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A Dangerous Game
folder
M through R › Matrix, The (All)
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
8
Views:
1,670
Reviews:
4
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
M through R › Matrix, The (All)
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
8
Views:
1,670
Reviews:
4
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own the Matrix movie series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Rogue programmes are a dangerous business. Some of them sit quietly, controlled by the Merovingian and are forced to work and perform as he commands. Others have slipped through the cracks and are secretly aiding the resistance movement to get revenge on those who have deemed them “obsolete” and “irrelevant”. Some of them are not so secretly getting revenge, as is the case of the rogue Engineer that Williams was attempting to track. He was sabotaging the Matrix maliciously, to seek revenge against the Machines due to his programming being made obsolete and requiring a new replacement. A rogue programme with engineering skills had the potential to destroy both the power plants in the real world and the Matrix itself, and had to be stopped.
But then there was Smith. The Matrix had never seen a rogue programme like him before. Throughout the nine Constructs, the Agents had been split down the middle – half for pursuit of rebels, half for pursuit of rogues. The most wanted programme in the Matrix was Smith. The second was the Engineer. Williams, Thompson and Brown had been assigned to a cycle of Rogue Programme location and deletion. For the past year they had managed to capture the Guardian, the Processor, the Analyst and the Director and force a deletion and return to the Source. Due to their success, they had been assigned to go after the big ones, such as the Engineer, the Oracle, and the Keymaker. Smith was to be left alone as he could not be forced to be deleted, and many agents had already been overwritten by him. Until the Source could find the weakness in his altered code, he was a no-go.
Or at least until Williams came up with the idea of asking him for help in catching the Engineer. Smith, being a prototype, had been the most powerful Agent in the whole Matrix. And Williams knew that he had always had a “soft spot” for her, so she was confident that he would give assistance in this vastly important matter. What she was unprepared for, were his terms.
They had met at sunset at a park. She had got a message to him through an informant that she had wanted to see him to discuss matters unrelated to his status as Rogue and Wanted. Smith, of course, was unafraid of her or any Agent that would dare present a threat to him so he agreed.
“Williams,” Smith greeted her. He looked different, somehow. She couldn’t quite put her finger on how he had changed, but she could hear a new edge, a new tone in his voice that had not been there previously.
“Smith. I have come to ask your assistance in the capture of the rogue programme, Engineer. Access file 0294.39 under Personnel, North American Construct.”
“I know who the Engineer is. And I know how he was freed. Made obsolete.”
“Yes, he is apparently ‘free’ but is now threatening this crop with his disruptions in the Matrix. The seeds of dissent he is sowing within the Matrix have led to the increase in terrorist activity and bombings on Agency buildings. He is not unplugging them, he’s killing them off from within and must be stopped at all costs.”
“What do you want me to do about it?” Smith took off his sunglasses, and tucked them in the inside pocket of his suit. He looked at Williams. His eyes were the deepest shade of blue. All of the other male agents had brown or hazel eyes. She was surprised to make this observation.
“I want you to help me locate his position. Where he operates, who his targets are. Our informants so far have all wound up dead when trying to infiltrate his groups. It’s as if he has an informant on the inside.”
“And what will you give me in return?” Smith walked over to a park bench and sat down. He placed his hands on his knees and looked at her standing. She walked over to him and sat next to him, crossing her legs at the ankles.
“I cannot grant you immunity if that is what you are asking. I can give you the assurance that for now, you are not our primary objective.”
Smith gave a patronizing chuckle, “I do not fear you, or Brown, or any of the new ‘upgrades’. I should have thought that was clear when I cloned Jones’ team. I am now patrolling for rebel activity as we speak at all known entrances and exits. I am conducting my own search for Thomas Anderson, when he enters the Matrix.”
“Do you want us to help you with this? Do you want access again to the Mainframe computers?”
“No. I already have access to the Mainframe. I practically set up the Agency Mainframe in the beginning. Do not believe for a moment that I cannot gain access to it as and when I wish to.”
“What do you want, Smith?” Williams turned her head to look at him.
“From the moment we envisioned women Agents, I had the idea of what the perfect female Agent would look like, what her code would be like, how she would perform. You are the prototype, the perfect woman Agent. Like me. The prototype male Agent.”
Smith paused. Williams sat there, unmoving, unblinking.
“Have you ever experienced any sexual encounters either with another agent or with a human?”
