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

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Ushgarak
It was a bright day, but the sun's rays only kept things tolerable, far from warm.

Wrapped in a warm winter, the lady was hurrying to finish her task. Around her eere may laden tables of food, beyond that, the fences of a small, non-descript garden in one of innumerable similar neighbourhoods.

It was interesting, she thought to herself, that no matter how prepared you were- and she was very prepared- things still never quite seemed to look right once you were actually there.

Right now, the task that consumed her mind more than anything else was mighty indeed- the accurate placing of chunks of cheese and pineapple, neatly, on the same cocktail stick, a task to try the most delicate of tools imaginable.

Still, it seemed to be done now. And just in time- there they all were. Two full crews of Zion ships, crowding into the garden.

"Well, hello there," says the Oracle, lighting up a cigarette. "Sorry we have to be outside, but my place isn't quite built for so many guests. Help yourselves to food," she says, gesturing around at the tables full of paper plates and party nibbles. "I'm pretty sure there's something for everyone. There are some hats, if you want to wear them..."

"Wait wait wait..." says Dallas, stepping forwards. "You KNOW if I want to wear one or not!"

"You got that right," says the Oracle. Dallas' eyes narrow.

"How did you know if I was going to wear one or not?"

"Because you already have a hat, Dallas," says the Oracle, gently. That one flummoxes Dallas, who was expecting to be able to complain about some garbled answer about destiny; he looks imploringly at you guys to help him out.

"Why don't you all get comfortable, and tell me why you'vr come to see me."

"A-ha!" says Dallas. "You already know why we are here!"

"I guess so," says the Oracle, "but if you don't tell me, how would I be able to know you were going to tell me."

"You... could have seen yourself telling me!" says Dallas, with a kind of 'hah!"' tone to his voice.

"Now, how would I have known that?"

"Because you saw it coming!"

"But how would I have known to see it coming?" The Oracale has a slight smile, in contrast to Dallas' raising voice.

"How the hell do I know? You're the freaking Oracle!" He picks up a cocktail sausage in frustration. "Can we just skip to the part where you tell us what we need to know?"

"Now, Dallas, we've been here before. What is it I always tell you."

"Awww, yeah," says Dallas, almost like a schoolboy. "The journey is more important than the destination, I've got to follow it through, blah blah blah. Damn thing always seems to end in a fight anyway, I don't see why you can't just send me straight there." He starts eating. "Well, I'm lost already. Someone want to get some answers here?"

"It's nice to see you again, Dallas," says the Oracle. "It's been a long time. For a while, I really thought you might come the last time, when you knew Jericho was out there. But then you knew he was dead, didn't you? Inside. From the moment you heard it was Medea at the airport, you knew you didn;t need to see me, but the others would."

"Yeah, well," says Dallas, kicking idly at a table leg.

"Marduk, you holding out ok?"

"I don't think Jericho hmself would have been impressed by me mourning him too much," says Marduk. "And I didn't want his job; I saw what it did to him."

"Now that's true," says the Oracle, gesturing with her lit cigarette. "And you might all want to think about that." She turns to look over the rest of you. "Well now," she says. "Quite a crowd, old and new. I only just met some of you, and you've signed up with Dallas already. Guess I can't blame you for being keen. So, which one of you wants to talk to me about this first?"

SpikeSpiegel
Cloud seeing the cocktail sausages and picks one up, wondering how long it's been since he last ate one.

"What were those things?"

Ushgarak
"What things, Cloud?" she asks, evenly.

SpikeSpiegel
"Don't you already know?" Cloud asks, "These...."Exiles""

Ushgarak
"Well, what you call Exiles," she says. "But it doesn't matter what I know. You already know what they are."

SpikeSpiegel
"Yeah....but I don't know why they exist....or why they were after some key...Do you know what the key opens?" Cloud asks rhetorically.

Ushgarak
"Well now, that first question is very difficult for anyone. Why does anyone exist? What are they there for? A question that puzzles Machine and Man alike, though I can tell you, from what I know, Man can deal a lot better with not knowing.

"If you are asking what their purpose is... well, I am sure their purpose NOW you can work out. You know what they were there for.

"As for the key... well, that's what you are really here for, isn't it? Why don't you tell me about it?"

Newjak
Berserker looks over at the various foods he knows they aren't "real" but they still look good.
He reached over and grabbed some various finger foods and decided to eat them before turning and looking at the Oracle it had been awhile since he had seen her and she looked as confusing then as now.

"My question isn't about WHAT WHEN WHERE the key goes but WHY would so many people want it and WHO would want it?"

