The Tiala reached the satellite less than 3 hours after the Logos first appeared above the clouds.

'Well, it's not malfunctioning. I've run a full diagnostic and there's nothing wrong.' Ad said to Lou, his mission partner.

Ad's real name was Adrian Coumarin but he hated it and so everyone knew him as Ad. It was reputed that he had even put it down on his application form when he was joining survey but no-one had ever asked him. He had an unusual combination of blue eyes and brown hair that suited his face shape. Everything else about his appearance could be described as average and so he made up for this with his personality.

While both had all the training necessary to do all the jobs on the ship Ad had more training in the mechanics of the ship and how the systems worked while Lou had more medical training. They split the rest of the work fairly evenly between them and so Ad would usually do samples from wherever they surveyed while Lou would map although every now and again they swapped over for a bit of variety. They worked well and each others strengths, in work and in their personalities, complemented each other. This had made them one of the best survey teams around.

'Wasn't expecting it to be.' Inwardly Lou sighed 'We get to find out what is on the surface then.'

This mission hadn't been an ordinary one. First off they had been told that if they wanted to back out then they could. They were to find out what it was the satellite had found and find out the situation on the planet if they could.

'Buckle up tight then. This is going to be a rough ride.' With that Lou turned and headed down into the clouds.

Louise Walsh was tall and thin with long reddish brown hair that was always trying to escape from the ties that held it in place and dark brown eyes. She was not normally spooked, in fact someone had once said that anything could happen and she would pause for a moment then say 'Okay' and carry on what she was doing. They were wrong. Travelling at high speed through clouds, so thick you couldn't see anything outside, and a massive thunderstorm in a metal ship spooked her. Even more so when she realised that the blue she was seeing was an electrical storm.

'St. Elmo's fire is good luck isn't it?' She asked Ad.

'If it isn't we're toast.' His attempt at humour fell flat, mainly because he looked terrified.

When they finally emerged from the clouds, they were shocked by what they saw. There was an abandoned city below them, populated by machines, and as far as the eye could see there was either barren wasteland or machine city in every direction. Just as Lou was about to turn away and see if the rest of the planet was like this something caught her eye. When she took a closer look she realised it was the ship the satellite had seen above the clouds. It looked like it had crashed. Ad had spotted it too.

'Going in for a closer look?'

'Yep.' She looked at it for a minute and commented to Ad 'Looks like she crashed.'

'Yeah. One very faint sign of life. I would say they should be dead from how faint it is but it's moving slightly.'

They came to an agreement to go onboard the ship and if possible or necessary to help them. Lou, guessing she would need it, brought along the med kit.

When they got there, there was a bloody handprint on the outside of the windscreen. From the position of it, it had to have been made by someone leaving the ship.

'No signs of life so far.' Ad called to Lou from the lower decks. 'Uhr. We've got a body… and a big mess. Looks like there was a fight.'

Lou checking upstairs saw the body on the floor first, then the rods, looking back she saw what must of happened for this to happen. She checked quickly for a pulse.

'Ad! Found her. You're right she is still alive, just.'

'Can you help her.'

'Probably. Whether she'll wake again is another question though.'

A while later, when she had finished treating the woman and they had moved her to the Tiala they moved outside again to see if they could find the owner of the handprint and to have a look around. So far no-on and nothing had attacked them but that didn't mean they wouldn't. There was only one path they could take and cautiously with all senses alert they walked along it. When they turned a corner, they were still not expecting to see the Deux ex machine although no-one would have blamed them for it.

'You have arrived here.' It was addressing its remark to Ad as Lou had seen the man lying on the grating and gone to help him while Ad had been staring in shock.

'What are you. And what have you done to him.'

'I am, if you like the god of machines. We have done nothing to him. He made a bargain with us. If he could defeat Smith then we would have peace. He has done so, which is why you have not been harmed. You are not from this world.' It was not a question.

'What do you mean and who is Smith.'

'Unfortunately I cannot tell you this if you do not know. I could tell you but you would not understand and this would be a waste of energy.'

'Okay' Turning most of his attention away from the machine for a minute he asked Lou 'How is he?'

'Alive, Just about. I don't understand what is wrong with him apart from his eyes though and that isn't enough damage to cause him to be like this.'

The machine answered her question. 'He connected to the matrix from here and this has drained him. His mind does not have enough energy to get back to his body.'

'I didn't understand any of that.' Lou might of but Ad was confused.

'There is a city called Zion that you must go to if you want to have your questions answered. We will give you the co-ordinates.'

'But…'

'Go now.'

They left, taking the human with them.

When they got to their ship, they discussed what to do next.

'I don't know. We have three options as I see it. One we go back to base with these two and find out what they know. Two we go to Zion. Three we go around this planet and see what we can find. I say option one.'

Trust Lou to think about it logically 'I have to agree. We don't know if he is telling the truth about Zion and its not some trap. I couldn't see anything other than this from the ship earlier and we can always come back.'

'So were going back then.' At Ad's nod Lou continued. 'You start this baby up and I'll secure our passengers for the trip.'

Later on, travelling back past the satellite. Lou asked 'What was that thing saying about a Matrix.?'

'I don't know. The only explanations I can think of don't seem to make sense.'

'Do you think it has anything to do with those metal things in them?' As she said this Lou jerked her head back indicating their passengers.

'I don't know. You're the medic. I'm just a lowly mechanic.'

Lou nearly snorted with laughter at Ad's expression when he said this but instantly grew sober again and shuddered. 'I don't know but I'll tell you one thing. Those things ain't coming out. They look like they are joined to their nervous systems. They must have been put in at birth, the skin around has totally accepted them as well. Freaky.' At this point she slid out of her seat to check on them, effectively ending all conversation and leaving Ad to his thought's.