USH'S MATRIX GAME 2006 SECOND ASSIGNMENT- 'The Monastery'

"She has found time to visit on occasion," says Lo Qi. "And thankyou. I do consider our methods of learning superior to yours, though hardly practical in your case. Fighting is not my purpose but to be proficient in such things concentrates the mind, and to fight someone is to learn much about them."

"I agree on both counts," Heph says.

"Hey!" says Dallas. "What was that about better methods?" marduk turns to look at him. "What?" says Dallas. "Maybe I want to do some of that stuff!"

Lo Qi smiles.

"We don't believe here in... artificial methods. You instill a lifetime's of training via direct mental downloads. Some programmes use methods based on a similar principle to modify their function to display such skill also.

"Here we learn things in what you might call the old-fashioned way. My skills have been learned by training and practice alone, without any artificial methods, though this is a state that has taken me several of your lifetimes to achieve."

"I wouldn't doubt that," Heph says. "Could you use our method if you wanted to, though? Was that a choice given to you?"

"I could have taken the time to modify my own programme if I so wished," says Lo Qi. "But at this point, it would be rather worthless; I would only overlay learning I have already completed."

"That says much about you as well, Lo Qi," Heph says. "I respect that."

"Thankyou," says Lo Qi. "Well now. I shall tell you King Sennacherib is... if only to demonstrate to you the inherent problem with looking for information about the door. As I say, the essence of the choice presented by the door is that you have no knowledge of it. Knowledge of it will taint your decision and redner that essence irrelevant.

"Likewise, from the moment I tell you who Sennacherib is, you will never view the idea of meeting him again in the same way. It is a situation where, once created, it can never be undone."

"Then please enlighten us," Mors says.

"King Sennacherib... well. He didn't always have that name. Names are affectations that one tends to take within this world. Sennacherib is... very old. VERY old. He is one of the first machines. And he is the reason we are all here."

"Why is that?"

"Because," he says, gesturing around "none of this would exist, if it were not for him."

"Do you mean the Matrix?"

"The Matrix?"

Lo Qi nods.

"What, did he come up with the idea? Did he make it himself?" Ares asks.

"How is he responsible for it existing?"

"Not as such," says Lo Qi. "Sennacherib is a tactical and strategy programme with a wide operational context. You would call him a General, or Marshall. In fact, he was the senior general of the Machines during the war. Our Commander-in-Chief.

"It was Sennacherib who was responsible for the victory of the Machines in the war. Sennacherib who defeated Humanity."

Klez grits his teeth. "Then he is certainly no friend of ours and will not be receiving us with open arms, will he?"

"I don't think it is his function to be anyone's friend."

"Wait, That is confusing. If he was the commander-in-chief during the war, this must mean he have some sort of physical form. He is not a programme is he? He is like us. Both?"