The Matrix cannot tell you who you are ~ Trinity

   Slowly the bar stepped across filling the progress panel. 58%. What if they discovered it and stopped transmission before it finished? She would simply hack in a different back door and try again. She would get the virus in. No matter the time or effort...or cost. This was her stand. 

   72%. She felt another sharp pang of regret. What about all the people who would be affected? Her own personal pain pushed the guilt aside. This needed to be done. She couldn’t sit back and let government free-reign any longer. Someone HAD to step in and show them they were not beyond the reach of the common man or woman. And she was that woman!

   98%...DONE! She quickly severed the connection to the IRS and covered her tracks. It wouldn’t take long. By tomorrow morning it would be over. She sat back in her chair. She shut down the computer and looked around her tiny apartment. It was sparse with only necessities cluttering the simplicity. She stood and stretched. She wondered what would happen if they ever found her out. She left her hacker name behind of course, something about vanity she was sure. Her recognition in hacker circles was bordering on legendary. This would make her a folk hero. But could they trace it to her?

   The knock at the door made her almost jump out of her skin. “Trinity?” came a loud voice through the door. “Trinity?!” Even louder. With a quick tug she had the door open, with another yank she had the person outside pulled in. She made a fast scan of the hallway. She thought she saw a door closing across the hall. Trinity slammed the door.

   “What are you doing, Natti?” she scolded. “Haven’t I told you to never use that name in public?”

   Natti looked at her sheepishly, “But I like that name. It sounds so much more glamorous than your real name. Kinda like Madonna.” Trinity could see tiny tears rise in Natti’s big brown eyes. Her short hair was gathered in to rubber banded bunches that stuck from random locations on her head and her clothing was ill fitting and garish, the current trend. This only endeared her to Trinity more. She hugged her younger sister, her only sibling, and patted her head in comfort. Natti wasn’t the quick study that Trinity had always been. But her sister had qualities Trinity wished she had...trust, affection, and openness. Trinity had pulled away from people long ago and found her solace in the cold, reliable logic of computers.

   “Why did you come here, Natti?”

   “I just miss you. You never come home anymore.”

   “I can’t, Natti. I left for a reason.”

   “But I just miss you. When you moved out you said you would come by and see me. But you don’t anymore. Mom and Dad are driving me crazy!” She stomped her foot to make the point; ever the drama queen. Trinity smiled. Natti was the one thing she did miss. The only thing.

   “I promise I will come around more often.” Natti started to protest but Trinity cut here off. “I promise!”

   “You promised last time,” she mumbled in reply.

   “I’m sorry. I have been real busy. And you shouldn’t come down here. This isn’t the best part of Kansas City to be      in.”

   “Ok, “ she surrendered. But then her head came up with a smile. “Let’s go shopping!”

   “Natti...”

   “Come on,” she pleaded. “It’ll be fun and we can spend time together.”

   Trinity felt her resistance wash away as she looked at her sister’s pleading, innocent face. She hadn’t been out for over a week. Maybe the trip would do her some good. She grabbed a wad of crumpled bills from her night stand. Rent would have to wait...again.

   It had been a full on mall assault. Natti drug her around to way too many shops. Then the mall food court where Trinity paid too much for food that had too little taste and nutrition. Then Natti had talked her into a movie. Trinity couldn’t concentrate on the film. She found herself thinking about too many things. Being out in public made her feel awkward, like she didn’t belong. These feelings had been around for a long time but in the last year she felt them deepen. Interacting with people made her feel even more the outsider. Almost like she was talking to the people on the screen during the movie. In fact all of reality felt that way to a degree. All except the computers. Those felt real. When she was bending code, tweaking programs she felt real, alive. The rest seemed like a simulation.

   “I had so much fun!” announced Natti as they walked out to the parking garage. Natti had driven her car, or rather, their parents car and Trinity had brought her motorcycle. “Can we do it again soon?”

   “We’ll see, Natti.” Trinity felt the whole trip had been too uncomfortable for words. She preferred the solitude of her tiny apartment. But she couldn’t tell Natti that. “I did enjoy being with you.” That wasn’t a lie. She did miss her sister. The only person she felt she connected with in the entire planet. “Be careful getting home.” They hugged and Natti climbed into the car. Trinity watched as she drove off into the night. She started to mount her bike.

