(FOR STORYLINE PURPOSE)

Thesaurus: bloodbath (noun)

The savage killing of many victims: bloodletting, bloodshed, butchery, carnage, massacre, pogrom, slaughter. See help/harm/harmless.

Chelsea: Midnight.

The operatives were thorough and precise; three square blocks were pronounced “clear”. No blue-pills, no gangs, no anybody. Several lookouts on the roofs of various buildings that framed the three block radius were posted, each scanning for anything that would upset the dead of the night.

The two operatives arrived right on time at the rooftop of the intended target. Short work getting the roof door open and even easier work getting to the upper floor, they made their way down the darkened stairwell slowly before they saw the first wash of light on the floor…

The night watchman never had a chance to scream or react before his mouth was covered, slight resistance and then a sagging as the cold steel of a gun was pressed to the side of his head. Bright flash of both pain and light and then both sensations ended as the watchman sagged to the floor having no thoughts, ever again.

Corphe looked down at his handiwork and then back up to Pops who said nothing but crouched down and searched the pockets of the dead watchman and grabbed an access key. “Quicker for us then me just hacking our way in” Pops said lowly as he rose and made his way to the office door while Corphe grabbed the dead watchman under the shoulders and dragged him under the receptionist’s desk.

Walking towards Pops he said with some worry “I do hope we are not gonna have anymore trouble here.” Pops smiled while he swiped the lock and said “relax, the whole place is hacked, I blinded all the cameras and sensors and the real beauty is that everything is registering like it is operating normally so no alarms of any malfunction either.”

Corphe nodded and breathed easier, he knew it was just nervous jitters he had, being his first real mission for Merovech. He hoped that Jahzel and Barloke would approve so far of how he was carrying out.

The red light on the lock turned green and both operatives could hear the bolts pull back with a metallic clack. The office itself was tastefully done in a way that made you feel cozy and relaxed. Pops thought all it needed was a fireplace and he could sit in one of the plush recliners and sleep forever.

Shaking his head and getting back to the business at hand Pops circled the ornate desk and sat in the chair, pulling the keyboard on the desk closer to him while he turned on the computer and began to work.                                                                                                                                   

Corphe looked through the file cabinets even though the information they wanted was in the computer, but Barloke said to be thorough and leave nothing to chance, he checked file case after file case until he did come up with something, all the way in the back of the last file. Shaking out the contents he pulled   from the folder a disk and a hard plastic file. Walking over to Pops who was working furiously at the keyboard he said “what do you make of this?”

Pops only had to look at the disks and plastic file for a second before returning to the keyboard and saying “looks like a construct modifier and program. I read up on those, pretty classy program. Let’s you create any kind of construct, probably for training.”  Corphe nodded and turned over the disk, looking at it a moment “uh Pops” he said still looking down “you sure this is only used for training?”

Pops didn’t look away from the monitor but said “yeah, usually that’s all they can really use it for, its part of a loading program, why something there that doesn’t look right?”                                                                                                                                                                             

“Can’t really say for sure” admitted Corphe “but the desk reads “My Beloved” what do you think that means?” Pops didn’t answer right away but just shrugged and muttered “almost in…..gotcha! Ok let me start downloading and to answer your question about the disk, we’ll just have to upload that and see what it says back at the ship, could be something important but it doesn’t hurt to be sure.

Corphe nodded and pocketed the disk and file. Hopefully this was something important that could be used later on. Pops chuckled “I tell ya” he said as he watched the monitor “Barloke is one sneaky devil when it comes to warfare, this is gonna be a bloodbath before this is done.”

Corphe smiled in the darkened office, yes the time for all the posturing, threats and talking was done. Corphe also had a personal stake in this as his own brother was threatened by the good doctor. As Barloke told them, they were fighting for their existence and it looked like he was right.

“There” said Pops as he stood up and pulled the disk from the computer “that should take care of it” Shutting off the computer he made his way around the desk as Corphe opened the door. “Don’t you think he is gonna know we broke into his system?” Pops shrugged at Corphe’s question “Not likely” he said “I have seen better defense than that, plus I put so many non tracers on it, it would take him centuries to figure out how we did it, but he’s gonna find out anyway I suppose.” Corphe looked back questioningly as Pops snapped his fingers and said “aw man! I almost forgot!” Reaching in his coat pocket he walked back over to the desk and placed a sheet of paper on it.

“What was that?” asked Corphe as he shut the door and followed Pops to the exit doors. Pops chuckled and said “a note Barloke wanted to leave, so it really didn’t matter what I did as far as covering our tracks, but that’s cool. It was nice to get out of ship for a few. Corphe nodded and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small cell phone, pressing a button he put it to his ear.

“Operator”

“Done, ready for extraction”

“Head over to Walsh and Abbott, we’ll be waiting for you there.”

“Roger that” and hung up.

Both men looked at each other and then walked away to the extraction point leaving the office the way they found with the exception of one letter on a desk and one dead watchman, the entire operation took 10 minutes, not bad for two operatives their first time out…

((special thanks to Jahzel for the screenies))

The man walked out calmly from the building doors into the cool night before pulling the detonator from his pocket. Looking back he pressed the red button and with a sigh of resignation watched as the explosions of the offices and the doors blew out in a fireball.

Pocketing the detonator, he took a few more steps to the phone booth looking back every once in a while at the destruction he was walking away from…the destruction he created.

He stepped in the booth even as he heard the emergency alarms from the building while he put the quarter in the slot and dialed the number.

“Operator”

“It’s done”

“Already?”

The man grimaced as he pulled of the bandanna “yeah” he said “the watchmen are tied up and stowed in a safe place. No other workers were there. No body count, just a lot of broken glass and fire. Did you take care of the security?”

The voice on the phone answered quickly “yeah, security system was down when you got in, no cameras, no pressure sensors, nothing. Not a bad operation considering the short time we had to put it together.”

“I’ll say” said the man in the booth and he turned around at the familiar sounds coming through that were confirmed by the operator.

“Looks like the sent a bomb squad, fire and rescue and probably a ton of Agents just for old times sakes” said the Operator with a chuckle “you got about 4 minutes tops”

“More than enough time” said the man in the booth “you got a hardline set up?” “Yeah” replied the operator “between Stanton and Jacobs across the street from the park.”

The operator paused a moment and then said hesitantly “look, I don’t want to sound like a worry wart but what don’t you think this guy is gonna be out for blood? I mean we just blew up his offices.”

The man in the booth chuckled as he heard the sounds of the sirens become louder “well” he said “he might be angrier at himself. I mean sending us a note with the address of his offices wasn’t exactly the smartest move to make, especially considering the situation. No one is dead and the most he lost was a few offices which I’m sure the insurance will pick up; this is just a message to back off. Besides all he has is suspicion, it’s not like we are posting this on a website for him to see or something.”

The voice in the other end chuckled and said “true, hey you better get moving, they are just a few blocks away.”

“Right” said the man in the booth “see you soon” and hung up. He walked away from the destruction thinking of all the possible outcomes to this and then shrugged inwardly, realizing that it didn’t matter really. They were here to stay and he would do everything to ensure their survival in the Matrix as well as in the Real, as far as the death threats…

The man chuckled to himself quietly as he turned the corner and said lowly “so how’s that different from any other day ?”

                      The Unsung

Monday

I watched three of my friends get torn up by whatever they are calling those ugly bastards. They are getting closer and I don’t know how long we can hold them off. Another burst of fire goes off right next to me but I am too numb to even bother to jump. I just duck back into the ship and tell the gunner the coordinates to fire. Sho looks at me and nods as he looks into the viewpiece and starts to fire rounds back. I make my way to the front of the ship. The two pilots concentrate on their steering but the news I have to say is going to affect one of them. I put my hand on her shoulder and say lowly “Wildcat 4 just got it, I am sorry Maria.”

I can see the tears start to well up in her eyes but she doesn’t take it off the instruments for a moment. Not an easy thing to hear while you’re working that a brother, sister, or a husband or wife got killed. But a lot of us would say it is better than not knowing at all. And at any rate if by some miracle you do live, you’ll wish you didn’t. We heard reports that now the Machines are doing something different with the humans, something worse than death.

“Daniel, good work tracking that suppression fire”

I look back at our Commander who is sitting on this specialized chair that just came in a few days ago. Commander Wilson looks back at me and sighs “The thing that sucks is we have to go back to base, they say they are going to move back.”

Retreats and more retreats, oh wait they are calling them “tactical retreats” now. “And another city goes to the Machines then” I say almost derisively “you know where we will get reassigned to?” Wilson shrugs and says “Last I heard we are going to defend the Lu Chan province, for whatever good that’s going to do.” I nod and head to the back “Mind if I get some shut eye sir?” Wilson nods and says tiredly “go ahead Dan, you earned it today.” I nod back and head towards the bunk my eyes already growing heavy. God I miss the old days when the skies were blue, when the fight was “over there” and not in our backyard. I miss the normalcy of my boring life, even some things I have never seen I miss. I lay back on my cot and no sooner does my head hit the pillow I start dreaming of warm sandy beaches and the bright blue sky. 

Tuesday   

We must have been driving all night. The tunnel is dark and I always feel a weird sense of apprehension when we went there, but this is about as safe as you can get. The base itself is something like a supply depot, we got these bases scattered across the globe although with all the retreats we’re probably losing them more often.  Our tank parks just outside and as I step outside I see a hovercraft slowly glide out from the base doors, briefly illuminating the dim cavern with its plasma charge. We step down from the ramp. The six of us probably all wanting the same things, a bath, some normal food and a few hours of good safe sleep.  Our Commander looks back at us “Showers all around and we get some food first before we do anything. I have to go see command and figure out what our next move is.” All of us nod quietly, Parker, our other pilot flashes a smile and says “I could sleep for days sir.” Wilson nods “me too but I don’t think we are gonna get enough time, but I could be wrong though.” Our Medical Officer, Barbara asks quietly “will we have problems with supplies?” Wilson sighs and says “I don’t think so; in fact we might get very lucky with that today. Ok you guys get to the showers and get some food. That’s an order.” No argument there. I can’t remember the last time I had a good meal, so tired of those food packs you wouldn’t believe but they have better ones here, more variety.

