The Nostradamus was a real beauty. With the end of the war between human and machine, engineers were now able to spend more time building the ships, and making changes such as larger quarters. They didn't need to use up so much room with firing stations and ammunition feeders. This way the main purpose for every ship was exploration, and going into the Matrix to try and unplug those who were still a part of the machines endless feeding supply. The Nostradamus was even more special because with more time to spend on research there had been some enormous improvements with the equipment used to enter the Matrix. More programs had been added to the database, and there was less of a risk of being killed now, though it was still a possibility.

However, on the day of the Nostradamus launch, Bree was not bustling about, busily making the final preparations, or staring in awe at its magnificent structure. She was just standing on the peak of the platform leading dock to Docking Bay Seven, where the ship was waiting, watching it all happen. She almost looked bore. Though, at random intervals she would point out into the crowd and give some minor direction to the people wheeling supplies on carts to the ship, and fixing a few glitches on the outer armor. With a bored glance to her left she suddenly stood erect and pointed strictly at something.

"Tron!" she called out, her voice resonating around the dock. Stumbling with his load, the boy whom she had shouted at froze and looked in Brees direction rather fearfully. Suddenly looking quite menacing she beckoned him towards her. He quickly abandoned his cart of ammunition, and ran to stand up to her, standing as straight as he could. Bree eyed him in a frightening way.

"Could you please get me a glass of water?" she said, taking on a very sweet tone, and winking one eye. At first a look of puzzlement appeared on Trons face, but then there was nothing but relief. He nodded in compliance and ran off to fulfill her request. Bree watched him go and smiled to herself.

"Nice kid," she said absentmindedly to no one.

"Wouldn't be talking about me would you?" a voice spoke up at her side. Bree glanced over at Ace, noting the smile on his face, her own smile disappearing. The look on his face suggested he wanted her to laugh, or look at him in a happy way. Instead she just stared at him with a blank expression.

"Now why would I be talking about you?" she asked him with sarcastic curiosity. Then she turned her face away from him and resumed her studious watching of the assemblage of people working on the ship. She heard Ace sigh and saw him run a hand unnecessarily through his short, dark hair out of the corner of her eye.

"Bree," he began in a pleading voice.

"Ace for the last time I'm notmad at you," she said cutting him off and turning to stare at him again, a thoroughly annoyed look on her face, "I'm just irritated that you couldn't have told me about this yourself instead of running to Morpheus and asking him to do it for you. I don't like thinking I fell in love with a coward."

Without another word she stepped down from her post and waded into the swarm of people, leaving a disheartened and crushed Ace behind her. Bree knew that she really didn't have to be so hard on him. She had, in fact, forgiven him the night before for this whole debacle, but this morning she had awoken with a renewed anger and annoyance with his actions. Not to mention the urge to throw up. She was just not in the mood to be kind to him.

She continued walking distractedly through the crowd until she felt a tap on her shoulder. Thinking it was Ace she turned around with a heavy sigh and prepared to scream something at him. As she came completely turned around though, she found herself face-to-face with Captain Lock. The captain had with him Tron, whom he was holding by the shoulder, a mixture of anger and puzzlement on his face. Mostly anger though.

"Did you send this boy to go and get you a glass of water, instead of loading the ammunition feeder?" he asked Bree, looking as though he had wanted to use a much greater volume in his voice. Tron gave a small sigh, apparently unheard by Lock. Bree herself looked quite calm.

"Yes I did," she said, glancing momentarily at Tron as he sighed, "And I'll ask you to use his name and not 'boy'. It's embarrassing to him and does not exactly have a flattering reflect on your already struggling reputation. A captain should not use insulting terms addressing his crew members when they have done nothing except follow an order made by a superior." With a smile, she reached out, grabbed a hold of Trons other arm and tugged him gently out of Lock's grasp. Placing her own hand upon the young adult's shoulder, she led him quickly away, the captain staring at them in utter silence.

"Don't let him intimidate you," Bree told him with another, reassuring smile.

"I know I shouldn't," Tron said with a shrug, "I just wish he wouldn't be so hard on me."

