Chapter 7: Sven.
Gabriel wished it would all just slow down.
There were so many faces, events, and emotions in this earthy pit of Zion that it had him in a daze. For so long, his biggest fear was that the totality of the dream world -- the blindingly infinite reality of the digital realm -- would drive him insane. But with careful practice and meditation, he would overcome this obstacle.
But of course, facing the reality of the human world was far more complex.
After finding his way back from the chamber, Gabriel managed to catch up with Pablo as he stepped out of the cafeteria. "Wait, hold on," he insisted, rushing toward him.
"Oh, hey!" said Pablo. "How it goes?"
"Er... fine, thank you."
"Guess you missed out on breakfast, huh?"
"I already told you," said Gabriel. "I'm--"
"Fasting, yeah. But I really think you should eat something. In fact," he reached into his pocket, "I've got bread right here." He gave it over to him.
He reluctantly accepted it, and took a bite.
His mouth suddenly turned on. The bread felt like a full-on feast, a banquet with all the trimmings. The back of Gabriel's throat glistened with delight. Why on earth did he wait so long to experience this?
"Good stuff, huh?" said Pablo.
Gabriel nodded.
"I knew it would be."
He swallowed suddenly. "Did you really?"
"Yeah. I mean, I felt it..." Pablo tugged at his right earlobe nervously. "I could... I don't know. Somehow, I could see you doing this before I even got any bread. Does that make any sense?"
"Perhaps," said Gabriel.
Later, they found themselves in a crudely built activity center. All around them were handmade sports equipment and other playthings that the others could busy themselves with. At the opposite side, the two could see Eiko desperately trying to explain chess to the other children.
"But why can't I move it here?" asked Sven. "I want to get that little man."
"First off," said Eiko, "it's a pawn. Second, the knight only moves like this." She made an L shape on the board. "Got that?"
Sven blinked with one eye. "I think so." She lifted the piece up to the light. "Oh, I wish my sister were here -- she'd always wanted to teach me."
"What happened to her?" asked Gabriel, joining them.
Eiko moved to the aside to let Pablo and him sit. "They're taking people in by age group," she said. "That's what the nurse on the ship said, anyway."
Sven sighed, twirling her chess piece between her fingers. "I just can't wait to see Sevina again."
"I hope your older sister is good at this game," said Eiko as she swept the pieces off of the board, "because I really need a partner."
"I think I can help with that," said Colt, walking up to the group. "I've played a couple of games in my day."
"Hang on," said Sven. "I heard that your ship already took off. What are you still doing here?"
"Mauser and I are on leave," he explained. "We've been on duty for three months straight, and are entitled to a break."
"All that time," Eiko spoke, "and you couldn't have found someone our age who was an expert in chess?"
Colt smiled. "We haven't freed children your age in quite a while. In this case, you were all in care of the Oracle, and we gathered you all up at the same time."
"We certainly thank you for that," said Sven. "I was getting a little bored waiting in that room."
"Really?" said Colt. "Well, I actually met a few interesting faces while I was there for the first time."
Gabriel thought back to his experience in the waiting room. "Yes, me too. There was the savior Neo, and another. A man in a dark business suit and tie."
Colt suddenly grew pale. "You don't mean... an agent?"
Two boys in the back playing billiards suddenly stopped.
"I suppose so," said Gabriel. "He seemed so worried, though."
Colt found himself shaking his head. "Agents don't get worried."
"But he did."
"I don't understand," spoke Sven. "Are agents bad?"
"Heh," said Colt. "Agents are the very reason you were held at the Oracle's place, and you don't ever expect one to come waltzing in there unless--"
"Unless they were supposed to," said Pablo.
"Took the words right out of my mouth."
One of the boys placed their pool cues on the table. "Those guys are bad news," he said. "I'm lucky to even be here, alive."
Colt turned to face him. "Oh yeah, you." He smiled. "Why don't you explain how bad agents are?"
The tall, scrawny kid made his way to the group. "Yikes, where do I begin?" He sat next to Gabriel, and instantly recognized the child.
Leaning closer, the young man whispered in his ear. "Did they let you try the training program, like I said?"
"Not exactly," said Gabriel.
"All right, kid," said Colt. "What was that about the agents?"
"Oh, yeah. Those guys are so quick, you wouldn't even tell which way they're going." He did a small gesture of running with his index and middle fingers across the top of the table. "I was really never into sports in school, or anything like that, except skateboarding. But I got away from them."
Colt made a small noise in disagreement. "I think Morpheus said you were extraordinarily light your feet that day. Then again, it might just be how thin you are," he joked.
His bruised ego was plain for all to see.
"Lay off, man," spoke Pablo. "He was in a pod-thing, right?"
"Yeah," said Colt. "But that was a while ago. You'd think he'd build a little muscle by now."
"Aw, forget it," said the emabarassed teenager, getting up. "Just remember that those guys are more than suits." He made it back to the pool game, struck the seven-ball vigorously, an popped it into the far corner pocket in a high arc.
Somewhere, deep inside that awkward shell of a person, Gabriel could see burning anger.
"So," said Eiko, "are we going to play, or what?"
"Yeah," replied Colt, and helped set the pieces for the new game.