"Compared to your question, I'm more curious about what made you ask it," the Oracle said instead of answering. Behind her glasses, her gaze shifted to Morin.
"My influence," Morin replied directly.
Neo let out a quiet breath.
Since this had been Morin's idea, it made sense for him to take the lead.
As they spoke, Neo observed carefully.
To be honest, he no longer fully trusted the Oracle. She could make predictions, but those predictions were easily overturned by Morin. And Morin didn't do it subtly-he forced the change.
If the Oracle truly had the ability to see the future, shouldn't she have seen that coming?
Because of that, everything Morin had told Neo about her now felt far more credible.
From the beginning until now, none of Morin's information had been proven wrong.
Neo kept that in mind as the exchange continued.
"Why would you even ask such a question?" the Oracle said.
"Didn't you bring it up first?" Morin countered. "You said the Savior can save humanity. Then you should give a reason."
"If I give a reason, the facts will change," the Oracle replied calmly. "Have you heard of the butterfly effect? If I influence him, he won't be able to do what he's meant to do."
"A flawless excuse," Morin said lightly. "Alright, let's try another angle."
He raised an eyebrow.
"What abilities does the Savior actually have?"
"The power to change this world..." The Oracle's voice grew distant, almost ethereal.
"Like how I changed the filling in your freshly baked bread into mold?"
"Not like that!" the Oracle snapped. "That's the crudest application!"
"Then what does a refined application do?" Morin pressed. "Can he destroy Matrix programs? Or destroy the Matrix world itself?"
"Of course not." The Oracle shook her head. "The Matrix isn't that fragile."
"So he can damage programs," Morin nodded as if enlightened. "That is indeed impressive."
"...And?" the Oracle said, already anticipating what came next.
"And I've come up with a new plan," Morin said, sounding amused. "First of all, even if the Savior can deal with programs, he can't achieve anything close to a one-hit kill. The Matrix can grind him down endlessly with programs alone."
He paused.
"In short, compared to the original resistance, the Savior can only confront antivirus programs head-on. In that case, his role isn't very significant."
"...So?" the Oracle asked.
"So we need to clarify our ultimate objective," Morin said. "Strip it down to the core. Isn't the goal to defeat the Matrix and liberate humanity?"
"That is correct." The Oracle took out her pipe, lit it, and narrowed her eyes as she prepared to smoke.
Morin snapped his fingers.
The smoke froze.
Both the smoke from the pipe and the smoke she exhaled hung motionless around her head.
Oracle: "..."
"But I've realized a problem," Morin continued calmly. "Not everyone wants to leave the virtual world. Reality is far harsher. So my idea is simple-expose the Matrix to the public and let them choose for themselves."
The Oracle's pipe trembled slightly.
"That would cause countless deaths," she said sternly, setting the pipe down.
"Reform always demands blood," Morin replied indifferently. "Only then do people remember it and cherish it. That cost is unavoidable."
"But there's already a method-the Savior saving the world."
"We already covered that," Morin said. "The Savior can't overhaul the Matrix."
"You're being reckless with human lives!"
"Lives imprisoned in nutrient pods, used as tools-do those still count as human?" Morin sneered. "They get to choose. As for the cowards who choose to stay, I don't care."
"If your words were made public, you'd face massive backlash," the Oracle said sharply, as if she'd found his weakness.
Morin smiled.
"What right does an ant have to criticize a dragon?" he said calmly. "The leaders of an era never need to care about the opinions of ordinary people. They aren't qualified. To judge, you must stand at the same height."
Neo felt something stir.
In Morin's words, he heard absolute confidence. Pride rooted in power.
The mask had fallen away.
This was the side Morin usually hid.
"No wonder he says he can handle the Matrix so easily," Neo thought. "Maybe everything he's said really is true."
"...You think so too?" the Oracle asked.
The first "you" was for Morin.
The second, she gave up and looked at Neo.
Neo thought for a moment.
"If my power isn't enough to overturn the Matrix," he said slowly, "then maybe... Morin's plan really is the best one. Everyone gets to choose. And everyone pays the price for their choice."
The Oracle smoked in silence for a long time.
Finally, she spoke.