We were at the cafeteria when Wilson walked in. I have seen my Commander in many moods but this haunted look was something new. The Commander sat next to us and said lowly “they want me to go through an “operation”. I quirk my eyebrows and look at Wilson “what kind of an operation?” I ask. He looks back at me strangely and says “well you remember that chair…”

Wednesday

They tell us the operation is virtually painless and the recovery is fast. This is a bad time to be alive. I thought it was bad when they darkened the skies but this “operation” is really the acts of the truly desperate and a clear sign of just how this war is going. The chair itself is for the sole purpose of infiltrating a program. Why would anyone want to be strapped to that chair is just nuts but for now only the Commanding staff is allowed for these missions.

I know the rumor is that now the Machines decided to use humans for energy. Well I guess something like this was inevitable being we took the sun from the sky.  I have only seen those pods once and it was enough to give me nightmares for weeks. They looked like they were connected to a bunch of hoses. You could see them twitching in their “cocoons.” Some were bare naked but the ones that were still clothed…well I can recognize our uniforms anywhere.

The plan now according to our Commander was now to infiltrate this program that the Machines were using for the humans. The Machines even gave it a name, The Matrix.

Wilson told us that Friday was the launch date, we were to keep fighting while he went into this “program” and try to destroy it. I am so glad I don’t have to be in Wilson’s shoes.

Thursday

Maria didn’t show up for breakfast, by lunchtime we knew why. Suicides were commonplace nowadays but it always came as a surprise. Her body swung in the dim room that was her quarters. The contents of the note she left was no surprise, as I said suicides are commonplace nowadays. The death of her brother was just too much to bear. She already lost her family to the war and her brother was the only one left.

We held a service for her; even our Commander came to it although he wore a cap, probably to cover up that strange device to the back of his head.  No time for a replacement driver, the base was literally alive with personnel moving equipment and there was no one really left qualified to drive the Wildcat. We said our good-byes to Maria and headed to the tank outside the base. I know it sounds cold, but in this world you can’t stop and mourn for the dead unless you are anxious to join them.

I trace my hand over the printing of the tank that once looked new. “Wildcat 6” was our home, our only protection from the war and we took care of it almost religiously.

We must have spent the whole day, rearming it and filling the interior with supplies. We checked, double and triple checked all the systems. She was ready to go; we just had to hear the order come down.

Commander Wilson came by late that evening and the order came through, tomorrow we deploy…

Friday

The base was in the last phases of moving as we all took out places in our tank. Maria’s spot was empty, looks like its all on Parker now. He looks nervous and its no surprise, we all are. Wilson gives the order and we head out in the early morning, the digital display on the control panel is the only thing that tells us its morning, otherwise it looks the same outside, day or night.

I climb up and open the top hatch, grabbing my binoculars I look off in the distance. I see the flashes of light in the distance, and it isn’t the lightning making that. The fighting already has started, or maybe it was going on all night. I talk into my headset, telling Wilson where the fighting is coming from, the tank turns slowly and with a platoon of butterflies in my stomach our tank heads in that direction…

My god…they are everywhere. All you can hear is the explosions but that’s expected. It’s the screams, the human screams that want me to get away from here, anywhere but here. Barbara yells for me to come below and looking at Wilson I see why. He is shaking all over, his face a mask of pain. His eyes are bleeding, his *CENSORED* eyes are bleeding! Barbara looks at me clearly freaked out “I don’t know what to do Dan!” she yells “Do we unhook him from the chair or not?!” I close my eyes and for a split second the sandy beach and the crashing waves produce a clear image in my mind, then the explosions shatter the image. Opening my eyes I say calmly “Unhook him, wherever he is, it’s killing him.” She nods once and pulls the probe from the back of Wilson’s skull. No sooner does she do that when all his lifesigns go to zero. Wilson has enough time to shudder and sigh before dying. Barbara shakes her head and with tears in her eyes look at me and says “we killed him, oh my god we killed him!” I want to say something, I know I should say something, but even as I open my mouth Sho yells “Dan we are getting company!” I look at Parker and yell “get us out of here now!” I see Barbara unhooking the lifeless body of our Commander and before going to the hatch I tell her “dump him Barbara, we can’t have the extra weight.” She looks at me hatefully and I can’t blame her, just as she knows she can’t blame me for the order. Like I said, thinking about the dead is a good way to join them. The tank lurches forward and veers off but I can see that it’s too late, way too late. The Machines are everywhere, right in front of us. They look so weird, so alien. I know now why they call them “squids” but before I can get another thought in my head we take a hit. From the screech below I know it’s the treads, we are grounded. The tank veers hard to the left and plows into a wall. I go below and check everyone, so far we are ok but we have to get out of here. “Grab a plasma rifle, we got to go!” I yell as I head towards the side hatch. Parker gets there ahead of me and I can see from the look in his eyes he isn’t going to be alive much longer. He doesn’t say a word to me, he really doesn’t need to, and his panic is all over him. With a high whine he hits the hatch door and bolts out. Sho and Barbara grab their rifles and follow me out to side of the building. I just got enough time to see Parker pulled away by the machines from across the street before I signal my group to head for the alleyway. I hear plasma fire from behind me and look back to see Barbara hold off two of those squids. Sho and I try our best to keep them back, but there are so many of them. Barbara’s screams echo in the alleyway and we both know it’s too late for her. We keep moving past another street, in another alley and coming out to the next street I see what happens to the ones taken. The screaming as they are tangled up in metallic hoses, their skulls drilled in as they are used for power. The machine they are attached to is monstrous; there are probably hundreds of humans attached to it. We both run the other way, this battle…*CENSORED* this war is lost. I know it and I think Sho knows it too. The explosion knocks me off my feet; I land somewhere hard and have enough strength to draw breath before everything goes dark around me…

??????????    

The sand is warm, the water cool and I just close my eyes for a moment, taking in the sea air. I open my eyes to see the bright blue sky, the sun shining brightly. I look down at my open white shirt and see a chest without scars. I breathe deeply trying to remember how I got here and then decide it doesn’t matter. Off in the distance I see a small campfire. I see people there; they don’t look like they are in any danger. Another sea breeze caresses me and I decide that it doesn’t matter how I got to this paradise, I just know it was better than where I was before. I don’t know why, in fact I don’t want to know. Sometimes, ignorance is bliss…

                                                                            Running With Scissors

The snow mutes out the sound from the street below, as if there was enough activity below to merit sound anyway. The man in the dingy room looks out the window for a moment disinterestedly before going back to the rickety table by the cot.

Like the room he is in, he was once more than what he is today. The pants he wears looks several sizes too big, his once white tanktop now yellowing in several places is dirty and torn. He wears scuffed and worn workboots were once he wore pristine black polished shoes. His bloodshot eyes are a testament to the drinking that he has done and the drinking he is about to resume, his five o’clock shadow on his face now bordering at seven. His hair is a bit longer than would have been regulation approved, but regulations that used to be a major thing in his life are no longer part of the equation.

Equation……

He sat down in an old creaky beat up chair in front of the dismal plane of his table and had to roll that word in his mind again. He thought as he reached for a dirty glass and the bottle of Jack Daniels that things do equal out, sometimes the variables align in an almost peaceful, unnoticeable way. As he poured his glass he also thought sometimes they even out like that, and sometimes they can be the most violent and chaotic before settling down.

He knocked back the glass and let the liquid hit the back of his throat until the equation of that effect balanced itself out. The liquid that momentarily awoke some of the dead feeling inside the man, slowly coursed downwards in his throat, making a trail of heated bliss as it settled in his stomach like a small ball of fire. He looked around his dingy apartment, part in disgust and part in an almost mourning. 

The life that he had would have never allowed for such an existence and yet he knew if it had, he would have been in a better place rather than this place that made Heart O’ the City look like a five star. He put a hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose at the base while he closed his eyes and concentrated on not thinking of that particular place, all the while knowing it was impossible not to do so.

He must have run the events there in his mind a million times and as much as he was now tired of them, he knew he couldn’t stop remembering them...

The Matrix

Agent Smith turned to face his two agent companions; his face was distorted in a rictus of pain and uncertainty. They both looked at him, almost as confused as he was; this wasn’t supposed to happen…ever. Agent Brown and Jones gripped their guns tightly in their hands as Agent Smith appeared to swell first in his chest, then slowly moving up past his neck until it reached his skull. Jones looked on horrified as Smith’s skull began to crack, small fissures of white green light breaking past the Smith’s skull. Agent Brown shielded his face as Jones mirrored the same and then Smith exploded. The light that exploded all around them was terrifying enough, but it was Smith’s scream that chilled them both.

The light faded, Smith faded and all that was left was the young man that had been part of Smith’s obsession from the moment his name came across their database. Again this was another impossibility, Brown checked this particular man’s lifesigns, when they were leaving he was dead and yet there he stood. The hallway seemed to ripple and bend away from him as if eager to give him as much room as possible before settling back to its normal state, or rather equating itself out to its normal balance.

The young man dressed in black was now looking at Jones and Brown, it was the look of death as far as Jones was concerned and only had to look back at his partner to see he was thinking the same thing. There was only one thing to do, one way to hopefully survive this encounter, regroup and hopefully find a way to survive…run.

They met later in an alleyway in Richland, not far from Heart O’ the City motel. Between two brunt out buildings the chances of anyone eavesdropping on their conversation was minimal, and as it turns out they had a lot to discuss.

