A/N: I guess Morpheus was a bit OOC last chapter. It will (hopefully) be explained in the next chapter..
5 Why Not Truth?
It was standard procedure after leaving the Architect's presence to go to the next destination. And after the deep memory scan and upload of orders they went through, desperately needed.
The procedure was necessary, yet for Jones, it was disquieting.
The last time they walked here, Smith was leading the way, with himself and Brown trailing.
Now--- only he and Brown strode down the hallway, until they reached the correct door. He opened it and stared within. The room was blank, a featureless white void. A void just like their memories, for once they stepped inside, they would perceive nothing, know nothing until the next memory was of standing outside the room.
But they always left the room as better, stronger agents, agents that served the matrix and fulfilled their purpose. The thought quieted his unease.
"Upgrade room. Of systems…weapons." Jones murmured.
"Weapons?" Brown said, and something in his voice made Jones turn.
"Yes. Aren't you—" Jones said and stopped.
"No new weapons," Brown said, answering the unfinished question and watched him, worried.
Jones stared back and said, "Our purpose is to follow orders."
Turning back he walked through.
>>>>>>>>>
Niobe watched the door close behind Morpheus, and saw his shadow shrink and disappear from the door's window. She stood in momentary silence, and turned to face the Oracle.
"Is there a reason you empathized your new look, Oracle? You seemed determined to get Morpheus to comment on it," Niobe said flatly, uncomfortable. The Oracle seemed more off than could be accounted for and it alerted her instincts. It was the reason she stayed, sensing more needed to be learned.
"Yes," said the Oracle. "I needed to start a conversation with Morpheus, but unfortunately he was annoyingly single-minded today." She sighed, the cigarette smoke swirling from her mouth. "I guess I deserve it in all consideration."
"A dialog? Was it to get him to ask you questions?" inquired Niobe, thinking of the Oracle's attempt to tell his future. "Why did you need to?"
"Bingo! Got it in one, dear!" the Oracle smiled. "Since the war, my ability to give and reveal answers is limited. Unless it directly advances the Source's goal, I can't volunteer information at all. Although-" The Oracle leaned back into her chair, then stared contemplatively at Niobe. "I can still reply to direct questions."
"But you gave information to Morpheus," said Niobe, feeling irritated. "And don't tell me that volunteering the machine's opinions advances the Source's goal." The conversation was now starting to remind her of Zion politics; where everything had to be monitored for double-meanings and trickery.
Silence stretched uncomfortably. "Well?" Niobe asked.
The Oracle stared back, taking a drag off her cigarette.
Niobe scowled. "How can you give information that's not asked?"
"In every rule there are exceptions. I freely gave information already known. Now Morpheus might've not known the answer concerning the machines, but I did speak to a Zionist about it," stated the Oracle.
A small silence followed, as Niobe tore apart the conversation, trying to find new meanings. One thing was certain, only questions she asked could be trusted. Any other information could be serving the machines goal. Why couldn't Jason be here? He was comfortable in dealing with this sort of maneuvers; verbal combat was his forte, not hers.
"There's more, isn't there?" Niobe ventured.
"Yes, there is." The Oracle said. Niobe waited for more, until it was obvious that the Oracle was finished.
"So is there something more you want me to ask? Or was it asked already?" said Niobe.
"It was. But not by you. By Morpheus."
"Morpheus? A question by Morpheus?" said Niobe sharply. She had thought to make sure the Oracle had given her all the important information. But to find out that Morpheus somehow missed information the Oracle thought important? And now she had to uncover it? Her head was starting to ache. "What did he miss?"
"The right question," the Oracle stated.
Niobe rubbed her forehead, feeling utterly furious at Morpheus for putting her in this predicament. What question did the Oracle mean? There had been only one question that Morpheus was interested in… She caught her breath, surprised at the simplicity of it all.
"Is Neo truly dead?" she asked. "I noticed that you said, 'he died, like before' but Trinity once said he had died, but returned ---" her voice faltered.
"I knew you were a smart one!" Oracle gave a smile that faded. "It will depend on Morpheus. With Trinity dead…" the Oracle shook her head.
"Why didn't you tell Morpheus that Neo was alive?" Niobe said. She had never trusted the Oracle, it had been one of the things that driven her and Morpheus apart, his blind faith in this seer. "You're deliberately misleading him."
"I made a choice, one that you will understand shortly." The Oracle stared contemplatively at the cigarette smoke "Tell me, what would you choose—the truth with the knowledge that he would die to protect and thereby destroy all, or deception and life?"
"What?" Niobe asked hoarsely. "Is Morpheus in danger?"
"You'll know when he's in danger. Believe me, you will," the Oracle smiled. "Now don't you have more questions? If so, I would suggest that you ask now."
"Okay," Niobe said, and pushed the anxiety for Morpheus out of her mind. If it was a choice between himself and Neo, she knew what Morpheus would want. "Neo's condition is of paramount concern." She felt an overwhelming dread at the seer's next words. "Is he a prisoner of the machines? Or is he injured?" she added, thinking of Trinity's body on the Logos.
"Neo had been blinded when he had arrived at 01. It's a condition that the Source has treated. And no, Neo isn't a prisoner of the machines. Not exactly." The Oracle voice had a strange tone, and her lips had twisted as she stared at her cigarette intently. Niobe frowned.
"So what precisely is the problem with Neo?" she grounded out. Despite knowing the Oracle's restrictions, Niobe felt as if the seer was toying with her.
"Simply put, the Architect brainwashed Neo. The One now believes that he is a machine."
"What?" Niobe stared, wordlessly.
The Oracle stubbed out her cigarette and lit up a new one before continuing. "Neo believes himself a program, to be precise. One made by the Architect. I suppose in one sense it's true," the Oracle mused, shaking her head. "Poor kid."
"How did this happen?" She started to pace around the room, and stopped in front of the seer.
"In the battle with Smith, of course," replied the Oracle. "The results of the battle was that Neo died, if only temporarily. His consciousness was consumed by Smith, and their codes had been tangled nearly beyond saving. Not beyond the Architect's skills, unfortunately."
"Who is this Architect?" Niobe said. "I've never heard of him."
"He holds power over the matrix and over the One." The Oracle sighed. "The Neo you know is almost gone, and if the Architect has his way, the next time you see him, nothing but the One will be left. He would be the Architect's One."
"How can we save Neo? And stop the Architect' plans?" said Niobe urgently.
"I hate to bring bad news," the Oracle said, "But the real question is, should you stop the Architect? Or save Neo? You'll be given a choice, Niobe, and it will either destroy this peace or cement it forever. And to do that it will only cost one thing, one life."
"Neo's," she answered, stunned. She opened her mouth to ask more, until distracted by the uproar from outside. Gunshots along with screams sounded ominous, especially knowing where Morpheus was.
"It's starting," the Oracle shook her head. "He's going to do something rash. In all his years Morpheus has never learned any caution in words or deeds."
The Oracle stared as the door slammed shut with the force of Niobe's passage.
"No wonder you both get along," she sighed. "And you still hadn't asked the right question."
tbc
Next chapter: It Begins
