10. Return To Zion
Enigma packs her stuff. After making sure she's packing her necessary stuff, she stands with others at the bay's door. She sees Mifune and some escorts already waiting for them. Which means... Lock knows.
Great. Just what she needs. Another lecture.
"Captain Mifune," Morpheus greeted.
"Captain Morpheus," Mifune replied.
"Are you here to escort me and Enigma to the stockade, Captain?"
One of the requirements for Enigma to continue to be a member of Nebuchadnezzar is to provide a report on the activities she carried out while away. Knowing what happened to her two years ago, not to mention Morpheus often violates orders from the Council and himself, they're concerned for her safety. They need clarification that the tasks Morpheus or the other Nebuchadnezzar members gave to her was not burdened with.
"I'm just here to keep the peace."
One of a man Enigma doesn't know speaks. "Commander Lock demands..."
Mifune clears his throat.
"...requests your immediate counsel, sir, miss."
"Link," Morpheus called.
"Sir?"
"I want the ship ready to go as soon as humanly possible," he said, giving Link his stuff.
"Understood, sir."
Enigma gives her bag to Trinity. "Be seeing you," she smiles, hugging both Neo's and Trinity's legs. "If you meet Kid, say hello for me," she added before leaving alongside Morpheus and others.
▪︎1001▪︎
Lock looks up from his paperwork as Morpheus and Enigma enter. "Morpheus. Enigma," he greeted them formally.
Morpheus and Enigma give a brief nod. "Commander Lock," Morpheus called.
"Report?" He looks at Enigma. The blonde girl waste no time giving him her report. For a while, Lock read the paper. "I've spoken to the other captains," he began, still reading, "and I wanted to offer you the chance to explain your actions."
"I wasn't aware that my actions required any explanation."
He stares back. "You were given a direct order to return to Zion."
"I did."
"But you asked for one ship to remain behind."
"I would have stayed, but I needed to recharge my ship."
"So you admit to a direct contravention of your duty."
"Commander, we need a presence inside the Matrix to await contact from the Oracle."
"I don't want to hear that shit!" Lock snapped, standing up while throwing the paper on the desk, glaring. "I don't care about Oracles or prophecies or Messiahs. I care about one thing: stopping that army from destroying this city, and to do that I need soldiers to obey my orders."
"With all due respect, Commander," Morpheus calmly continued, "there is only one way to save our city."
"How?"
"Neo."
"Goddamnit, Morpheus! Not everyone believes what you believe!"
"My beliefs do not require them to."
Enigma cares for Morpheus, but sometimes, he's not often right. Even now, Morpheus gives too much credit to Neo. Lock has a point. Neo alone can't save Zion. Even with all skill inside the Matrix as The One, he needs help from many too.
Lock sighs heavily. He had dealt with so much shit with Nebuchadnezzar and their crew. But Morpheus is the one he had trouble the most. "I'm going to recommend to the Council that you be removed from duty."
Oh no. "Commander..."
But Morpheus already beat her. "That is, of course, your prerogative, Commander."
"If it were up to me, Captain, you wouldn't set foot on a ship for the rest of your life."
"Then I am grateful that it is not up to you."
A door opens. When Enigma turns around, she finds Councillor Hamann entering Lock's office.
"Councillor Hamann," Lock greeted.
Councillor Hamann nods. "Commander. Captain. Enigma."
Morpheus and Enigma give a nod as well. "Councillor."
"Council's asked me to speak tonight, at the temple gathering," he explained. "The presence of the fleet and the persistence of rumors must be addressed. The people must be told what is happening."
"Of course, councillor. But might I advise a level of discretion concerning specific details. We do not wish to start a panic," Lock suggested.
"Quite right. A panic is not what anyone wants." Then, he looks at Morpheus. "What about you, Captain, what would you advise?"
"The truth," Morpheus answered. "No one will panic. Because there is nothing to fear. That army will never reach the gates of Zion."
"What makes you so sure?"
"Consider what we have seen, Councillor. Consider that in the past 6 months we have freed more minds than in 6 years. This attack is an act of desperation. I believe very soon the prophecy will be fulfilled and this war will end."
"I hope you're right, Captain."
"I do not believe it to be a matter of hope, Councillor. It is simply a matter of time."
