I must say things are going nicely, darlings. If we can keep it up at this rate, soon the snoozers will sleep snug in their beds without any nasty old Zionites around to bother them.
 
xox Veil xox

PS -- Ooh, and special hugs for deviljonnny and Salyut! ;)
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hmmh... I don't know what's more tragic. That we've lost three good soldiers, people, human beings, or that many whom were once considered allies, even friends, have now become that which we, they, once despised. There are names who were a part of this operation which I cannot believe. War - it kills the mind sometimes. In more ways than the preferred Cypherite method.

We'll recoup our losses and, hopefully, the rest of our damned vets will get the idea and stay out of the Matrix. I've got an idea for some payback, too...

And, though our team was too late to stop any of these killings, or even know what was going on until after they had occurred, it was... satisfying... appearing right in the middle of the congregated Cypherite masses, and frightening them away. Veil never did give me the coordinates of her ship, though... Ah well, that hunt'll just have to continue along the parallel it's always continued along.

We're going to get you. It's all a matter of time.

...the rest of our damned vets will get the idea and stay out of the Matrix.

Neoteny wrote:

...the rest of our damned vets will get the idea and stay out of the Matrix.

That's the issue right there. If you can get the vulnerable ones out of the Matrix, we can avoid all this killing. We're just defending the Machines' territory, that's all. And keeping your vets out will probably have the nice side-effect of annoying the Cypherites too. (Well, until they can find a way into New Zion at any rate. I'd rather like to stop the Cypherites managing that - we Machinists could take care of the situation without going completely overboard.)

All I mean is that you can't expect to get away with entering the Matrix. You were warned God knows how many times to get out, but when we start acting on our threats you cry foul!

Agreed.

The Matrix belongs to the Machines.  It is their creation and policed by their resources.  Zion was permitted to enter to obtain those who wanted to leave but now that is no longer permitted.

Enter the Matrix, at your own risk. 

...I see no reason to respect theirs.

But I've said it before and I'll say it again: I would have no trouble with Zion killing Machinists, Cypherites or destroying Machines that incroach on their territory. All I mean is that you can't expect to get away with entering the Matrix. You were warned God knows how many times to get out, but when we start acting on our threats you cry foul!

I'll grant you that we were warned many times.  Hell, I wish I'd never have to go back in.  The sad part is that we have to.  In today's day and age, the flow of information is the one key to living and surviving.  Zion has to have that in order to be able to defend itself.  We have sentinels attacking us, the Merovingian plotting against us in both the Matrix and in the Real.  Recruits can only be taken from the Matrix itself in order to bolster our ranks.  But this matters not to you, because you are a Machinist, on the opposing side.  I can only hope that you or others will understand and through that understanding, eventually it may lead to peace or someone's death.  Which of those it will be, is in the hands of the Machines' and in Zion High Command.

((Last time I checked, the only people who can jack in to the Matrix are those who were actually pulled from it, but I'm not positive.  Let me know if that's right or wrong please!))

If New Zion wasn't the threat it is, you wouldn't need to defend yourselves, you wouldn't need to bolster the ranks in your military. We had a truce that lasted a fair while and, sure both sides were wary of each other and making minor infractions on the truce. There was never any evidence that the Machines wanted to attack and wipe out Zion whatsoever. The Machines were watching, possibly out of interest in the species, probably to try to make sure that their own interests weren't being threatened.

It was in fact the Zion military's paranoia that fuelled the planning of the new city, even with the knowledge that it was against the truce. Did they really think that it wouldn't get noticed. It was good planning that got them as far as it did without being found out.

But New Zion is a threat, and make no bones about it, we are at war. To win at war you must either defeat the opposition entirely (exactly what the Machines are working toward) or make peace with mutual benefits for all sides concerned but it requires all sides to communicate, and thus far even with all of the opportunities given, Zion continues down the road of agression.

If New Zion wasn't the threat it is, you wouldn't need to defend yourselves, you wouldn't need to bolster the ranks in your military. We had a truce that lasted a fair while and, sure both sides were wary of each other and making minor infractions on the truce. There was never any evidence that the Machines wanted to attack and wipe out Zion whatsoever. The Machines were watching, possibly out of interest in the species, probably to try to make sure that their own interests weren't being threatened.

It was in fact the Zion military's paranoia that fuelled the planning of the new city, even with the knowledge that it was against the truce. Did they really think that it wouldn't get noticed. It was good planning that got them as far as it did without being found out.

But New Zion is a threat, and make no bones about it, we are at war. To win at war you must either defeat the opposition entirely (exactly what the Machines are working toward) or make peace with mutual benefits for all sides concerned but it requires all sides to communicate, and thus far even with all of the opportunities given, Zion continues down the road of agression.

Oh yes, the whole lay down our arms and be welcomed in open arms by the Machines' argument.  I've heard it before and I believe not a single word of it.  Let's look at some facts here.  The Machines' have control over most of the planet and are generally the organization with the most power.  The Matrix is their own creation and they are the ones maintaining it, which means they hold most of the power in that respect.  In the Real, it is the swarms of sentinels that our hovercraft must avoid in order to travel.  If the Machines truly wanted peace, they would have to be the ones who extended their arms for it.  I do not call telling your enemy to lay down their weapons and comply, a gesture of peace.  Zion cannot communicate with the "ultimatums" it receives.  There is no verbal exchange in this.  It is either do it this way, or die.

Yes, we are at war.  I have already said this, but I do not know if you truly realize what it means to be in war.  So far, Zion has acted weak, and pacifistic compared to the ways that it really could.  I say we unleash the dogs of war and teach you the horrors that are really possible.  Make no mistake, we can stress your precious system and burn it down around you.  An example may have to be made so that the Machines are forced to come back to true negotiations to realize that you need us to play nice.

I want peace.  I hate war and truly wish that Machines and Humans can put aside their differences to start tackling the truly important problems we face.  I want to be able to see the real Sun sometime throughout my life.  Unfortunately, with attitudes such as yours, that may never happen.