USH'S MATRIX GAME 2006 FOURTH ASSIGNMENT (COMBAT)- 'The Real'

"Well why the hell didn't you call us before?"

A pause.

"Right. Right. Right. Sorry... what was all that again?"

Dallas spends a few moments writing some things down, making comments like "uh-huh... yeah... ok..." and that sort of thing.

Then he suddenly stops dead, and turns off the comm unit. His eyes have turned moist.

"'scuse me," he says. "I... got something in my eye,"

He hurries off to the cockpit.

"...did the Captain just start crying?" Ares asks, staring incredilously after Dallas.

"What was all what?" Mors inquires, but does not pursue the matter when Dallas runs off to the cockpit.

(We still have a cockpit? Neat.)

Mors just watches after Dallas, silent.

Melis just shakes her head.

How sad! she thinks, watching Dallas dash off.

"Were him and Ariadne ever romantically involved or anything?" Melis asks Finn, as he seems to be the most gossipy person of us all...

Finn seems a bit surprised by that.

"No," he says. "they were just... no."

"You seem surprised that I should ask," Melis says. "I'm a newbie to this gang, bear with me."

"They've just been friends for a long time, Melis. We all were. I'm not sure you get it it. She's dead. She's not just in the next room. She's not on leave. She's gone. She's never coming back. That's it.

"And he knows it was his fault."

"Okay, I get it," Melis says, curtly. "I just...I dunno. It's weird seeing Dallas so...un-Dallas. This is all just...weird."

"Shouldn't we be concentrating on the mission at hand. last thing we want to do is f*ck that up and make her death truly in vane.

Mors takes his leave of the others, moving towards the cockpit to comfort Dallas.

"You think it was worth it?" says Dallas as you come in, Mors.

Mors seats himself opposite of the Captain, probably on the shell of a scrapped Sentinel.

"Yes," Mors says, simply. He pauses for a moment, observing his Captain. "I'll miss her, but I would have missed half of our crew a great deal more. Heph, Balder, Sirin, Melkor...they would have died, instantly, without knowing why."

Mors pauses again, then wipes away a tear.

"It was worth it. Ariadne would agree."

"Finn, you think you can have a look for ospreys? in there"

"Yes," says Finn, "but that doesn't change any of what we said. They're locked tight. We'd need to be magical to get an opportunity."

-

"They're all dying anyway," says Dallas. "Not sure she'd forgive me for THAT."

"That's not your fault. That's not even my fault. How were we to know that they were dying of some bizarre disease? In any case, it doesn't mean they're doomed. We don't know what this is that they're afflicted with, it could be reversable.

"Either way, I'm sure she would have agreed with any and all of your actions, Dallas. You're the best Captain we have, as far as I'm concerned."

"Maybe something magical will happen. It's the Matrix, we have oracle and a chosen one! anyway I'd rather stay business than think about our ****ed up situation."

"You're still alive to say it," says Dallas. "Anyway. Business. We've got a route in."

"Is that why the Oracle called?"

"Guess so. She's got a target airport and a hardline we can enter from and catch a military crew whilst it is boarding."