Lana
"We really don't know anything about the key. Half of us never even saw it because we were outside when the swap took place. All we know about it is that it's old, it's apparently very important, since there was about four other groups there wanting it, Exiles wanted their hands on it, and it was being traded for a box. That's about all, though." San said, picking up a piece of pineapple.

General Kaliero
Hawk grabs a plate, and fills with with all the most fat-filled, sugary food he can find, before dropping into a seat. "Boy, if only all those diet freaks knew..." he says to whoever is next to him before biting into a still-warm chocolate chip cookie.

He decides to let the others who actually dealt with the key to ask the questions, while he just listens.

SpikeSpiegel
Cloud will take a seat and rub the bridge of his nose with his index and forefingers, the philosophical talk on why anyone exists is enough to make his head hurt.

Bespin Bart
"I think a more important question to ask about the Exiles is not why, but HOW they exist," Mors adds. "One of them should not exist at all, while the others were simply inexplicable. The System would normally do away with such abnormalities to their coding, wouldn't they?"

General Zink
Heph begins consuming the cheese.

"That's one thing I miss about the Matrix. Cheese."

Heph will show the Oracle the Key if they can have gotten it prior to the meeting.

SpikeSpiegel
Cloud looks at Mors, "That's what I was trying to say..." then at the oracle, "....you knew that though...didn't you?"

Tptmanno1
Burn Picks up several pieces of cheese, pineapple and other tasty items, Plops down in a chair near Ares, and listens...

KingDubya
Spades is standing there, absorbing all the information he can. He had heard about the last mission, but this information was a bit more in-depth. His right hand contains his dice, which he is currently twisting around within his palm. Since he hadn't been there to see what everyone was talking about, he decides to stay silent.

Johns Mannequin
Helios picks up some cheese, takes a seat, and begins to eat it.

Newjak
Berserker after asking his questions takes a seat waiting for his and everyone's answers.

Taking out one of his knives he stabs a block of cheese bringing it over and then begins to slice off pieces.

Ushgarak
You're eating the seat?

---

The Oracle finds all of this very amusing.

"Ok," she says. "let's see if I can't keep you boys and girls at least a little bit happy before we come to the point of all this. Now, I don't always agree to see people. I'm a very busy person. Running a house these days takes a lot of time; shopping, rent, heating bills... it;s hard for a person. And anyway, you don't need my help," she says, waving a hand lazily as she does so, "to find out about other programmes in the Matrix. You're smart boys and girls, you can find it all out for yourself.

"The programmes you see have extraordinary abilities because they can alter their own code, if they are good enough, or if someone else does it for them, to push past the reality you see around you. All of you know that this reality only applies in as much as you perceive it. All of you push those limits, every day. They simply hardwire that into them. They have limits, like everyone else. Now... I don't think any of that I just said isn't something you could have come to a conclusion from yourselves.

"You are worried about why some of this extreme programming seems natural to the Matrix. Well, that's because pretty much all programmes were originally designed by the System, sometimes to do certain jobs which needed certain abilities. Sometimes, these were mistakes. No-one gets it right all the time, and even the System isn't arrogant enough to ignore that. Trouble is, once you've made a mistake, it's not always easy to get rid of it, depending on how you made it. Programmes that seem to work like that used to work for the System, now they find their own path and purpose.

"And if you are worried about something that shouldn't exist... well now. That can't be true, can it? It cannot both not exist and exist. So you have to be wrong in one of three ways. Either you are wrong to think it is what it is. Or it doesn't really exist. Or your knowledge about what should and should not exist is lacking. For the first two... well, odd as it may be to say in the Matrix, I would trust what you saw."

"Well, just TELL us then!" says Dallas. She smiles more widely and shakes her head.

"No," she says. "That really won't do it. The one you saw at the Museum is something very special, for certain. To understand how it is, and why it is, you'll have to understand how and why it was made- even if there doesn't seem to be a 'why'. And as ever, the best way to get that... is from the programme itself. Be very careful though. It is ruthless and it will not hesitate to kill you if it needs to. It is highly aware of its own... resilience. It will take advantage of that to kill you. But it won't just kill you on sight it it doesn't have top. Watch yourselves..

"We'll just kick its ass," says Dallas.

"Once, maybe," says the Oracle. "But how many times can you kill it? A dozen? A hundred? Even if all of you are there? All of you have your limits, but it will never stop. It's a battle you can never win."

"Then tell us HOW to kill it! I mean... there IS a way to kill it, yeah?"

"Perhaps, but I wouldn't help you much by saying anything."