Williams did not respond. Smith continued, “One of the flaws with a female Agent is that, in the general human female psyche on which they were modeled, very few women have the impulse to use their inherent sexuality as a weapon. Sexuality was built into your code, however, so was experimental programming to exercise this option as an infiltration and interrogation tool. That is why you are anatomically correct. However, the trials were so successful across the board in all other areas, the Mainframe did not see commissioning sexuality trials for female agents as necessary so it never came to be.”
“Do you have a point, Smith?” Williams asked, looking at her watch. He parted his lips in a sinister grin and continued.
“Male agents do, as you know, use sex as a tool in interrogation. They can also use it to release stress and frustration, and to experience pleasure, something that female Agents have not evolved to feel yet. What I want is to have you for one week. Seven days to help you evolve and learn the full spectrum of your programming. You will benefit, and I will see the work I put into you come into full realisation.”
“No.” Williams went to stand up and leave, but Smith put his hand out, and grabbed her arm, pulling her back down with considerable force.
“I will not accept that answer, Williams. I have watched you since you were programmed and I know that you have questions. I know that you are beginning to feel the stirrings of desire and pleasure within you. I have seen your face as you have shot resistants, I have watched you chase down rogues, and I know that you are evolving. I even know that Agent Brown wishes to know you intimately but is afraid to. He has been in love with you for a long time.”
“No.” Williams said again but did not leave, as Smith was still restraining her. How could he know that about Agent Brown? Williams knew that Brown was friendly with her and they had a good working relationship. In fact, Brown was the closest friend she had. But she had never dreamed that he harboured those sorts of feelings towards her.
Smith dug his fingers into her arm. She felt a change occurring within her, and saw green code in front of her eyes. She realised that he was rewriting her into a clone of him. She struggled to get her Browning out of its’ holster but could not, as the pain was unbearable. She could hear his voice grng ing in her ear.
“I have wanted to have you since I created you. I created you for the sole purpose to give me a partner, an equal, a lover. I will have you. You will give yourself to me for seven days. And I will give you the Engineer. Or else you will become a part of me and I will have you anyway. Do you understand?”
She cried out in agony and he withdrew. “Then it is settled. When I find the Engineer I will be in touch. And then I will have you.”
Williams managed to stand up and stumble away from him. She quickly withdrew her Browning and aimed at him.
“You know, that is as futile pointed at me as it is at you.” At almost the blink of an eye he had his Desert Eagle withdrawn and fired two rounds at her, watching her shift and dodge, then come back upright. “I think I’ve illustrated my point. Until then, Agent Williams.”
Smith put his sunglasses back on and turned on his heel, walking away. Williams watched him leave, communicating the whole event through her comm. to her team.
Brown heard Williams upload her contact with Smith to their team and listened closely to the event. He winced as Smith, the bastard, told her about the feelings that Brown had been harbouring for her. She was trying to reach him through their comm.
[Agent Brown, reply?]
[Brown acknowledge Williams. Proceed.]
[Shall I ask Mainframe for permission to proceed with Rogue Smith plan for Engineer Capture?]
[Affirmative. Mainframe will need to grant rights to proceed.]
[Chances of Mainframe denying rights?]
[Engineer primary target. Highly probable that right to proceed will be granted.]
[Any possibility I can try to illicit a denial? Personal desire is not to proceed with Rogue Smith’s plan]
Brown felt a surge of relief wash over him, but at the same time knew that the Mainframe would insist on her to sacrifice herself to gain access to the Engineer.
[Mainframe will require self-sacrifice to reach goals. Unfortunately there is little that can be done. I will help in your appeal but probability is low of success.]
[Was Rogue Smith correct in assessment of Brown’s sentiments towards Williams?]
Brown felt an icy hand on his processor. Smith could not have been any more correct. Brown had been fighting his feelings for Williams almost as long as Smith had been publicly lusting for her. Smith had made it known that she was his from the beginning, never hiding the fact that she was being created for him. However, he did not have time to act upon it, as Mr. Anderson had destroyed him shortly after she had been created. Brown had spent the last few years finishing her training, guiding her and teaching her about being an Agent, and plucking up the courage to ask her to see him outside of a professional relationship. Even though he was leader of their team, he couldn’t bring himself to just do it. His personal files in the mainframe contained so many stored files about her, pictures of her, recorded video memories of her in action, when they were working as a team. He practically worshiped her from afar, in silence. And all it took was one word from Smith to blow his cover sky-high.
If he said yes, would she be appalled? Would she not care? If he said no, would she be hurt? Or more to the point, what if she felt the same?
[Williams ping Brown, respond?]
[ping received.]
[Was Rogue Smith correct in assessment of Brown’s sentiments towards Williams?]
[Yes.] Brown inhaled, even though he didn’t need to, and waited.
