Chapter 28

The Oracle continued to smile at him.

" Some state that when knowing the past is bad enough, then knowing the future would be unbearable. But we're all here to do what we're all here to do, Neo. And that is what this is all about… purpose. Reason. Changes. Evolving." She looked outside the window for a short moment, the darkness in the clouds reflected in her eyes for a moment. But when she turned back to look at him all the darkness was gone, replaced by seriousness.

" You will have to see someone who goes by the name of the Designer. He is the Father; a machine, a program created to calculate the equation that is the Matrix. He has created a code for everything that surrounds you now… and he is proud of his work. " She could see that this was all much information for him to take in; this was something that no one other than him knew, now. She trusted that he would not tell others about him, and even if he did, it would not matter in the end. The rebels could never pose a threat to the Designer… not now.

" You see, Neo, the Designer is dying; he is reaching his expiration date, " she continued and Neo looked at her.

" Why would they delete a program that is fulfilling its purpose, and probably doing a good job at it, too?" he asked her, and she was glad for his being so intuitive.

" Perhaps it is to be replaced by a better one, to balance out all the glitches inside the Matrix… all the anomalies, " she said and hinted at him. " That is, if you don't stop him." Neo straightened himself up, looking at her.

" And how do I do that?"

" Neo… the salvation of Zion lies within the Designer, and you must see it. You'll know what to do, " she explained to him, and he nodded, knowing that what she had just told him would have a great impact on his future. On everyone's future.

" But I have another thing you will have to know about, Neo." He looked at her, biting down on his inner lip, knowing she would not be able to see it, but with all her insight into him she probably already knew about it, already.

She walked over to one of her cabinets in the kitchen, and opened the small door. She brought out a small wooden box, and put it on the kitchen table. She looked at him, then down at the box again, and opened it. In it, was nothing more than a key. It did not look anything special, either, but Neo knew that his key was of significance.

As Smith had said earlier, appearances could be deceiving.

" On your journey to the Designer you will meet someone who calls himself the Guider, Neo, " she said and held up the key in front of him, " and don't let his sassy name fool you. He is a very important program within the Matrix, and he serves his purpose well, " she explained to him. She looked at they key again, and he followed her gaze and looked at it as well.

" This key, Neo… This key unlocks the future. You'll know when to use it…" And she reached it for him, and he opened his hand and she laid it there, and he grabbed it, looking at it from every angle before putting it down into his pocket.

" Don't loose it. It's important, and don't let the past or the present affect you. You should only be concerned about the future when meeting with him, as are we all" she told him, and he nodded to her.

" There's a wondrous paradox in it all., this war, " she began. " Because this fight, fighting to save the earth is really a much harder fight than it was fighting, say, Adolf Hitler. This time, the war is really against ourselves… We are going to save ourselves, using human process to fight what once was the result of human process." Neo nodded, knowing she was right… but also knowing that he had come her to get some answers, and some guidance, and that he still was in need of some.

" But people have more knowledge about it all, know. We knew which mistakes we have made, we know where to draw the lines this time, " Neo commented and the Oracle nodded. She looked at him and smiled.

" The perhaps most important function of all knowledge is to give people enough confidence and competence to be able to see the possibilities in changes, in stead of threats." She rested a hand on the sink and continued to gaze at him.

" That's what I love about you, son. You see possibilities, not the dark sides… although you are very aware of them. I don't even know if I should tell you this, but you have made me start to believe…" Her grin was wide now, lighting up her features completely. He himself could not keep the corner of his lips from twitching, but the realness of the situation soon overtook them both.

" Belief is something we could all use in times like these, " the Oracle continued with. " It's what keeps us going, and even occasional stop every now and then and think about everything. Some of us needs guidance, " and she gave him a look, " and some are the leaders, guiding people into the light. The irony is, we can forgive a child that is afraid of the dark, the real tragedy comes when people are afraid the light…"

" And what am I?" Neo asked, knowing he was not going to get a straight, sure answer. With her, one never did.

" You are born to be a leader, although you don't want the responsibility… you'd much rather prefer to be left alone and grow old with Trinity somewhere."

He couldn't argue with her there. " But like I said before, we are all here to do what we are all here to do. And you, you need guidance; you are going to lead people into the light, and be led there yourself." Neo's eyebrows furrowed.

" By whom?" The Oracle pointed to the ever present painting hanging over her kitchen entrance, and then looked back at Neo.

" By that, and by the reason you wake up and get out of bed and stay strong in the struggle for."

" Trinity." It was a statement, and even though the Oracle did not nod or do anything that told him he was correct, he knew he was. He looked down at the floor, and looked at the elder woman next.

" She is a good soul, Neo. Take care of her." Neo nodded, not being able to keep the proud smile off his lips.

" I try my best, " he answered and the Oracle smiled back at him, grabbing his side, patting him in the stomach as she began to lead him out.

" I know you do. I want to talk with her now, " the Oracle explained and they stopped in the entrance, and Neo looked puzzled at her, a confused look upon his features.

" No straight answers then?" he asked her, sounding even more confused, and she smiled at him again.

" Neo, like I said, you need guidance. The rest is for you to figure out yourself… Temet Nosce, right?"

" So I'll make up my own damn mind…"

" That's right. Good boy…" she smiled at him as he smiled back at her, pulling his shades out of his pocket.

He was still lost, he thought before he began walking away. Still confused. She had provided him with some guidance, however, and he did not feel like he was stumbling that much in the dark anymore. But then again he remembered something he had been told a long, long time ago, that rang very true.

No one can ever call themselves true if they have never felt the dark.

And that was true.