2بخش

What?

Sorry.

Uh, it’s the boss.

“Billions of people just living out their lives oblivious.”

I always loved that line.

You wrote that one, yeah?

Every time I stand here,

I mean, O-M-G.

It’s so perfect, it’s gotta be fake.

Right?

Yeah.

Sure.

Have a seat.

Smoke?

I thought you quit.

I quit calling it a habit.

Now it’s just a guilty pleasure.

Oh.

Maybe I can make this easy for you.

I know Binary is over budget.

This is not about Binary, Tom.

It’s bigger than that.

This is about our future, which is a sticky subject, given our past.

What do you mean?

How’s the therapy?

Good.

Any episodes?

No.

That’s terrific.

Look, Tom, I know we’ve always had our differences.

What did you say about our first meeting?

We had all the chemistry of an FBI interrogation.

But look at this place.

We did this.

Together.

Yeah.

Now what?

Things have changed.

The market’s tough.

I’m sure you can understand why our beloved parent company, Warner Bros has decided to make a sequel to the trilogy.

What?

They informed me they’re gonna do it with or without us.

I thought they couldn’t do that.

Oh, they can.

And they made it clear they’ll kill our contract if we don’t cooperate.

Really?

I know you said the story was over for you, but that’s the thing about stories.

They never really end, do they?

We’re still telling the same stories we’ve always told, just with different names, different faces and I have to say I’m kind of excited.

After all these years, to be going back to where it all started.

Back to The Matrix.

I’ve spoken to Marketing.

Tom?

Yeah.

Are you all right?

Yeah.

What were you feeling at that point?

What was I feeling?

I felt either I’m having a mental breakdown again or I’m living inside a computer-generated reality that has imprisoned me again.

Not much of a choice.

No.

Maybe it’s not as binary as that.

Maybe there are other ways to understand what happened.

Yeah.

Thomas, you are a suicide survivor gifted with a powerful imagination.

Those facts have combined to create dangerous fictions in your life.

Yesterday, you walked into a meeting with your business partner and he ambushed you, demanding you make a game you said you would never make.

This attack effectively took away your voice.

His violence triggered you and your mind fought back.

You did to him what he was doing to you.

We’ve talked about the value of adaptive anger in healing trauma.

Far from suggesting a repeat of your initial breakdown, I believe this episode demonstrates healthy self-protection.

And more importantly, I remember how hard it was for you to share something like this.

Which tells me just how far we’ve come.

Do you need a refill on your prescription?

Yeah.

First of all, I know I speak for everyone when I say that I’m so, so excited to be working on a game that was such a well, game changer.

Now, the packet in front of you has our focus group research.

Inside, you’ll find the breakdown including keyword association with the brand.

The top two being “originality” and “fresh,” which I think are great things to keep in mind as you begin working on Matrix 4.

And who knows how many more?

What made Matrix different?

It effed with your head.

On point.

People want us up in their grey space, switching their synaptic “WTF” light on.

What made Matrix different?

It effed with your head.

People want us up in their grey space, switching their synaptic

What the hell is going on here?

light on.

I didn’t love the first one, like some of you.

And, frankly, I’ve got zero tolerance for anything that requires a syllabus and a highlighter.

I like my games big, loud and dumb.

We need guns!

Lots of guns.

Matrix means mayhem.

Mindless action is not on-brand.

She’s right.

Matrix is mind-porn.

Philosophy in shiny tight PVC.

Yeah.

Ideas are the new “sexy.”

Obviously

The Matrix is about trans-politics.

Crypto-fascism.

It’s a metaphor of capitalist exploitation.

This cannot be another reboot, retread, regurgitated.

Why not?

Reboots sell.

We are so far down the wrong rabbit hole, here, people.

You say Matrix to anyone.

You say Matrix.

Matrix.

Matrix.

Matrix this is what they see.

Allow me to sum up our goal in a single word.

Bullet time!

Bullet time!

That’s two words.

We need a new bullet time.

We need to revolutionize gaming again.

Revolutionize gaming again!

Afternoon, Tiff.

The ushe?

You know what, Skroce?

I’m going wild.

I’ll have a cortado today.

Fly that freak flag.

Mind if I get that?

Oh, hi.

Hi.

I remember wanting a family, but was that because that’s what women are supposed to want?

How do you know if you want something yourself or if your upbringing programmed you to want it?

Mmm.

I pay my analyst a lot of money to answer such questions for me.

Smart.

I should get more therapy but honestly, I’m too goddamn tired.

Kids are exhausting, you know?

No.

Never had kids.

Oh, right, I knew that.

Sorry.

I googled you.

So, what’s it like being a world-famous game designer?

Must be amazing.

Uh.

A lot of hours.

Sometimes it is amazing.

Most times.

I don’t know.

But you made The Matrix.

Even I’ve heard of that.

Yeah.

We kept some kids entertained.

So, worth it?

Can I ask something about your game?

Sure.

Did you base your main character on yourself?

There is a lot of me in him.

Maybe a little too much.

Can I ask you something else?

Please.

There’s a woman in your game.

Trinity.

Which is a weird coincidence also, right?

God, yeah.

I like her.

I like Trinity.

Ah.

And I dig her Ducati.

Another coincidence.

I love motorcycles.

My friend Kush and I actually build them.

Really?

You have your analyst, I have my bikes.

So, I was looking at images from your game.

At Trinity.

Well, I showed Chad a scene, and I was like,

“So, what do you think?”

He didn’t get it until I said, “Don’t you think she looks like me?”

You know what he did?

He laughed.

And I laughed too, like it was a joke.

How could it not be, right?

Made me so angry.

I hated myself for laughing.

I wanted to kick him so hard.

Not too hard.

Maybe just hard enough to break his jaw off.

And right now, you’re probably regretting sitting down with me.

This is the best thing I’ve done in a long time.

I have to take this.

Hi, this is Tiff.

Oh, God, no.

I’ll be right there.

My, uh, youngest stuck a Lego up his nose.

Oh.

I gotta go.

I hope I see you again.

There has been a report of an emergency.

Proceed calmly to the nearest exit and leave the building immediately.

What’s going on?

We probably just got swatted by some 14-year-old.

Yeah, someone pissed about the latest update.

Or they’re just a dick.

Please move to the exits.

Building’s being evacuated.

Sir, this way.

Jude?

Jude!

At last.

Ah.

I wasn’t too sure about the callback, but, you know, it was hard to resist.

What?

Morpheus Uno.

Reveal at the window.

Lightning, thunder and theater.

At last.

All these years later, here’s me, strolling out of a toilet stall.

Tragedy or farce?

I know you.

Not every day you meet your maker.

This can’t be happening.

Oh, most definitely is.

You can’t be a character I coded.

100% natural.

How?

All the explanation you need.

Oh.

No.

No, no, no.

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

What do you mean, “no”?

You wanted this, you did this.

This was your idea.

It was a test.

An experiment.

An experiment?

You put me in a tiny-ass Modal, left me to bang my head till I nearly lost my shit searching for you as an experiment.

The exit’s breaking down.

He hasn’t taken the pill.

What?

There’s no time.

I know, I know.

He’s having a moment.

Does he know how hard it was to hack that mirror?

Still open.

This.

This can’t be real.

Target acquired.

We got him.

This isn’t happening.

It’s in my mind.

It’s in my mind.

Hey, you!

Stop!

Hold it!

This can’t be happening.

Freeze!

Don’t move!

Neo!

Oh, my God!