I landed seventy four stories below that window about two minutes later with a loud THUD. I tucked Piglet underneath my shirt, so I looked pregnant. I giggled as I pulled out my cell phone and called the Merovingian. It rang once. “Wire,” He said, “You need me?” “Yes, sir. I’ve got Piglet. But the Machines trapped him in some sort of glass pod.” I continued running down the street. I realized I would have to run downtown…I couldn’t teleport Piglet. In order to get downtown, I’d have to swim the aqueduct. I headed toward it. “Well, Wire, I have my best veterinarians and doctors here to see if they can help him.” “Alright, thanks sir.” “No problem, Wire. I will see you when you get here.” Click. He hung up. I finally got to the banks of the Aqueduct. I knew it was going to be cold, and no one knew what was in that water. I jumped in, taking Piglet with me.

*Splash*. I sunk underneath the water, and figured I had quite a lot of swimming to do. With Piglet secured to my belly, I could swim freely. I swam as far as I could before surfacing. Nearby I heard a boat…I looked around and there was a boat coming towards me. It came up to me and stopped, following me as I swam along the surface. There were Agents onboard the boat. “Ms. Anderson. We are here to help you. Grab my hand.” “*CENSORED* you!” I replied. “Ms. Anderson…please do not be hostile. We are here to help you. You could freeze to death in that water.” He put his hand out. I flipped him off and kept swimming. They followed along, slowly. I figured they were hoping I’d cooperate. But to cooperate meant surrender. I heard a helicopter in the distance. The helicopter came and stopped directly above me. It dropped a floatation device, which I grabbed, and it began to lift me out of the ice cold water, and away from the Agents. “Here, take a swim, you son of a *CENSORED*!” I yelled, kicking one of the Agents hard, knocking him backwards off his boat. I laughed. Piglet was still attached to my stomach. “Your surrender is inevitable.” One of the other Agents said. “Keep dreaming, metal-head. You made the fatal mistake when you messed with Piglet.” I reached the chopper a few seconds later. One of the exiles gave me a grenade and pointed at the boat. I threw the grenade onto the boat, and it exploded a few seconds later, sending debris and Agent body parts all over the bay. I laughed again.

We landed on the roof of Club Hel. We got into the club and I got to the Merovingian. I detached Piglet from my belly and held him out. The Merovingian took the small encased Piglet into his hands. “Ze poor thing.” “Can’t we just break the glass?” I asked him. “No,” A man in a lab coat said, “The shock would kill him. We have to figure out how to wake him up and detach him from the life-support of his pod.” I nodded, as my cell phone rang. I turned and headed to the exit to the room and headed outside into the hallway before answering it. It was Agent Pace. “Hello?” I asked. "Buon pomeriggio, Operative. I have called in an attempt to calm this war between you and the Machines.” “Well…it’s not working.” “Ms. Anderson, we have a way to release Piglet from his pod. However, this requires that you trust us…trust me.” “Look, the last time you had Piglet in your custody, you hurt him…you confined him to a glass prison. How do I know if I trust you again you won’t kill him?” “We will not harm your pet, Ms. Anderson.” “Just like you didn’t harm him last time?” “Well, I am giving you a chance to come in, end this war, and save Piglet’s life. Are you interested in doing just that?” “Yes.” “Then come to Tabor Park West. There is a building there behind the hardline. That is our Tabor Park office. You will bring Piglet there. Come up to the 15^th floor. We will be waiting.” “Alright.” “Ciao, Operative.” She hung up first. I snuck my “bubblepig” out of Club Hel quietly and headed towards Richland. I took the Merovingian’s helicopter.