Bree nodded understandingly. "How old are you?"

"Um, nineteen."

"Well then here soon you'll surpass him in rank, believe me. His reign as tyrant has been long due to be over." With a final smile she let Tron return to his cart. Sighing, she walked closer to the ship, glancing up to the top of it where a few people worked.

"Zane that's too tight!" she called to a man not too much younger then herself who was sitting atop the ship with a wrench tightening the bolts around one of the vents. He looked up when he heard his name and looked down at Bree.

"Loosen it up a little bit, the air won't get through with it that tight," she told him.

"But Captain Lock said that it's better to rely on the oxygen supplier then having something else get in through the vents," Zane said.

"Did he give you an example?"

"No."

"Then loosen it." Not saying anything else, Bree continued on her way, up the metal ramp and into the grand vessel. It looked just as magnificent inside as it did outside. The floors sparkled in the light from the outside, and peeking into one of the crew quarters she saw a fairly clean room with a bed with an actual mattress. It was incredible to behold, and for a moment, Bree almost felt proud to be serving on it.

Wandering somewhat aimlessly through the ship, Bree ended up in a doorway looking in on a familiar scene. In the very center, the focal point of the room, were a row of about five tilted chairs with a tall mechanical column behind each one. Facing the chairs and off to one side, were several monitors linked together by many wires and controlled by one keyboard centered right in front of the operator's chair. Walking over to this console, Bree let her grey eyes fall upon one of the screens, watching the coded "matrix feed" cascade downwards in the form of shining green data strands. Reaching a hand up, she slowly began to stretch her fingers towards the monitor. She was so close to the Matrix, yet so far away.

"Bree," a sudden voice spoke softly behind her, and Bree quickly retracted her hand. Casting a quick glance in the direction the sound had come from she just as hastily looked away again and just stared ahead of her with her arms folded.

"Only captain and crew are allowed on the ship during preparation," she said, still not looking in Ace's direction. Bree didn't know why she was acting so harsh really, but it gave her an oddly satisfying feeling.

"Unless given permission by the captain of the ship in question," he retorted, "And I'm happy to say good old Lock complied with my request." Bree sighed with annoyance and focused just that much harder on not looking at him.

"Bree come on, this is ridiculous," Ace said, intriguing a glance his way out of Bree as she noticed that his voice was not pleased this time, but was heavily tinged with annoyed, irritable exasperation, "You're leaving in just under an hour or less and you're still not talking to me. I'm not letting you leave this city still angry with me!"

Somewhere in the middle of Ace's bold, miniature speech, Bree had finally turned around to look at him, so when he finally finished talking, the two were locked in a hard stare, not moving an inch and not saying a word. At some point Bree thought she heard someone appear in the doorway, but if so they disappeared just as quickly, leaving the pair completely alone and undisturbed. It was a long time before anything was said, and both Bree and Ace probably would have preferred it otherwise.

"Bree," a small voice called from the arch leading into the room. Eyes widened slightly with surprise, Bree shifted her gaze to a familiar face standing in the door.

"Circuit," she said, a little flustered. She had not come face-to-face with the computer programmer since the incident in the Matrix.

This was for several reasons, one being that she merely didn't want to be asked any questions about Neo. However, the main reason was because, in Brees mind, Circuit had every right to hate her. While he had not been harmed physically in any way and had only suffered the emotional pain they all had, Bree felt that she had failed in protecting him the way she should have. Had it not been for Neo, who had been the one to catch Circuit when he tripped as they ran from Smith, two members of the crew would have been lost instead of one.

"Lock wanted me to tell you guys that the cast-off ceremony will be held outside the ship shortly," said Circuit, in all manners quite calm. With a small, flickering smile, he turned to leave.

"Circuit, wait," Bree called suddenly, pushing past Ace as Circuit turned back around, "I'm sorry. I am so, so sorry." She had wanted to say that ever since she woke up, but had not had the courage to seek him out and face him. Now she had said it. Circuit, though, looked rather confused.

"Sorry about what?" he asked.

"Everything," she sighed, "It's all my fault. I should have protected you better. I knew it was your first time and I was careless. I just wish things would have turned out differently."

