In one of the many AI headquarters scattered throughout the Matrix many bots hurried about performing their duties. They were, perhaps not quite as efficient as the Agents but were useful for such menial tasks. In one particular office area, the bots suddenly stilled their movements at the sound of the one Agent present cursing loudly. Not that this was unusual. It was a well-known fact that Gil-Rhuven sorely resented his demotion from field operations. He resented his replacement even more. Though he had not been in command of the team that he’d been assigned to, it had hardly mattered, since his, now deconstructed Command unit had more or less allowed him to use any means to get the required results. What smarted even more was that the replacement team might not have been assigned on merit… Raphael’s precious 0.2.8. As far is Gil-Rhuven could see, 0.2.8 could hardly be adequate to the task since they’d assigned Lucifer to deal with the matter.
“Agent Gil-Rhuven.” Came a sudden voice through the communication channels causing him to jump. No one had used those channels since he’d been demoted.
“You are reassigned to field ops, area 928.”
He blinked a few times, surely not; Toleezu’s assessment had found him too unstable for interaction with any uncontrolled environment.
“There have been reports of rogue Agent activity.”
“How is that possible?” he had to ask.
“We believe the rebels have found a way to replicate Agent code without the control programs. Your orders are to eliminate these programs… using any means possible.”
“What about civilian causalities?” Any means possible…
“The designated area is being cleared. Structural damage is anticipated, as well as rebel causalities.”
“Combat unit Mutuki…” Gil-Rhuven was already smiling.
“Is on his way. You are both cleared to use any appropriate means to eliminate your targets.”
“As you wish, Agent Toleezu.”
Of the hand full of rebels hiding in the burnt-out doorway of the deserted warehouse, only one of them seemed to have any strength left to speak and she reserved her speech for curses. One of the men looked at her, thoughtfully.
“This was-“ he began.
“My idea. I know! But how the fuck was I supposed to know that these things would go crazy!” she glared out of the doorway.
“Hey, I’m not starting on you. We didn’t know…”
“Yeah, I guess.” She sighed, suddenly looking exhausted.
He put a hand on her shoulder gently, “Don’t worry, we just have to wait a little longer then we can make it to the exit.”
“So we can go back and figure out what the hell went wrong.”
“Someone back in the real world’s got to have the answers. Maybe we’ll be able to come back and sort this all out.” He gave her an encouraging smile.
“Or maybe not.”
The remaining two rebels turned to see the fallen bodies of their comrades in the warehouse behind them. Both had time to raise their gazes to the Agent who had spoken, to register the flame-gun he held…
Mutuki looked down at the charred rebel bodies. He touched his earpiece and looked up to watch an explosion rip though the district. Not two blocks away a tall building wavered a little, then sank into the pile of rubble.
“Two more.” He commented.
“Ah. Three more.” Came the reply down the communication channels.
“Three? In that building?”
“Yes, along with an exit.”
“Ah.”
There was a pause.
“It would seem that the rebels are unprepared.” Gil-Rhuven commented.
“Yes. They are, after all…”
“Only human.”
Looking out over the city Toleezu remained calm as the reports began to filter in. The computerised communications flashing up on the screen behind him. He didn’t turn. The system itself was filled with many fail-safe checkpoints that would alert the AI to any discrepancies, alerts that would normally send any Agent in radius heading for the disturbance to put an end to it, to preserve the integrity of the system. Now that the mass destruction had been sanctioned he could have disabled such alarm calls, so he wouldn’t know, wouldn’t have to think about it but Toleezu couldn’t bring himself to do it, to ignore the problems as they arose. It went against every reason he had for existing; protect the humans living out their dream, maintain the grand Order that was the Matrix… It was everything that had ever been conceived of; perfect Order, the unparalleled symbiosis of human and machine. The humans living out their lives in obliviousness within the Matrix, the machines existing outside in the horror that was the real world. It was similar to the theories that human scientists had conceived about mitochondria; the tiny bacterial parasites had integrated with their hosts and become essential to their survival, just as the hosts were now essential to them…
Driving back towards the Operations plant, Jones as usual was silent, negotiating the debris of concrete and flesh that scattered the streets. Humans were easily broken, he reflected, just like any inanimate object. They’d once thought that machines were inanimate objects, tools to be used…
“Perhaps it could be called ‘fate’?” Brown’s voice sounded in his head.
“Or justice.” Smith spoke, surprising the other two. He had been silent unless directly issuing commands recently.
“Justice?” Brown queried.
“Poetic justice… Raphael is fond of that.”
Brown hid his unease. There was something about the way Smith said the name, in a tone of subservience touched with… with resentment and smouldering anger.
Having arrived at the Operations plant and been dismissed again 0.2.8 were left in another empty room to wait for orders. Jones sat down, settling himself into perfect stillness until movement would be required. Smith did the same, leaving Brown to watch him curiously.
“Why do you do that?” Smith asked Brown suddenly, his voice echoing down the communication channels.
“Do what?” Brown hedged, unwilling to truly answer what he suspected the question was.
“Watch.”
“Watch what?”
“Watch me. Your observations have not gone un-noted, Brown.”
“As strategic unit it is my duty to monitor the ability of all units to deal with-“
“Brown.”
“Yes?”
“You are, as a human would say ‘chatting shit’.”
“That is a physical improbability, Smith.” Brown replied in a level tone, though he had the distinct impression that the Command unit was laughing at him.
19:01, 28/04/02