Single Minded Purpose

An Alternate Source of Sustenance

Disclaimer: I don’t own the Matrix, the Matrix owns me.

Summary: Out of desperation, Sarah’s unborn child discovers an alternate source of food and the very existence of the Matrix itself could collapse if its voracious appetite is not quelled in time.

The efforts of purging were exhausting Sarah to such an extent that she stopped eating altogether. With Smith absent from the apartment, there was no need to put up a show of eating; the clone that was guarding her did not care if she actually ate or not and subsequently did not notice when she stopped. As a result, Sarah was growing steadily weaker; three days of absolute fasting would take its toll on anyone and Sarah was no different. She did her best to preserve the appearance of a young woman in the beginning stages of a normal, healthy pregnancy, but as time passed, the illusion of vibrant liveliness that had been her usual level of activity was getting more and more difficult to maintain.

Whatever difficulties Sarah was experiencing because of her self-imposed withdrawal from food, it was nothing compared to the pain her unborn child was undergoing. It initially tried to appeal for help from its father, but because Smith was increasingly obsessed with discovering and thwarting The One’s plan to reach the Source, his infant’s pleas were ignored. Driven to its limits of endurance, the child slept often and during its periods of lucidity, it pondered and reflected how the situation could be rectified, coming to the certain conclusion that its salvation and survival depended on itself and its own resourcefulness.

It knew that since Sarah would not provide any nourishment, it would need to seek out an alternative source of sustenance if it wanted to survive. It waited until she was asleep before making the first attempt. The nearest source of energy was the lamp on the nightstand next to the bed. With all the concentration it could summon, the child within her drained the remaining wattage the light bulb had until it had burnt out.

Smith’s unborn infant contemplated the possibilities for it now had its own method to obtain the energy it needed to survive. It reasoned to itself that draining the light bulb dry would not be sufficient for its energy requirements. In a manner of speaking, it would only be an appetizer. Being so long without food, Sarah’s unborn burden was ravenous and the energy gained from one light bulb was not nearly enough to satiate its appetite.

However, there was another and far more plentiful source of food just waiting to be tapped outside of its present locale. Since the world that was generated by the Matrix was artificial, the still plugged-in humans in their pods that provided the primary power source were not. They were real. Therefore, the child concluded that in order to have a power source that would provide enough for its needs, it would drain the electricity from as many of the humans as it could. Besides, there were over 5 billion of them—more than enough to spare and share with all the machines who also acquired their crucial power requirements from the humans.

lllll

A blinking light on the red telephone that was sitting on the desk of the Architect demanded his immediate attention. It was a direct communication link up to the Machine Overlord and the Architect knew something had to be disastrously wrong for him to be contacted using this primitive form of communication.

He picked up the phone and listened, then hurriedly opened the requisite files on his computer to confirm what he had just been told. It is only a temporary glitch in the System, he thought, his fingers quickly and nimbly racing over the keyboard, entering the information that would bypass and repair the damage the unknown power blackout had caused before it could be noticed or even remarked upon by the human and program citizens of the Matrix.

When he was done, the Architect leaned back in his chair and visibly relaxed. One potential crisis averted, he thought to himself, relieved. The power to grids LV-426 and 427 had been restored without any undue attention and things were running within normal parameters again. Within moments however, another sector followed by another began to power down. As fast as he corrected one difficulty, another one presented itself just as quickly.

The Architect watched helplessly as the surrounding grids lost power and eventually blacked out. Opening a source directory, he soon discovered from where the shutdowns were originating. He closed his eyes and groaned inwardly. I will have to tell the Oracle that her newest unborn grandchild is the cause of all of this, he realized sadly. But more importantly, I will have to tell her that in order for the Matrix to continue as it has done for the past two centuries, Sarah’s child will have to be sacrificed for I cannot run the risk of allowing it to survive. If it has managed to do so much damage in one day, what will the consequences of its actions be tomorrow? Or next week, for that matter? She and Smith’s child will have to die to ensure the survival of the rest of us. I cannot wait any longer.

“Don’t you even think about it,” the Oracle’s voice accosted him from where she stood in the doorway, her eyes blazing with anger.