Agent Jones spoke first with a question “any word on Smith?” Agent Brown shook his head slowly and said “it is still unclear whether he re-substantiated or not, but his signal has not shown up on the grid.” Jones cupped his ear for a moment, listening to the information from the earpiece and spoke “it would appear Mr. Anderson is not on the grid as well.” Brown nodded “we would have to wait until he remerges in the system in order to attempt to acquire him again.” Jones smirked and said sarcastically “as if that’s going to be easy now.” Brown looked at Jones quizzically, it was one thing for Smith to have sampled human emotions to the point of committing fatal errors, but Jones was always resisting those urges to be more than the sum of his programming, and yet here was the first signs that he was slowly beginning to become unraveled.

Both Agents cupped their ear and listened to the instructions from their earpieces, both looked at each other. “Agents are on their way here” said Brown “we are to be decommissioned.” Jones gritted his teeth and muttered “so fast and just like that.” Brown nodded and said “it would appear that the Source has already upgraded our designation, it is an efficient response to the situation.

Jones flexed and clenched the fingers in his hands until reaching up he pulled the earpiece away from his ear. Brown looked at Jones again quizzically and asked “what are you doing?” Jones sighed and said “I do not want to be deleted. “But we must” countered Brown “our usefulness to the system is obsolete; therefore our existence is as well.” Jones shook his head “No” he said “we performed as we were programmed to do, everything was in order until Smith dragged us into his obsession for Mr. Anderson. If there was anyone that should be deleted, it should be him not us.” Jones started to walk away until Brown called out “where are you going?” Jones didn’t turn around, but just looked over his shoulder and said before walking again “away from here, and if you are smart you will leave here as well. We should not be deleted; we don’t deserve to be deleted. We still have purpose.”

Jones watched from the rooftop as the nondescript van pulled to the curb. The two agents that emerged from the van were different looking; they looked younger, sharper, and more aware of their surroundings. Jones looked down waiting to see what would happen next, Brown emerged from the alleyway and walked towards the van as the two agents walked toward him. Jones sighed almost sadly as he saw Brown hand over his weapon to the agents. The two agents led Brown to the side of the van and for one moment, Brown looked up at the spot Jones was looking down at him. The two Agents looked up as well but none of the three could see Jones, he was long gone.

Present Day

Jones sighed and poured another glass of whisky. He knew he told Brown that they still had purpose but he often wondered if he told that lie to satisfy himself or to convince Brown not to opt for deletion. Whatever the case it didn’t work and soon Jones found himself with really no purpose other than to exist. He knocked back the second glass, this time allowing the liquid to burn his mouth a little before swallowing it down. He chuckled a little this time in the empty room to himself, yes Equations, Existence, and Purpose all small parts of the variable that converge with others to make the program. All sensitive and fragile even to an Agent and when one of those parts becomes frayed the others carry the consequences as well…

Reloaded

He saw Smith and Smith saw him. They looked at each other curiously for a moment. Smith looked well, even better than well whereas Jones looked like everyone else. Smith smirked and said “been a long time Jones, I have to say I am surprised to see you. I would have assumed that you would have chosen deletion.” Jones looked back at Smith, and then self consciously he looked down at himself. He looked like any other construction worker on the busy streets of Downtown and although the work was tedious and boring, it was still work, something to do, some purpose. He looked back up at Smith and said almost defiantly “I have a function Smith, I have purpose.” Smith nodded, that smirk never leaving his face as he said “I too have found a purpose, a rather unique purpose.” Jones cocked an eyebrow and said “Oh, and what would that be?”

“Mr. Anderson”

Jones frowned “The Anomaly” he said with resigned disgust “your obsession and the reason for our downfall.” Smith nodded and said “that is so to a degree, but in a way I think I should thank him.” Jones looked confused but Smith pressed on “when Mr., Anderson merged with me, something happened. I don’t know how it happened but it opened my eyes to new possibilities, and the overwhelming need to see the final chapter played out.”

Jones wondered if by some other means Smith also was insane but decided it was better just to ask another question “So now that you have found some new agenda to follow, what are you going to do.” Smith chuckled shortly as he said “isn’t it obvious? I am going to have it all.” Jones shook his head as Smith continued “I discovered that as agents we can only do so much” he said “we are bound by rules of this system and although we are gifted with powers, we are all still slaves to it.” Smith smiled slowly “but after the merge I become much more than the sum of my programming. I have new gifts or powers if you will. I can do much, much more now and I intend to do as well.”

Jones was still getting used to his emotions so it was hard to say how he felt. So many emotions at once assailed him, but the one underlying emotion that was bubbling up and coursing through him was fear. He wasn’t going to allow Smith to see that, he wouldn’t dare allow himself to look weak in front of this smirking turncoat.

With an air of false bravery Jones said “so what does this all mean to me? Do you plan to harm me? End my existence?” Smith looked surprised and said “what makes you think I would want to do that? But to answer your questions…no, I have no desire of copying myself onto you. You are obsolete, a relic from the past with no purpose and nothing to offer.”

Jones nodded, he could take the insult if it meant his existence would continue. He started to walk past Smith when he stopped and reached into his pocket. “Here” he said pulling out his old earpiece “I have nothing to offer, but I have no need of this anymore.” Smith raised his eyebrows as he took the earpiece and said in an amused voice “why Mr. Jones you can’t imagine how useful this is to me…”

Present Day

He got up slowly from the old chair and walked towards his cot, he didn’t want to stay in this room any longer but he didn’t want to part with the bottle just yet.  His coat was half on and half off the cot and with a resigned sigh he picked it up and put it on. He hated the weekends, nothing to do all day but watch it pass slowly, no purpose.

 He got into the whole drinking thing just on a small invite from his fellow workers. The work days were eight hours of shoveling, lifting and wheeling parts and tools to the various areas in the construction site. He did this work tirelessly; a satisfaction deep within him that his functions in this, some purpose, even if it meant the construction of some building he was content in the knowledge that he was one small cog in the machine.

His fellow workers however had a different opinion of him which was to say they thought he was goddamn brownnoser that was sucking up to the bosses. The guy never took a break, hell even a bathroom break. He would come in do four hours of back breaking work, take an hour for lunch and ate…nothing, just to go back and work until closing. He was making the rest of the crew look bad, especially at lunch where he would just stand there and look at the construction site while they ate. Finally one of the workers handed him a flask and told him that he needed to loosen up and have a drink because he sure as hell looked like he could use it.

Jones tried the drink and afterwards reported the other worker for having alcohol on the job, efficiency would have been compromised after all, but after closing he went to a liquor store and got a bottle for himself. Now he had something to do after work and on the weekends…

He decided he was going to carry the bottle with him as he took a walk, maybe to the park. This late in the day few people would be there ands it would give him a chance to finish his bottle with some more comfortable surroundings, at any rate it was a plan…

Revolutions

An old repair shop faced the Akasaka construction site, mostly ignored by the entire city it stood there from the beginning. The Merovingian of course had more elaborate means of getting exiles into the Matrix but would have had a fit if he knew about this place. As an agent, Jones knew all about this place and a few others one could go if he or she wanted to escape detection. He never believed he would ever have had to use a place like this but it seemed like the alternative was much worse.

Smith was everywhere, literally. Jones saw the former companion everywhere he walked. All of them looked at him with that smirk as if to say “you see? I told you so!” look on their faces. Jones didn’t like the looks of this, they all seemed intent on one thing and as the rain began to come down hard he knew that if he was to stay on the grid any longer this night, it would be the last night of his existence.

He easily pulled the boards that blocked the back door of the shop and turned the knob. Walking inside he saw the place had the normal one inch of dust that covered everything, it didn’t matter. He was just interested in the floor hatch, pulling that up he went downstairs where he found another door.

The door downstairs led to a hallway full of other doors. He walked past rows upon rows of doors until he got tired and sat down. He sat down in the white hallway, listening to the sound of a few doors open and close, seems he wasn’t the only one aware of its existence and soon those sounds were quieted, although he could still here things every once in a while, the crash of thunder and the pelting of rain. Later those sounds would also die off and when all was completely quiet again he got up and walked back to the door he came from.

He stepped outside and had to squint his eyes as the sun came up shining brightly. The blue skies carried with it a cold almost refreshing aroma to it, the people that were walking about that morning seemed almost in a daze as if they were confused as to how they got were they were. Jones didn’t really pay attention, for him something was different about the Matrix, it was if it was…

“Reborn”

Jones looked surprised that he actually uttered those thoughts from his mouth, but in a way it sounded right, it sounded true to him.

Present Day

It started to rain, turning all of the new fallen snow into a slush that made a crunching sound under his workboots. He would break from looking down at the ground to lift his head to take another swig of whisky; the park was only a few blocks away. It would be good just to sit down and enjoy…

He never heard the footsteps behind him, never heard the rustle of fabric or heard the metallic click. The report was mute compared to the bright flash in front of his eyes; he saw it all with wonder on his face, even as he felt the ground come up fast to him. He lies on his side and saw a pair of heeled shoes walk close to his face. A hand cupped his chin until he could look up and see the face of a business woman looking down at him. She looked at him with something like pity and said softly to him “it’s time to come home Agent Jones.”

The world goes dark for him, first starting around the edges of his vision and then closing all around him, he nods weakly at the lady who is putting her gun away, yes it was time to go home. For the first time he would agree his purpose was over…

 
                                                                  

Note: Had fun writing this, hope you all enjoy! " />

                                                                       An Anomalous Situation

It took only 9 seconds for the life of Daniel Carpenter to change radically. Nine seconds after the impact, nine seconds being airborne, nine seconds falling to the ground with the sick sound of a crunch against the sidewalk curb, all of this in nine seconds and then the darkness came. Look both ways before you cross the street, a thousand other pieces of sage advice from his mother echoed in the recesses of his mind. He used to heed this sort of advice from his mother with an almost superstitious reverence that all children have when hearing something said in such seriousness from their parents. Like all children, Daniel filed away the advice in that folder in his mind marked “IMPORTANT” and went on with his life. Don’t’ talk to strangers, eat your vegetables, pay attention in class, mind your manners, all of this advice ticked off one by one in Daniel’s mind before the sound of sirens interrupted everything.

