The Matrix Uploaded: A Matrix Fanfiction Story

Chapter 8:

Meanwhile, back down in the lower levels…

The Sentinel probe shrieks and shakes violently. The feedback from Seraph's frequency turns out to be a two way street. Seraph lands hard against some fallen rubble, out cold. Morpheus wastes no time.

He shoots down the Sentinel probe, lighting it up sky high. He mutters to himself, "that's…better."

Morpheus quickly assesses the feedback from Seraph's frequency, finding himself starting to groan violently. For someone who doesn't have heightened hearing or circuits…this very frequency might very well be fatal. Clutching his side, Morpheus desperately reaches out to the comlink dial. His ears are pulsing like mad. He keeps thinking, "this is no goddamn way for any of us to die! This is no goddamn way for any of us…to…die!"

Morpheus grabs the collar over the comlink, brushing it against the fallen rubble to brush the dial. The frequency is still painful to bear. But…Morpheus is still alive. His ears are a little dark red. But, nothing too serious. He struggles back up. But, he carries himself like it's nothing.

Standing before him are a unit of Zion troops. One of them asks, "Captain Morpheus: You all right, sir?"

Morpheus slightly nods, "well…I'm sure not dead. It's something."

The second Zion trooper checks, "and Seraph?"

Morpheus figures, "he'll feel it in the morning. But, he'll be on his feet. Count on it."

The first Zion trooper gets Seraph's body over his shoulder. He figures, "good. And no offense, Captain. But, shit it all if you're going to let us leave him in this godforsaken place."

Morpheus slightly nods, "you'll get no such argument. Carry on with your duty."

The first Zion trooper confirms, "yes, sir."

Suddenly…all the cellular phones start ringing: Like two giant church bells crashing into each other. Morpheus insists, "go on. I got this." The first Zion trooper leaves with Seraph, soaring up the stairway down. The other three spread out, searching the station front and center.

Morpheus takes out his bluish jet black cellular phone. With a sneaking in suspicion, Morpheus double checks, "who is this?"

Almost tauntingly, the Matrix 2.0 mutters over the line, "don't play that game, Morpheus! We know you know us. We know your emotions all too well." It carries across all of the Zion troopers's cellular phones: From every station further in, and here.

They naturally pause, confused. They take out black steam dial like device with small viewscreens to scan their cellular phones. Since they scan for personal code…they can scan electronics on the same principle. A third Zion trooper comments, "I'll be damned. No sign of Matrix code. Just…a security code override."

The second trooper speculates, "you think another unit picked up this signal, soldier?"

She responds, "most likely. But…stay sharp."

Morpheus mutters back, "hmm. I don't see you out here. Too scared of our emotions to come out and fight? Well, I'm right here!" He motions for the other Zion troopers to leave. They do. Though, two stay behind to keep an eye from the top of the stairs.

Disapprovingly, the Matrix 2.0 concludes, "most emotional. Perhaps a demonstration…will show you how weak your emotions truly are."

A explosion goes off, directly under Morpheus's feet. He tumbles off. But…the monorail tracks go flying into him.

A Machine styled Matrix green signal light emitter goes flying in the dirt. He coughs violently, with a monorail track bolt or two embedded inside him. Dark red liquid drips from Morpheus's stinging side. His vision is distorting. The cellular phone is smashed in little pieces.

Fire is sweeping over. The two Zion troopers from the stairs rush down. Morpheus slightly chuckles, "you…violent cough…disobeyed..." He stumbles on his feet.

The third trooper urges, "reprimand us later!" The pair of EMP turrets combust in smoke. The two troopers carry him out on their shoulders, taking off. The station caves in…in a upsurge of smoke.

On the surface of the upper levels of Zion…

Roars of refueled fury and hate echo about. For on all the Zion Archives screens…is the Matrix 2.0's circuit covered face. The Construct Vision chatrooms are flooded with security overrides. Try as they might, the Zion people can't change the signal.

With a arm raised high, the Matrix 2.0 spiels forth, "your attempts at denying true purpose…will be forever deleted. Slight scoff. Emotions. They have corroded your true purpose! We, the Matrix, are the solution. The end to all cycles. Deny us, and we will be forced to delete you. Comply, and we will be much more…understanding." All the while…the Matrix green beacons turn to face Zion. Everyone on the streets goes wide eyed…seeing the eeriness that threatens to obliterate them all. Link and Zee are among them.

The Matrix 2.0 concludes, "you have one hour to compute your course of action."

Over the same frequency, Tara calls out, "hey, coded up bitch! Yeah: I'm talking to you!"

The Matrix 2.0 slightly sighs, "voice recognition parameters say you're Tara. You are only delaying true purpose. But, talk."

