"THE MATRIX RELOADED" (2003)

THE MATRIX RELOADED

Larry andAndyWachowski

October27, 2001

l.

Passingthrough :chetwo-dimens"i_:,r:211sheetofcodeth21tformed tie main title, we enter a tr.ree--dirnensionalwcrldcfcode.

Drifting through a universe built ent.i"relyc:>fp;1ospl!o1ebce11t characters,we begin to sense shapes.

Theenormous teeth of slow grinding gearsdrive a vast green scintillantkaleidoscope cf churning cogsand ratcheting springsco:rnectedto--

Two immense armat•-1resJutting:::rornacentralshaftthat, as we glide away from coalesce, becomingthe hands of--

A punch clock.

2 I'.'lT.REMOF REROUTING FACILITY- SECURITYBUNKER - NIGHT 2 *

Justas the minute hand clicks over tornidniqht,a man's hand sweepsin, forcing a :.imecard into the clock'sgullet.

Ka-chunk.

-'IAN See you tomorrow.

A groupof security guards have punchedout, their shift over.

The city power grid maintenance and routingfaci::.ity.

Theoff ::l.utyguardsexitinto a main courtyardin front of the seventy-storyb"-1il::l.ingthatissmearedwithyellow-green securityklieg ::.ight.

The fourmen head for a ramp that leads downinto an undergroundparking structure as a motorcyclerevs with a screamof rubber in the distance.

Oneguar::l.pauses,lookingup over his shoulderand beyon::l.the eight-footcinderblock perimeter wal::.,attheuppermost level of theparking garage across the street ashe hears--

The soundof the sl:riekingengine rise, amplifiedin the concretecanyon, escalating toward the inevitable.

Theother three sec•-1rityguar::l.sturnalmostsimultane0"-1slyas thebig black metal beast leaps into theopen air above. It hangs inspace for a moment, flying si:rreally,therider, a blackvinyl-clad valkyrie.

They watch in disbeliefas she pushes off tr1ebike, stillir, mid-air, somersaultic1gbackwards--

Landing hard jn thedriveway Just as the motorcycle crashes -::hroughtheroof ofthe security station.

Ka-:Ooom!

The security bunkercomes apart like wet cardboard, itswalls separating againstthe furiously expandlr.gfireball.

The woman rises, b3cklitby the twisti:-:igsq·.1allofflame,hot debris raining intothe courtyard.

The four men claw fer:.heirweapons as she is suddenly ontop of them, a shadowywraith, slippery fast. She leaps intothe air.

A scissorir.gjack hammerkick crushes one guard's windpipe, her other foot cavingin the jaw of a second.

Desperate shots ringcff the asphalt around her as she lands and rolls. Sheplants a foot, spin:-:iingbackatthe gunman, kicking a smoking 2x4of::the ground at hi!'.1..

And in one finalblurring motion, she wrenches her helmet off, swinging it ina brutal uppercut at the last guard's chin.

His face shatters likea potato chip before he flies backward, crumplingtc the ground.

The woman drops thehelmet and li::tsa cell phone ro herear.

It is Trinity.

':'RINITY I'm in.

Suddenly, Tri:-:ii-:.yandthecourtyardbehindherdisintegrate, overtaken by the frenziedmass of code as before. It shifts and seethes, atwisting digital mercury snake bed.

We r,.1shalongthewritting lar.dscape,whipping throughthe green arteries ofthe buildingI space and time---

Entering a code-b·.1iltelevatorshaft.,rocketings-:.raightup, gaining on the risingelevator, passing through its bottom carriage as--

Sizzli.nglinesof code shoot into the bodyof:a man, sending an electronicspasm through the code of hisbody, changing it,overwri.tingit.

Thecode world reforns.

We realizewe have seen an Ager.ttake-over,beginning at a codeleve:;_andas the transformation iscompleted, we see the securityguard's body subsumed. The Agentis a new model: AgentJackson.

Hissunglasses snap into place just asthe elevator dings and opens,reve3.ling--

'.Ir:.r.ity,si::unnedforamoment,grabbingfora gun but too lateas--

Agent Jackson ai::tackswi~ha fury,overwhelming her just 3.S sheoverwhelmed the guards.

Shefighi::sdesperatelybc;thas absolutelyno chance, ura.tilhe smashesher through a wall and beforehe can finish her--

She'sup, finding her feet, divinginto the dark labyrinth of the office bu.i2.d.ing.

Aoent.Jackson is .immediatelyin pursuit.,:mnt.ing,~ustbehind her.

She tries to get to the stairs but.thedoor opens and another Aoent, na.med1'hompson,steps out,turning just as she dives oi:tof si:,ht.

Agent 'I'ho:npscni:,au3es,t0'.1chinghisearpieceas--

rhe world again dissolves into codeand we zigzag through the maze at a blistering pace until--

We pass throuqh a window, lookingstraight down the face of a wall of streainir:gcode;a waterfailof geo:netricperspective thatagain re-forms.

We ,;.l.:,wintoasteadydescent alone;t:cesmoothperfect glass face of the skyscraper, staring at.thelights of traffic far be.lowc.nt.il---

KE-RASF:l

Trinity exp.lod2sout into the air,high above ::hestreet.

The shards of glass float aroundher, twinkling .:..nthenight. As she falls, she twists herbody, lifting her gur.s,aiming back toward the window she Jumpedfrom--

At another Agent named Johnsonnow leapin9 a::terher, firing * as he falls.

Trinity's g:.mslight up andwe enter Bu::._let':'ime.

she dri::tsby, story after story,the eartt tug9in9 her down as the Aqent's bullets hum aroundher like a fleet of ~iny zeppelins.

we see TriEity's face frozenin a teeth-gnashing 9rowl, tw.:..n :lames at the mouth of eacr.ofher guns, throbbin9 like orange jellyfish. Double-helixladders of bu:let casings twist up and away fromthe hot reg·irgiraJ-iD<Jginslides.

Behind her, tie ground closesin.

With their wideningwakes, her hail of bullets seem more lJ.ke a bed of spikes whistlJ.ngupto impale Agent Johnson. *

As Trini~y falls away fromhim, still firing, exit wounds begin to open up on hisback, arms and legs, blooming like time-lapse f::._owers.

But he fires a final shot.

It cuts through the spacebetween them steadily like a torpedo and as theworld rushes up at Trinity, we see it. enter her midsection.

Trinity eyes widen, herguns suddenly silent, as she falls away from us soundlessly,until--

She crashes or.tothercof of a parked car; its wheelsbuc:kle, axles snapping beneathit, and as the windows detonate ina cacophonous thunder clap--

Neo awakes, his eyes snappingopen.

In the darkness, theNebuchadnezzar whispers a low unending murmur.

Slowly, he lifts hi:nselffromhis bed, a sheen of sweat glistening his forehead.

Stepping through thedoor, Neo looks back at Tri.nitystil::._ asl~ep in his ~ed,the ghost-image of her death burnedin his retina.

The Nebncbadnezzaremerges out of a thick frozenmist.

With its grotesquewelded scars and steel platepatch work, it looksto have seen better days, though it stillblisters by in acrackle of electromagnetic afterburn.

A man's surehands grip the controls of the immensemachine, guiding itwith a practiced ease.

We recognizethe voice immediately.

Morpheuspilots the ship, staring down theblack bore of sewerpipe at something perhaps only he cansee.

Link sits inthe co-pilot seat, anxiously studyingthe holographicradar.

The Nebuchadnezzarweaves through a seriesof tributaries until reachinga large crack in the pipeline.

The ship spinsgracefully, slipping up insidethe jagged opening beforenestling into the hiddenpocket of rent, stratifiedearth.

Both men workquickly, shutting down the shipsmain operating power. As thecockpit grows quiet and dark,Link softly sighs with relief.

Neo sits in the darkness of the emptygalley, steam rising froma hot drink between his hands.

He looksup to find Trinity at the door.

Neo shakeshis head as she sits downbeside him. She touches hishand.

Sheknows there is something he isunable to say.

Link enters.

A toughlooking woman tosses a pile of thermalphotographs and correspondingdata across a table.

Her nameis Niobe, Captain of the Logos,the fastest ship in the fleet.

The Captainsand First Mates of every crewhave gathered in a labyrinthof tunnels beneath the city'smain transit system.

Hard and dangerouslooking men and women lurkaround the long folding tablethat sits in the center of theroom, awash in pools of lightfrom hanging hooded bulbs.Representatives from twelvedifferent ships, all in all totallingforty-two.

At eachentrance, a guard hovers, cradlinga large automatic weapon.

TIRi\NT What aboutthe scans from the Osiris?

They turn as Morpheusemerges from a long brick corridor,his sunglasses floating inthe darkness like alligator eyes.

Trinity and Neo enterwith him.

They exchange somethingprivate in their looks.

Neo cocks his head as if sensingsomething in the shadows.

]6

1-'.ORPHKJS I think we sho:.,ldproceedas ordered, however, I rr.usc:askone of you for help.

Trinity turns to Neo who is staring outover his shoulder into the dark and whispers to hirr ..

NE:O I don 'tkn01,...

WRPHE'JS Some of you believe as Ibelieve. Some of you do not. 'I'hosethatdo, know that we are ne3.r.i.ngtheend of our struggle and t.ha::the prophecy will scon be fulfilled. B•.1tbeforeit car.be, theOracle m.1stbe consulted.

Neo rises and slips away from t~1etable.

BALLARD * Bullshit.,you're askir.gforone of * us to deliberately disobeya direct ord-2r.

11~

Ballard bursts intolaughter.

A shiny new four-doorrolls down the narrow brick alley easing to a stop,its high beams blaring against ametal maintenance accessdoor.

The car door opens,a silhouetted suit stepping out,crossing for the door.

He knocks once,the heavy steel ringing loudly and apeep slot slides open.

A man named Corruptlooks through the slot, a rectangular swatch of lightcutting across his face.

Wurm, another guard,hefts a sawed-off shotgun.

The figure reachesinto his side pocket.

He holds up a letter-sizedenvelope that bulges slightlyat its center.

1B

He sl.idesit throughthe slct t.oCorrup::.w:1.0peerspasth:.Jn to the other figuresin the car.

The shadow turnsback for the car as the slot snaps sh~t.

Corrupt turnsto see Neo running up the stairs, h.i.s,::;oat swirling behindhio.

Nee pushes pastthem through the door but 1:.healleyisempty, the car is gone.

Cor:cupthar,dshi:ntheenvelope.

Neo tears openthe envelope and pours the center.tsintohis hand; anAgen-::'searpiece.

He locks downthe alley.

Neo quickly t·.1rnsbackintot:ieaccess hall, slammingshut t:iedoor andthrowir.gthe heavy deadbolt.

CORRDPT

To:,m!The irondoor suddenly bulge,3,rivets;,oppinqaround a fist-siapeciimp~int.

The door shrieks again in another crateringblow and the two soldierssprint down the stairs.

Neo steps back, as another blow blasts thedoor from its hinges.

Three new Agents: Thompson, Jackson and Johnsonstep through the rent opening swirling with dust.

NEO (CONT'D)

Hiya fellas.

Automatically the Agents reach for theirguns, but stop short of drawing them suddenly recognizingtheir enemy.

AGENT JOHNSON

Only human.

Agent Thompson hurls himselfat Neo.

Their exchange is an impossibleblur, fists and feet used with the bolt action speed ofa machine gun. Neo at first seems to have the upper handand delivers a vicious right cross but--

Agent Thompson catches it.