"Huh?"

"Keep your eyes and ears open, and you might learn more about it. Now. Onto the real issue. The thing that, I guess, you DO need me to help you with. Hephaestus... may I?" she asks, with another smile, holding her hand out.

Johns Mannequin
Originally posted by Ushgarak
You're eating the seat?

Of course, didn't you know that's Helios' favorite food?

Ushgarak
Cool.

General Zink
Nifty character background, there.

...

Heph hands the Key to the Oracle.

Ushgarak
She looks at it, very carefully, almost as if trying to read it.

"Uh-hm. Hmmm. Ahh yes. Oh my. Well, this is definitely it, I am afraid. There was just a small chance it was not the real thing, not that that would make much difference to you."

General Zink
"So you recognize it?"

Ushgarak
"Oh yes, very much so. I've seen it before, not for a long time though. It's not really meant to be seen.

"You may remember the door to Melitus' realm in the factory? That wass a door which did not work like doors normally do. You could not break it down, bypass it, pick the lock. You needed the key. See, most of the Matrix works like the physical world it simulates. But at its base, it's a computer system., It doesn't have to work like that. A door on one side of a wall only connects to the other side because it is programmed thay way by default. That could be changed.

"So most keys are code analogues of real world keys, They just interact, physically, with the simulation of the locking mechanism. But some keys are the representation of something more than that. They go through 'special' doors, doors that otherwise don't work like doors. This is one of those."

"Are you just taking hours to say it unlocks something?" says Dallas. "I can get Ariadne to tell me THAT."

"Smart girl, that one."

"You've not even met her! She's not even from the Matrix!"

"Doesn't stop her being smart," says the Oracle, reasonably. "You're lucky to have her. You're right, though, In any important way, this is still a key. It unlocks a lock. And if you can;t unlock a lock, you might try to find ways around it. If you know how to create the right programme, you might be able to create the code equivlent of a lock pick. or duplicate the key. But some keys cannot be copied, or bypassed. Again, this is one of those.

"There is just one programme in the Matrix who could make a new version of this key. And it so happens that programme works for the people you saw trading this. That's why I thought this might not be real. Maybe the leader of those people- a powerful and dangerous programme, but not one you need to worry about- had it copied and kept it. But he hasn't, this is the original. That says a lot about what he wants. He doesn't want the key."

She sighs.

"But a lot of other people do. You saw what was going on there. Some were willing to trade for it. Some were willing to kill for it. Everyone wanted it. And they still want it, and they won't stop. Won't stop until they have killed you and taken it for themselves."

General Zink
Heph will no doubt be receiving glares from the people who thought him a bit looney for grabbing the Key, and does his best to ignore them.

"Yeah...we kinda figured as much," Heph replies. "But what is it for? What does it 'unlock,' so to speak. It must be very important, from the way you put it."

Ushgarak
"It's for unlocking a door," says the Oracle.

"Oh I KNEW that was going to be what you said..." says Dallas.

General Zink
"And this door is where, exactly?"

Ushgarak
"Nowhere close," says the Oracle. "Tell me, Hephaestus... why do you want to know?"

General Zink
"I'm...not entirely sure," Heph says. "Our mission is to find as much information as we can about the Exiles. Perhaps this Key can lead to further information and understanding?

"Plus, you've made it seem rather important, as did all those peop...Exiles in the Musuem."

Ushgarak
"Well, why does it matter to you if this is important or not? What is this all leading to, Hephaestus?"

Captain REX
"He doesn't know!" Ares calls out from the seat beside Burn as he pops a piece of pineapple and ham in his mouth.

General Zink
"I want to find out what it is for because we're exploring territory formerly unknown to Zion. I feel that this Key will help."

Ushgarak
"Help you how?"

General Zink
Heph keeps his cool. He never could when the Oracle got technical.

"Well, it's tied in with the Exiles. Unless they're really all that bloodthirsty, perhaps the information could be bartered for."

Ushgarak
"Well now, they wouldn't be so desperate for the key if they didn't know where the door was. The only thing valuable to them is the key itself, and for that they will simply kill you. They have a poor opinion of Humans."

General Zink
"Then that pretty much unravels my view of it being useful, doesn't it? So, what should we do with it, just hand it over to them? Throw it in a trash can?"

Ushgarak
"Well, what makes you so sure it is not useful?"

General Zink
"Well, what makes me so sure that it IS useful? Currently, nothing to both."

Ushgarak
"I'm willing to bet you want to find out. After all," she says, picking up a small cake, "all the others do."