"So do I," Circuit replied, sounding much more mature then the bouncy, excited person he was in the Matrix, "But that doesn't mean it's your fault. You guys were always warning me about the dangers of the Matrix. I should have known better then to go running off like that."

Bree wanted desperately to say something, but no words came out. She wanted to contradict him, and continue to insist that it was still her fault, but something in Circuit's voice, his sincerity maybe, made it difficult for her to do so. Instead Breed just smiled gratefully at him, and he returned it with is own grin and a nod. Then he left, leaving Bree and Ace alone once again. Brees back was turned to Ace, and she had no intention of turning around this time. After several minutes she felt a hand on her shoulder, but she no longer had the strength or will to shrug it off.

"So that's why you've been so bitter?" said Ace's soft, somewhat shaky voice, "You thought Stella's death was your fault?" Bree turned around again, no longer looking harsh and strong-willed, but weak and fragile.

"Kind of stupid, huh?" she said with a wavering smile. Slowly she felt Ace's arms wrap tightly around her like a security blanket.

"Not at all," he whispered, and as the tears came Bree threw her arms around him. They stayed that way, in a tight, twisted embrace for a long time.

Outside the Nostradamus, a great crowd had congregated and was respectfully listening as Captain Lock made his speech on the hard work and toil that had gone into the making of the vessel. He went on to discuss the journey both he and his crew had made to make it to this day. Today, he said, would mark the cast-off of the most prestigious ship on the fleet. After many tedious minutes, Lock finally reached the part most of the assemblage had come for: the introduction of the crew that would serve upon the grand machine.

First to come up and make his bows was Tron, looking both nervous and excited as everyone was on their first ship assignment. He would serve as the pilot, the youngest in the entire fleet, but very skilled at his job. Next up was Gaia, looking particularly surly with her long jet-black hair rippling behind her in a gnarled mass. She would be the ship's first aid specialist, which definitely surprised many people. Tick came up after her, a slightly twitchy man, and who would take the spot of computer programmer aboard the Nostradamus. Zane trotted up as Tick took his place beside Gaia in the line-up, standing tall and proud with his muscled arms folded over his chest. He would work on as the vessel's main mechanic, a job that Bree would normally have been assigned to. However, because of a delay in the operator training program, she would have to act as the operator for the ship when the crew jacked in. She found this cruelly ironic.

It was just as Skip walked up to bow to the crowd over his enormous girth, that Bree darted from within the ship, down the ramp, and sprinted to the side of the small stage that had been set up, awaiting her turn. Her appearance had caused a brief pause in Lock's introduction of the large man, who was, Bree knew, trying to direct the crowd's attention from Bree with his ecstatic waving. She would have to thank him later. She liked the man, and was glad he would be their cook while abroad. Her name was called not long after Skip stepped into the line of crew members, and with a bright smile she stepped up to the stage and proceeded to its center to enthusiastic applause. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Ace slip out of the ship and into the crowd. She felt relieved that no one appeared to have seen him.

Once Bree had taken her place in the line-up, Captain Lock gave the podium to Councilor Hammand who would bless the ship in a prayer, and walked over to stand next to Bree. She found herself feeling a sense of satisfaction at the absolute fury in his eyes. She did realize how it must have looked for her to have come dashing out of the vessel, her hair slightly ruffled, and her large sweater pulled off one shoulder. Out of the corner of his mouth, his lips barely moving at all, Lock whisper to her.

"I can't believe you almost ruined the ceremony with your little shenanigan," he said.

"Oh don't exaggerate," she whispered back into the same ventriloquist-like manner, "I hardly 'almost ruined' it. You're just sore because I interrupted you." This seemed to render the captain speechless, because he didn't say anything else. He didn't trust himself to speak because the next thing that came out of his mouth might be yelled and he did not want to risk that while Councilor Hammand said his prayer.

"May the spirits guide you on your journey," Councilor Hammand said as he turned to the crew, looking at each of them in turn, "And guide you safely back to Zion." He then bowed his head ever so slightly at them, and they all bowed in return, the assemblage of people breaking out into applause again. After the clapping died down Lock bid the crew to leave and say their final good-byes to whomever they wanted, and to be back when the gong sounded.

