“I wanna take you on a rollercoaster…”


Red Knight didn’t have to hear the music, because his body could feel it. Even here, in the furthest corner of the club, the noise was deafening. Red was sitting quietly, an immobile figure in a sea of moving bodies.

The sound was so loud, in fact, that any attempt at vocal communication would be impossible, not that Red had anyone to talk with. The walls were reverberating with the force of the music, and people everywhere were dancing. Men and Women were dancing together, playing off of each other, living in each other's glances...


“I wanna tell you that I’m feeling closer…”


Man has been evolving for millions of years, and recently he developed the written word, civilization, and then, very recently, created Machines that could think on their own. But despite all this advancement, the basics of life remained the same, and the dance of Man and Woman was ever unchanging.

These people all had normal jobs, normal lives, maybe even husbands and wives and children. But here, at night, one could release the pent up energies of the daily grind. People danced desperately, gyrating their bodies to the beat of the music. Raw emotion and scent ran through this room like an exposed wire. Here was humanity, in all of its raw power. But how to control this power, how to regain what had been lost?

Red was looking at the crowd, but his mind was very much elsewhere.


“I wanna push it right over the line; I wanna push it right over the line; the line that you’re drawing, you’re drawing here. The line that you’re drawing, you’re drawing here…”


Red's reverie was suddenly interrupted when a woman sat down at his table. He did not recognize her, and she was not dressed like most of the people in the club - a low cut, neon green t-shirt with a similarly colored jacket worn over the shirt. Neon green, skin tight pants finished off the outfit. Most everyone in this club - Red included - were content with the gray's and black's of the underground. Clearly this was someone who wanted to stand out... And given how good looking she was, there was no doubt in Red's mind that she loved every moment of the attention that she garnered.

She smiled, but said nothing. Of course, if she had said anything, Red couldn't have heard her. Her face, like her body, was thin, and her hair was short, light brown, and her eyes were as green as the shirt she was wearing.


“I want I want I want I want I want I want I want I want I want to do you far behind.”


At some point during this visual inspection, Red's rationality began to break down. His thoughts began to drift, and a smile crossed his face despite himself.

She looked him straight in the eye, and Red's smile was returned. Then she looked towards the exit, got up, and began to stroll out of the club. Red knew she meant to show him her backside, that she was more then certainly seducing him for goals unknown, but, goddamn, she had some good looking curves.


“I want I want I want I want I want I want I want I want I want to do you far behind.”


(An aside to the gentle minded in the audience: Do not think of Red as being a sexist, or pigheaded, or simply dumb... It is just that when confronted with a good looking woman, even the wisest and most knowledgeable of men lose half of their IQ and all of their rationality. As a comedian once said, God gave Man two important organs, but only enough blood to run one at any given time...)

Returning to our story, Red found himself with a decision to make - whether or not to follow this mysterious lady... And Red didn't spend much time mulling over what to do. Truth be told, Red was going to follow that woman no matter what his mind said... He had heard the siren's call, and so he stood up and followed her out of the club.


“I wanna take you on a rollercoaster…”


Outside the air was cool, and it felt as though a cold rain had recently fallen on the City. The streets were still wet, and they reflected the yellow glow of streetlamps. She was standing against one of those lamps, looking at Red as he left the Club.

She smiled at him as he approached. Red stared at her, and some time passed. Eventually Red realized that she was waiting for him to speak.

"Was it my obvious charm, or my incredible good looks that drew you to my table?"

The woman softly laughed, then, wonder of wonders, spoke in a voice as beautiful as she herself was. It was soft but clear, and the woman was not hesitant in her response.

"Neither... Although you’re sorta cute, I've certainly done far better..."

She was smiling, toying with Red, and he was certainly willing to play along.

"Yeah... I'm sure you've done better... If you don't mind my asking, what is your name?"

"Faith. And your name is Red Knight, if I am not mistaken?"

"Ahh, the plot thickens. How do you know me?"

"That's your question of the night. Too bad I'm not going to tell you..."

"Well then, what will you tell me?"

"Depends on what you're willing to ask me."

"Hmm. What do you want from me?"

"Better question. I could tell you, but your answer may be beyond your reach...  perhaps beyond mine, as well…"

"Beyond our reach? What do you mean?"

She laughs again. The game has it rules, and the rules must be obeyed. Red would not get his answers easily, and he would have to dance with her first, and she with him.

As the conversation had progressed, Red had slowly drawn closer to Faith, and now they were only a few inches apart.

Faith's laughter had stopped the conversation for a moment, and in the silence something new occurs. Red and Faith make eye contact again, and Red feels the sparks flying around him. Her face is terribly close to his, and he can see her chest raising and falling in the corner of his eye... Red can feel his face flushing with heat, and his heart begins to beat faster. For a second nothing happens, as both stare at each other and immerse themselves in their emotions, and then, just when Red begins to move closer, Faith looks away, breaking the moment... And then she breaks the silence, as well.

