The Matrix Page #8

42.

41 INT. CONSTRUCT 41

Morpheus steps INTO VIEW as he clicks off the television.

MORPHEUS:

What is the Matrix? Control.

He opens the back of the television remote control.

MORPHEUS:

The Matrix is a computer-generateddreamworld built to keep us undercontrol in order to change a humanbeing into this.

He holds up a coppertop battery.

NEO:

No! I don't believe it!

possible!

It's not

MORPHEUS:

I didn't say that it would beeasy, Neo. I just said that itwould be the truth.

Stop!

NEO:

Let me out! I want out!

42 INT. MAIN DECK 42

His eyes snap open and he thrashes against the chair,

trying to rip the cable from the back of his neck.

NEO:

Get this thing out of me!

Easy, Neo.

TRINITY:

Easy.

Dozer holds him while Trinity unlocks it. Once it's out,

he tears away from them, falling as he trips free of theharness.

NEO:

Don't touch me! Get away from me!

On his hands and knees, he reels as the world spins.

Sweat pours off him as a pressure builds inside his skullas if his brain had been put into a centrifuge.

NEO:

I don't believe it!

believe it!

I don't

(CONTINUED)

43.

42 CONTINUED:
42

CYPHER:

He's going to pop!

Vomiting violently, Neo pitches forward and blacks out.

43 INT. NEO'S ROOM 43

He blinks, regaining consciousness.

Neo is stretched out on his bed.

The room is dark.

NEO:

I can't go back, can I?

Morpheus is sitting like a shadow on a chair in the far

corner.

MORPHEUS:

No. But if you could, would youreally want to?

Deep down, Neo knows that answer.

MORPHEUS:

I feel that I owe you an apology.

There is a rule that we do not

free a mind once it reaches a

certain age. It is dangerous.

They have trouble letting go.

Their mind turns against them.

I've seen it happen. I'm sorry.

I broke the rule because I had to.

He stares into the darkness, confessing as much tohimself as to Neo.

MORPHEUS:

When the Matrix was first built

there was a man born inside that

had the ability to change what hewanted, to remake the Matrix as he

saw fit. It was this man that

freed the first of us and taughtus the truth; as long as theMatrix exists, the human race will

never be free.

He pauses.

(CONTINUED)

44.

CONTINUED:

MORPHEUS:

When he died, the Oracle

prophesied his return andenvisioned that his coming wouldhail the destruction of the

Matrix, an end to the war and

freedom for our people. That is

why there are those of us thathave spent our entire livessearching the Matrix, looking forhim.

Neo can feel his eyes on him.

MORPHEUS:

I did what I did because I believe

the search is over.

He stands up.

MORPHEUS:

Get some rest. You're going toneed it.

For what?

NEO:

MORPHEUS:

Your training.

44 INT. HOVERCRAFT 44

There is no morning; there is only darkness and then thefluorescent light sticks flicker on.

45 INT. NEO'S ROOM 45

Neo is awake in his bed, staring up at the lights.

door opens and TANK steps inside.

The

Morning.

TANK:

Did you sleep?

No.

NEO:

TANK:

You will tonight. I guarantee it.

I'm Tank. I'll be your operator.

He offers his hand and Neo shakes it.

Tank doesn't have any jacks.

He notices that

(CONTINUED)

45.

45 CONTINUED:
45

NEO:

You don't have...

TANK:

Any holes? Nope. Me and mybrother Dozer, we are one

hundred percent pure, old-

fashioned, home-grown human.

Born free. Right here in thereal world. Genuine child

of Zion.

Zion?

NEO:

TANK:

If this war ended tomorrow, Zion

is where the party would be.

It's a city?

NEO:

TANK:

The last human city.

place we got left.

The only

Where is it?

NEO:

TANK:

Deep underground. Near the

earth's core, where it's still

warm. You live long enough, youmight even see it.

(he smiles)

Goddamn, I got to tell you, I'mfairly excited to see what you arecapable of. I mean if Morpheus isright and all. We're not supposedto talk about any of that but ifyou are, well then this is anexciting time. We got a lot to doso let's get to it.

46 INT. MAIN DECK 46

Neo is plugged in, hanging in one of the suspensionchairs.

(CONTINUED)

46.

46 CONTINUED:
46

TANK:

We're supposed to load all these

operations programs first, but

this is some major boring sh*t.

Why don't we start with something

a little fun?

Tank smiles as he plops into his operator's chair. He

begins flipping through a tall carousel loaded with microdiscs.

TANK:

How about some combat training?

Neo reads the label on the disk.

NEO:

Jujitsu? I'm going to learn

jujitsu?

Tank slides the disk into Neo's supplement drive.

NEO:

No way.

Smiling, Tank punches the "load" code. His body jumpsagainst the harness as his eyes clamp shut. The monitors

kick wildly as his heart pounds, adrenaline surges, andhis brain sizzles. An instant later his eyes snap open.

NEO:

Holy sh*t!

TANK:

Hey, Mikey, he likes it! Ready

for more?

NEO:

Hell yes!

47 INT. MAIN DECK 47

CLOSE ON a computer monitor as grey pixels slowly fill asmall, half-empty box. It is a meter displaying how muchdownload time is left.

The title bar reads: "Combat Series 10 of 12," file

categories flashing beneath it: "Savate, Jujitsu, Ken Po,

Drunken Boxing..."

Morpheus walks in.

(CONTINUED)

THE MATRIX - Rev. 3/9/98 47.

47 CONTINUED:
47

How is he?

MORPHEUS:

TANK:

Ten hours straight.

machine.

He's a

Neo's body spasms and relaxes as his eyes open, breathhissing from his lips. He looks like he just orgasmed.

NEO:

This is incredible.

fu.

I know kung

Show me.

MORPHEUS:

48 INT. DOJO 48

They are standing in a very sparse Japanese-style dojo.

MORPHEUS:

This is a sparring program,

similar to the programmed realityof the Matrix. It has the same

basic rules. Rules like gravity.

What you must learn is that theserules are no different than the

rules of a computer system. Some

of them can be bent. Others can

be broken. Understand?

Neo nods as Morpheus assumes a fighting stance.

MORPHEUS:

Then hit me, if you can.

Neo assumes a similar stance, cautiously circling untilhe gives a short cry and launches a furious attack.

It is like a Jackie Chan movie at high speed, fists andfeet striking from every angle as Neo presses his attack,

but each and every blow is blocked by effortless speed.

49 INT. MAIN DECK 49

While their minds battle in the programmed reality, thetwo bodies appear quite serene, suspended in the drivechairs.

Tank monitors their Life Systems, noticing that Neo iswildly and chaotically lit up as opposed to the slow andsteady rhythm of Morpheus.

Rate this script:3.7 / 6 votes