{"id":1731,"date":"2016-11-16T07:25:57","date_gmt":"2016-11-16T13:25:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/?p=1731"},"modified":"2016-11-19T07:31:12","modified_gmt":"2016-11-19T13:31:12","slug":"the-uneasy-alliance-part-9","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/?p=1731","title":{"rendered":"The Uneasy Alliance – Part 9"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Uneasy Alliance<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

by AJ Marks<\/span><\/p>\n

Part 9<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Morpheus stopped the Hammer inside the building that Deux Ex Machina had led them into. He still had a hard time getting over what he was seeing inside.\u00a0 In front of them were what appeared to be several one-man fighters, what he might find inside the Matrix and his shock was shared by the others.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a feeling they really meant what they said,\u201d Morpheus said knowing the machines wouldn\u2019t go through such an elaborate hoax. If they wanted to eliminate them it would have happened already.<\/p>\n

He looked again at the small fighters, silver and triangular in shape and in the front was flattened with a slight hump which was where the cockpit was located. Two engines gave the fighter a look from the Matrix than anything he had ever seen inside Zion.\u00a0 In a strange way he considered the ships a step back considering the technology available to them.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on,\u201d Morpheus said getting up out of his chair to head out. \u201cLet\u2019s see what they really need, and if we can actually pilot these things.\u201d<\/p>\n

Morpheus stepped out of the ship followed by the rest of the group. DE hovered nearby as Morpheus looked on, and saw machines all around which seemed oblivious to the arrival of humans.\u00a0 Morpheus waited as DE finally came over to them after the last of the group exited the Hammer.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m glad that you have come,\u201d DE said addressing the group in front of it. \u201cOur attackers have come from above the clouds which we cannot go, but these ships are equipped to go above, and into space.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy don\u2019t you go up instead?\u201d Ben asked, a question Morpheus was sure on many people\u2019s minds.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we try to penetrate the clouds the electrical current would destroy us. We can build ships for a human to pilot which can go through it and still function.\u00a0 However complex command systems are still fragile to the EMPs of the clouds,\u201d DE replied back to them.<\/p>\n

Morpheus understood, realizing the Oracle was right in they needed to cooperate together to figure out what who the enemy was, and where they came from. The machines could build the ship, but needed the pilot to function above the clouds.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese ships are what will be considered scouts, capable of high speeds, but few weapons, we need information fast,\u201d DE said to them.<\/p>\n

He heard a few of the men grumble at the thought of being the brains of a machine and it reminded a few of the Matrix. Morpheus gave it some thought before finally asking any questions.<\/p>\n

\u201cCommunications?\u201d he asked wondering what type of answer he would get.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is unknown, at least until you get above the clouds. We have no significant data to know what will happen once you\u2019re above the clouds, or how it will effect communications,\u201d DE replied back to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo it\u2019s a suicide mission,\u201d one of the men said and Morpheus felt that the group was hovering on the side of not wanting to help out the machines on this , but he understood trust hat to be gained somewhere.<\/p>\n

\u201cEnough,\u201d Morpheus finally said. \u201cI\u2019ll go first.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll go with you,\u201d Ben said stepping up to stand beside Morpheus.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnly one person should go above the clouds to minimize risk,\u201d Morpheus replied back to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd that\u2019s why I should go with you,\u201d Ben said once more.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe is right Morpheus,\u201d DE said interrupting the argument between the two. \u201cThe calculations give better odds with two of you going than one.\u201d<\/p>\n

Morpheus looked at Ben and then at DE for a few seconds before finally looking over at Niobe knowing what she would say before finally agreeing to allow Ben to come along. They followed DE over to where the fighters were parked and he looked them over.\u00a0 It reminded him of a futuristic F-16 Falcon from the Matrix.<\/p>\n

\u201cFalcons,\u201d he heard someone else say and realized they saw the resemblance as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cFalcon?\u201d Ben asked unsure about the statement.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Falcon is fighter from the Matrix, and could be from our past before the machines,\u201d Morpheus said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, I have no problem with calling them Falcons,\u201d Ben said with a shrug of his shoulders.<\/p>\n

They moved over listening as DE and a few other machines instructed them on how to operate the fighters and what they might expect upon leaving the clouds.<\/p>\n

*****<\/p>\n

Morpheus and Ben climbed into the cockpit of the Falcon fighters after getting a quick overview of how to fly them, and a quick instruction from the link. The machines had created an easy ship to control, and learn which slightly surprised Morpheus.\u00a0 The controls were much less complex than the Hammer, he had his thrusters on his left and on the right was the flight stick.\u00a0 Many of the important controls were in easy reach of his left hand which meant he didn\u2019t have to take his hand off the flight controls.<\/p>\n

Strapping himself in he looked over to see Ben doing the same as the canopy closed and the fighters were pushed out into a large flat area where they could take off from. The Falcon\u2019s twin engines powered up with a distinct whine pitch and when they reached full power he pushed the throttles forward releasing the brakes sending the fighter forward.<\/p>\n

The fighter roared down the runway as he pulled back on the stick and felt the Falcon lift up off the ground, a strange feeling to be flying in the sky. One thing he had not been prepared for was the g-forces which had pushed him into his seat at takeoff.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Taking a look around he spotted Ben not far away.\u00a0 Morpheus angled the fighter upwards and towards the clouds with some anticipation knowing that he was about to reach the moment of truth, either the Flacon would work or it would fail.<\/p>\n

He felt himself jerked around as he went through the clouds, and he could see the intense electrical storms as it brushed all around him yet the Falcon continued to climb. Finally after one last bump he cleared the clouds and into a vast openness he never experienced before, including a sight ne had only seen in the Matrix, the sun.\u00a0 It was large, bright and warm.\u00a0 He had to blink a bit and turn away from its brightness.<\/p>\n

