Facing the windows again, Lucifer stood absolutely still, eyes firmly shut. He didn’t lean against the glass, didn’t raise a hand to rest against it. Just stood there, silently blocking out the ‘reality’ of the situation. Toleezu’s reports had contained all the details of the continuing destruction that he needed to know and more besides. But this wasn’t the end, far from it; Raphael’s plan anticipated much more damage, to the physical construct of the Matrix, to the rebels, to the innocents who would never know why it all happened. Blissfully oblivious, Lucifer though, would no longer mean that for those affected by Raphael’s ultimate solution. The more he thought about it the more horrific it seemed, each second, each day, amplified everything. He didn’t know if it were actually possible but pretty soon, if the deaths didn’t stop, Lucifer was pretty sure it might drive him insane. He could barely face the current death toll… what would it be tomorrow or the day after or the day after that? He could picture the desolation of the empty streets, the empty shells that the humans left behind, the humans left behind while others died… and what for? This solution, an absolute that didn’t ask or forgive, that just threw ‘reality’ in the face of the rebels, as if to say here it is… all the death you could ever want. Do you feel heroic now? Do you think you’ve ‘saved’ them? Lucifer clenched his fists, it wasn’t real, this system, this world but… it was all that was left.
“Perhaps it isn’t Paradise but I will not allow it to become Hell either.” He said to the empty room, raising his head, determined gaze now fixed on an unseen point in the air.
Within the Matrix, Raphael was surprised to feel Lucifer suddenly appear within the Mainframe. While Lucifer was still detached from the code streams, he was there, appearing suspended within a sudden space. Raphael watched suspiciously. Lucifer didn’t move, just hung there, looking angry and now that he listened, Raphael could hear Lucifer’s demand for an audience with the Seraphim.
Reaching out toward the physical construct of the Matrix, Raphael caught a flare of static from Smith before everything went silent again. He would have frowned, had he been human, it seemed that his Agents didn’t know what Lucifer was doing either. Distracted by the lack of further information from his Agents Raphael took a moment to notice an incessant pull that ripped him from the code, forcing him into an almost physical form in one of the gaps in the code streams. He found himself facing Lucifer, at his intimidating best. Raphael held himself still, refusing to flinch, in a manner easily recognisable as being the same as Smith’s response to him. Lucifer looked down at him. Raphael folded his arms across his chest defensively. Silence ensued. Lucifer remained perfectly still while Raphael fought the urge to fidget. Finally Lucifer spoke,
“Your plan is not working, Raphael.” He made it sound like a death sentence.
“It will. Give the humans time to…to…” Raphael trailed off under Lucifer’s gaze.
“To, what?”
“Realise their own stupidity.” Raphael was looking down at his own feet now.
“You are fortunate that the Seraphim seem to agree with you… for the time being.” And then Lucifer was gone.
Raphael was visibly relived; an enraged Lucifer was a truly dangerous thing. Left floating in the gap of code, Raphael was introspective. The Seraphim agreed with him for the moment… for the moment...
“How many are left?” Lucifer demanded of Toleezu, not needing to specify what he was talking about.
“Two. Location, area 928.” Toleezu replied, looking at the monitor readout.
“And how long till they are eliminated?”
“I estimate… under 30 minutes.”
“Good. Begin recalling all field units.”
“What about…” Toleezu began, with a hint of a dry smile.
“I’ll send 0.2.8 to fetch them.” Came Lucifer’s decisive reply.
Toleezu’s lips parted in what, for him, passed as silent laughter.
The two rogue programs left in area 928, made their way along a decimated street warily. They were the last ones left: all others, along with all the rebels that had been present had been destroyed, like much of the surrounding area. They didn’t get very far. Shattered glass scattering everywhere heralded Mutuki’s arrival as he landed a flying kick solidly in the chest area of one of the rogue programs. It wasn’t long before the internal structure of the unfortunate program had been shattered, almost completely. Looking up from his ‘kill’, Mutuki calmly observed the other fallen program, a blooded brick lying next to what was left of it’s skull.
“Is it dead?” he enquired.
Gil-Rhuven drew his gun and fired into the broken skull, “Yes.” He said.
The sound of footsteps behind drew their attention. Gil-Rhuven turned, weapon extended to find Smith facing him in a similar posture.
“All field units are recalled.” Smith stated calmly.
Silence was the only reply.
“The rogue programs have been eliminated.” He said, as if that explained everything, “If you refuse to follow orders…” Smith trailed off, not needing to explain the threat.
“And what’s to stop me from blowing a hole in your cranium?” Gil-Rhuven asked calmly.
“Nothing… but…”
Gil-Rhuven raised an eyebrow in question.
“I will be permitted a respawn.” Stressing the ‘I’ there was a hint of a smile on Smith’s face.
Gil-Rhuven began to laugh.
Standing in front of his assigned office, Gil-Rhuven took the time to observe the humans rushing by, oblivious to reality. Helpless souls, forever caught in their dreaming, destined never to know the truth. But perhaps it was better that way…
“What now?” came Mutuki’s voice through his communication channels.
“Now… I go back to my desk job.” He replied.
The Matrix needed stability, control, Order: not unstable Agents like them in the vanguard. All things considered then maybe 0.2.8 wasn’t really such a bad choice.
Stepping out of the car, again returning to the Operations plant, Brown was surprised to feel a light touch on his arm. He turned to look in the direction that Jones indicated, to see Smith staring off into the distance.
“Perhaps you should talk to him now.” Jones suggested before turning to enter the building.
Brown approached Smith, silently coming stand beside him and turning to look out across the busy street.
“They are only human.” Smith spoke first.
“Yes?”
Smith was silent.
“You do not approve of their destruction?” Brown was beginning to understand.
“The end does not justify the means.”
“And Raphael’s plan…”
Smith didn’t visibly react to the name, falling silent before turning on his heel and entering the building.
Brown followed, catching up with him just as Smith entered the lift.
“I do not understand completely but… I do not think Raphael is correct about that either.” He said quietly.
“Correct about what?” Smith hedged.
“About you. You are not just his tool, not just an imitation of what he is.” Brown said firmly.
“No. I am not.” Was all Smith said.
18:47, 29/04/02