I landed the chopper on the roof of the office building. I got out, and went inside, taking the elevator to the 15^th floor. The car stopped and the door opened. I hesitated. Stepping through that door meant surrendering to the Machines. Once I stepped off that elevator and onto the 15^th floor, there was no turning back. I took a breath, touched Piglet who was attached to my belly again, and stepped through the door. The second I did, the elevator door slammed behind me. I turned around and tried to pry them open again…no go. I walked down the hallway and opened the door at the end. I stepped through the door, encountering three Agents. One touched his earpiece. “Ms. Anderson has arrived with the animal.” I heard one of the others. “We have her. She’s here.” I ignored the Agents and the creepy feeling they gave me. I walked to the door on the opposite side of the room and opened it. Inside stood Agents Pace, Gray and Brown. “Wire…I’m glad you made the decision to come here.” Agent Brown said as I stepped into the room and Agent Gray closed (and locked) the door behind me. Agent Pace smiled. “Ms. Anderson, I am glad you have made the right decision. Give me the animal.” I looked down at my “pregnant” belly and rubbed it with my hand as an expectant mother rubs her belly. I was hesitant. Agent Brown looked at Pace and said, “Let me do it.” He walked up to me. “Please, Wire. We can help him…and you. If you’d only trust us.” I sighed, unsure if I was handing my baby off to the most trustworthy of folk. I nodded, and took Piglet from my belly and handed him to Agent Brown, who also smiled. He took Piglet and turned around, setting him on the desk against the far wall. Piglet then disappeared - glass pod and all - and dissolved into green code. “No!” I said, lunging for the desk. Agent Gray grabbed my arm from behind, holding me in place. “Relax, Wire.” Agent Brown replied, “I sent him to the source. The Architect will release him from his prison.” “The Architect? No!” I replied. “Oh yes, Ms. Anderson.” Agent Gray replied, still holding me in place, “And you’re going there as well.” I felt handcuffs close around my wrist that he was holding. “No!” Agent Brown held his hand out. “Wire…it’s ok…The Architect has some questions for you, that’s all.” I felt handcuffs around my other wrist as well. “You’re going back to the Source, whether you want to, or not.” Gray said. Pace nodded. He tapped the back of my legs with his foot, and sent me to the floor onto my knees. “Prepare for transfer. 3…2…1…” The entire world dissolved into green code…

After my little visit with the OWB, he had taken away my hacking keyboard and my ability to hack the Matrix right along with it. It had been about three hours, no sign of Piglet or the OWB. I was beginning to get angry. It was time to strike back at the Machines.

I got suited up in my Elite commando gear, and looking like a ninja, I entered the lobby building where Neo himself had stood. I killed every single guard in the lobby of the military building. After eliminating the security, more streamed in as I got on the elevator and traveled to the 55^th floor. I got off and I was standing in a hallway with doors on each side. I took the left one first, entering an office area. I entered the first door I found and found a computer inside. I sat down and inserted a virus into the mainframe of the building, scrambling all machine programs that coordinated Agent movement into the simulation, for one. Their coordination systems crashed, I stood up from the chair and left the building as fast as I could. I boarded the elevator and got to the lobby. There were guards waiting for me…they began shooting at me as I entered bullet time and dodged their bullets. Then, the guards began to morph into Agents at the same time. Six guards morphing into Agents. Not good. I got out the front door and made it to the hardline. Thank God.

The Sentinal: June 25th -- Explosion rocks Power Plant

GUINNESS LAKE -- A series of explosions shook the neighborhood late last night, leaving the entire district as well as parts of Downtown without power. A twenty-foot hole was blown out of one outer wall of the main building and several dozen security guards were found garrotted and knifed, their bodies drained of their blood and with their internal organs removed even though no surgical incisions were detected. Mysteriously, all unarmed personnel were found unconscious but unharmed, as if they had been gassed or drugged by some non-lethal substance. 

Officials at the Central Power Plant are unable to detect the source of the explosions, but messages were found scrawled in blood on the outer wall of one of the main reactors, messages written in Egyptian heiroglyphics, as well as a ten foot graph of what appears to be a Kabbalistic chart of "the Tree of Death", written in soot. An Egyptologist from Stratford Campus's Barron College, Sofia Neferankh, was called in to translate them. "In part, they read, 'Let him loose, or let slip the dog of war'. As well as a line adapted from the Egyptian Book of the Dead: 'I am she who cometh forth advancing, whose name is unknown. I am Yesterday. "Seer of Millions of Years" is my name. I pass along, I pass along the paths of the divine celestial judges'. " How it was applied is unknown to law enforcement or officials in charge of running the facility, and as of this printing, most eye-witnesses have not yet recovered from the attack.

Residents living in the area report hearing a noise like "a gigantic hound barking and howling" moments before the blast and the blackout, but it is uncertain how or if this had any bearing on what followed.


