NationStates Jolt Archive

The gentle hum of the life support machine could be heard quietly in the background, but over all the laboured breath of a single individual could be heard.

Lying in a bed was an old woman in her late 90’s, enjoying the last few precious moment that she would get among the world of the living. Her name was Jade Allenson, the once great leader of Tappee. She had lead her people through both prosperous, and trouble times, now on her death bed she wondered how history would remember.

Then it came, in one corner of the room there was an amazing display of blue light, and the air in the room swirled around, then a figure appeared. As soon as it had started it was over, with silence and grace the lone figure made its way through the room towards the bed.

Jade could feel her breath go away in anticipation, wondering if the figure was an angel that had come to take her away. As the figure entered the light she could see that it was indeed an angel, but one that she had expected. A comfortable face one that she had no seen in some time stared quietly down at her. Using what little strength she reached out grabbing the figures hand. “It’s been some time hasn’t it Mak” she said slyly as the figure took the seat beside the bed. “Why the long face?”

The woman sitting the chair couldn’t help but chuckle, even on her death bed her mother still could come up with a witty comment. Makenze Allenson was Jade’s daughter; a fight they had drove Mak away. Jade had not seen her daughter since that fight nearly fifty years ago, one of the few moments in her life that she regretted, they both did. Even though they had not parted on good term it still pained Mak to see her mother like this.

“You don’t look so well” she said while she looked her mother over. What made things even worse for Mak was that it was well with in her power to help her mother, but was forbidden. “Are they taken good care of here?”

A bit of smile came across Jades face “Well you know the food’s not all the great” her comment wasn’t really indented for comedic effect but to instead break the tension between the two of the them. The expression on her face change “What do say after fifty years. Where have you been?”

Mak had never thought how to answer that particular question, for her the time that they had spent had only been about five, she had never taken the time to think about what pain she had caused her mother. She reached out and placed her hand her mother’s cheek. “The one place that you could never have found me. However, for what its worth I’m truly sorry. As you always taught me one has to full fill their duty.” She wished that she could truly tell her mother more.

Jade placed her hand over Mak’s “Duty is all we have” For a moment there was an awkward silence, as neither knew how to respond, Jade changed the topic. “You should go see your brother he’s going to need your strength in the coming days.”

Mak forced a smile across her face, deep down she knew that her mother had ultimately accepted her fate. “I will mom, don’t worry, I’ll be there for Jason” she reached down and grabbed something from her belt. “I need something from you.” She could see a confused look come across her mothers face. “Duty” she said forcing the words of her mouth.

Jade had been through to much to care what was about to happen to her, despite their past she trusted her daughter absolutely. “Do what you need.” Her voice was beginning to get weak.

Mak placed a series of metal nodes with wires attached to them on various points of Jade head, then two other nodes of her eye’s. Looking at a hand held device Mak watched as it counted from zero up to hundred. “Done” she said as it hit a hundred.” Satisfied that it was done she removed every thing “Now that didn’t hurt did”

“No it didn’t” Jade said as she rested her head back on the pillow, all the activity around her had caused her to become tired. “Mak I just want you to know that what ever you have being doing all these years, I’m proud of you. I know that whatever was so important to keep you away from me must have been worth it, and you have done your family proud.”

For the first time since she had got her Mak fought to keep her emotions at bay. “Are you scared?”

Her mother eye’s didn’t move, they just stayed focus on the roof above her. “No, it just means that I get to be with your father again, and in time we will all be together again.” Her words were barely audible at this time.

“Love you Mom” However, her words fell on deaf ears as Jade had slipped away. Mak sat there for a moment in silence. Reaching up she closed Jade’s eyes as a single tear rolled down her cheek. Sensing the Woman departure the alarms on the life support machine begun to go off.

Doctor and nurse ran into to find the old woman lying there peaceful alone, there was nothing that they could do for her now.

“field strength at 100%” said a voice over the intercom.

In the centre of the room where three metal rings rapidly moving around a blue ball, the ring were moving so fast that they were barely visible. In the blink of an eye the ball disappeared, a lone woman had replaced it. The rings began to slow, as the machine began to power down. As the three rings came to a complete stop a ramp extended outwards to the platform that the woman now stood on.

“Transfer Complete” said the voice again as medical personal made their way on to the platform only to find the woman crying uncontrollably.

