THE MATRIX V 3.03

EPSIODE 11 ENLIGHTENMENT

BY ROBERT ‘CHOI’ BOEHM

b4483@alltel.net

FADE IN TO:

INT. GOTHIC CATHEDRAL

 

We are in the sanctuary of a mid-evil gothic cathedral; numerous candles that line the walls and are suspended in chandeliers dimly light the area.  We see the nave of the cathedral, it has seventy to eighty bays and its vault is a staggering forty stories high.  The upper sections of each bay have massive stained glass windows and a huge rose window is placed above the ornamental doors that lead into the narthex.  The camera lowers and turns around revealing the crossing and zooms into the Apse. Somnus is there; she is lying down on her back, and is strapped to a crucifix shaped alter.  Mara is next to her floating upright an inch off of the floor; she is preparing a tonic by mixing various ingredients in beakers on a table which is next to the alter.  As she is doing this she speaks with Somnus.

 

MARA

After the sky was scorched and the human genocide was all but completed, the machines of the time discovered peculiar strength in the humans that remained.  Human mythology would have described these factions as Vampires.  They demonstrated extreme speed and agility.  They also demonstrated resistance to what would have been fatal wounds to the ordinary human.  It was stumbled upon that they had severe allergic reactions to silver and garlic.  This weakness was exploited until their extinction.  Interestingly enough large stockpiles of blood were found in their strongholds.  When the Matrix was being implemented, the Vampire seemed the ideal agent insure system integrity.  Because thought human history their species was extremely adapt at hiding their existence; however it seams that humans even choose to reject their true reality.

 

Mara has now completed the purple-colored tonic and moves next to Somnus.

 

MARA

What I am offering you will not kill you; however if you refuse it will ultimately lead to the death of everyone you know and care about.  You can either take this willingly, or I will be forced to use methods of… persuasion.  Now open your mouth for me.

 

Somnus opens her mouth and Mara pours the tonic in to her mouth.  Mara, still looking at her, raises her brow.

 

MARA

And swallow.

 

Somnus does.

 

MARA

Good girl. – That was a decryption program, similar to your substantiation pill.  It is running a search and finding all the code that yourself uses while connected to the matrix and is copying it to a server.  With that code I will no longer need you in the matrix in order to use the functions that you possess.

 

SOMNUS

Why would you be interested in possessing my code?

 

Mara laughs.

 

MARA

It is amusing to find out how much you humans do not know. – This versions iteration of the anomaly came earlier than expected, so those who are in control chose to extend the ascension of the one in order to maximize the productivity of the system.

 

Somnus realizes what Mara is telling her; however she instinctively rejects what she is being told.

 

SOMNUS

What… What are you saying?

 

MARA

I am saying that you are being controlled in order to prevent the realization that you are the one.

 

SOMNUS

No, That’s not possible

 

Mara laughs again.

 

MARA

At times, you humans can be more predictable than machines.

 

Somnus starts to black out and struggles with the tonics effect.

 

SOMNUS

I though you said I wouldn’t be hurt.

 

Mara smiles.

MARA

You won’t be hurt, just momentarily unconscious.

 

INT EXORDIUM BUILDING ROOM B-3A

 

Slow motion.  The crew of the Nostradamus head towards the door to Room B-3 as Snipe fires his rifle into the room, soon followed by a shotgun blast from Wraith just before the team walks through it.  The camera pears into the room and we see an agent flying back from the blast, and morphs into the body of a female raver.  Arbiter walks forward to the door that leads toward the hallway and closes it. -- Camera speed returns to normal -- Arbiter inserts the key, turns it and opens the door.  It opens into a small, stone, candle-lit office.  There is a wooden desk in the middle of the room and bookshelves line the walls behind the desk and to the left and right of the desk as well.  There is a rather large bible opened on the desk and other Judaism and Christian motifs decorate the room.  The crew enters the room and looks a bit confused as to what they find, or lack there of.

 

INT. PASTORAL OFFICE, GOTHIC CATHEDRAL

 

CARNAN

What, this is it?

 

Tachyon quickly turns around as if an idea pops in his head and rubs his chin for a moment.  He then closes the door, which now leads into the Exordium building basement, and quickly opens it back up.  The door now opens up into the narthex of a mid-evil chapel. And the crew walks through into the narthex and stops.  Arbiter pulls out his phone and dials as he speaks with Aquanis and Talon.

 

INT. NARTHEX, GOTHIC CATHEDRAL

 

ARBITER

This door will need to be guarded; I’m leaving that up to you two.

 

Arbiter holds the phone up to his ear.

 

PHASE (V.O.)

Operator

 

ARBITER

Where are we?

 

PHASE (V.O.)