General Zink
"Indeed, I do."

Ushgarak
"So that's what you really want to know, isn't it? What's behind that door? Should you go and open it up? Natural you should think about. Because no-one else will take any chances. You hide it, they'll come for you to find where you put it, and then kill you. From the moment you picked it up and took it away, you were locked into this. All of you."

General Zink
"Then I suppose the natural thing to do is take the next step."

Ushgarak
"And what would that be?"

General Zink
"Find out where the door is, I suppose."

Ushgarak
"And then?"

General Zink
"Go to it...?"

Ushgarak
"Not very decisive, are you? There's really only one thing you can do withn a door."

General Zink
"Open it."

Ushgarak
"That's right. A door is like a choice. You can open it or you can stay out. Of course, if you don't have the key, it's not a choice at all. But just because you do have the key, that doesn't mean you would have to go in. Would you do it?"

General Zink
"You know me, I'm willing to try anything once," Heph chuckles. "I would do it."

Ushgarak
"Of course, sometimes just once is all it takes and it is too late," says the Oracle. "Imagine a door on a street. It's locked, and on the front in big letters it says, Keep Out. Thousands of people walk past this door each day.

"Then say, one day, the key was left in the lock. And again, thousands of people walk by. How many of them would open the door? How many would not it if it was rumoured there was a huge stash of money in there? Or a cure for cancer?

"But what if it was actually a bomb?"

General Zink
"Sometimes curiosity can overrule common sense. And the risk that it might be a bomb or it might be the cure for cancer is quite large. Get yourself killed, or save millions of lives."

Ushgarak
"Well, I'd think about that. Because some of you are going to that door. But then, what I say really doesn't matter, because some of you have already made the choice to go in or not."

Newjak
Berserker sits back looking at the faces of his friends he knows their all thinking the samething would they open the door if they were there.

"Heph you can also get everyone around you killed man. Anyways this seems to be going in circles if she isn't going to tell us where the door is then we're going to have to find it and how do we do that?"

Ushgarak
I doubt you speak for everyone...

Newjak
Originally posted by Ushgarak
I doubt you speak for everyone... (Your right but I'm trying to play Berserker up a little bit he likes to share his opinion.)

General Zink
"As ever."

Heph turns to Berserker.

"The Oracle has, so far, always let us know what we need to know. Not necessarily what we want to know, of course."

Ushgarak
"No, not this time. This is specific, but still, some of you have made the choice without realising it.

"Tell me, any of you. The programmes you call Exiles. Why do you think they become what they are?"

Bespin Bart
"You mentioned that the changes can be made by themselves or by others," Mors says. "That means they, perhaps, do not wish to be what they were originally?"

Ushgarak
"Maybe," says the Oracle, "or maybe that is just how they survive. After all, it is all an illusion in here."

Bespin Bart
"Then it is their survival instinct that pushes them to change. To evolve."

Ushgarak
"That's saying why they have changed, assuming they have. Not all have, yet all of them are what you call Exiles. How does that come about?"

Bespin Bart
"Perhaps, in some cases, change is not required."

Ushgarak
"I'm not sure you are quite understanding me, Mors," says the Oracle. "You need to worry less about fancy tricks and powers and more about purpose. How did they get to become what you call Exiles?"

Bespin Bart
"They needed to survive something."

Ushgarak
"What do you mean?"

Bespin Bart
"Well, you said that maybe that change is how they survive, then introduced the idea that maybe change wasn't necessary..."

Ushgarak
"Surviving in the Matrix can be hard, as you know, but that still doesn't answer why they came to live there in the first place, which is my question."

Captain REX
"As Programs, wouldn't they have been programmed into existence?"

Ushgarak
"You seem to have a very strange way of looking at this. You think programmes spontaneously spring into existence as Exiles, inside the Matrix?"

Captain REX
"Well, no. I thought you meant originally. They're called Exiles, have they been exiled?"

Ushgarak
(It's you guys that call them Exiles Ares, pretty much on that assumption. The Oracle is the one that has been hesitant with that term).

General Kaliero
Hawk pipes up from his seat. "Are they separating themselves from the System? Maybe they want - or need - something they can't get unless they exile themselves?"

Captain REX
(Well blah.)

Ushgarak
"All that there really is to find in the Matrix is existence, and not one in a manner to which Machines are accustomed."

RocasAtoll
Balder will listen intently, trying to stay awake.

(Sorry I'm late).

Ushgarak
Well, I think people are over-complicating, as ever. It's a very simple question- why do Exiles become Exiles?

