Luis awoke from his experience, but things look real different. He wasn't in his world anymore, he was in Zion.
Narrative: Italics
Disclaimer: I don't own the Matrix.
Chapter 6: Welcome to Zion.
LM: When I heard the blast from the gun, everything went completely dark. I didn't know if I was in a coma after the headshot, or just dead. All I know is that I couldn't see shit. At first, I thought that my life was over, until I slowly opened my eyes and saw the light. When opened them completely, I realized I wasn't in heaven. I was in a whole 'nother world.
Luis's eyes were opened looking up at a dimly lit fluorescent light above his head. He then got up slowly from his bed and put his hand on his head shaking off the dizziness. He then notices that he had no hair on his head, only brown fuzz where hair should grow. When he was feeling the fuzz, he then touched on something completely metal at the back of his head. What it was is a metal circle with a hole in the middle. Fear took over him as he rolled up the sleeves of his worn out sweater, noticing small metal holes on his arms. He was speechless at what he saw when his trance got interrupted.
Nurse: I see you're awake.
Luis looked up and saw a female nurse walking through a door carrying a clipboard. He then approached his bed and sat next to him.
Nurse: So how do you feel?
Luis: Like shit. Where am I?
Nurse: You are in the Infirmary in the military sector of Zion.
Luis: Zion? Neo told me about it, but I thought it was like a fable or something.
Morpheus: It's not a fable LM, it's all real.
Luis looked up and saw both Morpheus and Neo entering the infirmary wearing worn out clothes like Luis.
Luis: Morpheus, Neo, what the hell is going on here? I mean I shot myself in the head and the next thing I know I'm on a hospital bed with some type of metal hole implanted to the back of my head.
Neo: Isn't it obvious LM, you woke yourself up.
Luis: Woke myself up?
Morpheus: You shoot yourself in the head, ending your dream and freeing yourself from your slavery.
Luis took a minute to think about it and remembered the last minute of his life, aiming the gun to his head in front of the police officers and the crowd, and then pulling the trigger.
Luis: I see. So this is what it's like after you die.
Neo: Don't worry LM; most people who freed themselves from the Matrix are unaware on where they were.
Luis: O.K. Neo, I only knew you for a few days but LM is just my username. My real name is Luis Javier Morgado.
Morpheus: Not anymore. Your old life is gone now. Here in Zion, your name will be LM. Do you understand?
Luis, or LM, thought this for a moment.
LM: Yes I understand.
Morpheus: Good. Now get some sleep, we'll discuss about all this first thing tomorrow.
Neo, Morpheus, and the nurse left LM's bed and exit the infirmary. LM then went back to bed and back to sleep when the infirmary's lights got turned off.
LM: I slept through the night, if there was any night, but I still had second thoughts about what I did. Shooting myself in the head, ending my old life the way I did. Leaving my family and friends, leaving it all behind me. I didn't know what was waiting for me, but whatever happens, I'm sure that Neo could help me out on it.
The lights in the infirmary started to flicker on and off, then turning completely on. LM stirred around for a moment, then opened his eyes looking up at the same florescent light like last time. He sat up from his bed shaking his head from the drowsiness. At the same time, Morpheus entered the infirmary carrying a tray with a bowl, cup, and spoon.
Morpheus: Ah LM, sleep well?
LM: I'm still determining if this is still real or not.
Morpheus: You'll get over it soon.
Morpheus placed the tray on the table. LM looked at it and saw some strange white substance in the bowl filled with dark lumps.
LM: What the hell is this?
Morpheus: That is a special type of liquid filled with vitamins, iron, protein, and minerals. It will keep you strong and healthy. Bon appetite.
LM looked at the strange substance and got a sick feeling in his stomach. However, it's better then eating nothing, so took a spoonful of the substance put it in his mouth. At first, it tasted a little disgusting, but when he continued eating it, it was in fact good. All it needed is just a drink of water to make it taste better. He finished eating breakfast, if it's called breakfast, and set it aside.
Morpheus: How was it?
LM: Good, once you get use to it.
Morpheus: Excellent, follow me please.
Morpheus left LM's bed as LM got out of bed and followed Morpheus out of the infirmary. A few minutes later, they walked down a tunnel like hallway. LM then notices a metal circle with a hole on the back of Morpheus's neck. He then felt his metal hole circle at the back of his neck.
Morpheus: Is something troubling you LM?
LM: Yeah I guess you could see that. You see, both you and me have these weird metal things attach to our necks and they have a hole in it. What is it anyways?
Morpheus: They are known as main input connectors. The hole in the middle is an adapter that's connected to the cerebral cortex and up to the brain. The machines use needle like devices that are installed into the input connectors. They then get connected to the brain, making people believe that the Matrix is real.
LM: So what happens when the person dies in the Matrix?
Morpheus: Most likely when they die, they get disconnected from the Matrix and awaken in the real world. Once the machines find out what happened to that person, they quickly dispose of them, sometimes through pain staking torture.
LM: Glad I was asleep through all that.
They then exited the tunnel and into another area with a view. When LM saw it, he was speechless.