Councillor Hamann looks at Enigma. "And you, my dear? Do you think what the Captain's words speak the truth?"
To be honest? Enigma isn't so sure. She's learning to be skeptical about things over the past three years, but that doesn't mean she's never believed in The One and all. However, if this war is ever going to end... well, it might not hurt to have a little faith. "'Whatever is reasonable is true, and whatever is true is reasonable'," Enigma quoted, keeping her calm expression. "That's what I believe, Councillor."
He smiles, impress as always while Lock just rolls his eyes, finds it annoying.
▪︎1001▪︎
Despite being a soldier at a young age, there were times when Enigma still had limitations with her status as a child. Starting from not being allowed to drink the drinks that Dozer made, being forced to sleep early, or not being able to attend important events that require all ship members to come.
While her parents go to the cave with the other Zion residents, Enigma stays at Ghost's house with Cas and the children to spend free time together.
Enigma is pretty close to Cas and Ghost. Cas helped her a lot when she stayed in Zion for six months with Zee. Her two children, Star and Rock, also make days in Zion less boring whenever Enigma feels homesick with Nebuchadnezzar.
When he's not busy at Logos, she and Ghost spend time dealing with philosophy and the meaning of life. Trinity often admonishes Ghost not to give heavy conversations that Enigma doesn't understand, but Enigma herself often insists that Ghost speak as he pleases, even though he doesn't understand.
Ghost always smiled when Enigma asked continuously. From philosophy to his stints at Logos with Niobe and Spark. He cares for her a lot. Like her own niece, he often jokes, since he considers Trinity as her sister and vice versa for Trinity as well.
"Do you think the war will be over?" Star asked, her eyes filling with curiosity and hope.
"Probably," Rock shrugs. "Kyle's dad thinks so."
"Yeah, but you know Kyle and his family are all believers. Most believers believe that."
Enigma sighs. She was not very happy with the believers. To be fair, there's nothing wrong with believing in The One. But sometimes, Enigma feels like they put a lot of burden, responsibility, and hope on her father. Even though she's only 8 years old, Enigma realizes how tired Neo must be to meet the believers every time in Zion. The days to share moments as a family (and lover to Trinity) are getting fewer and fewer. Sometimes Enigma wanted to shout at all of them to stay away from Neo, so as not to make him feel depressed. But she knew full well that such action isn't wise.
Everyone holds hope because they need security in these dark times. They're just desperate.
"Less talk, more eating," Cas scold them lightly as they still ate, likely knowing what Enigma just think. Maybe it's the face she expresses that gives away.
"Don't think too much," Ghost whispered. "If you want to keep your hair intact."
She chuckles lightly. Ghost always knows how to cheer her up.
▪︎1001▪︎
Neo and Enigma stand in front of a door. Neo inserts a key. As he grabs the doorknob, light begins to pour around the edges before finally covering the entire door, shining their eyes beneath the sunglasses...
The scene changes.
In a building, Trinity jumps from a shattered window, falling while twisting her body, aiming her guns from the window as an Agent fires his gun in her direction. Despite falling, she keeps firing at the Aging, persisting on that with her current situation.
A bullet fires from the Agent's gun and it hit right into her left abdomen.
Trinity gasps, her eyes widen by the pain as she falls and falls into a parked car below with a sudden crash...
Enigma wakes up with a gasp, clutches her chest as she pants wildly.
That dream... Oh God, that dream... Trinity... she...
She removes the blanket, quietly leaving Cas's house as she and her kids still sleeping. She needs some peace, but not in here, since her eyes swim with tears from that nightmare.
She needs air outside.
▪︎1001▪︎
Neo wakes up again. Same nightmare as before. He looks beside him, finding Trinity still asleep. Quietly, he climbs out of the bed, dressing up, and steps outside. When he does, he finds more offerings from believers. Not a surprise. It's been like this lately.
His eyes spot Enigma standing on a catwalk, looking so distant and lost at the view. Her eyes are red as if she just wakes up from a horrid dream.
"Sweetheart?" He called, stepping closer to her. She turns around, wiping her tears. "What's wrong?"
"Nightmare," she quietly replied, glancing at the door before looking at Neo. "Horrible one," she added.
Neo's heart sank. His jaw tightened. She had the same dream as him. She had a dream about Trinity's death.
