THE MATRIX:
A HAIKU INTERPRETAION BY KITTEN
EXT. HEART O' THE CITY HOTEL
Police cruisers flash
Sirens lighting up the night
Black sedan pulls up
SMITH
Lieutenant, I gave
Specific orders to you
Which you have ignored.
COP
I'm doing my job.
Don't give me "jurisdiction".
Cram it up your ass.
I sent two units
They are bringing her down now
Everything is fine.
SMITH
Lieutenant, your men
Are almost assuredly
Already dead now.
CUT TO:
INT. HOTEL
Woman in vinyl
At a computer she sits
Police barrel in
OFFICER
Hands on your head now!
Don't you think about moving
Or we will shoot you.
In the air she floats
Twisting, cat-like, a kick
Cops fall to the ground
TRINITY
Morpheus? Sorry,
The line was tapped and I'm stuck.
What do I do now?
MORPHEUS (VO)
They cut the hard line.
You must focus, Trinity.
Go to the exit.
TRINITY
Will there be agents?
They are going to kill me
I cannot make it.
MORPHEUS (VO)
There is an exit
Close to the northern tower
You can make it. Go.
EXT. HOTEL
Running and sprinting
Trinity dives from the roof
The Agent gives chase
EXT. STREET AT NIGHT
A phone booth ahead
The loud screeching of tires
Crushed steel and glass
The Agents, too late
Step out into the wreckage
Discuss their next move
JONES
Damn! She got away
This always seems to happen
I hate those humans.
SMITH
It does not matter.
We know the next target's name
The informant told.
We will need to search
We'll start as soon as we can
Before they get him.
BLACK
His name is Neo.
We have already begun
The long search for him.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. NEO'S APARTMENT
Cables and routers
A man searches for answers
A black display screen
NEO
What the hell is this?
Always crashing or freezing
Goddamn Microsoft.
SCREEN
Please wake up, Neo
And follow the white rabbit
The Matrix has you.
Neo considers
Tension in the room is high
A knock at the door
NEO
Who the hell is there
Now, at this ungodly time
This is a bit weird.
Cautious by nature
He halfway opens the door
His visitor waits
NEO
You're two hours late.
What the hell are you doing?
Can't you be on time?
CHOI
I know I am late.
It's all her fault. Damn women!
Here's the two thousand.
Money changes hands
A hidden black minidisc
A dire warning
NEO
Choi, you remember
That if you're caught using that
This never happened.
CHOI
I know, yes, I know.
This did not ever happen
And I don't know you.
Is something wrong, man?
You look whiter than normal.
Maybe you need rest.
NEO
My computer, it's..
You ever think you're still dreaming
After you wake up?
CHOI
All the time, my man.
Mescaline is the only
Way that you should fly.
You need to relax.
Maybe you could come with us?
What do you say, man?
A silenced protest
White rabbit on her shoulder
Instructions compel
NEO
Yeah, sure, I will go.
Even though these fetish clubs
Aren't really my scene.
INT. NIGHTCLUB
Neo stands alone
Still out of his element
Woman approaches
TRINITY
Hello there, Neo.
I know a lot about you.
I am Trinity.
NEO
I can't believe it.
You hacked the IRS base?
Thought you were a guy!
TRINITY
Most guys do, Neo.
Please just listen to me now.
I have news for you.
They are watching you.
Every minute and hour
They know where you are.
The question drives us.
You know what question that is.
Now find the answer.
NEO
What is the Matrix?
I really don't have a clue
What is going on.
CUT TO:
INT. NEO'S APARTMENT
Piercing alarm buzz
A hand, in motion, kills it
And panic ensues
NEO
Shit! Goddammit all!
I'm late for work, as always
Now I'll get bitched at!
INT. OFFICE
In his suit, humbled
A boss fed up with lateness
A window is cleaned
BOSS
You have a problem.
You think that you are special.
You are mistaken.
I am sick of this.
You are always late, Thomas.
Be on time or else.
INT. CUBICLE
Bored out of his mind
He sits, pretending to work
A package arrives
FED EX MAN
You're Anderson, right?
I have a package for you.
Here you go. Sign here.
Package authorized
A ringing phone tumbles out
Wary, he answers
MORPHEUS (VO)
Hello there, Neo.
Do you have any idea
Who you're talking to?
NEO
Is this Morpheus?
I have been looking for you.
What is going on?
MORPHEUS (VO)
They're coming for you
And I don't know what they'll do
If they get to you.
Peers over the wall
Dark suits and black sunglasses
Trouble is afoot
MORPHEUS (VO)
I can help you, but
You must do what I tell you.
Run across the hall.
A flight down the hall
Empty offices, locked doors
Short and ragged breath
NEO
Done and done. Now what?
And how do you know all this?
I'm really confused.
MORPHEUS
No time to explain.
Climb the scaffold outside, and
Go up to the roof.
Click of a dead line
Out the window, on the ledge
Gravity meets phone
NEO
No way! This is nuts!