"You are... more then I expected, Red Knight. Will you tell me what you value most in life?"

"So now you're the one asking questions? What if I don't want to answer?"

"Then I will walk away this very moment and never return. You'll have to spend the rest of your life wondering just who that lady in green was, and what she wanted."

"I think you’re bluffing. You came to me needing or wanting something... You wouldn't just up and leave because I refused to answer one question."

"Try me."

"I just did."

Silence again. This time the sparks are different. Faith's eyes flash, and she stares at Red. His heart is still beating, but he's not thinking about whether or not he would kiss her now. Love is an emotion that can take months or years to grow into fruition while Lust is an emotion that can change on a dime. Anger and Frustration follow the pattern of the latter, not the former.

The moment folds in on itself, expands, widens. Possibilities work out in front of Red and Faith, spread out in all directions. Good, Bad, it is impossible for them to know what they should or will do, what choice is correct, what choice is wrong. Running on emotion and a shred of rationality, the rules of the dance must be obeyed.

"If I leave right now, then you will never know what I wanted, and I will never know... I will never know what to believe in... But I stand by my word: answer my question, or I'm going to leave."

"You're still bluffing. No. Tell me how you know me."

If, in this moment, she had looked at him, pleaded with him with her eyes, asked him silently to answer her question, Red would've done it, without a doubt. But she didn't look at him - her eyes were downcast - and so the potential for that moment was gone.

"No."

"Then we're at something of an impasse, aren't we?"

”……..”

Faith did not respond. Red is annoyed now, and, against all odds and likelihood, he turns around to leave.

“Well, I’ll make good your threat myself. I don’t talk to people who use my name without permission… No matter how attractive they may be. Have a good night, Faith.”

Red begins to walk away, and then he feels a gentle hand on his shoulder. Physical contact breaks the path; new destinies are forged, old paths thought lost are re-discovered as the energies of the two meet for the briefest of moments.

“Wait. Please… Just tell me what you value most in life?”

Red turns around and looks at Faith once more. Now she is making eye contact, and she is pleading with him. Red had called her bluff, and all Faith had was a pair of fives.  Perhaps, if Red had not been so attractive, if the ancient primal forces had had no sway, then she would have let him go.

Red stared into her eyes. He knew he should just leave, but she clearly cared very much about his response, about what he thought. One path amongst the multitude is selected (by chance?) and walked upon.

"Alright, alright, I'll play your game. What do I value most in life...? Love....... No, maybe Freedom... or perhaps Truth...?"

Now the dance was balanced again; both players could settle back into the duel of words and looks and gestures.

"So you do not know that which you value most highly? Perhaps a specific person, or place, if not some principle?"

"I don't know, Faith. I honestly don't know... I can't see life without any of those principles... I'm sorry that I cannot answer your question..."

"Then think about it for awhile, Red. As you can see, this question matters greatly to me… I will see you again, and if you have an answer for me, then perhaps I will have an answer for you."

Faith looks at Red one more time, then turns and walks away, melting into the darkness.

“Wait, please just tell me how you know my name!”

She stops for a moment, but does not turn around.

“I don’t know, honestly. Sometimes you just know something, or at least I do…”

Faith then leaves, never looking back. Red stares at her as she disappears in the distance, and for awhile he stands there, emotion and reason and doubt all fighting for control of his senses. Then he reaches for a cell phone in his inner jacket pocket.

"Operator."

"Sleeper, were you following all of this?

"I certainly was, Red…  And you're not going to believe this..."

"I hate it when you say that, it always means my life has gotten harder."

"Its not my fault your life is always getting harder – I’m not the one that’s always getting myself into messes like this…”

“What do you mean?  What’s going on?”

“I don't know how it’s possible, but I never saw who you were talking to."

"What?!?"

"I never saw her.  Not once.  I watched you walk out of the club, I listened to what you said, and just once I got a flicker of something, but I don't know what it was. For a second I thought you were just talking to yourself, until I saw that flicker."

"Is there any way someone could mask themselves inside the Matrix like that?"

"I don't know. It shouldn't be possible for anyone human, red pill or no. We definitely can't do that, at least no one I know can."

"Machine, then?"

"It's possible, Sir. It may just have been a bug in the Matrix, or in my console here, but that’s unlikely..."

"Fine. We'll talk more later, I'm going for the nearest hardline."

Red put the phone back in his jacket, and then looked around for Faith. She, of course, wasn't there anymore.

A Machine?

His life had just gotten more complex, more complex by far.

As Red began to walk away, the rain started again, and the scene slowly dissolves away.