Ignorance is bliss ~ Cypher

   “Cypher!” Tank called. “Are you here to take my watch?”

   He glanced at Tank. “Keep your pants on, Smiley. I need to get something to eat first.” Tank called something after him but he ignored it. He headed for the mess hall and the delectable smorgasbord that awaited him, snot in a bowl. Yum.

   He sat down and dispensed the protein concoction into a small bowl. He tried not to look at it as he quickly scooped it into his mouth. It didn’t taste bad. In fact it had little taste at all. But a bowl of it would quiet his growling stomach.

   The ship was quiet. Almost everyone was asleep. He didn’t like it; gave him too much time to think. Too much time to wonder what the hell he was doing here. Almost nine years. Nine years since...

   Morpheus stood before him. He was different than he had pictured him. Taller, thinner, and black. It didn’t matter really. Just one of those things where you envision a person one way and they are never the same as when you finally meet. He had been searching for this man for almost a year. From the hushed, secretive whispers to a telephone conversation two days ago, he had hunted for him. Morpheus held the answer to a great riddle, “What is real?” Now that answer was at hand.

   “I am glad you have agreed to meet me, Cypher.” Even his voice exuded a charisma that Cypher couldn’t pull himself from. “I have much to show you if you want to see.”

   “I do,” he said simply, his excitement welling up inside. Here stood a great man, a hero in rebellious corners. A man dedicated to uncovering the lies of reality. What secret did he know that he would reveal to Cypher?

   “Did you ever feel you were destined for more, Cypher? That your path was being bent to serve a purpose other than what it was truly intended to be?”

   “Yes, I’ve always felt there was more to my life than this,” he gestured around the small apartment. “Even more to the world out there,” he thumbed the door.

   “Do you want to know what is really out there?” asked Morpheus who also turned his thumb at the door. Cypher nodded. “Then follow me,” and he headed out the door, Cypher close behind.

   They came to the street and it was wet with the driving rain that was falling. As they approached the street a long dark car pulled up to the curb. He opened the door and urged Cypher into the back seat. Morpheus took the front. The car silently pulled into the deserted street.

   “The woman driving is Switch. The man beside you is Nomad.”

   Cypher looked at the white haired woman driving. She didn’t turn to acknowledge the introduction. He glanced at the man next to him. It was dark in the interior of the car but he could make out a large man with Hispanic features and long black hair that fell past his shoulders. He extended a nervous hand, “How’ya doin’?” He gave Cypher a side ways glance but didn’t take his hand, turning instead to look out the rear window.

   “Time is our enemy, Cypher. I can only ask you this once,” explained Morpheus.

   “What? Ask what?”

   “A great path stretches before you. A path that can make a difference in the lives of millions. But it is a path you can not see.”

   “What are you talking about? Fate?”

   “More like destiny. But you have the ability to take that path or stay on the one you see.”

   “I don’t think I get you.” This all sounded vague and mysterious to Cypher. Why not just spill it, he thought. “What don’t I see?”

   “The world hidden from you to keep you from your real potential. I can show you that world. I can’t explain it, you have to see it for yourself.”

   “Is this the Matrix you talked about?”

   “The Matrix is the path you are on now. I can show you what lies beyond.” The car stopped at an old apartment building. They all got out.

   “How?”

   “Follow me,” said Morpheus and Cypher felt compelled.

   They entered the building and climbed some creaky stairs to the third floor. Morpheus rapped a series of short knocks on the door and then unlocked it. They entered the room and Cypher jumped at the sight of a man holding a gun trained on them. “Whoa, buddy, I was invited,” he called out alarmed.

   The red haired man lowered the gun. “I was getting worried, Morpheus. You’ve been gone awhile.”

   “We wanted to make sure we weren’t followed,” said Switch.

   The three others went into another room, leaving Cypher and Morpheus alone. Cypher looked around the run down room. “Nice place.”

   Morpheus stepped over to a chair and took a seat. He offered one to Cypher. As Cypher took a seat he noticed Morpheus giving him a burning stare. It seemed to drill into his very soul. “What?”

   “Cypher, there are sometimes great things expected of seemingly ordinary people. But when they are given the task they rise up and show their real abilities. Do you think that is possible?”

   “Well, yeah. I would guess so.” He couldn’t understand what Morpheus was getting at.

   “I think you may hold that potential, Cypher. But you will have to trust me to see.”

   Cypher hesitated for a second. But something instinctively made him trust Morpheus. “I trust you.”

   Morpheus held out his two hands. In one was a red pill. The other held a blue pill. “The red pill is an exit door from what you perceive as reality. The blue, a lock to that door. You choose. Take the red and we move on. Pick blue and you go back to this life you have led. Decide.”

   “You mean to tell me my future lies in whether I choose Dayquil or Nyquil?” He grinned and took the red pill.
Morpheus smiled, “Now we start.”

   “Cypher! Quit daydreaming and come relieve me!” yelled Tank from the mess deck hatchway. 

   Cypher shook off his memories; “Calm down. Ain’t like you’ve got somewhere to go.” He stood and stretched.
   “What are we looking for now?”

   Tank led him back to the Core and the operator’s station. “Morpheus has us looking for some hacker. He is really excited. He thinks he may really be the One!” Tank smiled.

   “Great. Another ‘One.’ Can’t wait to meet him.” Cypher could barely disguise his pessimism. “What’s his name?”

   “I’m running a search on the name Neo.”

   Cypher settled into the chair and watched the screen. Tank was rattling on and on about his progress so far but Cypher wasn’t paying attention. Tank acted like anyone else couldn’t comprehend “his” core and the various programs he ran. It made Cypher angry. Who did he think he was dealing with, anyway? Cypher had made a very respectable reputation with computers before he was out. Sure the technology was more advanced here but the principles were the same. He just got really tired of Tank’s condescension. Someday the “homegrown” would get his.

   “...and that will warn you if his signal gets weak. Got it?”

   “Yeah. This ain’t rocket science, Einstein. I get the drift. This is a fairly simple trace program.”

   Tank gave him a sideways glance. “And don’t fool with any of the settings, this time.”

   “You worry too much.” He waved him off.

   Tank looked at Cypher for a moment then wandered towards his quarters.

   Cypher watched the code stream across the monitors. He reached over and changed some dials. He then opened the trace program and scanned it intently. He changed a few lines of code and managed to narrow the search. Within an hour he had Neo located. He could “see” Neo in an office cubicle. “So this is the new ‘One,’” thought Cypher. 

   “Wonder what Morpheus sees in this one that he missed in the others...or me.”

   Cypher threw the trashcan at Morpheus. He easily ducked and slapped it aside. “You’ll have to do better than that if you ever expect to beat me,” he said calmly. This seemed to further infuriate Cypher. He didn’t like to lose.

   They had been fighting for close to an hour in the alleyway. Cypher, drenched in sweat and wheezing slightly, was a stark contrast to the calm, composed Morpheus. “Just you wait, old man,” he coughed out and shook himself loosely. He spit a spray of blood onto the ground. He took a wide stance and brought his fists up. Morpheus took a similar pose. He edged closer.

   He watched Morpheus with a keen eye. He had been studying Morpheus’ approach and tactics during the fight. Cypher felt like he was moving in slow motion compared to the quick reactions Morpheus used to counter and attack. But he noticed a flaw in Morpheus’ tactics. One that he felt he could use.

   Morpheus came in hard and fast in a blur of arms and legs. Cypher executed a spinning-heel kick but changed the height at the last second, coming in low. His foot connected with a pile of trash on the ground sweeping it up at Morpheus. It spread across the air and Morpheus tried to dodge most of it while keeping an eye on Cypher. He lost him in the debris for a moment and Cypher was at his side, a fist coming across Morpheus’ face. Then in a motion that was impossible to follow, Morpheus changed his momentum and backed from the blow, grabbing Cypher’s arm as it crossed in front of him. With a sudden twist and tug Cypher was thrown across the alley against the wall. He slid to the ground and lay motionless.

   Morpheus looked at the crumpled form lying on the ground and became concerned. Cypher’s attack had been a complete surprise and his reaction was instinctive. He realized he might have actually hurt Cypher. He moved close to him, “Cypher?” Nothing. “Cypher, are you ok?” Still nothing. He noticed one of Cypher’s arms was cocked back under his body at an odd angle. It looked broken. He bent down to examine it.

   It was a trap. Cypher’s arm was indeed cocked, like a spring. When Morpheus moved his body to see the arm it snapped out, grabbing his throat. Startled by the attack it took a fraction of a second for him to react. It was all the time Cypher needed.

   He smashed his knee into the side of Morpheus’ head with enough force to knock him backward to the ground dazed. Cypher sprung to his feet and used Morpheus’ incapacity to kick him while he was down. Morpheus struggled under the pain and savage kicks administered by Cypher.

   Cypher had a smile on his face. His trick had worked. He would win; he would beat the unbeatable Morpheus.

   “Your weakness, Morpheus, is your compassion,” he laughed. Suddenly his kick whistled through the air, touching nothing. Morpheus wasn’t there!

   Morpheus had sprung up from the ground and was standing at Cypher’s side. Morpheus hit him three times seemingly before Cypher could react to the first blow. A quick roundhouse kick and he was on his knees. A short snapkick and he fell backward in a heap. He looked up at Morpheus, “And your weakness, Cypher, is your cockiness. Tank, end this.”

   Cypher’s mind popped back into reality as Tank ended the sparring program. He was still not use to the transition from reality and the construct. He had been training for days learning all kinds of fighting styles. Sparring in the make shift construct locales.

   He felt his side and it ached. His jaw was tender and his muscles were sore. There was the taste of blood in his mouth. What had he been thinking? He looked over at the chair next to him expecting to see Morpheus but he was already gone. Switch came up to him and removed the interface cable from the back of his head. “Where’s Morpheus?” he asked.

