12 Days Until the Machines Reach Zion
You get back to Zion safe and sound but learn the bad news.
General Blythe tells it to you. "We've lost almost all of the crew from the Hyperion except for you. Between losing X today, Locke yesterday, and most of the crew on the last mission, you're all that's left. But we're about to lose a lot more."
He spreads out a map, and you can see that it shows you the surface of the earth and Zion below. "As mentioned before, your crew member Cala, who was a sentinel that freed herself from Zero-One, had a tracking device on her, which is why the machines are digging for us. But it gets worse. She also had a delayed response device attached to her hull, unbeknownst to her and us. That device activated while you were with the Oracle. Before we could destroy it, the device took out a section of our EMP shields. The machines are now turning in that direction and will come around through that hole in the EMP shields to get to us. That means that we have just lost seven days to deal with Zero-One once and for all."
5 Days Until the Machines Reach Zion
General Blythe says, "Our military is almost ready. We have received volunteers, and I think we may just blitz the Firewall Zone. Unfortunately, many of our people are not as skilled within the Matrix, even with the addition of the healing centers and other things inside there."
Binary steps forward. "The good news is that we have finalized the virus. What I am concerned about is where to put it exactly. If it is not in a vital area within the Matrix that can do the most damage in a short amount of time, then Zero-One will be able to isolate and delete the virus. We are still trying to figure that out. But please tell us what the Oracle told you. Anything at all that will help us?"
OOC: The following is a reminder about Zion's plan:
Binary:
We have developed a code that will substantially help this operation. It merely needs to be implanted in the right server. Because the Matrix is built on a code that follows laws almost identical to the real world, implanting this code means only that the group responsible must get a disc to the proper server.
Once uploaded, we will have the following benefits:
First, we can use a direct hardline from Zion to jack you in and out. No more traveling to remote locations. Given that Zion's location is no longer a secret, we do not have the same concerns.
Second, we will be able to read Zero-One's code within 100 yards of our operatives, even within the Firewall Zone. This means better and immediate assistance for you in your missions.
Already we learned that, within the Firewall Zone, Zero-One has established many points, such as healing centers, which will be extremely valuable. Zero-One has been working on rebuilding code within the Firewall Zone to better secure it, and we intend to exploit those code changes for our own operatives. You will get more information as soon as we have it.
Next, a disc given to us by Jinx provides a code that, also if installed in the proper server, will act as a virus. It should shut down Zero-One entirely--forever.
The politician known as "The Philosopher" stands up. What about all the Potentials? Will this kill them all? Many are not ready to be awakened from their slumber. That would be a death sentence.
General Blythe butts in. It is a regrettable sacrifice, but a necessary one. We expect some would live and some would die. But if we don't do this, everyone dies.
Binary looks hesitantly between them and says, We are developing and continuing our research 24 hours a day and will have constant updates over the next two weeks.
"Twelve days," General Blythe corrects.
"Yes, twelve days," Binary says and then says, "Any questions before General Blythe begins debriefings?
