The four walls of the phone booth blocked Horizon's sobs and screams
from the rest of the Matrix. How could they have left her? What had
happened?
And what would happen to her?
Abruptly, the phone booth door opened. It was Agent Brown. He looked at her, with her mascara running and tears staining her face, with distaste. He reached out with a strong hand and grabbed her by neck and jerked her out of the booth. His hand was so cold, as if it was the hand of a dead person. But the Agents weren't really alive, anyway.
"So we meet again, inane girl," he said callously.
"Yes, I suppose so." She could barely speak with his tight grip around her neck.
"You never learn. You cannot break the rules without consequences."
"I can do what I want. I have no master."
She spit in Agent Brown's face. He dropped her onto the sidewalk as he was wiping his face. She could see the rest of the Agents – Johnson, Thompson, Jones, Jackson, and the prototypes Black and White – walking towards her, Desert Eagles drawn out again.
They encircled Horizon as she sat on the cement. She tried to conceal her apprehension, tried to act casual. She sighed.
"Damn, you again?"
Their guns were directed at her. She didn't want to die like this, she shouldn't have to die like this. Then, after a long silence, she could gather her wits.
Horizon closed her eyes and concentrated. She teleported right behind them and made all their guns disappear from their hands.
"W-Where'd she go?" The Agents wondered "And our weapons! What happened to our weapons?"
With a smirk on her face, Horizon said, "Sorry, boys, but seven men with weapons against a little girl like me? Hardly seems fair." A mêlée began, and it was a tough one. A miracle happened, though, possibly some irregularity in the Matrix. But in the end, all seven Agents were brought down.
She stared at them with amazement as they lay, sprawled out, on the ground. She had done it. She had fought the Agents and survived, just like Neo, her father. While she was stood there, the Agents transformed back to show the body they had occupied.
The result revealed great horror.
Slowly the bodies of her friends were exposed.
Xander. Rune. Lyre. Claret. Willow. Jacinth. Thorn.
Dead, all dead.
Inside her soul, Horizon broke. She crumpled on the sidewalk, kneeling. This was all wrong, it had to be. She had fought Agents, not her friends. Her friends weren't dead. They were in the real world, living on their ships. And in two days, she would see them again in Zion.
But as much as she tried fighting denial, she couldn't help but realize the truth.
She stared at her hands. These hands had killed them. She was a murderer.
Horizon began weeping again, mourning. "Why did this have to happen? Why?" It hit right through her heart, and people on the streets just passed by as if it was nothing, as if it was the most normal thing in the world.
Behind her, she heard the click of a gun and the cold metal of the barrel against her spine. A chillingly familiar voice came from the possessor of the gun.
"Miss Anderson, how does it feel? How does it feel to have exterminated your friends? It's not like I'd know, since I cannot feel emotions like you and the rest of the human stain that has been plagued upon this Earth."
She did not answer, and he continued.
"Oh well, it's not like it matters. There are billions of other humans out there. Seven won't be an issue."
"Sir," she croaked. "It matters to me."
"That is because you are emotional and mentally know your morals, what is good and what is bad. You believe it was bad to kill them, when in fact it was not. You helped eliminate some of this virus."
"But I'm part of the virus myself, according to you. Is that correct?"
"Exactly. And you know what I must do."
She nodded.
"You have no choice but to come with us. Now stand up."
"I'm going to die anyway. You are going to kill me after you're done, aren't you? I know it. I am only a pawn in your game."
"Possibly. I believe it is your race's fault. You humans think alike, you know. Your biggest mistake, girl, was to believe you defeated all those Agents, when really you had forgotten about the one everyone had warned you about."
"Agent Smith... you bastard..." she whispered.
"Quiet," he commanded. "Get up, now."
Horizon obeyed him and stood up. He handcuffed her hands behind her back, and he pushed her into the backseat of a nearby black car. Agent Thompson, occupying yet another body, was in the driver's seat. He started driving to the headquarters, and she knew she only had one hope.
