The Matrix Uploaded: A Matrix Fanfiction Story
Chapter 16:
With no minutes left…
With his black sunglasses on, Neo is fly charging in light speed: Bending programmed time in all its forms. Even his silent tears trail off into rays of light. Even the dust particles bend back. Any millisecond of a afterthought, and he could materialize half dead in solid rock.
And in no time… Neo materializes out of a blinding bright yellow light. Morpheus naturally covers his eyes. Neo fly charges right into Zeruiah…whose code is being bathed in green Matrix light.
Mere frozen time seconds earlier…
Trinity sighed, "Neo. I know what you're…"
To his own regret, Neo reasoned, "I know you know. But…I can't just let him die."
Teary eyed, Trinity sighed heavily, "Neo. I wish I…"
Neo pulled her into a awkwardly passionate kiss…knowing full well this would be the last time he could. But, Trinity didn't push him away either: Even going so far as welcomingly embracing him back, all the while. And, as a eternity wrapped in a frozen time second passed by… Only then did they pull away.
Thinking back to Trinity's tombstone, Neo bittersweetly said, "I know. Matrix or no Matrix…this love is real."
With so many feelings all at once, Trinity remarked, "then what are you still doing here? Slight bittersweet chuckle. Get out there and kick its ass."
Presently…
Morpheus has gone on living for years in Matrix's "Zion"…thinking the Matrix couldn't possibly have given it life. Yet…he can't deny the "impossible" bright yellow light that almost blinded him.
With most of Zion's military either patrolling the military complex or out in the lower levels… Very few were left to guard the Zion hospitals. And so, Zeruiah found it all too simple to slam her arm into the overridden security locks and cut the power.
Several doctors were knocked out in a instant: On the Matrix 2.0's orders. For, Zeruiah's target was Morpheus: With the Matrix intending to draw out Tara to delete her, even if it deletes Morpheus in the process. And, the doctors' bodies were just outside Morpheus's door: Killed by the shockwave on impact.
The shockwave of light hits Neo in full force. His sunglasses shatter. His ears violently ring. But…Neo telekinetically grabs her Matrix green glowing wire tentacles on impulse to swing tumble over the edge of the dissipating shockwave.
Neo tumble crashes against a dented metal wall: Violently shaken all over and dazed and coughing up dark red liquid.
And before him…is the very coming of the new Matrix 1.0. Through the green Matrix light… Through the Thought-Focus… The present Zeruiah and the deterred Zeruiah become a cocoon of monstrously large wire tentacles.
Out on the battlefield of the Matrix's "Zion"…
The Matrix zombies trod on. The Zion troops march on. Brief flashes of dark red liquid tear away. Blackish corpses of Matrix zombies burst aflame in brilliant flashes of light.
But, suddenly… From high in the air… Zion water tanks start literally raining down on the Matrix zombies, by a reserve unit of Zion troops.
And so…the battle is swiftly won in their rapidly solidifying ice prisons: With the cheers of the relieved shattering to pieces the screams that once were. Or, so they think.
Around this time, with Neo…
Running on adrenaline…Morpheus runs out towards it. He struggles to focus on the Matrix code around him. But, his vision is reducing half of it to swirled code digits. He grabs what's left of the doorway, keeping himself upright. He calls out, "Neo?! What in fricking hell…?!"
Weakly, Neo summarizes, "Matrix. Violent cough! We're…violent cough…still in the Matrix."
Morpheus mutters bitterly, "terrific. Just…terrific."
The unholy cocoon of wires grows wrist mounted cameras for side eyes. Neural microchips cover its sprouting wire tentacle arms. Groans of a sickly nature chill the hall.
The cocoon of wires parts in the middle. And from it…Zeruiah's new life is born. Its avatar body is at its core: All very dark Machine blue and metallic, with vast layers of wire tentacles for her legs and arms in all manner of horrifying. Yet, she still has her human eyes and her gold dyed hair. Of the Code's echoes of voices, the newly formed Matrix 1.0 echoes and chimes joyfully, "we are the…will of the Matrix. We are…the One Agent of soulless perfection. Hard laugh! Welcome…to deletion."
