The Disputed Death of Mary MacHenry
Flood: Operative, The Merovingian is still not satisfied that we understand the Machine motivation for using you feeble humans as batteries. He's been pouring over all those numbers we gathered for him, and he's come back to the nagging issue of the death rate: records in the Matrix indicate that the birth rate exceeds the death rate, for a healthy, growing population, but under that scenario, so necessary to the fragile happiness of your kind, the Matrix would be far from a stable system. When we talked to him about this before, the Coroner started ranting on with conspiracy theories--the Machines making people "disappear" and so forth. Delusions of a sick mind, if you ask me, but the Merovingian wants it investigated, which means that you get to pay the Coroner another social call.
Operator: That's where you're supposed to meet the Coroner. The things I keep hearing about this guy aren't very encouraging... All I'm saying is, don't eat anything he gives you.
The Coroner: Where shall I start... Ah: the story of a friend of mine, Mr Reynolds. He passed recently--lead poisoning: Common enough in his private investigator line, but what I found when I did some checking of my own was less easily explained. Dear Reynolds had been tapping the line of young Mrs. MacHenry, ex-wife of a jealous ex-husband. The divorcee suffered a fatal fall while cave-exploring in South America. She had called her mother the previous day. Reynolds' recording of this conversation had been erased, but I knew where he kept his hidden back-ups; in his version, MacHenry told her mother she was feeling poorly, and would cancel her next day's adventure. Strange? Wait until you hear the other two versions. Flood will know.
The Coroner: Oh, don't mind them. Those gentlemen and I just have spot of...work...to do later.
Flood: I have to handle assignments for many operatives, Mayk; must you always be needing me to help you with yours? Oh, very well... Coroner... Coroner... Mm, here it is. This first address is supposed to be the home of some woman's mother. Go do whatever nonsense it is you're up to... Just see to it that you get something useful I can give to the Merovingian, or no allowance for you, understand?
Operator: I'd like to see Flood try to ground us. He knows he can't get anything done without us. So, the dead Mrs. MacHenry's honorable mother, Mrs. Yessenia Smith, lives in an apartment in that building. I'm guessing the Coroner wants us to hear her version of that phone call she got from her daughter the day before the fatal accident.
Yessenia Smith: Oh...dear... I thought that was all over...Dear Let me see... Mary called me... She said... Oh, I can't remember exactly... Maybe she did feel a little poorly... Yes, that's right, I do remember that now. But she insisted she'd still go into those horrid caves the next day. I told her she shouldn't go, but she always was stubborn... I knew I couldn't make her change her mind. What could I have done? Oh, dear... I wish she'd hadn't gone.
Operator: Hm... Mom's version has MacHenry calling in sick, but still insisting on going caving the next day. But according to the Coroner, in the investigator's version, MacHenry told mom she'd cancelled the expedition. So do we believe this supposed buddy of the Coroner's, or the dead woman's dear old mother?
Yessenia Smith: That's really all I can remember. I don't know what you people think is the good that will come of looking into it again... I don't like thinking about it. Let my girl rest in peace.
Flood: Oh, you again. Yes, let me drop everything to feed you more information, of course... Where did I put that... Ah. Very well, here's the next location. The Coroner's note said something about finding the official transcript of something or other there. Yes, why don't you do that. Goodbye.
Operator: That's a federal records office. I'm reading a lot of signals inside: security patrols, from the looks of 'em. Well, I guess this is where we get the Machine version of Mary MacHenry's call home.
Security: I wasn't notified of any--
Computer: Searching... Exact match not found. Display most likely? Display [F]irst / Display [L]ast / [N]ew search >L Printing call transcript: 1. Yeah. 2. Is everything in place? 1. You weren't supposed to relieve me. 2. I know, but I felt like taking your shift. 1. You like him, don't you? You like watching him. 2. Don't be ridiculous. 1. We're going to kill him, do you understand that? 2. The captain believes he isn't the one we're looking for. 1. Do you? 2. It doesn't matter what I believe. 1. You don't, do you? 2. Did you hear that? 1. Hear what? 2. Are you sure this line is clean? 1. Yeah, of course I'm sure. 2. I better go.
Operator: Uh... I don't think that's what we're after.
Machine Exterminator: Hey, let's see some ID-- Hey!
Computer: Search for "MacHenry, Mary" & "Smith, Yessenia": Running... Results found. Display [F]irst / Display [L]ast / [N]ew Search >L Printing call transcript: MacHenry: Mom? Smith: How are you feeling, dear? Make sure you don't drink the tap water. MacHenry: This is a nice place; the water's fine. I'm feeling fine. I've confirmed my cave trip tomorrow. Smith: Oh. You know how I feel about those. MacHenry: It's not a big deal, mom. Smith: I wish you wouldn't take these trips, Mary. I worry about you by yourself. Why don't you find a nice young man-- MacHenry: Mom... Smith: Oh, dear. And this call is so expensive. I'll get off the line, dear. But Mary... MacHenry: ...I'll think about it, mom. We'll talk when I get back. Smith: I love you, dear. Take care of yourself. MacHenry: Love you, mom. Talk to you soon.
Operator: Huh? Okay... The "official" version has Mary telling ma she feels just fine. Wait... That means that at least two of them are lying. Ma, the Coroner, and The Man... Do we trust any of them?
Flood: Of course they're all lying, Mayk. Why would you assume any of them are telling you the truth? Go finish up with your trusted associate, hm?
Operator: Looks like the Coroner's in there. I suppose he'll have a perfectly logical explanation for this...
The Coroner: Interesting, hm? Two lies, two deaths--or were there? Why would anyone--least of all her own mother--lie about young Mary MacHenry's death? Her life was ordinary enough--actually quite typical. Even her death, in such a far-off place, wouldn't have been remarkable in the slightest...except for that phone call. They didn't expect Mrs. MacHenry to take ill and call her mother; their plans called for her to have an "accident," alone, unseen. They changed the records, deleted Reynolds. They wanted to leave no evidence...that Mary MacHenry did not die.
Operator: If he says she's a zombie, I swear, I'm gonna punch him right through this screen.
The Coroner: Oh, no; there was a funeral--even a body in the casket, resembling poor Mary in every way. Lifeless bodies are easily made; it's the living ones that are difficult. Look into it. It goes far deeper than this.
Flood: Oh, for-- When are you going to learn that the simplest explanation is always the right one, operative? I'll send your *CENSORED* and bull story on to the Merovingian... with your name on it, not mine. I wash my hands of this laughable non-murder mystery you and your delusional friend have concocted.
((And That's all folks, until next time))
