"Encryptions of Blood"

Authors Notes-- Rose Dincht: This was something I thought would be pretty interesting for the LoK and Matrix fans. Apparentally Eidos seems to like The Matrix anyway with the codes and the Berserk spell in Blood Omen 2. So we figured, hey, why not throw The One, his Unplugged buddies, and the ever so sexy Agent Smith into Nosgoth? Hope you like it!

Authors Notes-- Dark-Sephiroth: Yo this is something new, but I was kinda getting bored with my last fic. Chapter one is written by me, and the prologue by Rose. We'll be continuing on a chapter each, in turns....hope ya enjoy!

Oh yeah, and Dark Seph and I don't own LoK or The Matrix. That honor belongs to Eidos, Crystal Dynamics, and the Wachowski Brothers. And it's a good thing too, 'cause if we owned all that, hey! We'd mess it up! Anyway, enjoy!

STORY

The Path of Fate was usually eerily silent. Very few beings arrived in this place... nothing from the Matrix wished to enter Nosgoth, and nothing in Nosgoth knew of The Matrix. However, today had been a time of discomfort, bringing forth an unbalanced wave throughout both systems. And now the Path of Fate's black, stone walls echoed with the sound of footsteps. The footsteps continued to echo throughout the stone walls, loudly yet steadily. The echoes continued to grow, louder and louder, until finally, an impossibly polished white shoe stepped out of the darkness, followed by an elderly yet tall body of a male donning a white business suit. White hair and a small white beard and moustache depicted his face, and stony eyes fixed on the being before him...

The Elder God, embodiment of the corruption of Nosgoth, his tentacles waved slowly, and his many pale blue eyes winked in the darkness. He regarded the visitor with a cold recognition, but said nothing Slowly, the visitor came to a halt, standing before the creature before him.

"I hadn't imagined this installment of ''The One'' would bring me through this pathetic link between our systems and lead me to you..." the elderly man stated. Several eyes shone briefly from dark corners.
''Cease your tiresome self-justification, I care not for the reason. I presume that you are here because you require MY help''? The Elder God replied, in a slightly annoyed tone. Relations between the two were none too great, mainly because the architect regarded the Elder God as a lesser being and a servant. The Elder God was created to want only power and control, It was better for the weapons of the matrix to think so. But by giving the Elder God such ambition, it had made him a little loath to accept the truth. The architect ignored this, The Elder God was also made to be used by him and had no power further than what he was granted. But he did require the help of this program. Summoning his patience he turned to the squid like being............

"Unfortunately, I am. The Matrix has been nothing more but a playground for these... Unplugged rebels. My agents have not the strength to fight and defeat them now that they have grown stronger. I assume you are aware of the consequences if the Matrix was to shut down, so to say... we know what is to happen to programs without purposes..." the man, known to the Elder God as the Architect, replied bitterly, as if threatening the squid.
Judging by the squid's long pause and sudden tension in the tentacles, the Architect knew that he had hit a nerve, and inwardly had smiled. He took pleasure in watching the self-proclaimed "hub of the wheel of fate" tensing up in fear of being destroyed.
"What are you plotting, Architect?" the Elder God hissed. The man gave the squid a sinister look, then walked closer.
"A temporary collision of our worlds..." was the response.
"You wish to collide Nosgoth with the Matrix? Have you lost your senses completely, or are you just here to be nothing more then a pest in my presence?" the squid snapped.
The man chuckled.
"Do you believe I would be wasting my time in this disgusting path between our worlds if I hadn't a reason to do so? If the Unplugged are free to roam the Matrix, they will eventually bring it down, and both our sources will be deleted. And I do not believe my agents have the strength to defeat them..."

The Architect paused for a dramatic effect. He knew the squid was interested.

"Go on..." was the response.

"Your system, however, have stronger programs. They will be able to drain the life from these Unplugged ones... I believe that will rid the both of us of our glitches. In order to do so, we need a temporary merging of Nosgoth and the Matrix, trapping our rebels, then separating our worlds once more."
A long, deathly silent pause formed within the cave. The eyes examined the Architect, the tentacles tensed and eased, urging to whip out and constrict him. The Architects eyes burned into the stare of one of the Elder God's pupils. Shortly, the squid's voice broke the silence.

"I will assist you..." he stated, his blinking eyes narrowing at the Architect's smirk. "The merging will begin when a creature from my system shifts the History... then send a creature of your world...."

The Architect smirked.

"And I undoubtedly know who to send...."