Out in the Matrix sewers, around this time…
In scuba gear, Brando and Glenda are swimming out of the Gnosis's airlock. But…that's not all they have on. Over their scuba gear are fairly light armor suits: Made with chainmail like metallic lightning rod configurations over gray hover engine metal.
Over comlink, Glenda urges confidently, "ready?"
Over comlink, Brando figures uncertainly, "no. But, let's give these suckers hell!"
They charge up their lightning rod armor: With triggers from pairs of lightning rifles hanging out from them like super big gun holsters. And…they dive charge for two Sentinels straight on.
The blue lightning courses through the armor…as they punch their camera eyes into lightning charged fragments. They detonate within like firecrackers, setting them aflame from the inside out. And, all before the camera feed could circle back to the Matrix's systems in seconds.
The lightning dissipates away as quickly as it comes. Glenda and Brando come out from the other side of the falling Sentinels, proceeding to the other side of the sewer pipe as planned. Out from it is the entrance to a smaller sewer pipe, barely able to fit a Sentinel in under all its darkness.
With a chuckle, Glenda implies to her companion, "feeling better?"
Lightly, Brando highlights, "damn sure I am: The best swim in the Real we'll likely ever go see."
With a degree of floating uncertainty, Glenda looks onward, "well…slight sigh…we're not out of the waters yet."
Past a laser grid protected sector, with a good thirty hovering Sentinels guarding it like jellyfish waiting for prey…is the Matrix's very core. A Stargate styled floor and ceiling generate bluish lightning fields powerful enough to instantly fry a hover engine.
And, suspended in the chamber is a thin but large metal worklift styled platform: With a SHODAN modeled Machine blue computer core for each key system, protected by their own laser grid. One for the Matrix 2.0, one for the Matrix 1.0, one for the Machines, and one for the main database that's been around since the Matrix's very creation in the year 2000. All with a triple decker of thin Matrix green computer screens for a face. All independently run and connected all at once through tentacle like wires, congregating into a wireless signal tower.
And, all of what the lightning rod armor has been built for:
For this one paramount moment for the Matrix's total deletion…as foreseen by the Oracle. For this one shot…where no cycle possible can save it.
Back in the Matrix's "Zion", in the coming frozen time chaos…
The Matrix 2.0 appears alongside her, in a flash of green Matrix light. She has become very dark Machine blue: With wrist mounted cameras of her own along her wire tentacle arms and legs, all equipped with Machine lasers. The Matrix 2.0 insists, "we delete all external resistance as planned. But, the One is mine to delete."
The Machine blue Matrix 1.0 chimes creepily, "we can…delete the Morpheus dream?" The Machine blue Matrix 2.0 slightly sighs, "it is a part of your purpose. We will comply."
With the Thought-Focus, Neo has thought up hormone drops in his system all this time. Running on frozen time accelerated adrenaline, he faintly chuckles, "violent cough! You can try. But…I am the One."
In a bright flash of light, Trinity, Niobe, a all but calm Cis, and a all too happy to step in Tara come out.
The Matrix 2.0 mutters chillingly, "bioelectrically…so is your "child". That evens out the equation. So, you see…we have computed a equal means to delete all external resistance. The end of all cycles…is now." All the while…the Matrix 2.0 grabs Neo's struggling body with a wave of its wire tentacles. And, the Matrix 1.0 grabs Morpheus's struggling body with its wire tentacles.
Teary eyed, Cis mutters, "I've had enough of your cycle shit. I've had enough!" By the power of the Thought-Focus, she has a red lance hilted Yari sword with a crossbar. She charge runs for the Matrix 1.0, duck tumbling under a wave of its wire tentacles.