And what would happen to her?
Abruptly, the phone booth door opened. It was Agent Brown. He looked at her, with her mascara running and tears staining her face, with distaste. He reached out with a strong hand and grabbed her by neck and jerked her out of the booth. His hand was so cold, as if it was the hand of a dead person. But the Agents weren't really alive, anyway.
"So we meet again, inane girl," he said callously.
"Yes, I suppose so." She could barely speak with his tight grip around her neck.
"You never learn. You cannot break the rules without consequences."
"I can do what I want. I have no master."
She spit in Agent Brown's face. He dropped her onto the sidewalk as he was wiping his face. She could see the rest of the Agents – Johnson, Thompson, Jones, Jackson, and the prototypes Black and White – walking towards her, Desert Eagles drawn out again.
They encircled Horizon as she sat on the cement. She tried to conceal her apprehension, tried to act casual. She sighed.
"Damn, you again?"
Their guns were directed at her. She didn't want to die like this, she shouldn't have to die like this. Then, after a long silence, she could gather her wits.
Horizon closed her eyes and concentrated. She teleported right behind them and made all their guns disappear from their hands.
"W-Where'd she go?" The Agents wondered "And our weapons! What happened to our weapons?"
With a smirk on her face, Horizon said, "Sorry, boys, but seven men with weapons against a little girl like me? Hardly seems fair." A mêlée began, and it was a tough one. A miracle happened, though, possibly some irregularity in the Matrix. But in the end, all seven Agents were brought down.
She stared at them with amazement as they lay, sprawled out, on the ground. She had done it. She had fought the Agents and survived, just like Neo, her father. While she was stood there, the Agents transformed back to show the body they had occupied.
The result revealed great horror.
Slowly the bodies of her friends were exposed.
Xander. Rune. Lyre. Claret. Willow. Jacinth. Thorn.
Dead, all dead.
Inside her soul, Horizon broke. She crumpled on the sidewalk, kneeling. This was all wrong, it had to be. She had fought Agents, not her friends. Her friends weren't dead. They were in the real world, living on their ships. And in two days, she would see them again in Zion.
But as much as she tried fighting denial, she couldn't help but realize the truth.
She stared at her hands. These hands had killed them. She was a murderer.
Horizon began weeping again, mourning. "Why did this have to happen? Why?" It hit right through her heart, and people on the streets just passed by as if it was nothing, as if it was the most normal thing in the world.
Behind her, she heard the click of a gun and the cold metal of the barrel against her spine. A chillingly familiar voice came from the possessor of the gun.
"Miss Anderson, how does it feel? How does it feel to have exterminated your friends? It's not like I'd know, since I cannot feel emotions like you and the rest of the human stain that has been plagued upon this Earth."
She did not answer, and he continued.
"Oh well, it's not like it matters. There are billions of other humans out there. Seven won't be an issue."
"Sir," she croaked. "It matters to me."
"That is because you are emotional and mentally know your morals, what is good and what is bad. You believe it was bad to kill them, when in fact it was not. You helped eliminate some of this virus."
"But I'm part of the virus myself, according to you. Is that correct?"
"Exactly. And you know what I must do."
She nodded.
"You have no choice but to come with us. Now stand up."
"I'm going to die anyway. You are going to kill me after you're done, aren't you? I know it. I am only a pawn in your game."
"Possibly. I believe it is your race's fault. You humans think alike, you know. Your biggest mistake, girl, was to believe you defeated all those Agents, when really you had forgotten about the one everyone had warned you about."
"Agent Smith... you bastard..." she whispered.
"Quiet," he commanded. "Get up, now."
Horizon obeyed him and stood up. He handcuffed her hands behind her back, and he pushed her into the backseat of a nearby black car. Agent Thompson, occupying yet another body, was in the driver's seat. He started driving to the headquarters, and she knew she only had one hope.