   Switch looked down at him with a slight touch of disgust in her otherwise normally unemotional face. “He left, went to his quarters.”

   “What, so now he’s pissed off at me too?”

   “That was pretty weak what you tried to pull off in the sparring program. You really wanted to hurt him.”

   “No. I wanted to win, Switch.”

   “At what cost, Cypher?” She walked away, tossing him a towel as she turned. “Your mouth is bleeding.”

   He dabbed at his mouth with the rag and swore to himself. He sat up in the chair and grimaced from the pain. He was suddenly filled with remorse. His own internal drive to succeed had cost him respect and the acceptance he craved. He had gotten way out of hand and could have hurt Morpheus badly had he not managed to quickly counter Cypher’s attack.

   The last couple of weeks aboard the Nebuchadnezzar had been tough for Cypher. His training was rough and his self-esteem was suffering. In his previous incarnation he had been well respected in Hacker circles for his abilities. But all that had changed when Morpheus pulled him from the matrix. He had talked of great things and undeveloped abilities. But after going through the adjustment of his new reality, Cypher wasn’t seeing this. He was being taught about the matrix, shown how to fight, shown the enemies he must now fear. All alluding to something else, something that Morpheus wasn’t saying. Something that the rest of the crew seemed to know about but were being equally tight-lipped. They treated him different and not just because he was new. There was something else. It made him edgy. He couldn’t help but feel the outsider; behind in knowledge and abilities. He didn’t like it. And the fact that Morpheus kept beating him in the fights made him angry. He wanted to win for once. But he now was upset at his desperation.

   “Are you ok?” asked Tank as he came over to Cypher’s chair.

   “I’m fine. I just got stupid.” Cypher looked up at Tank. It was still there. It always was. That look in Tank’s eyes that was almost awe. Like he could see something great in Cypher that he himself couldn’t. What was it that he thought Cypher was capable of?

   Tank smiled. “You just got cocky, like Morpheus said. But you were winning.”

   “Because I cheated,” said Cypher with disgust.

   “You can’t cheat the construct.”

   “I didn’t play by the rules. I played dirty. I used Morpheus’ compassion against him. It wasn’t...right.”

   “Just be patient. It’ll come. I know it.” He smiled again. Ever the optimist.

   “Right,” said Cypher, absolutely no belief in his statement.

   He patted Tank on the back as he stood and walked towards his quarters. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep trying, buddy.” He left Tank behind to tend to the Core.

   As he walked by the mess hall he heard voices. Morpheus and Switch. He stopped and listened. Perhaps he could catch a phrase or two that would shed some light on what this was all about.

   “...the one. He just doesn’t seem...right in some way,” said Switch.

   “I know what you mean. But I still am not ready to give up on him. There is too much at stake.”

   “What about the Oracle?”

   Morpheus hesitated with his answer. “I am going to visit her tomorrow. Perhaps she can help.”

   “I’m sure she will.”

   There were a few moments of silence and then Morpheus spoke. “I am going to go check up on him; make sure he is all right.”

   Cypher quickly turned and made for his quarters. They were obviously talking about him. Who was this Oracle Morpheus was going to see? And it appeared he was supposed to be “the one.” “The one what?” he kept thinking. What was at stake? He now had more questions then before. He slipped into his room and awaited Morpheus’ approach.

   “Did you find anything?” asked Morpheus.

   “Jeezus! Give a guy a little warning!” exclaimed Cypher almost falling out of his chair. “Why is it whenever I have a late watch somebody creeps up on me and scares the life out of me. Wear a bell or something!”

   Morpheus stood and waited as Cypher ranted. When he was finished he said, “Did you locate Neo?”

   Cypher looked at him, “Yes. He is at work.”

   “I need a work up on him and I want you to keep a trace on him. This is important Cypher.”

   “Why? Do you think he is the One?” There was a subtle sarcasm in his voice. Morpheus gave Cypher his full attention and shifted his gaze from the monitor to Cypher.

   “Yes. I believe he IS the One.”

   Cypher met Morpheus Gaze with his own. “What makes you so sure?”

   “I have my reasons, Cypher. You have to trust me. This Neo is the one that will change everything.”

   “Like the others? Wizard, Calamity, Edge...”

   “That’s enough, Cypher.”

   “...Joshua...”

   “That’s enough!”

   “...me.”

   Morpheus stared at Cypher, angry yet in control. “We have talked about this before. There isn’t any point going through it again.”

   Cypher felt his anger, his disappointment from all those years ago well up inside him, fresh and tender. “I still don’t have to like it, Morpheus. You led me down the path.”

   Morpheus’ anger was melting into pain. This wasn’t a subject he was comfortable with. Past mistakes. Past failures. Past friends. “I...I do what I have to. There is nothing written in stone I can go by. There is no map. I have to trust my instincts no matter the failures. I have to go on. There is too much at stake!”

   “But you have left broken spirits and dead bodies in your crusade to find the One. What if he doesn’t exist?”

   “He does exist!” Morpheus said emphatically.

   “You say. All I see is that you left me high and dry and others dead. What if you are wrong?”

   Morpheus looked away. He could not accept that. He had to keep the faith that he would find the One. It was meant to be. He looked back at Cypher. “I have made mistakes and I am sorry for the consequences. But I know what I have to do and I will continue...” he moved closer to Cypher, “...with or without you.”

   Cypher felt the full affect of Morpheus’ will and determination hit him. Its effect was frightening. He felt threatened, like he could be cast aside and replaced should he not agree. The thoughts were not comforting.

   “Ok, ok, I got ya. I just think you have to be careful who you saddle with the weight of saving the world. It can screw your head. That’s all.”

   Morpheus put his hand on Cypher’s shoulder. “Just keep me posted, ok?”

   “Sure thing, chief,” smiled Cypher. But as Morpheus walked off his smile drifted away. His face became cold and hard. “Wake up,” he mumbled and turned back to the monitor, his thoughts turning back to the events years before when he felt he had so much more to offer.

   “When do you think I’ll get to meet this Oracle?” asked Cypher.

   Nomad didn’t answer him. Instead he paced around the room staring at the three occupied chairs. Morpheus, Switch, and Sparks were currently jacked into the matrix and Tank was monitoring their progress. “Are they on their way back yet, Tank?”

   “Not yet,” answered Tank with just a hint of tension in his voice.

   Nomad paced to the hatch of the cockpit and called into Dozer, “Anything moving around out there, Dozer?”
“Nope. Looks clear.”

   He paced back into the room and walked around the prone figures. His face was calm but his actions showed his obvious stress.

   Cypher walked up to him, “Why all the fuss, pal? Everything looks fine.” He smiled up at the large man.
Nomad looked down at Cypher. “I should have gone with them. Something could happen.”

   “I wanted to go too, you know,” reminded Cypher.

   Nomad looked at him with a sudden concern. “No.”

   “What’s the big deal? Morpheus has only let me go into the matrix once. And that was only for a few minutes.”

   “He can’t risk it,” answered Nomad. Instantly Tank shot him a warning glance and Nomad continued his pacing.

   Cypher was confused. Again the feeling that he was something special that they were all tiptoeing around. It was really bothering him. “Quit doing that! Why do you guys treat me different? And don’t give me that crap about being new again.” Nomad looked at him briefly but didn’t answer. Tank didn’t even look at him. “Well?!” Still nothing. 

   “Nomad, if you don’t tell me I am going to stomp your ass the next time we jack into the construct.” While Nomad was a big man, Cypher could always get the best of him when they fought in the construct programs. He had been making a lot of progress in the fighting programs and was almost unbeatable. Only Morpheus and Switch could best him, but usually because he made a mistake. He ran up to Nomad and gave him a shove. “Answer me, you stupid freak!”

   Nomad was barely moved by the push and stopped his walking. He grabbed Cypher by the collar, “This ain’t the construct.” Cypher swallowed hard.

   “They’re coming back!” called Tank. Nomad dropped Cypher and walked over to the monitor. The matrix code was beyond his ability to read but he still watched intently. Tank’s phone rang. “Operator.”

   It was Morpheus. “Line’s still open.” Pause. “Right.” Then to Nomad, “They’re coming in.” Nomad smiled and walked over to look at the figures. Sparks was first to “awake.” 

   He blinked his eyes and looked around, “Hey Cypher, we stopped at McDonald’s. Sorry I couldn’t bring you a happy meal.” Cypher walked over and slapped his head. “Ow. Not while I’m jacked!” Nomad pulled the plug from the back of Sparks’ head and he rose from the chair, stretching. “Now give me some shit, Cypher.”

   Morpheus opened his eyes next. Nomad immediately ran over and unplugged him. A large, relieved smile spread across his face as he saw Morpheus sit up. Finally Switch came back and Nomad unplugged her. The three of them stood in the center of the room, the others anxiously awaiting any news.

   “What did you find out?” asked Tank. His eyes met Morpheus’ and he then looked toward Cypher. Morpheus shook his head slightly. Cypher thought he saw the small exchange and started to approach Morpheus to ask him what was going on but Morpheus started towards Tank and the Core.

   “We need to run a trace as soon as we can,” he said.

   “Who are we looking for this time, Morpheus?” asked Tank.

   “A hacker named Trinity.” 

   Cypher stared at the screen. Neo was still at work. He was a programmer for a software company called Metacortex. His real name was Thomas Anderson. Cypher made some notes that he felt were relevant for the future. He noticed nothing special about this Neo. But then he never did notice anything special about Morpheus’ selections. Cypher had often wondered how Morpheus came to pick the individuals he did. Cypher had always wanted to think it was some kind of intuitive insight but then Morpheus had yet to be right. Or was it some kind of direction from the Oracle? 

