Morpheus ended his conversation with the control group at Zion. They
gave him news of where the machines were and how long it would take the
Nebuchadnezzar to get there. He patrolled the ship, making sure everything
was alright.
Although mortally wounded, Tank was at his post doing his job. "What's happening, Chief?" he said when Morpheus approached him. "The machines have retreated - for a little while. We'll reach Zion in a week."
"A week?"
"Yes. Something must have pushed us off course."
"I can believe that. The Matrix seems to be reading a little bit differently lately."
"How so?"
"I think maybe there are some minor glitches."
"Minor things can cause bigger, deadlier things. There are no minor glitches in the Matrix."
"So what are you going to do?"
"I think I may pay the Oracle a visit."
"A visit so soon?"
"I need advice on something."
"We all need advice some way or another."
"And my advice to you is to not quit your day job."
Morpheus left Tank at his place, then continued to Neo's door and opened it. Neo was lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
"You okay, kid?"
Neo slowly rolled up to a sitting position. "Yeah, but I'm still feeling a little sore and weak."
"You'll heal."
"So what have you come to me about?"
"I am going to visit the Oracle. You have the choice whether to come with me or not."
"I might as well come with you. It's not like I have much to do around here."
"Right. So I'll meet you by the station in five minutes?"
"No, Right now."
The two of them left the room and went to the station. "Morpheus, is Trinity coming with us?"
"No, I haven't seen a sign of her all day."
Tank smiled and set the program up. Morpheus and Neo sat back in their chairs, and then two minutes later, they opened their eyes and were in the real world. Morpheus had Tank load a car into the program, and he drove to the apartments. The scenery looked a little strange, like something had changed, but the Oracle's apartment was in its same place as always.
The door was answered by the boy Neo recognized as the boy with the spoon-bending capabilities. He said nothing, but bowed his head to Neo as he let them inside. The Oracle was sitting in her kitchen, frosting a cake with two little girls. "Ah, Morpheus, Neo, so bittersweet it is to see you again. Every time I see either of you I always have bad news, it seems. This time, though, I do have good news."
"Really, what news is this?" Morpheus crossed his arms and leaned on the fridge. The Oracle stood up and shooed the girls out of the kitchen. "Now dears, you must wait in the living room for now. Don't worry, the cake will still be here when you come back." She turned and sat back down. "You may also sit down, if you like."
Neo and Morpheus sat down on kitchen chairs. "You already knew whether we would sit down or not, didn't you?" Neo said.
"That I did," the Oracle smiled.
"Now, Oracle, what about the news?" Morpheus asked.
"Oh yes, the news. Well, whether you know it or not, the Matrix has parallel worlds."
Neo was intrigued. "Parallel worlds?"
"Yes, there are many of them, each different in their own way."
"Are you saying that...?"
"This is one of those worlds. You must have passed over some sort of barrier. Even I cannot understand it."
"That's why Tank said that the Matrix was reading somewhat differently."
"Yes, correct again."
"So what makes this Matrix different from the Matrix we know?"
"It has something to do with him." She nodded her head indicating Neo. Neo was confused. "About me? What about me?"
"You remember when you took the red pill?"
"Yes. It would lead me farther and the blue pill..."
"The blue pill, what about the blue pill, Neo?"
"It would take me back, and I'd forget that everything had happened."
"Exactly, this world..."
"Is just as if I had never taken the red pill."
"See, you're not as dim as I thought."
Morpheus spoke up. "Is there more to this?"
"Ah, so you finally ask. There is, in fact, more to this story, much more."
"What is it?"
"Neo, do you remember your old apartment?"
"Yes."
"Return there, and then you'll see for yourself. All I can say is that you must rescue someone, and it is crucial. You'll know who to pick by their actions."
She stood up. "Now go, and remember what I said. Goodbye, Morpheus." She ushered the men through the living room and to the door. Neo turned around. "You already know what will happen, don't you?"
"Yes, but that is for me to know and you to decide. Goodbye, Neo." She shut the door, and Neo and Morpheus walked to the elevator and waited for it to approach.