In the silence of the deadlock,Neo eyes the Agent up and down.

Neo whirls, snapping freeof the hold, as the three Agents rush Neo.

Their attack is a devastatingonslaught of speed and power closing in around Neo likea vise. But Neo is a mirage, slipping and flipping aroundthem in a deadly counter attack, heaving the Agents in theair.

F.:...na:Llyitisover,Ager1t'l1 hompsonkickedi1;toalamppost, foldirighim at anunnat:urally3cut:eangle. The vibrat.i.onfrom the impact.loosensthe glas1=c.>:)ve~wbich£al.ls,E:xplcding<)Ii the c;rcund,its ed:ofading from the alley, until silence.

Neo scans the alley,peering into the coded curtain fo:dsof the Matrix, sensingsonethin9 hidden Just beyond hi2;s::.ght.

The guiet of theMatrix cl.osir:gin:Jr.hirr.,NeesuddenlyjuJ1ps into the air, soaringoff into the night.

After a mo:ne:-it,":hedist.antdroneofaca::_:-canbeheard.It rises stea:li.lyuntilase-:of headlights sweep into the alley.

A pair of executiveblack leat:iershoes step from t:,ecar.

Cr~nchinq across theshards o~ glass, the shoes stop in the center of the alleywhere Nee last stood. The scrapeof leather 3gainst.brick,tho·.igh,:leesnotstop.

An identical pairof shoes join the first.

M..1\.N Thatwent as predicted.

It is the voice ofthe man Neo "freed."

2ND MAN Yes.

Though we canhear the perspective change as the secondman speaks, the voicesare so alike it seems the firs-:.manis answer2-nghimself.

We rise up t:ierazor-sharppleated pant-leg to them3n's faci2.

Age:-itSmit:-1.

He smiles slightlyas tieturns to an identical.copyo= :i:_mself.

AGEN':'SMITH Wel:, notexactly.

A dark green reptilianLincoln glides aLong the streetlight- dappled asphalt.

Trinity wrings the steering wheel,one eye on the road, one eye on Morpheus who is already onhis cell phone.

Link sits behind the mosaic ofmonitors at his Operator's Station.

Through his headset, we hear Trinity'svoice in the background.

Link swings over, scanning a downpourof code and smiles.

We are rushing at incredible speed,skipping over a choppy sea of clouds like an adrenalineinjected hydro-foil.

We emerge from a slate grey cloudbank into the open charcoal moonlit sky as Neo rockets overus. A wake of light-bending heat trails behind him, hiscoat whipping like a strobic Rorschach test.

He races forward at a staggeringvelocity, ripping through the air, then banking--

Dropping down through thewet blanket of low-hanging nimbostratus clouds, revealingthe vast grid of the city, laid out like an enormous electricfisherman's net.

A guidedmissile, Neo plunges toward the sprawl. Theqround screams up at himand, at the last second, he levelsoff--

Rolling, cutting,and slashing through the uniformedurban topography.

A row cftenement buildings opens up before him andhe blazes towardone racingat it as if he were going tobore right throughit. But suddenly, he twists, somersaultingat the pebblecovered roof--

Slammingonto it, sticking a perfect feet firstlanding.

Neorises from a half-crouch and starts forthe roof access door,gravel crunching softly ~nder his boots.

Theelevator door sounds and mechanicallygrinds open. Neo stepsfrom the carriage, starting down thelong cinder block greenhall for the Oracle's apartment.

Neogives a push to the already ajar frontdoor. It cracks open.

He stepsinside.

NEO (CONT'D)

Hello•..

He edgesinto the living room.A thick layer of dust covers theneatly arranged furniture likea shroud.

Herhome is abandoned, its stillnessunsettling.

NEO (CONT':>)

Where are you?

The deepest, blackest tunnelsyet seen.

Link is pilo~ing the ship.

A sleek, clean operationssystem; controllers sit in comfortable modernchairs effortlessly multi-tasking, interfacing withboth the apparently real and the virtual.A hologram of theNebuchadnezzar on its approach to gate three is surroundedby screens that seem like unframed, floating panes of glasswith the colored light of data streaming across them.

VIRTUAL CONTROL * Nebuchadnezzar,this is Zion Control,maintain present velocity and stand by.

The operator's handsglide across screens and keyboards like someone playing amusical instrument.

VIRTUAL CONTROL * This is ZionControl requesting immediate standdown of arms at Gate Three.We have the Neb11cbadnezzaronapproach, let's open herup.

The darkness is suddenlybisected with a razor's edqe of light. The slitwidens, pulled apart by the thunder~of heavy machinery that spitsclouds of billowing steam as light pours into the tunnel.

Beams of celestial radiantlight guide the Nebuchadnezzar.

L

18..

::..INK No place likeit.

The Nebuchadnezzarglides in over the heavy battleslnp-type weaponry, severalsoldiers waving trcm the parapets oft:~e gateway.

The docking bayis enormous, large enough to hold at least nineteen ships.

It is sphericaland crowned with four major gated intersections andanother e2.ghtsmaller ;:,arredpassages.It is a kind ofmechanical heart that once ·.mitedthe subcutaneous systemsof a vast urban sprawl..

Most ofthe other docks are already filled as the Nebuchadnezzarspins gracefully towards Bay Seven.

At the centercf the dock, the armored gate controltower bustleswith soldiers.

The controllerclicks open a connection.

VIRTUAL CONTROL * Copythat.

The real coni:rcl,notas nice as its virtualcounterpa:ct;a dark cave litwith glowir.gsticks of pale bluish::.ight.It ::.ookslikethetechnology of the Nebuchadnezzar;pipes, metal grated floorsand cables like creeping vinescrawling over the floor andup the wa::.ls.

~he controllerlays unconscious, jacked intothe virtual system.

Behind him ishis controller.

The bay door opens withthe grind of a tank tread's metal teeth.

A military escort led by aman whose scarred and weathered face looks more like a pieceof driftwood waits as Morpheus steps down the gangway.

Morpheus smiles as the two soldierslook at each other nervously.

Morpheus turns and leads theescort away.

Neo nods.

Trinity grabs her pack assomeone yells.

A skinny, teenaged kidraces across one of the bridges toBay Seven.

Trin2-~ysrr.iles.

TRIN:TY You know whatthey say about the l:.feycu save.

Neo shoulders his bag asthe kid reaches them, s~iling but out cf breath.

1{30 Thanks, .::;__t,'sgoodtobenack.

Neo starts walking, thekid at his heels. *

20A.

KID * Can I carry that for you, Neo? *

NEO * I can carry my own bag. *

KID * Trinity? *

TRINITY * I'm fine. *

LINK * Hey, you can carry one of these. *

KID * Oh yeah, sure Link. *

Thebag weighs almost what the kid weighs. *

LINK * Let me guess. *

KID * I want to join the Nebuchadnezzar. * Iknow Morpheus hasn't filled the * other crew positions except for * you, Link. I'm sure he has his * reasons but the more I think about * it,the more I think it's meant to * be. It's fate. I mean you're the * reason I'm here, Neo. *

They slideopen the metal grated elevator doorand get in. *

NEO * Itold you, kid, you found me, I * didn'tfind you. *

KID * Iknow but, you got me out. You * savedme. *

NEO * Yousaved yourself. *

Neo slams thedoor shut. *

36A OMI'l'TEDSCENE36ADMMITTE;:1 ;·

361\

21-22.

The entire room is made of metal. Lock looksup from his computer screens as Morpheus enters.

The name knots the muscles in his jaw.

LOCK

:-lO?.PHEUS

A makeshift::..nduatr::_alelevatorhasbeenretrofittedintoa blackoverflow pit. The heavy metal gate openshorizontally; rustedrivets bleed down across the stenciledletters: "To dockingbay, authorized personnel only."

Trinitysteps out, the Kid struggles to stayclose tc Neo.

39 TNT.z:oN --JAY 39

'!'heydescendawide, curving metal stairweL_that follows a na-::uralcavethathas been widened i.nplaces;pipes run everywhere, a i-:.::_ndof:nechanizedexpressionoff2.owingwater.

The Eoundof Liei.rsteps fall away as tr.egrounddrops cff incoa sheer cliff, creating a waterfallof pipe2.ines.

'!'heystepdownor.toa large metal balconywhere we find at last,th~ bottom of the rabbit hcle--

Zio:1.

1ns.ici.ewhatmiqh:.havecncebee::1calJ.eda"botto::nlesspit"..1-s -::.helast.h·.:ur.an·cit.y.

Down the center ofthis vertical bowel, an industrial tower seemingly hangs fromthe ceiling, as though roots had grown from a massive steelrefinery and bored in among the stalactites and thenatural rock formations of the caveroof. Then, growing downward,a geometric tangle of pipes andpower lines, it thins atthe middle before widening again at the base so that it feelslike some huge wire-frame sculpture mimicking a stalactitegrowing into its own stalagmite.

Spreading out from thecore which includes a thick bundle of industrial elevators,is a complex lattice of suspended catwalks and bridgesthat run to and from the core and around the curved edges ofthe towering cave.

Along each level ofthe grated walkways, carved into the rock like ancient cave dwellingsare the homes of the people of Zion.

Link smiles.

Lock has had enough.

Lock looks ready to leapover his desk when the door opens. An old man enters whosegentle smile and twinkling eyes belie his warrior heart.

Commander. Captain.

Morpheus bows his head respectfully.

2.5"

Cour:ci1=..or~

HM1&"1N What makes you so sure?

MORP::IEUS Considerwhat we have seer.. Considerthat in the :iastsix months we have freed more people thanwe have in six vea.rs.This attackis an act of desperation. I ;:,elievethatverysoon the prophecyw::-11:Oefulfilledana thisv:ar:willend ..

MOR?HEUS I do notbelieve it to be a matter of hope,Councillor. I:.is simply a matterof tine.

rhe doers open.

My step. Seeyou soo:1,hopefully not too soon.Let's 9c, kid.

He yanks the kid off the elevator.

The doors close and suddenly theyare alone, they look at the numbers counting down then at eachother, wondering if they are thinking the same thing.

They are.

Packs, belts, tools, bags; everythingdrops to the floor as they reach for each other, their lipsdrawn into a kiss that they drink like water in a desert.

It is a transfusion, a resuscitation,the sustenance of life.

Warm and flushed, they break thekiss.

The elevator rattles open andher smile slowly dies.

Gathered along the metal catwalk,a crowd has been waiting, perhaps praying, for Neo's return.

He hears his name beingwhispered along with hushed voices repeating: ''Itis him," uHehas returned.''

As Neo and Trinity edge outof the elevator, several come forward offering gifts of homemadelinens, food, seeds, and small bits of technology.

An old woman offers a redblanket.

Trinitypulls away from him.

Shesteps back into the elevator.

Distractedby the group, he looks backbut the doors have closedand she is gone.

Themetal door bangs open and Link stompsinside.

Two women sittingat a small tableturn towards him. The olderwoman smiles, the younger oneblushes.

A littleboy and girl rush at Linkwho scoops them up.

He sets themdown and they each latch onto a leg.

Amazingly, Linkbegins to rise off the ground.

Link is holdinghimself up with an overhead pipe.

She kisses him.

The door closes.Link smiles, sidling up to her.

Sheturns away from him, knowing thatshe is not saying what shewants to say.

She grabshold of him, not wanting to hear anymore.