Why should this happen to me?
I am nobody!
CUT TO:
EXT. OFFICE BUILDING
Covert black leather
Trinity on her cycle
Curses the bad choice
TRINITY
Goddammit to hell.
I knew he wouldn't listen.
Now he's in deep shit!
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. INTERROGATION ROOM
Agents enter room
Take up flanking formation
Smith faces Neo
SMITH
Mister Anderson,
We've been watching you closely.
Seems you live two lives.
In one life you are
Thomas A. Anderson, and
You pay your taxes
You have a good job
With a fine company
And - wait, what is this?
Hmm, how very odd.
And you help your landlady
Take out the garbage.
In your other life
You're a hacker named Neo.
You always break laws.
There's one life you have
That has a future, and one
That does not, Anderson.
We want to help you.
We know you've talked to a man
Who's called Morpheus.
We will wipe the slate.
We can give you a fresh start.
But you must help us.
NEO
Well, yeah, that sounds good
But I've got my own idea.
You're so full of crap
So how about this?:
I will give you the finger
And then use the phone.
Sigh of great disdain
Darkened sunglasses back on
Smith is not amused
SMITH
Mister Anderson
You disappoint me greatly.
I thought you were wise.
NEO
You cannot scare me
With all this Gestapo crap.
I want my phone call!
SMITH
Tell me, Anderson,
How will a phone call help you
If you cannot speak?
Organic metal
Twisting, morphing, and crawling
Neo's mouth glued shut
NEO
Mmm mmf! Mmf mmm mfm!
mmm, mmm! Mmph mmf mmph mm Mmm!
Mmf mmmph mm mmp mm!
SMITH
You're going to help
Whether or not you like it.
You cannot stop us.
CUT TO:
INT. NEO'S APARTMENT
Was it all a dream?
Phone ringing; he awakens
Doesn't say hello
MORPHEUS (VO)
I must be brief, for
Your line is probably tapped.
Do you want to meet?
Then go to the bridge
And wait outside in the rain.
I will send a car.
EXT. UNDER BRIDGE
Rain sluices down
Silouetted by the light
A car approaches
INT. CAR
New people with guns
Annie Lennox all business
No uncertain terms
SWITCH
Take off your shirt. Now.
We don't have time for questions.
It's our way, or else.
NEO
Well, forget all this!
I'll take my chances elsewhere
Cause I'm a bigshot.
TRINITY
Neo, please listen.
Just do as she says, okay?
It's all for the best.
NEO
Fine, but only cause
You're wearing kinky vinyl
Which I really dig.
TRINITY
We think you are bugged.
Besides which, this machine here
Just looks really cool.
Extraction machine
X-ray vision on the screen
Bug out the window
NEO
Oh my fucking god!
You mean that wasn't a dream?
It's really real?!
INT. BUILDING
Spiralling staircase
Towering eight floors above
A final large door
TRINITY
You must be honest.
He knows things you can't predict
So don't try to lie.
Door swinging open
Trencoated man and lightning
Very dramatic
MORPHEUS
At last, we now meet.
I am Morpheus, but you
Already knew that.
NEO
It's a great honor
To finally meet you, sir.
I've been waiting long.
Chairs and a table
Facing each other, they sit
The answers coming
MORPHEUS
So. You're here because
You know something important
That you can't explain.
I will explain it.
The Matrix is all around.
Even in this room.
You can feel it
When you go to work or church.
Even when you sleep.
You're a slave, Neo.
In a jail you can't see
Can't smell and can't touch.
Unfortunately
You can't be told what it is.
You have to see it.
In his hands, two pills
Red and blue, they are offered
A final warning
MORPHEUS
This is your last chance.
You can take the red or blue.
These are your choices.
Take the blue pill, and
You will forget what happened.
You'll live as you have.
Take the red pill, and
You will come with me. I can
Show you the Matrix.
Remember, Neo
I'm only offering truth
Nothing more than that.
Neo hesitates
And considers his options
There are not many
MORPHEUS
Remember, Neo
I am only offering
The truth. Nothing more.
Did I say many
I really meant only one
Neo makes his choice
MORPHEUS:
The pill that you took
Was part of a trace program.
We'll find you with it.
INT. LAB
Discarded rotaries
Merged with futuristic tech
A warping mirror
MORPHEUS
Tank! Are you with me?
We need a signal right now!
Hurry! Track him down!
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. POWER PLANT
Rows and endless rows
Human bodies tombed in tubes
Paradigm shifting
Sentry guard robot
Dispatched to the scene quickly
Expels human waste
Floating in a sea
Bright lights descend from above
A lifeline lowered
FADE TO:
INT. HOVERCRAFT
Blurred, confused vision
Unknown faces smearing past
A voice in the dark
MORPHEUS
Ah, welcome, Neo
To this, the real world.
The answers will come.
So endeth part one
To be continued, await
The next installment