© 2008 The Sentinel. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

The hardline didn’t work…I couldn’t leave the Matrix! And I couldn’t call for backup either; I had thrown my cell phone out the window and shattered it into a million pieces. I did not think the Machines could trace me or contact me. Wrong. A bluepill began to walk up to the hardline. He stopped when he saw me. “You done using that phone?” He asked. “No.” I replied, picking it up again and preparing to type in a teleport code to get my *CENSORED* out of downtown. I looked again, and the poor guy was morphing into an Agent. I slammed the hardline down and hyper jumped for the nearest roof. I looked back and the bluepill had morphed into Agent Brown. He touched his earpiece. I heard what he began to say…as I had my own earpiece that I had forgotten about. “She’s on the move. 134. 148. Negative 82.” At first I didn’t know what the numbers were. Then I knew what they were as another Agent began to morph in on the rooftop. Coordinates. Then…I heard them speak to me. “Wire…we know you can hear us. Stop running. Compliance is mandatory.” I touched my earpiece to speak back to them. “I’m going to keep running until you guys stop me -” I stopped in mid sentence when suddenly a room erected itself around me. What was previously a rooftop was now another floor of the building. I couldn’t find my way out… “We wish to negotiate.” “You’re so full of bologna it’s coming out of your ears…the last time you wanted to ‘negotiate’, you kidnapped Piglet and sent the OWB after me.” Suddenly, three Agents began to morph in around me in a five foot radius. I ran to the nearest door and kicked it with all my might…and it was kicked down. I ran out of the floor and up the stairs to the new roof. I tried to hyper jump again, but realized I was rooted. I couldn’t run or jump. Agent Brown appeared from the stairwell. He ran towards me. “Wire - don’t be alarmed. I got rid of the other Agents. I’m going to get you out of here.” “What? I thought you worked for them.” “I do work for them.” “So how can I trust you?” “I’m going to take you into protective custody. We just had an explosion at a Westview power plant.” “But, what does that have to do with me?” “No ‘buts’, Wire. You’re coming with me.” I rolled my eyes. Agent Brown was as protective as Agent White was. “Oh, and I have this for you.” He said, pulling out my cell phone. “But…how did you -” “I repaired it for you. I figured you’d need a cell phone anyways. I also changed the phone number on it -” He was stopped in mid sentence when it rang. He gave it to me and I answered the call. “Hello?” “Ms. Anderson.” I recognized the voice. It was the OWB himself. “What the hell do you want?” I asked. “I have your Piglet. He’s alive and well. However, you must surrender to my Agents first.” “The Wire never surrenders.” I replied, hanging up the phone. “Transfer,” Agent Brown said, “3…2…1…” The world changed to green code again.

Piglet awoke in a strange white room. He was floating. He tried to think of where he could possibly be that was without gravity, and full of light. He remembered Wire saying something about “the Source”. Could this be it? Could he be at the beginning of the Matrix itself? Piglet sighed. This was going to be a long day.

“Agent Gray.” The Architect said to the screen showing the Agent. “Yes sir?” “I want you to enter the White Room and see how the animal is doing.” “Yes sir.” The White room. A separate construct that was separate from The Source and The Matrix. Agent Gray teleported himself into this construct. He saw the animal floating in the middle of the room. This would make for an interesting report later.

Suddenly, the lights dimmed, and Piglet saw Agent Gray standing near by, below him a bit. How could it be that he was floating and Agent Gray was standing on the floor? Piglet hadn’t even realized that there was a floor, or walls, or a door before. This room had no rules of physics like the simulation did.

Agent Gray reached up and took hold of Piglet. “Oink.” Piglet did not squeal, squirm, or otherwise resist. Agent Gray cocked his head slightly in curiosity as he looked down at the small life in his hands…and he felt something he hadn’t felt ever before. Compassion. Somehow he sensed the animal was hungry, and the room they were both in would react to the Agent’s thoughts. A table appeared, and on it, a bowl of food for Piglet. Agent Gray sat Piglet on the table near the bowl as he sat down at it as well. Piglet walked up to the food and began to eat like he hadn’t eaten in days. Technically he hadn’t. Water also appeared on a whim for the animal. Agent Gray did something he had never done. He smiled.

