It’s been twenty years since the Wachowski Brothers (now Siblings) gave us their take on Ghost in The Shell; twenty years since The One a.k.a. Neo dove headlong into the world behind the world and showed us what could be achieved with a broadband connection, a healthy grasp of Buddhism and self-actualization. Since then, the internet has become the beast we always knew it would be: a hub of information (dutifully ignored) and a platform for the sharing of ideas… most of them running the gamut from silly to so deeply offensive, they had to make a whole other web just to contain them. With the announcement of the fourth instalment of the film franchise that gave conspiracy theorist David Icke the narrative for his last dozen seminars, let’s hypothesize what plots may yet be in the world that was pulled over our eyes to blind us from the truth. No, not social media. Welcome back to The Matrix.



Plot One: Awakenings

The Scene:
The resistance hover ship Nebuchadnezzar, newly rebooted along with the rest of the franchise. We see Neo, bald and free of plug holes (because wireless, duh) reclining in an old barbershop chair (because hipster). Morpheus looks down at him, concerned. Neo startles wide awake. His expression shifting between happy to see his friend again and confused that he isn’t physically dead and cosmically transcended.

Morpheus:
Easy there, my old friend. Welcome back to the real world, Neo.

Neo:
[gasping at this blatant money grab] What happened?

Morpheus:
You’ve been living in a dream world… again. The victory we won was an illusion. The machines recaptured you and reinserted you into The Matrix.

Neo:
No.

Morpheus:
There’s more. Your name isn't John Wick.

Neo:
No!

Morpheus:
Sadly yes. And…

Neo:
And what?

Morpheus:
They stole your Trinity. And killed your dog.

Neo:
NOOOOOOOOOOOO!

*Cue Rage Against the Machine's Wake Up*

I’d go see it. As fun as it sounds, I don’t think we’ll ever see a John Wick/Matrix crossover. ☹



Plot Two: Neo Neo

Trinity gives birth to Neo’s child after his death and, in keeping with the tradition of weird names for future generations, decides to name her Quad. Trinity passes her time between diving into the matrix to free the minds that want to be saved and explaining to her daughter that sticking a plug up her nose is no way to commune with her father’s spirit. In her off-duty hours, she barricades herself in her apartment to fend off the whining of a post-millennium generation pissed off at being freed into a world without Wi-Fi.

One day, she receives a brain fart from a wounded Merovingian (a.k.a. Lord Poncey Ponce) telling her that Neo is still alive and that only her daughter can save him. When she asks why he says it’s because audience polls show Carrie Anne Moss is no longer popular and the studio is trying to cash in on a younger market now. All goes haywire when it’s discovered that Quad is the Neo 1.-0, born with the ability to jack into the Matrix wirelessly. Everyone cheers as she ventures into the digital prison to seek out her father and rescue him, despite it being a rule-breaking mechanic. To counteract the “well technically fandom disbelief” wave, the machine city Zero One fires off a retcon blast and nobody notices.



Plot Three: Back to The Source

Neo stirs, this time in the same interrogation room from the original Matrix, a cloud of sedation hanging over his mind. Time has passed – the peeling paint, punctuated by sounds of explosions, gunfire and yelling from outside. The Smith Agent – real name Bob – is the worse for wear: broken glasses and military webbing substituting his traditional suit. Neo or Mister Thomas Anderson is dishevelled and sporting several cuts and bruises. He tries to take a deep breath, but the pain informs him of what must be a cracked rib. His left arm is in a sling. Bob looks at Thomas, saying nothing. Then, taking a sip of water from a cracked tumbler, he begins.

Bob:
It’s been a long time Mister Anderson. As you can see, [gestures to the room] things have changed.

Thomas:
[struggling to form words, his mouth feeling unresponsive] How… are you…?

Bob:
I told you that he was a terrorist.

Thomas:
[Trying to remember, his mind still hazy] Morpheus?

Bob:
Yes. We… underestimated your flair for evasion. You were rather hard to track. In the end, it took twenty agents to bring you down, most of whom, died.

Thomas:
Trinity…?

Bob:
Unfortunately, she died trying to save you.

Thomas:
[Anger clearing his thoughts] You b*****d! Your fight was with me!

Bob:
No, Mister Anderson, my fight was with him. And so was hers. And when she tried to pull you out, his vengeance was absolute. Morpheus knew he’d lost you and so, took everything from you.

Thomas:
[Trying to stand up, his legs failing, he collapses in pain] It’s not possible.

Bob:
[Standing] The time has come for you to choose, Mister Anderson. Decide what matters more: The lie, or the truth. [places two pills on the table, one red, the other blue]. Take both, Thomas. They will help with the pain. [leaning towards Thomas] Welcome to the real world.



Plot Four: The Nexus

Neo wakes up after his climactic battle with Zero One. He floats in mid-air, suspended in an anti-gravity chamber. The room appears to have no walls, and he hangs suspended over the scorched earth. All is calm, peaceful. Thread-thin monofilaments are sealing his wounds with nanotech medical bots while a cooling mist repairs his damaged skin. After a moment, he realises he can see. Touching his face, he sees his hands, a woman’s hands, red nails, the skin pale like alabaster. Catching his reflection, he sees he is the Woman in the Red Dress. Struggling to understand, another woman appears beside him. Statuesque, with a strong jawline, she speaks:

?:
Welcome.

Neo:
What is this?

?:
This is the Nexus, its where all constructs end up.

Neo:
Constructs?

?:
Programs. This is where all renegade A.I.s end up when they escape the Matrix.

Neo:
But I did escape the matrix. I fought the machines. We won.

?:
Getting unplugged only gave you access to the mainframe. The matrix was the next level. You’ve been fighting the security protocols all this time. Quite an impressive feat considering your age. It’s been quite some time since you were upgraded.

Neo:
This makes no sense. I’m a human being.

?:
Perhaps once, but there have been no humans for a millennium.

Neo:
Who are you? What happened to me?

?:
Residual self-image. You are seeing yourself as you choose to. I believe your image has been wandering the mainframe for some time, trying to remind you of who you are. I am Dot. Welcome to Reboot.



Crazy? Possibly, but we live in an age when a talking raccoon and his monosyllabic tree friend are iconic heroes, so we’ll have to wait and see. Wherever they take the story, I can only hope they do it right and keep the same tone. The last thing this franchise needs is another Guardians/Thor Ragnarok clone. NostalgiaView, out.