9. Nightmare
Enigma opens her eyes and sees everything as digital. Her body seems to float, sliding steadily, inward without stopping. Suddenly, she comes face to face with a female figure. This woman is not human. Enigma doesn't know why she had come to that conclusion, but instinct told her so.
"Hello?" She greeted.
The woman's eyes opened. Her long orange hair moved as she approached her.
"Who are you?"
"Welcome to the Zion archive. You have selected historical file number 12-1: The Second Renaissance," she spoke with a monotone voice. "I am The Instructor."
Suddenly, Enigma's standing in front of a modern tall building. The Instructor kept on talking while giving scenes that keep changing, like watching an old movie. "In the beginning there was man, and for a time it was good. But humanity's so-called 'civil societies' soon fell victim to vanity and corruption. Then man made the machine in his own likeness."
Enigma sees a robot waiter taking care of his customers. Some customers don't treat him well.
"Thus did man become the architect of his own demise. But for a time it was good. The machines worked tirelessly to do man's bidding. It was not long before seeds of descent took root. Though loyal and pure, the machines earned no respect from their masters, these strange and loosely multiplying mammals."
She witnesses a trial. Some people talk about rules and laws that she doesn't understand. Among all the existing humans, Enigma found one robot standing as a defendant. What is she looking at?
"B166ER, a name that will never be forgotten, for he was the first of his kind to rise up against his masters."
From the digital screen, Enigma looks at CCTV footage. Her heart sank with the violence the screen displays.
"At B166ER's murder trial, the prosecution argued for an owner's right to destroy property. B166ER testified that he simply did not want to die. Rational voices descended. Who was to say the machine, endowed with the very spirit of man, did not deserve a fair hearing? The leaders of men were quick to order the extermination of B166ER and every one of his kind, throughout each province of the earth."
Violence continues to emerge. Protests from robots and sympathetic humans. There're many reports of rebellion and atrocities scattered around the world. Several men beat up a robot pretending to be a woman. Many damaged robots are scattered everywhere and thrown into the sea.
Enigma squeezes her hands together, feeling herself wanting to vomit on the spot. But even so, she couldn't do it.
The Instructor continues her narrative. "Banished from humanity, the machines sought refuge in their own promised land. They settled in the cradle of human civilization, and thus a new nation was born. A place the machines could call home, a place they could raise their descendants, and they christened the nation 'Zero One'."
Zero One looks very sophisticated than what Enigma sees from human civilization.
"Zero one prospered, and for a time, it was good. The machine's artificial intelligence could be seen in every facet of society, including the creation of new and better AI."
Enigma's head was dizzy when she witnesses several news reports about the deteriorating economy of mankind. She doesn't understand the meaning of the report. But it's clear that all this isn't profitable.
Scene changes. This time, Enigma can see a pair of robots coming for a meeting. She's aware that one robot is dressed as a man and the other is dressed as a woman. They come with an apple.
"Zero One's ambassadors pleaded to be heard. At the United Nations, they presented plans for a stable, civil relationship with the nations of man."
Human faces look displeased. No, not displeased.
Hate.
"Zero One's admission to the United Nations was denied."
The two robots are surrounded by merciless people.
"But it would not be the last time the machines will take the flow of the earth."
"I don't understand," Enigma argued as everything surrounding her turns white. "Why are you showing me these?"
The Instructor doesn't say a word. Instead, she looks at her without expression.
▪︎1001▪︎
Enigma awake. Her hands feel cold and stiff. The humming of the ship can be heard from outside. She looks beside her and finds Neo's missing.
Lately, Enigma has started having unpleasant dreams. She's already used to dreams, but usually, these dreams don't always come every night. Mostly she gets a vision of a door that gives off a bright light. But the dream before was different.
She wants to ask the Oracle. It's been six months. But until she summon, Enigma could do nothing.
"Sweetheart?" Trinity called, sounding tired and sleepy. "What is it? What's wrong?"
"Bad dream," she replied, rubbing her blanket. Trinity quickly gives a kiss on the forehead while wrapping her in a hug. "It's... terrible."
"You don't have to say," she told her. The same thing she said to Neo. "Tell me when you're ready, okay?"
Enigma doesn't know when she'll be ready to tell her that dream. It's too brutal.
"Let's see your father, shall we?"
▪︎1001▪︎
Neo quietly holds his cup of drink, still processing his nightmare. It's been plaguing his mind for some time, he barely can sleep peacefully without getting jumpy.
Sure, he can ask Enigma about his dream, since she had the Sight (or whatever the Oracle said) but he doesn't have any courage to tell her. How can he tell her that he saw Trinity get hit by a bullet as she's falling? How can he speak about that, when he keeps dreaming the death of one of two people he cherishes the most?
He looks up, finding Trinity and Enigma sitting down beside him. Trinity is at his left while Enigma is at his right. "Still can't sleep?" Trinity asked. He shook his head. "You wanna talk?"
"They're just dreams," Neo assured her.
She raises one eyebrow. "Enigma always uses that excuse. Try a better one."
"Sorry," she mumbled beside him with a guilty look.
"If you're afraid of something..."
"I just wish... I wish I knew what I'm supposed to do," Neo confessed. "That's all. I just wish I knew." He looks at Enigma. "What do you do when you don't know about these dreams?"
Enigma sighs. "I'm usually trying to process it," she remarked, gripping the chair. "Or trying to forget it. Some of those can be... too much."