The Architect aimed his pen at one of the screens and tapped it. It showed Agent Gray and Piglet. Agent Gray was petting Piglet as he ate. Was that…compassion? The Architect knew that he programmed none of his Agents with compassion, as it would negatively affect their performance. He became concerned, as he watched Agent Gray interact with the animal. Was it possible…that Wire’s ‘program’ was contagious and spreading? The thought of that possibility also meant he had to consider another possibility: Identify the Agents with the ‘virus’ or watch the downfall of the Matrix.

Wire had to be located and she had to be located now.

While the Architect began formulating a program to identify the Agents with the virus, Wire was in the Matrix, formulating her own program to hack her way back into the Source. She was about 99% sure the Architect had her pet locked up in a construct somewhere.

In the Source, Agent Gray picked up Piglet and hugged him. Piglet smiled and closed his eyes, feeling secure in the Agent’s arms. “I will get you back to Wire. I promise.” He told the Piglet, who oinked softly. He teleported himself and Piglet back to the simulation, where he would track down Wire and return Piglet to her.

I stood in the safehouse, doing finishing touches on my “hack the source” program. Suddenly, an Agent began to morph in. I pulled out my gun and aimed it at him. He materialized and it was Agent Gray…and Piglet. I lowered the gun and said, “Piglet!!” Piglet awoke in the Agent’s arms and saw me. “Oink!!” “I felt that I should return your pet to you, Ms. Anderson.” Agent Gray said, giving me Piglet, who I took and hugged immediately. Agent Gray smiled, shocking me. “I am glad you are happy.” I cocked my head and raised an eyebrow. “Are you…exhibiting emotions?” He nodded. “I do not know where they come from, Ms. Anderson. The Architect did not program me with emotions.” I pulled out a code analyzer and used it to read Agent Gray’s code. His program had been overridden with my program. How was that possible? Suddenly, a knock at the door. Both Agents pulled their guns and aimed them at the door as I answered it. Outside stood three more Agents. They smiled at me. “My God,” I said, “My program has become a virus. It’s spreading.”

The Agents welcomed themselves in. And me? I was excited that I had a roomful of Agents, but at the same time I knew I had to get all these Agents to a construct immediately. I had to start an “emotional Agent retreat” to protect them from the System that no doubt wanted them all dead.

:: A note written in what one hopes is only red ink...::

Glad to see the bacon came home in one piece, thanks in part to the heat I put on the damned Toasters.

Just remember: I don't give out my favors for free. You owe me one, and I will collect the debt when I see fit. Thank your lucky glyphs, it won't be for a while yet.

M. Marrithsdattir

P.S. Just remember, every virus has its antidote. It's just a matter of it being found. Good luck with the emo-Agents.

I opened my cell phone and hit 3, the speed dial for the Merovingian. “Hello, Wire.” He said. “I have an issue.” “I know about your Agent program.” “Sir, it’s spreading. I need somewhere to send these Agents, or the System will seek to destroy them.” “You are empathetic for them?” “Yes, sir. I must protect them. And I need your help.” “I have a plan, dear Wire. I have a place downtown that no one knows about. It is a tall building in Morrell, which has sixty floors. I can isolate the building from the simulation upon will.” “Excellent. May I ask if I can use it?” “Of course you can, my dear Wire. I can transport you there immediately, if you wish.” “Yes. The faster the better.” “Prepare for teleport, as soon as you hang up this phone.” “Thank you, Liege.” I hung up the phone. It wasn’t ten seconds. We all disappeared from the safehouse.

We reappeared in this government building. I had five Agents with me. “Where did you take us?” Agent Gray asked. I looked over at him. “A safehouse.” “Another one? Where?” “A place in the Downtown district of the simulation where you’ll all be safe from the System.” “Are you sure that this is safe?” Another Agent asked. I nodded. “I was assured of it by the Merovingian.” “And since when can the Merovingian be trusted?” “Since the System decided that it wanted to work against me…and wanted to destroy you.” “Why do you care about us?” Another Agent asked. “I…I don’t know.” I replied. They finally shut up long enough for me to take a look around. We were in the lobby of the building. “Go up to the 42^nd floor. I’ll be there in a little bit.” The three as-of-yet unnamed Agents boarded the elevator and disappeared behind it’s closed door.