   The Oracle, thought Cypher, what a joke. He had only seen her once and he was not impressed. He might as well have gone down to his old neighborhood and gotten his palm read. A bunch of deluded, optimistic dreamers. What was it they were fighting for? Freedom? Freedom to do what? Freeze? Starve? He had been to Zion; it was no picnic, no garden of Eden. It was a depressing place. Is that what all the fighting and dying was about? Cypher shook his head. “Poor bastards,” he mumbled and went on taking notes about Neo. He touched the screen, “Enjoy your time, Neo. Once we start this, you are as good as dead.”

   “So who’s this Trinity?” asked Cypher. Morpheus looked at him and smiled.

   “Someone to help us.”

   “What is so special about her?”

   “Let’s just say she...can help sort things out for us.” And he walked away. Switch followed after him.

   Cypher looked around at the rest of the remaining crew. “Does that guy EVER give a straight answer?”
Sparks walked over to Cypher. “You think too much. Just do as he says and you’ll be fine.” He slapped him on the back and walked towards his quarters. The rest followed except for Tank who was programming a search. Cypher approached him.

   “Want some help with that?”
“I’ve got it. Thanks.”

   “I do know a bit about this stuff if you remember.”

   “Right.”

   “Really! This is what I did in there. I can help.”

   “You are used to 20th century technology. This is way more advanced.”

   “Well, excuse me braniac but someone figured this stuff out. And I doubt they were much smarter than me.”

   “A lot of people worked on this stuff. People who were there when it was created. People who never were in the Matrix. The survivors of the war. They made it possible to get the first of you out. Including the original One...” Tank stopped talking realizing he was revealing history that Morpheus had told him not to talk to Cypher about.

   “What do you mean ‘original One’? What are you talking about?”

   “Uh...the original one that...built the AI. He...uh...was one of the first to be rescued.”

   Cypher didn’t believe him. He was covering something up. But he was sure Tank wouldn’t spill any more. He would have to get it from somewhere else. “Oh, ok,” said Cypher. “Let me know if you change your mind on the help. I really do think I have something to add.” With that he left Tank behind with his grunt of acknowledgment and programming the search for Trinity. “Let’s see what I can find out from Sparks,” thought Cypher.

   Sparks was in the supply hold doing an inventory when Cypher walked in. “Hey,” he said when he looked up from his clipboard.

   “Are you counting this stiff again?” Cypher tried to think of an angle to turn the conversation to his preferred topic.

   “Any steaks in those boxes?”

   Sparks laughed. “Yeah, over by those cases of cheesecake.”

   “Thanks, asshole! I haven’t thought of that since I got out. But now...”

   “I know, that slop we eat has a lot to be desired. But Dozer is working with the recipe, if you can call it that, to refine that lumpy texture and get rid of some of that bitterness. He told me it would be almost a little sweet.”

   “Great like cream of wheat with nutrisweet! I didn’t care much for that as a kid. Don’t know that I’d prefer it now. Maybe he could form into patties and grill it!” Sparks laughed. This was a good sign for Cypher; Sparks was getting relaxed and comfortable. He would talk more freely.

   “So what do you think of this Trinity?” he ventured.

   “I don’t know. Morpheus sometimes doesn’t tell us why we look for people. He has a master plan that we just assume is right.”

   “Why?”

   “Why not? He is our leader. He pulled me out of that goo. That’s enough for me! F*ckin’ machines!”

   “I know. I trust Morpheus completely but what is our plan? I haven’t been here long but I can’t see how we can beat these things?”

   Sparks gave him a smile. “We have to beat them at their own game, on their own turf. Control the matrix and we can control the machines.”

   Cypher was feeling he was in that logic loop again where a certain piece was missing and everyone just skipped over it. He needed that piece because he knew it concerned him. He went for it. He grinned, “Yeah, fuckin’ machines. They’re just a bunch of overly intelligent toasters. We can beat ‘em, we made ‘em after all.” Pounce. “But how are we going to control the matrix?”

   Sparks slapped him on the shoulder. “You, my friend.”

   Cypher knew it! He was the key! “All my programming knowledge, huh? But Tank won’t even let me near...”

   Sparks’ face changed. He suddenly lost his smile. He must have realized that he was not supposed to be revealing this to Cypher. Then his eyes looked past Cypher and he realized that they were no longer alone. He was not surprised to hear Morpheus’ voice behind him.

   “Sparks, are you done with that inventory? Tank needs to send it off to the Atlantis so they can bring the right supplies when they dock with us.”

   “I’m on it chief,” and Sparks gave an off-handed salute as he turned back to the supply inventory.

   “Cypher, come with me.”

Cypher followed after Morpheus. He felt a sudden pang of guilt, like being caught with his hand wrist deep in the cookie jar. But why feel guilty? What had he done except try and get to the truth. Something that Morpheus had promised him before he took the pills. But he still tagged after Morpheus as he silently made his way forward. They entered Cypher’s quarters. Morpheus closed the hatch.

   “There is much you still need to learn, Cypher. And many questions that can not yet be explained to you. You will have to be patient and trust me.”

   Cypher looked at Morpheus, he could see sincerity in his eyes. “Ok, I can do that. But...” he trailed off.

   “What?”

   “It seems everyone else knows about why I’m here but me. If you need my programming knowledge...”

   “It is more than that. Much more.”

   Something about the way Morpheus said that scared Cypher. It suddenly gave him a feeling of smallness and inadequacy. He felt he would never meet Morpheus or the crew’s expectation of this “thing” he was supposed to do.
Morpheus placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and Cypher was whisked away to his childhood and his father’s attempts to comfort him at his Mother’s death. “You do not need to worry, Cypher. You just need to continue your training. It will be escalating soon. You will need to be ready. But I want you to help us find Trinity. And I want you to make contact with her.”

   “Why me?”
“Because it will be important in both of your development.”

   Cypher looked at him. He felt buzzed, excited, happy and yet he knew even less of what was going on. But for now, it didn’t matter. “You got it, Morpheus.”

   Morpheus gave him a slap on the back and opened the hatch and left him behind with his thoughts. But almost immediately he felt the positive energy from the “pep talk” start to wash away as his normally catechizing mind took hold.

   He sat in the car and waited. He knew what he had to do. It wasn’t difficult. But he still felt nervous. He looked across the parking garage and watched her bike. He had been watching her for the better part of the day and he knew she would be coming out soon. She was different than he had imagined. Most women that were hackers had a stereotypical look; kind of throw-offs from society. But she was unique. Beautiful and graceful. She held herself with confidence yet she somehow looked as if she felt out of place. Almost a little lost.

   And then she was there. Her sister gave her a hug and started for her car. Cypher and Morpheus got out of the car quickly and silently. “Go,” whispered Morpheus. “Go now.”

   He approached her as her back was turned. She was getting on her bike. “Be careful Trinity,” he said. “They have been watching you.” She jumped at the sound of his voice and he could tell she was wary. He looked into her face and smiled. He tried to appear nonthreatening.

   “Who? What are you talking about?” she snapped in alarm.

   “Aren’t you Trinity?”

   “I don’t know what you are talking about,” she lied. He was not getting through to her. She was afraid, in light of her recent activities, of authorities and of using her hacker alias. He had panicked her. She tried to get on her motorcycle. He had his hand in his pocket, the tracking device palmed. He reached out to put it on her arm but she whipped it out of his grasp too quickly. He grabbed her again, applied more pressure. It stuck. 

   “I’m not here to hurt you. I am here to warn you,” he said emphatically. He had to let her know she was in danger. He was concerned about her. “I know what you did today. Be careful. They will come for you.” He suddenly felt the urge to grab her, pull her back to the car, explain it all but that was not Morpheus’ way. He always wanted it to be more dramatic, more mysterious. Like it wasn’t a total brain toaster in itself! He could see she was getting more worried.

   “Who are you?”

   “A friend. They will come for you, Trinity. It has you.”

   “What has me?”
“The matrix,” and he turned before his impulse took over and he started to tell more than Morpheus had told him too. He walked back to the car without looking back. He was getting pissed. If anything happened to her he would never forgive Morpheus. Ever. He got in the car and Sparks started off. He chanced a look back and saw her looking after the car. She looked so alone.

   “Did everything go as planned? Did you plant the device?” asked Morpheus.

   “Yeah,” he said and hunkered down in his seat and stared out the window.

   The knock on his hatch woke him up with a start. It was Dozer. “Morpheus wants you on main deck...now!”

   He threw on his clothes and made his way up the ladder to the main deck. Morpheus, Switch, and Sparks were already sitting in chairs. Tank looked at him, “Take a seat.” He sat in the chair. Another trip into the matrix? He was just there yesterday.

   “What’s going on?”

   Morpheus looked at him intently. “They are after Trinity. We have to find her quick.” Cypher looked down from Morpheus’ gaze. He didn’t want him to see the anger that was growing there. 

   “You need to stay sharp, Cypher. This could get rocky,” explained Sparks.

   Minutes later they were in the Matrix and getting into the car. “How come I don’t get a gun?” asked Cypher.

   “You haven’t been trained yet,” said Switch.

   “It’s a gun, fer chrissake! Point it and pull the trigger!”

   “My point exactly,” remarked Switch.

   “Where are we going? Where is she at?”

   “Denny’s.”

   Cypher sat up. “Can we order?”

   “I doubt there will be time,” said Morpheus.

   They pulled up a block down from the restaurant and parked preferring to walk there and leave the car behind. Morpheus cautioned them all to play it cool. He wanted no trouble and Trinity was already spooked as it was. But as soon as they entered Morpheus saw a cop at the counter and became tense. His face was rather well known thanks to the AI.

   Morpheus chose to ignore the officer and instead smiled at Trinity who was sitting at a booth near the back. Cypher saw her and was relieved. He smiled slightly and began to advance past Morpheus when the policeman stood and reached for Morpheus. Sparks was suddenly there between them.