It is quiet,no people are visible. Footsteps canbe heard of someoneracing across one of the metal catwalksnear the base of thetower.

Beneathus is a row of shoes and sandals of varyingsize and shape.We glide along the row as the awkward running overtakesus, pulling us as we reveal hundredsof shoes laid in rows,creating a small path on the otherwiseextra wide catwalkthat leads into the mouth of anothercave.

The kidbarrels towards the cave, trying to removehis boots without slowingdown.

The Templeis a series of naturally-formed chamberslinked like organsof the body all leading to a vastcavern.

The entranceis one of the smaller but more elaborate chamberswith its heavy limesto11ed.La~c.1..._;_co::;:ripplingthe walls.

The kiddrops his boots as a procession ofpriestesses pass, bearingbaskets filled with bread and mushrooms.

The kidhurries to the entrance of the nextchamber but abruptlystops. At his feet is a naturally formedpool of water.

Ritualistical:y,he steps intc the poo~, closes_hiseyes and takesa calming breatn. He steps out ot thepooi, crossing a thresholdand then quickly :cushe:3downthepat:-1,ieavingr.is wet footpri.ntsor.thewarm, hard ro::k.

Amulti-tiered catliedral;cclumns rise aroundus ,.ikethe ribbedpillars of a Gothic age.

rhereis a pool of molten earth; a steamingbubbL.ng pit of liquidfire ~hat is near the core of -:hegathering.

Thecave is packed with the people of Zion;a hundred fifty tho-.,sandfacesasvari.edas the rows of shoes,all listening intentlyto a single voice.

Cou~1cillorHamannstar.dsat -:heedge ofa large plateau.

Beneaththe plateau is a series of ontcroppicgsand alcoves, creating a ridge or a balcony alongone of the sides of the cavern where the crews of all the shipsstand.

* HAMANN (CON'I'D) *

Let.us remernlier-:hosethathave been lost and let us givethanks fort.hose tl:athave been fouc1dancl who stand here beside us.

T'hE,kidwedges himsel::into a smallncok near the back.

HAMAN!,/CONT'D) * Now I would like someoneelse to close this prayer, .someonewho hasn't spoken here in a longti:ne but w::-10Ibelievehas somethingto say that we all need t.ohear.I give you Morpheus.

A U·.underouschee:c:eruptsfrom theth::,uBandsgatheredthat takes a momer.tto echo ar.drecede.

Morpheus ascec1dsthe pla.teau,steppingout onto the ed9e.

MORP:-lElJS Zion! Listen to me! Itis ~r~e wha.t.ma.nyofycu have:,ea.rd. (MOP.3)

A sense of panic sweepsthrough the cavern like awind.

The wind quiets.

Eventhe crews are affected by the power ofhis voice, especiallyNiobe.

A cheer jolts through the crowd.

A thousand voices unite andbecome one.

Morpheus gestures and a thunderof drums roils up from the booming cheer and into bodiesof thousands of Zionists.

A rhythm that isboth modern and primal is pounded outwith dozens of percussiveinstruments that drives the peopleto shake the fearfrom their hearts and minds.

It is a tribalcelebration of freedom, hard-earned,by a warrior people, joyousand proud, that seems to stokethe pools of moltenlava, showers of sparking flame spittinginto the air. Among thedancers we see Link and Zee.

Morpheusmoves along the alcove until a familiarvoice stops him.

He catchesthe gleam in her eyes.

MORPHEUS

* There are some things in this

world, Captain Niobe, that will never change.

He takesher hand to lead her down but--

She glancesat Lock and when she turns backto Morpheus, he knows sheis already gone.

* NIOBE

I'm sorry--

He letsgo of her hand.

Sheturns as if uncertain about that change.

Neo stands among a group of crewmembers as a priestess passes them mushrooms from a basket.

There is a familiar sense of Neo somehowdisronnected from the experience that surrounds him. He is,as he was in the club, waiting for her--

And when she catches his eye as onlyshe can, she steals the breath from him.

He moves through the crowd towardsher; dressed in white, she is radiant, almost glowing againstthe darkness of the cave.

They share a quick kiss that isobviously not enough.

She smiles and leansin to whisper in his ear.

As always, he does.

The swell of drumsrises like a cresting wave as feetbeat the earth, splatteringthe warm red clay.

Carrying their shoes,they wait for the doors to close.Even when they do,the drums can still be heard.

He shakeshis head, looking at his hands.

'.(JEQ ( CO'.(JT' D) * my palms start to sweat.

smiling,she walks towards him.

Hereyebrow cocks like a gun.

1'RINI".'Y I don't scare you a~ymore?

He offersher his hand.

1'RINI".'Y(CONT'D) * They are wet.

She leansin close to again whisper to him.

Theyk.issagain.

A fevertakes hold, a heat that rises up fromthe molten core, spreadingup -::hroughthefeet o: shadowcovered dancers.

At last,the lovers unite; two bodies c01;pledtogetherir.a cove of:ilackhew:-irock.

They lie intertwinedon a ,3mallbed, tneir fleshstudded by :.hesmallmetal jacks that r'.larktheirl.imbsandthecurve of their vertebrae.

'l'heliquidf.ireseemsne creating a forge,melting the multitudeof bodieB :_r.tcasingle driving force.

Neo enters Trinity.

36~

Sweat, spit,and mud fly from the growing fury withthe rhythmic slapof naked feet against wet clay.

Two become one.

The cave trembles;the earth seems ready to crack.

A blaze rushesthrough them, fuses them and in a singular instant both createsand destroys them.

All at once,the drums stop. And--

Neo opens hiseyes and, in that moment, the echoof drums fading to silence,he sees--

Trinity falling,her expression at the momentthat she knows she is goingto die.

He closes hiseyes, burying his face beside hers,trying to drive the imagefrom his mind.

She turns tosee him.

He touchesher face, his hands trying to speakfor him.

TRIN:::TY Neo, _ycy.1,,,101:.1t1oseme.

Shetakes hold of:his hand.

TRIN:TY (CONT'D) * Y::,ufeelthat?

Shetightens her hold.

He draws her into hi:n,his eyes ho2-dinghersas we pc1::_1.away ina series of dissolves, leaving themcupped together :'..r,side a womb-.'-ikecoveof dark earth um::il--

The dim light intensi:::ies,:::irightening,burningawaytheroom as it ::>ecomes--

One of:the day lights that washdown over Zion. The light is turned of:f,the coils still glowir.gredwit:-iheat.

Morpheus stands on t:-ieledgeofthe catwalk ::iverlookingU·,e ur.dergroundcity as the main lightsare switched off for -:.he night.

Soon, only small guide lightsalong the tower and it's walkways are left hanging :.r.thedarknessabove them like stars.

He turns to enter his room aswe rise u;,,d:ci:::tingtowardsa distant s::mnd,moving past thea:::iove::catwalkthatwipesby becomi~g a table--

65 n,T. :Nm;STRIAL LOFT - NIGH'I' 65

'iihereanold phone is ri.nging.

After a moment, the skylightexploc:esinto a tr.ousand twink_::_ingshardsasa man c:rashestothe floor. Quickly, he gets to his feet as anothermact dropst.hro:.ig'.'ltheshattered opening.

:>1.alach:i.a:-idBane,twocfCaptainBallard'smen,train their guns fo2:a moment on the emptydarkness c1bovethem.

Malachi is bleeding ~rom agunshot.wocnd.

He pulls a letter from hispocket.

He gives Malachi the letterwho answers the phone.

As he disappears, a figure standingin the frame of the broken skylight is revealed:Agent Smith.

Bane reaches down to resetthe phone just as Smith attacks--

Leaping down, catching Baneoff guard, burying four fingers in his chest before Banebarely has time to react.

From the connection, Smithbegins copying himself onto Bane. A gleaming liquid darkness spreadsout from the four fingers, covering Bane as the mirrorhad once covered Neo.

Bane tries to scream butthe mercurial malevolence fills up his mouth, rushing up overhis face, drowning his features beneath liquid coal.

UO..L.,!',...LJ.(.,..U-...>-1-~-lr,...__...._~,....rlrflining

All at once, the black shinuueLl11g into his eyes, becoming--

The sunglasses of Agent Smith.

The two Smiths stand in almostperfect reflection as the first Smith withdraws hishand and then straightens the tie of the Bane/Smith.

BANE/SMITH Thank you.

Beside them, the phonebegins to ring. They look at it, watching it ring again,then slowly turn towards one another, the same idea hitting themat the same time.

ss 65

sroi:'_e.

,Bane/Srr.ithanswerst.hephom,.Carefu:._ly,as.ifunsurewhat tc expect, he placesthe pr.oneto tu.sear.

As the sear:..ngelectronic?itchsears .intchis ear,we cut--

Neo wakes, st:al'.'tledfromanot.herbaddream.Trinityisasleep beside hin.G•cent].y,asnotto wake her, :'lecli.m::,soctofthe bed.

Outs:..dethedoor,Neo finds more gifts left.for hi.m.'Chey i.rnmedi.ateiyremindhimofhis burden.

He walks outonto a catwalk; tiny gui.delightsal:._aroundhi.m like frozenti.reflies.

After amoment, he hears footsteps.

HAMA..'lN Would you care for some company?

He sta.r:dsbesideNeo,leani.r.-gonthera.il.ing,faintly smiling.

:-JAMANN(CONT 'L) * It.'sn.icetonight. Very calm. It feels like everyone is sleeping very peacefully.

HAM.Al\"N - hate sleeping. ! r1eversleep more tJ-:3.nafewho1.::.rs. (MORE)

40~

He smiles.

Neo shakes his head.

HAMA,_'JN( CONT'D)

I love to walk thereat night. It's quite amazing.Would you like to see it?

They are surrounded bymassive machines in constant motion, grinding and groaning,churning and pumping, giant mechanical monstrosities chained andslaved to the heat of the earth's mnli-PnrnrP.

The machines continue tolabor, oblivious to the two men.

)/ 68

HA"'lANN Of coursenot. How could they'?The ideais pc1renonsense.• .But .i.t doesmake one wonder just what is control?

KZ\MANN Yes, o~ course, that's it. You've rat it. That's control, iEn't it? Ifwe wanted, we could s~ash them to bi ts.. .al thougr.ifwedidwe would have to consider what woi.::ld happen to our .L.ghts,oi.::rheat, ou~ air?

)lEO I.stha.twhy t~'1erearen.oyounqmen en the C:our.ci.L?

c!AMANN Goocipo:_r:t.

HA_IV[ANN There is so much in thisworld that I do not understand.Do you see this machine here? Ithas something to do with recyclingour water supply. I have absolutelyno idea how it works but Ido understand the reason forit to work.

He turns to Neo.

The pounding of the machines becomes--

A fist pounding against the irondoor. After a moment, Trinity swings the door open.

Captain Ballard is standingwith severalmembers of his crew. Malachi has his arm is in a sling.Bane is not among them.

She steps back, revealing Neo.

He hands Neo a disk. Neo knowswhat it is before anything more is said.

He looks at Trinity.

TNT.ZI::JK--LINK'SHOME ·-DAY 70

Linkis stuffing his things back intohis sack.

LD!K Morpheus said :.hisis howit would har:;pen.Ido~t'tknow, maybethe prophecy is -::crue.~ayoenet.AlJ.I know is that ship needs an operator a'1dright new :.hat O?erat,o:::-isme.

She climbs out of :.hebed, pullingoff a stae1ro:_itenecklace from the collection she wears.