"Come here," he holds her closer, letting the silence fill the air. This is rough and unfair. She's just 8, for goodness sake. She doesn't need this crap. Why can't she have a peaceful life without having bad things happen to her?
"Care for some company?" A voice asked from afar.
Neo and Enigma turn right. "Councillor Hamann," Neo greeted as Enigma bows. Both standing up in hurry.
Councillor Hamann raises his hands. "I don't want to intrude if you two prefer to be alone."
"Actually," Enigma paused. "We don't mind."
He smiles as he approaches them, standing beside them. "It's nice tonight. Very calm. Feels like everyone's sleeping very peacefully."
"Not everyone," Neo disagreed.
"I hate sleeping," he confessed. "I never sleep more than a few hours. I figure I slept the first 11 years of my life, now I'm making up for it. What about you two?"
"I just haven't been able to sleep much."
"Lately it's been hard," Enigma told him.
"It's a good sign," Councillor Hamann said.
Neo and Enigma frown. "Of what?"
"That you two are, in fact, still human," he remarked. "Have you ever been to the engineering level?"
"Lock has forbidden me," Enigma noted, playing with her hair.
Councillor Hamann shook her head in amusement. "I love to walk there at night, it's quite amazing. Would you like to see it?"
"Sure," Neo replied while Enigma nods. Both follow him as they enter an elevator and reach their destination. Enigma can see many massive machines moving in sync.
"Almost no one comes down here, unless, of course, there's a problem," Councillor Hamann described. "That's how it is with people. Nobody cares how it works as long as it works. I like it down here. I like to be reminded this city survives because of these machines. These machines are keeping us alive, while other machines are coming to kill us. Interesting, isn't it? Power to give life, and the power to end it."
"We have the same power," Neo denoted.
"I suppose we do, but down here sometimes I think about all those people still plugged into the Matrix and when I look at these machines, I can't help thinking that in a way... we are plugged into them."
"That's not true," Enigma argued. "We control these machines, not the other way around."
"Of course not, my dear. How could they? The idea's pure nonsense, but..." he sighs, "it does make one wonder just... what is control?"
"If we wanted, we could shut these machines down," Neo suggested.
"Of course. That's it. You hit it! That's control, isn't it? If we wanted, we could smash them to bits. Although if we did, we'd have to consider what would happen to our lights... our heat... our air."
"So we need machines and they need us. Is that your point, Councillor?"
He shook his head at Neo's question. "No, no point. Old men like me don't bother with making points. There's no point."
"Is that why there are no young men on the Council?"
"Good point."
Silence.
"Is that why you want to talk to us, Councillor?" Enigma questioned, quietly listening to the machines' sound.
"There is so much in this world that I do not understand. See that machine?" He points out at left. "It has something to do with recycling our water supply. I have absolutely no idea how it works. But I do understand the reason for it to work." He stares at them. "I have absolutely no idea how you two are able to do some of the things you do, but I believe there's a reason for that as well. I only hope we understand that reason before it's too late."
Enigma looks above, recalling the nightmare. "I hope so, Councillor."
▪︎1001▪︎
The next morning, Ballard inform them about the Oracle. That alone makes Enigma pack her stuff in hurry with others. She doesn't know why, but she had a bad feeling regarding what she'll receive. Even while holding Trinity's hand, her feeling was still intact.
"Neo! Enigma!" Kid yelled from far.
They turn around, surprised by that sudden shout, but even more so when finding Bane standing behind.
"Is something wrong?" Neo asked him.
"No, I'm fine. I just wanted to catch you," he reaches out his hand, "to say good luck."
Neo eyeing him with uncertainty. But he takes his hand. "Thanks."
"We'll see you," he said before leaving. Somehow, the way he speaks scared Enigma. She had never been scared of Bane before.
"Neo! Enigma!" Kid shouted while running. "Just in time. You're gonna see the Oracle, aren't you?"
"We don't have time," Morpheus stated.
"I'm sorry, sir, I just have to give something to Neo. A gift from one of the orphans. He made me swear to get it to you before you left. He said you'd understand."
Neo takes it, smiles when holding a spoon. "Thanks," he thanked him.
"Don't cause any trouble, Kid!" Enigma shouted, waving her hand at him before entering Nebuchadnezzar.
