Chapter Text
It was a dreadfully stormy night; one of those nights when everything is unusually restless because of the commotion going on outside. Particularly restless was the inhabitants of a small apartment. When I say small, it was small with only one bedroom, a living room with a tiny kitchenette attached and a bathroom barely big enough to turn around in. The kitchen only consisted of a stove, sink and a refrigerator, all of which were of the smallest size and stuffed beside each other so tightly you couldn't get a piece of tissue paper between them. To complete it a couple of cabinets occupied the area over the stove and sink while a wobbly drop-down table and a couple of chairs were the only things, aside from a doorway frame, that separated the kitchen from the living room. The appearance was even more unsightly, with a stained, worn carpet and peeling and faded paint. The pipes rattled and moaned and the bedposts were loaded down with clothes, storing what the small closet couldn't house.
Yes, these living arrangements may seem small and even cramped to some, but for two years this has been the hideout of a young couple seeking refuge. For years they have been hunted like criminals and forced to move from one place to another, not daring to stay in one place for too long. Although trying to find shelter hasn't been easy. When you look different from other people it's always hard to blend in. You get those silent stares, the long gazes, the backing away and doors slammed in your face. For what? Nothing! You haven't done a thing wrong, unless trying to survive in the world is considered a crime. Trying to find work is even harder. Doing odd jobs wherever you can find them doesn't pay enough to keep a family alive, but one cannot be picky. If it brings in money, it's good enough. If you starve one day, it's not going to hurt. At least you're together, and that's what matters.
Who are these people, you may ask? They're old programs from one of the first stages of the Matrix. Their home was originally Widow's Moor; a Gothic land filled with tombstones, graves, sepulchers, barren trees, old cathedrals, foggy nights and creatures beyond your worst nightmares. Instead of being deleted, they have fought to survive by riding out the resets of the Matrix until the present day. They remained at Window's Moor until deciding to leave the safe Exile haven in hopes of beginning a new sophisticated life in the midst of humans. The appearance of these creatures would seem human, but they'd be more at home being categorized with ghosts and ghouls. Their deadly pale albino skin and darkened lips sets them apart from being anyways normal in the eyes of the humans. Now they are hunted by the agents that police the system. They're hunted for being nothing more than useless programs that should be deleted because they serve no purpose to the Matrix world.
Both of them have evaded capture and evaded being under the rule of the Merovingian long enough to survive on their own. They are surprised they've even lasted as long as they have. But they know the day is going to come when they will be caught and have to make a choice between being sent back to the Source or remain in the Matrix as Exiles under the Merovingian's rule. All Exiles in the Matrix know of the Merovingian; a very old Exile program who harbors Exiles so that they can have a second chance at life. Every Exile must work under him in exchange for their freedom, or face deletion.
The Exile couple has discussed many times whether or not to go ahead and get it over with. Working for the Merovingian in return for their freedom would be better than constantly running. At least under the Mero they would still be alive and living within the Matrix system without always looking over their shoulder in fear that someone is going to capture them and send them to their death. However, with the event of them becoming proud new parents of twin boys, they will have to keep running until their children are old enough to hand over to the Merovingian's care. A sad time they all must face, but it is the only way, especially if they love their children. With the birth of two new programs, the agents will be after them even harder. Their children are considered even more useless to the system and that means sudden deletion for the both of them if they're caught.
Picking up where we left off; it was a dreadfully stormy night. The lightening and thunder continued their rolling and dancing as the winds whipped the pouring rain against the windows in torrents. The weary mother caressed one of the screaming babies in her arms while talking soothingly to it in hopes of calming it to a slumber. It seemed hopeless. With every clap of thunder, the baby screamed more and louder. On any normal night she would have been able to calm her child's crying, but on such a night as this it was perfectly understandable why the child wouldn't remain quiet. Who could sleep through the ruckus outside?
The bedroom was cramped with two bassinets, a regular bed and a small dresser, allowing very little space to pace back and forth in. So the mother had to make do with walking a few feet and then turning to walk back another few feet. The door being closed allowed a little more room. Several times she almost fell over one of the baby beds because of being weak and drowsy from lack of sleep. As if she needed more to worry about, her husband walked into the room while holding the second screaming child in his arms.
"I can't calm him." The man said with a tired sigh. "It's useless on a night like this. Might as well let them cry until they've cried themselves to sleep."
The woman silently nodded in agreement with her husband and placed the child she held back into the bassinet beside her. The man walked over to an identical bassinet and softly laid the baby he held into it and pulled a blanket over the kicking and screaming infant program. The young man pulled back, sighed wearily and ran his pale fingers through his thick hair, succeeding in mussing it up into sloppy spikes and curls. Even though the weather outside was wild and unnerving, there was a hint of sadness in the air as both parents gazed at their two noisy children. The mother looked at her husband in silence as he stood and stared into the two bassinets. They knew that their time with their children was limited, and thus every moment, even the noisy ones, were precious. They were happy that they had two beautiful children, but they knew they would have to give them up one day soon.
