The Matrix: The Real Story, Book 1

Chapter 1 : Morpheus Meets Neo

"It was toward the end of the Twenty First Century—the whole of humanity was lavishing it's time on aimless thoughts and pleasure hunting.

There were more than enough machines to take care of everyone's needs.

A social order was established by which no one needed to work. The machines did everything—every man would be delivered his bread, his bed, and whatever else he wanted, at his doorstep.

Need was established as the sole criterion for earning—not work or talent.

We all believed that this was a choice—Our choice.

But we were all wrong.

They were slowly forcing us to submit to this life of unthinking and inactivity.

And though we had a feeling that all was not right, we silently chose to live this life of lies rather than flex our muscles and mind for our own daily bread.

It is rumoured that one night, the first neural network super computing machine was stolen from CERN.

There are conjectures that this remarkable piece of engineering would have fused itself with the Artificial Intelligence that was driving the machinery of this world and could have triggered the downfall of mankind.

Finally at the critical point of time, the machines struck.

They unleashed a massacre that was calculated to eliminate the whole of humanity.

Then we struck back.

We blackened the skies.

And since the sun was their only source of power, we expected them to shut down.

But, these mechanical monstrosities could think like us—toe to toe.

They imprisoned the whole of us—all except a few handful who escaped to Zion—a City we built under the sea.

Those who were imprisoned were wired up. 

Since the human body is a source of energy, every cell within it crunches nutrients and whatever they feed it, (we still do not know what they feed it) utilizing oxygen to release energy.

Only, now this energy is tapped using the wires thrust into special points of the body. For this you need the body to be inactive—as in a sleep, otherwise the body itself will need the use of it.

They did exactly that—they put us in an eternal sleep.

Everyone imprisoned is represented as a computer program in another parent program.

This whole thing is the Matrix.

The program interacts with the parent and with other programs, transmits stimuli to the brain simulating the senses and motor functions, and transmits the responses back to the parent.

The way the parent program is designed keeps everyone satisfied—it, after all, arbitrates the way the programs themselves interact with each other.

This combination of events makes it so that the mind does not need the body and is always in it's eternal dream, satisfied."

Roger Federer looked up at Morpheus in consternation and understanding.

Morpheus continued:

"Neo, if you take the red pill, you will be freed from the Matrix and will make the prophecy come true.

If you take the blue pill, you will go back to your world and live the way you did.

It's your choice."

Roger was still puzzled and could not speak. He understood all that Morpheus had to say about the Matrix, but he could find no reason to believe that this was past the end of the Twenty-first century.

He had just the day before beaten the great Pete Sampras at Wimbledon, and he was rather angry that this man had crashed his celebrations.

More importantly, the year was 2001.

How could this be true even granting that there was indeed a Matrix?

As if reading his thoughts, Morpheus continued:

"I know you are wondering how this is all possible. The Machines could not simulate the technical advancement of the Twenty First century.

So, they simulated the reality as if it were hundreds of years earlier and rolled back the clock in everyone's minds, making you still think you are in 2001."

Morpheus said, "Neo, you have nothing to lose—if this is just a dream as you think it is, taking the red or the blue pill in no way will change your life.

But, if you choose the red pill and this is all true, then you stand to save the whole of mankind and become the ultimate hero.

I will tell you this much more—the answer to all our agonies lies in Tennis.

I cannot say further, for I fear the risk of you not taking our side."

Roger, satisfied with this explanation, took the red pill.

The world around him started to swirl and dance, and it finally disappeared into oblivion.

Then he woke up, as if from a dream.

Chapter 2 : Neo's freedom

Roger woke up, but with a pain all over his body.

He could vaguely discern that he was in some sort of a ship. 

Movement seemed different, and a little bit difficult too, but it also seemed pleasing in some way.

Morpheus approached him and said:

"It's always a nice feeling getting used to the real world. You are doing your baby steps now. We just freed you from the Matrix. Your muscles have to be trained for them to become active—you were not using them till now.

