City managers are still mopping up from recent record-drowning rainfall - by City Staff This article is clearly written in order to explain and satisfy strange and vague memories that everyone in the Matrix had of Smith taking them over, beginning (as the title suggests) with the heavy rainfall that Smith caused. It is written by "City Staff," which probably means that some machine or program that holds a key position within the city put out a press release in order to help settle down people in the Matrix by putting extraordinary events into mundane terms. This implies that machines are not able to fully erase memories of people, or perhaps it was too many memories to erase (everyone inside of the entire Matrix). This could be the same effect seen in the Deja Vu comic. The following is a list of quotes from the article and what each seeks to explain to people living inside of the Matrix: "Water damage is expected to run into the millions" and ."..we must admit, the city is as clean as it's ever been." This explains the heavy rainfall Smith caused. "We're getting some occasional clearing" and "Some say last week's sunset was the most spectacular the city has ever seen." This explains the impossibly beautiful sunset that Sati produced in order to honor Neo. ."..miraculously, the city archives escaped harm. ...the building was below flood level, and others around it were damaged." If one of the damaged buildings were a building that machines need in order to run the Matrix, machines wouldn't want to wait months or years for the building to be rebuilt by human construction workers. So, when the Matrix was reconstructed and reloaded after Smith was wiped out, the machines constructed an undamaged building. The article continues by saying some people don't even remember the storm. "'Dark, noisy, some guys losing their tempers and having some kind of fight - or was that a dream I had?'" It helps people to feel "normal" that their memories surrounding the event are strangely clouded by reporting it. It might get people to think, "Perhaps the storm just occured while I was asleep?" "One reported a large sinkhole beneath unbroken pavement on a major boulevard. 'Highly unusual. This isn't limestone around here, which is how sinkholes are usually formed,' a geology professor at City University commented." This would be the crater that Neo and Smith created in the middle of the street. And one more quote that speaks for itself: "In an apparently impromptu song, one bar band offered comment: 'Been through thunder / been through rain / been deep below / in the place I can't name / Might've been the end / A haven torn apart / Still standing because / of the one's great heart.'"
City Doubts Rumors of Terrorist
Despite numerous tips to this paper and other news outlets, the widely-sought terrorist Morpheus is not in the city, officials said today. Remember at the very beginning of M1, Neo fell asleep at his computer. His computer seemed to be set on some kind of auto-search across the Internet for anything that relates to Morpheus. A major headline on Neo's computer screen read, "Morpheus evades police at airports." Smith says, "The great Morpheus, we meet at last" in M1, and the Merovingian calls Morpheus "legendary" when he first meets him. In this context, it is easy to understand why Morpheus's absence from the public view is immediately noticed by the press and therefore the general public. The article mentions that Morpheus look-alikes (with Morpheus style clothing) is increasingly popular. Various officials speculate that Morpheus could be retired, or that "Morpheus is a 'nom de guerre' assumed by more than one person over the years, some of whom may been killed."
Soggy But Refreshed
by Andres Bonifacieao This article is a potpourri of various complaints and ironic observations put into a humorous style. Some are random and have nothing to do with the story, but a couple have meaning within the Matrix story: "There's a new fad in town. The talk is of some higher reality than 'this illusion we're all living in'" and ."..people can wake up to it, see, with the aid of medicine of some sort. ... Me, I think I'll stick to my usual medicine: single-malt scotch." This of course refers to the "red pill," seen by bluepills as a street drug. "There've been more sightings of Morpheus in town than there were of Nessie in Loch Ness throughout history. Come to think of it, how come we've never seen them together? Hmmm?"
And, irresistably, "You know why Latin is used on tombstones? It's a dead language."
News Briefs
Fatal Burning - describes a man who burned to death after a helicopter opened fire on his car after refusing to answer questions at a checkpoint. Comedian Passes - An actor who played a talking cockroach in the 1970s was found dead, with his skeleton only remaining since "vermin" had eaten his tissue. Squeaker Ends in Victory - "The incumbent" won a close election, was almost hit with a falling light during his victory speech, and later appeared with a bandage on his face which he explained to be caused by shaving.
Inky Piddlers - Dogs are born with octopus genes, peeing black ink, and plan to be sold as novelties. Uniforms Draw Fashion Sneers - The President announces plans for nationwide school uniforms, criticized by opponents as being "tacky," "nerdy," and "so 15 minutes ago." Mad Jack Kelly AWOL again - A statue of Mad Jack Kelly was stolen again. Previously it was stolen and placed on the City Hall steps dressed in a dog suit, placing blame on animal rights activists.