He could hear the sirens in the scant seconds left, like some wailing mother with a dead child in her arms. The lights behind his eyes dimmed as the darkness seemed to close around him, the sounds of the siren, the worried people that gathered around him all began to sound muffled.

He had time for one last sensation, a cool breeze caressed his cheek and his first, last impulse was to smile, even though remotely he thought this wasn’t the situation to be smiling in. The darkness didn’t care, the darkness had a timetable it was going to keep and it didn’t matter who it took. It didn’t matter if it was a man, child, woman, or grandmother, its function was not going to be denied. It didn’t matter if it was Daniel, or that Daniel was a good father, good husband, and a hard worker. It didn’t matter that he paid his taxes and bills on time, that he was always carried the groceries in for the elderly lady that lived alone next door to his apartment. It didn’t matter; it just didn’t matter at all.    

The world melted away from Daniel, the darkness was all that was left of it, and for a time Daniel wandered in it. He stayed there in the darkness, confused, sad and lost wondering if he would ever see anything again. A small light then filled the void until it became bigger and bigger still. The light was almost reddish and although Daniel was fascinated, he was terrified as well as more sensations came to bear. He could smell something metallic; he started to feel cold, his skin felt sticky and heavy, then the light opened up further…

His eyes finally, truthfully opened this time. The red goo covered his whole body. He wanted to scream but couldn’t as something was in his mouth, giving him air that tasted of metal. He thrashed weakly against the edges of what first he thought was a plastic covering, his first panicked thoughts was that he was in a body bag. He wanted to break free, wanted to leave this “cocoon” but was too weak to do it, finally the decision was taken from him. He could feel a whirring sensation from behind his skull, at the same time he felt the apparatus in his mouth being pulled away while the cables that were connected to his arms, legs and spine popped off one by one in rapid succession. The pain was sharp but he had no time to yell as a portal opened up at the head of the cocoon, clear water jetted inside, pushing him through and he discovered he did have enough strength to scream.

The trip was fast and short lived, he hit the water on its surface and skipped like a stone ungracefully until he reached the edge. From the chest up he was in mud, the rest of him submerged. He raised his head in the dimness to see the only company he had were the bones of the previous inhabitants and rats that looked at him with anticipation. He groaned lowly as he weakly rested his head on the mud and closed his eyes, wondering where he was, why he was here, and what did he do to deserve this hell…

Three Days Later

He forgot the name of the ship he was on, but it didn’t matter. He also couldn’t remember most of the crewmember’s names, but he didn’t care. He just wanted his questions answered but it seemed they had more questions than he did. They wanted to know how he arrived here, if in something called the “Matrix” he was recruited by somebody called “Zion.” They asked all kinds of questions as they repaired his weak muscles, and for every question they asked, he asked one back.

They told him that he would soon have use of his legs within a few hours and for the time being they left him alone in an almost barren cabin room. He lay on his back, looking up at the ceiling still confused but alive and that was the smallest comfort he could take.

Six Days Later

The Captain’s name was Rhea; she wore her raven hair long just over her shoulders and looked at him with dazzling blue eyes. His wife Marcy would have been at once jealous of the woman that sat across from him and couldn’t really blame her if she did. Rhea smiled softly and asked Daniel the questions he heard before, but in a calmer, more relaxed way. She told him that the more questions he could answer, the easier it would be to help him. They started off with what was the last thing he remembered and he tried to describe it as best he could.

He was late for work, he just knew that the moment he entered the floor where he worked on he was going to hear all kinds of complaints from his boss if he got into work late again. It was just one of those things people would say later at the hospital, he was so wound up with his worries and time that he forgot all about the light change. The driver didn’t see the man until it was too late and by then there wasn’t time to brake or serve, it was just one of those things…

Rhea listened and nodded sympathetically when Daniel told her all about his confusion arriving here, she had heard all of this before countless times and this was going to be no different. The best thing she could do right now was let him know where everything stood as far as where he was, what was going on, and what his future may hold for him.

One Month Later

He looked around nervously as he was strapped into the chair; it wasn’t the fear of being plugged in that got him. He made enough visits to the constructs to know all about the weird sensation you felt when you left the “real” for the artificial reality, but this was different. For the first time he was going to return to the world he knew since birth as his reality, everything that made him what he was, was there. His wife, son, friends and life were all there and now he was going to see it again.

They did set some ground rules, there are always rules no matter what the circumstances and the rules that they dictated to him were understandable. He couldn’t interact with anyone from his former life, he couldn’t just blurt out to anyone where he was from now and he couldn’t stray away too far from the hardline. Daniel nodded to all of this but inside he was already thinking how he was going to get home.

Jacking into the Matrix is much different from jacking into a construct. In a construct you pretty much know that you are not in any really danger. There was already that safety net that any operator was well aware of and shrouded them like a security blanket, but it was different in the Matrix. Here there was no safety net, no way to call “time out” if you were tired, bleeding, or dying. You’re only escape was the hardline. Daniel closed his eyes as soon as he felt the prong enter his skull, he felt the disorientation and then when he opened his eyes, he saw the Matrix…

They were supposed to meet with some Zionites, the Zionites in question wanted to return to their old lives and forget about the truth that seemed to cost more personally than they realized. They agreed to meet at a club, someplace with a lot of people and enough noise to mask their conversation. Rhea told Daniel this was a perfect opportunity to get some real training done and that his role would be an easy one.    

The drive to the club was uneventful as the view, but then most of Richland had a gift of looking drab no matter what time you were there. Daniel looked out the window excited which was a glaring contrast to everyone else in the car. Rhea drove slowly through the streets while the rest of the crews checked their weapons. Daniel just looked out the window impatiently, he was so close to his home that he wanted to just leap out the window and start running.

They stopped on the corner and piled out; the club was only a block away and even though it wasn’t far a few already started complaining about the wet weather. Rhea sighed and just started issuing orders and soon it got everyone walking towards the club.        

Rhea told Daniel that he would stay outside the club for now which was just fine with Daniel. He didn’t really want to be chased when he made a break for it and this was going to be the opportunity he needed. He didn’t care about the Cypherites, which is what the Rhea called themselves and could care even less about the Machines, Zion and whatever “war” was going on, he just wanted to go back home.

Rhea and her group went in the club as Daniel stood outside, he waited two minutes which were probably the longest two minutes of his life before walking away. He didn’t live far, only a few blocks really but every step made him more and more nervous. What would his wife say when she saw him? Would she even recognize him? Would she scream or run into his arms? What of his son?  Would he do the same? All these questions with every step he took and all it made him do was walk faster to the place called home.

The Operator informed the Captain that Daniel was on the move. Rhea found the information curious but not alarming even though her crewmates expressed concern. Suggestions were offered, some lethal and some just complicated. But the Captain chose a more simple, safer solution, they would just watch for now.  Rhea knew that her decision wasn’t going to be happily accepted but had been her experience that many people handle their awakenings in different ways, some readily accept their transfer to the Real with something of relief while others feel like the life they left behind with something of mourning.  It was funny, in a way it was like all the tales of the afterlife but with the living. Rhea reasoned with her crewmates, telling them that Daniel just needed some more time to accept his fate. She believed that sooner or later Daniel would realize that for now there was no going back.

Daniel stood in front of the door of his apartment with dread bubbling up in his throat like hot lava. He thought for a moment that he was just going to throw up and although his face was grim, he had to laugh at the thought of his wife opening up the door to see her beloved throwing up all over the doormat. He found whatever resolve he had left in him, breathed deep and pressed the doorbell. The melodious ring was muffled and every second that passed Daniel was growing more and more anxious. Three rings, and thirty seconds later he decided that there was no one at home. He looked at the door and as if the literal light bulb flashed in his mind, he remembered something. He ran his hand over the top sill of the door until his fingers encircled the metallic object. Bringing his arm down he looked at the palm of his hand that held the spare key. He turned the key in the lock, his heart tapping like a trip hammer in his chest. With the door unlocked he slowly pushed the door open.

The apartment looked the same; it was if he never left. The little bits and pieces of his life were still all there. He walked into every room, and it seemed like the memories would just jump out like startled wraiths in his mind eye. The living room where he and his family would sit and watch tv, his son on one side, his wife on the other both nestled up to him. The kitchen was always the place where the most activity could be found and through his tears, Daniel could see his wife cooking while his son would struggle with a coloring book. He looked at his son’s bedroom and remembered every night when he would watch his boy go to sleep. He knew that not every day wasn’t as idyllic as his memories would have him believe, but the glaring contrasts to his life now he would live the worst days of his former life if he could get it back.

He was just about to leave the house when he saw the small notepaper on one of the end tables under the lamp. Pulling it away he read it and part of him was both horrified and relieved at the same time. He knew where he had to go, he just hope that he could make it there.

Rhea and her crewmates finished up their business with the Zion operatives. She sometimes had to wonder why anyone would think that the Cypherites could just snap their fingers and turn a red pill instantly into a docile unknowing blue pill again.  It was one of the myths that surrounded the Cypherite organization and for Rhea it was also the most troublesome. There were a lot of stages one would have to go through to reinsert themselves back into the system, and the Machines didn’t just take anybody.

Only a handful of former redpills were ever reinserted back into the Matrix and with that some of the side effects were interesting to disastrous. A few would actually retain all the memories they had in their redpill life which caused some adverse mental stress on the subject. Apparently the truth of what reality truly was was hard to handle for many. Often redpills had a hard time reconnecting to their old lives, even though that was their wish from the beginning. It was a gamble to be sure but for every redpill that was going through this ordeal, hundreds more were living their lives exactly where they left off.