[How long has Brown felt this way?]
[From the first time I saw you.]
[I do not understand. Why would you feel this way about me? What have I done?]
[Your programming is learning. It is just starting to process emotions such as desire, attraction and love.]
[I want to understand.]
Brown heard his office door open. She was walking into his office and he stood up to greet her. His sunglasses were on the table and he greeted her, arms at side, unsure of what to do or say.
“I want you to help me understand,” she said. He reached for her hand, taking it gently in his. He pressed his lips to her knuckles, kissing them. He pulled her to him and felt her fall into his arms. Holding her to him, he closed his eyes and felt, for the first time in his existence, a fulfilment.
He kissed her forehead and her closed eyes gently, and then was surprised when she raised her head and pressed her lips to his. His arms wrapped around her tightly and he felt her body involuntarily respond to his, as they kissed again. He covered her mouth with his, and felt hers open slightly. His tongue dipped into her mouth, softly kissing and teasing hers, as his hands roamed over her body. He laced his fingers through her hair and pressed her to him, holding her so tight.
“I love you Williams,” he whispered, “I know you can’t love yet but I will wait forever for you to learn to love me. I will teach you how to love.”
She smiled, experiencing the most amazing sensations cascading through her processes, feelings that she had never experienced before almost overwhelming her, but so amazingly right. Brown had been so kind and patient with her, from her days as a trainee to now, a full Agent prototype on his team, and she realised that he had been the reason that she had been as successful as she was. If this was the start of ‘love’, that cover-all word for a range of human emotions, it was no wonder humans did it all the time, as the sensations were nearly a narcotic.
“He’s been controlling my existence since the beginning, I won’t let him take you from me.”
Williams looked at Brown, startled. He realised that he spoke out loud and looked embarrassed. He smoothed her hair and rested her head on his shoulder as he held her. “Nevermind.”
He kissed her forehead again, and they held each other, unmoving, unspeaking, for hours. In the days that followed, they would hold each other many times, in stillness, as Brown taught her what it felt like to be loved.
* * *
Brown followed the black Lexus from a distance. He had changed the colour of his Lexus to a vulgar shade of red so that Smith would not suspect that he was following. He also had removed his sunglasses and was wearing “street apparel”, a pair of khaki trousers, a matching pinstripe shirt and had his hair styled in a messy street look. He did not tell Williams but he was going to follow them to make sure Smith did not hurt her. Seven days with her in his arms was more than Brown could feasibly stand, regardless of the Mainframe’s instruction that Williams was to proceed with the plan and not be interfered with. During their appeal, the Mainframe made it completely clear that this plan was to be followed per the agreement with Smith to the letter, regardless of any feelings on the part of Brown and Williams. It also suggested that if Brown was to interfere, Williams would be taken from the team, as it was becoming obvious that Brown put Williams above the safety of the Matrix. So Brown had become a temporary Rogue programme. As Thompson so aptly pointed out, love does silly things to a man’s head.
Brown saw the car enter into a parking garage. He followed them and watched as Smith and her climbed out. They stood there in the open for a second, and then she disappeared, changing carriers, leaving behind only the policewoman that she had formerly occupied. Smith watched him, until Brown was sure his cover was blown, and then Smith waved at Brown and he disappeared as well, a child appearing in his place. He tried to listen for her comm. to find out where they had went but it registered as disabled, and realised that Smith probably had made her take it out and break it, to sever her connection to him. She was gone and he was unable to find her. Brown cursed under his breath, and altered his appearance to go back to normal, changing the car as well. On the way back to the Agency, he decided to attempt to monitor the movement of the various Smiths operating in all of the Matrix constructs to identify which one was him, and where he had taken her.
* * *
“Why did you bring me here?” she asked, looking around at her meagre surroundings.
“We are in the middle of the Scottish highlands. No one will bother us here. This cottage is deserted for miles around. Feel free to alter it to your preferences.”
She changed the interior of the cottage to resemble Agent Brown’s office. All white walls, chrome fixtures and a black desk against the wall with a computer on it.
“I hardly believe that’s appropriate,” Smith said flatly. “Allow me.”
Smith altered the interior of the cottage. He created a huge stone fireplace, plush oversized leather sofas, woollen rugs on a hardwood floor, and a humongous bed, with thick soft pillows on it. He had put in a bathroom with a large shower and a bath that could accommodate two. They had no need of a kitchen so he did not bother with it.
Removing his sunglasses he slid them into his pocket. “Take off your glasses,” he said to her.
“No.” She sat down on one of the sofas, and stared into the roaring fire.
