sort of an observation from my darkstorm post, but over all, humanity is seen as a raging mob, from the crazy humans beating machines to death in the streets to the humans in power

they do not appear to be a species that could make dark storm, zion, or even AI, they appear more like a species that if the machines where not there to take the beating, they would eventually wipe each other out

so in effect you really have two "humanities" you got the humans that have become drunk on their blood lust that they are blinded to everything but revenge, and you have a logical long term planning humanity

 this would suggest that zero one is not just a machine city, but there are likely survivors  of humanity living and working with the machines, who's genetic lines are not spawned by the pods, but decendants of the origonal humans

if you consider the first attempts at tricking the humans into thinking they are in the real world... how the hell does a machine know what human perception is? the first 2  matrixs were complete failures,  imho the machines would have had thousands of failed matrixs before getting a stable system

if you consider the first attempts at tricking the humans into thinking they are in the real world... how the hell does a machine know what human perception is? the first 2  matrixs were complete failures,  imho the machines would have had thousands of failed matrixs before getting a stable system

The Machines know what human protection is because:

They're in our brainz0rs,

Readin our thoughtz0rs.

No, really, if you remember the end of TSR Part Two. You see some deliciously gruesome experiments preformed on humans, and even before that it is said that the Machines have 'studied' human anatomy et cetera.  

So, yes, I'm comfortable with four matrices.

Studying the mind and playing with emotions does not really define perception

First matrix, a peaceful world the machines failed to convince humans that the matrix was real, major failure

Second matrix, a nightmare world, the machines failed to convince humans that the matrix was real, major failure

Third-6th matrixes the machines convinced most humans to believe its real, however there are some that reject the system, and in the end there is always one that completely rejects the system to the fullest

The oracle is the program responsible for determining what the human mind perceives to be reality, and creating the world to match what most humans believe to be real

The oracle just did not pull what the human mind perceives out of the air, and picking at a human brain is not going to define perception