L:NK

L:::NK You know I den'tbel.ievein this st·.1ff.

She p·.1tsitover his head.

ZEE (C::JKT''.J)

It's always broughtme luck, so maybe it .......1il~b:::-ingmeycu.

She kisses hio gcodbye.

71 DJ':'.ZION--·ELEVAT'.JF.--DA\' 7J

'I1hE~palmofa hand .i.s2Je.i.ng·studied1_lff':.ilaknifeP8int :races alo~g one of the l~nes,slicing open the fl~sh, let-:ir:qb:::..00C..

Bane sits hidden in the shadowedcaves connecting Zion tothe dock. He crouches in an alcove,both arms marked with dozens

of knife cuts.

His eyes are animal wide, shifting,blinking, reacting to

every sound, every smellbut always returning his attention

to the cut as if using itto focus his thoughts.

Finally, through the tangleof pipes and stalactites, he sees what he has been waiting for:Neo.

Neo, Morpheus, Trinity andLink get out of the smaller lift and head towards the elevatorto the dock.

Bane follows them, a shadowtrying to attach itself to Neo.

Just before they reach theelevator, Bane rushes forward--

His knife flashing like ananimal baring its teeth.

Bane is caught, still toofar away to attack, he hides his knife just as they turn.

For a moment, Neo seeswho it is that is staring at him behind Bane's eyes butonly for a moment.

He reaches out his handto Neo.

Neo shakes his handwhile Bane squeezes the other hand into a

fist leaking blood.

44A.

1 71A

He spins awayas the kid bounds towards them.

From his pocket, he hands Neo a spoon.

Neo looks into the spoon and smiles.

Commander Lock bursts through thedoor.

-

:-, NEBUCHADNEZZAR - MAIN DECK- DAY 73 INT- *

NeO lies back as Trinityplugs him in.

She kisses him and hebreathes deep, closing his eyes.We push in on him, then onLink's monitors and at last into--

Where the streets are jammedwith tourists and merchants peddling the ultimate simulacra;spiritual and historic symbols, once-powerful imagesnow reduced to plastic, laminated bric-a-brac.

Neo glides down a backalley to the rear entrance of atea house.

Cautiously, Neo slidesopen the only door there is, revealing a man sitting cross-legged,bathed in the rays of afternoon light, sippingtea. His name is Seraph.

In the codeworld, Neo sees his true form; sittingBuddha- like in the surroundingswirl of code, a being of pure liquid light containedby a web of Matrix code that is written in the negative or ratherwith the absence of light.

Seraph sets histea cup down.

Neo nods as Seraphstands.

Seraph attacks,his hands and feet striking seemingly all at once--

But Neo parries each of them. The speedof the blows increases--

The attacks and counters in perfect syncas though each knows exactly what the other is going todo before they do it.

There is a final quick flurrywhich Neo just barely manages to stop.

Seraph snaps back.

He leads Neo back tothe door he entered. Pulling a chain from around his neck,he selects one of several dangling keys.

He pushes it intothe lock, twists and opens the door.Where it once opened intoa back alley, it now opens into a long industrial hallway.

They step into thehall. The door slams behind them.

Link searchesmadly for Neo's signal.

They arewalking down a seemingly endlesshallway of doors. It is a veryclean, very utilitarian place:a vast network of identical halls,doors, and fluorescent lights.

47 48.

7S seraphnods.

NEO (CONT'D)

How does it work?

He shakes his head, as he stopsat a door.

Using his key chain, he opensthe door.

He gestures to the open door.

Neo steps out of the brickmaintenance building of a small park. It is stark and urbanwith gray pebbled stones instead of grass.

Sitting on a dark green benchis the Oracle, casting crumbs to a clutch of black birds.

In the distance, several childrenare playing on a swing set.

Neo stares at her for amoment seeing her code-form which is the same as Seraph's.

Once again, she starts talkingto him before she sees him.

Neo steps around the benchand the Oracle's face lights up.

49~

ORACLE (CONT'D)

My goodness, look at you. You turned out all right, didn'tyou? You look good, Neo. How do you feel?

He remembers their first conversation.

Hereconsiders, the choice of sitting or standingquickly escalating into a matter of free willversus fate.

Shewaits.

He sits.

Shesmiles, flinging another handfulof crumbs to the birds.

He glancesat Seraph who stands guardnear the door.

She slaps the crumbs fromher palms.

She begins digging throughher purse.

She offers him a piece ofhard candy, wrapped in shiny red cellophane.

Sortingthrough that bit of Oracle-ese, he carefullytakes thepiece of candy.

She digsout another piece.

She twirlsthe candy free of its cellophane.

She popsthe candy in her mouth.

A black birdsuddenly takes off.

ORACLE (CONT'D)

The ones doing their job,doing what they'remeant to do, are invisible. You'dnever know they were even there.But the other ones, well, youhear about them all the time.

Slowly,Neo nods his head.

ORACLE (CONT'D)

What happens when you go through the door?

Heis uncomfortable talking about it.

53~

He is getting tiredof that answer.

....

He sighs,no way out.

Seraph signalsto her.

From herpurse, she hands him a folded pieceof paper.

She stands.

She winks.

He watches as they enter the maintenancebuilding and close the door just as there is a suddenpanic of beating wings as the black birds seem to frighten atonce, leaping into the sky.

Through the fanning flash of blackwings, Neo sees what seems like a ghost walking towards him.

Neo rises from the bench.

Morpheus doesn't quite believe whatthe screens are telling him.

smith walks right up toNeo. Plastic bags flutter, caught in the bare branches of trees likethe carcasses of rotted black birds.

A fact that is as repellentas it is undeniable.

He still can't believe it.

He steps closer and Neo doesnot back away.

AnotherAgent Smith appears, continuing thedialogue.

Neo turnsas another Smith appears.

Agent Smiths gather around Neo like blackbirds swarming to seed.

He stabshis hand into Neo, his fingersburying into Neo's chest.

___;

The joltof Smith sears into him, his code spreadinglike a cancer,metastasizing with binary speed.

Stunned,Neo looks down at the darkness that beginsto cover him.

Linktries to translate the code that is describingwhat it can'tdescribe.

Neobegins to panic, fear clouds his eyes.

Focusingthe entirety of his will, Neo slowlytakes hold of Smith'sarm.

The Smithsall look at each other, sim11JtauernisJy experiencingthe same disbelief.

Theblackness spreading like liquid obsidiansuddenly stops asNeo summonsa final surge and shaking fromthe effort, ripsthe fingers from his chest--

Severingthe connection, the darkness instantlyevaporating.

Theother Smiths immediately attack as--

Neoretreats, panting, trying to regainhis center, flipping backover the bench to catch his breathbut--

The Smithshurl at him, hands and fistsattacking from every angle, stabbingand grabbing, groping forany hold as--

Neoblocks, twists and kicks like adervish, desperate to keepthem from connecting.

Acrossthe park, a woman with a strollerstares at the fight, nearlyparalyzed with fear until--

Her face blistersopen, transforming into Agent Jacksonwho barely has timeto grab his gun before another Smith spins him around.

AGENT JACKSON * You?!

Smith jams his fistinto his chest, copying himself ontothe Agent.

AGENT SMITH (CONT'D)

Me.Me. Me.

The sunglasses snapinto place.

They go to jointhe clutch of Smiths tightening aroundNeo, their numbers nowdoubled.

Neo thrashes atthe surrounding frenzy like a man ina cloud of hornets. A crushingkick opens the space aroundhim for a moment and with aheave, Neo uproots a fence post.

He whips it aroundhim like a crude irgaak, cuttinghuge swathes of Smithsaway, metal ringing againstbone.

Smith scans thepark, gritting his teeth.

Neo spins in timeto see Smiths pouring from anearby tenement.

A man screams ashe tries to clamber up the fencesurrounding a basketball courtnearby, hands hauling him backdown, when the fence door burstsopen against another Smithhorde.

The courtyard isoverrun by the seemingly endlessmob and their relentlessattack begins to overwhelm Neo.

Trinity can't standit~

Almost buriedbeneath Smiths, Neo seems to hear her. screamingwith Herculean effort, he hurls himself upward, reaching forthe freedom of the sky but--

The Smithsrefuse to let go.

Togetherthey rise; a twisted knot of bodies uncoilingas it bends up intothe air--

Several Smithsslip off, others leap up to grab on--

The last snatchingonto the lowest Smith's ankle as--

Neo dragshis chain skyward.

The Smithscling to him, arms and legs wrappedlike stranglingvines around the trunk of a tree astheir fingers dig, gouging,slowly sinking into his skin.

Neo triesto shake them loose, jack-knifing, suddenly reversinghis direction as--

The ankle-holdingSmith is whip-snapped free--

Thrown spinningthrough open space until smashinginto the glasswall of a skyscraper.

,Still,Neo cannot get free.

Like adevil perched on his back, the Smithnearest his ear smiles.

Fingers sinklike vampire fangs into Neo'sneck.

The blacknessspreads, enveloping his face,one eye covered as theother eye seems to go dead and hisflight becomes a fall--

Plungingwith his comet-tail of Smithsto the city below.

~, b~ INT.NEBUCHADNEZZAR - MAIN DECK - DAY 91

Trinitycovers her mouth.

Thechain of bodies smash down, exploding throughthe roof.

Theybreak through, falling into the centerdisplay, toppling stacksof screens.

Neo's eyes focus as the collision severs Smith'sconnection andhe leaps to his feet.

Beforethe Smiths can reach for him, Neo leapsinto the air, soaringthrough the hole in the ceiling.

TheSmiths stand, the image surreally fillingup the monitors through the store's live camera feeds.

A woman screams as Smith stabs his fingersinto her neck.

Neo is jacked out, Trinity sliding theneedle from his skull port.

He nods.

NEO

A large circularroom with windows near the top of Zion.

The twelvemembered Council sits behind a curvedtable. The Council ismostly women and only Hamann is pod-born.One of the women isbreast-feeding.

The room ispacked and includes the Captains andcrews of every ship.

Flankedby his war advisors, Captain Mifuneamong them, CommanderLock is addresses the Council.

Niobe sitsjust behind Lock with her crew.

LOCK (CONT'D)

Although it has been suggested that this is the same kind of attack we have defended foryears, I urge the council to realizethe truth: this is the single greatest threat we have ever faced andif we do not act accordingly,we will not survive.

Theoldest councillor answers.

63~

Locktries to reign himself in.

64~

Sheaddresses the room.

Almost immediately one stands.

There is a nervous silenceas the crews look to one another. Bane leads forward to CaptainBallard.

MALACHI * What? You havegone crazy.

Malachi pulls Baneback into his seat.

An enormous clock governs the toweringlobby of glass and gleamingmetal: a cathedral of commerce.

People clothed in the status quo movethrough familiar lunchtimepatterns.

From above, three figures move acrossthe lobby, disrupting the patterns like an opposing chargethrough iron filings.

Neo, Trinity, and Morpheus glide intothe elevators. Several people start to get on but Morpheus stopsthem with a small shakeof his head.

Neo is reading the code of the building.

..

The elevatorstops.

A very exclusiveFrench restaurant. Hyper-nouveauwith a deificview and the accompanying tones of etherealstring music.

A slickonanistic maitre d' stops them.

They areled past the power lunches towardthe far wall of tinted greenglass which casts a money-coloredhue over the city below.

A smallIndian man is escorted away by abig bald man from a * raisedtable, where Neo immediately recognizesthe Merovingian.