Smith walked over to her and plucked her glasses from the end of her nose. He tossed them into the fire. “You will do what I tell you to.”
“No.” Another pair appeared on her face.
Smith plucked that pair off and tossed them into the fire. He replicated a chair and sat in front of her. Another pair appeared on her face, which Smith removed and tossed into the fire.
They carried on in this manner, destroying twenty pairs, when, as Smith reached over to grab her pair, her arm came up and grabbed his. “You will let me wear what I wish.”
Smith snarled at her, bearing his teeth, “No.” He made her clothes disappear and she was sitting naked, in front of the fire. Her nipples were erect with the sudden change in temperature and she attempted to hide this fact with her free hand. He had let her keep her sunglasses on.
“You will stay that way until I tell you otherwise. If you change, I will overwrite you.”
“Fine.” She stared into the fire. Smith watched her for a moment, considering his next move. He reached up and turned her head so she was looking at him. “Williams,” he said, “This will be better for you if you cooperate. I do not wish to hurt you.”
“Then let me go. Let me have the Engineer and be done with this. I do not wish to explore my sexuality with you. There is someone else who I wish to learn from.”
“So Brown has finally confessed his feelings to you. I estimated that it was highly probable that he would do, after I revealed them to you.” Smith rolled his eyes, “He always did need help.”
“Yes. Agent Brown has told me that he loves me. I wish to love him, although I do not know how to do this yet.”
“Why do you want to love him?”
“Because he has been patient and kind with me. He has guided me since I entered into service. I have learned from him and respect him as the leader of my team.”
“You have been trained by him. However, you were not meant for him. I conceptualized you. I created the original specifications and sought approval for your creation. I oversaw your programming and your beta modes. It is because of me that you, and all the other female agents, have been created, and I would have trained you had Mr. Anderson not taken my purpose from me. If you access the logs regarding experiment 203.504.01 through .09 you will see that I was responsible for your existence from the very beginning. And the purpose of your specific existence was to give me an equal, a partner. My female counterpart. Your appearance, your mannerisms, all conceptualized by me. You were, as they say, born to be mine.”
“You may have created me, Smith, but that does not mean I was born to be yours. I can choose who I wish to spend my downtime with and I don’t believe I would choose you even if you were still an Agent.” She gave him an indignant glance and then looked back at the fire. “They say you were a megalomaniac. You would put your orders as your primary focus only when it suited your personal goals. You were the best Agent but your methods were unorthodox and you endangered the construct quite a few times. If Mr. Anderson had not forced your removal, you were to be decommissioned in a few months anyway, to be replaced by the new set ogradgrades, who have better control variables set in them.”
“Is that what the propaganda is saying then?” Smith studied the way her porcelain white skin covered her jaw structure and down her neck, over her shoulders and to the delicious fruits that her arm was covering. He wanted to taste her, claim her and make her scream for him in ecstasy. And he had the smugness of a man that knew that he was going to do this, regardless of her protests.
“That’s how your logs read. In preparation for this assignment I took the time to review your service logs and records. A little man’s account of trying to be important,” she glared at him.
Smith smiled, “Not so little now, Williams. If I was the little man you claim I am, I would just clone you and be done with it. Think about that next time you try to pigeonhole me and discount my work.” He stood and exited the room, restoring her clothing.
Williams heard the door of the cottage slam. She quickly set to work, restoring an earpiece from her last backup. Restoring it, she queried the Mainframe.
[Williams: 003492l.21.3 Request Logon Script]
[Logon Script Active, Welcome Williams]
[Location: Williams]
[Current Location: European Matrix Construct: United Kingdom Sector: Scotland: Inverness region]
[Locate: Brown]
[Brown Current Location: North American Matrix Construct: United States Sector: New York: New York City region]
[Request Transfer /Car Rr Region North American Construct]
[Carrier transfer denied]
[Query denial?]
[Williams is on assignment and is not to make contact to colleagues] She shook her head in frustration.
[Run Message.exe]
[Specify Address]
[North American Matrix Construct: United States Sector: New York: New York City region 003492l.21.1 Brown
/Text:
Am in EMC:UK:Inverness. In cottage dwelling. Will be long seven days. Figure out Rogue Smith’s weakness so we may gain upper hand and end charade early.
/send]
[Message Undeliverable]
[Query message?]
[Williams is on assignment and is not to make contact to colleagues. Williams is violating orders and will be terminated if repeat of violation continues.]
[Appeal?]
[Denied. Logon privileges revoked for seven days. Goodbye.]