Morpheus: Welcome to Zion.
LM slowly approached the guardrails still staring at the view.
LM: Whoa…
The view was an enormous inside structure area with many levels. Above and below each level were long catwalk roads that go from one area to another.
Morpheus: Let's go.
Morpheus and LM kept walking down a corridor of red metal doors. They then walked down one of the long catwalks while LM kept staring at the view from above and below.
Morpheus: You seem surprised LM.
LM: Why should I? I never expected anything like this.
Morpheus: Zion is home to the remaining survivors of this war and for people who were freed from the Matrix. Most of it are condos for family and soldiers, the rest is a military base that's lead by Commander Lock. At the bottom floor is The Temple, a sacred place where the people would pray for family, friends, and most likely soldiers that are fighting in this war. Below the Temple is The Garden, a cavern-like cemetery where people meet their fallen comrades and loved ones. This had been our home for a long time.
LM: This must be some city you got here.
They then approached a big freight elevator as Morpheus pushed the up button. The doors of the freight elevator opened both vertical and horizontal. Both Morpheus and LM entered as the elevator closed its doors. Morpheus pushed the button labeled Docks and the freight elevator proceeded upwards. It then reached the top floor; made an abrupt stop, and opened it's doors. LM exited the elevator and starred in pure amazement. It looked like he was in another area but it had a huge dome like ceiling. All around the area are four huge weird looking ships in different sectors, large metallic robots carrying big submachine guns on each hand walking around the area, and in the middle of the area is a big structure that has a crane on the top with beams of white light coming out of it.
LM: Where are we now Morpheus?
Morpheus: This is the Docks of Zion. This is where soldiers arrive and depart to complete their missions in the Matrix. The APU's, or Armor Personnel Units, are used to protect the docks from sentinels.
LM: Yeah, you guys are very protected for your city. Wait a sec, what do you mean that soldiers completing their missions in the Matrix?
Morpheus: Come with me, then you'll know the answer.
Morpheus then headed to one of the big ships as LM followed. The ship is bigger then the others and when he looked up, he saw a gun torrent on the metal ceiling. He then entered the ship and climbed a ladder after Morpheus.
Morpheus: Welcome to my ship, The Nebuchadnezzar. It's a hovercraft capable of maneuvering through the underground tunnels. The gun torrents you saw back there are defenseful purposes against the sentinels. But if we get into serious trouble, we use an EMP, or Electoral Magnetic Pulse, to take them all out in a hundred mile radius. It works successful, but it can also take out our defenses and leave us vulnerable to attack. This is the main deck.
LM looked around at the deck and see strange chairs with a computers above them, and a main command council with multiple monitors and keyboards. He then looked at a plaque labeled Nebuchadnezzar. But down below is the year it was created, that year is 2291.
LM: 2291? Is this year accurate?
Morpheus: Now likely, I could tell that in your mind thinks this is 2001, but in reality, it's actually around 2300. We don't know what the actual year is.
Just then Neo, Trinity, and another crewmember joined the both Morpheus and LM.
Morpheus: I believe you already met Trinity.
LM: (looking at Trinity) Why yes, she was the one that gave me the blood shot the other night.
Trinity: I'm glad you still remembered it.
Morpheus: And this is Link; he's the operator of our ship.
LM looked at another African American male with long black braid like hair and shook his hand.
Link: Nice to meet you LM.
LM: Same to you.
LM then turned his attention at council nearby, and noticed the three screens filled with green code coming down.
LM: So what is all this anyways?
Morpheus: This is the core. It's where we broadcast our pirate signal and hack into the Matrix.
LM: (pointing at one of the screens) You mean this is the Matrix?
Link: This is how you look at the Matrix. It's encoded because the Image Translators work for the Construct Program. Too bad there's way too much information to decode the Matrix.
LM: Image Translators? Construct Program? Man this is hurting my brain.
Morpheus: Well, maybe it's time to give you a little history lesson. (approaching one of the chairs) Please, have a seat.
LM looked at the chair. It looked like an old salon chair with cuffs for the feet and a headrest with a hole through it. He took a deep breath and sat on the chair. Soon enough, Neo and Trinity strapped him in the while Link sat at the control council getting to work. He pushed a few key sequences and LM's chair moved like a recline car seat. Morpheus then picked up a long cord with a sharp needle at the end. LM saw it and had the look of fear in his eyes.
LM: What the hell is that?
Morpheus: Don't worry LM. It's going to feel a little weird, but soon, you'll get use to it.
Neo: We'll soon join you after you logged in.
LM: What do you mean-
But before he finished his question, Morpheus connected the needle into LM's neck. LM screamed in pain, almost jumping off from his chair.
Morpheus: Now Link!
Link pushed a button, and before you know it, LM couldn't feel any pain. In fact, he was standing in what appeared to be a white area. He noticed that his brown hair was back, he has regular clothes on, and when he felt the back of his neck, he had no main input connector.
LM: Great, now where am I?
End of Chapter 6. Sorry for cutting it short, I have my reason. Don't worry I'll get the other half out as soon as possible. Happy Holidays and Feliz Navidad! Please Review.
