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Part II - Family
Can't live without them, Can't liquefy them and feed them to the living.
[screen is all white, with a solitary black spec in lower right quarter of the screen]
Cypher Voice: Kael, we've got company
[camera does ultra fast zoom in on black spec to reveal an early 30's black male. He has a scar running down his left cheek, hair is cut short, w/ a thin tail in back. He is wearing black, military style cargo pants and vest, a black undershirt, and over it all a long black sleeveless trench coat. He is wearing large, blocky black sunglasses]
Kael: (sarcastically) Welcome to the Real World
[cut scene]
[Camera shows Nebuchadnezzar dodging through several passageways, spinning around, hooking onto the ceiling in a vast cavern, and finally powering down. In the far distance, a sentinel passes through the cavern (very far off), no sign of recognition. Zoom to cockpit, color fade blue-gray as camera zooms through cockpit glass, show Dozer, Morpheus, Trinity, Kael (now without his scar) in cockpit, time approx. 3 years before Movie, so all characters look accordingly just a little younger]
Trinity: Close call
Kael: Not as close as some.
Morpheus: [standing to exit cockpit] Dozer, when it's all quiet, take us a little deeper, but keep us within broadcast depth. Everyone else, back to work.
[all exit cockpit except Dozer. Kael waits for Morpheus outside the cockpit portal]
Kael: I've been watching, but none of the current candidates are all that promising. Since we lost the last one-"
Morpheus: Patience, Kael. Fate does not work on anyone's time clock.
Kael: I know, (pause) but We have to. Everyday we lose more and more-"
Morpheus: This is the only way we can win.
Kael: (sigh) very well. We will be vigilant.
[Morpheus pats him on the shoulder]
Morpheus: It's been a long journey, old friend. Just give it a little further.
[soft fade to black]
[scene change]
[soft fade to show interior of Neb., wires strew about, Dozer, Kael, and Apoc working on various odds and ends. All are grease smeared in addition to their usual dirty appearance. Audio fades in as camera gets closer to group]
Apoc: then she says, "Matrix? You're breaking up with me for a fuckin' video game?" (chuckles) Sometimes I do miss my little chikita. The world may not have been real, but (whistle) she sure felt like she was (smiling).
Dozer: Am I the only one of you with any interesting adolescent stories? Like the time I snuck into Zion's zoological preservation area and-
Apoc: Yeah Dozer, we've all heard the platypus story.
Dozer: (disappointed) It's still a good story.. the look on that lady's face..
Apoc: Yeah.. I know.. "What the hell did you do to my child?" Heard it a thousand times man-oh. (turns) What about chu, Kael? I never hear you talking about... well, anything. What did you do before you were unplugged?
Kael: (looks up, pauses). Before I was unplugged? I watched Sesame Street...(smile) and hacked transnational business networks to ensure it was on when I was home.
Dozer: (in the background) And you say I'm dull!
Apoc: How old were you when he pulled you, main?
Kael: (serious again) Thirteen.
Apoc: (whistles again) Why'd he pull you so young?
[Dozer and Kael look at each other, then Kael goes back to work]
Dozer: Morpheus is more patient nowÉ He was.. less cautious in the past-"
Kael: (cuts in) He thought I was the One. He was wrong. We both paid for that.
[Apoc stops working, Kael and Dozer keep their eyes on their respective panels. Extended silence.]
Apoc: (slightly more hushed) How do you know?
Kael: We're still searching, aren't we?
[Apoc looks back down at his work, soft fade to black]
[scene change]
[soft fade up shows the galley. Apoc, Switch, Trinity, Tank, Kael, Cypher, and a very young looking Mouse are sitting around the table, eating their ration of nutrient-goo]
Mouse: But seriously, think about it. Why would a free human mind ever concoct some huge rigid system of metaphysical laws, none of which can be proven, and then erect a binding institution to regulate all activities of those who adhere to that system? It doesn't make sense! Religion! God! It's just the deification of the very system with which the machines-"
Trinity: You're saying all religion is fabricated? Just another tool of the Matrix?
Mouse: Well you tell me. What purpose does it serve, other than to instill blind respect for an unknown authority in its subjects?
Cypher: What about faith?
[all look over at Cypher, sitting quietly]
Cypher: We're risking our lives to find a key in a desert here, are you going to tell me that you rely exclusively on luck for purpose in your life?
Mouse: (now obviously out of his depth [he's young]) All I'm saying is, we've got to question everything we were told before we came out, that's all.
[Mouse looks back down and nervously continues to eat his goop, rest of group is quiet]
Tank: Ah, (trying to break the silence) new software from Zion, anyone wanna learn some new combat techniques?
Switch: (looks up), what kind?
Tank: (smiles) Hand to hand, the fast kind.
Switch: I'm in.
Apoc: Fast and furious, load me up.
Tank: Kael? You don't want to let 'em take away your record, do ya?
Keal: I'll let them go first, I'm a quick study.
[sheepish grins all around]
Kael: Oh, and Mouse, I've got something for you.
Mouse: (looks up, goofy as always) huh?
[Kael tosses a beaten looking floppy of some type to Mouse]
Kael: Something I found lying around the databases. It's an old image, thought you might enjoy a project, make a new friend.
Mouse: What is it?
Kael: you mean, what is She?
Mouse: (big goofy smile) I'll see what I can do-
Morpheus voice: After,
[camera change to show Morpheus in the doorway]
Morpheus: you finish writing the new search program, right Mouse?
Mouse: (looks up) yeah.. sure. (looks back at Kael, goofy smile)
Morpheus: Tank, get them in. Take turns, training and searching.
Tank: yes sir.
[Morpheus ducks back out of the door, Tank looks around slyly]
Tank: Who's first?