   “Officer,” Morpheus smiled, “We’re not here for trouble but to meet a friend and get something to eat. Is there a law against that?” The officer seemed to back down. Cypher turned toward Trinity again and started to move when he heard the static of a radio, a police radio, and the officer asking for backup and he distinctly heard the name Morpheus mentioned. He turned towards the cop again but Morpheus was already facing him. Cypher noticed the officer’s hand resting on the butt of his unstrapped .38. He swallowed hard. This didn’t look good.

   Morpheus was attempting to smooth things over with the cop but Cypher wasn’t listening. He turned his head toward Trinity and saw concern on her face. He saw a waitress coming out of the kitchen door near Trinity and her startled expression as she dropped the plate. Cypher knew what was going to happen and he was moving for the booth near him. As the plate hit the others moved and even over took him. Cypher heard the roar of a gun and the snap of the guns coming into the hands of Switch and Sparks. He lay flat against the plastic covering of the booth bench seats. He saw a bullet go wild and nearly hit the waitress. Then he wasn’t sure what happened.

   The waitress changed into someone else. Someone Cypher recognized as an agent. He had heard enough tales about agents for his blood to run cold and it ran like ice now. The agent swirled in a strange dance of motion that Cypher could not follow and the others could not hit. The agent fired a shot and that was all Cypher needed to see.

   “Fuck! Run!” and he headed for the door. The cop came up from behind the hostess podium and to his amazement, he sent him flying with a kick he didn’t even realize he was throwing. He was out the door and in the street sprinting for the car in seconds. Sparks’ words of warning from an agent story ringing in his memory, “If you ever see an agent...run!”

   He jumped behind the wheel and pulled the keys from the visor. He cranked the engine and slammed it in gear. It spun around, hit a light pole and then moved forward down the street. Just as he approached the Denny’s he saw Morpheus, Switch, and Sparks race out the door. He slowed only enough for them to enter the car and he sped into the night. His heart never slowed until he was aboard the Nebuchadnezzar.

   Cypher came out of the matrix still mad. His fear and panic had dissolved into anger. The whole operation had gone off so poorly. And Morpheus had yet to convince him they didn’t jeopardize Trinity’s safety. He jumped out of his chair, still pumped with adrenaline from his first encounter with an agent. “This is horse shit! Does anyone here have a clue what the hell they are doing?!” He stormed around the core looking for something to hit or kick. He finally managed to put his foot against a wrench that careened off the bulkhead and narrowly missed Nomad.

   “Calm down, Cypher!” yelled Sparks. “They weren’t even aware of Trinity’s presence. They were after Morpheus! You should be more concerned with that, Mr. ‘Fuck! Run!’”

   Cypher realized what Sparks was saying, that they could have lost their leader in that fight. Morpheus could be dead right now. He managed to settle down. He looked sheepishly at Morpheus. “Sorry, boss. Guess I got a little whacked out there for a minute.”

   “Hell of a long minute if you ask me,” mumbled Switch.

   The comment, from the usually impassive Switch, cut the tension and they began to laugh. Sparks started to do an impression of Cypher running from the restaurant. Nomad seemed to find it overly funny.

   Morpheus walked over to Tank. “Still monitoring the tracer?” Tank nodded. “Good. We’ll give her a couple of days to cool off and digest what she saw. She’s smart; I don’t think they’ll find her. But keep an eye on her just the same. I’m calling it a night.” Morpheus turned and walked off as the others joked about Cypher’s antics. Switch noticed him leaving and followed him. There was a concern in her eyes. Cypher watched them leave and walked over to Tank.

   “I want to know if there is any trouble.”

   “Cypher, we’ll all know,” replied Tank.

   “What if she doesn’t want to?” asked Cypher. He was alone in the car with Sparks. They had just let the warehouse and were driving to a motel where they knew Trinity was holding up. “What if she picks the blue pill?”

   “She won’t,” reassured Sparks.

   “But...”

   “She won’t!” Sparks shot a glance across the seat to Cypher. “You act like you’re going to pick up your prom date! Relax, man.”

   They pulled up in front of the motel, room 103. Cypher got out and looked around nervously. Being back in the matrix after that last close call had him edgy. That and talking to Trinity again. He knocked on the door. It opened almost immediately.

   Trinity stood there in the doorway. She appeared neither afraid nor nervous. “Your car awaits, m’lady.” She looked at Cypher. He gave her his best smile and a wink. “My name is Cypher,” he stuck out his hand. “We haven’t been formally introduced.” She shook his hand and looked past him to the car.

   “Is that for me?”

   “For us. Let’s get going before we get unwelcome company.” He joined her in the back seat of the limo. As they pulled away from the motel Cypher introduced Sparks. Then the conversation grew quiet as they drove through the night. Cypher felt himself oddly nervous, yet it wasn’t the threat of agents this time.

   “How did you always know where I was?” she asked.

   Cypher smiled. “Remember that night in the parking garage? I grabbed your arm?” She nodded. He pulled the device from her jacket. “Tracking device.” He flicked it to the floor. “Anything else?”

   She started tossing questions at him faster than he could answer. “Whoa, honey! All in good time. Morpheus will explain it in his own way when we get to our destination.” He saw confusion on her face. He smiled and took her hand. “You don’t need to worry. Just relax.” He let her have her own private thoughts the rest of the trip.

   He introduced her to Morpheus and went to work in the room full of equipment. It felt strange knowing what she was in for. He hadn’t seen this lay out since his extraction. All the equipment, most of which he still didn’t understand. He just knew it was going to be a wild ride for poor Trinity. But his apprehension started to mount as he waited. He was sure Morpheus would come in with out her. She would take the blue pill and he would never see her again.

   But then in she came. To her credit she didn’t look nervous or scared. Switch began to ready her for the transition. He watched slightly detached form it all. He could see she was starting to feel the effects of the trace program. She was struggling against something none of them could see; the hallucination of the disrupted I/O signal. The time when your body is losing its foot hold in the matrix and you are getting sensations from your real body. He called out to reassure her but he knew she was too far gone.

   Suddenly Morpheus yelled out, “Now Tank!” and Cypher snapped out of his daze. Trinity’s body lay cold and lifeless in the chair. Almost afraid to ask, Cypher looked at Morpheus, “Did she make it?”

   Morpheus nodded and clicked on the phone, “Bring us home, Tank.”

   The phone in the office began to ring.

   Cypher walked into the Infirmary. Trinity’s body lay quietly in the incubation chamber. He walked over just as she was regaining consciousness. “Good morning, sleeping beauty,” he said as he looked down at her.

   “Welcome home, Trinity,” said Morpheus. “Get some rest, you’ve been through a lot.” 

   She looked around in her dazed state and smiled at Cypher. “I’m not in Kansas anymore, am I?”

   Cypher smiled and looked at her lying practically helpless unaware of what really lay ahead. “No, Dorothy, you’re not in Kansas anymore.” And she drifted off to sleep with a peaceful smile on her lips.

   Morpheus looked up at Cypher. He smiled.

Cypher stayed with Trinity that whole first night. The next day Tank yelled at him for not doing his training but Cypher refused to leave Trinity’s side. Morpheus came in and talked to him. But it did no good. He did not want to leave Trinity alone until she was recovered. His training could wait.

   “Are you sure, Cypher? Your training is just as important,” explained Morpheus.

   “I ain’t leavin’! Not ‘till she’s better. I know what this time is like. It’s confusing and frightening. You don’t know what’s going on. I need to stay here. She trusts me.”

   Morpheus sighed. “Ok, I won’t force you. But as soon as she is ok you are doubling your training regiment.”

   “No problem,” smiled Cypher.

   Morpheus left the Infirmary. Dozer worked quietly on Trinity. Finally he looked up at Cypher. “That was strange.”

   Cypher looked up from where Trinity was lying. “What?”

   “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Morpheus give in quite like that.”

   “Like what?”

   “It was almost like he was happy you didn’t want to do what he said. That you wanted to stay here with Trinity.”

   “Dozer, you need to get a fan in that engine room. You are breathin’ way too many fumes.” Cypher turned back to Trinity and held her hand. “Everything is going to be just perfect.”

   Trinity touched Cypher’s shoulder. He jumped. “I am gettin’ real tired of people doing that!”

   “What are you scared of?” she asked.

   “Scared? We live in a world run by feelingless machines that think of us as no more than friggin’ batteries. They have nightmarish things wandering the sewers that we live in tryin’ to kill us. We are part of an underground resistance force that is wanted by these machines AND the very people we are trying to save. What am I afraid of? The goddam Easter Bunny!” Trinity managed a small, amused smile and Cypher’s edge seemed to fade away. “Sorry. It just gets a little quiet at night; alone, staring at monitors. Too much time to think.” He smiled. But the moment seemed to already pass and Trinity was looking at the monitors.

   “Who’s this?” she asked in her standard back-to-work tone. Cypher looked at her and didn’t answer. He remembered when Trinity was different. But that was when...

   She looked at him, “Cypher?” Stern, cold she was, he thought. “Well?”

   “He’s Morpheus’ new pet. Some hack named Neo...Thomas Anderson is the name the matrix gave him.” Trinity looked closer at the monitors, the code streaming down them like phosphorescent rain. Her face was illuminated in its greenish glow and even then he could see her beauty. He could feel something inside himself warm, soften. Something he had pushed aside. Plated it in cold, hard metal. He reached out and touched her shoulder. She pulled away as if stung and looked at him. At once he could see in her eyes her own metal plating and he felt the fool. The fool for even trying to breach the gap between them. “Now who is the jumpy one,” he covered, forcing a sly grin. She calmed and he could see her defenses lower...slightly.

   “Why are you watching him?”