   “Be careful Trinity,” came a voice at her shoulder. She turned with a start and realized a man was standing right behind her. Where had he come from? She was usually so alert. Her muscles began to prime as adrenaline coursed through her body. She tried to slow her heart. “They have been watching you.”

   He smiled at her. His demeanor appeared non threatening. “Who? What are you talking about?”

   “Aren’t you Trinity?”

   He couldn’t be police. Nobody could put it together that fast. “I don’t know what you are talking about.” She made an attempt to get on her bike. His hand was suddenly on her arm. She twisted, jerked, her arm came free. But in a blur he grabbed her again. This time the grip was much tighter. 

   “I’m not here to hurt you. I am here to warn you.”

   She looked him in the eye, it was calm, cool, and something else she couldn’t quite make out.

   “I know what you did today.” Panic shot through her brain. “Be careful. They will come for you.”

   “Who are you?”

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

   “What has me?”

   “The Matrix.” And he turned and walked toward a waiting car. As he approached it she saw another man that had been in the shadows step to the car. He was a tall, black man dressed in dark clothes. He was watching her. He smiled and they both got into the car and it drove away.

   “What the hell was that all about anyway?” she thought. Nervously she got on her bike and kicked it to life. “The Matrix?” She pulled the throttle and the bike sped off into the night.

   That night she spent time normally set aside for sleep searching the web for “The Matrix.” She ran it through a number of search engines looking for some reference that would have meaning to the events at the parking garage. But nothing seemed out of the ordinary. She had a very distinct feeling that there was something very important about that meeting. The fact that they knew who she was alarming, yet she didn’t feel in fear of them. If they worked for the police they would have simply arrested her not warned her. 

   Giving up on the search she sought solace amongst her fellow hackers on the Internet. She entered a familiar chat room. She hinted at something big she had done and gave them the heads up to watch the news. Out of curiosity she dropped the phrase “the matrix.” Her fellow hackers didn’t offer much in the way of facts, some vague rumors at best when suddenly a private chat request popped up. It was from someone not currently in the chat room. Someone named Morpheus. It was a single question, “Are you looking for the truth?”

   She answered, “Yes.”

   There was a pause and then, “The truth is looking for you.”

   She quickly typed in, “What is the matrix?” But then the stranger was gone. Slightly taken aback and again feeling watched she left the chat room. Shortly after she fell asleep and dreamed of a dark ocean and swimming deeper and deeper into the murky depths.

   The phone jangled and startled her from her sleep. Disoriented she grabbed at the receiver while squinting into the early morning sun streaming in her window. She answered it with a dry, groggy “Hello.” It was Natti.

   “You are in trouble!” she almost yelled. There was a definite and distinct panic in her voice that caused the foggy traces of sleep to clear from Trinity’s mind instantly.

   “What is it, Natti? What’s wrong? Is it Mom and Dad?”

   “No! The news...you are on the news!”

   Trinity thought for a moment unclear as to what Natti meant. Then the awareness hit her...the IRS database!

   “The news said that a hacker named Trinity had caused a huge problem with a government computer system and that there was a country wide search for this person. They are asking for information and there is a reward. Was it you?” The last being a question Natti truly felt in fear of the answer.

   Trinity’s mind raced. She was safe, no one knew who Trinity was. There was no way to link her with that name. No one knew she was Trinity...no one except Natti. “Natti, everything will be ok,” she said reaffirming it to both of them.

   “You have to forget about that name. Never use it again. Ever! Promise?” Her voice was stern but still gentle.

   “Ok, I won’t use it anymore. I promise.”

   “Don’t worry, your sister will be just fine. I’ll call you later.” Natti agreed and hung up. Trinity thought for a second then replaced the receiver. It rang in her hand immediately. The suddenness scared her and she instinctively snatched it up. She held it to her ear almost afraid to hear who was on the other end.

   “Trinity, you need to get out of there right now. They’re coming for you.”

   She didn’t recognize the voice. “Who is this?” she ventured.

   “Morpheus.” The person from the chat! But how? “You are in danger!”

