Chapter 2
Home. Well, his new home at least. They were taking him to Zion for the first time. He didn't know what to expect, but he was pleasantly surprised when they arrived. He grabbed his belongings and followed Niobe to the ship's exit.
His first impression was one of awe. He had never seen anything like it. He chuckled slightly at the thought. Of course he had never seen anything like it. He hadn't ever really seen anything but the inside of the Logos and what little he could see out the window of the cockpit.
"I'll take you to your room. Then you are on your own to explore," Niobe explained, "Let's go."
He continued to follow her along the catwalk and to the elevator. They went up a few floors and then down a hall to a small, red, metal door. She opened it and gestured to him.
"This is it. Not much to look at right now, but I'm sure you will add your own personal touch. Everyone does. We can stay here for three days, then we need to go back out. If you need anything, let me know. My room is with Morpheus just down the hall."
"Thanks Captain. Niobe. I think I'll be alright."
She left and he dropped his bags and looked around. A bed, a small dresser, a sink, a desk, and pretty much nothing else. He sat on the edge of the bed. It had potential, but as he wasn't going to be here much anyway, what was the point of trying to make it homey? He laid back and immediately succumbed to exhaustion.
He awoke the next morning without fully realizing where he was. After reality sank in the stood up, used the sink to wash his face, ran his hands through his almost non-existant hair, and discovered a razor on the dresser. Finally, he thought, my beard has grown out of control. He then shaved for the first time in his life, surprised that he actually knew how it needed to be done, pulled on his boots, and left the small apartment hoping he would be able to find his way back.
He had walked quite a way along the hallway when he stumbled on another person sitting near the edge of the balcony. Literally, stumbled upon her.
"I'm sorry. I didn't even see you sitting there. Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," she said casually. He noticed that she was wearing much the same uniform as he was. She was tall and slender with very short black hair and blue eyes.
"May I sit with you?"
"Sure."
"My name is Ghost. I'm the newest member of the Logos," he said.
"You're Ghost? I've heard a lot about you. I'm Trinity from the Nebuchadnezzar. They said we are twins. Guess that makes you my brother."
He laughed.
"I've heard about you too. Glad to finally meet you."
"This is strange isn't it? Being here…Knowing that everything that came before was a lie?"
"I understand what you mean. A few minutes ago I shaved for the first time in my life."
"I noticed. It looks nice," she said with a mischievous grin.
For some reason she felt immediately comfortable around him. Like they had known each other forever. It was a nice feeling. She hadn't really felt like that since being unplugged. Yeah, it was nice. She had a brother.
It might be nice to have a sister, he thought. He needed someone to talk to. This reality thing might not be so bad after all.