Williams understood why humans cried in frustration. She yanked the earpiece out of her own ear and threw it in the fire. She only hoped that Brown would try to locate her himself and maybe have an idea of how to get her out of this.
Rogue programmes are a dangerous business. Some of them sit quietly, controlled by the Merovingian and are forced to work and perform as he commands. Others have slipped through the cracks and are secretly aiding the resistance movement to get revenge on those who have deemed them “obsolete” and “irrelevant”. Some of them are not so secretly getting revenge, as is the case of the rogue Engineer that Williams was attempting to track. He was sabotaging the Matrix maliciously, to seek revenge against the Machines due to his programming being made obsolete and requiring a new replacement. A rogue programme with engineering skills had the potential to destroy both the power plants in the real world and the Matrix itself, and had to be stopped.
But then there was Smith. The Matrix had never seen a rogue programme like him before. Throughout the nine Constructs, the Agents had been split down the middle – half for pursuit of rebels, half for pursuit of rogues. The most wanted programme in the Matrix was Smith. The second was the Engineer. Williams, Thompson and Brown had been assigned to a cycle of Rogue Programme location and deletion. For the past year they had managed to capture the Guardian, the Processor, the Analyst and the Director and force a deletion and return to the Source. Due to their success, they had been assigned to go after the big ones, such as the Engineer, the Oracle, and the Keymaker. Smith was to be left alone as he could not be forced to be deleted, and many agents had already been overwritten by him. Until the Source could find the weakness in his altered code, he was a no-go.
Or at least until Williams came up with the idea of asking him for help in catching the Engineer. Smith, being a prototype, had been the most powerful Agent in the whole Matrix. And Williams knew that he had always had a “soft spot” for her, so she was confident that he would give assistance in this vastly important matter. What she was unprepared for, were his terms.
They had met at sunset at a park. She had got a message to him through an informant that she had wanted to see him to discuss matters unrelated to his status as Rogue and Wanted. Smith, of course, was unafraid of her or any Agent that would dare present a threat to him so he agreed.
“Williams,” Smith greeted her. He looked different, somehow. She couldn’t quite put her finger on how he had changed, but she could hear a new edge, a new tone in his voice that had not been there previously.
“Smith. I have come to ask your assistance in the capture of the rogue programme, Engineer. Access file 0294.39 under Personnel, North American Construct.”
“I know who the Engineer is. And I know how he was freed. Made obsolete.”
“Yes, he is apparently ‘free’ but is now threatening this crop with his disruptions in the Matrix. The seeds of dissent he is sowing within the Matrix have led to the increase in terrorist activity and bombings on Agency buildings. He is not unplugging them, he’s killing them off from within and must be stopped at all costs.”
“What do you want me to do about it?” Smith took off his sunglasses, and tucked them in the inside pocket of his suit. He looked at Williams. His eyes were the deepest shade of blue. All of the other male agents had brown or hazel eyes. She was surprised to make this observation.
“I want you to help me locate his position. Where he operates, who his targets are. Our informants so far have all wound up dead when trying to infiltrate his groups. It’s as if he has an informant on the inside.”
“And what will you give me in return?” Smith walked over to a park bench and sat down. He placed his hands on his knees and looked at her standing. She walked over to him and sat next to him, crossing her legs at the ankles.
“I cannot grant you immunity if that is what you are asking. I can give you the assurance that for now, you are not our primary objective.”
Smith gave a patronizing chuckle, “I do not fear you, or Brown, or any of the new ‘upgrades’. I should have thought that was clear when I cloned Jones’ team. I am now patrolling for rebel activity as we speak at all known entrances and exits. I am conducting my own search for Thomas Anderson, when he enters the Matrix.”
“Do you want us to help you with this? Do you want access again to the Mainframe computers?”
“No. I already have access to the Mainframe. I practically set up the Agency Mainframe in the beginning. Do not believe for a moment that I cannot gain access to it as and when I wish to.”
“What do you want, Smith?” Williams turned her head to look at him.
“From the moment we envisioned women Agents, I had the idea of what the perfect female Agent would look like, what her code would be like, how she would perform. You are the prototype, the perfect woman Agent. Like me. The prototype male Agent.”
Smith paused. Williams sat there, unmoving, unblinking.
“Have you ever experienced any sexual encounters either with another agent or with a human?”
Williams did not respond. Smith continued, “One of the flaws with a female Agent is that, in the general human female psyche on which they were modeled, very few women have the impulse to use their inherent sexuality as a weapon. Sexuality was built into your code, however, so was experimental programming to exercise this option as an infiltration and interrogation tool. That is why you are anatomically correct. However, the trials were so successful across the board in all other areas, the Mainframe did not see commissioning sexuality trials for female agents as necessary so it never came to be.”