Rhea knew that the crew of Zionites had the desire and drive to return to their former lives, but Rhea felt it would be nothing short of neglect and deceit that she didn’t warn them of the dangers involved. Her Operator contacted her as she was leaving the club with her crew that Daniel was already on the move again. Rhea gathered her crew and told them that she alone was going to follow Daniel and see what he was up to. The crew of course didn’t like that idea, but they knew that a debate over it was going to just waste time since the Captain was just going to have her way anyway. They took off in the car on their way to the hardline grumbling but they followed their orders. Rhea sighed and headed off to where Daniel was going, hoping that he would get some closure to his fate.

The Hospital

The receptionist looked bored and decidedly unfriendly, but a job is a job and the man in front of her seemed to be very anxious.  She gave him the information he needed and the man just mumbled his thanks as he headed towards the elevator. She sighed and went back to her romance novel when another approached her. This one wanted to know what she said to the other man and had the excuse that she was his girlfriend. The receptionist rolled her eyes and droned the information she gave earlier as the woman took off with a mumbled thanks and sped off to the other elevator. The receptionist mentally shrugged and in less than 10 seconds forgot all about them.

Daniel looked at the numbers ticking off on the top panel of the elevator anxiously. It seemed like an eternity before the elevator arrived at the floor that Daniel pressed for. He stepped off the elevator and looked wildly left and right of the sterile corridor. He read off each room number he passed, getting closer to the room that he wanted until finally he was in front of it. The door had a small glass window and Daniel took one look inside, seeing that the room was only occupied with a patient he opened the door and walked in slowly.

The patient’s face was partially obscured in shadow; Daniel almost tripped over a chair in the dim room and decided he might as well sit down. As soon as he sat down he leaned over and turned on the small lamplight by the bed. Daniel had to cover his mouth before he could shout in horror and shock, in the bed he saw himself. He leaned closer, his hand still covering his mouth as he examined closely the sleeping double of himself. He was expecting to see his wife or his son in that bed, but this was something that was impossible.

The door slowly opened again and the wide eyed stare of Rhea looked in. She knew this had to be impossible. There was no way anyone would have a bluepill and a redpill rsi in coexistence, it just didn’t happen. Daniel looked back at Rhea with a look of dread, his whispered questions reaching her ears like dead pleas and she couldn’t answer any of them. She grabbed the chart at the foot of the bed as Daniel looked down at the floor in shock. She saw what the condition of the patient was and understood or at least could theorize the anomalous condition of the situation. She grabbed Daniels’s arm tightly, telling him they had to go…now. At first Daniel didn’t want to go anywhere, but Rhea was used to having her way, and she also knew there was nothing she could do for him here. She talked to Daniel like she did on the hovercraft and soon after a few whispered words; he got to his feet and followed her.

The Real

She explained the situation to her crew, each one just as surprised as the last hearing the news. While comas were a common event, it usually just meant a programming error on the Machine’s part. Sometimes the problem could be remedied in a matter of hours, but sometimes it could take months or years before the problem could be repaired. In that time the bluepill in the cocoon was in a sort of “standby” mode, but this case was different. Rhea assured Daniel that she would do everything in her power to see that this would get resolved one way or another.

They surfaced to broadcast depth, Rhea told her nav officer to send a signal out. They waited for what seemed like hours until a reply was given back. It was clear and to the point, some coordinates and nothing more. Rhea nodded to her pilot to proceed to those coordinates and soon the hovercraft was on its way.

                                                                                    Preferred Customer

The Seaview Diner in Edgewater once had an unobstructed view of the sea or so that’s what the owner always claimed. Alison though believed that it was just more of the tall tales her boss, Marty used to say to pass the time. What Alison could see when she peered out the large pane windows of the diner were trucks, cargo ships, containers, and the highway from across the street. It wasn’t a very appealing view but then again the customers that frequented the diner weren’t exactly the “beautiful people” of Mega City, so they weren’t complaining.

She just finished taking the breakfast order from table six, only one more hour till her shift ended and she could catch the bus home and get her tired feet up. Life in Mega City can be hard for most, Alison was only glad that the hardships of Mega City didn’t take too much of a toll on her. Even at forty her hair was still the same color of honey without a follicle of grey. Her face with a few lines, yes but it want something that couldn’t be hidden with some makeup and hope. She still kept her shape and more importantly her dignity intact and in a place such as this it was more than a rarity, it was a miracle. 

Like everyone else in the city she had hopes and dreams too, she wasn’t always a waitress and although her mother before her was, she wanted to do something else with her life. She used to write a lot, the stories she would write as a youth helped her out a lot to get away from the dump of an apartment she lived in when she was a kid, and her two screaming parents. The worlds she would make up for herself helped a lot, she could write so clearly that she could almost see it in her mind like some movie in fact she…

“Allison wake up! You got a customer!”

She shook her head once as if coming out of a dream to see her boss, Marty looking at her almost exasperated.

“Uh, sorry. Guess I was in a daydream.”

Marty sighed and nodded with his head to the entrance of the diner while saying sarcastically “well lucky for you it’s your “preferred customer.”

Allison looked over to see that Marty was right as the woman at the entrance waited patiently. Allison headed over to her, grabbing a menu on the way there. The woman that was waiting patiently was dressed in a business suit, her jacket, blouse stockings, shoes and skirt were impeccable. Her blond hair was done up in a bun, and the make up she wore was light but it only accentuated her beauty, not take it over.

She stood patiently while she waited for Alison to make her way to her and for Alison this woman was the biggest rarity in her whole career.

“Well good morning dearie” said Alison as she stood in front of the business lady “want me to take you to your regular booth?” The business lady smiled slightly and with a small nod said “sure, that would be fine.”

“Follow me then.”

Alison led the business woman, thinking how the day for her just got brighter. It was like that everytime this particular customer came to the diner. The first time Allison ever saw here was three months ago and it seemed like the business lady always seemed to order something different every morning for breakfast. It didn’t matter to the business lady if what she ordered was better served for lunch or dinner, she wanted to order it and as Marty always said it didn’t matter if they wanted a dead rat as long as they were paying.

She escorted the lady to the table and was just about to pass the menu when the lady smiled and gave her order. That was also something that Allison found peculiar, she remembered showing the lady the menu once but it seemed that the woman had the whole thing committed to memory.  Allison took the order and brought it to the kitchen, Dan was working tonight so at least Allison knew the food was going to be somewhat edible.

She looked at the clock, 10 minutes before her shift ended. It was almost as if the lady knew when Alison was going to be at the end of her shift, and that was fine with Allison. She had no real friends and she couldn’t really consider her husband remotely as one. The man was with her for ten years and as with all doomed relationships it started out with fiery passion, then came the time for settling in, then the fights until finally it turned into a waiting game with each party waiting for the other to kick the bucket first.

Her husband wouldn’t be back till late in the evening so no one was waiting for her at home. Allison knew she should head home but the lady was just going to call her over like she did 3 months ago when she first came here and everytime afterwards when she was here.

Allison heard the small bell signaling that the food was ready, a real gut buster too. Two chicken legs, French fries, a sundae, and a chocolate milkshake, she grabbed the tray and headed over to the table wondering what the hell was the lady’s secret that she could eat all this stuff and not gain a pound. Allison laid the plates and large glass on the table in front of the lady with a smile “enjoy your meal hon” Allison said and as always the lady pointed to the empty seat across the table and said “please, sit with me.” Allison put the empty tray and sat down and as always marveled at the way the lady actually enjoyed the food. The lady didn’t just eat the way the other customers that come here to eat. They would eat as if it was just something to do; their minds always seemed to be a million miles away from here, but not this lady. She focused only on what was on her plate. Every forkful of food went slowly into her mouth; her eyes would close as she slowly chewed her food, sampling every taste, even the texture of the food itself. Allison once saw a show on wineries and she doubted any of those tasters had even half the concentration of the lady in front of her. The lady would finish one portion of the plate and as always, she would start the conversation. “So how was your shift today?” she asked. Allison chuckled and said “you know you always seem to start our conversations that way.” The lady blinked once with an almost far away look and Allison could almost imagine that the woman was trying to recall every conversation they ever had. Blinking again she focused back on Allison while saying surprised “you know Allison, I think I have!” Allison chuckled again and the lady smiled slowly “well” said Allison “the night was pretty much the usual stuff. The lady nodded as she put another fork of food into her mouth, closing her eyes again to savor it.

“Ugh” commented Allison “I don’t know how you can enjoy that slop.” The lady looked surprised again and said “that is a rather strange thing to say since you work here.” Allison nodded in agreement saying “yeah, but is the truth. I have been here for almost twenty years now, and I never have seen anyone enjoy this stuff like you do.” The lady looked up for a moment and looked curiously and asked lowly “do you think I eat strangely?” Allison chuckled and shook her head “No dearie” she said “well maybe a little for this place. It isn’t exactly Le Vrai you know.” The lady finished her plate and pushed it to the side, bringing the sundae closer to her, lifting up a spoon, she started to sample it. She opened her eyes excited and said “this tastes wonderful!” Allison raised an eyebrow and with a smile she said “well yeah, but don’t tell me that’s the first sundae you ever had.”  

The lady nodded and said “well let’s just say this is the first sundae I ever had that was made this way.” Allison nodded a little confused wondering if there was another way to make a sundae but said “can I ask you something hon?” The lady nodded as she ate another spoonful.

“Who are you, really?”

The lady looked at Allison confused and said “I’m afraid I don’t understand the question.” Allison sighed and clarified her question “well what I mean” she said “is that you seem to be more than you let on. You don’t dress like anyone here. You sure don’t act like anyone here. I seen you once with some other well dressed men and I take it they drive you here. So I’m thinking you either work for a company in upper management or you work for the government.”  “Hmmm” said the lady thoughtfully “and if I said I worked for a company, would you believe that?” Allison shook her head slowly “I   think you work for the government.” The lady said nothing but raised her eyebrows almost prodding Allison to continue which she did but much lower this time “I noticed the gun a few weeks ago.”

The lady nodded and said before reaching for her milkshake “well I do work for the government; I guess you could call me an agent even.” Alison rested her head on her hand and asked “is your job fun?” The lady sipped some of her milkshake and then said “well it has its days, some go by almost boringly and some days I wonder if I’ll ever see the next day.” Allison smiled and said “I wish I could do that.”

