Plugging In

[Enzo Matrix]

After such a short time in the Omniverse, Matrix was already beginning to learn it well.

It didn't take long for him to navigate through Costa Del Sol, use his Omnilium to summon a boat, and quickly depart the initial island of this verse. He only had to glance at the map a few times during his trek across the Deep to make sure he was headed the right way. Eventually he arrived at Cinnabar Island, ignoring the small Imperial blockade just the same as they disregarded him. He hadn't been gone too long, but he knew the flow of time was altered here, so he was curious to see what he had missed in his absence.

In his typical fashion, he ignored the inhabitants of this island as he marched through the village, locating the dirt trail that led into the wilderness where he'd built his home. He did, however, keep a sharp eye out for Mewtwo, since he had many questions for the mysterious leader of Cinnabar. He wanted to know exactly why the Pokemon had sent him to Coruscant, when surely his "fearless leader" knew it was a fruitless exercise. He saw no sign of the psychic Pokemon, so he simply made his way down the long trail that separated his home from all the others.

After a short stroll through the jungle, he arrived at his property. A cursory glance showed him that nothing had changed, and everything was still intact. He didn't go towards the front door, and instead walked up the steps to the deck that wrapped around the sides and back of the house. He walked around the corner to their small pool, and couldn't help but laugh.

AndrAIa sat in one of the lounge chairs, clad in a simple black bikini and a pair of sunglasses. She held a drink in one hand, and was content to simply peacefully look out at the untamed wilderness that served as their view. She ran her other hand through her blue hair as she looked over to Matrix upon his arrival, and immediately smiled at the sight of him.

"I'm glad to see you've been hard at work," Matrix joked, putting his hands on his hips as AndrAIa merely smiled and a took a sip of her drink.

"Welcome back!" AndrAIa said in response, brushing Matrix's comment aside for the moment. She was far too relaxed to even think of getting up to greet him. "How was Coruscant?"

"A waste of time," Matrix scoffed, his arms falling to his side as he spoke. "Anything that might be useful is screened out by the Imperial authorities. I didn't stick around after that. The place almost suffocated me."

"Well, I'm glad you made it out of there intact," AndrAIa replied, with a wide grin. "I almost didn't let you go by yourself."

"Yea," Matrix shook his head. "So, what have you done since I left?"

AndrAIa paused, and looked to the sky thoughtfully for a moment. Matrix thought she might be thinking up a story, but suddenly she began to speak.

"Where to start?" AndrAIa asked rhetorically, giving her boyfriend no time to interject. "I reorganized the house. I have everything set up just right now, so we don't have to worry about the home front. I also learned that we want to look into a place called the 'Dataverse' since it supposedly is a massive information bank. Also, I threw the loveliest dinner party with some darling neighbors of ours," she quickly explained, but then a sly smile crept onto her face, and she continued after a brief pause. "So, what were you doing again, while I was working so hard?"

"Well, you know. The time distortion," Matrix stuttered, not having a clue what else to say. She had obviously made significantly more progress than he had.

AndrAIa pushed her sunglasses up to her forehead, and winked at Matrix. He quickly regained his composure, however.

"I've gotten my eye to work with the Dataverse, though," Matrix said, taping the side of his head that housed his robotic eye. "There's a lot of information, there, but it's impossible to sort through it all efficiently."

AndrAIa kept her eyes on him as he moved and spoke, but she kept up her comforting smile. "That's why we need to physically enter the Dataverse, and visit that library."

"We...what? How?" Matrix asked, taken aback by the mere suggestion. She made it sound so simple, and he wondered how much she had learned in his absence to make her seem so casual about it.

"We just need a device that will take our bodies and plug them into the information highway," AndrAIa said with a casual shrug that undersold such a daunting task.

"Oh, is that all?" Matrix replied in disbelief. "And where do we get one of those?"

"It's the Omniverse, babe, and you're a prime," AndrAIa laughed as she reminded him. "If you want it, you get it. You've just got to use that Omnilium to make us one."

Matrix tilted his head a bit. Her logic was sound, but he had no idea where to start. He wasn't quite used to the concept of willing things into existence. He did know one thing for sure, and that was that it would end up in that lower basement he'd set aside to serve as the defensible command room of their home. He sighed, and wondered if maybe he should just go spend a few hours using his Omnilium to create a workable underground headquarters. He figured he could use his cybernetic eye to connect to the Dataverse and learn how to, well... access the Dataverse. It certainly made sense, and one could never be too prepared. He grumbled with some resolve as he began to make his way towards the back door to the house. He turned and looked to AndrAIa, who made no motion to leave her chair.

"I'll get to work," Matrix announced, opening the door.