   She slammed the receiver down. Then tugged the cord from the base. She noticed her breath was coming in short bursts, her heart was thumping loudly in her chest. Panic began to manifest itself in her mind and grow like a dark, wet stain on a clean, white tablecloth. She stood. “How could they know?” she thought. “How could they connect me so quickly? And who was this mysterious Morpheus?” 

   She had to get out and think. She pulled on her boots and jacket and started for the door. She could hear muffled voices from the hall. Slowly she chanced a peek to see what was going on. In the hallway she could see two men in plain suits and a uniformed cop. The two suits wore earpieces and sunglasses. FBI was her guess. All three were talking to a neighbor down the hall. Their voices were low enough that she couldn’t make out their conversation. 

   Then it hit her. The neighbor talking to them was the one who had slowly closed his door the day before when Natti had come over. When Natti had called her Trinity! She quickly and quietly eased the door closed. As she did she caught the headline on the paper at her feet near the door; “Trinity Crashes IRS!” She locked the door and drew the chain. She fought back a sudden rise of bile in her throat. “Just get a hold of yourself,” she whispered to herself.

   Her small apartment seemed now so much smaller. There was no place to hide. They would be at the door any second. She went to the window and looked out. While only on the second floor there was nothing that afforded an avenue of escape and the fall would be too severe.

   There was a small window in the bathroom that she had always hated because it was so useless. It butted almost directly against another wall of the apartment complex. As she ran into the bathroom and pulled the small window open she changed the ranking of the window to her favorite. There was aloud knock at the door and someone was calling her real name. She eased her body through the small frame. She found just enough room to squeeze herself between the two buildings. She braced her back against the other building and began to inch toward the ground. The stucco of the wall scraped against her skin through her jacket and shirt. Above her she could hear voices, they must be in her apartment!

   As she reached about ten feet from the ground she dropped. She had the sense to roll with the landing and saved herself the possibility of a sprained ankle. She got to her feet and started a sprint for the parking lot. Out of the corner of her eye she thought she saw the face of one of the police peer down at her from the bathroom window. Then she was around the corner and in sight of her motorcycle. She vaulted the seat and jammed the key in with a twist. Unconsciously she kicked it over and gave a twist to the throttle as her mind tried to deal with where she could go. Away was all it could tell her. And on that she acted as the bike sped towards the open streets and then the highway. She had escaped.

   The darkness of night had claimed the streets and she felt its comforting protection. She sat and finished what was left of the sandwich she had ordered. She sat near the back of the Denny’s in a small booth. She tried to formulate a plan. This was not what she had expected or planned for. How could a simple slip by Natti have caused all this? It all seemed controlled. And how did this Morpheus and the matrix fit in? All the questions swam around in her head further blocking a clear line of action. She felt frozen in indecision. She took another bite, her eyes always moving from the door to the front windows and back. The waitress came by, mumbled something and filled her coffee cup again. Trinity didn’t acknowledge her, keeping her quiet vigil as she ate. 

   She already knew she couldn’t contact her family, as they would surely be under surveillance by the police. Where could she go? With a sudden start she saw a cop come in and take a seat at the counter by the door. He greeted the waitress with a cheery, familiar greeting. With a sinking feeling she realized that he blocked her exit from the restaurant. Luckily his back was to her and he didn’t seem intent on looking around deciding to flirt with the waitress instead. But now she would have to wait for him to leave before she could go. She mentally kicked herself. Denny’s! Why not hide out in a doughnut shop next time? She ordered a slice of some kind of pie and more coffee when the waitress returned again so as not to look suspicious. She found herself thinking how she had always thought it was so unrealistic when people in the movies who were on the run always thought every cop in the entire state was looking solely for them. But now that she was on the run herself it didn’t seem so overly dramatic. The mere sight of a police officer made her break into a sweat. She took a sip of her coffee and then almost dropped the cup. Morpheus walked into the coffee shop!

   He was with the man that had talked to her that night in the parking garage and two others: a woman with almost white hair and a younger red haired man. They were all dressed in long coats and shades, not exactly subtle for late at night and the cop took immediate interest in them. Trinity was not surprised when she saw them heading straight for her. But it wasn’t fear she felt but more like anticipation.

