The next thing she knew, Theo was groggily awakening. She yawned and rubbed her eyes. She thought to get up, but only to pull the cover over her. There was little heat to be held inside of the ship, must less her room when they were miles below the earth's surface. It was the cold that awakened her. She rolled over, yanked the scratchy blanket from under her, then struggle to settle under it. Not the most comfortable, but it did its job. She wondered where the irritating piece of cloth came from...couldn't have been a goat. They don't exist anymore...why didn't the robots breed them instead...or gorillas... More ceaseless queries popped into her head. Not at this hour she thought as she tried to go back to sleep...but she couldn't. She tossed for a bit, then gave up on slipping into dreamland again. Thank you, active imagination...

She rolled onto her side, and forced herself to sit up. Again she yawned as she pulled the cover about her shoulders and rose to walk over to the heavy iron door. As gently as she could, she forced open the latch. A cavernous echo resulted. She paused for a moment, listening for any signs that she'd awakened someone. When she was sure that she hadn't, she proceeded to open the door, which produced a metallic groan. She opened it just enough to slip out, then look left and right, giving her eyes time to adjust to the darkness. She then walked toward the construct.

As she neared, she could see lines of green light moving perpetually downward on the wall opposite the construct. That same light illuminated Tank's face, who watched the screen from which it came as intently as if it were the climax of a good movie.

Theo wondered how much it took to be able to interpret the seemingly random flashing symbols. She was almost scared to disturb him, but the creaking floor gave her away. When Tank saw Theo, his fixed expression softened into a welcoming grin. "Come to keep me company?" he asked. Theo slipped out of the shadows. "Only if you need it."

Tank pulled up a stool beside him and slapped down on its surface. Theo sat down gratefully and yawned once more. Tank went back to his screen. Theo glanced back and forth between it and Tank. Curiosity overcame her. "How do you know what you're looking at?" she asked. Tank chuckled. Theo felt like an inquisitive ten-year-old. "It takes some work," he said. He then tried to explain that it was more like reading than decoding, and which symbols meant what, and how different combinations meant different things. But it was confusing enough without his integrated short-cuts. "It's a lot easier than it sounds," he concluded after seeing the confusion on the girl's face. She nodded and decided to ask Morpheus later.

"So what are you seeing now?" she asked. Tank punched a few buttons that probably zoomed in on the scene in front of him. "Street festival downtown tonight," he answered. "Whoopee." Theo smiled. "Sounds like fun," she said. Tank nodded. "I was looking in on Mardi Gras awhile back." Theo chuckled, amused. She thought it was depressingly ironic that people could hold such festive celebrations of life though they'd never even lived it. But she didn't say anything. The concept was now more fact than point of interesting discussion.

"Hey, Tank?"

"Yeah?"

I've been thinking..."

"Uh huh..."

"Well, what if I were to say that I wanted to reenter the matrix? You know...maybe the next time Trin and Neo go."

Tank smirked. "You sure? Your last episode wasn't so great."

He was right. During the jump program she nearly lost it after Morpheus went flying across the air almost effortlessly. In fact, his leap of faith wasn't followed, rather she passed out on the skyscraper rooftop.

"I know," she contended, "but this is kind of personal."

"Oh?"

"Yeah..." she sighed. "I-I need to see my family again."

"Oh," Tank responded, somewhat delayed. He averted his eyes from hers.

"I know that it's dangerous--"

"Extremely dangerous."

"--but," she continued, "It's worth more than that. They need to know the truth too. I can't just leave them there, vulnerable to the agents and whatever else is out there!"

"And what's to keep the agents from coming through your family if they find out you're there?"

Theo sighed, frustrated with her desire to do the right thing. "I don't know," she answered. She rose from her seat and began to walk in slow circles, the way she always did when she was trying to think. "I just know that this has been on my mind from the beginning. And that my sisters and mother and in a field somewhere, sitting in a pot of goo, and totally oblivious to everything." she recalled the sensation and putrid smell of liquefied flesh. She shuddered and willed the memory from her mind.

"Theo," said Tank sympathetically. He stood an gently took her by the shoulder. "Don't think I don't know what you're saying. I'd want the people I cared about here with me too. But we risked a lot just bringing you back. We nearly didn't get you out. Imagine trying to free three more people." Theo let the words sink in, and Tank paused for fear of scarring the girl. "It is possible," he said with a more optimistic air. "It would just take a lot...talk to Morpheus tomorrow."

"He'll probably just tell me the same thing." she slumped back onto the stool. "Maybe you're right. I'm sorry for bringing it up. I guess I never was all that realistic." Tank wasn't sure what to say. He sat down again as well. "Just talk to Morpheus tomorrow. Maybe I'm wrong." There was a brief silence. "Do you want this badly enough?" he asked. She looked at him and nodded. "Then trust me. Morpheus will know what to do."

"He always does, huh?"

"Most of the time."

Theo smiled. "Okay then. I know what to do."