2
Trinity sighed heavily as she removed both her over-shirt and under-shirt and dropped them to the floor with a delicate plop. Lifting both shirts and her navy cotton pants and tossing them on the end of her unmade bed, Trinity crossed her room in nothing but underwear, rummaging amongst her few possessions for the only other set of clothing she owned.
"This is crazy." Trinity whispered to herself as her frozen fingers clasped around her loose fitting grey shirt. "I'm not attractive. Why would Neo like me anyway? I'm definitely not the easiest person to be close to....God, I really should stop talking to myself all the time."
Setting the now found clothes out on her bed, Trinity prepared to dress when the door creaked open loudly and Mouse barged in noisily, hardly giving Trinity the time to hold her shirt over as much skin as possible. Mouse froze in the doorframe as the sapphire toned steel door crashed against the inner wall of the room, his brown eyes bulging but not widely enough to stand out against the brilliant red in his cheeks.
"Um....Trinity?" Mouse stuttered, tugging on the flaps of the hat that covered tuffs of straw coloured hair. "Gee....err....sorry. I t-thought you would have...err....a-anyway, I was trying to make some improvements in the core, and I kind of screwed it up. Since you're the best at welding, Tank sent me here."
Trinity raised a fine eyebrow, having a strange feeling that Mouse was staring at her bare legs. Frowning, and casting him her most terrifying look, Mouse backed out of the room quickly, reaching to pull the door closed.
"C-can you come?" Mouse mumbled before he shut the door completely, no longer daring to look his second-in-command in the eye.
"Let me get dressed first." Trinity spat angrily. "Oh, and Mouse? Next time you decide to pay a visit on me, knock."
Mouse nodded briefly before shutting the door quickly. Trinity listened to his boots thumping against the floor of the corridor outside before she dropped the shirt back onto the bed and reached for her undershirt, glad that she had been wearing her underwear when Mouse entered.
"Switch was right." Trinity said with a soft laugh. "He does have a habit for bursting in at the most awkward moments."
She finished dressing and stepped into the corridor, slowly making her way towards the core. She passed the closed iron doors that stood between the hall and the rooms of her crewmates, as well as several empty rooms that were rarely used. As she neared the ladder that would take her to the main deck, Trinity heard ragged breathing coming from a nearby room.
Turning her head, she noticed that the door to a room that was usually left empty stood slightly ajar, the heavy breathing issuing from the room behind it. Approaching cautiously, Trinity pushed the door open as quietly as possible and let a small gasp escape her lips when she caught sight of what lay behind it.
The room was most likely the smallest aboard the Nebercanezzer, the metal single bed taking up most of the room and leaving little floor space. Unlike Trinity's bed, the pinstriped covers were still tucked under the mattress neatly, the pillow plump and inviting. The nets tied above the bed had already been filled with supplies, brand new and ready for use. However, these minor details hardly captured Trinity's attention, which seemed to be focused souly on the figure lying atop the bed.
Neo lay on his back, his head lolling to the side slightly in what appeared to be a restless sleep. The clothes he wore were obviously second hand, tattered and torn like most garments available on the ship. They seemed loose and limp on his body, not fitting his slender frame correctly, where as the dirt-trodden boots strapped to his feet seemed painfully tight.
Taking slow and careful steps towards him, hoping she wouldn't wake him, Trinity felt the corners of her mouth upturn in a faint smile as her eyes fixed on his pale stricken face, his eyelids snapped tightly over the beauty of his eyes. Thick brown bristles of hair were already beginning to grow atop his head, and Trinity marveled at the fact that his hair had begun to grow back much faster than usual seeing as his eyebrows had already returned to their average length.
Cringing when she noticed the needle jabbed into the plug in his lower arm, Trinity watched the clear fluid transmitting into his flesh briefly, feeling a twang of pain herself, as if the needle had been struck into her instead. It took all of her will power to stop herself from pulling out, as she mentally reminded herself that it would make him heal much faster. Stepping closer to the bed, Trinity hardly registered another presence outside the room as Neo stirred in his sleep, admitting a groan of both pain and exhaustion.
"Neo," Trinity whispered quietly, speaking the word slowly to savor it against her lips. Smiling once more upon the sleeping form, Trinity edged away from the bed and out of the room, shutting the door behind her completely.
"Trinity."
Moving swiftly at the sound of her name, Trinity locked eyes with her captain and felt a horrible sensation like cement being poured into her throat. How long had he been standing there?