"I'll be here if you need me," AndrAIa replied, raising her glass as if to toast him.

Matrix shook his head and let out a small laugh. He'd traveled halfway across the Omniverse for answers and found none, and she hadn't let the island and already knew the next steps. He was afraid to know what else she might uncover while he was down here working. In the end, it was all the same. Whatever route they could find to get back home to Mainframe.

He entered the house and walked through the kitchen and living room, and opened the secure door to the lower level. He slowly descended the stairs after closing the door behind him. Upon descending he found himself on steel balcony that circled the entire upper floor, with several rooms that broke off from it. The lower level had a wide open bottom floor, but also more doors that led to other rooms. Matrix walked down another flight of stairs that deposited him on the lowest level, and stood at the center of the room. He took a deep breath and looked around.

There was a lot of work to do. Things to summon and place, and then likely move around afterwards. His robotic eye clicked and twisted as he accessed the Dataverse with it, pulling up some guides and information. He skimmed through what he could find about physically entering the Dataverse. But in the end, he knew he had to quit stalling. He hated using Omnilium because it simply took too much time and he was very impatient, but he knew he'd have to suffer through it again so that he could build something that would serve as a respectable base in this land. It wouldn't be the principal office of Mainframe, but it would have to do.

Matrix just sighed and held out his hands. He summoned forth an orb of Omnilium and began to work.

[Enzo Matrix]

Several hours passed before AndrAIa got up from her relaxing chair. The warm sun and the beautiful view were difficult to part from, but she did force herself to get up, eventually. She walked inside and changed back into her standard adventuring clothing. She went into the kitchen and set the glass in the sink, Once more, she gazed out at the river through the large glass door. She hated to leave this paradise behind, even for a bit, but she had decided that she would venture into the Dataverse with Matrix, since there was little else she could accomplish in Cinnabar for the time being. Since they didn't know what to expect, it would be safest to take advantage of strength in numbers. She paused for a moment, looking to the ground. There was just one "person" missing from their little team, and she would have to discuss that with Matrix shortly.

She decided it was time to go check on him and his progress. If he hadn't gotten much done in all this time he would not only be a foul mood, but also the most counter productive thing to himself. She opened the door to their lower level and casually descended the stairs, the decorative wood around her transitioning into steel. Emerging from the staircase she looked down at the lower level, not seeing Matrix anywhere. She frowned, but then took the next set of stairs the rest of the way down. From here she could see one of the doors to a side room open, and Matrix was messing with the wires on some strange machine.

"How's it going?" AndrAIa cheerfully asked, carefully gauging how he would respond. Technology and her boyfriend did not mesh well, so he might be a little on edge.

"I think it's going just fine," Matrix calmly replied, to her surprise.

Matrix stepped back from the machine, and went out into the main room to join AndrAIa.

"Really?" AndrAIa asked skeptically.

"Really," Matrix repeated, somewhat indignantly. "I think that thing will teleport us into the Dataverse. Don't know where, but we're pretty good at navigating unknown territory."

AndrAIa smiled in response. "Well, good work. I guess anything really is possible with Omnilium."

Matrix nodded, then looked around. "I've got this place set up pretty good. If something goes wrong, we can use this lower level as an emergency bunker. It's no Principal Office, but it'll last us."

AndrAIa nodded as she observed it, as well. There was definitely plenty of utility in a set up like this. She then looked back to Matrix.

"So, get a full night's sleep and go into the Dataverse first thing when we wake up?" she suggested.

"I was thinking the same thing," Matrix agreed. "We don't know how long we'll be there, so we need to be well rested."

"I think we should bring Frisket with us," AndrAIa suddenly announced, and Matrix gave her a look of complete confusion.

"Frisket?" Matrix asked, for clarification. The red and yellow dog that served as his faithful companion would be an asset, but he was far away from here. And of course, she knew that. "Frisket is in Mainframe still, AndrAIa."

"I know, and I think you ought to summon him here," AndrAIa responded, crossing her arms as she spoke.

"Summon..." Matrix couldn't believe what he was hearing. "We're trying to get out of this place and you want me to bring someone else along?"

AndrAIa shook her head. "We could use his help. We might need him to help us get out. And besides, you two have been inseparable for a very long time. Don't you think he misses you?"

Matrix paused, thinking that over. She was absolutely right, but he didn't like the idea of bringing his faithful companion over into this unknown realm. What if he was needed back in Mainframe, and what if they were truly stuck here? Despite her insistence that she wanted to be with him, he still felt bad about bringing AndrAIa to the Omniverse, and he hated the idea of possibly dooming Frisket along with him. Still, she made a strong point. The three of them were a team and family, just about. He was missing his canine companion fiercely, and knew that Frisket likely felt the same. A look of conflict was plastered all over his face, and he knew it. He looked up and locked eyes with AndrAIa, who was giving him a warm smile and reached up to place a hand on his shoulder.