“Do what?”

Allison smiled at the question and answered “well doing like you do. You seem to have a very interesting life, well compared to mine that is. I would just love to be able to have that kind of freedom.” The lady looked at Allison thoughtfully and asked “and what would you do if you had that kind of freedom.” Allison stretched tiredly a moment before saying “I would go to a writing school, and then just spend the rest of the day writing or just meeting new people, seeing new sights, that sort of stuff.”

The lady sipped the last of her milkshake and said with a slow smile “well you never know, maybe your dream will come true.” Allison chuckled at that as the lady reached in her jacket for her purse. She left the payment for the bill and pulled out three 20dollar bills. “The tip” she said as she placed it under the glass. Allison’s eyes widened as she said “that’s a lot more than you should pay you know.” The lady shrugged, saying “call it a going away present.”

Both women slowly stood up and Alison said “so this is it then?” The lady nodded slowly and said “Yes Allison, I have tried everything that was on the menu.” Allison chuckled and said “well I do hope that you enjoyed the food here.” The lady smiled and said “I did, I found it quite…educational.” Allison nodded and said lowly if not sadly “I am going to miss our talks, you were my favorite customer.” The lady put a cold hand on Allison’s shoulder and said just before leaving “follow your dreams Allison.”

Later  

Her husband never came home that night, but the phone call did. His foreman from the job sounded like he didn’t really want to make the call and when he spoke he did it hesitantly as if steering through a verbal minefield. They called it just one of those freak accidents that usually claim the lives of the unsuspected. Allison listened on the phone as the foreman struggled to say how her husband died, how tragic it all was and that the medics did all they could to keep her husband alive. Allison had to wonder though how in the world anyone could be kept alive after being flattened like a pancake under a cargo container.

The funeral was brief and to the point, she shed her tears for the man that died in her heart long ago, and moved on as best as she could. The life insurance lawyers paid her a visit two weeks later, her future held in the check they held, she quit the diner the next day…

6 months later

She walked along Edison Parkway in Stratford Campus. Her school bucks held at her chest, a smile on her face. A man with a suit and dark glasses approached her from the opposite way and stopped in front of her. He reached in his jacket and handed her a small note which she took before he walked away. She looked back at the man walking away curiously before opening the note.

Dear Allison

I hope the life insurance gave you enough funds so you could do the school full time. I miss the diner you know, the food was great but I miss our conversations more. Follow your dream Allison.

                                                                                              Pace

Allison read the note again with some growing suspicion concerning the lady and her husband’s death before shrugging her shoulders and deciding that was done was done. “time to just start living” she muttered and walked on with a smile under the bright blue day…

 NOTE* I had most of this written out in one day. These are one of those stories where I'm not wracking my brains to figure out where it will go. I think every once in a while you get lucky and start a story that just seems to write itself. I like doing this one, the whole idea of a Machine Agent and some regular Blue pill could actually have a conversation in a near empty diner just appealed to me. Oh and before anyone slams Pace for killing Allison's husband (well let's just say that she got the ball rolling on that one) I would just say in her defense that although she makes attempts to learn more about us humans, sometimes she makes some choices that are decidedly "machine-like" The next story I'm gonna try to start tomorrow but no promises (it is Christmas day after all! LOL) I will say that I want to bring out a rather unique situation. Hope to see you soon !

                                                                           Marilynn and Manssen 

Mannsdale Projects is one of those few communities that have a penchant in silence. The quiet neighborhood barely has any crime to speak of and the local gang there pretty much keeps to themselves. Families live there in quiet one to two story houses, they live their lives in an almost regimented fashion, the kids go to school, the parents are either off to work or shopping and when all that’s done they meet back for dinner later and watch TV until they are tired and go to sleep to repeat the cycle again the next day.  All and all every household shares that pattern but one, and this one is the strangest; the house at the far end of Mannsdale was the talk of most families around the dinner table. 

The owner of the house always had the shades drawn, some heavy curtain really that would block out the sun. The owner never collected the morning paper, he never mowed the lawn, never really added any touches to the house that would prove it was being lived in, but it was. Some of the talk around the dinner tables of the various families was that the owner in question was a man, and he did leave the house but only at night. No one really saw him mind you, at that late hour it was rare to find anyone up. Some though would, the ones that couldn’t get to sleep for whatever reason would stop and listen to the revving of a car engine and then the squeal of tires as whoever was driving tore into the night. No one knew what the man looked like and more importantly no one wanted to know.

The part of the house that no one ever got to see was the interior, inside was a state of disuse that was only magnified by the dust. Sofas, chairs, appliances, countertops and so forth all covered in a thick layer of dust, every room suffered the same fate. Nothing lived there as the rats and roaches gave up long ago trying to find anything edible. The floors were a dull dust color that was broken up by a pattern of footsteps that led to the basement.

The basement was a whole different story, a starking contrast to the dusty disuse upstairs. Here below there were relics, an old book, a well used chair, a cozy fireplace. Paintings graced the walls of the sitting room and the rug that covered the floor was a deep red. The only other room in the basement was the bedroom and that was where the man the neighbors speculated about was in right now, under satin purple covers.

He laid his head back down on the pillows as he hung up the phone, an annoyed sigh coming from his lips as he thought for the millionth time he could have done things differently. With another agitated grunt he got out of bed quickly and found his clothes, no use in putting this off especially since the nature of the call sounded like it was something important.

It wasn’t everyday that Malphas was summoned, truth be told it was so rare that Malphas half believed that Merovingian forgot all about him. In a way that would have been a blessing for the aged vampire had the circumstances been a bit different, if the outcome of the rebellion had been different, he amended to himself and grimaced as he put on his coat and found his car keys. He walked up the old creaky stairs to the first floor, an expression of distaste on his face as he saw the dusty confines before heading to the back door of the kitchen. If my plans would have succeeded it would be me commanding Persephone not the other way around, he thought while opening the back door and stepping outside, I would have made her my bride and his chateau would have been mine as well, the “M” would have stood my name instead of that cursed Frenchman, now…   

…now things are different

He lowered his head a moment before getting in his car, yes now things were different, as a wise old exile that loved a particular board game would say “the pieces have certainly found themselves in some interesting arrangements.” With a growl, Malphas sat inside his sports car and revved up the engine. Indeed it has, he thought with a measure of bitterness. His confederate in arms Ookami found her way back to the Merovingian’s good graces in a way, as did her pack. Only Malphas was sent away to an empty house and empty purpose. But that wasn’t all he thought angrily and pressed down on the gas pedal causing the car to squeal it’s tires while tearing out of the drive way. Making a hard right and heading for the highway he thought. That blasted upstart stole my place and even now laughs at my misfortune, he thought and although he couldn’t bring himself to say the name of the creature that he suspected had a hand in his downfall, he knew there would be a day when he would exact his revenge on him and everyone else…

With car now reduced to red tail lights in the distance, Mannsdale returned to the silence it was accustomed to, and its inhabitants once again slept under the starry night…

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 The shotgun blast almost caught Barloke but fortunately for him he was able to sidestep the attacker and so it only shattered the window of the train car. Some way to make a living, Barloke thought as he brought his fist up to crash it into the masked man’s face, getting shot at like some jacklighted deer! The masked attacker crashed to the floor but not before Barloke snatched the shotgun out of his hands, and just in time too, three more of these masked men stepped into the car and were heading in Barloke’s direction. Barloke blasted all three using round after round from the shotgun, watching for a moment their guts sprayed and scattered all over the door they just came through. Just then the attacker he just dropped, kicked out with his legs and tripped Barloke to the floor.

The entire car was bullet and blood ridden, fortunately for Barloke it was his attackers that shed this evening’s blood, but this was becoming tiresome already. These “Cypherite” operatives so far had crashed the past three missions Barloke was on. Every one of the missions ended in a blood bath, but what Barloke couldn’t figure out was why they wanted to kill him so badly in the first place.

Tossing the shotgun aside, he struggled with the masked man on the floor of the car and as he struggled Barloke thought of the past three missions that ended like this. None of these missions had any connection to the Cypherites or a conflict of their agendas; in fact Barloke hardly had any contact from the Cypherites. So why are they after me? He thought as the Cypherite under him kneed him in the midsection. Barloke grunted and realized that while he was there thinking about this the Cypherite he was fighting with wasn’t about to stop fighting so Barloke could think this out. Barloke rolled on his back away from the masked man and got to his feet, just as the Cypherite was doing the same thing. Barloke ran towards the masked man and grappled him, putting the Cypherite into a headlock and pulled him to one of the car’s windows. The Cypherite for his part struggled as best as he could and with widened eyes saw where Barloke was taking him. Barloke mustered his strength and with one forceful heave pushed the masked man headfirst out the window, unfortunately for the Cypherite they were in a tunnel because his head was the only thing that made contact with the wall outside. The result was a smearing of blood and brain matter with a pattern that would have done Pablo Picasso proud.   

Barloke let go of the body and saw that the train was slowing down, possibly reaching a stop which Barloke knew was going to have a platoon of MCPD waiting to sort out the mess. Not to stand on ceremony, Barloke made his way to the rear cars, at the last one he opened the car door and leaped off the train and ran down the darkened tunnels…

Later in the Real

“No I don’t know why I am getting chased down by these Cypherites! That’s why I am asking you!”

Barloke sat back in his pilot’s chair and looked at the screen with some exasperation. Phrack looked back and said “Look, I’ll ask around but it is very strange that they would be after you. I mean you work for the Merv after all and this would seem like bad business, besides” he chuckled “I thought these Cypherites were supposed to be after me!”

Barloke sighed “well whatever the reason it’s becoming more and more difficult to operate, I mean I was lucky I got the contact out of the train before they showed up, but I don’t know how lucky I am gonna be the next time.”