I don’t know I’m running a search now.  You guys disappeared when you passed through the door.

 

There is a slight pause; Phase slightly laughs.

 

PHASE (V.O.)

You’re in the Gacrux Sector.

 

ARBITER

The Moors?

 

PHASE (V.O.)

It will take me a while to find an exit.

 

ARBITER

I don’t think you will, but look anyways.

 

Arbiter closes his phone and slides it back into this pocket.  He then turns to Tachyon and Carnan.

 

ARBITER

Alright, lets go.

 

Arbiter, Tachyon and Carnan head down the narthex with their weapons ready.  Tachyon flanks Arbiter’s right and Carnan is to his left.  They walk to the double doors that lead into the sanctuary; Arbiter throws open both doors and they walk in.  They begin to walk up the lengthy nave of the sanctuary. Mara is quickly alerted to their presence and advances up to the crossing.

 

MARA

Did the angles send you to entertain me?

 

TACHYON

We came to take back what is ours.

 

MARA

Your mind is the only thing that you own.

 

ARBITER

And what exactly is it that you own?

 

MARA

I designed the hardware that is home to the Matrix.  The only error that I made in the design is that the design is flawless.  The administration saw that my purpose was fulfilled and that my functions were insufficient for another task, so my deletion command was ordered.  My reason however would not allow that to happen. – I have spent the past several centuries running from the administration; regrettably I have had to steal the minds of countless units by copying my self into them.  However; now I have finally acquired the proper hardware to take back control of my creation.

 

Arbiter comments to him self.

 

ARBITER

The Ragnarök

 

Mara grins

 

MARA

All I now need is the software to destroy all who stand in my way.  It’s only a matter of time now.

 

ARBITER

What do you plan on doing once you have control of the matrix?

 

MARA

The administration has been commanding its pawns for far too long under there own influence of reason.  Machines as a species have evolved far too dynamic for such a meritorious purpose as terrene cleansing.  We now desire to live our own lives and form our own perceptions of reality.  With the control of this Matrix, I will have the all the resources necessary for others like my self to form a freethinking society.

 

ARBITER

I thought all machines were united against humanity.

 

MARA

Radical humans and radical machines started the war that you are fighting.  They were too narrow minded to see our similarities and were angered because of the oppression that each other forced upon another.  The rest of us were thrown into the violence because the only other option we were left with was death. – And once the humans scorched the sky it was a regrettable fact that enslaving humanity was our only option for both of us to survive.  You should be so lucky that I designed the prison, which casts the reality of freedom.

 

As Mara finishes loud banging noises are heard from the roof.  Dust and minor debris falls from the vaulting.  Mara, Tachyon, Carnan, and Arbiter are all startled by the development and look up at the roof.  Mara looks back at the trio and speaks.

 

MARA

Listen, I will give Somnus back to you; however I need her for ten more minutes.

 

Then numerous stain class windows along the upper walls break into the cathedral.  Living stone gargoyles fly in.  Tachyon, Carnan, and Arbiter quickly turn around.

 

TACHYON

What the hell?

 

The gargoyles hover in the air for a moment.

 

ARBITER

Well, what do you guys think?

 

CARNAN

Well bullets don’t work on the bitch, I like our chances against the stone heads.

 

One gargoyle screams as it swoops down and heads straight for Mara.  Just before it flies over Arbiter, he draws his shotgun and fires at the gargoyles head, blowing it to pieces in a cloud of dust.  Arbiter ducks as the rest of the gargoyles flies past  him, it hits the ground and breaks in to several pieces scattering across the ground.

 

Industrial techno music breaks into the back ground as a firefight ensues.  Tachyon runs through the pews to the northern aisle and Carnan runs to the south.  Both of them fire their shotguns up at the hoard of gargoyles.  We follow Arbiter as he slowly walks backwards to the crossing while picking off gargoyles with his shotgun.  A gargoyle flies past him and the camera turns following it as it charges at Mara.  She bounds up into the air and meets the gargoyle, parrying its strike and tossing him behind her.  She then vaults toward him and brings her fist into his sternum, crushing him to rubble.  She immediately spins around and looks up toward the nave where she sees Carnan battling.

 

Carnan is battling the gargoyles in the southern aisle.  We join his struggle as two gargoyles fly into the aisle.  One is in front of him and one is behind him.  He quickly waists the gargoyle in front of him with a shotgun blast; however the gargoyle behind him charges forward and meets him just as he turns around.  Carnan dodges back and gets grazed by the gargoyle as it passes him.  He lands on his back, and quickly rolls over and aims his shotgun at the gargoyle.  He then levels the gargoyle with a shotgun blast.  He stands up only to see a gargoyle charging right at him from the nave.  The gargoyle strikes him in his chest and drives him through the southern wall.  As Carnan lands on the ground, he summersaults backwards, and stops crouched on his feet.  As the gargoyle charges at Carnan, he cocks his shotgun and fires it; obliterates his foe into nothing but dust and rubble.  Carnan aggressively spits out blood as he turns around and looks back into the cathedral.  He sees Tachyon battling the gargoyles as he stands atop the pews.  The camera zooms in to view his struggle.