“Do you have a point, Smith?” Williams asked, looking at her watch. He parted his lips in a sinister grin and continued.
“Male agents do, as you know, use sex as a tool in interrogation. They can also use it to release stress and frustration, and to experience pleasure, something that female Agents have not evolved to feel yet. What I want is to have you for one week. Seven days to help you evolve and learn the full spectrum of your programming. You will benefit, and I will see the work I put into you come into full realisation.”
“No.” Williams went to stand up and leave, but Smith put his hand out, and grabbed her arm, pulling her back down with considerable force.
“I will not accept that answer, Williams. I have watched you since you were programmed and I know that you have questions. I know that you are beginning to feel the stirrings of desire and pleasure within you. I have seen your face as you have shot resistants, I have watched you chase down rogues, and I know that you are evolving. I even know that Agent Brown wishes to know you intimately but is afraid to. He has been in love with you for a long time.”
“No.” Williams said again but did not leave, as Smith was still restraining her. How could he know that about Agent Brown? Williams knew that Brown was friendly with her and they had a good working relationship. In fact, Brown was the closest friend she had. But she had never dreamed that he harboured those sorts of feelings towards her.
Smith dug his fingers into her arm. She felt a change occurring within her, and saw green code in front of her eyes. She realised that he was rewriting her into a clone of him. She struggled to get her Browning out of its’ holster but could not, as the pain was unbearable. She could hear his voice grng ing in her ear.
“I have wanted to have you since I created you. I created you for the sole purpose to give me a partner, an equal, a lover. I will have you. You will give yourself to me for seven days. And I will give you the Engineer. Or else you will become a part of me and I will have you anyway. Do you understand?”
She cried out in agony and he withdrew. “Then it is settled. When I find the Engineer I will be in touch. And then I will have you.”
Williams managed to stand up and stumble away from him. She quickly withdrew her Browning and aimed at him.
“You know, that is as futile pointed at me as it is at you.” At almost the blink of an eye he had his Desert Eagle withdrawn and fired two rounds at her, watching her shift and dodge, then come back upright. “I think I’ve illustrated my point. Until then, Agent Williams.”
Smith put his sunglasses back on and turned on his heel, walking away. Williams watched him leave, communicating the whole event through her comm. to her team.
Brown heard Williams upload her contact with Smith to their team and listened closely to the event. He winced as Smith, the bastard, told her about the feelings that Brown had been harbouring for her. She was trying to reach him through their comm.
[Agent Brown, reply?]
[Brown acknowledge Williams. Proceed.]
[Shall I ask Mainframe for permission to proceed with Rogue Smith plan for Engineer Capture?]
[Affirmative. Mainframe will need to grant rights to proceed.]
[Chances of Mainframe denying rights?]
[Engineer primary target. Highly probable that right to proceed will be granted.]
[Any possibility I can try to illicit a denial? Personal desire is not to proceed with Rogue Smith’s plan]
Brown felt a surge of relief wash over him, but at the same time knew that the Mainframe would insist on her to sacrifice herself to gain access to the Engineer.
[Mainframe will require self-sacrifice to reach goals. Unfortunately there is little that can be done. I will help in your appeal but probability is low of success.]
[Was Rogue Smith correct in assessment of Brown’s sentiments towards Williams?]
Brown felt an icy hand on his processor. Smith could not have been any more correct. Brown had been fighting his feelings for Williams almost as long as Smith had been publicly lusting for her. Smith had made it known that she was his from the beginning, never hiding the fact that she was being created for him. However, he did not have time to act upon it, as Mr. Anderson had destroyed him shortly after she had been created. Brown had spent the last few years finishing her training, guiding her and teaching her about being an Agent, and plucking up the courage to ask her to see him outside of a professional relationship. Even though he was leader of their team, he couldn’t bring himself to just do it. His personal files in the mainframe contained so many stored files about her, pictures of her, recorded video memories of her in action, when they were working as a team. He practically worshiped her from afar, in silence. And all it took was one word from Smith to blow his cover sky-high.
If he said yes, would she be appalled? Would she not care? If he said no, would she be hurt? Or more to the point, what if she felt the same?
[Williams ping Brown, respond?]
[ping received.]
[Was Rogue Smith correct in assessment of Brown’s sentiments towards Williams?]
[Yes.] Brown inhaled, even though he didn’t need to, and waited.
[How long has Brown felt this way?]
[From the first time I saw you.]
[I do not understand. Why would you feel this way about me? What have I done?]