The Indiancatches Neo's attention but quicklyaverts his eyes.

Neo whispersto Trinity.

67~

Trinity nods.

The Merovingian smiles,gesturing to them. He is aperfectly preserved matureman who speaks with a French accent.There is a sharpnessthat extends through every part of him,from the cut of his suitto his razor thin smile; he is likea surgeon's blade.

Beside him is hiswife Persephone; sex and death squeezed into a woman'sbusiness suit made of latex.

There are fourothers gathered around them. Two ofthem are twins; pale ghost-likebeings with black painted fingernails. The other two,blood-drinkers, wearing outfits that seema cross between amortician and a rock star.

There is an easein the postures of all of them, a confidence that suggests asated animal regarding something itconsiders its prey.

He kisses herhand.

She smiles,her eyes hidden behind sunglassesbut obviously staring onlyat Neo.

He smiles.

He smiles again, pouringhimself a large glass of wine.

He lets loose astring of French expletives.

He drinks.

The wine swirlsabout his glass.

He aches while gazing at an attractivewoman in a business suit.

Persephone's jaw tightens.

A waiter sets a beautiful dessertin front of the woman. The men at the table smile as she liftsa delicate forkful of dark chocolate.

Her lips close around the fork asa luxurious richness spreads through her.

She sips from a glass of waterand as she sets the glass down we see her as code, burningwhite rivulets racing like goose- bumps down her arms.

...

.. I

M:C:ROVINGIAN(CO:lT'D) * She can'tunderstand? Why? Is it :.hewine?No. But what then? Wha:

There is 3.gleamin his eyes as he watches her.

The wcman shiftsin her chair, smiling fair.tly,tryingto f::illcwtheconversatio:t.

She fidgets again,pulling at t:iehem of her skirt,crossing and uncrossinghe::clegsas we see her again ascode; a binary blaze ragingin her base chakra.

M3ROVD!GIAN (CCN':''D) * Beneathour poised appearance, the trutr.is:hat we are completely--

The fire-stormreaches the peak of its intensityand explodes.

MEROVI:lGIAN(CCN':''D) * Out,--

A bee swarm ofcode flies up from her pelvis--

MEROVl:lGIAN(CCN':''D) * Of---

Cctscadinglikewater down her legs in shimmeringwaves.

JVc.EROVINGIAl,ICONT'D) * Control. ' ·

Gather:.r,gherpurse,sh" smiles politely c1ndriBesto go to ~he ladies' room.

P.EROVINGIAK!CONT'=iI * CauBality.There is'no escape from it. We areforever slaves to it. Our onlyhope, oi.:ronlypeace is to ucders~andit, to ~nderstand thewhy. W~y is wha~ separates u2 from them,you from :ne. ~MORE)

Contemptdrips from him.

MEROVINGIAN (CONT'D)

This is how you come to me, without why, without power. Another link in a chain. But fear not, since I have seen how good you are at following orders, I will tell you what to do next. Run back and give the fortune teller this message: her time is almost up.

He pushesaway from the table.

Ohyes it is. The Key-Maker is mine. I see no reason to give him up.No reason at all.

With an aifableshrug, he is gone.

The four killersand the large bald man surroundMorpheus, Neo and Trinity.One of them reaches for her shoulder.

They are escortedinto the elevator. The threatenedtwin blows a kiss atTrinity as the doors close.

-

,9 99

The elevatordings and they all stare stunned atthe open doors.

• me.

Neo looksat Morpheus who smiles and follows.

Her stilettoheels clack across the ceramic tile.A man at a urinal nearlyzippers off his dick when he seesher.

He stumblesby the three as they follow her in.

PERSEPHONE (CONT'D)

Iam so sick and tired of his bullshit. On and on. Pompous prick.

She touchesup her makeup, looking into themirror.

PERSEPHONE (CONT'D)

A longtime ago, when we first came here, it was so different.He

• was so different. He was like

you ...

73~

Sheturns to Neo.

Trinity whipsout a gun.

Neo thinks for a moment,feeling trapped.

He closes hiseyes but can feel Trinity's stare. Persephone waits for his lipsto touch but as they do--

She waits againand this time in his mind he conjures Trinity, givinghimself as he would to her.

Persephonemelts from the heat of the kiss, her eyelanguidly opening toenjoy the effect the kiss is having onTrinity.

Neo looks atTrinity who turns to Persephone.

PERSEPHONE {CONT'D)

I envyyou. But such a thing is notmeant to last.

Trinity grindsher teeth, her thumb still on thehammer of her gun.

PERSEPHONE {CONT'D) * Comewith me.

She leads themthrough the back of the kitchen,down a hall and into a smalloffice.

She takes akey from her purse and inserts it inwhat appears to be a closetdoor until she opens it--

Link shakeshis head.

7C '~.

They enter the elaborate foyer ofa chateau that is at once modern and classical, stylish thougha bit excessive.

A long hall splits a curving stairwell,with armaments throughout the ages decorating thewalls.

They follow Persephone, the clickof her heels like a metronome.

Two Exiles are draped across leatherbarca-loungers, watching "Brides of Dracula." They prickup nervously at the sight of the three strangers.

They relax a little.

They snigger at each other.

She reaches into her purse andpulls out a beautiful little gun.

Click. Boom. She blows a holein the nearest Exile, blood speckling the big screen TV.

She turns the gun on the other.

He lunges for thedoor.

She throws open adoor in the wall of books.

It feels like a medievaldungeon lit by halogen spots instead of torches. They appearto be following the faint soundof grinding metal.

She pulls a heavy ironbolt from one of the doors, opening it. Inside is a surreallocksmith shop; a key seeminglyfor every lock in theworld.

An older Japaneseman wearing glasses and a visor stops grinding his latestkey.

As they rush from thelibrary into the great hall, the Merovingian and hismen charge in through the front door.

Guns leap into every handexcept Neo's.

The Merovingian is overwhelmedby what he sees, almost working himself to tears.

A nearly indecipherablestring of French obscenities choke him as she calmly walkstoward him.

He wipes at his mouth, checking, butthere is nothing.

Her smile cuts like a razor blade. She sauntersout the door.

The Merovingian tries to gather himself.

The Twins nod and immediately phase.They become transparent, likeghosts, and walking forward, theyslowly sink beneath the floor.

Neonods.

Heturns and runs in the opposite direction.

7:::.

Morpheus chase after the Key Maker.

hey all openfire, emptyir.gevery clip.

~Neo'ssmall gesturestops them dead; a cloud o::smokinglead

VlEROVINGIAN(CON~'D) Okay. You have so:nes:.<::'..ll.

-tvNeosnapsopen:,iscoat, settliog intc a :::alrr:,defensive 5position. ,;;;t( "'i: MEROVINGIAN {CCN':''D) i1.i~- Kill him. ,~, ~J,' XThedobermenattack. if-, t Theyarekilling mac:iines,every part of them,a weapon ~deliveredwith murderous intent but--

Nee isNeo and holds his ground as no one can.

IN'I.THEMERGVINGIAN'S '.:'.HATEAU-HALLWAY-DAY 108 *

Key Makerhurries '::hroughseveralconYiectingpassageways untilhe reaches a door at the bottom cfseveral steps.

He searchestr.roc1ghakey ring as Morpheusand Trinity race ..towardshim.

They arealmost to him when Twin One risesup through the floorlike gas from a sewer grate.

Morpheu3stops aridgrabs a sarr.uraiswordfromthe wall.

TrinityrurJSthrough the ghost cf 'I',1in'Iwowhojustbeginsto emerge.

KEY!1AKSR Anot.herway. A~ways anotherway.

TheKey t-Cakerunlocki;the:loorjust asi'>NinOneis able to phaseback, becoming co~pcreal, lun9ing2t them as they race throught:h.2doorinto--

The lowest level of a massive concreteurban car park which is mostly empty save for the Merovingian'sbeautiful car collection.

Morpheus tries to slam it shut but TwinOne manages to just wedge his arm between the door and the jam.

Trinity whips out a gun, pressing itto the Twin's arm. He looks calmly at his brother who is justnow clearing the floor.

Trinity opens fire, blasting away athis arm like an ax whacking at a tree as--

Twin Two runs at the door; diving andphasing--

He sails through his brother, throughthe door, through Morpheus and Trinity before phasingback, somersaulting up to his feet.

A straight razor flashes open andTrinity unloads a few rounds but the moment she fires,he phases, the bullets passing harmlessly.

The gun clicks cpen and he att.sr,ks--

She tries to stop him, hands and feetparrying the whistling blade but he is too fast--

A slash of red opening in her blackvinyl armor--

Stunned, she is twisted into ahold, the razor leaping to her throat.

Morpheus does and Twin One enterswith his mangled bloody arm. Twin Two whispers to Trinity.

r-

Twin One phases and hisarm re-gathers, re-forms like an idea being remembered.

Morpheus tightens hisgrip on hi~ gun and his sword.

He fires, his aimtrue; the bullet sizzling through the Twin's phased foreheadbut in that instant--

Trinity is ableto tear free, drawing her last gun as she does.

One of the carssuddenly roars to life.

MORPHEUS (CONT'D)

We have to stay with him.

MORPHEUS

• He canhandle himself.

The battle escalatesto insanity; acrobatic, rule-bending attacks andequally impossible defenses.

Weapons fromthe ages are grabbed from thewalls and the Great Hallfills with the sounds of ringing steel.

A seriesof incredibly fast blows, each one comingwith blurred fury,ends when a slash opens Neo's hand.For a moment, everyone is too stunned to move, unsureif to believe ituntil--

Blood dotsthe tile.

Neo rises;a Neo we remember from the subway.His jaw tightens,now he's pissed.

They charge and this time he flips up andaway--

Landing, his hands immediately begin conjuring,summoning his chi,creating a ball of energy--

Thatwe glimpsein Matrix code, his hands swirlingthe code, exciting it,heating it into a bristling ballof electricity which--

He hurls atthe oncoming attack--

A cannonballthat blasts one of them back,burying him in the oppositewall.

Neo flipsfree again, bouncing off anotherwall, while his hands reachout, calling for weapons--

That flyto him.

It is nowNeo that is attacking and the Exilesthat are fighting fortheir lives.

He is an unrelentingfury which lays wasteto anything foolish enoughto get in his way.

The baldman is the last to fall. Neo turnsto the Merovingianwho seems ready to burst intotears or laughter.

Neo dropshis weapons as the Merovingianturns to him.

Spinning onhis heel, he marches to the frontdoor.

It takesNeo only a moment to realizewhat is going to happen and he fliesat the door just at the Merovinqianslams it shut so that--

Neo explodesthrough it and finds himselfoutside the chateau in the middleof some snow capped mountainrange.

He rushesback inside.

The Twins rushafter Trinity and Morpheusas they race to the car startedby the Key Maker.

Trinity divesinto the driver's seat asMorpheus slides along the hood and slipsinto the passenger seat.

Trinity stomps on the gas--

Aiming for the closestTwin who phases to avoid being crushed, part of himpassing through the inside of the car--

His ghost razor flailinguselessly at their throats.

'

Neo hears the screech oftires and hurries.

Trinity lays down a smokingtrail of rubber heading for the exit ramp as--

Twin Two turns just in timeto see Neo racing for the door, a hair too late--

Slam.

Neo shoulders out the back doorof the chateau into another picturesque view.