   What happened next she found herself playing over and over in her mind and never quite comprehending.
Morpheus smiled at her as he approached. The cop stood from his stool and reached out for him. The red haired man stepped in between them. Morpheus turned toward the policeman who was already placing his other hand on his firearm. He said something about there not going to be any trouble and they were just here to see a friend. Trinity wasn’t sure but she thought she saw a flash of recognition on the cop’s face. He then backed away. Morpheus and the others turned back towards her but she noticed the cop pulling at his shoulder mounted radio.

   Trinity couldn’t hear what the cop was saying but she thought she heard “back-up.” This caused Morpheus to turn and face him again causing the officer to pull his pistol. For a split second Trinity suspected the others were going to jump him but Morpheus raised an arm to still them. There was a momentary standoff. Morpheus was talking in a quiet tone she couldn’t pick up. The tension was thick in the air like natural gas waiting for a spark. Then the spark came in the form of the waitress coming out of the kitchen, seeing the drawn gun and the dark strangers; she dropped Trinity’s pie plate.

   Almost before the crash Morpheus and the others seemed to be moving. There was a shot that went wild. In a blur of action guns appeared in the hands of the woman and the red haired man. The cop was also moving, choosing to dart behind the counter. Then it got weird.

   The cop tried to pull off another shot. The restaurant was too cramped to afford much maneuverability or shelter. His shot kicked melamine from the counter top and grazed the waitress. She screamed and started to fall between Trinity and Morpheus. But before she crumpled there was a strange play of static across her body and it seemed to distend and change. Trinity silently gasped as one of those FBI agents from her apartment complex was now standing in the very spot the waitress had occupied a second previously. He was holding a pistol and drew a bead on Morpheus! With a mixture of fear and instinct that surprised her, Trinity threw her coffee cup at the agent. It smashed at his shoulder and he spun to face her. Morpheus instantly turned and saw the agent. “Sparks!” he yelled.

   The red haired man leveled his gun at the agent and let loose a stream of rounds. Before Trinity’s unbelieving eyes the agent turned into a blur of motion as he impossibly managed to dodge every bullet! His attention was renewed on Morpheus and his gang. And as he spun past the last round he fired at Morpheus. But he had already run for the kitchen swing door. The agent’s bullets dug into the wood of the doorframe. The man from the parking garage yelled, “F*ck! Run!” and began to head for the door. The forgotten cop was still behind the hostess’s counter and stood to stop him. But the man executed a spinning kick that didn’t even break his stride and sent the cop backwards, unconscious, into a table, chairs, and other unfortunate patrons. 

   The FBI agent made for the kitchen but had to slow due to a hail of bullets from the blonde woman and Sparks. Morpheus suddenly ran out from the kitchen’s side entrance near Trinity. He grabbed her arm and raised his gun. “You have to escape. We’ll find you.” And he shot out the window across from her. His last words were “Run” as he shoved her toward the broken window. After the display she had seen she needed no coaxing. She vaulted the window frame and sprinted into the night. She ran for six blocks before she even chanced a look back. She half expected to see the agent materializing out of thin air but she was alone. Her lungs burned from her rapid breathing and her legs ached from exertion. She bent over trying to catch her breath but it seemed in vain as the adrenaline rush began to fade. She started walking into the night unsure of where to go. She picked a street and started following it in hopes of finding a place she could rest...and hide.

   It had been two days since the bizarre events at Denny’s. She had been wandering the streets seeking shelter in parks and parking structures. It had given her plenty of time to think. She regretted the events that had led to this mess. Her illogical desire for notoriety and acceptance had caused her to leave her calling card on the virus. For a while she toyed with the idea of turning herself in but her instinct for survival kicked in and she realized how foolish that was. It also would be surrender and that was something she could never do. She couldn’t let them win. She had beaten them! Her resolve strengthened and she knew she would survive. She would find a way.

   But what of the mysterious Morpheus and his companions? And the matrix they spoke of? Those questions were not easily explained or understood. The hackers on the Internet had hinted at some kind of conspiracy or cover-up that existed at the highest level. So many questions and one thing she was sure of; they had an interest in her. What it was she couldn’t know. But his words came back to her, “Are you looking for the truth?” That interested her more than anything...except the transformation of the agent and his impossible abilities. Trinity kept trying to dismiss it in some way but she couldn’t.