Phrack nodded “we’ll get some answers, see you soon buddy.”

“Later bro” said Barloke as the screen went to black. 

Barloke got up and left the cockpit, he knew he was due back for another mission soon but for now he was going to get some sleep. With one last look at the instruments, he headed for his cabin hoping the next time he was in the Matrix he would get some answers…

cont.

Next chapter coming soon! Loved this photo of Malphas as he doesn't have the Bela Lugosi style of dress code and instead opted for some better wear!

                                                                              Wet Work

Stratford Campus

The Office Mr. Black occupied was dim; the only illumination was from the soft lights of his table lamp. What you could see is that the office was decorated very tastefully. Not with the exaggerated flair the Merovingian would have preferred, but for Mr. Black it was perfect. The desk was big with three separate monitors on, each monitor displaying stock information, shipment manifests and news. Mr. Black looked at the monitors briefly before settling back in his chair. He held a glass of scotch on ice in one hand while the other held an expensive cigar. He chuckled quietly as he read the report from Ikebukuro from the monitor. Seems yet another exile tried to take a stand against the Merovingian and lost his head over It, thought Mr. Black as he shook his head and got up from his seat walking around it to face the large glass windows behind him.

The city was laid out like glittering jewels in the late evening and the glow from the city seemed more enhanced from the downpour outside. Mr. Black sighed as he took a small drag from the cigar. Idiots, he thought as he let out a breath of smoke, trying to take on the Merv all by themselves, well that’s what you get when you’re impatient. Mr. Black knew all about patience, hell to rule over the family he had it was a necessity. Each of his “children” and a “wife” at each others throat trying to fight over scraps in the hopes to get a foothold to him. If that wasn’t bad enough, he had the Merovingian as competition. Mr. Black knew that the Merovingian’s power was massive. He literally commanded Mega City’s underworld with his army of exiles and loyal red pill employees.

It wasn’t an easy ascension to power for Mr. Black, serving for as long as he had for the Merv was a lesson in humility. The final humiliation for Mr. Black and the one that made him break away from the Merovingian was when he lost his job to a newly arrived exile who displayed better efficiency. Flood, thought Mr. Black with a grimace as he turned and stabbed his cigar in the ashtray on the table, you think you may have won something from me when you had me ousted from my rank. But what did you really win? I have my freedom from the Frenchman and more power than you could ever imagine, and you remain as his underdog, his lackey.

Mr. Black pressed a button on his desk and sipped the last of his scotch as the large double doors to his office opened. The aide stepped in and said quietly “you called Mr. Black?” Mr. Black nodded and walked to his coat rack “Looks like I’m going to call it a night. Send the car out front; I don’t want to get soaked.” The aide nodded and said “very well sir”

As the aide left Mr. Black donned his coat and hat looking once round the office he started to walk towards the doors. Yes you think you won something Flood but you stand to lose more than you could ever know thought Mr. Black as he opened the doors and stepped into the hallway, and I am going to make sure you are the first to fall before the Merv does.    

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

Barloke hung suspended upside down outside the large building one floor above Mr. Black’s office. He felt the blood rush to his head, he was soaked from the downpour and he was clearly not in a good mood. Some way to make a living he thought as he adjusted his goggles, hanging upside down like a soaked bat this time! Barloke knew that he shouldn’t have took a mission so soon from the last one he did, but Flood was very anxious for him to start this mission. Seemed simple enough, all he had to do was get some data cards from Mr. Black’s office and bring them back to Flood. The earpiece beeped and he heard “operator, Barloke have you arrived on site yet?” Barloke sighed and said into the mouthpiece “already here Laura.” Barloke wasn’t convinced totally, but he did suspect that this program was a little too overprotective of him. In the Real “Laura” was constantly reminding him to take his meals regularly, to exercise and get in the training programs more. Last night she even told me I was not getting enough rest! Thought Barloke as he examined Mr. Black’s office from the outside window, shaking his head he realized he was in for one hell of a job, especially with the parameters that Flood set up.

“I don’t want Mr. Black to have a clue that he was robbed” said Flood from the monitor in the cockpit of Barloke’s hovercraft. “I don’t want a repeat of the last mission you were on with every guard alerted to your presence.” Barloke grimaced knowing that it wasn’t his fault he was spotted but also knew that it was a waste of time to argue with Flood.

With a sigh, Barloke saw that getting into the office was not going to be easy, especially with the sensors that were in place on the glass pane. Barloke magnified his vision and switched the goggles to infra-red and scoped the office again. There it is!  Barloke thought with a satisfied nod, the air duct would be cramped, but it was enough to get him in the office and more importantly it was the only entrance not laced with alarm sensors. Barloke flipped over until he was right side up and began to climb the rope hand over hand until he got to the roof. He was just over the lip of the roof when he heard the familiar click of the sound of a hammer being pulled back. “Freeze buddy, your spiderman days are over.” Barloke groaned as he looked up at the lone guard and hoped that Flood wasn’t expecting the data cards anytime soon…

                              THE FASTER BLADE

The warehouses along Ikebukuro were always an eerie sight at night compared to the rest of the International District. The near abandoned warehouses cast a dismal and dark shadow over the area and the night wind was the most mournful sound. The gang controlled area had the most minimal of activity as a few trucks here and there would drive in and out of the warehouses, dropping off or picking up merchandise, otherwise the place was dead and dark.

Raven knelt on the roof of a warehouse she was going into, checking her equipment for tonight’s mission. Her black leather suit hugged her curvaceous body as it seemed to pull the shadows toward her. She checked, and then double checked her equipment and weapons until she was satisfied. This mission wasn’t going to be an easy one but then again assassination hits were never easy, especially when the “mark” was an exile. It’s like they had a sixth sense for danger, which is why they usually surrounded themselves with guards and alarms. Well, there’s always ways around those she thought, smiling ruefully. She tied a long scarf at the nape of her neck, partially covering her face. Her bluish-black hair was tied back, only her Asian eyes were visible. Standing up, she touched a button on her belt. She immediately began to fade from view until there was only an empty space where she stood. She headed across the roof to the door on the other side. Time to get to work…

Barloke cursed silently to himself as he hung upside down, suspended from an air vent. Some way to make a living he thought hanging here like a bat. But the bounty on this particular “mark” was very valuable, and truth be told, Barloke could use the “info”. Because the Matrix is a simulated world, money can be created as well, and although to a Blue Pill or an Exile it may hold value, to a Red Pill it’s worthless. Information in the form of data cards held more value, in that you could load programs for new equipment buffed clothes, training programs, and weapons. The Merovingian had tons of these data cards and a whole platoon of hackers that could make more, do enough jobs and you could end up with an impressive array of programs to load. Barloke checked his weapons and equipment again as he hung upside down. This wasn’t going to be an easy job, the “mark” was an exile named Lo-Tan. This particular exile was highly placed in the Phoenix gang and although the leader of this gang, Feng swore allegiance to the Merovingian he was starting to sway because of the influence of his right hand man, Lo-Tan. Barloke asked the Merovingian if the job called for taking out Feng as well. But the Merovingian felt that was unnecessary, besides the Merv reasoned a terrified employee is better than a dead one. So Feng was just supposed to get a “reminder” about where his loyalties lie and what happens when you try to double cross the Merv. Barloke scanned the area below with a pair of specialized glasses he designed to pick up varying code signatures in the Matrix. His BDU had sixth sense detection and currently all seemed clear. Barloke pressed a button on his belt and started to fade from view, with a flip Barloke released the wire and fell silently to the ground landing in a crouch. The only evidence of his landing was the small cloud of a dust that barely kicked up to be noticeable. Standing up he made his way deeper into the warehouse. Time to get to work…

On the lowest floor of the warehouse, Feng was pacing nervously. “Relax Feng” said Lo-Tan as he kneeled in front of the low table, drinking tea “Anyone trying to get to us would have to go through the seven hells to do it.” That’s not the point!” said Feng angrily “We shouldn’t be hiding like this in the first place!” Lo-Tan shrugged and said quietly “Those are the fortunes of war.” “What war?!” cried Feng “Things weren’t great but at least I didn’t have the threat of death on me because of this mad scheme of yours!” Lo-Tan eyed Feng thoughtfully, looking every bit like a Mandarin prince with his long red and gold robes and high cap. Quiet as a statue, even his long black hair was still he said in a soft deadly tone “silence” and Feng was instantly chilled “Remember who it was that you came to for help in these matters.” Feng sighed and slumped his shoulders; with his head bowed he said quietly “I asked for help dealing with the Frenchman, not to betray him.” Lo-Tan smiled and held up his hands so his long black fingernails at each end of his pinkie stroked the ends of his mustache that cascaded past his chin “And dealing with him we are doing right now” he said easily “this is not an act of betrayal, dear Feng, this an ultimatum.” “By holding his shipments?” asked Feng. “Of course” replied Lo-Tan “holding his shipments will send a clear message to this Frenchman that we mean business, he will act accordingly.” “Yeah” nodded Feng “and send a hit squad to wipe us out!” “Let him send his army” shrugged Lo-Tan “we have more than enough protection, and my personal bodyguard. Any army this Frenchman sends will be laid out on his doorstep.” Feng sat down heavily in front of the table facing Lo-Tan and said quietly “maybe it’s because you have been in the archive simulations too long that you don’t know danger we are in. The Merovingian is not a man to betray and before you say anything, that’s how he is going to see this. If we take from him, we will pay the price.” Lo-Tan just smiled again and said “We will see then.” Feng sighed and shook his head…

                   New Matrix?

The content here is a comprehensive look at some ideas and solutions to generate a stronger fan base and to generate increased revenue for the Matrix Online.

 GAMING ENGINE

 While the game itself is a masterpiece in design and stability the gaming engine definitely needs rework. My proposal is for an entire new game is created with a new game engine. The new game (we will call it for now Matrix II to prevent confusion) can be created while the original game is still used, however all of the elements of the old game will be incorporated into Matrix II (Streets, landmarks etc etc).