The Architect sighed in exasperation. First, I had to deal with Neo and his threats, now this. “I have no choice,” he said, forcing himself to be calm. “If the Matrix is to survive, Smith’s child will have to die and since Sarah’s gestation period is not over, she will have to die too. Do you think this decision was easy for me?” he snapped, rising with instinctual courtesy to offer his compatriot a seat.

“I am perfectly satisfied with standing, thank you very much,” the Oracle retorted sharply. “But this is our daughter’s life we are talking about…”

“You and I have millions of what humans would refer to as ‘children.’ I know it’s not easy to accept, but for all the others to survive, she must die.”

“She’s not the one who has to die; it is Smith’s child inside of her,” the Oracle corrected gently.

“Then show me another way! Look at this!” the Architect demanded, propelling his partner forward until she could see the computer screen. “Look for yourself--see if you can find a loophole or some other explanation for all these shutdowns!”

The Oracle bent and saw the truth for herself. “Well, I’ll be goddamned,” she murmured, analyzing and studying the data displayed on the monitor. The old fool is right, she thought, it is Smith’s child that is causing all of this.

“I am very sorry, you must understand that,” the Architect said sadly.

“Promise me something—promise me that you will see to it that she doesn’t suffer. Promise me!” the Oracle demanded, grabbing the Architect by the lapels of his suit jacket.

“I will ensure that her end is as painless and easy for her as possible. You have my word on that.” He reached for the comlink that kept him in constant touch with all of the upgrades. He contacted the upgrade nearest to Sarah’s location and issued his directive.

lllll

Agent Thompson received the transmission from the Architect. “It will be done immediately, sir,” he said, turning to obey.

“What will be done, Agent Thompson?” a copy of Smith said smoothly, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. “Never mind. I’ll find out for myself.” The clone shoved his hand into the chest of Thompson and accessed all of the information that the lead agent had been given by the Architect. The clone realized the implication of the transmission it had just intercepted and communicated everything to its creator without delay.

“An upgrade is on his way to eliminate your offspring and its mother,” the message went. “The Architect himself has given the order for their termination. Get them out of the city immediately.”

Smith acknowledged the transmission and indicated that the clones who had aided him in the killing of The Keymaker were now to follow him back to his apartment. But first, he would notify his copy that was with Sarah in the apartment to wake her up immediately and get ready for her removal from the vicinity of the upgrades’ current position. The more warning he could give her, the faster she could be ready to leave, thus putting as much distance between herself and her would-be assassins as possible.

“Sarah, wake up,” said the copy, insistently shaking her by the shoulder. Bleary eyed and cranky, she could only gape at him stupidly until coherence came to her slowly.

“What is it?” she said irritably, shielding her eyes from the blinding glare of the ceiling light that was hurting her eyes. “Why are you waking me up so early?” She clicked her tongue in annoyance—it had not been Smith himself who had woken her up, it was only one of his lackeys. She could not explain how she was able to tell the difference, it was something she instinctively knew.

“We have to leave. Now.”

“Why? What’s wrong? Are we running away?”

“I don’t have time to go into detail. Just get out of bed and put something on. You will be told everything you need to know, later, when we rendezvous with my creator.”

The urgency in his voice interrupted her observation of the deteriorating Matrix code around her that was becoming more and more prevalent with each passing moment. It was almost like watching a paint-by-number painting dissolving—the illusion of the picture was spoiled by the revelation of the numbers that lay beneath the surface. Or, in simpler terms, the Matrix code looked like a jigsaw puzzle with a couple of pieces missing; the bright green symbols that made up the outline and shape for the glass of water by her bedside was now clearly visible; however, the water inside of it looked perfectly normal.

When Sarah became more awake and alert, she looked around the room, carefully analyzing the damaged Matrix code. It was as if the shielding program had gone down for she could see the disintegration of the source code itself. What the hell is going on, she wondered, and why doesn’t Smith notice the damage he is causing? Another possibility came to her mind—Smith wasn’t the one responsible for altering the code at all, it was her baby.