   She was feeling rather ripe at this point. Days without a shower or change of clothes were beginning to make her uncomfortable. Luckily she had had the forethought to empty her bank account the morning of her discovery so she had some cash. She sought out a cheap motel. 

   She washed her clothes in the sink and then took a hot shower. Afterward she lay back on the bed and switched on the small TV. She clicked around until she found some local news. It wasn’t long before she saw it. There on the fuzzy screen was her picture as the anchorman droned on. “Police are still looking for this woman in connection with the corruption of the IRS data base...” The picture was old, her hair was much longer then. She hoped the motel clerk wasn’t observant enough to notice if he cared at all. She quickly checked the window anyway. Everything looked fine. She lay back on the bed and fell asleep. Her dreams were full of darkness and shadows and a need to hide.

   An explosion woke her and she rolled off the side of the bed instantly alert. Another explosion. She then realized it was coming from the television she had left on. An action movie with lots of pyrotechnics. She relaxed. It had gotten dark and the room was bathed in the flickering, bluish light that TVs gave off. She snapped on a light and went over and checked her clothing. It was fairly dry so she began pulling them on. Then the phone rang. That startled her more than the explosions. She debated whether to answer it and finally grabbed it on its sixth ring. A recently familiar voice was on the other end.

   “Are you still interested in the truth? Are you finally tiring of hiding?” Morpheus!

   “How did you find me?” Trinity asked.

   “It is my job to find you.” he replied.

   “But...”

   “We can talk about that later. Do you want to meet?”

   She hesitated. While she didn’t have any sense of fear she couldn’t yet decide whether to trust him or not. The events in the restaurant with the police officer made her think the police wanted him also. Perhaps he was a kindred soul, a fellow hacker on the run from stepping on Big Brother’s toes. Finally, “Yes.”

   “Then answer the door,” and he hung up. Immediately there was a knock at the door. Trinity put the phone down and walked to the door. She opened it without hesitation or fear. Something told her she was on the right track at last.

   “You’re car awaits, m’lady.” It was the man from the garage. He smiled and gave her a wink. “My name is Cypher,” he stuck out his hand. “We haven’t been formerly introduced.” She shook his hand and looked him in the eye. Again she could see something behind them. She then looked past him to the limo that was idling nearby. 

   “That’s for me?”

   “For us. Let’s get going before we get unwelcome company.” And they got in the car.

   She recognized the man driving. “That’s Sparks, he’ll be driving us.” The limousine started forward and pulled out into the thinning traffic of late night. For several minutes she said nothing.

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

   Cypher smiled. He reached out to touch her arm. “Remember that night in the parking garage? I grabbed your arm?” Trinity nodded. He pulled at her jacket. “Tracking device.” He pulled free something that looked like a piece of electrical tape. It blended with her jacket perfectly. He wadded it between his thumb and forefinger and she thought she saw a small spark. He flicked it to the floorboards. “Anything else?”

   “Who are you people? Who is Morpheus and why do you want me? Are you putting together a group of hackers to pull off some kind of major cyber job?” The questions threatened to gush from her like a dam burst. Cypher plugged the hole.

   “Whoa, honey! All in good time. Morpheus will explain it in his own way when we get to our destination.” He smiled a reassuring smile and took her hand. “You don’t need to worry. Just relax.”

   She sat back and watched the street lights roll by. What had she gotten herself into?

   The limo stopped and they all got out. It was an abandoned warehouse. Sparks led the way to a small door. Once inside they made their way through a largely empty storage room to some stairs that appeared to lead to an office. Trinity expected some empty space probably containing Morpheus. Instead she found a small office crammed with some strange equipment. Sparks took a seat behind a panel of monitors. The blond woman was checking readouts at another stack of gear. “This is Morpheus,” said Cypher as the tall black man stood and walked towards them.

   “I had that much figured out,” said Trinity trying to focus on what she did know.

   “He’ll answer your questions,” Cypher hesitated, “well...as much as he can.”

   Morpheus stepped towards her and flashed his charismatic smile. “Trinity would you walk outside with me while they work? I’ll try and explain some things.”