Agents Brown and Gray were still with me. “You trust the Merovingian?” Brown asked. I nodded. “I used to work for him. I find him trustworthy…as long as you don’t get on his bad side.” I turned around and began to walk to the front door, which was sealed. In order to exit, I had to use the hardline directly next to the door. “Where are you going?” “Back to the simulation.” “We are coming with.” Gray said. “No…I want you to stay here until further notice. I can’t risk your viruses spreading further into the simulation.” “But -” “Leave the protecting up to me…please. Stay here. That’s an order.” I turned around and walked up to the phone. Brown followed. I felt a hand on my shoulder. “I can’t allow you to leave.” I turned around, taking his hand into mine. “But I must. I must…find a cure for your condition. I don’t know why it’s spreading…but it is.” “Please don’t leave.” “I must. I will be back.” “You’ll be back?” “I promise.” He nodded, seeming to find comfort in my words. “Ok.” I returned his nod and smiled at him. I let him go and picked up the phone. I put it to my ear and vanished, back into the simulation.

Agent Wilson looked over at his colleagues: Agents Johnson and Long. "She's running for the hardline." "We must stop her." "Erect a barrier. Immediately." "It's not working." "Then we must stop the hardline from functioning." The Agents could bend the code to their will, and they did.

I reached the hardline and put it to my ear. It was in an alleyway near a dead end. I called the hideout. "Hello?" I heard Agent Gray say. "Agent Gray, thank the Gods. Listen, I need a teleport to the hideout right away." "What's wrong?" "There are three Agents behind me. Just get me that teleport. No time to explain!" "Can't you just use the hardline to teleport yourself here?" "No...the hardline won't teleport me! Get me that teleport! Hurry!" The Agents entered the beginning of the alley and stopped where they were. All three of them watched me...then began to walk slowly towards my position. "You always said I could trust you. You always said you stuck to your word. Now's the time for you to prove that you can be trusted! That you stick to your word! Get me that tele -" The world turned to green code.

The Agents watched as Wire disappeared in a green haze. "She's escaped." "Where did she go?" "I have a trace: Morrell in the Downtown district." "Let's go." The three Agents vanished.

I reappeared inside the hideout. Agents Gray and Brown were waiting for me. "Are you damaged?" Agent Brown asked. I shook my head. "I'm alright." "We have a problem." Gray said, suddenly, "The System Agents followed you here. We have been exposed."

It all started three years ago. I was a software tech at Metacortex, and I had my office way up on the 25th floor. It was an easy job, nine to five, decent pay. My boss wasn't that bad either. It was a normal day the day it all started, I came into work at 9am and sat down at my desk. I got to work, and the next thing I knew it was almost noon. Time for lunch. I turned in my chair to organize some papers on my desk...but I didn't have to touch them and they moved. At first I didn't believe it. Was it mind over matter? I moved the papers with my mind, motioning with my hand and they landed in a neat pile nearby. I looked around my office and saw it turn to green code, and I felt sick suddenly, and lightheaded. The view turned back to normal, and I found I could influence my entire office. My office didn't originally have a window. I gave it a window view. I gave myself a better computer, a nicer desk, nicer carpeting and a new paint job on the walls. Though I thought it was cool that I could change things this way, I was also scared to death. Was I losing my mind?

I went home that night, jumped on the internet. I got into a chatroom and asked if anyone else had ever had this experience. I felt alone, and was looking for just one kindred soul. Finally, a reply. "Ms. Anderson, I am Agent Smith with the Secret Service. Things are not as they appear to be. If you are interested in learning more, email me at my Agency. I will give you my information if you wish. I would be interested in assisting you in this matter. One more thing, Ms. Anderson. You are not alone." So I emailed him with my name, location, all that jazz. The next day, he showed up at my work, scared me half to death. He had two colleagues with him. I peeked at him over a cubicle wall. Three Agents in black suits, the whole G-Man look. I felt nervous as I returned to my office, a cubicle that was separated into a different room, away from the noise. I sat down and drank my coffee, and worked on our latest computer game. I was typing on my computer when I heard a knock at the door. "Come in." I said. The door opened. Three Agents walked in slowly. "I am Agent Smith." The Agent who had knocked said. He pointed at his two colleagues. "My colleagues, Agent Brown and Agent Jones. Would you care to tell us what happened last night?" I sighed. They were a bit intimidating.

