Swimming, drowning...
"I must get air, must rise to the surface," Horizon thought. "To the surface..."
All of a sudden, she burst through a stratum covering her. It was clinging to her skin, and she was feeling this cold solution in which she was sitting in. "What is this strange place? What am I doing here?" Her mind was racing. She looked over the side of her pod. It was a long way down, she couldn't see how far. But there were billions of other pods like hers. And they held other humans, like her. Just lying there, like Neo had said.
Her eyes were sore, but she could see a dark creature appear in front of her. It had many eyes and many tentacles. It had spotted her, and it had her trapped. She couldn't scream, she couldn't do anything. She was so weak.
The creature grabbed her with one of its tentacles and it examined her. Abruptly, one of its other tentacles took something out of the back of her neck. Other cords snapped off her body, it was painful. Then, as if it was synchronized, all the solution she was sitting in began to move, began to be sucked down a drain. She grabbed onto the edge of her pod, not wanting to be brought downward into an unknown place.
Horizon's body was not strong enough to hold on. Her fingers slipped from the pod's rim and she slid down into the drain and into a massive amount of water. She sank lower and lower into the water. She felt like she was drowning, as she had felt in the beginning, and she couldn't fight it.
Then there was a change in the water, rushing. Something had clamped onto her, and it was pulling her upward, to the sky. And there was a light. The next thing she knew, the light was all around her. It was beautiful. There were voices...
"Is she alright?"
"She's a lucky girl, she'll be fine."
"She was down there for over ten minutes, and her body is weak. Are you sure she'll make it?"
"Yes, I'm certain."
"Did you notice that?"
"What?"
"Her hair. It isn't short at all; it's the same length it was when we saw her in the Matrix."
"Never seen that before."
"Wait, shh... I think she's trying to speak."
Horizon coughed and gasped and finally spoke. "What is happening to me?"
"You've never used your body before. It will all be well. Neo, take her to the infirmary, let her rest and heal."
She was wrapped up in a blanket, and Neo's strong arms picked her body up and began carrying her to the small infirmary on the ship. Her vision was getting clearer, and she could see him faintly. She could also see two tables in the infirmary. There was a body on one of the tables. "Is that Evangel?" She asked him.
"Yes, that's him."
"Is he alright?"
"Oh yes, he's going to be a great addition to the Nebuchadnezzar."
"What was that thing? That thing, with the tentacles?"
"It is a Sentinel. Their kind is against us."
"But - why did it help me? Why didn't it kill me if it knew I am its enemy?"
"I'm not sure."
He set her body on the table. "Now, go on and rest. You need it." She tried to resist, but he kept her down. "I understand, you're scared. But you will be fine, just rest and let your body rebuild."
And soon Horizon slipped away into a deep sleep.
"I must get air, must rise to the surface," Horizon thought. "To the surface..."
All of a sudden, she burst through a stratum covering her. It was clinging to her skin, and she was feeling this cold solution in which she was sitting in. "What is this strange place? What am I doing here?" Her mind was racing. She looked over the side of her pod. It was a long way down, she couldn't see how far. But there were billions of other pods like hers. And they held other humans, like her. Just lying there, like Neo had said.
Her eyes were sore, but she could see a dark creature appear in front of her. It had many eyes and many tentacles. It had spotted her, and it had her trapped. She couldn't scream, she couldn't do anything. She was so weak.
The creature grabbed her with one of its tentacles and it examined her. Abruptly, one of its other tentacles took something out of the back of her neck. Other cords snapped off her body, it was painful. Then, as if it was synchronized, all the solution she was sitting in began to move, began to be sucked down a drain. She grabbed onto the edge of her pod, not wanting to be brought downward into an unknown place.
Horizon's body was not strong enough to hold on. Her fingers slipped from the pod's rim and she slid down into the drain and into a massive amount of water. She sank lower and lower into the water. She felt like she was drowning, as she had felt in the beginning, and she couldn't fight it.
Then there was a change in the water, rushing. Something had clamped onto her, and it was pulling her upward, to the sky. And there was a light. The next thing she knew, the light was all around her. It was beautiful. There were voices...
"Is she alright?"
"She's a lucky girl, she'll be fine."
"She was down there for over ten minutes, and her body is weak. Are you sure she'll make it?"
"Yes, I'm certain."
"Did you notice that?"
"What?"
"Her hair. It isn't short at all; it's the same length it was when we saw her in the Matrix."
"Never seen that before."
"Wait, shh... I think she's trying to speak."
Horizon coughed and gasped and finally spoke. "What is happening to me?"
"You've never used your body before. It will all be well. Neo, take her to the infirmary, let her rest and heal."
She was wrapped up in a blanket, and Neo's strong arms picked her body up and began carrying her to the small infirmary on the ship. Her vision was getting clearer, and she could see him faintly. She could also see two tables in the infirmary. There was a body on one of the tables. "Is that Evangel?" She asked him.
"Yes, that's him."
"Is he alright?"
"Oh yes, he's going to be a great addition to the Nebuchadnezzar."
"What was that thing? That thing, with the tentacles?"
"It is a Sentinel. Their kind is against us."
"But - why did it help me? Why didn't it kill me if it knew I am its enemy?"
"I'm not sure."
He set her body on the table. "Now, go on and rest. You need it." She tried to resist, but he kept her down. "I understand, you're scared. But you will be fine, just rest and let your body rebuild."
And soon Horizon slipped away into a deep sleep.