You were..."

"Tell me the truth, Morpheus. I am on your side now. Tell me the truth, now. I want to know more."

Morpheus settled down on a chair beside Roger. "Well, Neo..."

"What's with that name anyway? Neo? You do not call me by my real name—Roger!"

"No, your real name is Neo. Your name in the Matrix was Roger, and will be so."

Morpheus paused and took a glass of water that stood on the table beside him.

He then continued...

"You are an anomaly, Neo. Now I don't know why anomalies are present in the Matrix—I believe, and so does everyone else, that the Matrix could be mathematically perfect without any sort of anomalies.

The Matrix, since it has to simulate the real world, must also simulate the laws of Physics and so on.

But now you see these are just laws laid down in words or in equations—by the computers that drive the Matrix, and not the real physical laws, and hence it is possible to break them.

All of us at Zion can break these laws if we enter the Matrix—and we have ways to enter it. 

We can break it because we are not sleeping like the prisoners of the Matrix—we can think consciously.

But an anomaly is something like a virus—a software program that can, in due course of time, break down these laws completely.

In our knowledge of the Matrix, there is only one such anomaly, being you Neo. 

The program associated with you in the Matrix is the anomaly—Roger Federer."

Morpheus paused for all this to take effect.

He was not amazed at the speed with which Neo could understand all this information.

Then he continued.

"There is a bug in their system. Again, it's puzzling, why did it have to be there?  It's again a question for which we do not have an answer.

But there is a way, and it is up to us to utilize it.

If anyone is able to win fifteen Grand Slam titles, then the main program of the Matrix will restart, and during that window in time, we can act swiftly enough to free the majority of humanity.

This will be enough to shut down the machines forever.

Only an anomaly can do it. And you are the anomaly. If you don't do it, then nobody can. That is the prophecy which the great oracle has blessed me with."

Neo sat down and thought about it for sometime.

Morpheus, as if he could read Neo's mind, continued: 

"I know what you are thinking. You are thinking that I should have stopped you from beating Sampras the other day. But he is not the anomaly, and the Matrix will always find a way to stop him from getting his fifteenth.

But it cannot stop you. Take my word for it.

Neo said, "I want to meet the Oracle. I want to learn the truth from her. Not that I do not believe you, but I am not convinced I am "the one" yet. You must take me to her."

"She will come to you. You cannot find her—she chooses not to be seen or heard, unless by her own will."

Chapter 3 : Ascension

Excerpts from Morpheus' Diary:

Is Roger really Neo?

I have never entertained a doubt in my mind. But as a dutiful commander of Zion, it is my duty to doubly check my premises.

Every agent that has come his way has been dealt with disdain.

This year, he faltered only at the Garros and elsewhere he reigned supreme. This seems to be his year of ascension, and it seems only a matter of time before he wins there too.

Except for the times when we have sent in his proxy in order for him to rest, to the Matrix, he has come back victorious.

The following are my arguments for him:

No. 1. It is pretty easy to upload to any subject in the Matrix—the whole book of Tennis.

But it is said that only the One can use all of them to their full crushing repercussions.

Not only is Roger able to  use all of these, he is able to outplay any opponent in his own department of expertise—a Hewitt from the Baseline or a Philippousis from the net.

He is categorically, the master of them all.

No. 2. Not only is he using all of them with as much mastery as is possible, he is adding new ones to the book.

That sliced overhead smash, for example, has not been replicated by any other human. It seems to be beyond the operational parameters of any program.

No. 3. He has a sense of humble superiority over his opponents.

Never to give up against anyone he comes across, he is cool when he is seemingly down. He finds that extra gear without pressing the panic button.

He murders them silently, but without any sort of emotion—without any sort of vengeance.

He seems a master of his own destiny.

No. 4. His ability to predict.

Normally people call it anticipation, but Neo knows two points back where the ball is going to land now.

I have heard it's possible in chess, but in Tennis?

I do not find any argument against his case.