\u201cBen, you still with me?\u201d Morpheus asked hoping he had also made it through the clouds.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, right behind you,\u201d Ben replied, his own voice a bit breathless after everything they had gone through to get here.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u201dLet\u2019s take a look around, check the scanners,\u201d Morpheus said, turning on the computers as another thought reached him. \u201cNiobe, can you hear me?\u201d he asked hoping they would be able to.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not picking anything up, are you?\u201d Morpheus asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cNegative.\u201d<\/p>\n

Morpheus was beginning to doubt what was going on in his mind. He expected to find something, anything to report back when he landed.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s go a bit higher,\u201d Morpheus said, pointing the fighter up a bit more.<\/p>\n

He looked over to see Ben following him as the sky around them changed from blue to a black and he no longer felt the pull of gravity on him. It was an effect he never had felt before.<\/p>\n

\u201cMorpheus?\u201d Ben\u2019s voice said with some concern in it.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve left Earth\u2019s atmosphere, and its gravity seems to no longer be effecting us,\u201d Morpheus replied thinking that\u2019s how things should be, and if the Matrix used the same principles for their artificial world then the real world should be similar.<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, Morpheus,\u201d he heard Ben say, thig time with a bit more panic in his voice. He looked over to see if anything was wrong with Ben\u2019s fighter, but saw nothing and then looked down at the screen, feeling a bit stunned at the screen.<\/p>\n

He looked up in the direction of the scanner reading and like it saw, glinting sunlight, something he had never seen before again. It looked like someone had taken two flying saucers and placed them on top of each other.\u00a0 The ship was larger than anything he expected either, but he also knew it wasn\u2019t something the machines had made, nor did they probably know anything about it.\u00a0 Looking at the scanners again he noticed not one, but two ships were out there, and perhaps beyond his scanner range there were even more.<\/p>\n

\u201cMorpheus,\u201d Ben said once more breaking the stunned silence which had enveloped them and he realized Ben was scared.<\/p>\n

Even as Morpheus looked on he saw several smaller ships were exiting the larger ships, and were headed right at them. Not many but they were closing the distance fast.<\/p>\n

\u201cBen, let\u2019s see what the Falcon\u2019s can do,\u201d Morpheus said, turning his fighter into the oncoming ships.<\/p>\n

Morpheus carefully lined up the ship in his target and after a few second he had the ship lined up, noticing it matched the ships he had seen before and pressed the trigger ad waited. Silence and he paused, a bit confused and pushed the trigger again with the same result, nothing seemed to have happened.<\/p>\n

\u201cMorpheus, are you\u2019re weapons working, cause mine aren\u2019t,\u201d Ben said as the situation became clear to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, as Morpheus watched the distance close.<\/p>\n

The three craft which were approaching now opened fire even as more ships appeared from the two larger ships.<\/p>\n

\u201dI think a strategic retreat is in order right about now,\u201d Morpheus said turning his fighter and heading back to Earth as fast as the Falcon could go. Entering the atmosphere he saw the outside hull temperature rise, but remained in normal limits as they quickly equalized and passed back through the clouds and the machine city and what he hoped would be safety.\u00a0 \u201cNiobe, tell DE that more of the attackers are on their way right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

He never heard a reply as he raced towards the city, but saw a wave of Sentinels rise up. Now a new panic filled him, the last time he had seen so many was when he entered Zion at that last battle, they were everywhere, destroying everything.<\/p>\n

Even with that panic small explosions occurred all around him as blue bolts went around. He quickly banked the Falcon hoping Ben remained behind him, and let out a breath when the Sentinels raced past them heading to engage the attackers.<\/p>\n

He quickly found the runway and discovered landing was perhaps the hardest part of the entire flight but managed to land safely as did Ben. Lifting the canopy he unstrapped himself and placed the helmet on the dash before stumbling out and onto the ground, glad to be back on firm ground once more.\u00a0 Looking up he spotted DE waiting nearby with Niobe as Link headed over towards them.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhoever they are they are not in Earth\u2019s atmosphere, but from space. We were able to see two huge ships close to the planet, probably in high orbit and there could be more, we didn\u2019t stay up that long to find out before they sent some ships to attack us,\u201d Morpheus said turning to DE.\u00a0 \u201cOur weapons didn\u2019t work.\u201d<\/p>\n

He watched as DE seemed to consider the situation. \u201cIt appears that being the vacuum of space the primer and powder we used in the bullets didn\u2019t have enough oxygen in them to properly produce a burn,\u201d it said almost logically as it thought.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo we\u2019re going to be defenseless against them in space?\u201d Ben asked looking at them all.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the moment, yes, until the new bullets are produced, we are already working on a solution to the problem,\u201d DE stated.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the meantime, we\u2019ll need more volunteers,\u201d Morpheus said to them having seen what they are up against.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs it really that bad?\u201d one man asked Morpheus.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I think so,\u201d he replied back to the man.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen Ben and Morpheus should be the ones to head back, they can talk with the council,\u201d Niobe said.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Ben should stay here, he can help train the others in the Falcons. We do need something that can fight these aliens in space, where they are coming from,\u201d Morpheus said thinking about it for a second.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, I\u2019ll stay,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood, we should get moving then,\u201d Morpheus said, having set into action a plan. He only hoped it actually worked.<\/p>\n

End part 9<\/p>\n

Continued in part 10<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Uneasy Alliance by AJ Marks Part 9 Morpheus stopped the Hammer inside the building that Deux Ex Machina had led them into. He still had a hard time getting over what he was seeing inside.\u00a0 In front of them were what appeared to be several one-man fighters, what he might find inside the Matrix […]
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