[Your programming is learning. It is just starting to process emotions such as desire, attraction and love.]
[I want to understand.]
Brown heard his office door open. She was walking into his office and he stood up to greet her. His sunglasses were on the table and he greeted her, arms at side, unsure of what to do or say.
“I want you to help me understand,” she said. He reached for her hand, taking it gently in his. He pressed his lips to her knuckles, kissing them. He pulled her to him and felt her fall into his arms. Holding her to him, he closed his eyes and felt, for the first time in his existence, a fulfilment.
He kissed her forehead and her closed eyes gently, and then was surprised when she raised her head and pressed her lips to his. His arms wrapped around her tightly and he felt her body involuntarily respond to his, as they kissed again. He covered her mouth with his, and felt hers open slightly. His tongue dipped into her mouth, softly kissing and teasing hers, as his hands roamed over her body. He laced his fingers through her hair and pressed her to him, holding her so tight.
“I love you Williams,” he whispered, “I know you can’t love yet but I will wait forever for you to learn to love me. I will teach you how to love.”
She smiled, experiencing the most amazing sensations cascading through her processes, feelings that she had never experienced before almost overwhelming her, but so amazingly right. Brown had been so kind and patient with her, from her days as a trainee to now, a full Agent prototype on his team, and she realised that he had been the reason that she had been as successful as she was. If this was the start of ‘love’, that cover-all word for a range of human emotions, it was no wonder humans did it all the time, as the sensations were nearly a narcotic.
“He’s been controlling my existence since the beginning, I won’t let him take you from me.”
Williams looked at Brown, startled. He realised that he spoke out loud and looked embarrassed. He smoothed her hair and rested her head on his shoulder as he held her. “Nevermind.”
He kissed her forehead again, and they held each other, unmoving, unspeaking, for hours. In the days that followed, they would hold each other many times, in stillness, as Brown taught her what it felt like to be loved.
* * *
Brown followed the black Lexus from a distance. He had changed the colour of his Lexus to a vulgar shade of red so that Smith would not suspect that he was following. He also had removed his sunglasses and was wearing “street apparel”, a pair of khaki trousers, a matching pinstripe shirt and had his hair styled in a messy street look. He did not tell Williams but he was going to follow them to make sure Smith did not hurt her. Seven days with her in his arms was more than Brown could feasibly stand, regardless of the Mainframe’s instruction that Williams was to proceed with the plan and not be interfered with. During their appeal, the Mainframe made it completely clear that this plan was to be followed per the agreement with Smith to the letter, regardless of any feelings on the part of Brown and Williams. It also suggested that if Brown was to interfere, Williams would be taken from the team, as it was becoming obvious that Brown put Williams above the safety of the Matrix. So Brown had become a temporary Rogue programme. As Thompson so aptly pointed out, love does silly things to a man’s head.
Brown saw the car enter into a parking garage. He followed them and watched as Smith and her climbed out. They stood there in the open for a second, and then she disappeared, changing carriers, leaving behind only the policewoman that she had formerly occupied. Smith watched him, until Brown was sure his cover was blown, and then Smith waved at Brown and he disappeared as well, a child appearing in his place. He tried to listen for her comm. to find out where they had went but it registered as disabled, and realised that Smith probably had made her take it out and break it, to sever her connection to him. She was gone and he was unable to find her. Brown cursed under his breath, and altered his appearance to go back to normal, changing the car as well. On the way back to the Agency, he decided to attempt to monitor the movement of the various Smiths operating in all of the Matrix constructs to identify which one was him, and where he had taken her.
* * *
“Why did you bring me here?” she asked, looking around at her meagre surroundings.
“We are in the middle of the Scottish highlands. No one will bother us here. This cottage is deserted for miles around. Feel free to alter it to your preferences.”
She changed the interior of the cottage to resemble Agent Brown’s office. All white walls, chrome fixtures and a black desk against the wall with a computer on it.
“I hardly believe that’s appropriate,” Smith said flatly. “Allow me.”
Smith altered the interior of the cottage. He created a huge stone fireplace, plush oversized leather sofas, woollen rugs on a hardwood floor, and a humongous bed, with thick soft pillows on it. He had put in a bathroom with a large shower and a bath that could accommodate two. They had no need of a kitchen so he did not bother with it.
Removing his sunglasses he slid them into his pocket. “Take off your glasses,” he said to her.
“No.” She sat down on one of the sofas, and stared into the roaring fire.
Smith walked over to her and plucked her glasses from the end of her nose. He tossed them into the fire. “You will do what I tell you to.”
