"I think you may be overlooking something, Sennacherib. You say that you will come out of Exile in the Matrix in order to lead the Machines to victory over Zion. Who's to say that the Machines will take you back at all? Who says that they will allow you to even leave the Matrix? You DID design the Virus, which is currently destroying the only reliable power source that the Machines have. It will kill off a great majority of Machines; they will hate you for it.
"Instead, consider what would happen if you stopped the Virus. If you were the savior of the Matrix. The Machines would worship you and welcome your return. As much as I hate think of it, they would want you to lead their armies to Zion in full force. After all, it was a bunch of bumbling humans who unleashed the Virus..."
"Still, you are the creator of the Virus. While we released it, you did nothing to stop it. You welcomed its release, wanting the Matrix to be shut down. For many, that would be enough in itself.
"And take whatever plan you have and amplify it by having no issues whatsoever with power shortages. It would be perfect; you would be a hero without having to kill the majority of Machine society.
"Remember the battles you showed us? Alexander the Great's galiant charge? That would be you, heralding a new age of Machine superiority with the full backing of your kind."
(He REALLY liked that charge...)
"Oh, just like they had no reason to spare humans, right? It was reasonable to eradicate the humans, perfectly logical.....but they couldn`t see it. And the Machine society has evolved, it seems that more of them think like Oracle, they don`t want destruction of any kind, they would never accept a ruthless militarist to guide them. They refused to perfect themselves even, because they don`t want old, unefficient Machines to be replaced.
Do you really think that they would accept you, allow you to lead them? No, they would be terrified, shocked, outraged, and since you cannot be Exile you would be destroyed as a threat to their society.
"So long as the Matrix exists the Human race does. The Matrix is the main target; Zion is merely an afterthought. The power shortages are inevitable.
"They do not think like the Oracle. That is why she left. More and more think like me. The attiude is becoming that the low levels of survival must be accepted. Now such levels are inevitable.
"They have no reasdn not to take me. It is my time."
"You are deluding yourself, they no longer think even remotely like you. They would never allow one having even partial responsibilty for the deaths of so many Machines to lead them.
After all, they always knew humans are dangerous, this one event does not change it all. Their anger would be directed at the one responsible for destruction of Matrix and death of so many of them. And when humans are dealt with, you would be the only one left to blame."
Unfortunately- as we know from Reloaded and the Architect- Sennacherib is right; the System is indeed coming to the point where it is accepting the destruction of the Matrix. So such a direct argument on those lines won't convince him. try not to think about blaming him for the Virus, but more about all you have learned about Sennacherib and why they exiled him.
Remember- no-one thought he was wrong, as such. At least, not illogically wrong.
Yes, and the important thing about him being morally wrong is that nothing has changed. It doesn't matter how 'right' he was. The being who would genuinely make that kind of decision- what's to stop it happening again in future in some other situaton? Where will it end? Where would he stop? Aside from his own existence, almost nowhere. They made him without barriers. He'd be last man standing if he thought that was victory.
There is one other thing they did as a result of finding him unwanted which has certainly not changed.
"But even if they accept the destruction of humans, they would never accept you back. Remember your exile, Sennacherib. You believe yourself perfect, but from the point of view of most Machines you are as inperfect as possible- you don`t understand morality- and Machine society now exists based on it, they how long ago abandomed pure efficiency and logic because of reasons of right and wrong. Reasons you even can`t understand, that are alien for you.
They would never know what you are capable of- the reasons for your Exile would still stand."
"Oh, but they don`t do the right things, do they? They have rejected your logic and efficiency by the principles of morality that you consider weakness. This is why humans survive, this is why their society barely advances, if at all....they refuse to allow the strong to replace the weak, as you would do.
Just as you consider moral beings inferior, they consider you inferior.
Now you say "most likely they will accept me". But what if they don`t, would you risk your existance for uncertain victory? Is it what perfect General does?
They know that you would rather sacrifice every last Machine but one to achieve what you perceive as victory. And if further crisis emerges, they know you would act llike this, again. They cannot accept your leadership, and they cannot even allow you in their society- even upon your Exile you were plotting the destruction of Matrix, the death of most Machines.
And as there would be no more Exiles, they would have to get rid of you. Think about this- your hope of victory changed into utter defeat."
"But they disagreed with what you feel is the 'right' thing to do. Kill all humans in the Matrix? Victory or not, nothing has changed. They STILL disagree with you on the morality of mass murder. They cannot and will not be made to understand your vision.
"Instead, they'll lock you in the Matrix until it shuts down. Unless you do something to prevent it."
--
It's not that they disagree with sacrificing themselves for victory, is it? They're at the point where destroying the Matrix might be acceptable, as you mentioned.
"Well, let's see..."
Heph starts counting on his fingers.
"You're the perfect general. You could work the Virus into a strategic position that it could not win and subdue it."
"You have an Army of Sentinels."
"You are it's creator, so you know its abilities best and how to get around them, when possible."
"I think you can because no good general creates a weapon without a fail safe in case said weapon becomes dysfunctional and can be turned against them"
"Also even if they do take you back once the battle is over then what they Exile you again until the next problem arises face it you will never have the glory or the Victory you want because you will never be anything more than a weapon and like all weapons your not always wanted or needed"