Author's Note: Here's the second half of the chapter. I'll probably consolidate them into one chapter on the site when I post Chapter 11. Sorry for the long wait. I know it's always an excuse, but I have AP board exams coming up in the next few weeks, so I'll be lucky if I get one fic updated each week. I'm sorry, but college credit just has to take precedence here. Come summer though, I should be able to update all I want.

:chants:

32days32day32days….

:falls over dead:

Michelle

Chapter 10-2 –Risk Assessment

The door made a terrible grating noise as it swung open, like the hinges hadn't been oiled in a very long time and were slowly wearing down, weakening bit by bit, friction leading to the inevitable breakdown. Like the people of Zion, Neo thought as he guided himself into Lock's office, keeping one hand along the wall. This was the last place he wanted to be at the moment. He could practically feel the commander's eyes boring into him, sizing him up, deciding he was no longer fit for anything better than sitting around and aging in the bars like so many of the former Resistance soldiers.

"Neo, Trinity," came Lock's voice, cool and controlled to the extreme as always. "Thank you for coming, I'm sure you understand there are matters of critical interest at stake here."

"I'm not sure I do," said Trinity in an equally cold tone. "Could you please explain it to us, Commander?"

There was a moment of taut silence, then Neo heard Lock sigh.

"Sit down," ordered the Commander.

"I think I'd rather stand," said Trinity in an ultra-polite voice, and Neo had to smile. She was getting punchy, he thought, and he liked it.

"As you know, there will be a Council meeting tomorrow morning to finalize…plans for your ship, and a way to combat this…crisis. However, since there are more personal matters at stake for the two of you, I thought it might be appropriate to bring it to your attention now."

"Why don't you tell us why we're here, Commander?" said Neo. He had a feeling he wasn't going to like it.

There was the sound of things being shifted around on the desk, an excuse to prolong the silence. Neo found the back of one of the chairs with his left hand, ran his fingers over it. The back was cold, rough metal, the front cushioned by a thin padding and some rough-woven fabric. He made an attempt to picture the chair in his mind, was sure he had seen it before, but somehow couldn't quite manage to recall the color of it. It was a disconcerting realization, especially considering the news he'd just gotten from the doctors.

"As you understand, the Zion medical staff has been carefully monitoring the mind of your former Captain Morpheus. So far they do not believe that they have found any attempt from inside the Matrix to retrieve the Zion access codes. However, due to the strange nature of this…virus…I do not believe that we would necessarily be able to see such an attack."

"What are you saying?" asked Neo.

"I believe that we must take the safest possible course of action in order to protect our city. I believe we must eliminate the threat all together."

"Meaning…?"

"I believe it is necessary to have Morpheus' memory of the access codes destroyed."

"You can't do that," said Neo, gripping the back of the chair painfully. "That would kill him."

"If it means keeping the inhabitants of this city safe, then yes. That is what I believe is necessary."

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