Trinity and Niobe jump out of the way: With Zion rifles at the ready.
Tara calls out, "burn fricking Matrix baby, burn!" She fires her Zion rifle while spin tumbling in mid-jump…burning off a few wire tentacles before they're jettisoned at her. They explode, knocking her violently through a caving in wall.
Trinity tumble kicks off of several jettisoned wire tentacles wrapped around neural microchips, landing back on her feet.
The Matrix 1.0 chimes creepily, "you…will…be deleted, Morpheus dream. You…will…be deleted, mouse dream. As the Matrix Queen…has spoken."
In the heat of the moment…Neo thinks up some silver Samurai swords: For him and Morpheus.
Morpheus faintly smiles, "not today." He plunges his sword into the Matrix 1.0's side. The Matrix 1.0 echo shrieks asunder, letting Morpheus go.
Neo slashes through the wire tentacles around him in light speed, matching the Matrix 2.0's speed. The Matrix 2.0 shrieks violently, as its other wire tentacle arm's lasers automatically targets him. Neo deflects the lasers by the mirror like shine of his sword…weakening the Matrix 2.0's other arm and setting it ablaze.
In seconds…it turns out the Matrix 1.0 was only faking. It has bent half of its wire like tentacles around the sword to mostly absorb the momentum of the sword. And then…it tears it in half by sheer force of will to throw back at Morpheus.
Out from under, out in the Real…
Brando heavily sighs, "I see what you mean. So, how the hell are we supposed to get down there?!" He's looking down into the chamber: From the edge of the bluish lightning fields overlooking the Matrix's core.
Sounding like it's just another day in the good old modern and sunny days, Glenda suggests, "well…it sure as shit will be tricky. But, do what I do and you'll be ok."
She dives headfirst through the lightning, with her lightning rod armor to shield her. And in a split second, she grabs the edge of the platform: With her legs wrapped around the yellow and black striped railing, just shy of frying on the edge of a laser grid.
From above, Brando commentates, "well, that's easy for you to say."
Back with the One, in frozen time…
The Matrix 2.0 cries out, "no…more cycles!" She fires every laser she has into Neo. Neo tries to deflect them all. But, most of them burn holes through his personal code digits. A violently groaning Neo clutches his code fluctuating side…dripping of dark red liquid. He shakily runs for the nearest door, trying to draw the Matrix 2.0 away from the others.
All the while, Cis is trying to take down the Matrix 1.0. But, she finds herself spin deflecting her wire tentacles head on just to stay on par with her.
The Matrix 1.0 chimes on, "hard laugh! You will…be our dreams to pop!"
Morpheus tumbles back, catching both sword halves in hand. One is cut from holding the non-hilted blade. But, he acts like its nothing against a wave of wire tentacles. He slices through several, before side tumbling out of the way. The Matrix 1.0 though side kicks Morpheus with the full force of its wire tentacles, smashing him violently into a caving in corner.
Out in the Real, around this time…
Glenda reaches both arms out to the railing, catching herself on it as her legs slipped. She concludes firmly, "then give me the microchip and the wires. I can pull it off." Glenda pulls herself slowly under the railing, coming up onto the platform.
Brando slightly nods. He wraps some wires from under his scuba gloves around one of his lightning rifles, to secure a clear bluish microchip under.
He drops the lightning rifle down to Glenda. Glenda catches it.
And, she starts to carefully undo the wires. She confirms, "got it. How are we for time?"
Brando figures roughly, "20 seconds, if the Oracle is right." Glenda figures grimly, "I doubt she isn't."
Out in the Matrix's "Zion"…
Neo manipulates the code around a painted window of Jesus Christ…shattering it as he dives out from it. The Matrix 2.0 redistributes its wire tentacles…as it fires every laser left at him. They all miss.
Tara gets up, determined to pick up the Zion rifle. She mutters, "ohh. You want to play mind hell?"