    “Morpheus wants an info work up on him. You know the drill...”

   “But he didn’t even say anything to me.”

   “Can you blame him after...” He stopped himself. That wouldn’t be a good idea. They never talked about such things. It made people think. Open old wounds. The past was the past. Morpheus would have none of them speak of those events. But Cypher knew Morpheus thought about them. He thought about them a lot. And while the others would play their games of ignorance, Cypher felt it was a great disservice to those who had come before and made the sacrifices, to not talk of what they had tried to do. Each one was a cross Morpheus carried and Cypher didn’t think those crosses should be so light on Morpheus’ back. He was, after all, the reason they were all dead.

   Trinity looked at him and for a second her eyes were pleading. Then anger clouded them and she glared at Cypher.

   “Shut up! Just shut up, Cypher. You can’t ever just let it go, can you?”

   He felt guilty and then angry for feeling guilty. “It’s your watch...I’m going back to bed.”

   “Fine.”

   “Does Mouse still have mess duty?”

   “Yes.”

   “Then don’t wake me. I’m going to sleep in.”

   Trinity was quiet as he walked back to the ladder and down to his quarters. He had hurt her by reminding her of the past. But he didn’t care. Why should he be the only one to see how painful and stupid this whole thing was? Besides, she was only part of the Trinity he remembered.

   He was falling. His stomach was doing flips. The ground was coming up quick. He wanted to scream but the air was rushing his voice from his mouth. For some reason he thought of the dog he had when he was six. Partner. He hadn’t thought of Partner in what seemed a lifetime. Then the street smacked him in the face and he thought he was dead.

   But he wasn’t. He hurt, but he wasn’t dead. In fact his bones weren’t even broken. He rolled on to his back and groaned. Morpheus was there, standing over him. “You have to leave your old ideas behind. See yourself do it and you will do it.”

   “Easy...cough...easy for you to say, Jumpin’ Jack.”

   Morpheus smiled and stuck out a hand. He helped Cypher up.

   The Jump Program. He had heard about it practically since he first came out of the matrix. Sparks always used to tease him about it. “Wait till the Jump Program, Cypher. You think combat training is tough. You have a fear of heights?” And he would laugh. Well today Cypher found out what the Jump Program was all about. 

   He had started his training again. Trinity was recovered enough to leave her room. Yesterday, Morpheus had shown her “The Truth,” as they all had come to call it. She had taken it very well. Almost a relief, it seemed. Shocked of course. Who wouldn’t be? Cypher helped her as much as he could to answer whatever questions she had. Of course he was no expert, being out himself for only a short bit longer. But he felt very protective of her from the first and that feeling only grew each day. And she seemed to welcome his company.

   So, in his promise to Morpheus, he had restarted his training...even more intensely. He had done some refresher courses in combat training and was still quite good. He had a couple of lessons at firearms training as well (at Switch’s insistence). Now on to the Jump Program.

   “You will try again,” said Morpheus and they were suddenly at the top of the building again. Morpheus again did a simple dash and hop that crossed the gap between the two buildings. Cypher watched him in his ease and grace. It looked so simple it made him laugh. So he was laughing when he jumped. But the ideas of momentum and gravity slapped him in the face and he stopped laughing as he looked down to the street far below. Then his jump was a plummet. It was not quite as frightening but the landing still hurt.

   He tried two more times and was having trouble standing when Morpheus pulled him from the ground.

   “I think that is enough for today.”

   “Ya think?” asked Cypher as he stumbled and fell. Morpheus snapped open a phone and asked Tank to end the training. 

   Cypher opened his eyes. He was back on the Nebuchadnezzar. Dozer was unhooking him. Trinity was at his side looking down at him, a thin smile on her face. “Looks like you didn’t make it.” She dabbed at his face with a wet cloth. It came away stained with red.

   He tried to sit up and swore. He could barely move. He was exhausted. Dozer and Trinity helped him to his quarters.  He collapsed into his bunk and fell instantly asleep. He slept through dinner and breakfast the next morning. But Tank was surprised to see him stumble to the interface chairs shortly after. “You up for this?”

   “Oh yeah. You got the Grand Canyon in there? I want to make a jump that’ll put Evil Kinevil to shame.”

   “Who?” asked Tank.

   “Just load it, homegrown. I’ll jump it.”

   By the end of the day Cypher made the jump.

   But the cost was a trip to the Infirmary and another night without dinner.

   The next morning Cypher woke up famished and drug his aching body to the mess hall. He found Trinity on his way. She was also moving a little stiffly. “What’s wrong?”

   “I had my first round of combat training yesterday.”

   Cypher laughed and almost fell down. He banged against the bulkhead and steadied himself. “What style?”

   “Judo and boxing. Why?”

   “Did you get to spar with anyone?”

   “Nomad. Why do you think I hurt so bad.” Cypher looked at her with her very short hair and innocent look. She looked so frail. He laughed again. “What?” she asked, almost hurt.

   “Tank likes to do that. He did the same to me on my first training. New people have trouble processing the knowledge at first so you think you know it and Nomad comes along and kicks your ass!”

   Trinity just looked at him. “I beat him.”

   Cypher lost his laugh. “What?” Nomad was probably the worst fighter on the Neb but it took Cypher several days to fight him to a draw.

   “It took a few matches, but I beat him.”

   “You mean, he let you beat him. He felt sorry for you or someth...” He stopped. Trinity gave him a cold look that shot through him. She turned and started for the mess hall. He watched her go. “Damn.”

   Cypher lay in his bunk and fumed. He was just plain getting tired of it all. The way Morpheus and Trinity had treated him tonight only made him angrier. Was he the only sane one on the ship? Didn’t they all see how deluded they were; how blindly they followed Morpheus’ dream? He was obsessed, haunted by a prophecy of an old woman. Did anyone else see the bodies and broken hopes left in Morpheus’ wake? Would that man not rest until every innocent he could beguile with his charms and grandiose talk of saving mankind was laying dead at the feet of an agent? But no one would question him. No one would even talk about the mistakes he had made. Instead they defended him and thanked him for their freedom. He shook his head. Freedom. The word burned with hypocrisy in his mouth. They were now free to do what? Starve? Freeze? Die? 

   He was sick of it. Someone would have to make a stand. Some one would have to drag Morpheus’, kicking and screaming if necessary, into the light of reality and show him as the false prophet he was. And Cypher knew who that would have to be. He began to formulate a plan. 

   As sleep began to overtake him his thoughts drifted back to the days when he still felt there was hope.

   “Damn.” He watched Trinity make her way toward the mess decks and saw her pause once and brace her hand against the bulkhead. She then raised herself up and walked through the hatchway into the dining area. He could see Sparks walk up and shake her hand while he heard someone else let out a loud cheer. He wanted to smile, to run and take part in her recognition. But something held him back. Something that made him feel small. He suddenly felt alone.

   He turned and started back towards his room. His thoughts distracted him and soon he was past his room and moving towards the back of the ship and the supply hold. He realized this and shook his head and turned to head back the way he came. The sudden murmur of voices brought his attention back to the hold. There were people in there talking. He drew closer. It was Morpheus.

   “...before. She is something special.”

   “She seems to be close to Cypher.” It was Switch.

   “That is a good sign.”

   “Are you ever going to let her know why she is here?”

   “To what point? If it happens, it was meant to be. If not, then we will know the truth. If I tell her it could sway her own impulses. It has to be on her terms.”

   “What about Cypher? Are you going to tell him why he is here?”

   Cypher felt his body tense. What was the point of all this secrecy? What was this unspoken agenda Morpheus seemed to have? 

   “I will have to. But I don’t know when. Again, I don’t want to sway his own impulses. If he is the One...”

   “You are doubting it again?”

   “That is why Trinity is so important. If what the Oracle said is true then she will be the proof. She is to fall in love with the One. That is the test. The one she loves will be the one to save all of humanity from the machines.”

   Cypher’s breath caught in his throat. Love? Save the world? Was this his actual role in all this?! And how was that possible?! Thoughts and emotions raced through him. His head felt light and for a moment he thought he would surely faint or puke. He eased himself down and sat on the deck. He tried to regain his breath and his composure. He was failing. The world was suddenly a swirling ride in an amusement park. His vision was framed in darkness. In the end he both puked and fainted. 

   Cypher awoke in his cabin. Morpheus was there. Cypher looked up at Morpheus, standing over him like a disapproving father. “Are you ok?”

   “Yeah. Guess I’ve been over doing it. Haven’t eaten in awhile. Tired.”

   “What were you doing down by the storage area?”

   “Just walkin’...trying to clear my head.”

   “Well you better get something to eat.” Morpheus touched his shoulder. “You still have a lot to learn.” He walked out. Cypher wasn’t sure if there was a hidden meaning to Morpheus’ last statement. He shrugged it off and stood to head for the mess hall.

   He was absorbed in his thoughts about what he had overheard when he bumped into Trinity.

   She looked at him with a detached air but it quickly faded and became concern. “Are you ok? I heard you were sick.” She touched his arm.

   “I’m...I’m alright now. Thanks.” He touched her hand and she didn’t pull it away. “About what I said before, I was just surprised. That is quite an accomplishment. I didn’t realize you were such a fighter.”

   She smiled and he felt his heart warm. What if what Morpheus was talking to Switch about was true: Trinity was destined to fall in love with him. He found himself staring into her eyes, lost.

   “What is it, Cypher? Why are you staring at me?”

   He snapped back from his fantasy. He released her hand that seemed to want to return. “Uh, nothing. Where are you off to?”

   “I have another round with Tank.”

   “Ok. I have to go eat; starving. I’ll check up on you and see who you beat this time,” he grinned.

   She walked off towards the Core. Cypher watched after her then turned to the mess deck. “I really hope Morpheus is right.”