"He shouldn't be out of the Med Bay yet." Trinity said in what she hoped was equivalent for her usual commanding voice. "He needs more time to heal. It's only been three days since he was unplugged."
"Actually, Neo has been making quite a quick recovery." Morpheus shrugged, leading Trinity towards the ladder that ascended to the main deck. "I was expecting it to take at least a few weeks but his muscles have been rebuilt successfully in an unusually short amount of time considering his age."
"When do you think he'll be up and walking around the ship?" Trinity asked, trying and failing not to sound too eager.
Morpheus was slightly taken aback by Trinity's emotion. He certainly hadn't expected her to be so enthusiastic about Neo's presence on board the ship, since he knew that she still refused to believe the prophesy of The One. He moved aside to allow Trinity to climb up the ladder first, gripping the sides of it firmly before ascending himself.
"With luck, he may even be out of bed by the end of today." Morpheus said formally as he climbed the final rail and stepped onto the main deck. "But I'm still not certain."
Trinity nodded, stepping away from her captain to retrieve the wielding gear and begin another daunting day of work.
"Has anyone ever noticed that the Oracle has a habit of screwing people up?" Mouse called to anyone who would listen as he tapped several keys on a screen from across the room. "She told me that I was going to die young, but a hero's death fighting for the resistance. Sure, that's a comforting thought. I would have liked it much better if she told me I was going to fall in love with a hot girl."
Trust me, Trinity thought to herself as several sparks flicked into the mask she wore over her face, having someone tell you you'd fall in love is just as comforting as being told your going to die young.
"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Tank said from his position in front of the Matrix screens as he leaned back in his chair lazily. "Well, I sure am glad I can't jack in. Where's the fun in having some old lady tell you shit you don't even want to know?"
"The Oracle doesn't screw everyone up, Mouse." Switch said as she tossed a wrench across the room to Cypher, who was repairing a jack-in chair. "She just tells you the truth. It's not her fault if your future's bleak."
"Easy for you to say." Mouse scowled. "I bet your prophecy was as beautiful as a basket of roses."
"Actually, it was." Switch replied with a smile, casting a sideways glance to Apoc who returned it with a kind smile.
"What did she tell you then?" Mouse questioned, now completely abandoning his set work.
"None of your business." Switch retorted, casting him a scathing look. "As Morpheus said, everyone's prophecy is for them, and them alone."
"Well, I can guess your prophecy anyway." Mouse said bitterly. "The Oracle probably told you you'd fall for Apoc. And vice versa for him. The one person I'd have trouble predicting for is Trinity. I mean, it's not like the Oracle would say she'd fall in love. She's way too cold hearted for that."
Trinity had now completely abandoned her welding work and removed her protective mask, the coldness in her ice blue eyes equivalent to the frostiness in the iceberg that sunk the titanic.
"Well, it's true!" Mouse cried, ignoring Trinity's face at all costs. "I mean, come on Trinity! Do you really think that you're the type to fall in-"
"Shut up, Mouse." Apoc warned threateningly, receiving the reaction of smiling faces from the rest of the crew. Mouse was mostly considered to be the little brother none (except Dozer) had aboard the Neb, and just as irritating. Although it was well known that the deep thinking and quiet Apoc found him more irritating than the others and constantly found himself repeating those three words.
Mouse pulled a face in mockery of Apoc once the older man had turned his back, and refocused on his work, Trinity deciding to follow his lead. However, Mouse's words still burned fresh in her mind and she felt her cheeks burning beneath her mask, and not because of the heat issuing from the blue flames at the tip of her welding gear.
Mouse is right. I'm not the type to fall in love. I wouldn't know how to love someone. And who could ever love me anyway?...well, maybe Cypher does...but he doesn't count...
Trinity's train of thought was broken when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Pulling off her mask and turning to see Tank standing above her, Trinity raised an eyebrow to convey the question that didn't need to be voiced.
"You seem a little tense." Tank whispered so that the others wouldn't be able to hear. "Is everything ok?"
To Trinity's nod, Tank squeezed her shoulder briefly before leaving her be. Trinity smiled at his retreating back before pulling the mask back over her face and concentrating once more.
"This is my ship, the Nebercanezzer." Said Morpheus as Neo climbed the final rudder and scrambled onto the next level, clutching a blanket around his shoulders tightly and shivering partly from the cold, and partly from fear. Morpheus had not yet fully explained all the strange events that had been occurring and he was still unsure of everything.