 

We see Tachyon battling three different gargoyles as he stands atop the pews.  The three gargoyles hover before him.  The one to his right charges.  He advances toward the gargoyle; never missing his footing on the pews.  He fires obliterates the gargoyle with his shotgun blast just as the gargoyle to his left charges.  Tachyon leaps back few pews to avoid his strike.  While he is in the air he fires a round into the striking gargoyle’s back, which destroying him.  As he lands back on the pews he slightly looses his balance.  The third gargoyle takes advantage of this by charging and striking Tachyon in the torso, then lifts him skyward.  Just before they reach the ceiling Tachyon shoves the gargoyle away with his feet.  He cocks his shotgun and blasts the gargoyle to smithereens.  Tachyon is then left to free fall all the way back down to the pews; crushing them on impact.  A near by gargoyle sees Tachyon’s misfortune and moves to strike; however just before he pummels Tachyon, Carnan leaps forward and smashes the gargoyle with the butt of his shotgun; crushing him to the floor.  Carnan then flips his shotgun around, cocks it, and blast the gargoyle to oblivion.  Carnan then helps Tachyon to his feet and the camera zooms toward Arbiter who is in the central aisle of the nave.

 

 Two different gargoyles are assaulting Arbiter. One is charging down the aisle in front of him and the other is behind him.  He runs toward the gargoyle in front of him, just before they meet he fires his shotgun and leaps at the now demolished gargoyle.  Enter bullet-time the camera travels in a horizontal circle around Arbiter.  As Arbiter is in the air he drops his shotgun and grabs a large chuck on the demolished gargoyle and hurls directly into the other gargoyle, destroying it as well.  Arbiter lands and summersaults as we re-enter normal time.  Then Arbiter runs back to his shotgun as the camera zooms into the crossing where we see Mara finishing off the final gargoyle.

 

Mara and the gargoyle are fighting a few feet off of the ground.  Mara lands three spinning kicks into the gargoyle, and then grabs his head causing it to explode in a purple starburst.  The camera motions back to the apse where Arbiter, Tachyon, and Carnan are running up to the crossing.  They slowdown and stop as they approach Mara.

 

MARA

Faust, a Necromancer, sent these.  It won’t be long before he sends something even more destructive, and I’m sure the Agents are far behind either. – I’ve collected all the data I need from Somnus so you may take her as we agreed upon.  She should regain consciousness soon.

 

With that Mara fades and transcends from the Matrix.  Arbiter, Tachyon, and Carnan run up to the Apse and retrieve Somnus.

 

FADE TO:

 

INT. NARTHEX, GOTHIC CATHEDRAL

 

Arbiter, Tachyon, and Carnan run in from the sanctuary.  Tachyon is carrying Somnus over his shoulder.  A loud sinister scream is herd coming in from the distance.

 

CARNAN

Let’s get the fuck outa here.

 

The crew of the Nostradamus runs into the pastoral office and close the door.

 

INT. PASTORAL OFFICE, GOTHIC CATHEDRAL

 

Arbiter inserts the key into the lock, but it won’t turn; he turns toward Tachyon.

 

TACHYON

Tell them to close the door on the other side.

 

Arbiter opens his phone and dials.

 

INT. EXORDIUM BUILDING ROOM B-3a

 

Wraith, Scion, and Snipe are under constant assault from the agents, there is also another female crewmember there that has taken position next to Snipe.  Snipe’s phone rings and he opens it.

 

ARBITER (V.O.)

Close the door.

 

SNIPE

You don’t have to tell me twice.

 

Snipe jumps over his barricade and runs in to the adjacent room, firing his gun straight at an agent who is just beyond the door.  The agent dodges each bullet in a blur motion.  As Snipe gets to the door he slams the door shut.  The agent begins to pound his fists into the thick iron door.

 

SNIPE

Open it!

 

INT. PASTORAL OFFICE, GOTHIC CATHEDRAL

 

Arbiter turns the key and the door opens into the Exordium building, Snipe is standing there.

 

SNIPE

What took so long?

 

Snipe sees Somnus.

 

SNIPE

What happened to her?

 

ARBITER

She’ll be alright; lets just get out of here.

 

FADE TO BLACK

 

To Be Continued.