1\6 INT. UNDERGROUNDGARAGE - DAY 116

The Twins climb into anothercar, the scream of Trinity's tires still audible.

Link is pounding keys bloody, tryingto keep track of what is happening. A call comes in.

LINK * You won't believe thisbut you're * all the way up in themountains. *

Neo stands in a mountain vista. *

LINK (V. 0.)

It's goingto take me a while to

get upan exit-- oh shitl

LINK (V.O.)

ThoseTwin things are after

Morpheus andTrinity and I got no way to getthem out. *

NEO

Where arethey?

LINK (V .0.)

Middleof the city, five hundred

milesdue south.

Neo cocks himselflike the hammer of a gun, then explodes

upwards, tearingacross the pale sky. *

Link just losthim.

LINK

Neo!Neo? Man, that up, up and

away shitstill freaks me out. *

Trinity's carcomes flying out from the dark mouthof the underground garage,bottoming out in a damburst ofsparks, tire-squeal fillingthe concrete urban underworld.

Morpheus dialslonq distance on the car phone.

MORPHEUS * Iknow. We're inside the core * network. *

LINK * Yes, sir. The only exit I gotnear * you is the Winslow overpass. *

83A.

-

MORPHEUS

Off t:hefreeway.

Trinity hears theword andshoots a look at him. *

MORPHEUS

Fine, we'llmake it.

LINK (V.O.)

Sir, I think I shouldsay-- oh

shit! Look outbehind you!

Before Morpheus can turn,the Twins' s.u.v. slams into the

back of Trinity's car.

Twin One rams a clip intoa machine gun, jacks home the first * round and stands upthrough the sun roof. *

Link sees it allhappening.

LINK

Incoming fire! *

Morpheus barely hastime to say the word. *

MORPHEUS * Down. *

The Twin unloads theentire clip into Trinity's car,pock- * marking metal, shatteringglass. *

A hailstorm of debris andshrapnel whistle around the

interior like lottoballs.

TRINITY

Hang on.

She throws the car acrossan intersection, weavingthrough * the cross-rushingtraffic. *

83B.

Trinity's car slices betweena passing truck and the

following car which--

The Twins' s.u.v. smashesthrough, tearing off the back of

the car as a shark mightbite through the belly of a seal.

Twin One, jostled a little fromthe impact, glances at the * mangled automobile, turnsback and smiles.

His brother does the same. *

Link watches as the situationgrows worse. *

LINK * Oh no. This is gettingreal ugly,

real fast--

LINK * Yes, sir. There'san all points on * you. I make eightunits headed

your way. *

Trinity slashes throughanother intersection, revealing a * street with two policecars racing towards them. *

MORPHEUS * Any suggestions? *

Link is pounding hiskeys furiously. *

LINK * Turn right! *

The police cars swerveinto their lane, cutting themoff. *

MORPHEUS * Right. Now. *

Trinity cranks thewheel and the car bounds up overthe curb * and smashes througha fence. *

L

-

83C.

/EXT. OVERPASS PARKING LOT- DAY 120L

The Twins' S.U.V. lurchesafter them, followed quickly bythe

police cars.

Link finishes guidingthem.

LINK

Now straighthere, go through the

next fenceand you'll hit a

connectingtunnel to the 101.

MORPHEUS (V.O.)

Got it.

LINK

Sir, areyou sure about this? The

freeway, Imean. It's dangerous.

In fourteenyears of operating,

I've neverseen--

MORPHEUS (V.O.)

Link,what did I just tell you?

LINK

Yes, sir.I do, sir. The Winslow

overpass.It'll be ready for you.

MORPHEUS (V. 0.)

Goodman.

Morpheus hangsup.

TRINITY

Youalways told me to stay off the

freeway.

MORPHEUS * Yes, that's true. *

He opensthe glove compartment and finds amini-machine gun. *

TRINITY * You told me it was suicide. *

He checksthe clip. *

MORPHEUS * Then let us hope, for all our * sakes, that I was wrong.

83D.

He snap-cocks the firstround into place as they racetowards

* l

the second fence--

Tearing throughthe chain link, leaping down the incline,

swerving onto the concreteramp that delivers them straight into the openmaw of the tunnel. *

Link takes a deepbreath. If he were a religiousman, he

would be offeringa prayer.

LINK

They're gonnamake it... They're

gonnamake it.

If he were a religiousman, he might think his prayerwas

about to be answeredwhen--

The phone rings. *

LINK * Niobe! *

Ghost and Niobe areclimbing into their Firebird. *

NIOBE * We've been sentto bring you in. I * need to talkto Morpheus. *

NIOBE * Where ishe? *

Trinity leads the snakeof chasing cars, slicingback and * forth across thetunnel, trying to avoid thepummeling * barrage of the Twins'machine gun. *

83E. 120R

iMorpheusleans out the window, firing back, chewingup the

[front ofthe S. U. V.

r:rNT.COP CAR- DAY 120S

'The trailingpolice car responds to the main system.

COP

This is car 3-1-8 in pursuit onto

the 1-0-1. Repeat, they are approaching-- *

Suddenly,both cops seize violently as AgentThompson and

AgentJohnson commandeer their bodies.

Ahead,the freeway can be seen.

AGENT JOHNSON

We have them now.

AGENT THOMPSON

The Exile is the primary target.

84-86.

PAGES84-86 DELETED

SCENES121-134 OMITTED

The Twins race up on herflank, trying to get a clear shot and Trinity pitches thecar across several lanes, ducking behind a pickup truck.

Twin One opens fire anyway,blowing apart the pickup, which almost collides with Trinitybefore cartwheeling into an embankment.

The Agents and other squadcars barely avoid the tangling knot of metal as the chasepresses on.

Twin Two guns the car upahead of Trinity, cutting her off. Twin One turns, facingback, coiling himself.

Morpheus realizes what isabout to happen seconds too late.

The phased Twin comes flyingout of the black s.u.v., an airborne spectre hurlingstraight at them--

Sizzling through thewindshield, soaring through Trinity and Morpheus like a bitter coldwind before--

Phasing back, slamming intothe back seat beside the Key Maker.

Morpheus spins to shootbut Twin One slashes at him with his razor--

The gun falling to the ground.

Twin One unleashes a furiousslashing attack, opening wounds on Morpheus' hands and armsslowly overcoming him until--

Morpheus grabs the seatbelt, wrapping it around the razor hand, pinning it to the side.

Twin One, scrambling, snatchesup the fallen gun--

Morpheus immediately grabbingthe barrel as they fight for control.

Trinity looks across thethree lanes of freeway as the Agents' squad car pullsup even with her--

Agent Johnson smoothly swinging outhis window onto the car hood.

They all watch as he leaps--

Heaving his body forward into ahigh diagonal arc across the road--

Slamming onto the car betweenthem. Its axles buckle and it careens off, airbag deployingbut not before Agent Johnson leapfrogs another two lanes ontoTrinity's car in a three point cat's crouch.

The hood craters under the impact,springs breaking, frame bending, metal wrapped inthe Agent's fist like a handful of hair.

Trinity fights for controlas Agent Johnson holds on as though bull riding,whip-drawing his gun with his free hand.

Morpheus, still locked armand arm with Twin One, yanks the gun hand between them andpulls the trigger--

Bullets spraying throughthe shattered windshield but--

Missing the dodging quicksilverfast Agent who twists and bends like a blade ofgrass in a hurricane.

Morpheus continuesto fire as Trinity bucks the car left, zagging right ontothe shoulder of the road, trying to shake him.

She slams on thebrakes and finallv Aaent Johnson is flunq free, skipping hardover the concrete-like roadkill-- -

Morpheus and Twin Onepitch forward, as Trinity poundson the gas pedal, barely avoidingtwo police cars that collide behind her, apollen cloud of debris filling the air.

Morpheus twists andturns, wrapping and snappingthe belt around Twin One'swrists--

Grabbing his sword,stabbing it though the seat.

As the blade pointreaches his gut, he phases and,without any purchase, fallsthrough the back of the car--

Onto the stretchof freeway behind them.

He looksback, the S.U.V. bearing down onhim, gunning its engineas he phases, passing through thefront end, solidifyingin the passenger seat.

TwinOne looks at his brother.

• EXT. FREEWAY - EXIT RAMP - DAY 143 *

Agent Thompson opens fire as Trinity,barely in control * sweepsacross the lanes, bouncing againstthe concrete barrier.

She slices back, barely avoiding thecrash drums--

But Agent Thompson isn't as lucky. Hissquad car explodes against the detonating crash drums, smashinginto them, somersaulting over the reinforced embankmentin a spine- shattering collision.

As Trinity plows up the ramp, slammingalong the curved rail of steel and concrete--

Morpheus is buffeted by the centrifugalforce, sparks showering just behind them until--

They skid to a violent stop.

The Key Maker scrambles free as sirensclose in, flying up the interchange.

Morpheus sees it is the Twins atthe front.

She looks out at the highwaybelow, hope rushing toward her.

She grabs the Key Maker, almostthrowing him overthe railing as they jump--

Crashing onto an enormousrattling truck, among the motorcycles chainedin place to the payload.

The s.u.v. gathers speed likea falling comet, bearing down on Morpheus who standspoised, sword in hand like a scorpion's tail.

Twin Two floors it.

Morpheus flexes into hisstance. The car is almost on top of him when he moves--

Sliding to one side, thecharging car passing him as the sword flashes, a strikewith no shadow.

The back tire explodes.

The S.U.V. careens out of controland crashes into Morpheus and Trinity's abandoned car,flipping over as--

Morpheus spins, guns flashingwith instinct speed.

Bullets tear into the s.u.V.'sbelly--

The fuel lines igniting, explodingbehind the airborne Morpheus, a sword wieldingdragon.

The tvJofleeing T\·Jinsarethro,.-1nintotheskyas thi?ypha,c::P; soaring away like untetheredhelium balloons.

Trinity looks back and seesthe explosion on the horizon.

Link knows immediately what she'sthinking.

151 *

I She turnsfrom the explosion, grabbing the KeyMaker.

She leadshim to the front of the truck where sheexamines the firstmotorcycle, then pulls out her phone.

The callcomes through.

TheKey Maker holds out a key to her.

Shehangs up.

TRINITY (CONT'D)

You are handy.

Shestraddles the big bike.

TRINITY (CONT'D)

Jump on.

Nervously, the Key Maker climbs onbehind her as she shoots the chain tethering the beast andthrottles it. The back tire screamsfor mercy as she pops the clutch--

And the motorcycle blasts up the lastbit of cargo ramp, leapinginto the air--

Flying up over the cabin, the driverwatching them bounce down in front of him before rocketingaway.

DRIVER

Holy shit!

Police sirens wail by the speeding bike inthe opposite direction.

Trinity weaves through the flow of cars and trucks using them as shields, racing for the exit but--

Agent Jackson targets her in a semi's rearviewmirror. *

As she tries to pass the semi, Agent Jackson hurls the truck * at her, running up over cars, almost pinning her against the farmedian but--

Trinitysqueezes through, the truck barreling after her down the freeway shoulder.

And Trinity dives behind another car that the semi nearly

flattens,slowing it down just enough--

To allow her to throw the bike almost perpendicular to the traffic, slipping through the rush of oncoming cars until--

She isgoing in the opposite direction--

Duckingback through the traffic as if dodging bullets.

From adistance we see her as Morpheus watches, standing swordin hand, black coat billowing atop an eighteen wheeler speedingtowards Trinity.