"She's interesting, isn't she, Neo? Always makes you think." Neo nodded.
"The rabbit hole is always getting deeper."
Although mortally wounded, Tank was at his post doing his job. "What's happening, Chief?" he said when Morpheus approached him. "The machines have retreated - for a little while. We'll reach Zion in a week."
"A week?"
"Yes. Something must have pushed us off course."
"I can believe that. The Matrix seems to be reading a little bit differently lately."
"How so?"
"I think maybe there are some minor glitches."
"Minor things can cause bigger, deadlier things. There are no minor glitches in the Matrix."
"So what are you going to do?"
"I think I may pay the Oracle a visit."
"A visit so soon?"
"I need advice on something."
"We all need advice some way or another."
"And my advice to you is to not quit your day job."
Morpheus left Tank at his place, then continued to Neo's door and opened it. Neo was lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
"You okay, kid?"
Neo slowly rolled up to a sitting position. "Yeah, but I'm still feeling a little sore and weak."
"You'll heal."
"So what have you come to me about?"
"I am going to visit the Oracle. You have the choice whether to come with me or not."
"I might as well come with you. It's not like I have much to do around here."
"Right. So I'll meet you by the station in five minutes?"
"No, Right now."
The two of them left the room and went to the station. "Morpheus, is Trinity coming with us?"
"No, I haven't seen a sign of her all day."
Tank smiled and set the program up. Morpheus and Neo sat back in their chairs, and then two minutes later, they opened their eyes and were in the real world. Morpheus had Tank load a car into the program, and he drove to the apartments. The scenery looked a little strange, like something had changed, but the Oracle's apartment was in its same place as always.
The door was answered by the boy Neo recognized as the boy with the spoon-bending capabilities. He said nothing, but bowed his head to Neo as he let them inside. The Oracle was sitting in her kitchen, frosting a cake with two little girls. "Ah, Morpheus, Neo, so bittersweet it is to see you again. Every time I see either of you I always have bad news, it seems. This time, though, I do have good news."
"Really, what news is this?" Morpheus crossed his arms and leaned on the fridge. The Oracle stood up and shooed the girls out of the kitchen. "Now dears, you must wait in the living room for now. Don't worry, the cake will still be here when you come back." She turned and sat back down. "You may also sit down, if you like."
Neo and Morpheus sat down on kitchen chairs. "You already knew whether we would sit down or not, didn't you?" Neo said.
"That I did," the Oracle smiled.
"Now, Oracle, what about the news?" Morpheus asked.
"Oh yes, the news. Well, whether you know it or not, the Matrix has parallel worlds."
Neo was intrigued. "Parallel worlds?"
"Yes, there are many of them, each different in their own way."
"Are you saying that...?"
"This is one of those worlds. You must have passed over some sort of barrier. Even I cannot understand it."
"That's why Tank said that the Matrix was reading somewhat differently."
"Yes, correct again."
"So what makes this Matrix different from the Matrix we know?"
"It has something to do with him." She nodded her head indicating Neo. Neo was confused. "About me? What about me?"
"You remember when you took the red pill?"
"Yes. It would lead me farther and the blue pill..."
"The blue pill, what about the blue pill, Neo?"
"It would take me back, and I'd forget that everything had happened."
"Exactly, this world..."
"Is just as if I had never taken the red pill."
"See, you're not as dim as I thought."
Morpheus spoke up. "Is there more to this?"
"Ah, so you finally ask. There is, in fact, more to this story, much more."
"What is it?"
"Neo, do you remember your old apartment?"
"Yes."
"Return there, and then you'll see for yourself. All I can say is that you must rescue someone, and it is crucial. You'll know who to pick by their actions."
She stood up. "Now go, and remember what I said. Goodbye, Morpheus." She ushered the men through the living room and to the door. Neo turned around. "You already know what will happen, don't you?"
"Yes, but that is for me to know and you to decide. Goodbye, Neo." She shut the door, and Neo and Morpheus walked to the elevator and waited for it to approach.
"She's interesting, isn't she, Neo? Always makes you think." Neo nodded.
"The rabbit hole is always getting deeper."