"Leave. Both of you. The future has countless possibilities. Maybe I'm right. Maybe you are. Any person, any event, any word could change it. So right now, I can't tell you the future."
She paused.
"Let's see how it unfolds."
"From beginning to end, that's the only thing you've said that wasn't nonsense," Morin said. He brushed imaginary dust from his clothes, waved casually, and walked out. "I look forward to our next meeting. I think you'll be quite surprised... Oracle."
Neo followed.
"Do you really believe what he says?" the Oracle called after him.
"...More or less."
"Matrix programs don't all share the same goals," the Oracle said pointedly. "Some want reform. Some want stability. And some... want destruction. What kind of existence do you think certain people are?"
Neo paused at the door.
"I don't know," he said. "I'm just a chess piece. But he was the only one who told me I was a chess piece-and also told me how to break free."
He left.
Silence filled the kitchen.
The Oracle's face darkened.
Crack.
After a long while, she slammed the pipe to the floor, shattering it.
"What did you talk about afterward?" Morpheus asked on the way back.
"We had an in-depth discussion about the Savior and saving the world," Morin replied with a smile. "In the end, we reached a consensus on one point."
"That's good..." Morpheus relaxed immediately.
Neo looked at Morin with a strange expression.
How could he describe that exchange so peacefully?
"You don't get it," Morin said, sending a telepathic message. "That's the art of speaking."
"So that's how you make things sound completely different?"
"Isn't that a basic skill for journalists?"
"You're not a journalist."
"...Fair point," Morin thought. Had he ever even had that profession?
A pure white room.
So white it seemed infinite.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
"Enter," the Architect said, frowning as he looked up.
The door opened.
The Oracle walked in, pulled over a chair, and began smoking.
"Don't smoke here," the Architect said irritably. The smoke vanished. "It's rare for you to visit. What happened?"
"I won't explain it," the Oracle said. "See for yourself."
She tapped her pipe.
The surroundings shifted, recreating her observations like a massive three-dimensional theater.
For Matrix programs, this was trivial-copy and paste.
The scene replayed in an instant.
The Architect absorbed it without watching. For programs, receiving data was equivalent to knowing it.
This alone told him how bad her mood was. Programs usually preferred to act human.
That was the Actor Method.
"...This individual can modify data," the Architect murmured.
"That's all you have to say?" the Oracle snapped.
"Of course not. I'm just... surprised," he said. "Our calculations showed his trajectory should never have intersected with Neo's. At most, they should've crossed paths. Yet now they're closely connected, and Morin has abilities similar to Neo's. Why?"
"So you're just repeating my questions?" the Oracle's expression darkened further.
"What else?" the Architect spread his hands.
"You're the Architect," she said sharply. "Every version of the Matrix-every framework-you designed them!"
"Yes. And coincidentally, all of Morin's deviations originate from two blind spots: Neo and Smith," the Architect replied. "To preserve emotional authenticity, they aren't fully observed. That was your request. Don't shift the blame."
"Fine." The Oracle exhaled sharply. "Then what do you think of Morin's proposal?"
"Exposing the Matrix to the public..." The Architect pondered. "A bold idea. The uncertainty is enormous. Evaluating its consequences would require immense time and processing power."
"And a rough estimate?" the Oracle stared at him. "Don't tell me you didn't think what I did."
"On the contrary," the Architect said softly. "My conclusion is the opposite. If this happens, we may no longer need Neo or Smith. The emotions of all humanity might finally lead us to true evolution."
"That would almost certainly collapse the Matrix!" the Oracle snapped. "You've lost your mind!"
"The Matrix has collapsed before," the Architect said thoughtfully. "The perfect world. Everyone's desires fulfilled."
"And 97% of humans died of mental collapse," the Oracle said coldly.
"Yes. Fascinating creatures," he replied. "Once everything was given freely, they destroyed themselves."
"Even so," the Oracle said, "you'll still let this plan proceed? Even push it from behind the scenes?"
"We have backups of human DNA," the Architect said casually. "And Zion still exists. Even if all humans suffer brain death, it's just a number. Dump the bodies. Process them. Nutrient fluid will be plentiful."
"...Fine," the Oracle said after a pause. "Then you'd better hope you don't lose control."
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