   The agent was moving way too fast and Cypher could hear him coming up quickly behind. As he rounded the corner of the stairwell he chanced a look back. He saw the muzzle flash and plaster sprayed into his face from the bullet’s near miss. He ran faster.

   The door to the roof opened and the bright daylight made him squint. Another bullet screamed past his head and he raced onto the rooftop. A quick scan of the area told him there was no immediate escape. He spied the roof of the building across from him and began to run for it. He deviated his path to put a large air-conditioning vent between him and the open doorway to discourage a straight line of sight. He was immediately thankful as he heard the pang of a bullet hitting the metal vent. The edge of the roof came up quick and he felt himself tense for a moment before he threw his body across the huge chasm.

   With a thud and a grateful sigh he landed on the other rooftop. But he knew there was no time to celebrate and used his momentum to roll to his feet and continue running. With sickening realization he heard the impact of someone behind him. The agent! He didn’t bother to look back and verify it. He knew.

   Keeping his path serpentining through the structures of the roof he made his way to the next. And the next after that. And a final one that he almost didn’t make as it was farther than he thought he could stretch the odd rules of the matrix. Then he whipped through an open door and into the building. He managed to close it behind and throw the lock. It would buy him probably five seconds. He made the best of it and left the stairwell at the second floor. He darted for the window at the end of the hall and to the fire escape beyond.

   A tug and the window came open. He was in the alley seconds later. He could hear the phone booth ringing on the street. “Made it!” he thought.

   Despite his training and what he had been taught he felt winded. He made his way down the alley at a slow trot with a satisfied grin on his face.

   A door opened in the alley and Cypher jumped and began to run until he noticed it was simply a cook from the apparent Chinese restaurant stepping out for a smoke. He stopped and laughed, his sudden tension washing away. A familiar click made him look up. The cook was gone, replaced with the agent and his gun cocked and aimed tightly at Cypher’s head. The agent fired.

   “Shit!” yelled Cypher as he opened his eyes in the interface chair. He welcomed the site of the Neb’s interior. “I just got my ass wiped!”

   He could hear Sparks laughing somewhere. Morpheus was looking down at him in the chair as Nomad unhooked him. “What was your mistake?”

   “Taking the red pill?” Morpheus looked down at him with his general stern look. “Alright, alright. I got cocky. Is that what you’re getting at?”

   “You relaxed. You let your guard down. The purpose of the simulation was to show you how agents act in the matrix. And how everyone you meet that is not unplugged is a potential threat.”

   Cypher sat up and got out of his chair. He turned to Morpheus, “I know. I will try again.” He turned and started to walk off. Morpheus started to say something in protest but Cypher turned, “After...I get some food,” and walked off towards the mess decks.

   “And change your shorts,” laughed Sparks as Cypher passed by him. Cypher swung but Sparks easily dodged. “Ya big baby,” and he gave Cypher a push. Cypher spun, ducked, and came up behind Sparks. He slapped him in the head playfully.

   “Get a clue, sparky!” He continued to the mess hall. Trinity was there. She was cleaning dishes and mixing the latest batch of “stew.” She looked up at Cypher and smiled. “Hungry?”

   “Sure. What’s the blue plate special?” He sat at the table. He felt tired. But there was something that kept him going...what Morpheus had been talking to Switch about. That he was the “One.” The person to save mankind. It was quite an idea to wrap his brain around! Cypher, the savior of humanity! How would this be possible? And why the secrecy?

   “We have some kind of slop in a bowl. Some kind of slop on a plate. And some kind of slop in a glass. You pick,” asked Trinity from behind the counter.

   “Bowl. It’s my favorite.” He managed one of his typical grins but it didn’t carry.

   Trinity brought his bowl of synth-protein over and sat next to him. “What’s wrong?”

   “Must be all the training. Just a lot on my mind.”

   She touched his hand. “ That’s not like you. You never get that bogged down.”

   He looked at her. He studied her face. God, she was beautiful, he thought. There was always a sternness about her, a matter-of-factness that was like a shell. But sometimes, like now, he could see the shell crack and observe the real beauty that lay within. Oh how he wanted Morpheus’ words to be true, and yet...

   He looked away, afraid of what he might say. Afraid of what she might see in him.

   But she touched his face, gently turned it back toward her own. There was something in her eyes, something asking for more. “Talk to me. You have been so kind. You have helped me so much. Let me help.”

   He felt his better judgement pass away. He wanted to tell her...everything. But how would she feel? It seemed too presumptuous to tell her he was the one to make everything better and that she was destined to love him. Like she had no choice.

   But her eyes beckoned him, called to him.

   They kissed.

   Thinking back he could never be sure if it was her or him that made the move. But the kiss was perfect. The most perfect moment of his life. And in that moment he began to believe.

   “Hey Trin! Here is some more...” It was Dozer. He was bringing his newest batch of goop to the kitchen. He walked in and stopped, noticing Trinity and Cypher at the table. They shot apart like school kids when an unexpected parent came home. Cypher was also never sure what Dozer might have seen but it was obvious to anyone that something had been going on.

   Cypher tried to cover up. “No matter what you do to that slop, Dozer, it will still be disgusting!” He grinned his biggest grin. He looked at Trinity. She sat up from the table, a small smile on her lips.

   “I...uh, have to get to the main deck. I’m suppose to spar with Morpheus today.” She left.

   Cypher watched her go. He turned his gaze at Dozer, who looked somewhat uncomfortable. “Yeah, I, uh better go watch her. She might need some pointers!” He stood and squeezed by Dozer’s large frame in the doorway.

   “You didn’t eat your food,” Dozer pointed out.

   Cypher looked at it, then at Dozer. He slapped him on the back as he walked away. “It’s all yours, chief.”
 

   “Agent!”

   The shout scared the hell out of Cypher. It was totally unexpected. This trip into the matrix was supposed to be routine. They were to check on a potential recruit for the resistance. But somehow their activity had drawn the attention of an agent. That was not in the plans! Just watch this one guy. But now...

   Cypher looked up. He saw the agent scanning the crowd. With uncanny precision, he focused on the two of them. Nomad shoved Cypher towards the exit. “Run,” he hissed under his breath.

   Cypher didn’t have to be told twice. He started to run. But a flash of what had happened at the Denny’s made him stop. He wouldn’t, couldn’t, just run blindly in panic. That was not his role. He turned to look at Nomad and to make sure he was ok.

   Nomad collided with him as he slowed to look. They fell to the ground. “What the hell are you doing?!” he thundered.

   “I wanted to make sure you were ok. I...”

   Nomad had his gun free and fired at the agent. Again Cypher was amazed to see the agent spin out of the bullets’ paths. He pulled his own gun, fired, and helped Nomad up. They started running towards the exit again. Bullets buzzed past them hitting walls, counters, and customers. The department store broke into chaos.

   They barreled through the doors and hit the street in full flight. Cypher sent a bullet back in the general direction of the agent. “Don’t waste the ammo,” Nomad mumbled then yanked his phone free of his coat with his free hand and snapped it open. “Tank...exit! We’ve got trouble!”

   “Lincoln and 19th,” came Tank’s terse voice. “Right two blocks, left one.”

   Nomad pushed Cypher. “Faster Cypher. This pace won’t cut it!”

   They raced through the streets and Nomad urged him right at an intersection. Cypher looked back as they made the turn. “Hey, we lost him...”

   Nomad had suspected the agent’s trick and glimpsed a sudden morphing in an old woman ahead of them. Cypher was already slowing, relaxing after his mistake of thinking the agent had given up. He spun into the waiting sites of the agent’s gun. This is just what happened in the training, he thought.

   Bang!

   Nomad’s gun kicked up in recoil and the agent fell backward in a wash of snowy static. “That buys us a couple of seconds. Left!”

   Cypher felt the fool. He ran left down the street and could hear a phone ringing. He saw the booth. Not thinking it possible he increased his speed. He heard gunfire behind him. A bullet hit his left thigh and he started to fall. Nomad grabbed his arm and propelled him toward the booth. “Grab the receiver! Quick!”

   He fell against the glass as a slug splintered through it. It rained down on him while the whole time the phone jangling insistently.

   He heard Nomad yell “Cypher! Grab it!” Bullets hammered at the area around him, another nicking him in the side. His strength was leaving him. He reached for the receiver and pulled it to his ear. He turned his head slightly in the direction of Nomad. He saw him fall as he intercepted a bullet meant for Cypher. Three more quick shots finished Nomad as the world of the matrix and his own consciousness left him.

   He awoke in the Infirmary. Trinity was there. He hurt. Morpheus came over, concern crossing his face. “We almost lost you.”

   “What about Nomad?”

   Morpheus frowned, concern changing to pain. “He didn’t make it.”

   “Goddammit!” He felt a guilt burn in him. Nomad had sacrificed himself for him. And why? Cypher thought he knew. And he didn’t like the way it made him feel.

   Morpheus touched Cypher’s shoulder. “I am very glad you made it out. I was foolish to send you in. Get some rest, there is still much we need to do.” He walked out.

   Trinity looked down at Cypher. There was a hurt in her eyes. “Nomad...”

   Cypher felt a tear well in his eye. Nomad, a quiet giant of a man. Gone. And he was to blame. Him...and Morpheus.

   Morpheus was laughing. Cypher could hear him as he approached the mess hall. The sound bounced and resonated about the corridors of the Nebuchadnezzar. It was a sound rarely heard. Cypher let it flow past him like a cooling breeze on a hot day. He suddenly realized how something had ached in him for that sound, that mirth, that lightness. Last night he had gone to sleep with dark thoughts but they started to drift as he listened to Morpheus’ laughter.

   But then he remembered the last time he had heard Morpheus laugh like that. It had been a long time indeed. It was the day that everything changed. Everything.