Somehow, it found a method to feed itself when I refused to eat and this is the result. Both Smith and his baby are working to destroy the Matrix, each using different methods, but the result will be the same. In addition, if I know Father and the way he thinks, he will seek to destroy the weaker one—my baby--first before he goes after Smith. And that can only mean one thing. The upgrades will be gunning for me before long. Perhaps they are already on their way here and that is why this copy is so desperate to leave.

Sarah knew that since the upgrades were after her and they were unquestionably enemies of Smith’s, then her goal and theirs would be the same—to kill my baby. Sarah found it highly ironic that after months of hiding from them, she now needed and wanted them to find her: the sooner the better. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, as the old saying went.

Sarah dawdled as long as she could to give her pursuers more time to catch up with her and her attendant apprehensive guardian. Since she had completely abstained from food for almost three days now, Sarah was weak and in no condition to fulfill her escort’s repeated demands to hurry up. After being unceremoniously hauled by the arm out of the building by the clone, Sarah was fed up, angry and she did not hesitate giving the copy a piece of her mind.

“Listen, moron,” she said, whirling around and wagging an accusatory finger almost in its very face, “in case you are blind or just plain stupid, I am nearly six months pregnant. I couldn’t run even if I wanted to, so stop bugging me!” she yelled furiously.

The copy opened its mouth to give her an angry retort and Sarah recoiled in horror when she found herself no longer staring at a copy of Smith, but the dead form of a program.

Agent Johnson’s gun was still smoking as he reached inside his jacket and holstered the weapon. To her surprise, he was alone. She peered around him, expecting his two attendant shadows--Thompson and Jackson--to appear at his side at any moment. However, they never materialized.

“Where are the others?”

“Agent Jackson is, at this moment, falling out of a high-rise window in an attempt to kill the rebel named Trinity, and Agent Thompson is investigating the destruction of a major power plant.”

“So that leaves you to kill me, is that it?” Sarah asked.

“Yes. The Architect deemed it necessary that I should do this as I am the most efficient at close-range termination.”

He had fully expected her to run once she saw him: any of the upgrades’ targets, whether human or program, always automatically turned to flee when they saw himself or Agents Jackson and Thompson in pursuit. The leader of the upgrades was momentarily taken aback at her calm attitude and frowned to himself at the resignation and sadness he saw in her eyes. She will not run, he realized, for she wanted me to find her.

Sarah smiled wryly at his not-too-well hidden pride in his abilities and nodded her understanding of the situation.

“You have to kill me because of the baby and what it is doing to the Matrix code, right?”

“Yes. Your child is causing all the havoc that is occurring everywhere. The Architect decreed its demise in order to prevent any more damage.”

“I’ve noticed the distortions in the Matrix source code too, although I thought it was a direct result of Smith and the countless times he has duplicated himself.”

“So did we, although the Machine Overlord was the one who originally made the connection between all these power blackouts and your offspring. He has demanded that the Architect order its immediate termination, and since your gestation period is not complete…”

“…I have to die too before it can drain any more power from the System,” Sarah finished. “Although I feel easier about dying now that I’ve gotten to know you a bit better. It’s ironic isn’t it? I’ve spent so much time looking over my shoulder as I ran and hid from you and now I am happy to see you because we both want this child dead. What else did dear old Dad tell you to do? If I remember the rules, agents have to kill their targets as quickly as possible, not chat with them.”

“I was informed to make your end as painless as possible,” Agent Johnson stated with blunt simplicity.

Normally in the case of capturing an exile, Agent Johnson and his fellow upgrades orders were to shoot on sight. However, in Sarah’s case, he had been given specific instructions from the Architect on how he was to proceed. He was to terminate her existence in the most humane and painless method available and was to do no undue physical harm to her: the Architect had specified that his daughter’s body not be disfigured in any way.

In other words, Agent Johnson had one of two options: one was to break her neck while the other was manual strangulation. Strangling her would take more time, and it would undoubtedly leave marks whereas breaking her neck, death was immediate and showed little or no trauma. He was specifically ordered not to use his Desert Eagle revolver to kill her. It would be bad enough for the Oracle to know that Sarah had been killed, she certainly did not need to know that a bullet had blown her beautiful daughter’s head apart.

“May I make one last request?” Sarah asked, a wry smile playing on her face. Agent Johnson nodded his head in agreement.