Captain REX
The Oracle said it was to survive.

General Kaliero
"Then... a longer existence? Like trying to escape a death sentence?"

Ushgarak
No she didn't, she said some adapt themselves to survive, and that;s because we got onto this slightly odd distraction of some of you thinking she was asking why they have strange powers, which isn't remotely the question.

"Machines do not age, You do not live longer in the Matrix; it is more dangerous, if anything. But your second one might be a reason, if that sort of thing happened, ehich generally it does not.

"Did any of you consider the idea that some Machines mightly simply be... unwanted?"

Lana
"Is that what these Exiles are, then? Unwanted programs?" San asks. "I'm not really quite sure on how that would work, though...wouldn't the System simply delete or destroy any that aren't needed or wanted?"

Captain REX
"Unwanted? No, didn't think of that. By who? The System?"

Bespin Bart
"I agree with San. It should not be difficult to delete something the System created."

Ushgarak
"No-one else to care about, is there?

"And San, wouldn't the System simply destroy Human terrorists running around the Matrix? Things do not end up that neatly in real life, and the will to survive is very strong.

"To be unwanted as a Machine is a difficult position. Machines take up power, and power is valuable. A Machine that is no longer fulfilling a purpose is meant to return to the Mainframe- the Source- and there his resources will become used for a different purpose. But that brings your existence as you know it to an end, and Machines, as you know all too well, are sentient and thinking beings and many do not like that idea. So they would flee, and hide, and there is only one place to flee too.

"Now, why would a Machine be unwanted? Well. Machines can break down, physically or even mentally. Sometimes they just don't want to do their job any more. Perhaps they are being replaced. The two programmes you call indestructible once did the jobs that Agents now do. But being impervious to harm brought a certain dangerous quality to their mindset over time, and led to disruption that was greater even than that they were meant to stop. Of course, by their very nature, they were very difficult indeed for the System to destroy once they were not needed. And sometimes... sometimes Machines just change their mind about what they want to be. The Machine who was selling that key is far happier in here than he ever was out there.

"But sometimes it is none of those things. For some Machines, it is just a matter of where existence takes them. To the North of the city are the Mountains, as you call them. Deep in those Mountains, there is a Monastery. The Monastery and the Monks within have been there for a long time. But no Human has ever been there. Inside the Monastery is a door, a very old door. The key unlocks that door."

KingDubya
((And I was just about to say that they might hide out somewhere...))

Lana
"I suppose that's a fair point." San says. "But...what is behind this door?"

Bespin Bart
"And by very old, do you mean 'since the beginning of the Matrix' old, or meant to look old?"

Ushgarak
"The door itself is very old. But I'm afraid that to the question of whether you should go through the door... I really cannot help you.

"There may be others that can. At the Monastery. But you will also meet someone else who might be of use. Your choices make it inevitable now- you will meet the King."

General Zink
"The King? The King of what?"

Ushgarak
"He is just the King. King Sennacherib. He resides inside The Fortress, which is not far from the Monastery, also within the Mountains. You will go to both, to the Monastery and the Fortress, and you will meet with the King."

General Zink
"Sounds like our goals are set, then."

Bespin Bart
"This King Sennacherib...what is his attitude towards humans? Is he an Exile?"

Tptmanno1
Well that would explain why the Agents didn't directly go after the Doctor...
They probably have some sort of feelings toward the people that were before them...

Bespin Bart
I doubt they have feelings of any sentimental kind...

Fire
I'm leaning on a fence drinking a beer.

Why did it take them so long to get it? (both in and outgame stick out tongue)

Ushgarak
"Like most programmes, the King sees himself as superior to Humans, but then he sees himself as superior to just about everyone, else he would not be a King. But the King is extremely old, and extremely powerful, and if his attitude turns against you, as it well might, it will be much the worse. By your terms, he is an Exile. But I am afraid that when it comes to the crucnh, many of the Agents would side with him, especially where you are concerned."

Fire
"Hmm that doesn't too good"

Lana
"Well, there has to be some reason he's king..."

Captain REX
"Well, let's not piss him off then. At least not too badly."

Ushgarak
"Everything has a reason, San," says the Oracle. "But knowing it and understanding it are two very different things. And why I don't tell you everything you ask me is because it is more important for you to understand than it is to know, and me simply telling you things would not do that. I think you will understand why he is a King soon enough.

"And not wanting to get your goats on this one, but it's the same with rather a lot here, I am afraid. You need to understand why I cannot help you with the Door. That understanding is very important, and I would help you if I could. You need to understand the choice you have made about what to do with the Door. You need to understand... why a Monastery? And why a Fortress?

