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VAMPIRES, WEREWOLVES, AND JESUS
Essay written 5-23-2003 by Jay Manaloto
Webmaster's Note - This essay was originally posted on the IMDb.com Message Boards for "The Matrix: Reloaded." --Jay
In Reloaded, the Oracle explains to Neo that vampires, angels, and similar extraordinary phenomenon in the Matrix, are rogue programs which choose to defy deletion and stick around. In a later bizarre scene with Persephone, she shoots an older "hard to kill" program in the head with a silver bullet, hinting that the victim was a werewolf. In that same scene, the Wachowski's playfully put a "female Vampire" clip from an old movie on the TV screen. And when the Twins transform, they appear to look like skull-headed ghosts.
That the Wachowski's should bring this into the movie is fascinating. These presumably older rogue programs from presumably older Matrices bring up interesting questions. How far back in so-called "human history" do these "supernatural" programs go? Legends of vampires, werewolves and ghosts have been around for centuries. How about magical wizards and witches in medieval Europe? How about Jesus during ancient Rome?
The Architect says that the Matrix is much older than we know. How old? With no records to confirm or deny, the Matrix could go as far back as ancient Egypt -- 5000 years ago -- which is definitely scary. But how do we reconcile this 5000-year-possibility with the storyline that the man-machine war began at the start of the 21st century? Let's try...
[Assuming the single-Matrix theory.] Clearly, the Matrix HARDWARE could not be built before the birth of AI in the 21st century. And while Morpheus surmises that the real-world year is "closer to 2199," they really don't know the true year. Next, time within the Matrix SOFTWARE seems to flow at the same speed as real-world Zion, since hovercraft-operators outside the Matrix can follow events within the Matrix in the same real time (i.e. virtual Matrix events don't happen at a faster-compressed-time than the real world). But what if the first Matrix SOFTWARE Version 1.0 was initiated in the appearance of ancient Egypt? What if 5000 years has already passed from Matrix V1.0 through V6.0, since the birth of AI? What if this is the 26th century?
Assuming these additional assumptions, there have been 5 "Ones" over 5 millenia. Each time, Zion has been destroyed and repopulated, so naturally, their timeframe is distorted. The 1st "One" may have emerged in ancient Egypt, in Matrix Version 1.0. [It would have been a damn shock to be an unplugged ancient Egyptian, and find yourself in 21st century Zion!!!] This 6th time, Neo has emerged in only 100 years of Matrix Version 6.0.
I can't find any obvious contradictions to the movies so far, but this does explain the Wachowski's bizarre introduction of vampires, werewolves, and other supernatural beings that were programmed for older Matrix versions (e.g. medieval Europe legends and lore). And I love this question: In this light, couldn't Jesus have been an older rogue program from (let's say) Matrix Version 4.0 ???
Addendum
If the first Matrix V1.0 was indeed the Paradise of Eden, then we're talking Biblical proportions here! That would mean the current Zion is not only beyond the 21st century, but perhaps beyond the 121st century!
As for the fetuses, only a small portion of humanity is ever unplugged. So the vast plugged majority will remain to multiply with each successive Matrix version. I love the idea of the Knights Templar as unplugged rebels from previous Matrices. And I love the idea of Jesus choosing the "Source" door (Zion destroyed + Matrix reloaded + 23 people unplugged) and returning to save the plugged humanity. Imagine Jesus being unplugged and riding around in Zion hovercrafts!
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