"It's a hovercraft." Morpheus continued, leading Neo down the hall and towards the core and gestured around him as Neo caught sight of the plaque attached to the ship's steel walls. "This is the main deck. This is the core, where we broadcast our pirate signal, and hack into the Matrix."
What the hell is the Matrix anyway? Neo asked himself, growing increasingly impatient with his own ignorance. If someone didn't explain something to him soon, he felt he would explode. Somehow, he was getting the feeling that Morpheus was purposely delaying an explanation of his surroundings. Having had woken up to find the pain he had experienced earlier had subsided, Neo had been shocked to find himself dressed in ragged clothes with only short stubble for hair and strange metal plugs built into his flesh. So far, Morpheus had failed to explain any of this to him.
He noticed a mousy haired, lanky teenage boy watching him silently from behind a computer and wondered how many people were aboard the ship.
"Most of my crew," Said Morpheus, continuing to move further into the core. "You already know."
As soon as the words left Morpheus's lips, Neo's eyes flew automatically to the right where a figure was standing up in a single, slow graceful movement and removing the mask that consumed her face. Trinity tossed her mask aside and brushed wisps of ebony hair out of her face, her skin chalk white and her eyes shinning as if they had been stuck with bolts of electricity, the power in them swelling and filling her entire being.
No wonder I thought she was an angel. Neo thought to himself as he scurried after Morpheus, but failing to tear his eyes from her, finding it physically impossible. Staring intently over his shoulder as he passed, he noticed slight surprise evident in her face, as it was portrayed in the expressions of the other three slightly familiar figures that were now approaching him.
Morpheus stepped behind the three figures, resting a hand on the shoulder of each in turn as he introduced them. "This is Apoc, Switch, and Cypher."
"Hi." Cypher said with a smirk that was slightly unnerving, and Neo found it much more intimidating than the emotionless glare he received from Apoc and Switch.
"The ones you don't know." Morpheus continued, gesturing behind him to a set of men leaning against what seemed to be some sort of large computer consol. "Tank, and his big brother Dozer."
Tank smiled cheerfully, at once causing Neo to relax. At least one person had the courtesy to show him he was welcome in his strange new surroundings. Neo found himself liking Tank already.
"The little one behind you is Mouse." Morpheus nodded in the direction over Neo's shoulder. Swiveling around, he was surprised to see the young teenager had followed him silently and now nodded shyly, smiling timidly.
Feeling strong hands grip his shoulders, causing him to tremble slightly, Neo turned back to Morpheus, who was now standing directly in front of him.
"So you wanted to know what the Matrix is, Neo?" Asked Morpheus, not tearing his eyes from the man who stood in front of him. Neo nodded vigorously, desperate for answers despite the throbbing pain in his head. In reply, Morpheus called in a commanding voice, "Trinity."
Trinity was at his side in a matter of seconds, standing so close to him that he could make out every small detail in her face. The earlier expression of shock had now evaporated from her features and was replaced with...concern? She hid her emotion so well, it became almost impossible to tell. Even so, he felt he could trust her, and not just because he had known her prior to this day, but because she was head-strong and determined, giving the impression that she knew what she was doing.
Letting her lead him to what resembled an old, worn dentist chair, Neo let the tension flow from his body as the chair reclined. Feeling the eyes of other crew members on him, Neo shivered slightly and let his eyes fall on Morpheus, who had moved to the side of his chair opposite from Trinity.
"Try to relax." Morpheus commanded. Neo heard a strange scrapping sound from behind him as metal drew dangerously close to his skin. "This will feel...a little weird."
Suddenly, a needle was jabbed into the plug in the back on his head sharply. Morpheus was right: it did feel weird. More than weird; like a blade had been pushed into the back of his skull, striking a sensitive part of his head and causing pain equal to that of a thousand knives being jabbed into his body at once and sending pain coursing throughout his entire being.
Screaming in agony, and perhaps from shock, Neo felt his eyes shut tightly, only to reopen in an entirely different surrounding....
"He's in the construct?" Trinity asked after Morpheus had been jacked in.
"They are." Replied Tank from his usual place in front of the Matrix screens, choosing to ignore Trinity's obvious attention to Neo for the time being. "Gee, it seems like only yesterday Morpheus was taking you through the same lecture, doesn't it?"
"Don't start pretending to be my father." Trinity scowled, moving up behind him to watch.
"From what I remember, you didn't take the news very well." Tank smirked at the memory. "You vomited the second you sat up. It was hilarious."
"No it wasn't." Trinity said sharply. "How do you know that anyway? You weren't a crew member when I was unplugged."