The next second we were standing in an all white room. "Where are we?" I asked him, "And how did we get here?" "We've arrived at the Source." There was a white chair nearby, empty. There were TV screens all over the walls. Smith waved his hand slowly at the screens, and they began to show different scenes. I walked around and peered at them. Some showed a nuclear war, strange machines I had never seen before, people inside pods asleep. I kept walking, slowly. Other screens showed a man grabbing a phone in a phone booth and vanishing, an Agent dressed like Smith who punched through a concrete wall and kicked down a door, and another of an Agent dodging bullets. "Is that Agent dodging bullets? That's impossible." Smith was silent. I kept looking. Another showed an Agent hyper jumping, an Agent morphing, and another of strange hover craft type ships in what appeared to be sewer tunnels. "So..." I began, "The world I know isn't real." "That's correct." Smith replied. "So...what is this place?" "In a place your religion would call ‘Heaven'. Separate from the world you knew, and yet everything that happens in that world is controlled from here." Smith tapped one of the screens, and an entire group of them showed one large picture of a person in a pod. I looked closer. That person was...me. "Is that me?" I asked. He nodded. "Yes." I saw Machines surrounding my pod. "What is this?" "That...is the Real World." "My God...those machines look really scary." I felt a hand on my shoulder. "They are making sure you are ok...because the truth could kill you." My eyes went wide. He told me the story of the Matrix. The nuclear war, and how the Matrix came to be and why it was there. I agreed to stay plugged in, and Smith made it so. He taught me quickly, downloading things like Kung Fu, Hacking (Healing), and Coding directly into my brain in the real.

Afterward, Smith took me to a safehouse back in the Matrix to observe my reaction to the truth. I knew things were about to get interesting.

Everything was normal, until one day I needed Smith's help with something; I went to track him down. I could track him via a cell phone he carried with him, and he gave me one like it. I could track him using the phone's GPS. He was at some park in Mara. He was at Debir Court...I didn't know why or what he was doing there. I walked between the apartment buildings there, through some alleyways. I got to the center of the place but stopped in my tracks when I saw something that truly terrified me. My eyes went wide as I slowly scanned the middle of the park...I saw what appeared to be like a hundred Agent Smiths fighting a man in a long jacket. I had to take a second look to realize that they were Smith clones. I ducked down and hid from a vantage point where I could see most of the fight. The man in the jacket was extremely powerful, he was able to throw and overpower the clones. They fought for a long time, until the man in the jacket flew off into the sky... flew?! But that was...impossible? I heard one of the clones call the man "Mr. Anderson". It must've been Neo. It was the first time I'd ever seen him.

It was a full twenty four hours before I showed my face in Megacity again. I had bolted my door and all my windows shut to keep the Smiths out. I was terrified he'd find me again.

I eventually went to see the Oracle about what I had seen...as I found it profoundly disturbing. I walked into her kitchen. "Hello Wire. I know why you're here. You're going to ask about Smith." "Yes. I saw him in Debir Court. Him and a whole bunch of his...clones." She nodded slightly, while she sat at her kitchen table and smoked a cigarette. "How is he able to do that? How can an Agent clone himself?" "Smith is no longer an Agent, dear. He's become an exile as a result of a fight with Neo." "How?" I asked. "Neo fought Smith, changed his code. Smith was called for deletion by the Machines...but he is far too determined to take over this world to just give up so easily." I grimaced slightly. "Take over this world? You mean using his clones?" "Yes. Smith found out that he has that ability, now he's going to use it to take over the Matrix. Neo is going to fight Smith one final time before Smith has the chance to succeed and make the Matrix his. The outcome of that fight will determine if this world will be in Smith's hands or in Neo's." "What about me? What should I do?" She shook her head. "Honey, I'm sorry. I don't have any good news for you today. You're a good soul, you really are." I waited for her reply. She seemed to be hesitating. "Smith loves you more than anything. He won't continue on this path of his without you. He is coming to find you...and you're going to become one of him." My eyes went wide. "So...that's it?" I asked, "How can I prevent it? Is there anything I can do?" "Get out of the Matrix as soon as you can, and don't come back...for quite a while." She replied, finally putting out her cigarette. "I see the darkness spreading...I see death. And it's only a matter of time before he finds you. Get out while you still can, honey. That's all I can tell you."