   She walked outside the office with him. He leaned against a railing.

   “Trinity...” he started.

   She interrupted, “Why do you want me? Is it what I did to the IRS?”

   He suddenly looked uncomfortable, as if he wasn’t sure what to say. “Let’s just say I was told to find you.”

   “By who?”

   “I could tell you but you wouldn’t understand...yet. Let us just say she is a friend who has everyone’s best interest at heart.”

   “Then what can you tell me?”

   He looked at her, his face was calm. “I can’t tell you all that much really. I can only show you. But to show you, you will have to make a choice. A very important choice.” He looked at the huge empty room before them. “What do you see, Trinity?”

   “A warehouse, abandoned of course.”

   “Is it real?”

   The question is not what she expected. “Yes...well, what do you mean by that?”

   “How do you know what you are seeing is real? Not a dream, not an illusion?”

   “Because I can sense it with all my senses and in a dream you can tell it’s not real.”

   “How?”

   “Some how your brain compares the dream reality to the actual reality. There is always a sense of unreality in dreams.”
“But what if you were always dreaming and had nothing to compare the dream to? What would tell you it wasn’t real?”

   “Are you telling me, Morpheus, that I am dreaming?”

   He looked at her and his eyes drilled through her. “I am saying that I can offer you a chance to see beyond the shadows that you consider real and compare them to the light of day.”

   “Are you selling some kind of new age religion?”

   He smiled, “Well...I am offering the truth. I think some religions offer that. And I am asking for your trust and faith. But, I don’t consider it a religion. I won’t tell you what to believe. I will just turn on a light, you make the judgements.”

   “Is this what is meant by the matrix?”

   “The Matrix you already know. It is reality you are estranged from.”

   Trinity felt his answers only opened up more questions yet she felt compelled to believe him. Something deep inside her was nodding in agreement. “What do I have to do?”

   He reached inside his coat and brought out two small pills, one red and one blue. He offered them to her. “Your choice. Take the blue pill and you will wake up away from here and never hear from us again. Take the red pill and the darkness will give way to light; dreams to reality.” She reached for the pills and he quickly closed his hand. “Trinity this is a one time, one way choice. What you choose will affect your life from this point on. There will be no turning back. I promise nothing...only the truth.” He reopened his hand. Trinity looked long and hard at him. She took the red pill from his hand and swallowed it.

   Morpheus smiled, “It is time to wake up Trinity. Follow me.” He opened the door to the office again and they entered. “Take a seat Trinity.”

   She took the chair near the middle of the room. The woman came over and started to attach small monitoring electrodes to her. She looked up for a second and said, “I’m Switch.” Trinity nodded and tried to force a smile. She started to feel strange, clammy and a little nauseous.

   “What is all this? What’s going to happen?”

   Morpheus was on a cell phone and came over to her. “Stay on it, Tank.” He knelt down next to her. “The pill you took is a trace program that will change your I/O signal so we can find your location. It will break up the signal from your mind to your body. It will be over soon.” He squeezed her hand. “Tank?”

   “I don’t think I understand...”

   Switch completed her work and went back to a bank of equipment behind Trinity. Sparks was tapping at keys and checking monitors. “Nothing yet, Morpheus.”

   Her head spun for a second and she started to feel worse. She looked down at her feet. A shadow from equipment lay before them and with amazement she saw it inch toward her. Slowly at first, then with a steadfast determination. Finally it contacted her feet and started to crawl up her legs like a thing alive. She looked over at Morpheus talking on his phone. He looked at her and smiled showing no concern over her plight. The shadow was at her knees and each inch it covered became cold and numb. Her chest started to tighten. “Is this part of it?” she asked trying not to show panic in her voice but failing.

   “Hold on, Trin!” called Cypher. “It’s going to get crazier before it gets better.”

   “It is trying to replicate her program. The signal is breaking, Morpheus!” yelled Switch.

   Morpheus pulled the phone from his ear. “Sparks? Got it?”

   “Almost...columns 210 to 250...220 to 250...just another second.”

   The shadow was at Trinity’s chest and she felt her heart skip a beat as the shadow overtook her. Then she realized her heart wasn’t skipping beats out of fear, she was having a heart attack! She looked at Morpheus.