“Actually, I lied, Agent Johnson. There are two things I’d like to ask you to do for me.”

“What are they?” he asked.

“First, will you tell Seraph that I love him and that I’m sorry for everything?”

“Consider it done,” he said. “And the second?”

“I would like you to kiss me.”

Agent Johnson’s brow furrowed in confusion. “I have no objections to that, but for the sake of my own curiosity, I would like to know the reason.”

“The reason is because I do not wish the last man I ever kiss to be Smith, that’s why.” Sarah brought her head up and looked directly into the blue eyes of the leader of the newest breed of Matrix agents. “Will you do it?”

The large agent solemnly nodded. “I will.”

A slight smile crossed Sarah’s face. “You’d better make it a good one, Agent Johnson,” she teased lightly, “because the reputation of the upgrades’ kissing ability is in your hands. Not only that, but it will be the last kiss I will ever experience, so make it as memorable as possible.”

“I’ll do my best,” he responded in kind. He held Sarah by the shoulders and she rested her hands against the formidable breadth of Agent Johnson’s chest. Sarah slid her hands around his waist and drew him closer to her. It is too bad that I can’t be with Seraph like this and feel his body next to mine, she thought, but at least it’s not Smith. Anyone, even this upgrade, is better than being with him at my death. She resolutely raised her face to his. Their lips met and Sarah was pleasantly surprised at the gentleness and the skill with which Agent Johnson kissed her.

Smith was a blundering teenaged boy on his first date compared to this, Sarah thought, responding and returning the kiss. Agent Johnson is not nearly as good as Seraph at kissing, she thought, but he has more ability than Smith ever did.

Desire washed over Sarah and she deepened the kiss, heartened when she felt him do the same. Her mouth opened further to welcome and accommodate her partner’s tongue and she gave a small moan when his tongue touched hers. Her breathing quickened and she wrapped her arms around Agent Johnson’s neck. He, too, was becoming aroused and his arms curved gently around Sarah’s somewhat burgeoning waist and drew her as close as he dared. After a moment, he removed his hands from her midsection and slid them up her forearms, savouring the feel of her skin beneath his fingertips. Sarah shivered and groaned with wildly awakening desire when his fingers lightly touched her breast then stroked the hard peak of her nipple.

Due to time restrictions, the kiss had to be cut off at this stage for the upgrade had had his instructions direct from the Architect himself and there was little time left to complete his task. Besides, for all Agent Johnson knew, an entire legion of Smith’s clones was now on their way to Sarah and the spawn of Smith had to die immediately before any more damage could be done.

It was unfortunate that the child’s mother has to die as well, Agent Johnson thought, for it would have been very intriguing to carry this very pleasurable amorous encounter farther and see where it might lead. But for all that, I am still on duty. I cannot dally with her any longer, however much I would like to.

“That wasn’t too well done,” he said awkwardly, “if only…”

“I know,” Sarah said kindly, “if only there was only more time…Well, I’m sure Father would not like to know that we’ve been wasting precious time smooching on a street corner, so you had better do what you came here to do,” she said, her smile disappearing as she recognized that the end of her life was at hand. Pausing for a moment to gather her courage, she buried her face in the front of his shirt, her cheek against his chest, feeling the warmth of his body through his clothing.

With a sigh, Sarah pulled away reluctantly, her hand lightly caressing the strong jawline of her killer before looking deep into his eyes. At least Smith’s face will not be the last one I will ever see, she thought, grateful that her heart’s deepest, unspoken wish would be granted.

“I love you,” Sarah murmured. Agent Johnson knew she wasn’t speaking to him directly; they were the last words from a dying woman to the man she loved and the leader of the agents resolved that he would relay them to whom they were intended—Seraph.

With a rueful smile, he gently wiped away the tears that had fallen from her eyes as she continued to look at him. “I’m sorry to have to do this to you, Sarah,” he whispered as he impulsively kissed the top of her head, “but I have no choice.”

“I know,” she said, her grief at never seeing Seraph again constricting her throat and choking her words. When she felt his hands on either side of her face under her jaw, Sarah closed her eyes, breathed deeply and waited to die.