Part 4: Strange Avenues

What Collins told them when they'd arrived was true. There had been much more exile activity in the past few weeks than usual, including what appeared to be several attempts at spying on the scientific programs involved in the project with the humans. Something was definitely up.

"There have been no overt incidents of sabotage yet," said Collins, her eyes still on the road. They were on their way to investigate a site outside the city, an area of subtle code manipulation that looked like a high-level exile's handiwork. "But our scientists are worried. They're saying it's only a matter of time until something happens, and they don't want their lives endangered. Some of them are even threatening to stop their work until internal security is increased." There was the faintest hint of disdain in the agent's voice. "They say that protecting the One is not enough."

"They can't expect your team to handle that, in addition to what you're doing now," replied Morpheus, frowning.

"They don't. The mainframe is performing an analysis of the situation, and will assign another team of operatives to watch over the project once the analysis is complete."

"More agents?" Smith asked.

Collins nodded. "Not our team -- our duties will not be compromised," she assured them.

This seemed to put Morpheus more at ease, knowing that the team they'd been working with wouldn't be dividing their efforts. Smith took this as a sign of how far they'd come, on both sides. The first time they'd met the agents designated as his protectors, Morpheus wasn't quite willing to trust the One's safety to them…even if the One was now Smith.

"We will be responsible for his safety in the Matrix," Collins had proclaimed, after their group meeting with the Oracle that day. There was something extremely arrogant about the way she'd said it, as if she didn't believe a mere human bodyguard contingent could do the job. Morpheus had bristled, but he knew that their presence was a gift from the Machines in charge, and he didn't want to jeopardize the truce. At the time, Smith hadn't been pleased either. Now both he and Morpheus were more accustomed to the situation and to the agents assigned to him. (It helped that Morpheus and Collins had been of similar opinion on Smith, in the beginning.) And Smith could tell that Morpheus found it amusing that Collins, who'd only been online for a few months, was giving orders to a former agent who'd been around since the first version of the Matrix.

"It's rather strange to hear you describe your scientists as 'worried'," Morpheus commented, after a few moments. "Emotions usually aren't associated with the Machines."

"With time, any sufficiently complex AI can develop emotions, if given the right stimuli," Smith replied offhandedly. Knowing that Collins would likely protest, he continued. "An agent, for example, might experience feelings of satisfaction at a job well-done, or determination to complete a mission, or curiosity at something new…" Frustration, anger, and hatred would come later, if at all. "It may not be as strong an emotion as a human would have, but it's still an emotion."

Evans looked like she was in agreement, but Collins' eyes had narrowed behind her shades. It looked like she definitely wanted to object, but this time it wasn't Smith who interrupted.

"Excuse me," said Chapman calmly, from her seat in the back next to Evans. "But we are being followed."

Collins' eyes now turned to the rearview mirror. The expression on the command unit's face sent a bolt of alarm through Smith, but it put to rest any arguments that agents had no emotions -- she was smiling, in the same way Smith used to smile before gunning down a resistant.

"Good," she declared, and hit the gas...