“Are hurt?” asked one of the medics. The woman didn’t answer, he grabbed her shoulder and shock it “Are you hurt!” he asked again in a much more harsher tone. Another reached out and pulled him with a great amount of force.

“Just give her some Damn room!” she stepped forward taking his place before the woman; she kneeled down so that she could be at eye live. “It’s ok Mak, I’m here for you.” Rebecca was the team’s psychologist, and would often help team members through difficult times; her and Mak had become good friends over the years that they had worked together. Deep down she knew the mission they had asked Mak to do was asking her to do too much. No one should be asked to do this, it was times like this that she was reminded the agents are indeed only human. She handed Mak a handkerchief “Here take this it will help”

“Mak are you OK” said another voice from within the crowd that had formed. Marcus fought through the crowd to make his way to Mak. As he came up to her he reached out taking her into his arms

She buried his face into his shoulder. “She gone, I abandoned her” she kept saying over and over again.

“It’s ok just take a moment to collect your self” said Marcus trying to comfort her.

Rebecca look down at the device that she had taken from Mak hands when she had first greeted her on the platform, and wondered if this little box was worth so the pain that they had caused Mak. Looking up she glanced over at Marcus and held up the device “Take back to her room make sure that she get some rest.”

Nodding in acknowledgement he began to lead Mak to her room.

The anticipation could be felt as technicians moved about the room working on computer and yelling out to each other. “Ok the data has been uploaded.”

Mak couldn’t help but give the technician a quick glare, it bothered her the why that they talked. They made it sound like this was nothing more then just ones and zero’s arranged in a particular sequence. However, to Mak, what they were doing today was much more then uploading information, she took a moment to glance over at Marcus.

He knew her too well, he knew exactly what was bothering her. Squeezing her hand he tried to comfortable “You’ll have to forgive them, they have no real understanding of the work that they are doing.”

Mak gave it him a quick smile “I know, but it still hard.” She turned her attention back to the work that was going on around them, hoping that it would be done soon.

After some time one of the technicians sat back in his chair. “Alright, we’re all done here.” He glanced over at Rebecca who was sitting quietly in a chair on the other side of the room “Well Rebecca, this is where you take over”

As she rose to her feet and started to make her way across the room, as she passed Mak, Mak reached out and grabbed her arm.

“Rebecca, Please let me do this” there was a bit of a panic in her voice.

“Mak I’m sorry, you know that can’t” she paused to look into Mak eye’s, what she found was pain. “This is a very delicate process”

“That why it should be me” interrupted Mak “Please, as my friend let me do this”

Rebecca thought to her self for a moment “Alright” Rebecca stepped to the side.

“You can’t let her do this” protested one of the technicians

“You have a backup copy right!” Snapped Rebecca, she took a step forward towards the technician in a threatening manner, causing the man to quick cease his objection. He knew better the to anger an agent.

With the issue settled Mak made her way over to a giant metal door, she paused for a moment waiting for it to open, as it did she slowly made her way into the room. The room was black with silver spheres located every few feet, to make the appearance of a grid. Once at the centre of the room, the door closed, complete darkness engulfed the room.

Mak took a moment to collect her thoughts before she proceeded; once she was sure that every thing was going to be ok she started.

“Computer” she asked out loud “Are we operational”

“Yes” answered an automated voice, the voice was empty devoid of life. “How may I serve you”

“Begin Elder program 214”

“Please select interaction location”

Mak thought for a moment trying to come up with the best answer “Extract location for subjects memory. Pull up Home, kitchen. Run Program on my command.”

The nothingness that once surrounded Mak changed. She took a moment to adjust to her new surroundings, it didn’t take her long, and for her this was home. Every detail was the way that she had remembered it, the knives placed on the wall, to the fruit basket in the centre of the table, everything was the way that it had been when she had been a child. Taking a seat at the table she looked out the window at the ocean, this had always been such a peaceful place; it had been far to long since she left.

“Computer Run program” as soon as the word left her mouth Mak was no longer alone, a woman appeared.

For a moment Mak sat there breathless, the woman who was before was her mother, but not the old woman that she had visited in the hospital; she looked much younger, about Mak age. For a moment she looked around the room confused until she notice Mak sitting at the table “Mak what’s going on, the last thing that I remember is talking to you at the Hospital, and now I’m here what’s going on, did I die?”