   He rounded the corner and entered the long corridor to the storage room. Even at that distance he could hear the laughter. Morpheus was laughing. While Cypher had heard Morpheus laugh before it was only at the rarest of occasions.

   Morpheus was a private, driven man with an intensity that could over power. No one was close to him except Switch. She always seemed to be at his side and Cypher was never sure what their connection was. Was she simply his closest student or was it more? Could they be lovers? No one ever speculated, it was an implied rule. The respect of each crewmember appeared to forbid gossip about their clandestine leader. His privacy was never breached. But Cypher knew that if in fact they were lovers that they let nothing show to the others.

   So, in the rare occasions that Morpheus laughed it was a treat. It was a comfort.

   Cypher followed the laughter to the storage room. The door was partly ajar and he pushed it open peering inside. Morpheus was with someone he didn’t know and it shocked him for an instant before he remembered that they were docking with the Atlantis again for supplies. They must have docked while he was asleep and this was a crewmember. The last two times they had docked with the Atlantis they were too busy to meet the other crew.
Morpheus turned and saw Cypher in the hatchway. He smiled. Cypher could tears of laughter on his cheeks.

   “Cypher, this is Phoenix the captain of the Atlantis.” Cypher came over and offered his hand.

   Phoenix was a tall man. He had a thin, wiry build and a rugged look. There was a long scar across the left side of his face. His hair was close cropped and graying. Cypher felt it could be from living in hard times. But there was a warmth in his smile and a sparkle in his pale blue eyes.

   “Cypher, glad to meet you. I’ve heard a lot of good things. Promising things.”

   “Uh...great. What’s so funny that the great and impassive Morpheus is busting a gut?”

   Morpheus still seemed to be composing himself. “We were discussing some of the older days, that’s all.”

   Phoenix grinned, “Yeah, Morpheus and I go back a ways. Crew members on the Saknussemm when we had been just unplugged.” He nudged Morpheus. “Remember ByteMe?” Morpheus suddenly spasmed in laughter again.
“I hadn’t thought of him in years! Come on, Phoenix. I’ll buy you a bowl of snot.”

   Phoenix slapped Morpheus on the back. “Oh thanks! I don’t get enough of that on my ship.” They walked out the door and towards the galley. Cypher turned toward the hatch to follow but heard something behind him. He turned to see what it was and noticed someone coming down the ladder from the open hatch above that connected the two ships. It was Switch. She had a look of happiness he hadn’t ever seen before. And was that a tear in her eye?

   “Shit Switch, what are you so happy about?”
“Morpheus. I have never seen him this happy, this relaxed.” She walked towards the hatch. Cypher was about to ask a question he shouldn’t when she seemed to realize her defenses were down. She turned towards him and her face was back to the solemn one he was accustomed to. “Give the other crew a hand loading in those supplies.” And she walked out.

   “Ok. Thanks for thinking of me!” he called after her. He crawled up the ladder to the hatch. A tall, formidable woman stood at the top looking down at him. “I’m Cypher. Can I help?”
She smirked and said, “I don’t know? Can you?”
“I need this,” he thought.

   After supplies had been offloaded the two crews had a chance to meet and talk. It was the first social kind of thing that Cypher could remember since coming out of the Matrix. He met the Atlantis’ crew and enjoyed their company. Zip and Echo seemed a couple. Much like Cypher hoped he and trinity would soon become. Then there was Tracer. She didn’t seem to like Cypher. She spent a lot of time talking to Trinity.

   The crew, led by Phoenix, seemed fairly excited about something. After a bit of prying on Zip he managed to find out that they had been given permission to go into the Matrix and free Phoenix’s family. This was not normally allowed but Phoenix was well respected by the governing bodies in Zion and they finally succumbed to his request.

   The group was going in today to free them. Everyone was excited. It meant that others might soon be able to free ones they left behind. And it may be able to lift the age restriction for being unplugged. Who would be a better guide to the truth than a loved one?

   Soon it was time for them to leave and proceed to broadcast depth for the rescue mission. The excitement was electric and energized both crews.

   Cypher wondered of his own special place in the scheme of things and began to wonder if maybe he should somehow help. He decided to finally confront Morpheus on his abilities. If he was the “one” that they thought he was, wouldn’t it be a good idea for him to take part in a mission of such importance? As the Atlantis pulled away he made his way to find Morpheus. He finally located him in his quarters.

   He knocked on the hatch and Morpheus opened it. He smiled at Cypher, the joy of the day still covering him like the morning dew. “Yes, Cypher. What is it?”

   Cypher swallowed and felt his nerve start to dwindle. Did he dare bring this all into the open? It was like tempting fate. What if he had been wrong in what he heard, in what he thought? He had grown accustomed to thinking that he was special, different...better. And what of Trinity? He could feel himself falling in love with her. In fact he probably fell in love with her long ago. He could lose that...hope.

   “I need to talk to you.”

   “Come in. Sit.” Cypher walked in. Switch was there. He looked at her. She looked at him. He could still see emotion in her face. But there was something else there. Not just the happiness, but something else. A resolve, a surrender to something...sad. It was as if the tear he saw was not from joy but from pain. But again she slid the emotion behind her stern facade. He looked at Morpheus.

   Morpheus understood the look. “Switch, would you go check on our course. We should be at broadcast depth soon. Let me know when we arrive.” She left without a word, but paused at the hatch and gave Morpheus a quick look. And in that look Cypher saw all the pain and hurt that had been harboring behind the joyousness he had witnessed before. Then she was gone.

   “Are you going in?” asked Cypher not sure of his approach.

   “Yes.”

   “Are you going to help Phoenix get his family out?” If Morpheus said yes then it would segue right into his questions.

   “No.”
“Then what...”

   “Did you want to help him?” There was a small smile on his lips and a searching in his eyes. Cypher felt Morpheus was testing him.

   “Yes. Yes I did.”

   “Good.”

   “Then why can’t I? I could...” He was losing his resolve.

   “You could what?”

   “Nothing. Why are we going in?”

   Morpheus had been standing by the door. He closed it and came and sat near Cypher. “Do you know why you are here?”

   Suddenly Cypher didn’t know what to say. Play dumb or be honest.

   “No.”

    “I have been looking for you.”

   “Like you were looking for Trinity?”

   Morpheus smiled. “Not for the same reason. Someone told me to look for her.”

   “Who?”

   “The Oracle.”

   “I’m sorry. The what?”

   “The Oracle. She has a gift and helps us find answers. She is a guide for the path each of us must take here in the real world.”

   “She told you to go find Trinity?”

   “Yes.”

   “And to find me?”

   “No. I was already looking for you. She only told me that I would find you.”

   “Why were you looking for me? Comic relief?” Cypher grinned. He was getting more and more nervous as the answer came closer and closer.

   “No.” Morpheus stood again and paced.

   “We are going into the matrix so that you can meet her.”

   “What is she going to do? Read my palm?” He tried to laugh but failed. Maybe that was what she would do!

   “She will do what is necessary to help you. She will answer your questions.”

   “Can’t you answer them?”

   “Not like she can,” he smiled.

   The hatch opened and Trinity stuck her head in. “We are ready.”

   Morpheus looked at Cypher, “Yes we are.”

   The drive to meet the Oracle took them through the city. Cypher looked around at the people walking the streets oblivious to the dream they were living. He saw the building where he used to work. He felt like asking Sparks to pull over so he could go in and tell his old boss off. He wondered if they ever wondered what happened to him; why he never came in any more? They probably didn’t even care.

   “Don’t give people the finger, Cypher,” cautioned Switch.

   Cypher turned and looked across the seat at her. “I used to work there. Was hoping my boss was looking out his window.”

   He saw the restaurant he used to eat lunch (and too often dinner). It had all seemed so real. Even now...

   “It feels strange, doesn’t it? Seeing all this for what it is...an illusion,” said Morpheus.

   “You’ve got that right, chief.”

   For some reason he didn’t feel nervous. He didn’t worry what the Oracle would say. He felt confident. Morpheus had confidence in him, that he was the One (even if he hadn’t said so personally to Cypher). But Cypher’s opinion and trust in Morpheus made him begin to believe. And there was Trinity...

   Suddenly missing her, Cypher found his thoughts touching on the few quiet moments they had had together. His feelings were growing stronger than he was familiar with. His cynical side refused to believe that he was actually in love with Trinity. But his heart screamed something else. Cypher had never been the kind of person to listen to his heart and yet now he was wondering why.

   “We’re here,” stated Morpheus as the car came to a stop. They all got out of the car. Cypher looked up at the low rent apartment building before him. Not what he was expecting. He had been thinking of something more palatial given such a revered title of “the Oracle.” Sparks and Switch stood by the car as Morpheus led Cypher towards the entrance. 

   “Nervous?” asked Morpheus as he opened the door.

   Cypher grinned, “Of what? Having to move here?” He entered the complex. At the elevators he saw Morpheus give a slight nod to a grizzled old blind man sitting in the lobby. The old man smiled and gave a small nod back. Morpheus pressed the call button.

   “Remember, she will help you find your true path. She is not a fortune teller.”

   “What does that mean?” The doors opened, they entered and Morpheus chose the floor.

   “She doesn’t speak in specifics. She tries to help you see what you already know. Listen to her carefully.”

   Cypher found himself getting annoyed with all the generalities. He was about to make a sarcastic remark when the elevator opened. They walked silently down the hall to a nondescript door. The door opened before he could knock. A tall woman stood in the doorway. She smiled at them. “Morpheus, so nice to see you again. It has been some time.”

   “Yes it has. Over a year I believe.” They entered the apartment. It was again rather anticlimactic in Cypher’s eyes. Low key cheap furniture was sparsely distributed about the living room. A TV (black and white?!) stood against one wall with a make shift rabbit ears atop it. The colors looked like they hadn’t been updated since the 60’s.

