He reached for the door, but the Priestess answered before he could open
it. "So nice to see you again, Neo," she said.
"Same to you."
He walked through the open door, Horizon following. The Priestess shut the door and locked it. There were four locks on the door that Neo had never noticed before. "What is-?"
"Oh, we have had to take extreme precautions. Soon all these children, all of the potentials, will have to leave. Enemies have arisen and are plotting against the Oracle."
"What do they want?"
"I'm not sure, but the Oracle knows, of course. She just doesn't tell."
The Oracle was sitting in the living room watching television with the Potentials, seven or so. Horizon wondered how everyone could possibly live here. "Ah, Neo, you found her," she said as she took another drag on her cigarette.
"Yes."
"Morpheus doesn't need to come here tonight, I'll watch after Horizon."
"We're trying to get her out of the Matrix as quick as possible."
"I know that, but leave her here, she will be safe. Call Morpheus."
Neo had never doubted the Oracle, so he did. "Operator, has Morpheus entered the Matrix yet?"
"No, Neo, what's the problem?"
"Tell him that he does not need to meet me at the Oracle's tonight. I am coming back to the Nebuchadnezzar and I need an exit."
"Okay, there's one at the corner of 5th and Main."
"Good," he hung up his phone and put it away. "Horizon, you heard what the plan is for tonight. You are to stay here and do everything the Oracle says. We will be back, don't worry."
"I won't."
"Thank you. Good night." He left, but Horizon remained standing in the living room. She was so nervous. The Oracle beckoned to her.
"Come, sweetheart, I won't bite. As you have heard, I am the Oracle." The Priestess walked over beside her. "This is Jade, and these" -she gestured to the children- "are the Potentials. They are going to be freed into the real world, like you, someday, hopefully soon."
"Um... it's nice to-to meet you..." She kept her distance.
"Please, you should calm down. We will not hurt you. Why else do you think Morpheus told Neo to bring you here?"
"I'm sorry, really. I just feel-"
"Uncomfortable? Scared? We all are at the first introduction. I know you'd rather be at home, even if it isn't real. Jade, why don't you show Horizon her room? She should feel more at home then."
Jade stood up. "Come, dear," she took her hand, and Horizon could feel that she could trust Jade now, after feeling its warmth. They walked down a narrow hallway, and Jade opened a door on their right. It was a dark room, with two bunk beds and many things scattered on the floor. "This is your room. You will be sharing it with Jacinth, Willow, and Thorn. They are very nice girls, I'm sure you'll get along fine." Jade left, and Horizon, head spinning from the day's events, sat on one of the bottom bunks.
The girls walked in and immediately surrounded her. One of the girls spoke. "This is Willow," placing a hand on the back of a small girl with white- blond hair and crystal eyes. "That's Jacinth," she said, nodding to a skinny girl with glasses, brown hair, and green eyes. "And I," standing up straighter, said, "am Thorn." Thorn was a large girl and very tall. There was an unfriendliness that shone in her tiger eyes.
Thorn continued to speak. "And you are Horizon, so I've heard. Well look, you listen to me, and it's all good. One slip up, you better watch your back. I don't like girls like you."
"How can you not like me if you don't even know me?"
"Hey! I warned you... I just know. I'm a Potential. Put two and two together, Crane. Oh, and I get that bunk. You have the top."
Horizon silently moved off the bottom bunk. Jade peeked through the door and told them that they had to get ready for bed. After that, they all crawled into their beds. Horizon hated her bed on the top bunk, especially since Thorn slept right underneath.
Crane. Horizon pondered why Thorn had called her that...
She did not sleep at all that night.
"Same to you."
He walked through the open door, Horizon following. The Priestess shut the door and locked it. There were four locks on the door that Neo had never noticed before. "What is-?"
"Oh, we have had to take extreme precautions. Soon all these children, all of the potentials, will have to leave. Enemies have arisen and are plotting against the Oracle."
"What do they want?"
"I'm not sure, but the Oracle knows, of course. She just doesn't tell."
The Oracle was sitting in the living room watching television with the Potentials, seven or so. Horizon wondered how everyone could possibly live here. "Ah, Neo, you found her," she said as she took another drag on her cigarette.
"Yes."
"Morpheus doesn't need to come here tonight, I'll watch after Horizon."
"We're trying to get her out of the Matrix as quick as possible."
"I know that, but leave her here, she will be safe. Call Morpheus."
Neo had never doubted the Oracle, so he did. "Operator, has Morpheus entered the Matrix yet?"
"No, Neo, what's the problem?"
"Tell him that he does not need to meet me at the Oracle's tonight. I am coming back to the Nebuchadnezzar and I need an exit."
"Okay, there's one at the corner of 5th and Main."
"Good," he hung up his phone and put it away. "Horizon, you heard what the plan is for tonight. You are to stay here and do everything the Oracle says. We will be back, don't worry."
"I won't."
"Thank you. Good night." He left, but Horizon remained standing in the living room. She was so nervous. The Oracle beckoned to her.
"Come, sweetheart, I won't bite. As you have heard, I am the Oracle." The Priestess walked over beside her. "This is Jade, and these" -she gestured to the children- "are the Potentials. They are going to be freed into the real world, like you, someday, hopefully soon."
"Um... it's nice to-to meet you..." She kept her distance.
"Please, you should calm down. We will not hurt you. Why else do you think Morpheus told Neo to bring you here?"
"I'm sorry, really. I just feel-"
"Uncomfortable? Scared? We all are at the first introduction. I know you'd rather be at home, even if it isn't real. Jade, why don't you show Horizon her room? She should feel more at home then."
Jade stood up. "Come, dear," she took her hand, and Horizon could feel that she could trust Jade now, after feeling its warmth. They walked down a narrow hallway, and Jade opened a door on their right. It was a dark room, with two bunk beds and many things scattered on the floor. "This is your room. You will be sharing it with Jacinth, Willow, and Thorn. They are very nice girls, I'm sure you'll get along fine." Jade left, and Horizon, head spinning from the day's events, sat on one of the bottom bunks.
The girls walked in and immediately surrounded her. One of the girls spoke. "This is Willow," placing a hand on the back of a small girl with white- blond hair and crystal eyes. "That's Jacinth," she said, nodding to a skinny girl with glasses, brown hair, and green eyes. "And I," standing up straighter, said, "am Thorn." Thorn was a large girl and very tall. There was an unfriendliness that shone in her tiger eyes.
Thorn continued to speak. "And you are Horizon, so I've heard. Well look, you listen to me, and it's all good. One slip up, you better watch your back. I don't like girls like you."
"How can you not like me if you don't even know me?"
"Hey! I warned you... I just know. I'm a Potential. Put two and two together, Crane. Oh, and I get that bunk. You have the top."
Horizon silently moved off the bottom bunk. Jade peeked through the door and told them that they had to get ready for bed. After that, they all crawled into their beds. Horizon hated her bed on the top bunk, especially since Thorn slept right underneath.
Crane. Horizon pondered why Thorn had called her that...
She did not sleep at all that night.