That long and dreadful night finally started coming to a silent and calm close as the sky started showing its first hint of light. Cars began to bustle about outside the tiny apartment as everyone was beginning their day. However, two weary souls inside the apartment were too tired and too disgusted to even notice or care. It didn't mean anything to them anyway. Those were humans bustling about out there, not programs. Programs didn't belong in that world. It didn't seem fair. They were willing to work, to earn money, to raise a family and live like anyone else. They didn't wish to harm anyone. They only wanted to blend in with everyone, to make friends and to live a normal life. Instead, they were cursed to be unwanted, to look like something abnormal. Cursed and doomed to live between worlds forever, or go back to the Source where their life ends.
The man sat on the edge of the bed and looked at his wife sitting on the other side. By now their two babies had quieted down and fell asleep about an hour before. Both of them didn't dare make any sudden moves for fear of waking the children up again.
"Abraham," The woman began. "Why must we be forced to live in this way? Why can't we live like the humans and be given a chance to make ourselves useful?"
"I don't know, dear." Abraham sighed. "I want to work. I want to make money to buy beautiful things for you and the children. I want us to be a family and free to do as we wish." Abraham shook his head wearily. "But the more I look at it, the more I realize it's nothing more than a beautiful dream."
Abraham's wife leaned over and wrapped her arms around him.
"A beautiful dream." He repeated, more to himself than anything. "I'll be glad when this war is over with so that we can all go back to how we were. If the humans get their world back, then we can have ours back. Peace!"
Abraham slowly turned his head toward his wife. "Peace! Isn't that such a lovely word?"
His wife smiled and embraced him harder. "Maybe someday, but we'll think about that when it comes. For now we must think about the present."
"You mean we must enjoy the present." Abraham corrected his wife's words. "I know these times are hard for us all and we hope for much better things and a better life, but the thing we're forgetting is that we have each other. And we have the children now. As long as we hold tight to each other and keep on encouraging each other, I know we'll make it. At least we don't have to live at Widow's Moor anymore. That's one thing we should be thankful for."
"I think anything is better than living there." His wife said with a slight chuckle. "I know we're not human, but that place was horrible. I could never be what I'm supposed to be."
Abraham took his wife's hand in his and squeezed it. "Let us not lose each other and let us not lose hope. No matter what happens, we must do all we can to protect the babies, at least until they're old enough where we can give ourselves up if need be."
There was a new gleam in Abraham's wife's eyes at hearing his words. She knew he was right. At least they had each other and they were happy. That's what mattered most. If they had to constantly run for their lives, then that's how it was. There was no changing it. One day it will end and everything will change, but for now they must keep their spirits high and keep on going and not give up. They had two children to care for and protect now. They both must think of what's best for them.
"I only wish that you hadn't have helped that nice young man. I seriously think we would have been ok if you hadn't have done that."
"Dear, I had to."
"Why?"
"Because he's out to stop the war between the humans and the machines. Don't you see? If the war ends, then peace will follow."
Abraham's wife shook her head. "You don't know that he's The One. There have been others before him, but they failed. We could go through this over and over until the right one does come. All you succeeded in doing was making ourselves known."
"I disagree." Abraham got up and started pacing the best he could in the cramped space. "I believe I did the right thing. I really do. The system doesn't need us anymore and it doesn't want us, so why should we be with it? If I can help in bringing about peace, then I'm going to do it! The Oracle does it."
"But, hon, the Oracle has more power and authority than you do. She isn't as easy to get rid of as we are."
"Oh, I forgot! She was married to the Architect. Well big deal."
Nothing more was said and the room was silent for a time. Abraham turned and smiled at his loving wife and she returned the smile with one of her own.
"I'm sorry, Abraham." She sighed. "I'm sorry that I said anything. I didn't mean what I said. You do whatever you feel is best and I'll go along with you in whatever you do. I too would like to see this war end, and I'm willing to fight for whoever is willing to come and free us of this misery."
"You mean that?"
"Of course I do. You should know that." She smiled wider. "War is not pretty and I understand that you must be willing to sacrifice your life at any given moment. And believe me; I would rather go down fighting for the people trying to stop the war rather than to go down fighting for the ones who are hunting us. As you said, we've got to protect the babies now. The system doesn't care about them so they've got to have some protection. We're a family and a family sticks together no matter what happens."
Abraham sat down on the bed again and grabbed his wife in his arms and kissed her. Whatever lay ahead of them, they vowed that they were going to go through it side by side and hand in hand.