"Dozer was." Tank grinned. "How long have you been on board this ship anyway?"
"About eleven years." Trinity said absent mindedly, keeping most of her attention on what was happening inside the construct.
"You're kidding me!" Tank exclaimed in shock. "That long? Only Dozer and Morpheus have been working on this ship longer than you."
"There was an entirely different crew on board this ship when I was first unplugged." Trinity said thoughtfully. "I was fifteen at the time....so it was about eleven years ago."
"Oh yeah. You didn't go to the Academy or the orphanage, did you?" Tank asked. To Trinity's nod, "Do you think Morpheus will make Neo go?"
Trinity shook her head violently, struggling to hold in a laugh. "He'd be the oldest student in his class. Even Morpheus isn't cruel enough to make him work with a bunch of kids." She peered closely at the screen, reading the expression of shock on Neo's face. "Don't you think Morpheus is taking things too quickly? I-I don't think Neo's had enough time to heal."
"Morpheus wouldn't tell Neo anything he's not ready to hear. But you're right, he's recovered in an unusually short amount of time. Maybe it has something to do with...." Tank shrugged, his forehead creasing into frown lines. "Uh oh, looks like it's time to get them out of there."
Trinity couldn't hold in a gasp when she saw Neo screaming and darting away from Morpheus with shock, fear and disbelief glowing in the softness of his digital eyes. Tank hurriedly typed in the appropriate keys as Trinity darted to the side of Neo's chair as his eyes snapped open.
Drawing a long and ragged breath, Neo began to thrash around in the chair with fear, trying to rip the needle from the back of his neck with trembling fingers. Feeling herself fill with pity as she recalled her first trip into the construct, Trinity held him down gently, hoping she didn't place too much pressure on Neo's arms.
"Easy, Neo, easy." She said firmly, pushing him back into the chair with a surprisingly strong grip. If Neo hadn't been in the state he was, he would have enjoyed the sensations he was receiving from her hands pressing against his chest.
"Get this thing out of me!" Neo cried, trying to move past Trinity's hands. "Get this thing..."
Dozer moved to Neo's other side and wrenched the needle from the back of his head as the rest of the crew gathered around them in a circular form. Pulling himself away from the chair, Neo staggered into the center of the circle, feeling his vision blur and his feet giving way beneath his weight.
"Don't touch me! Stay away from me!" Neo shouted, only wavering when he saw a flicker of hurt hidden beneath Trinity's eyes at his harsh words. He knew she was only trying to help him, but there was much more pressing matters in his mind at the moment to daunt on this much longer. "I don't want it, I don't want to believe it."
Trinity felt her heart clench in her chest as her breath caught sharply in her throat. She didn't like seeing him in this state and partly wished that Morpheus had just left him to continue living out the peaceful life he had in the Matrix. A routine she and come to known so well...Although she knew it was for the best. If he was the One....
Trinity noticed Cypher rolling her eyes at Neo and scowled. Can't he show some sympathy? We all know what it feels like to discover that everything you've ever known is just a lie. The poor thing is going through a serious mental trauma...Oh God, did I just call Neo a 'poor thing'?
"He's gonna pop."Cypher stated the obvious, shaking his head knowingly as Neo dropped to his knees.
Neo felt his vision blur, the colours mixing into a mess of blues, blacks and browns. Morpheus pushed through the crew, his eyes wide with concern.
"Breathe, Neo." Morpheus commanded. "Just breathe."
It was the last thing he heard before he lurched forward and felt a warm taste linger on his lips as the smell of vomit drifted to his lips. Groaning and no longer being able to maintain concussions, Neo fell to the floor and was consumed by darkness once again.
"Someone should take him back to his room-" Morpheus began after Neo collapsed onto the cold surface of the steel floor, but was interrupted almost immediately.
"I will." Trinity blurted out, causing all eyes to turn to her. Feeling her cheeks burn, but refusing to withdraw her comment, Trinity folded her arms across her midsection and stepped forward, crouching beside Neo's unconscious form.
"-clean him up," Morpheus continued, surprise entwined with each word. "And dress him in fresh clothes."
Trinity blushed a vibrant shade of scarlet, backing away from Neo instantly realizing that Morpheus had meant to suggest that a man would be better for the job.
"I'll do it." Said Dozer, taking Trinity's place at Neo's side and lifting him out of his own pool of vomit and slumping his arm across Dozer's shoulders. Once Dozer had shuffled away, Trinity gave the others a curt nod, retreating to her room to recover from the embarrassment and muttering about her stupidity to herself on the way.