[fade to black]
[scene change]
[screen black, camera pans out from behind dark pillar to show the dojo. In it stand Switch, Apoc, and Kael (who's pupils are now reflective silver, and again has the scar), all dressed in fighting gie's. all 3 appear winded, with sweat dripping from their brows. it is apparent this has been going on awhile]
Kael: (long slow exhale) Now, try again, but don't think about going faster, just focus on everything else and let the world slow down around you.
[Apoc and Switch spread out around kael, keeping on either sides of him in battle-ready stances. Kael stands in a calm, defensive position]
Apoc: You can take things slower, Kael, I prefer faster
Switch: or Stronger
Kael: That is only because you do not know better (smile) but then, I am here to teach...
Switch: This isn't a strictly verbal debate, I hope?
[Kael smiles, then sits with legs crossed in the center of the dojo]
Kael: No. So come and take these (pulls dark glasses out of gie) from a Slow, Old Man.
[Apoc looks over at Switch. Inches his way closer to Kael. Finally, standing next to the seated fighter, he reaches down, as if to serenely take the glasses off of Kael. When he is about to touch the glasses...]
Kael: Apoc, I'm not Morpheus. This is not a clever Riddle, and it has no easy answer. You have made an error in judgement.
[all 3 characters pause exactly where they are as Apoc attempts to figure out where Kael is going with this]
[with very fast movement, Kael reaches up with his right hand and grabs Apoc's wrist. At the same instant Switch steps forward to assist, and Kael's left hand shoot to the floor, sliding his entire body toward Apoc. He leans to the side, stretching out his still crossed legs, and locks his ankles around Apoc's back foot. Just as quickly, Kael rolls onto his back, brining Apoc down on top of him, but Kael keeps rolling. Using the momentum from Apoc's fall, he continues the roll until Apoc is on bottom.]
[Switch moves in to assist, and Kael looks up from his tumble just in time to block a very forceful forward punch from Switch. Kael throws a punch with his left at Switch while holding Apoc down by the back of his neck with his other arm, both legs still fastened around Apoc's lower regions. Switch blocks, so Kael switches, hitting with his right while holding with his left. This pattern continues for a moment, with Switch getting several good hits into Kael's shoulders, but he refuses to release Apoc. Then Kael strikes with both arms, landing one solid blow to Switch's chest, and sending her reeling backwards.]
[Apoc uses the opportunity to headbut Kael from below, then spins himself around so he is now lying face up, and attemps to knee-kick Kael. Time slows very gradually, and the camera shows Kael take a firm grip of Apoc's shirt, then he does a crouching front flip, grabbing Apoc's kicking leg as he flips. The effect being that as time speeds up, we see Apoc being thrown across the room toward where Switch is just recovering]
[camera shows entire dojo, with Kael rising on one side, with a standing switch and rising Apoc opposite him]
[Kael smiles again, and slips his glasses back into his gie]
Kael: Perhaps, Next time?
Apoc: How... I mean, I felt you do something.. with the timing..., how do you do it, man?
Kael: Practice (bows).
[camera spins 180 degrees as he bows, shows Trinity behind him, camera continues spinning to 360 degrees, showing Kael and Trinity are the only two people in the dojo]
[camera now shows Kael's left eye and Trinity over Kael's left shoulder]
Kael: (still facing away from trinity) Time for your lesson, Trinity?
Trinity: Pehaps its my turn to be teacher
Kael: (chuckeling) And they say I'm impatient.
[Kael turns, pulls sunglasses out of Gie, preps to fight. Trinity is good (better than Switch/ Apoc), but not as good as in the movie (this is 3 years earlier). Flash to scenes of Tank, Switch, Apoc, and Cypher watching the battle from the Neb. At some point, she slows down time, just a bit, but in the midst of it, Kael slows it down more, and stuffs her. Cypher: "Ooh, I love it when he does that!"]
Kael: That was good. You haven't done that before.
Trinity: (picking herself up) Not good enough.
[Kael nods his head a bit, acknowledging it gracefully]
Trinity: How fast are you Kael?
Kael: (considers this, takes off his glasses) Not as fast as Morpheus, but (throws glasses to Trinity) I know a few tricks of my own.
[Trinity looks at his sunglasses]
Trinity: These are opaque.
Kael: (nods his head, showing his reflective liquid metal eyes) Yes.
Trinity: Then how-
Kael: Do you really think I see with my Eyes, in this World? (raises an eyebrow).
Trinity: And the scar? I've never seen anyone else alter their RSI (residual Self Image) like that.
Kael: It's just a matter of motivation.
Trinity: And what's yours?
Kael: When I was taken out of the Matrix, before you'd even thought about cracking that IRS D-base, my transition was not an easy one. Morpheus tried to take away some of the pain of that transition. He didn't have the right to do that, so I've corrected his error.
[Trinity flinches just a bit at the uncomfortable subject, looks at the floor]
Kael: You don't like it when I do that, do you? When I criticize Morpheus? He is a man, you know. A good man, a model for us all, but only a man. I've seen him jump over buildings, punch through concrete, even walk on water once. He's capable of a great many things, including making mistakes. You would do well to remember that Trinity.
Trinity: He saved you from the Matrix
Kael: He's saved me many more times than that, but I've been with him for over Nineteen years now Trinity. I helped him pull you, Apoc, Switch, Mouse, and too many others out. I've watched him lose crewmembers you never even met, and I've seen what happens when he guesses wrong. He makes mistakes, Trinity, and you need to watch out for yourself, or else you may get caught in the crossfire.
[Phone rings.]
[Kael pulls cellphone out of Gie]
Kael: yes?
Tank's voice: Play time's over, just got a message from the Dante, DuJour says they've found something.
Kael: (raises an eyebrow, looks at trinity) Something?
[screen soaks to white]
Part III >
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