Bree leapt lightly off the stage, for a fleeting moment wondering whether she should really be doing such things given her…condition, and looked around for Ace. She didn't see him, which puzzled her greatly and caused her a slight sadness. He wouldn't have just run off, would he? She didn't want to think so, but she still could not find him. Wearing an expression of the utmost gloom, she stuck her hands in the ragged pockets of her pants and began wandering around, not really caring where her feet took her.

Somehow, Bree ended up standing in front of The Neo, the ship she no longer worked aboard. She stood for some time, staring at its vast size, before she walked closer to it and placed a single hand up its metallic surface, as she had with Trinity's plaque. It felt smooth and natural against her palm and for a short moment she smiled, lighting her face in a way that had not been present for days. She had loved this ship, loved working on it, and loved learning every inch of it with her mechanical doings. It had been a place where she felt at home and comfortable, where peace and quiet was not just a thing dreamed about in the noisy city, but was reality.

"I'm going to miss you," she said, not feeling at all silly to be talking to a ship, "A lot."

"And what about us?" said a voice behind her she recognized as Ace. She turned around in a surprised twirl of dark hair and torn clothing, and her grey eyes widened considerably at what she saw.

The entire crew that still worked on The Neo, and one person she definitely had not planned on seeing, was standing in a clustered group in front of her, all of them smiling. Bolt and Magnet stood in the very back, their arms crossed in a comically similar manner. Link and Circuit stood in the middle, with Niobe and Ace standing in front of them. Morpheus stood off to the side, though still very much a part of the group, and smiling broadly like everyone else. Bree just stared all of them in shock until she found her voice.

"What are you all doing here?" she said. It was the only thing she could think to say.

"You didn't think you were going to leave without saying goodbye did you?" ask Bolt with his handsome smile.

Doing the only thing that seemed right to do; Bree walked forward and embraced everyone in sight. It ended up just turning into one large group hug, all of them just standing with their arms around each other. They were a family, whether genetics said so or not. It wasn't long before Bree realized she was crying, but tears no longer mattered. All that mattered was that she was with the only group of people she had ever truly loved, minus two people. After several emotional minutes they all separated, Bree not the only one wiping her eyes.

"I'm going to miss you guys," she said with a sniff, "I really am. I don't blame anyone for my reassignment anymore. I don't know how I'm not going to think about not going into the Matrix, but I'll survive." She paused for a moment, contemplating whether or not to go on. In the end her mind voted the positive.

"I just wish I could have heard the rest of what Neo had to say in the Matrix." For a few minutes after she said this, Bree didn't notice how stunned and confused everyone looked. The only exceptions were Circuit and Ace.

"What do you mean what 'Neo had to say in the Matrix?'" asked Niobe.

"Neo has been gone for many years," Morpheus said slowly.

Brows furrowing Bree looked to Circuit and Ace, who both almost seemed to be smirking.

"We didn't say anything to anybody if that's what you're wondering," said Ace, smiling. Bree smiled back before looking to the rest of the group, realizing she would have to tell them what had happened, something she had been trying to avoid doing.

"I saw Neo in the Matrix," she began, "At least a part of him. I know it sounds crazy, but I know what I saw. It was Neo; there is no doubt in my mind about it. He told me that his body had been destroyed but his mind had stayed in the Matrix. Then he tried to tell me -" Before she could finish her sentence, a loud gong rang out through Zion, shaking the ground slightly, and all talk of Neo seemed to be forgotten.

Everyone moved in for one last hug, then one-by-one they left, leaving only Bree and Ace standing alone and looking at one another. Bree wanted to say so much to him now, but she knew she had to get back at the ship with everyone else, or risk suffering from verbal whiplash via Captain Lock. Instead she just kissed him briefly and walked away with just a melancholy wave of her hand which he returned. Then she was off, walking towards the Nostradamus, the new part of her life journey as Morpheus would say, not having any idea of what lay ahead for her and her growing family.