked Shinji.

"Of course," said Trinity, setting the gun down on the floor.

"They're too close," said Morpheus, gripping the steering wheel tightly. "They mustn't find the Oracle."

"The Oracle seemed to be getting ready to go some where," said Shinji. "She was sending some of the children away, she said."

Morpheus let out a relieved sigh. "Of course. She would expect it, wouldn't she?"




Shinji sat up after Switch removed the plug from his head. He realized that he had barely felt it go out. Perhaps he was getting used to it.

Apoc removed the plugs from Morpheus and Trinity. "How is he doing?" Morpheus asked, as soon as it was out.

"He's toying with them," said Misato. "Neo's led the Agents almost two miles away from the Oracle's place."

The others crowded around her console, staring at the text covered screens. "You can tell that?" Shinji asked, confused by the flow of information.

Apoc nodded. "That's the code of the Matrix. It's too complex to be viewed any other way."

A small light on the desk began flashing. Misato frowned and hit a few keys, and one of the side screens was replaced with a text message. Morpheus' frown grew deeper than the Operator's as he read it. "Call him in," he said, walking to the forward ladder of the ship.

Misato tapped a few buttons, and, a moment later, she was talking to Neo. "Operator."

A few kicks were heard before Neo responded. "Yes?"

"We need you back here, right now," she said.

"Right, where's the nearest exit?"

"There's a pay phone in the Sheraton lobby, twelve blocks east of you."

"On my way."

Misato pressed a button on her console, disconnecting the call. She leaned back and put her hands behind her head. "We'll just wait for him, and then we'll be on our way."

"Wow!" exclaimed Apoc. "I haven't gotten used to that.

Shinji glanced at the others, seeing similar expressions of surprise on there face. "What? What is it?"

"Neo is flying again," Misato explained, eyeing the screens suspiciously.




Neo climbed the ladder to the Nebuchadnezzar's cockpit. Morpheus and Trinity were there, planning their course. "What's going on?" he asked.

Morpheus pointed to a small screen. "Orders from Zion. We're to rendezvous with the Casper, and help them prepare for combat operations."

Neo stared ahead, watching the tunnels soar by. "She said we were out of time."

Morpheus nodded.