"Now, I know what you are all like. Itching to go and get to it, aren't you? Well, ok, you go and do that. But when you go, I want you to think think about a little question of mine. Again," she chuckles, "I know what you are lie,, and some of you are going to try and answer this at once. Just... think about it." She takes a drag on her cigarrette. "And actually... although only some of you have to worry about the door, I think all of you should think about this little puzzle.

-

"Is it better to do the right thing for the wrong reasons, or the wrong thing for the right reasons? And what's the difference between the two?"

-

"Oh dear," says the Oracle. "It's starting to rain. I suppose you should get going, but I'd like to have a few words with... well. Hephaestus has the key, so I should talk to him. Also Azrael... and Ares."

Lord Melkor
Melkor was hesitant to speak before, and kept enjoying the food that he couldn`t find in the "real world". It was unsetling that he could prefer the illusion to the food eaten in Zion.... Yet he wanted to speak with Oracle.

"Excuse me, but I am confused about all of this.... I mean, I thought that it is bit simpler, our fight- the enemy is opressive, merciless and calculating System to which human beings are nothing more than enslaved herd and numbers. But those Exiles..... All human beings desire freedom to achieve their dreams, even if they are blinded and don`t realize the truth, right?

And referring to your question, I believe wrong reasons for actions come from not having enough knowledge to make a proper choice. When we understand the consequences of our actions, and our motivations, I believe there is no diffrence between "right" reason and "right" thing we do.

But those Exiles, I understand that they have their desires and ambitions as well, and are allowed to make their own choices..... what is the diffrence between us and them then? Are we justified in thinking we are something better?

Fire
I pull up the collar from my trenchcoat as I take another cocktail weeny.

Ushgarak
"There's always one who wants to answer right away," says the Oracle, smiling again. "Melkor, why you fight has nothing to do with who or what you are. That's just the context you find yourself in. Zion will give you its own reasons but they can't force anything on you. Why you took the red pill, why you decided to fight, why you joined this crew, these were all your own choices. If I asked each of you to say why you fight... I reckon I;d get a different answer from each of you, about good, or evil, slavery or freedom, man or machine, alive or not, with a soul or not... there are more anaswers than there will be raindrops in this storm.

"But I'm not going to ask you that, because it's not what you came here to find out, and it's certainly not what I came here to say. You keep thinking about it, like you always do. And keep thinking about my question too."

Lord Melkor
"So I believe intentions are more important than results, unless one doesn`t know what he wants. But first we need our reasons, effects of actions are secondary and derivative. If someone knows what he wants well, he is likely to achieve the desired result sooner or later. But when one is confused about his motivations and goals too much, there will be a mistake an a much basic level.

So this is my answer to your question- proper reasons are much more important."

Storm
Mirage remains silent, letting the Oracle' s words sink in, trying to realize their significance.

SpikeSpiegel
Cloud begins to answer the question, but then thinks about it and shuts up.

Newjak
Berserker was sitting in his chair eating some cheese. He was chewing slowly because he was thinking very deeply about the question.

Why a Monastery? Why a Fortress?
Berserker wasn't stupid he has been in the Matrix long enough to know everything stands for something else even the food he was "eating" wasn't what it was supposed to be.

Seeing the Rain coming he decided to wait till they got there before trying to answer anything.

Pushing his glasses up to his eyes and putting the knie away he was waiting for everyone else.

Trickster
Azrael, having said nothing throughout the conversation, waits patiently as Melkor tries to answer the question.

General Kaliero
Hawk smirks at Melkor's stumbling. "You heard her, but you're not listening. She doesn't want an answer now, and none of us are qualified to give it. It's something to think about while we're up in the Mountains, meeting this King. Having the question in mind could be the seed to do what we need to up there."

He grabs another couple of brownies from a tray in front of him.

Lord Melkor
"Well, I was just thinking aloud, it is not like we can talk to Oracle every time...." -Melkor retreats to his seat as he responds to Hawk, appearing a bit embarassed and irritiated.

"This question was so general that I thought I can get some more explanation, I guess I am not used to it...."

Fire
"No problem Melkor, Hawk shouldn't have snapped at you"

Ushgarak
"Got it in one, kid," says the Oracle, to Hawk.

"Trust me Melkor, buddy," says Dallas. "It's like that all the time."

---

We just need now to resolve thr Oracle talking to Azrael, Hephaestus, and Ares.

Trickster
Azrael continues to wait patiently.

