15. We Can Feel Them

Neo did say that it will be a bumpy ride. She didn't know that mean he will fly so fast she nearly lost her life and possibly going to vomit later.

But she can understand why and put aside that problem, focusing herself on hugging Neo from behind as he flies so fast, even Enigma had a hard time adjusting her vision. She can feel the fire's heat from behind as they fly from the building, into the sky, and continue to do so across the city to save Trinity.

Tension and fear swelled in Enigma and Neo's hearts. Even with broken glass and a vehicle behind them, they couldn't calm their feeling to save Trinity in time.

"Dad!" Enigma yelled, already seeing the bullet enters Trinity's body.

Neo went full speed than ever as they get closer to Trinity and in mere seconds, Neo quickly grabs her before she land on a parked car.

"There," the blonde girl pointed at the nearest building. As he lands, Enigma loses her grip on him and helps him lay Trinity down.

"Neo, Enigma," she gasped, "I had to..."

"It's okay, it's okay," Enigma assured her as Neo checks her body. "We understand. Just lay down."

"The bullet is still inside," he said. Using his power, he reaches the bullet inside, causing more pain for Trinity as she cries, closes her eyes, grips her hand tighter at Enigma's. Neo drops the bullet to the ground. Trinity is still in pain, her breath hard.

"I'm sorry," she whispered to them as she closes her eyes, stop breathing.

"No, don't," Enigma begged, holding her tears. "Please, Mom. Please..." she wipes her tears, still holding her hand. "We need to find a way," she recalled. Her voice sounds frantic. "For her brain to function again. Since the blood slowed down due to lack of oxygen in her brain. A-A-A small minutes to prevent her death."

Neo listens to her words. An idea hit him. "Trinity, I know you can hear us," he whispered. "I'm not letting go. I can't. I love you too damn much."

With that, he reaches into her heart, touches it.

She gasps, her body jerks with eyes open.

Enigma wastes no time hugging her. Tears of joy come out before she does so to Neo. "You did it!" She cheered happily, not even bothering if she looks messy with her hair or her face now.

She finally let go with the hug, letting her parents share this moment of victory.

▪︎1001▪︎

While she hopes the happiness can stay longer, she knows it will go the moment they return to Nebuchadnezzar, to inform the rest with bad news.

"I don't understand it," Morpheus argued, walks back and forth as Enigma stands beside Neo, wraps her hand around her body. "Everything was done as it was supposed to be done. Once The One reaches the Source, the war should be over."

"In 24 hours it will be," Neo grimly denoted.

Morpheus, Trinity, and Link stared at him. Enigma looks down, gripping her shirt, unable to see their reaction.

"What?"

"If we don't do something in 24 hours... Zion will be destroyed," Enigma added.

"What?" Link shuddered.

Trinity looks confused. "How do you two know that?" She kindly asked them.

"We were told it would happen."

"By whom?" Morpheus asked.

"It doesn't matter," Neo commented. "We believed him."

"That's impossible, the prophecy tells us..."

"It was a lie, Morpheus."

And that's it, isn't it? The prophecy, the hope of humanity, is just a mere lie. Part of that does surprise Enigma, but another doesn't. Maybe, deep down, somehow she knows the truth. The facade of the Machines and the Matrix made for another control.

"The prophecy was a lie," her father continued. "The One was never meant to end anything. It was all another system of control."

Morpheus looks stern. Enigma understands why. For years, Morpheus firmly believes in the prophecy, believes that the war would end after finding Neo. This news won't please him at all. "I don't believe that."

"But you said it yourself. How can the prophecy be true if the war isn't over?" Neo pointed out before stroking Enigma's hair, lowering his head. "I'm sorry. I know it isn't easy to hear, but I swear to you it's the truth."

"As much as hard it sounds... it's the truth," Enigma swore, adjusts her grey shirt, looks at them.

Trinity sighs, likely still processing this information. "What are we gonna do?"

"I don't know," Neo said, unsure.

Then, as if today's not turning even more worse, the alarm rings.

"Oh no," Link mumbled as he and others all rush into the cockpit. When he checks, they find more Sentinals heading into their direction. "What are they doing?"

"They're just out of EMP range," Trinity stated.

But Neo and Enigma see something else. "It's a bomb," he realized. "We have to get out of here. Now."

Enigma's heart is beating fast as she and others make a sudden evacuation. She brings some clothes, custom-sized shoes, and a book called Cloud Atlas into a small bag from her room. Luckily most of her luggage is still in Zion, so Enigma doesn't have to worry about the rest of it.

Link quickly presses a button as they all run from the ship, through the muck and icy slag white behind them before Nebuchadnezzar erupts with flame.

They stare back at the ship, unable to say anything.

Even Morpheus had a hard time to speaks. "I have dreamed a dream... and now that dream has gone from me."

"Here they come," Link warned, holding his gun. "Let's go, Morpheus."

They're racing through a series of smaller pipelines. Enigma can hear the Sentinel coming in their direction. Her hands are shaken despite Neo carrying her tightly.

"We won't make it," he breathed.

"We have to try," Trinity insisted. "Come on."

Suddenly, Enigma can sense something else.

"Something's different," Neo muttered.

"It's like," Enigma closes her eyes. "We can... feel them?"

Both father-daughter lock their gaze at each other. An idea hit them.

Sensing their presence, the Sentinel move in their direction. Neo puts Enigma down. They lift their hand. Trinity watches as something's unbelievable happens in front of her. The Sentinel stop moving. Like an invisible force just order them to break down like a piece of junkie metal. They all break down, one by one, crushing to the ground.

And then Neo collapses while Enigma kneels, clutches her chest.

"Neo! Enigma!" Trinity cried, rushing to them. She checks Enigma's condition and finds her face goes pale while Neo goes out. "Enigma, talk to me. What happened? How did you and Neo...?"

"I... I..." she whispered, unable to speak. "I don't..."

"What happened?" Morpheus asked, checking on Enigma's chest before picking her up, worrying about her's and Neo's condition.

"I don't know," Trinity admitted, holding Neo's body, not understand either.

From above, another ship arrives.

"It's the Hammer," Link alluded.

▪︎1001▪︎

Maggie, a medic of Hammer, hears Enigma's heartbeat using available equipment. The girl looks paler, having a hard time to breath normally. Her eyes look tired while sits down on Trinity's lap. The raven-hair woman still holds Neo's hand as he lies down in one of the medical tables, unconscious.

"She's over-exhausted," Maggie explained, read the result. "It's like she's forcing herself to run non-stop. But some rest and a good sleep will make her better."

Trinity frowns, stroking her golden hair, while the girl's tiny hand holds her mother's neck. "How's that possible?"

"Beats me," she shrugs, takes a small needle and injects the girl with sleeping medicine so she quickly falls asleep. Enigma slowly closes her eyes and her breath returns normal. She looks at Neo's result one more time. "He's in some kind of coma, but his vitals are stable," she informed Trinity. "What about you?"

"I'm fine."

"You could use some rest."

"No, I'm gonna stay with him."

Maggie nods, looking at the blonde girl worriedly. She knows Enigma for quite some time in Zion, taught some medical stuff during leisure time. She has grown fond of her, considering herself as her teacher of sort. "Enigma needs rest. She should sleep in my bedroom. Do you mind...?"

Trinity lets Maggie carrying her daughter. "Thank you, Maggie."

"Don't be," she shook her head. "She was my student, after all. It's my job as her teacher to help her."

As Maggie leaves, Trinity holds Neo, hoping that he'll wake up soon and her daughter gets better.