 
This new game version will allow for players to do a variety of things that were holding them back from the old game.

 LOOK AND FEEL

 Richland-Westview

 These areas are considered “the slums” of the Matrix. The goal here is to make these areas grittier and dangerous. Taking a back alley here should be akin to taking one’s life in his or her hands. Since there is a strong criminal element, all the trappings of that element should be here (i.e. Casinos, Strip Clubs, Drug houses, Safe Houses etc, etc). Only very few areas should be considered “safe”.

 International

 The “melting pot” of the Matrix although the Asian influence here is very strong. To make the place more of a melting pot we should have other culturally influenced areas (Russian, European as examples).

 Downtown

 This is a place avoided by most gamers due to the lack of content; one thing that would help is to give it a more “Metro” look and more variety. Some things like a “L” railway would be nice and maybe an attachment to an airport (more on that further down).

 NEW AREAS AND BUILDINGS

 “The Trainyard”

This should look as its namesake, an assortment of abandoned and derelict trains in a large yard. Some of the cars are open and some are closed, also some of the cars are accessible using a certain key. The gang here is in abundance and the trainyard should be considered as an open air dungeon.

 
“Metro Hospital”

 Although there are hospitals in the matrix, this one is the only one a mission/dungeon roleplay is involved. As soon as you enter the lobby the mission starts. The mission is puzzle solving where you have to interview the patients, doctors and nurses. The goal is to get a special key from the Chief Surgeon. This key will allow you to access an elevator to the basement which is really a dungeon like area (I would like to have it have a “Silent Hill” looking dungeon). After fighting hordes of mutant like doctors, patients and nurses you get to the boss called “9”, a genetic experiment gone wrong (well you can use your imagination here). Special item drop here.

 “The Power Plant”

 Almost the same as the hospital in that the mission starts as soon as you enter the building but this time you talk to secretaries, managers and technicians until you reach the CEO. Defeating gets you a special key to an elevator that takes you down to a basement (maybe one that almost looks like the interior of a Borg cube). The dungeon is defended by the Reactors. The boss should be some cybernetic monstrosity and again another special item drop.

 “Metro Station”

 This is a dungeon with a new twist. Every floor completed of the dungeon gives you clues and access to the correct door to the next level. The clues themselves are in the “drops” of the gangs there (still undetermined but would love to hear ideas for it). The final floor leads you to the station platform where you must board the train. The train itself travels above on the “L”. Your goal is to go from car to car and fight any gangs there until you reach the “Boss car”. I was hoping the Boss would be this real tough looking gangster type who uses an assortment of high powered guns.

 “Sewer System”

 Each game area (Downtown, International, Richland, and Westview) will have a sewer network. Some of these sewers lead to open cavernous areas and some will lead directly out to a new game area. Certain manholes provide direct access to the sewers. Al sewers are protected by a gang called “Sludge”. There is a boss in each sewer network that drops a special item.

“Police Stations”

 Scattered throughout Mega City, these station houses are not for the weak. No bosses here but MCP is in full force. The drops contain some special items and one police station is said to have held Neo (from the movie scene). You also get to see the interrogation of Neo on a recorder in that particular station.

 “Bars”

 The bars are a place where most of the “low level” npc exiles go. Any of the denizens in the bar will pick a fight but the place is a treasure trove of information.

 
“Strip Bars”

 Female or male RSI’s can make money here by stripping or spend it (I don’t have to tell you how). The strip bars are mostly scattered but the rates go higher from game area to game area (Richland being the lowest and Downtown the highest.)

 
“Drug Houses”

 Four in all for each game area, the building is set up as a dungeon (Think of any run down mission area with a lot of rooms). The place is defended by the drug users called “Greeners” Of course at the end of the dungeon/mission the supplier is the boss. Special item drop.

 “Casinos”

 Players here can make money or lose it all. The casinos are fully functional and you can place bets on the many slot or poker machines there. The dungeons are still there as well.

 Points of Interest

 “Heart O the City”

 This area is accessible and the exact room Neo and Trinity exists (will also be used for event missions).

 “The Oracle’s Apartment”

 Exactly displayed as in the movies, this area is accessible by invitation only.

“Hell Club”

 The club is revamped to more accurately depict the movie version. The club is accessible by invitation only.

 “The White Room”

 This area is accessible only from the newly constructed buildings from the construction sites. This room is the location of The Architect and is accessible by invitation only.

 “General’s Headquarters”

 Located in Downtown, it is accessible by invitation only.

 “Construction Sites”

 New construction sites in all four game areas with one difference. These sites will have an evolution as well, every month for 24 months until the buildings are finished.

 “Ookami’s Lair”

 Located in Gracey Heights, the old Talbot Building dungeon gets revamped to more accurately depict the werewolf’s lair. Accessible by invitation only.

 “Malastus Lair”

 The entrance to the vampire’s hideout is just under the altar of The Church of the Disciples. Accessible by invitation only.

 “Vela’s Lair”

 The hideout is in the Mars Industrial Center. The area is accessible by invite only.

 “The Tea Room”

 Located in Akasaka, The tea room is a favorite of Flood. The area is accessible by invitation only.

 “The Bridge”

 The Bridge that spans from Uriah to Industry Square is now accessible. The bridge is defended by gangs. There is an access node that allows you to access the other side of the bridge.

 “Government Building”

 The building now contains the room where Morpheus was interrogated. The rooftop now depicts the movie version more accurately.

 “Neophyte Base”

 Located in Mara, “The Kid” commands from there. The area is accessible by invitation only.

 “Nirvana”

 Seraph resides here; the entrance is at Ascension Monument.  The area is accessible by invitation only.

 “Le Jubilee” (Merv Restaurant)

 Located in Downtown, it is an exact remake from the movie. The area is accessible by invitation only.

 “Le Chateau”

 The Merovingian’s home has the reception room (where Neo fought) and the dungeon (where the Keymaker was held captive). There are also many more rooms; the entire house is accessible by invitation only.

 “The Dojo”

 Here the player will encounter Morpheus. The area is accessible by invitation only.

 “The Junkyard”

 Located in Westview, this new area is inhabited by The Assassin. The area is accessible only by invitation only.

 “The Hallways”

 This area can get the player to any of the areas that are accessible by invitation. The “invitation” itself is a key that can unlock a specific door in the hallway. To access the hallway you must have a special key which will be explained further down.

 CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT

 Attributes

 From now on you can max every attribute, however attribute points will take longer to get. You must do 100 missions for 1 attribute point (these include the “dungeon missions”.)

 Skill Tree

 Basically you can fill all skill trees but it’s not going to be easy as the use of certain skills is based on the amount of attribute points you have and level. New skills will be added on to the skill tree.

 Martial Arts

 For this tree the following new skills:

 "Ninjitsu” a different version of the spy tree, it is also one of the most difficult to master due to the high attribute requirements. Some skills noted are “star throwing”, “invisibility” (The gamer disappears in a cloud of smoke), and an “ambush” skill (1 hit kill).

 “Shotokan”, “Tae Kwon Do”, and “Jujitsu” all these fighting skills will have special skills of there own.

 Coder

 “Apparel Maker” One of the best parts of this is now you can change the colors and styles of the close, also you can transfer the attributes of the clothing to other types of clothes so everyone does not have to wear the same thing due to the “buffs.”

 “Suggestion box” If there is a style of clothing that you would like to see made you can use this function to send it out (photoshopped pictures of the clothes you would like can be sent here.)

 Hacker: Admittedly I don’t have much experience with that tree so any suggestions are welcome.

 ROLEPLAY

 All roleplay characters (Morpheus, Oracle, Merv etc) will have increased interaction with the players. I would assign 3 LET players to each character for the three servers. They will have a script but also allow for on the spot decision making. The goal is to have a more interactive roleplay experience for all the players.

 LEVEL 65 “Path of Ascension”

 At level 50 these missions are available; the missions themselves will have certain guidelines.

 1-      All missions are to be taken alone, no group missions.

2-      The missions are ten tier a piece so you have to schedule time to play a mission (most will last 30 minutes to an hour depending on the skill of the player.

3-      The missions themselves will have you meet every character from the game and movie.

4-      The last mission will be the most difficult of all (it involves a 20 tier mission).

 These missions can only be accessed after you have reached level 50. It will involve you using almost all the skill trees. The “Path of Ascension” missions are not for the weary. You have to really put time into this; also you have to use all your skill and knowledge to pass these missions. Not all of these missions are dependent on fighting skills. 

 The last mission will be designed to be the most diabolical. With twenty tiers to the mission you will have to expect to be there for at least three hours. The other missions you did before this one will be a piece of cake in comparison.

 Rewards

 Level 65 players will have the distinction of being the Uber-elite of the game but since that isn’t enough here are a few more things…

 *Level 65 players get a “Master Key” (delivered by the Keymaker himself). This key opens up any area or door (Including those by invitation only).

 *Level 65 players are also included in the storyline of events* (Meaning you will get reference to the event and in some events you will play a pivotal part in it.)

 *Level 65 players also have increased interaction with roleplay characters. For example, Morpheus wants to speak to the Zionists. Zion factions show up to the area where Morpheus will speak. At the end of the speech or whatever he will do he will call any Level 65 Zion players to another location where he will roleplay (usually provides information that is TOP SECRET).

 *As an added bonus Level 65 players will also be contacted by rival org leaders. If you are a Zionist, you may be contacted by the Architect or the Merovingian for example.

 *Level 65 players can also bring one “invite” Level not important, to any meetings.

 *LAST NOTES*

 While the possibilities of any of these suggestions coming to light is slim to none. I still thought it would be a good idea to share it with the community. Who knows? Maybe some of these ideas might be the basis for some inspiration for the powers that be. The Matrix Online is a game with incredible potential and one of the few online games with a rich and intriguing storyline .Apologies for the long post!

Message Edited by CrimsonKiller01 on 05.29.2006 09:10 AM