Themotorcycle races along the far shoulder until a convergingsquad car forces her back into traffic.

155 SCENE 155OMITTED 155 *

Trinitystabs the bike a:r:-oundthef:r-cr..tofthetruck,s}i<:ins alongthe side screening her pursuers momentarily as--

Morpheusreaches down and snatches hold of the Key Maker--

Yankinghim on top of the truck.

The Agentswatch as Trinity slashes away, dodging up anon ramp.

-

AGENT THOMPSON * She means nothing.

Agent Thompson touches his earpiece. *

AGENT THOMPSON * We have them. *

An abandoned squad car idles on theoverpass as the truck carrying Morpheus and the KeyMaker rushes toward us.

As the truck barrels beneath, Agent Johnsonlands with a booming thud just behind Morpheuswho immediatelyattacks, blade slashing, gun blasting but--

The Agent is too fast, disarming him,though Morpheus continues to fight using every ounce ofhis strength, every bit of his skill--

But it is not enough.

AGENT JOHNSON

• You have caused enough damage.It

is time for you to die.

The Agent goes to finish him, butMorpheus leaps up and over him, landing off balance on the veryedge of the trailer.

Inertia carrying him backwards, he falls--

But lands with a soft crunch on the hoodof a car breaking his fall.

He looks at the driver. It is Niobe.

Linkcan't believe it.

Morpheus points, Niobe nodding.

Theengine revs and she circles the truck,passing it as--

Agent Johnson crosses toward the Key Maker.The Key Maker standsand slowly counter circles around theAgent, watching thempass through the corner of his eye.

TheAgent's shadow eclipses the Key Maker.

Niobe'scar pitches in front of the truck as,Morpheus turns and runsup the windshield, leaping into theair--

A flyingeagle--

165 RY'T_RT~R'T'RRN\f\THRRT.KR-DAY 1r;s *

Deliveringa thunderous kick square into thechest of the AgentJohnson--

That sendshim hurtling straight into a oncomingtraffic--

Only tore-emerge into the body of the truckdriver.

Agent Johnsonwrenches the wheel, smashingthe truck into Niobe's car,bucking it skittering into themedian.

Morpheus andthe Key Maker fight to hold on.

95~

The startled truck driverup the road is again corranandeered * by Agent Jackson,who whirls the wheel, arcing the big rig in a wide CT-turn,racingit back against traffic.

Agent Johnson smiles. *

Morpheus sees the semiup ahead, picking up speed, barreling at them.

Link glimpses somethingin the code.

High above the city, theatmosphere rumbles as though shaken • by a jet's sonic boom--

As Neo plummets towardthe highway littered with Trinity's trail of destruction.

The two trucks barrel towarda ballistic conclusion, as Neo rockets over the interstate,a black ICBM.

The trucks collide, head on, likemerging mirrored reflections--

Morpheus and the Key Makerdrift into the air as meta·lfolds into metal, sheering sheetsof mercury, glass, and debris starbursting, radiating outlike time-lapse ice crystals.

We see the trucks folding, collapsing,knotting together, re- attached Siamese twins--

The back ends rising as--

'Neo slices in, snatching holdof both Morpheus and the Key Maker--

Arcing up andaway as the trucks explode--

A gelatinousgusher of orange flame rising up behindthem.

Link leapsup, screaming.

From high abovewe see the wreckage knotted and twistedon the constipatedfreeways, stretched out like a massive, bloated tapeworm.

Commander Lockmoves across the ramparts of Zion Command * Center. *

He stops behindthe Operations Officer Wirtz monitoringthe * seismic activityof the machines.

OFFICER WIRTZ * It looks likethey hit a pocket of iron orehere, slowed them down a little.

OFFICER WIRTZ * Maybe an hour.

OFFICER WIRTZ * Yes, siro

The screen blips; a small,seemingly insignificant thing portending such doom.

We move at the screenuntil the sound of melting earth fills our ears and we cut to--

1 77

''

The searing red core inside the port reactorof the digger.

Rising, we see the chewed earth converted intomolten magma and pressed to the sides, the slow churningexhaust port feedingthe excess into ridges that spiralup like the coils of a fossil--

At first red-oranqe and steaming with heat coolinginto obsidian slag as we rise along the ridgedblack glass tube, likethe barrel of a gun, emerging into a sewerline, revealing--

TheSentinel army.

Thousandsof them, clinging to every surfacehovering like bees,chattering as they buzz by, everywhere,millions of red eyes--

Waiting.

We glideover the glittering electric lace-workthat drapes the city,towards a singular building, a reigningmalefic tower ofglass and steel.

We draw closerand closer to the black mirrorof its face reflectingthe city below.

Suddenly, themirror blisters; bubbles boilingup across its surface.

Unable to containits fury, the face bulges andbegins to rend, for a frozenmoment, it holds, marbleizedwith veins of orange flame before--

It explodes, an enormouscloud of fire engulfingus.

Trinitywatches as Neo shudders, his visionpassing.

The crewsof all three ships are gathered here listeningto the planof the Key Maker.

The KeyMaker nods.

He nods again.

Heavy fences toppedwith spools of razor wire judiciously surround an enormouspower plant.

KEY Miu<ER(V. 0 . ) There isa power station.

Hidden in the darkness,Niobe and her crew reconthe situation.

Niobe continuesworking through the plan.

It is the centralbuilding of the electric company; it isa building we have seen.The building where Trinity falls.

A van exits themain gate, sweeps beneath us wherewe finda sewer grate. We droptowards the grate until--

Reversing,we followthe streams of green-tinted streetlight leaking down throughthe grate to find--

The crew of theVigilant.

Soren leans forward.

Neo st.andsata window looking out over a sea of darkness gleamingwith urban light.

There is a soundin the room, a constant, insistent sound: zik, zik, zik.

KEY MAKER (V.0 • )(CON'I"D)

Onlythe One can open the door and onlyduring that window can the doorbe opened.

Neo stares atthe Key Maker, feeling the plan tightening around him.

He looks backat Neo.

Neo sits alonein his room, wrestling with the samefeeling that once drovehim to find Morpheus.

Again, Trinitycomes to him.

She sits besidehim.

101~

He is unable to say anything.

She takes hold of his hand.

We push in at the clock from theopening which reads just before midnight.

A minute clicks off in rhythmwith--

Zik.Zik.

Behind Neo is Morpheus and the KeyMaker. The sound is the Key Maker filing the teeth of a newkey.

Therhythm continues with the shik, shikof needles jacked intocrew members.

Linktakes out the staurolite necklace fromhis pocket and puts iton.

Morpheustakes over.

A bomb is synchronizedto detonate at midnight. Itsclock ticks quietly.

The securityguard, sitting behind the bankof monitors yawns broadlyas the next shift enters.

The crew ofthe Vigilant flash across the screenas we sweep behindthe monitors, cutting to--

The back ofthe monitors of Vigilant. The operatorand Soren's second,Axel, scan the raining code.

Suddenly, analarm sounds.

He runs forthe ladder, the heavy brace aroundhis knee squeaking artbriticaJJy.

We are drawncloser and closer to Morpheus.

Neo glancesat his watch. Twelve to twelve.

---

103~

We push in towards a small metalbolt as Axel thunders, stone leggedly, across the catwalk racingfor the cockpit.

As he passes over the rust soakedbolt, it seems to give a little.

His voice is like a magnet, pullingus in.

MORPHEUS

I We have not come hereby chance. I

do not believe in chance.When I see three objectivesand I see three Captains, threeships, I do not see coincidence,I see providence.

A group of Sentinels beginpreparing a strange device they were towing.

Axel studies the hologram,speaking to the operator over the intercom.

Morpheus looks to eachof them.

Neo still holds on to herhand.

He can feel her falling awayfrom him.

He tightens his hold ofher hand.

There is nothing she wouldn'tdo for him.

Niobe gets up, obviouslyupset.

Niobehits a security booth with the pulverizingforce of a sledgehammercrushing a carton of eggs.

A SE'on-rinelhAginstospin,holding the device,whirling it around.

Move in closer to the bent bolt.

TheSentinel hurls the device.

Axel leaps up, the radar now sightingthe rapidly approaching device.

As he runs across the catwalk,the bolt that has held for one hundredyears--

Holds no more.

The catwalk collapses, Axel slammingto the grated floor, breakinghis neck while--

Theoperator barely turns his headbefore a metal strut buries itself in his back, spittingblood across the monitors.

Niobe knowswhere Morpheus is going.

Neo is almost unableto breathe from the building pressure.

MORPHEUS (CONT'D)

Isn't thatwhat we've been fighting for?Isn't that worth dying for?

Blood runs downthe screen, mirroring the rain drop streams of code.

The device hurtlestoward the hull of the Vigilant.

They are working fast,trying to hack the computer network and shut downthe emergency systems.

The device hits andexplodes; the ship buckleswith anorange wound of flame openingas the entire pipe shudders fromthe impact.

Soren feels it first;his life cut off, his eyes, likea light, instantly dead.

Flame washes overthe bodies of the crew.

-

T:i,initystandsbehindLink as they hear the distant rumble like thunder.

The Key Maker blows awaythe metal dust from the key.

Trinity knows somethingis wrong.

Niobe stands on an overpass,looking down at the power station.

She checks herwatch, the final minutes sweeping by.

Link searches for thecrew of the Vigilant.

The punch clock, justas we started, the time cardinserted--

Ka-chunk--

The bomb counts the lastseconds--

Tik, tik, tik--

108~

Shik--

The Key Maker insertshis key.

The bomb goes off,the power station disappearing beneath a rippling silk cloudof flame.

The crew of theLogos is lit by the orange bloom.

Neo looks out asthe city lights begin to flicker off.

The Key Maker opensthe office door, revealing another infinitely long industrialpassageway.

Trinity knows theyare dead.

They step into thehall and the door slams behind them.

They disappear fromthe screen.

The bodies lay silentlyin the dark as the computers continue their work, activatingthe emergency system, functioning exactly as theywere meant to.

Lights begin to switchback on.

f J 231 INT. NEBUCHADNEZZAR -MAIN DECK - NIGHT 231 *

I Link speeds througha diagnostic. I l I LINK

Everythingis still operational. The emergencysystem is already reroutingpower.

Floor by floor, lightsspread up through the body of the monolith.

I 233 INT. INDUSTRIAL HALL- NIGHT 233 *

They move past endlessidentical doors, closing in on their destiny.

Link stares at the emergingpattern.

There is only one conclusion.

Trinity stares at themonitors as if reading her fate.

She heads for her chair.

Theyapproach an intersection.

But asthey turn the corner, they find they areno longer alone.

Link'sfingers hammer the board.

He poundsenter.

Nowings, just three thousand horses clampedbetween her legs.

The motorcyclesurges forward with the screamof rubber burningconcrete.

~hP hrlrrPlQaTthe edse Of thP and_hrn--r1P.c:out the nightsky.

A blackvinyl angel.

Link can'tbelieve it, his mouth hanging open.

A quick sliceand dice as Trinity again dropsthe guards.

Link reacts asone of them gets smashed. Thephone rings.

--

Smith stands between them andthe door at the end of the hall.

He walks toward them.

He smiles.

Morpheus snaps the barrel ofhis gun to Smith's head.

All around them, doors b,egintoslam open as Smiths fill the hallways.

112~

Several guards follow a head technician intothe main computer room where they find the deadbodies.

Trinity rushes towards the room.

They fall like bowling pins; she is aforce of nature leaving a wake of destruotion without slowing.

