Kolby stepped onto the Genesis, God it felt good to be back, even if all they did since the peace was pick up the few people the machines claimed were ready to leave. He felt sure there were a lot more people who would want freedom if they knew the truth--who would choose to be a battery over the real world? The machines were parceling out just enough slaves to keep them happy with pick-up duty, just enough to keep the peace, Kolby was sure of it. They probably found it more "efficient" than fighting rebels and upped the production on the fetus fields to cover the few minds they released. It was a far cry from the end of the Matrix so many gave their lives for. Kolby hated the machines, but kept it to himself-they were all supposed to try to understand the machines now, to try to work together.

Seventeen years since Neo won the peace, and while things were better for the Zionites, in Kolby's opinion too many people thought of the machines as sort of like hard shell humans. Reports of human and machine romances, humans somehow becoming Matrix programs, programs assuming a physical body to experience Zion in the flesh, and of defections back into the Matrix to be with a plugged in human who didn't want to leave occurred every month. It was sick, and most of it had to be urban legend, it couldn't be true, all of it. Kolby thought flesh-traitors should be shot. But as much as the Council disagreed with their choices, they let them happen. The line between human and machine was increasingly blurred.

"Hey Kolby, your crazy girlfriend's been racing again. Man you got to see the clip of the latest stunt she did, Oceanside at night in an electrical storm, that girl is nuts." Kolby looked up to see Pham come around the corner grinning from ear to ear. Pham owed him, he covered up Pham's little Matrix hobbies, and Pham did him favors in return.

Pham kept talking "I thought for sure she was going to wake herself up and we'd finally get to collect her. Oh, and that's not all. You know those twin things the Merovingian keeps around? Well guess who Killa's new sparring partners are? And they have a thing for her, and was she willing. Hot stuff man."

Kolby glared at Pham. What the hell was he talking about? And he knew the tapes were supposed to be secret, why wasn't he whispering?

"Everyone's on leave man. Chill."

Kolby visibly relaxed. If they caught him keeping up with Killa, he'd be barred from serving on a ship, this time probably forever. It took him a full year and a half of kissing ass to get a half-time berth on the Genesis after he tried to force exit Killa. Only his "youthful inexperience" excused his behavior. Kolby tolerated psych evaluation after psych evaluation before they declared him fit to serve. Ha. He knew how that game worked; he'd been conning people as long as he could remember. Zionites were no different. It was pie. He played the young man in love, which he was, and pretty soon people started blaming Killa for being heartless and deceived. Pie.

All except for a few of the old dinosaurs on the council. That Morpheus and his bitch Niobe, he knew they didn't trust him. But Counselor Locke, that guy still hated the machines as much as he did during the war. He loved Kolby like a son. Kolby remembered his punishment hearing before the council after he came home in disgrace. All Morpheus said was "You are lucky you did not meet an agent. They are still active to protect against people like you." People like him. Huh.

But Counselor Locke took him aside and said, "You love her, you had to give her the chance to be free. I understand." Counselor Locke then lowered his voice to a whisper, "The machines know this peace will not last, that is why they release so few of their slaves. We need all the fighters we can get. More want freedom, I know. You feel this too. The time will come when I will need you. " He then shook Kolby's hand and told him to wait, Locke would find him a berth on a ship with like-minded people.

But at every turn, Morpheus or Niobe frustrated Locke. They'd blocked Kolby's efforts to get a ship for as long as they could, then arranged to have him posted to the Genesis so he'd be watched. How they underestimated him. The captain, a freak in his thirties that everyone still called "Kid," suspected that Kolby wasn't what he seemed. Probably the reason Kolby was still on half-time, six months on, six months off. But everyone else Kolby either owned, like Pham, or manipulated, like Splinter his "girlfriend." She was useful, but a little too stupid and weak for Kolby's taste. Too easy to break.

Pham was whining, so he must have been frowning at him. Kolby enjoyed the power he had over Pham as he listened to the man speak, "Look, man, I'm just relaying what happened, just like you asked. Come see me man, I downloaded it and saved it for you just like you asked, the captain doesn't know, it's just between you and me, bro. I got you covered. I'm your friend."

"Sure you are Pham. And you want me to take your watch so you can "enjoy" a few prostitutes, right?" Pham had tastes that were impossible to fill in Zion, but easy enough to satisfy in the Matrix. As long as he had someone to cover for him. Who cared about a few coppertop whores?

A nervous smile spread over Pham's face. "Sure, Kolby, whatever you say."