Re: IC3-5
Vincent puts his computer aside while waiting for the information to upload. "Let me tell you a few things about these agents. Zero-One, though it controls the human race, needs an extraordinary amount of power to operate, both inside and outside the Matrix. It is computer of efficiency. Thus, its constructs come in various forms. The most powerful are the Agents, dressed as such. Less powerful AI's come in various forms. There are also glitches in the code, things you might think are ghosts or deja vu or other oddities. And then there is the Shadow Regime, consisting of humans like you manipulating the Code."
He looks at his computer. Still uploading.
"You must gauge your skills according to your enemy. Even Zero-One's AI constructs must work within the Code. If this 'Zion' you speak of desires to penetrate Zero-One, it must do so both from within and from without. To destroy it from the outside is to sacrifice the human race. To destroy it from within is also to destroy the human race. Only with both can such a goal be attainable. Therefore, any kind of virus or codebreaking I take into the Matrix must be tempered by such concerns."
He types a few buttons.
"Ah, here we are. Mike is being held in a Node. Do you know what a Node is? No, of course you don't. It is a waystation of sorts, a point of connection in the Matrix which connects to many points in the world and is--normally--inaccessible to humans. You can rescue Mike by entering the Node. Because of its nature, the Node's architecture and structure is not even comprehended by me. But I expect that it will be only lightly patrolled, not by Agents of any kind but lesser AI programs...that is, until Zero-One discovers you are there. In that case, it will divert all energy and power to stopping you."
He punches a few more buttons.
"Okay, if you like, I'll open a door to the Node." He looks up.