"You're right," Matrix realized. "He would want to be with us."

AndrAIa calmly nodded and lowered her hand. It was a gamble, but if was one Frisket would want to take, even if they were trapped here forever. Besides, even though he was a dog, Frisket was highly intelligent, far beyond that of any other canine and even a lot of people. He just might be help in more than the combat and morale departments.

"But I'm getting real tired of this summoning nonsense," Matrix suddenly added on, causing a genuine laugh from his girlfriend.

"I'm amazed you've shown the patience to use that stuff," AndrAIa said while still giggling.

"I wish you were the prime," Matrix said as he rolled his eyes. AndrAIa continued to laugh, while Matrix took a seat in one of the chairs nearby. He held an open palm up and summoned forth another orb of Omnilium. He stared at it for a second, then nodded in determination. It was time to bring Frisket along.

AndrAIa took a seat in another chair while Matrix closed his eyes and began the process. The orb of Omnilium expanded, twist, and shaped itself. She had never stuck around to watch him summon anything, deciding to make better use of her time. It was the first time she'd seen anything created out of the building blocks of this reality, and found herself watching in amazement as Matrix worked. After all, it was no secret he hated using this material, so she better watch this time if she was going to see it used any time soon.

Minutes passed, and the orb began to resemble the shape of the dog she knew so well. It was a surreal thing to watch. It dawned on her that the Omnilium that brought her from Mainframe much have done something similar. It made her wonder about the exact nature of Omnilium. Of course, they would likely have to find out if they were to ever leave this place, as important as it was.

The process was slow, but eventually Frisket stood before them. The red and yellow dog opened it's eyes and barked in surprise. He looked around and the sound of him sniffing fiercely with his nose was very easy to hear. Upon noticing Matrix and AndrAIa, the dog happily barked and rushed forward.

Matrix laughed and leaned over, wrapping one arm around the dog and petting him with the other. Frisket licked him on the nose a few times, thrilled to see him and AndrAIa as well. AndrAIa smiled as she quietly watched. Bringing him to the Omniverse had definitely been the right call.

"It's good to see you, too, boy," Matrix said to the dog as she scratched behind it's ears. "Things are crazy, but I'll explain everything. It's you, me, and AndrAIa out on our own again."

Frisket barked, sounding quite alright with that. The canine looked to AndrAIa as she stepped over and rubbed him on the head, too.

"Come on, let's go upstairs and rest. We'll need to be ready for tomorrow," AndrAIa suggested. "We can tell Frisket everything over dinner."

"Yea, good idea," Matrix agreed, standing up. "Come on, boy."

The three of them went upstairs, with Frisket sniffing and searching everything he could. The dog's canine instincts took over easily, but Matrix knew he was smart enough to fully understand the situation once it was explained to him. Now it was just like when they traveled through the games. This team was unstoppable.

[Enzo Matrix]

Darkness had fallen over Cinnabar Island. The crickets chirping and the river running were the sounds that dominated the night. The sky was lit only by the moon and stars that shed some light over the river and jungle that extended past the back porch. Matrix was sitting in one of the outdoor chairs, just in front of their pool. He had a scenic view, but he was too busy contemplating this realm to really take it in. He was happy to be reunited with Frisket, now, too, but at the same time he felt an even greater burden of responsibility to get them out of here and back to Mainframe.

He sighed, and shook his head. It was no use thinking too hard about it. All they could do was act. Instead he just took in the vivid scenery before him, which felt so alive even in the darkness of the night. Once again, however, he realized he was not alone. There was something else on his porch with him. Instead of turning and drawing his weapon like before, he uttered a single greeting.

"Mewtwo," Matrix flatly said, standing up as he did.

"Did you find what you were looking for on Coruscant?" the psychic pokemon spoke into the sprite's brain, with it's arms crossed while Matrix turned to face him.

"Why did you send me there?" Matrix bluntly asked, his face contorting into a scowl. "There was nothing remotely useful."

Mewtwo studied the renegade for a quiet moment, taking in his expressions and subtle cues of body language. Then, though it had no mouth to do so, it let out a psychic chuckle.

"You've seen what it is, though," Mewtwo surmised. "That's why you fled that land."

"It's suffocating. They were everywhere," Matrix explained in response.

"They will be everywhere," Mewtwo responded in an instant. "You are trying to run, to say it's not your fight, but look at what they are, and look at what they would turn this Omniverse into. A prison that no one can avoid. You and I are from two unbelievably different reaities, and yet now we face the same issues."