   “Uh, nice place. Do you rent it furnished?” asked Cypher. The woman just smiled and motioned for Morpheus to sit. He took a place on a couch that faced the TV.

   “Follow me Cypher,” and she led him toward the kitchen. He could smell something cooking. Bread. The scent took him back to his childhood and an easier time.

   “You baking bread? It smells great.”

   “She always seems to be baking things,” said the woman with an inflection on the “she” that told Cypher that she meant the Oracle.

   “Oh, I thought you were the Oracle.” Again the woman only smiled and motioned him into the kitchen. She turned and left him.

   Cypher looked about the simple kitchen and took in the strong aroma of the baking bread. He found it very soothing. Suddenly his suspicious mind wondered if it was intentional? Meant to draw him into a sense of peace. He turned toward the window and saw an older woman sitting at the table playing solitaire. If the apartment had been unexpected it was nothing compared to what he had thought he would see when he met the Oracle. This woman was so ordinary looking that Cypher would have a hard time picking her out of a line-up. She was so nondescript that she would instantly blend into any crowd. He smiled a thin smile of acknowledgement. This whole set up was to attract as little attention as possible, right down to the star herself!

    “Have a seat Cypher,” she said as she waved at the seat across from her. He sat down and looked at her. She had yet to look up at him instead still focusing on her game, which seemed to be going poorly. Finally she lost. Gathering the cards together she looked up at him over her reading glasses. “Solitaire is a fool’s game. Even through your best efforts the ability to win is held by fate; the stack of the cards.” She reshuffled the deck. “And yet I continue to play.” She smiled at him. “Do you believe in fate, Cypher?”

   She didn’t mess around; right to it, Cypher thought. “To some degree, yes I guess so. I don’t really think about it.”

   “Why?”

   “Because it won’t make any difference.”

   She pushed the deck towards him. “Cut them, please.” He did. “By cutting those cards the way you did you may have determined whether I win or lose. Still think it doesn’t matter?”

   This line of questioning would surely annoy him as much as Morpheus vague answers. Didn’t anyone ever just come out and say something? “But I can’t control that so why think about it?”

   She smiled and looked him straight in the eyes. “Because you can control it. If you had not cut the cards you would not have affected my game.”

   “But you asked me to.”

   “You could have refused.”

   “Are you just trying to screw with me?” Cypher felt himself tensing, despite the bread smell.

   She shook her head. “No, I am trying to show you something. That your actions can and will make a difference in whether we win or lose.”

   She began to deal out her solitaire stacks. Each stack ended up with a red card turned face up. Not a black card showing. 

   “Do you know why Morpheus brought you here?” She counted three cards and flipped them over...red.

   “To ask you questions.”

   Another three count...red. And red again after that. “What questions do you have?” Red again. And again.
Cypher looked at her flipping the cards over. It was so strange. The odds of her turning over every third card and it being red were just too impossible. Another red. “I want to know if what Morpheus believes is true?”

    ”And what is do you think he believes?” Red.

   “That I am the One.”

   The final three cards flipped over. It was black. A black joker. “I thought you didn’t play solitaire with jokers,” Cypher pointed out.

   “You don’t. I thought I pulled them out.” She grabbed the card box. Two cards were still in the box. She shook them out onto the table. A red joker and the ace of spades. “A wild card changes everything.” She got up to check on her bread.

   Cypher looked out the window. There was a low storefront across the street. A movement caught his eye. Someone was on the roof. A bald woman? He pinched his eyes shut and looked again. No one. It must have been the strain of this nonsensical banter with the Oracle.

   The Oracle sat down again after taking her bread out to cool. “Can I get you a drink?”

   “No, but how about a straight answer?”

   The forwardness of his question did not phase her at all. She maintained a knowing smile. “Shoot.”

   “Am I the One Morpheus thinks I am?”

   “Did he tell you that?”

   “I heard him tell someone else. No one wants to tell me anything! But if I am here to save humanity and all that then I better get crackin’!”

   “What do you think?”

   “I think even you’re not going to tell me anything.” Cypher felt himself growing more and more frustrated and that was causing his anger to surface from his frustration.

   “Cypher, you don’t need anyone to tell you. Don’t you think if you were the one Morpheus speaks of you would know it? Feel it deep down? Would what I say change what you already believe?” Cypher paused to think about the obvious wisdom she had just thrown at him. He should know! “What do you think?” she asked again.

   “I don’t know.” And that was the truth. He had been so sure of what Morpheus had said that he never bothered to think for himself. His whole life had been a lie, a deception. Morpheus was the only one who had been able to tell him the real truth. He had the trust and total belief in Morpheus that a small child has in a parent. An innocent dependence on another for the truth. So it was only natural for him to automatically believe he must be the One if Morpheus thought so.

   “Then you have answered your own question.”

   Cypher looked at her with a mix of confusion and unexpected sadness. “I...I’m not the One?”

   “I’m sorry.” She touched his hand. He let it stay there for a few seconds before he stood. “Wait, I’ll send some bread with you.”

   “Uh, no thanks. I gotta go.” Cypher left the kitchen and found Morpheus sitting quietly on the couch. He looked up as Cypher came into the living room. “C’mon,” said Cypher, “Let’s get outa here.”

   The drive back to the exit point was very quiet. Cypher was surprised that Morpheus didn’t ask him about his meeting with the Oracle but he had a feeling Morpheus could tell what had happened from his expression. The ring of Morpheus’ phone suddenly disturbed the silence. The conversation was brief.

   “Step on it Sparks,” aid Morpheus. “Something has happened.”

   Great, thought Cypher, what now?

   Immediately after they unjacked from the matrix Dozer ran up to them. He didn’t look happy. He asked Morpheus if he wanted to hear the news in private. He declined instructing Dozer to tell them all.

   Trinity and Tank were already there so the entire crew was accounted for. Dozer took a deep breath.

   “You know about the mission Phoenix and his crew were on.”

   “Right,” answered Sparks.

   “They were just finishing prep when his entire family was killed by the docbots.”

   “Oh sweet Jesus!” exclaimed Cypher. He heard Trinity draw in a quick breath. She grabbed his hand.

   “How did the AI know what was going on?” asked Switch, a strain in her voice.

   “They don’t know.”

   Dozer gave a few more details about what had happened. The facts were that it was a statement sent by the AI. A cold and calculated message. This hadn’t been a simple attack by sentient agent programs but a deliberate strike at the resistance. It had been planned. No one had ever thought the machines were capable of such acts. They were machines after all, machines without emotions. But this painted them in a whole different light. An evil, hate filled light. It changed everything.

   Morpheus didn’t say a word. He simply turned and walked towards his quarters. Judging from the friendship Cypher had witnessed when Phoenix was aboard, Morpheus would take this news hard. Switch trailed after him.
Dozer turned toward the bridge. “I’m going to get us the hell out of here.”

   Everyone else dispersed. Trinity followed after Cypher. He looked at her. What of their relationship?

   Later that night Cypher awoke in a sweat. He had been tossing and turning in his bunk thinking of the days events. Images and feelings kicking about in his brain. He got up and walked out of his quarters. He walked towards the mess decks for a glass of water.

   It was dark on the ship and everyone was asleep. At least he thought they were. The light of the mess hall was on. As he approached he could hear low voices. He crept closer.

   “It is all coming apart, Switch.” It was Morpheus. He sounded tired, almost defeated.

   “Not all of it. Cypher...”

   “He’s not the One.”

   “What? Are you sure?”

   “I saw him when he came out from talking to the Oracle. I could tell he didn’t hear what he wanted to.”

   “But you never told him!”

   “He’s smart. He was figuring it out. Remember when we found him outside the storage locker? I suspected he had heard us.”

“But Trinity...”

   “I know. I have a feeling that too will pass. I trust the Oracle. If she says she will fall in love with the One, then that is the person she will love, no one else.”

   The finality of Morpheus’ words caused Cypher’s heart to turn to lead. He couldn’t lose Trinity too!

   “I have been too careless, Switch. I have pushed too hard. I have jeopardized too much.”

   “You have only done what you have to do as leader of this ship.”

   “No. I should have tried to stop Phoenix. We don’t let people unplug their families for reasons. Important reasons. I compromised that and let him try. I should have stopped him.” His voice cracked. Cypher thought for a second Morpheus might cry.

   “I forced my decision on Cypher. I wasn’t sure. But I went with my hunch.”

   “There are no instructions on this. You have to go by your feelings.”

   “But I pushed for it. I pushed him because I wanted him to be the One. I wanted this whole war over!” Morpheus was getting angry with himself. “I pushed because I didn’t want to be wrong. I even sent him into the matrix on a test to see if he would show his abilities in a crisis.”

   “What are you talking about?”

   “I sent him in with Nomad to see what would happen.”

   “You mean...”

   “No one was suppose to get killed. Nomad deviated from the plan. I was so sure...”

   Cypher couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He burst into the mess hall. “You son of a b*tch! You set me up!”

   “Cypher? What are you...” started Morpheus.

   “You sent me in with Nomad to get waylaid by some agents?! Nomad got whacked and I could have been too!”

   Cypher took a swing at Morpheus glancing off his forehead. Morpheus fell back over a table partially from the blow and in part from his dodge. “Who do you think you are? Playing God with peoples’ lives. Pullin’ us out of our existence to come fight at your side. This is bullsh*t!”

   Morpheus stood. “You don’t understand. I...”

   Cypher came around the table and tried to land another punch. Morpheus managed to side step but another caught him in the stomach and he doubled over. Cypher brought his knee up and it contacted Morpheus’ jaw, he fell on the deck stunned. 

   Cypher went to kick him but Switch pulled him back. “Get offa me!” yelled Cypher. In his anger he took a swing at Switch. It was the last thing he remembered of the fight.