Mak shifted about in her chair uncomfortably “Well umm..” she tried to find the right word “Yes, and No.” she motioned for her mother to have a seat “Please have seat I’m sure that you have many question, and they will all be answered in time.”

Jade took a seat across for Mak and folded her arms “Well you could tell me where you have been for the past fifty years, that would be a start” Mak could hear that mother tone in her voice “I used every resource at my disposal, it was like you just disappeared from existence. From what I can see you look good for someone you age, it would appear that you inherited the Calnuxian ability to age slower from your father. ”

Mak tried to come up with an answer, it was like she was fifteen a again and her mother was drilling her on why she had missed curfew. She let out a bit of a sigh “I don’t doubt very much that you looked hard for me, but I was the one place you could not find me.”

Her mother sat back in her chair impatiently “And where would that be?”

“The Future” Mak couldn’t help but smile as a confused look came across her mothers face “And just for the record I’m only thirty two.”

“What?” quickly responded Jade

“350 year into the future the glory of time travel will be created. However, there was also inherent risks that were associated with it. People would go back in time and try to change events to their own benefit, so the Tribunal in its wisdom created the Saecul Saeculbrum. The Saecul Saeculbrum was to serve as a special division of the First X, to protect and maintain the time from alteration. In the beginning they ran into the problem that their agents where not able to blend it with those from the past and most of the time an agent very presence would create a minor change in the timeline. So to avoid any more problems Saecul Saeculbrum begun recruiting their agents from various time zone, so the agent could easily blend it.”

Jade took a moment to ponder over Mak’s words “So you’re a time cop, I find that very hard to believe.”

Again Mak could help but smile “Take a good hard look at me for a moment, it has been quiet sometime sense you last seen me , ever get the feeling that we meet before I was born, or when I was a child. Like during your mission in Iaceo, or at a peace conference perhaps.”

Jade eye’s widened in shock as she realized the her words to be true. “Barbra Hamilton, and the Iaceo guard” she thought back to a day many years ago “You where Barba Hamiton, the supposed student, When we meet you at the conference I thought that I recognized you, but put it out of my mind. Ok so you really are a time cop, so what does that have to do with me.”

Mak let a out another big sigh “Well a few years ago we developed the ability to take someone’s memories, a snap shot if you will of every thing that they had experienced or thought since the time that they were born, to whenever we took the information. The Academy then add a spin to it, using that information they then could create an A.I that would used those memories to simulate that individual exactly they why that they were. The Tribunal saw a great use for this new found ability and ordered the creation of the Matrix.”

Jade didn’t like where this was going and decided to interrupt “What is the Matrix then”

Mak thought how to phrase her answer. “The Matrix is the collective knowledge of all the past leaders of Tappee. The Tribunal ordered Saecul Saeculbrum to send it’s agents back in time to collect the memories of the past leader. The Tribunal felt that having to ability to consult the leaders of the past during a time of crisis would be an invaluable asset. So to put it as simple as I can, you are nothing more then an A.I program that has been programmed with the Memories of Jade Allenson, my mother”

“So that what the thing that you placed over my head, tell me how many of the others have you collect.” Asked Jade, or at least the holographic representation of her.

“You were the last one, if you want you can interact with the others” Mak paused for a moment “I’ll understand if you are upset.”

Jade sat back in her chair “Upset no, tell me how much time do you have to spear.”

The question caught Mak off guard “Awhile why”

“Well I may be an A.I program but if I’m not mistaken we have some time to catch up on, I know that the real Jade Allenson would not have let an opportunity like this go by, so why don’t we talk for awhile.”

Mak reached across the table and placed her hand on her mother, to her it seemed as real as the real thing “I would like that”

OOC: You must be real bored.

OOC: I really must ask myself why there seems to be a sudden craze in the making of Matrix threads all of a sudden...

OOC: I really must ask myself why there seems to be a sudden craze in the making of Matrix threads all of a sudden...

OOC: did you actually take the time to read the thread, cause if you had you would have realized that I'm not copying the Matrix moive at all. In fact I'm copying something completely different, I wounder if there is anyone out there that ACTUALLY know where I got my idea for this thread from. And it's NOT from the matrix movies.

tag. To tired to read it all atm.