Chapter 32 Deep Thoughts

Mia sat on the edge of the chair and tried to make herself listen to what Agent Brown had to say. He made her uneasy and it was more than because he was an Agent. She remembered the confrontation in the apartment all too well. She forced it from her mind and tried to focus.

Agent Brown too had recalled their last meeting and knew this was causing her some distress as well. He began, " Miss Mia, I recall our last meeting and the out come of it. It was not my intentions to frighten you with my… curiosity. I have never had 'just a conversation' with a human before and I obviously was unskilled and only frightened you. For that, I do apologize. But we have other pressing matters at hand that I would rather discus.

When I said I was going to trust you, I am going to trust you with my what I have become, what I have grown to know and learn over all of my long years spent within the Matrix."

Mia watched and thought there was a desperate sound to his voice and it surprised her. "What ? What is so important? What could you possible say that is going to keep me from telling Smith that you once again forced me into a conversation with you?"

Agent Brown leaned back against the chair and pulled his Desert Eagle out and set it on the table, "There, I am unarmed as I tell you this. Miss Mia, Agent Smith is going to destroy Zion and has made plans to over take your ship The Prometheus and have you inserted back into the Matrix."

Mia blinked at him and almost laughed out loud but then something made her stop and look closer at him and quickly said, "How do you know the name of my ship?" Brown went on, "If Zion is destroyed, there will no longer be a need for Agents. I will no longer have a purpose and I will be deleted. So do you see now why I have come to you? I know of your ship because it is being constantly tracked. Agent Jones is in control of the sentinel programs and he came across this while doing a routine diagnostics. It was well hidden but Agent Jones is a very meticulous machine and when he discovered this, brought it to my attention. And I have also discovered that Agent Smith has made arrangements for someone to be re-inserted into the Matrix. Tell me Miss Mia, who you think that might be?" It was then his turn to sit back and watch her.

Mia just sat in sheer shock and tried to think of something to counter his words but it all made some sickening sense. All she could say was, "How?"

Agent Brown just shook his head and answered, "I do not know all the details but I do know that he intends to carry his plan out some time soon. I can try and find out what I can and then share that information with you. That is, if you are willing to meet me with again and not tell Agent Smith about this.

Mia couldn't stay seated any longer and stood up wringing her hand through her hair. "what if I don't believe you? What if I think this is some… some plot you cooked up?" Agent Brown watched her as she paced the room and answered, "well then you will have to trust me as I have you. If you do tell Smith, he will order my program back to the mainframe and have me deleted and then reprogrammed. Everything that I have become will be lost. I will be replaced with another copy who will be just a heartless machine until maybe he is fortunate enough to try and become more than his programming like I have.

Mia whipped around and just stared at him. A small smile formed on his lips as he went on, "I like to… watch people. When Jones and myself are not chasing insurgents, that is one of the things that we enjoy. I think I would miss that."

She sank down in the chair across from him and put her head into her hands. With closed eyes she whispered, "I need to think about this. I need this all to make sense, I need time." Agent Brown stood and answered, "I anticipated this and I have an exit for you." He then walked to the back of the room and pulled an old telephone from a drawer. "The line is active and will take you home. If you decide that what I have said is true, I can be contacted here. The hard line has been secured for you both in and out. The only machines that know of it are Agent Jones and myself. When you arrive here, only use your cell phone's numeric digits 27696. I will monitor that frequency and know that you are here. If you say anything, Smith will know you are within the Matrix and being that you are not going to him, it will raise suspicions.

Mia nodded and reached for the phone only to have Brown reach out, laying a hand on her wrist, "What happened…before… I am a curious machine. You are the first human female that I have had any contract with in a non confrontational manner. I know that I frightened you by my actions and I will never do that again. I did not know better." Mia watched him as he pulled his hand and tried to think of something to say. She never got the chance because he reached past her and lifted the receiver and said, you had better go now.

She dialed the number and couldn't help but smile at the paranoid voice of Lewis as he answered, "Operator?" The only word she said was "home" and watched as the image of Agent Brown coded it self away.

Brown watched Mia's RSI blink and then faded to nothing. He reached out and caught the receiver as it fell and placed it back in the cradle before closing the phone in the drawer once again. He stood there a moment longer and then recoded his appearance as he walked to the door. As he walked back to the Agency, he took his time and even stopped at a corner coffee shop and used buying a coffee an excuse to watch the people within. If Mia didn't trust him enough, he might not get another chance to enjoy his favourite hobby of people watching. He gave Agent Jones a small nod as he joined him at the table. The afternoon rush hour was almost ready to begin and he wanted to make the most of it.