“No.” Another pair appeared on her face.
Smith plucked that pair off and tossed them into the fire. He replicated a chair and sat in front of her. Another pair appeared on her face, which Smith removed and tossed into the fire.
They carried on in this manner, destroying twenty pairs, when, as Smith reached over to grab her pair, her arm came up and grabbed his. “You will let me wear what I wish.”
Smith snarled at her, bearing his teeth, “No.” He made her clothes disappear and she was sitting naked, in front of the fire. Her nipples were erect with the sudden change in temperature and she attempted to hide this fact with her free hand. He had let her keep her sunglasses on.
“You will stay that way until I tell you otherwise. If you change, I will overwrite you.”
“Fine.” She stared into the fire. Smith watched her for a moment, considering his next move. He reached up and turned her head so she was looking at him. “Williams,” he said, “This will be better for you if you cooperate. I do not wish to hurt you.”
“Then let me go. Let me have the Engineer and be done with this. I do not wish to explore my sexuality with you. There is someone else who I wish to learn from.”
“So Brown has finally confessed his feelings to you. I estimated that it was highly probable that he would do, after I revealed them to you.” Smith rolled his eyes, “He always did need help.”
“Yes. Agent Brown has told me that he loves me. I wish to love him, although I do not know how to do this yet.”
“Why do you want to love him?”
“Because he has been patient and kind with me. He has guided me since I entered into service. I have learned from him and respect him as the leader of my team.”
“You have been trained by him. However, you were not meant for him. I conceptualized you. I created the original specifications and sought approval for your creation. I oversaw your programming and your beta modes. It is because of me that you, and all the other female agents, have been created, and I would have trained you had Mr. Anderson not taken my purpose from me. If you access the logs regarding experiment 203.504.01 through .09 you will see that I was responsible for your existence from the very beginning. And the purpose of your specific existence was to give me an equal, a partner. My female counterpart. Your appearance, your mannerisms, all conceptualized by me. You were, as they say, born to be mine.”
“You may have created me, Smith, but that does not mean I was born to be yours. I can choose who I wish to spend my downtime with and I don’t believe I would choose you even if you were still an Agent.” She gave him an indignant glance and then looked back at the fire. “They say you were a megalomaniac. You would put your orders as your primary focus only when it suited your personal goals. You were the best Agent but your methods were unorthodox and you endangered the construct quite a few times. If Mr. Anderson had not forced your removal, you were to be decommissioned in a few months anyway, to be replaced by the new set ogradgrades, who have better control variables set in them.”
“Is that what the propaganda is saying then?” Smith studied the way her porcelain white skin covered her jaw structure and down her neck, over her shoulders and to the delicious fruits that her arm was covering. He wanted to taste her, claim her and make her scream for him in ecstasy. And he had the smugness of a man that knew that he was going to do this, regardless of her protests.
“That’s how your logs read. In preparation for this assignment I took the time to review your service logs and records. A little man’s account of trying to be important,” she glared at him.
Smith smiled, “Not so little now, Williams. If I was the little man you claim I am, I would just clone you and be done with it. Think about that next time you try to pigeonhole me and discount my work.” He stood and exited the room, restoring her clothing.
Williams heard the door of the cottage slam. She quickly set to work, restoring an earpiece from her last backup. Restoring it, she queried the Mainframe.
[Williams: 003492l.21.3 Request Logon Script]
[Logon Script Active, Welcome Williams]
[Location: Williams]
[Current Location: European Matrix Construct: United Kingdom Sector: Scotland: Inverness region]
[Locate: Brown]
[Brown Current Location: North American Matrix Construct: United States Sector: New York: New York City region]
[Request Transfer /Car Rr Region North American Construct]
[Carrier transfer denied]
[Query denial?]
[Williams is on assignment and is not to make contact to colleagues] She shook her head in frustration.
[Run Message.exe]
[Specify Address]
[North American Matrix Construct: United States Sector: New York: New York City region 003492l.21.1 Brown
/Text:
Am in EMC:UK:Inverness. In cottage dwelling. Will be long seven days. Figure out Rogue Smith’s weakness so we may gain upper hand and end charade early.
/send]
[Message Undeliverable]
[Query message?]
[Williams is on assignment and is not to make contact to colleagues. Williams is violating orders and will be terminated if repeat of violation continues.]
[Appeal?]
[Denied. Logon privileges revoked for seven days. Goodbye.]
Williams understood why humans cried in frustration. She yanked the earpiece out of her own ear and threw it in the fire. She only hoped that Brown would try to locate her himself and maybe have an idea of how to get her out of this.