   “Going into arrest!” exclaimed Switch.

   “Tank, get ready for the pull! Sparks?”

   “It...is...238!”

   “Now Tank!”

   Trinity felt the darkness crawl up her neck, her heart stopping and starting. Things around her were growing dim. Then a shrill static filled her ears and she couldn’t breath. She was fighting to move her limbs but they were sluggish. Then it was quiet and dark. She struggled against her numbed arms and legs before she realized they weren’t numb but contained. Surrounded in some kind of liquid. Her eyes flew open and she could see little. Something red over her face...her entire body! She was submerged in some kind of crimson liquid. She struggled to surface. Her arms seemed weak and banged against the sides of the small container she was in. She righted herself and strained against a thick membrane stretched across the surface. It finally ripped and she pushed her body up through the opening. Her mind was overwhelmed with sensations. A hard plastic mask covered her mouth and nose and with a sudden terror she realized it extended down her throat. She grasped it with both hands and coughed as she pulled it free. Her throat burned as oxygen coursed down it to her lungs. She gulped in the air regardless. What kind of dream was this? 

   She looked down in blurred vision as she saw a multitude of tubes jutting from her body. She was about to touch one with a cautious hand when it popped from her body and snaked away into the red goo. The rest followed suit. She lost her grip on the edge of the container and slipped back into the liquid. She thrashed about and got herself back up on her knees spitting out a mouthful of the fluid. Again she coughed. She looked around and saw dark towers rising up with no apparent end. Each column covered with containers like hers. And in each container...a human body?! Where would this nightmare end? 

   In answer to that question a huge metallic insect flew up at her. She tried to shrink back at its approach but there was no where to go. Then with a sudden movement it locked one of its multitude of limbs around her neck. She couldn’t breath as its grip tightened. In her panic she was vaguely aware that it was working a mechanism at the back of her neck near the base of her skull. Out of the corner of her eye she saw another of the “insects” digging into another container in the tower across from her. It pulled a body from the goo and with its appendage around the body’s neck. Trinity noticed that body was not struggling, she assumed it was dead. Then a sudden jolt and she was free of the thing and splashing about in the fluid again. She touched the back of her head and felt a large hole surrounded by some kind of inorganic plate. She felt a scream coming on along with a desire to wake up. But, as she had told Morpheus, something told her it wasn’t a dream. This fueled the scream even more. 

   She was about to cry out when she heard the grind and clang of gears and metal as something open up behind her. She half turned to see what horror awaited her when the liquid was suddenly sucked out from under her dragging her behind it. She felt herself bumping and scraping against the sides of a crusted, metallic chute. In vain she struggled to right herself or get some kind of control in her decent. Then she was free falling. She splashed into a stream of vile smelling dark liquid. She had prided herself in her swimming ability when she had been in grade school but now she could not even keep herself afloat. Her arms and legs seemed weak and unresponsive. She flailed and splashed trying not to submerge. She went under. 

   With a snort and gasp she reappeared on the surface. Amidst the splashing she heard the roar of something large coming overhead. A bright light cut through the murk and she saw what appeared to be a giant hand coming at her. She went under again but this time she knew she couldn’t get herself back up to the surface. Her arms and legs gave up and lay still. She couldn’t die like this and gave one last push to get to the surface. Then the robotic claw grabbed hold of her. It pulled her free of the fluid and toward the light. The light surrounded her and she thought she might have died. “Is this heaven?” was her last thought before she passed out.

   She awoke and opened her eyes. Her limbs still felt heavy and tired. Her vision was blurry but she could see warm light overhead. Then a shape stepped in front of the light and looked down at her. Her eyes slowly focused and she could make out a fuzzy Morpheus. Cypher, Switch, and Sparks then joined him.

   “Good morning, sleeping beauty,” said Cypher.

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

   She looked at him and blinked. She looked back to Cypher and tried to manage a thin smile. “I’m not in Kansas anymore, am I?”

   He smiled, “No, Dorothy, you’re not in Kansas anymore!”

   Trinity closed her eyes and let sleep overtake her. She dreamed of warm sunny days and wheat fields.