I'm not going to be around the next two days - university stuff. If I get a chance (and I'm not doing anything) I'll grab some time on the net - otherwise, apologies if I slow things down.

Ushgarak
We'll flashback to it later, if necessary.

---

Azrael and Hephaestus-

"Well now. You two seem to have a knack for getting at the heart of things. Either one of you could have gotten that key. Both of you have run afoul of the... Hunter. Hephaestus, you know what nearly killed you in that situation, you know it all too well about yourself. You know there is going to come a time where you are going to have to see how far that impulsive nature of yours goes. Let me put it this way- there is some chaos that is not worth any amount of people saved. Think about that. Luckily for you, you are young and you have time, but when your time does come, you may well wish you had taken more of a chance to think about who you are and what you do. The door is a chance for you to test that. Last time, you chose to take Jerich's Path, and I don't think you were ready. That's why it ended with your fight agauinst the Xiao Emo, and if it were not for poor Medea, wou could never have saved anybody at all. Now it seems you are trying to walk the same sort of Path, the one of understanding. Do you think you are ready? oh, don;t answer that. Something to think about, again. You and I will speak again, when your time is coming, and we'll talk about what you do here. So be careful. You go on now, I'll speak to Azrael.

"Azrael... well. Aren't you a smart cookie? Walked down Jericho's Path like I asked, maybe even understood it a bit., Came face to face with yourself and but you seemed to have a good mind to see through what Melitus was doing. I won't hear a word said against Heph because that kid means well, but he failed there where you succeeded. I'm proud of you." She looks serious. "How dedicated are you to this war, Azrael?"

-

Ares-

"Don't panic there, kiddo. There's plenty of fun left in your life. But I worry. When we first met I talked about a choice you would have to make. it's the kind of choice that sounds pretty simple, but to my mind, it is one of the worst of all choices. You'll need to be prepared for that day. And if you want to be prepared... keep a very close eye on Dallas this time. Don't crowd him, that will just annoy him. Think about the man who let half his crew think the other half were dead, just to win advantage on a foe. Think about what he as to think about. Poor Dallas," she says, almost as an aside. "Zion would be in trouble without him."

Captain REX
Ares is almost left speechless.

"Are you saying I will need to make a choice regarding the life of Dallas?"

Ushgarak
"That may or may not be. But it's not what I just said, if you think about it. You just keep that all i mind; it might be useful one day."

Captain REX
Ares takes a moment to think about what the Oracle has said.

"Okay, maybe what you're trying to say is that Dallas has to make decisions like this all the time...and if I want to be ready to make my choice, I will watch how he does it."

Ushgarak
"Maybe I am."

Captain REX
"Maybe, maybe not. Always seems to swing that way, don't it?" Ares chuckles, then pauses. "How will I know when the choice comes?"

Ushgarak
"I wouldn't worry about that."

Captain REX
"I guess I'll let you do the worrying, then," Ares says. "Well, take care. I intend to make it back to see you again. I'm sure I'll have tons of questions by the end of this..."

General Zink
Heph only nods to show he was listening, then walks away, realizing that he was not the focus of her private meetings this time.

Ushgarak
Ok, we'll finish Azrael's conversation later

Ushgarak
ASSIGNMENT TWO- THE MONASTERY

In posession of a key that many, many beings inside the Matrix will kill for, you have been directed by the Oracle into the Mountains outside the city, where you will find two places- a Fortress, and a Monastery. At the Fortress, you are to meet with the King Sennacherib. But at the Monastery you will find the door that the key unlocks.

Now you have a very difficult task ahead of you. Missions into the Mountains, whilst not forbidden, never really happen, for simple logistical reasons...

---

The Real

"Because there aren't any hardlines out there!" exclaims Ariadne.

"We'll make it out there!" says an ever confident Dallas

"Well you may well do, but what about when you need to get back? I can't pull you out. What if you need more weapons? What if the Agents show?"

"A-ha!" says Dallas. "How are they going to do that? There isn't anyone out there!"

"There's network coverage," says Finn, on the comms. "We'll be able to stay in contact on the phones."

"There we go then!" says Dallas. "You found anything yet?" Ariadne sighs.

"Yeah, I think I've got it. Looks pretty innocouous. No sign of this Fortress though. Guess you'll have to get out there to see that. Seriously though Dallas, nerver mind the Agents then, what about the Exiles? From what the Oracle said there's a whole bunch of them out there. Isn't what happened at the Museum enough?"

"We all got away!" says Dallas.

"Yeah, using the hardlines!"