Neo slashes his way through the tangleof Smiths, protecting the Key Maker while--

Morpheus empties his gun and is thenoverwhelmed.

Strangling fingers gouge intoMorpheus' neck and the black mirror begins to pour over him.

Hurling Smiths out of his way,Neo bulldozes towards I11lorplieus~

Ripping the Smith from him, severingthe connection.

Trinity is behind the computer.

Link checks the window.

-

Neo andMorpheus carve through the Smiths as the KeyMaker locates theright key.

Trinity loadsthe final program, punching "enter." The computer responds,a window opening, "Error: Emergency System Failure."

The KeyMaker reaches for the door.

24Q TWr. REROUTING FACILITY- COMPUTER ROOM - NIGHT 249

Trinity canonly watch as the failure begins to spread.

Again lightsstart to die.

Link seesthe lights going out.

The KeyMaker inserts his key.

Trinity closesher eyes, her mantra becominga prayer.

The lightsdie inside the monolith.

The KeyMaker opens the door.

All at once,the Smiths scream.

Theygrab for their guns, clearing a kind ofpath as they do.

Neo spinsand hurls himself at the path, divingas dozens of guns takeaim--

TacklingMorpheus and the Key Maker as the gunsfire, barrelingthrough the open door--

Rollingup and slailli~ingitshut.

Link almostleaps out of his chair.

Trinitymelts with relief.

The entirefloor looks like an unfinished construction project.Metal studs frame the walls like theskeleton of a buildingplan but throughout the doors are finished.

TheKey Maker ,triesto get up but cannot.Blood gushes from severalbullet wounds.

He coughsand blood fills his mouth.

He pullsthe key from his neck and gives itto Neo.

Link seessomething.

L

-

115~

She's already moving.

Neo stands in front of a doorthat looks like any other door. He inserts the key and as he touchesthe doorknob--

Light begins to pour around theedges so that Neo is framed by light. The increasing intensityof the light bleeds away the edcres.dissolvincrthem. snreadinathrough the entire door until-: , , , " "

Only Neo remains, a silhouette againsta nova of white light.

We see him from the side for amoment; the square beam of blinding light emanating from atwo dimensional plane as--

Again, from behind, pushing towardsthe door, Neo's silhouette is dissolved away as thelight fills the entire frame and the moment it does--

It recedes instantaneously, becominga pin-prick among thousands of pin-pricks--

A night sky filled with stars thatwe drift back from, revealing--

A familiar bank of monitors each screenfilled with the same image of starlit space.

We hear the click-clack of a keyboardand the monitors change to the image of Neo standing in a roomfilled with monitors andas we pan--

We findNeo standing in the same sphericalroom of monitors, eachshowing the exact image we are lookingat.

An older man in a well-tailored suitsits in a high-backed leatherswivel chair.

Trinity hits the elevatorbutton. The numbers climb towards her.

Link sees it but it•s too late.

The elevator opens and Trinityis attacked by Agent Jackson as we saw in the opening,managing to barely escape with her life.

The Architect leans back.

Images from Neo's entire lifefill the monitors, creating a visual chaos beneath the measuredtone of the Architect's voice.

Themonitors unite, filling again with the exactimage we are lookingat.

All theNeos on the screen speak as one.

A_RCHITECT Quite right. Interesting. Thatwas quicker than the others.

Now theNeos respond differently.

NEG NEO

Whatothers? There were others? *

NEO NEO

How manyothers? I don't belie-veanything--

NEO NEO

Answermy fucking question. I want out. Iwant out.

The Neos respondin a barrage.

NEO NEO

There were five Onesbefore That's impossible. It doesn't me! make sense. *

NEO NEO

You're lying. This is I'm afraid. bullshit.

NEO NEO

If that's true... How could that be?

We move towards a specificNeo, centered among the others, closing in on a single lineof thought.

We enter that monitor andturn to the Architect.

He smiles.

Neo pauses, turning as he staresat all the monitors filled with the same image of himself.

There is a sudden cacophony asdozens of Neos realize the same c:hing.

NEO NEO

You old white prick! I can say whatever I fuckin'

want! *

NEO NEO

I'll smash this place to You can't control me! bits!

NEO NEO

You can't make me do I'm gonna smash you to bits! anything!

NEO NEO

God is dead! You're dead!

--

118A.

Again,we move into a monitor, returning to Neo ashe was lookingat the monitors, quietly realizing the truth.

NEO (CONT'D)

Choice.The problem is choice.

Trinity dives intothe shadows as the Agents' search tightens around her.

The Architect foldshis perfectly manicured hands.

It is a bittermemory still.

ARCHITECT (CONT'D)

The inevitabilityof its doom is apparentto me now as a consequenceof the imperfection inherentin every human being. Thus, Iredesigned it based on your historyto accurately reflect the varyinggrotesqueries of your nature.However, I was again frustratedby failure.

He picks at an imperceptibleimperfection from hispant leg.

He regardsNeo's reaction.

Trinity tries to get to thestairwell but Agent Thompson is already there. There 3.snoway out.

The Architect reveals his finaltruth.

There is an explosive reaction fromthe monitor Neos while the one standing before us is quiet.

The raonito:::s images of in.sidethe Matrix.

The Architect enjoys the moment.

-

One by one all of the screens turn to imagesof Trinity in the rerouting facility.

He sees her again trapped as in his dream.

The Agents close in around her.

Neo looks at the doors to either side.

He smiles,amused.

i

122A.

<

Unable to watch or listen any longer,Neo goes to the door to the left.

The Architect chuckles.

Neo pauses at the door, glancingback at him.

Neo throws open the door andthe Architect is flashed with light before returning his attentionto the monitors--

Where Trinity is now foundby the Agents, firing and running as we enter the monitors--

Where Trinity is fightingthe last fight of,her life.

Link is watching Trinitywhile unloading Morpheus.

Morpheus' eyes snap openas Link leaps to his side.

He looks across and seesTrinity unconscious in her chair.

Trinity is getting the sh.itkickedout of her.

They watch, helpless.

The door opens as before butwhere there was just light, there is now heat; paint blisters,the metal door rattles and where it once dissolved away gracefully,it is now incinerated as--

A raging storm of fire is revealed.A billowing boil of expanding flame shoots through the frameworkas Neo emerges--

A black suited revenant borne uponthe fires of hell--

Flying in Bullet Time as thewaves of orange flame crash and split all around him--

Overtaking him.

The explosion of orange cuts the buildingin half, reaching its peak of expansion just as--

A black bullet blasts free of the flames.

Ithappened so fast it almost didn'tregister.

A missileweaves through the concreteurban chasm.

With nochoice left, Trinity dives throughthe window.

-

Sonicbooms ripple the towers of steel and glass asNeo sears past.

Trinity falls,fighting to the last until she feelsthe bullet enterher midsection.

Blood ribbonsout from her, unwinding from her ribcageas though heldby some unseen hand.

Her body spasm21the monitors erupting with rilarmc::~

She falls away,her expression softening into oneof astonishmentand loss.

Neo can almostfeel her, as he drops with her--

In his wake, carsflip through the air with the swirlof leaves·.

Morpheus rushesto her as her monitors revealher fate.

Beside her, Neosits jacked into his drive-chairwhere we see his grip tightenon the hand rest.

At full speed,we see only a flash of black andthen the churning chaos inhis wake.

Still at full speed,we see Trinity and theAgent plummet to the earth.

It lasts as long asa blink as--

Neo slices in, grabbingTrinity just before--

Agent Johnson smashes into the car, bloodrain covering the

ground while--

Neo explodes up into the sky, cradlingTrinity in his arms.

Again, Link can't believe what he just saw.

He lands atop the highest building around.

The black vinyl is slick with blood.

A shudder runs through her body ashe sees the bullet inside her.

Hetouches her.wound and takes her hand.

Shegrips it, closing her eyes as hepushes into her, his hand entering her body as though itv-.rereapoolof water.

Herbody contracts in agony, blood coughingup from an internalinjury.

·Thepain is excruciating, her gripalmost breaking his hand.

We glimpse them as swirling intermingledstreams of code, as Neo finds the bullet.

-

Another violent convulsionas Morpheus injects her with a hypodermic needle filledwith adrenaline.

Neo drops the bloodybullet to the ground.

As she grabs hold ofhim with the last bit of her strength.

Her body slumps, themonitors flatline.

The fight drains outof her body and--

Her hold finally letsgo. He continues to cradle her slumped body.

He lays his hand uponher.

Again, he reaches intoher.

Her code lies stilland dormant as his hand cups herheart.

Gently, he beginsto coax movement from it.

The tiniest connection suddenly bursts intoa spiral of activity,coiling outward, spreading throughouther body which-- "

Leaps back to life, her grip oncemore finding his.

Her body jerks as the monitors flashback to life.

He kisses her, relief and joy wateringboth of their eyes.

Morpheus heaves with relief whileLink collapses, hanging exhausted from his chair.

'LINK I can't take this•..

The kiss breaks for,a moment asthey hold each other with their eyes. She smiles, her voicejust a whisper.

He smiles and kisses her again."

We creep towards the Nebuchadnezzarhidden in the shadowy atmosphere of.the dead sewerpipe.

Morpheus is unable to make senseof what happened.

Neo sits while Link bandagesTrinity's ribs.

Finally, Neo speaks.

It was all another system of * control.

isn't over? *

Morpheus is lost, searching for a responsehe doesn't have.

l

129A.

Thealarms suddenly sound.

Anotherscout patrol of Sentinels gather aroundand begin activatingtheir bomb device.

Theyall stare at the hologram.

1T1PTl\TT1T1V They're just out of E.M.P. range.

Somehow,Neo can feel what it is.

The Sentinelimage begins to flicker asbefore.

The spinningSentinel hurls the bomb.

Thebay door opens and they bolt from theship.

Thebomb glides, homing in on the Nebuchadnezzar.

Theyrun through muck and icy slagwhile behind them the devicehits and--

TheNebuchadnezzar erupts with flame.

Morpheusturns back, his face lit bythe destruction of the only shiphe has ever captained.

The shipbursts apart as he watches apart of himself die.

The Sentinels fly downthe throat of the pipeline; bloodred eyes shuttering with anticipation.

They are racing througha series of smaller pipelinesbut they are still very faraway. The Sentinels pass the burning hull of the N,c,bncbadnezzar,immediatelyspreadingove;the area.

Neo slows down.

Turning, he can seethem.

The Sentinels bank with sharkspeed and ease, zeroing in on them.

They are almost on topof him, rising up to strike when--

He lifts his hand as onemight reach out to feel the heatof a fire and suddenly, anelectronic seizure shivers through each of them.

One by one, struck by someinvisible lightning, an individual E.M.P.--

That sends them crashingto the ground and as the last one falls--

-

So does Neo. Like a puppetcut from its strings, he collapses to the wet ground.

They kneel around himwhen the entire pipeline begins to shake. A deafening rumblethunders through them as emerging from 1:"hPd;n:ckness--

Mjolnir blasts overhead.

Trinity is holdingNeo's hand. Mjolnir's medic, Maggie,is checking a readoutwhile Neo lies unconscious on one ofthe medical tables.

Link and Morpheusare surrounded by the crew ofthe Mjolnir.

Trinity remainsvigil over Neo.

Besidehim, in a mirrored position, lies anotherunconscious man.

We movecloser, revealing his face.

Bane.

TO BE CONTINUED.