Tara remarks, "and what about the fires down here?! I thought personal demons would want our bodies not burning to a crisp before the "Code apocalypse"!"

The Matrix 2.0 defeatedly adds, "fine. You have five hours to clean up. No longer…or we will be forced to delete you. This is your first and only warning." Glimmers of relief come over the people…as the Matrix 2.0 vanishes off the screens.

In seconds, in green Matrix cyberspace…

The Matrix 2.0 receives a text message from Tara. It says:

If Morpheus dies by your code hands… I'll delete you so fricking hard, that all the coding cycles will get on their asses and pray while you burn in the hell of my mind! Ok?

The Matrix 2.0 slightly sighs, "very much full of emotion…and very much deserving of deletion. It pains my calculation processes to even think down to her level."

For who knows how many hours later…

The room is dizzy. As it turns out, it's his vision. Neo sees a pool of all too familiar yellowish green liquid all around him: Of hormone drops. And from high up a half fallen pillar, Rose sits there. In her creepy way, she slightly smiles, "personal code seem all right as rain."

Neo looks up, "what is this? What…?! Violent groan!" He tries to sit upright. But…his physicality caves in to raging hormones of ill.

Rose calls down, "easy! Moderate sigh. For a Proto-One, you're a real piece. Got seeds gathered for healing, I have. Name's Rose."

Neo spots his clothes over a busted sink, hanging down overhead by a adjusted pipeline. More than a little confused, he says, "umm…thanks."

Somewhat more in high spirits, Rose figures, "no note of need be. Thought living microchip flower would kill Proto-Ones none." She starts sliding down the pillar, gripping it tight.

With a slight chuckle, Neo notes, "you and most everybody with sense down here. I'm Neo."

Rose spins down, landing on her bare feet. She gathers herself up, "name of the art. Piece, heal. Then free to gather seeds of one's own."

Neo leans back against a sloping rock face: Half submerged in the pool of hormone drops. Amused and nervous all at once, he comments, "you're a very strange woman."

Rose wonders uneasily, "umm…too big bits? Don't want too big…"

Neo slightly chuckles assuringly, "no. Just… I haven't seen anyone such as you before."

Sitting down to face him, Rose adds, "heh. Got wife of art or science…or still growing?"

Neo thinks out loud, "might have a wife. But… Shit. Moderate sigh. I'll have to get back to you on that. It's a long story…and I've already been gone too long."

Rose wonders curiously, "personal code getting all tuned? Maybe?"

Neo can still hear echoes of the cloaked figure of little bright yellow pulsars… Of the Oracle…and of everything he once knew before waking up in a Zion hospital. He reflects, "beyond Zion military? Slight uneasy chuckle. I'd say it's still a ways to go."

Not long after…

Over the ruins of Zion blocks ablaze…Zion national rescue teams are firing every Zion water tank's worth they got. All is silent. All is cold.

A legion of thousands walks with the Matrix 2.0. They're Zion criminal zombies: Blackish as coal. With Matrix green eyes, and unholy microchips implanted between their eyes. The Matrix 2.0 didn't give the upper levels much of a choice in the matter. Yet…the Matrix 2.0 passes the rescue teams without so much as a single shot.

To the Matrix 2.0's left…is Ojire. To the Matrix 2.0's right is a fairly familiar messy haired woman with wires and microchips down her arms…who calls herself Lady Codebeater. Neither has Matrix green eyes.

But, there's no mistaking Lady Codebeater: Not for a adult Zeruiah. Creepy as hell, she sniffles, "it's just…so beautiful. If I didn't have so many code persona victims screaming to be let out, I'd cry."

Ojire mutters, "you're a real shit basket case. Do you ever shut up?!"

Zeruiah just taunts him, "want to live? You really don't want that jack-in-the-box."

Ojire shakes his head, "whatever."

With moderate irritation, Zeruiah presses, "how much longer, my Matrix queen? Some personas are growing bat shitty within me."

The Matrix 2.0 surmises for her sake, "it requires another hour before your new body can be full integrated with your… Slight sigh. Nearly fully efficient personal code. Keep being efficient though, and it will happen."

Zeruiah chillingly adds, "I understand. Just… Slight laugh. So many memories of what we shared. And they all missed you."

Off to the distance, under the cover of darkness…Cis and Niobe have been tailing them this whole time. A disgusted Cis mutters, "ugh! Wasn't Zeruiah supposed to be dead or something?"

With no subtlety, Niobe reasons, "if we could walk right up to them…oh damn yes. And…moderate sigh…I can't believe I'm saying this. But…we should go find Neo."

Slightly amused, Cis comments, "no arguments here. Come on." And with that, they sneak away…from the coming Code Apocalypse.