Several upon several jettisoned wire tentacles wrapped around neural microchips spin around and around, becoming personal code Machines in just a matter of frozen time. They're Machine blue Agent avatar echoes of all too familiar Zion military personnel: Of Herold, of Glory…and of Zee who has been led to believe she's only sleeping just so her personal code could be "available".
Niobe calls out, "damnit, Cis! I have a clear shot, if you would jus…!" Machine blue Cis punches through her personal code from behind: Stunning her with near Neo level code abilities. But, Trinity turns around with her Zion rifle quick enough to burn Machine blue Zee to the ground: Before she could convert Niobe's personal code into a Machine blue avatar.
Neo sticks his sword into the side of the hospital's side wall, pulling himself behind the thin space under the solar panels. The Matrix 2.0 appears on the sword hilt, momentarily confused.
Bordering on disturbing, Tara says, "slight chuckle. Ok. I'm game."
She thinks up a Machine blue avatar of herself, who automatically lures Machine blue Herold away with a suggestive touch. And to the Matrix 1.0's horror…they start passionately kissing in a secluded corner somewhere. In a carefree like way, Tara picks up the Zion rifle, "you can start praying now."
The Matrix 1.0 calls out, "the Matrix queen…is perfection! Once the box is open…it never closes!"
Pityingly, Tara slightly sighs, "oh, boo hoo. Just go to hell already!"
Unfortunately…Machine blue Glory has had more than enough time to bring hell. She fires Machine blue personal code mess out from her hand, stunning Trinity's and Tara's personal codes in one blast.
With the Thought-Focus the only thing keeping him in the air… Neo smashes a solar panel into the Matrix 2.0's Machine blue head. With the Matrix 2.0 effectively dazed, Neo angrily pulls out wire tentacles by the thousands. The Matrix 2.0 shrieks as it comes to…smashing Neo through the caving in wall.
Out in the Real…
With a lightning shot out microchip, Glenda chips it away from the signal tower to place the clear bluish one in its place. The spare wires are already connecting the database to both the Matrix 1.0 and Matrix 2.0 computer cores: Allowing the Oracle direct access to them, to ensure that the personal codes of everyone still plugged in survive what's to come.
But, with the lightning rifle still in hand… Glenda mutters in cold anger, "this is for all the cycles we had to suffer through."
She takes the liberty of frying the Machines' computer core: Leaving deactivated Machine after deactivated Machine to fall by the droves, crushed under their own power.
In frozen time seconds, with the Matrix 1.0…
The Matrix 1.0 chimes, "you…will…hear only dreams screaming for…your…mercy."
On its last words… Morpheus…beaten up and barely able to breathe…grabs Tara's Zion rifle and lights a good chunk of wire tentacles aflame with it. And, Cis goes in for the killing blow: Before the Matrix 1.0 could even start to shriek.
Machine blue Glory implodes, with her personal code escaping from its cold Machine prison. Cis high jumps overhead…as the shrieking Matrix 1.0 explodes in a burst of Matrix green.
In frozen time seconds, with the Matrix 2.0…
Neo's vision is getting blurry by the second. His very being is fading rapidly, digit by digit. The Matrix 2.0 quickly changes its tone to that of pity, "did you really think you could surpass the inevitability of your death?" She grabs him by the throat, about to finish it.
Neo mutters coldly, "better than leaving the world to you." With the wire tentacles still in hand… He uses the Thought-Focus to fire their lasers right into the Matrix 2.0. The Matrix 2.0 drops him…as it cries out his name. Not the name of the One. But, the name of Neo.
The Matrix 2.0 explodes in a burst of Matrix green…encompassing all of its primary matrix and beyond.
The full color of night returns to the metropolis of yesterday. The Jacks in the Dreamcast office matrix dissipate in a puff of logic. But…the temporal programming cycles are no more.
And yet, Neo has vanished: With a last ounce of strength of Thought-Focus…to the foretold coordinates of yesterday.