"I thought you wanted to avoid the Empire, and be neutral too," Matrix said, tilting his head in confusion.

"I am here to protect Cinnabar and it's inhabitants," Mewtwo agreed. "But if you're going to live here, I needed you to appreciate what, exactly, the Empire is. What is lurking just off our shore."

Matrix slowly nodded in understanding.

"Fair enough," Matrix said, slowly. "But I don't like being played."

"Fair enough," Mewtwo retorted. "What you seek may be in the Dataverse, but there are truly stores of information everywhere."

"We figured that much out," Matrix responded as he now crossed his arms.

"Very well," Mewtwo said as he turned around. "I wish you luck. Just remember that because you want to leave this land, you are not immune to the dangers of it."

"I'll keep it in mind," Matrix once again gave a simple, short reply.

Mewtwo let out another mental chuckle, and then floated away. He could tell that Matrix was still a little raw about the deception, but it was more important that the naive warrior experienced the Empire first hand, after all the running he had done for no reason. He had given the man perspective, and that was all he'd sought to do.

Matrix just watched as Mewtwo left the deck, and shook his head. He was aggravated, still, by the wasted trip to Coruscant, but didn't want to admit that he understood the purpose of it. Even still, he knew that was behind him, and he'd have to move on if they were going to be citizens of this island. For now he just turned off the lights and went back into the house, where AndrAIa and Frisket were already sleeping. He needed to get some rest before entering the Dataverse.

[Enzo Matrix]

With morning, a new wave of energy and excitement washed over the trio. Reminded of their adventures in the Net, they each bounced awake with ease. Granted, it was considerably easier given the fact that their constructed house on Cinnabar was far nicer than any living arrangements they'd utilized in their previous journey.

The three of them enjoyed a quick breakfast, watching the light begin to shine over the horizon. The conversation between AndrAIa and Matrix was light and simple, while Frisket was content to continue sniffing around the house. It was their standard procedure before a big mission. They used the light and superficial moments to ground themselves, and help brace for what was to come. Admittedly, they didn't know if the Dataverse would be good or bad, they just knew it would be the unknown. That, however, was the scariest of all.

So, as they finished cleaning up, they silently descended the stairs into the sub-basement. They approached the machine that promised to lead them to the Dataverse and looked it up and down.

"So, remind me again how this thing works?" AndrAIa asked, crossing her arms.

"I don't know," Matrix admitted, shaking his head as he did. "I just used Omnilium to create a device to take us to the Dataverse. It wasn't easy."

"So, we don't know if it actually works?" AndrAIa continued to question.

"This was your idea," Matrix immediately reminded her, before approaching the controls.

"I know, I know," AndrAIa confessed, lightly chuckling. "I think I'm just a little more hesitant now that I'm looking at it."

Matrix pulled open the door to a pod that just had enough room for the three of them. Frisket was immediately inside sniffing it, but Matrix simply looked back to a smiling AndrAIa.

"How do we always get ourselves into these situations?" AndrAIa was blunt with her question, but the humor in her voice was apparent.

"It's just in our programming," Matrix said in response. "You wouldn't have it any other way."

"No, I guess not," AndrAIa conceded with a nod, as she walked to the door of the pod.

Matrix gestured in as she walked past him, and she gave a joking curtsy as she entered the pod. After all, he had held the door for her. After she was in, Matrix stepped in as well and pulled the door closed, locking it in place. He stood beside AndrAIa, and Frisket stood in front of them at the center. A small control panel was on the wall by Matrix, and he began hitting a few buttons with one hand.

"My eye is synced to this base. Stay near me, if we get in a bind I can recall to it and bring you two with me," Matrix ran through a last minute briefing as the machine began to hum. "There's no telling where we'll appear, so be on guard. If we get separated default to our old code phrases from the Games, and search for the highest point."

AndrAIa nodded, and even Frisket let out an acknowledging bark from below them.

"Remember, the Databanks are supposedly the center of information. Look for anything we can to lead us there," AndrAIa added on, and then paused in deep thought for a moment. "...We did turn the stove off, right?"

Matrix thought for a brief second, too, but then relayed that he didn't know with a confused shrug. AndrAIa laughed and looked forward, as did Matrix. After all, in this realm they could just rebuild it.

Sparks shot from the roof about them, and a bright green light filled the pod that the three of them occupied. The light became brighter and brighter, and soon they could see nothing but solid green, although it was possible to make out black numerical ones and zeros randomly littering their vision.

At last, there was a burst of light, and the pod was emptied. Matrix, AndrAIa, and Frisket were whisked away to the Dataverse.