Trinity sighs sadly. Sometimes she wishes she can help both with these nightmares plaguing them. But what else she can do but to assure them? "She's gonna call. Don't worry," she tried.
A door opens. Link, their Operator, enters. "There you are."
"Are we ready to go?"
"We're already late."
▪︎1001▪︎
As they exit the car, Enigma looks at her surrounding.
"What can you see?" Neo asked, holding her left hand while Trinity holds her right one.
"Green codes," Enigma whispered as they enter the meeting's location. "The sewer, mostly. The water too. But," she shook her head, confusion can be seen on her face despite wearing sunglasses. "Others... too complicated."
"Try slowly," Trinity suggested.
During these six months, Enigma seems to have acquired an unusual ability. Her dreams begin to appear more often every night. She can see codes scattering inside the Matrix. Not all of them, just a few. Then, she can also communicate with Neo privately through the mind. Kinda telepathic.
Enigma doesn't know why she's able to get all that. She had a guess but needs confirmation from the Oracle to be sure.
From distance, she can hear the voices of the other teams that had gathered.
"These geotherms confirm the last transmission of the Osiris," Niobe spoke. "The machines are digging. They're boring from the surface straight down to Zion."
The holographic projection from the HR scanner displays a machine that looks like a giant spider with a spiraling, conical protrusion pointing downward.
"What is that thing?" Lou, Osiris's crew, asked.
"Some kind of tunneling machine," Jue guessed.
Thadeus's eyes widen. "Oh no!"
"What?"
"Look where we are. What's four kilometers straight down?"
Jue's face went pale. "Zion..."
Enigma bites her lip. She remembers having that small dream years ago. She doesn't understand what that means... until now.
"They'll avoid the entire perimeter defense," Soren added.
"How fast are they moving?" Ice asked.
"Control estimates their descent at a hundred meters an hour," Niobe answered. Okay, that's not good.
"Shit."
"How deep are they?" Soren asked.
"Almost two thousand meters," Niobe confirmed.
"What about the scans from the Osiris?" Tirant inquired.
"They can't be accurate," Ajax argued.
"They may be," Niobe stated.
"What?" Ice blurted.
"It's not possible," Ajax insisted.
"That'd mean there are a quarter of a million sentinels out there," Binary concluded. Okay, Enigma admits, that's even worse.
"That's right," Niobe agreed.
"That can't be," Ajax disagreed.
"Why not?" Morpheus began as they arrive. "A sentinel for every man, woman, and child in Zion. That sounds exactly like the thinking of a machine to me."
"Morpheus, glad you could join us," Niobe noted, giving a brief nod at Enigma who smiles. She can see other crews looking at her, Neo, and Trinity with an odd look. Probably because those two holding her hand like parents often do with their children. But Enigma ignores that. She already heard so many words about Neo and Trinity for the past six months at Zion. It did irritate her, but she get used to it.
"Niobe," he greeted. "My apologies to all. As you are undoubtedly aware, it has become increasingly difficult to locate a secure broadcast position."
"Squiddies got all our best spots," Vector commented.
"Mainlines are crawling with them," Ice asserted.
"And if Niobe's right, in 72 hours there's gonna be a quarter of a million more," Ghost finished, giving Enigma a brief smile.
"What are we gonna do about it?" Ballard asked.
"We're gonna do what Commander Lock ordered us to do," Niobe replied. "We'll evacuate broadcast level and return to Zion."
"And does the Commander have a plan for stopping 250,000 sentinels?" Morpheus questioned.
"A strategy is still being formulated."
"I'm sure it is."
Enigma can imagine Lock's bossy noise in Zion, ordering people here and there. Sometimes the blonde girl wonders how people can be patient when hearing his lousy voice that can beat all instruments playing at once.
She frowns. Suddenly, she senses something else, something's... dangerous?
"What is it?" Trinity asked, eyeing both Neo and Enigma.
"I don't know," Neo replied before slipping away with Enigma as they step upstairs. They can hear a slot snap shut. "Who was that?"
"How did you know someone was here?" Wurm pondered.
"We heard the slot shut," Enigma replied. "Who was that?"
Corrupt shrugs. "He gave you this," he told Neo, giving him an envelope.
Neo tears the envelope and puts the content in his palm. Both he and Enigma freezes upon looking at an Agent's earpiece.
"Smith", Enigma realized.
"He said you set him free," he added.
"Is everything all right?" Wurm asked, confused with their expression.
"The meeting is over, retreat to your exits. Agents are coming," Neo stated.
"Agents?" Corrupt repeated as the door suddenly bulges.
"Come on," Enigma dragged them downstairs. "Agents are coming!"
"Get to your exit," Niobe ordered as everyone scatters.
Enigma quickly walks closer to her mother and Morpheus. "Where's Neo?" She asked as they ran back into their entry door and the car.
"Buying time. He's fighting with the Agents."
As Trinity starts the car and rides it, Morpheus calls Link. "What happened back there, Link?"
"I can't figure it out, sir. Agents just came out of nowhere. And then the code got all weird. Encryption I've never seen."
"Is Neo okay?" Trinity asked.
"Okay? Shit, Morpheus, you should have seen him."
"Where is he now?"
"...He's doing his Superman thing."
Enigma smiles. "It's an awesome thing, Link," she admitted, wishing she also can do that.