"You worry too much! Besides, we all know what we are doing now. And going out there is the last thing anyone will be expecting us to do. We'll just have to pick our hardware carefully."

"How are you going to get out there?" asks Finn.

"Ah," says Marduk. "Dallas and myself have some ideas there."

"Hey ladies," says Sequel, coming in from the front. "Broadcast point coming up. I'm setting her down. Best not waste any time."

"So what is it to be?" asks Marduk."Are we going to the Monastery or the Fortress?"

Lord Melkor
"It seems that we should meet with this "King" fellow in order to gain knowledge about the door. Do we know anything about him? On the other hand, Monastery seems like a less violent place."- Melkor answers Marduk`s questions, hoping that he will not make a fool out of himself again.

Fire
"It's all fine by me!"

Ushgarak
No-one knows anything about the King other than what was said.

Lana
"We might be able to get more information about this King at the Monastery." San says.

SpikeSpiegel
"Yeah, if we go to the Monastery we should be able to find this door and find out about this King Shenebb....King Sennab......about Elvis" Cloud says, unable to remember the King's name.

General Kaliero
"I say the Monastery. We have no idea what we're getting into, and it'd be better to learn as much about the King as possible before even setting foot in his fortress," Hawk reasons.

Ushgarak
(You think you have problems; we never even saw it spelled when first played)

Lana
Originally posted by Ushgarak
(You think you have problems; we never even saw it spelled when first played)

(I remember that, I didn't even bother trying to say or spell it...and it's going to end up like the name of the Shez - no one's going to be able to remember the correct spelling of it)

Lord Melkor
"This King Sennacherib seems like some kind of megalomaniac, so we would have to be really careful about his pride, perhaps we will even have to humble ourselves a bit. Though if those Exiles feel so superior, why do they use titles derived from human history and mythology?

What about splitting our group?"

Ushgarak
"They live in a world of Human culture," says Marduk. "other titles would have no meaning. I don't think we should split once we are in the Mountains, if possible."

Johns Mannequin
"I say the monestary."

Lord Melkor
"Do we know whether any humans enter this Monastery?"

Ushgarak
"Well, the Oracle said no," says Marduk.

Captain REX
"I doubt humans have ever gone there," Ares says, "so we'll be setting records, won't we? I vote Monastery."

Bespin Bart
"My vote also lies with the Monastery," Mors adds. "Most likely we can discover more about the King from there...and likely we will not be charging into a dangerous situation. It's a Monastery, after all."

Ushgarak
Well, that seems to be the vox populi.

Of course, before all that can happen, you need to get there. To whit, Dallas and Marduk have come up with a plan to raid a helicopter depot. Unfortunately, only military depots have the big transport jobs, and that might be more trouble than it is worth. So to steal enough helicopters to cover all of you, you are going to have to steal four!

So, you will need to split intwo four teams- that is, two teams from each ship. The Captains will lead two teams, the First Officers will lead the other two. Your helisnatches will be independant of each others, though occuring at the same time. So long as you get up and flying in good order and good time, then you will be successful.

Bespin Bart
Why couldn't we just load helicopters into the Matrix?

Ushgarak
Why don't you just load a tank into the Matrix?

Bespin Bart
Because the System would be easily alerted to its presence and react immediately...

Well, who wants to be on my team?

Ushgarak
Well, it appears you can only take in what you can carry.

Bespin Bart
With the exception of cars, I suppose; one car is not going to be noticed amongst thousands.

Ushgarak
As far as I am concerned you have to steal cars. Starting with any sort of equipment that is not personal buggers the set-up.

Bespin Bart
Eh, they did it in the computer game...

Anyways, setting up teams!

...

Mors gathers the crew of the Shez together before going in.

He addresses the Gunners first.

"I would like Burn and Ares to be split between the two teams. This gives each team a dedicated Gunner that knows what he's doing...no offense, Spades, but you haven't been on a mission yet. Burn, Ares, which team you join is up to you."

He turns to the Veterans.

"I would prefer for Fire to assist with leading my team. Balder and Firewall can take their pick."

Then the Naturals.

"Hawk and Sirin seem to have level heads on their shoulders and know the risks, and I know Heph knows what's up; I would prefer them to go in with me. Melkor and Spades can do their best to get the hang of things with Captain Dallas."

He addresses everyone.

"This is all what I would prefer, though if people are indecisive I'll make it an order. Everyone good?"

Captain REX
"Sounds good. Who you want to go with, Burn?" Ares asks, nudging him. "Major Kong or Mors the Suicidal?"

Tptmanno1
"I call Dallas! Sounds like more fun anyway..."

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