IT'S NOT QUITE TEN A.M ‘AND LENA, ROLLINS AND I ‘ARE ALREADY BAKING ON THE BEACH BUT DON'T LET THE SUN AND saNb Fooul YOU. THE THREE OF US ARE ACTUALLY WE'RE IN THIS LITTLE DI6t CARRIBEAN CORNER OF THE ihATRIX TO SCOUT FOR "POTENTIALS" DEFINED AS PEOPLE WHO POSSESS SPECIFIC QUALITIES OF ENLIGHTENMENT, ‘AWARENESS AND/OR THE ABILITY TO BEND: ‘ASPECTS OF THE MATRIX TO THETR WILL. IN SHORT, THEY HAVE WITHIN THEN NASCENT POWER TO SEE THROUGH AND ALTER THE DIGITAL SKRIM THAT SUFFOCATES ‘OUR COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS LIKE 50 MUCH TROPICAL HUMIDITY. THE WORD CAME DOWN FROM THE ORACLE HERSELF. DIRECTLY TO ME WHICH DROVE MY CREWM.ATES NUTS, WHY ¥OU?", THEY ASKED- - MAYBE THEIR SKEPTICISM HAS MORE TO DO WITH ENVY THAN WITH ACTUAL KNOW IT's ONLY CObE, BUT IT's STILL SOMETHING TLL NEVER GET TO SHARE WITH MY LITTie sins.LENA LOOKS AT ME FUNNY, SO I DECIDE TO FORGET TO EVEN TRY AND EXPLAIN WHAT I MEAN, SHE GOESN'T HAVE KIDS, AND BESIDES, I'D RATHER TRY TO GET INTO THE ILLUSION OF THIS PLACE--- IF ONLY EVEN FOR A LITTLE WHILE. ‘DON'T 60 OUT TOO FAR, MAGS. ~=IN CASE THE ORACLE IS, RIGHT, ORIN CASE WE HAVE TO erate. “THE WATER FEELS 50 6000. ON MY ‘SKIN, T'M SWIMMING IN A WON, ‘ELAUGH AT THE IRONY OF IT, THINCING OF THE COUNTLESS. HUMAN LIVES SPENT INLIQUID "IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE THAY THIS ‘BEAUTIFUL WORLD TS NOTHING ‘BUT LINES OF cOOE, WHICH WAS THE WHOLE POMNT OF| ‘THIS SHELL NECKLACE.ay PN aus =-ARE YOU Por ene ine you KNOW HOW TO BO THIS, ‘ASHLEY? DON'T THINK THE WHOLE SHIP VERRD YOU NAGEING WME ABOUT Ou MOMEATS BIRTHDAY, AS IF ID | FORGET ABOUT IT IF SHE DIDN'T IEP REMINDING ME EVERY THIRTY SECONDS WE WANNA. BO THIS ON HER ACTUAL, FOR REAL, BIRTHOAY, vou KNOW?T WONDER WHAT THE GIRLS ARE BOING RIGHT NOW? a TM THEIR MOTHER, FOR GOD'S SAKE. Z'M SUPPOSED TO BE TEACHING THEM HOw TO Be BETTER |] Peon - sTRoNe WOMEN--SOLDIERS TIN THE WAR, AGAINST THE ‘WACHINES- AGAINST THE FATE 7 : ira ar Tm STUCK ene? ar tcl ag sa aN ee Freee ne GIRLS? HOW CANT HELP PREPARE THEM POR THER How can 2 TEACH My . r ee cece eae) ives? a.BEFORE THE SENTINELS HOME IN ON THE SIGNAL Hey FOUND us--THEY LockeD ON TIGHT WHo THE HELL WOULD TRACK US, KNOWING TT would MAKE US AN EASY TARGET? ~AGENTS? CAN'T BE AGENTS ==THEY. HAVE NO CLES 4 ‘copes _, MISTAKE? JUST CODE, Bur stm BEAUTIFULTHE CRAB Is BEING CONSUMED ~- EATEN INA EVCLE OF LIFE, LWATCH A WRITHING MASS OF INC AND ARS TUMBLE THROUGH THE BLUE AS THE ocrorus ENCIRCLES THE CRAB, THE POUNDIN| IN AY EARS SOUNDS LIKE ‘THAT POOR CRAB,THEY'RE BREA CAINE! THE FIREWALL. FALL BACK!THE SENTINELS ARE BREAKING THROUGH EVERY BULKHEAD, EVERY BLOCKADE WE'RE SETTING UP-- SORATEH THAT: TRYING TO SET UP- ON THEIR WAY TO THE MAIN DECK. ONLY PARR AND I STAND BETWEEN. ‘THE SENTINELS AND THE DEATH OF ‘AND THEN PARR'S: HEAD EXPLODES, THE SENTINELS E MAKE A RUN FOR THE E71 ‘AND THE NEAREST SENTINEL GRABS MY ARM=-NEARLY RIPPING IT OUT T AUMOST BLACK OUT FROM THE PAIN. INCHES FROM THE EMP BUTTON. Z STRAIN TO REACH XT TT CANT END LIKE THIS, INCHES AWAY.TaD eu PUL ag riteTE HET THE SURFACE GASPING,MY HEART JUMPS IN MY THROAT LISA HERE?! WHERE THE HELL ARE LENA AND ROLLINS. 1 TRY TO MAKE SENSE AND STAY CALM HONEY Lisa HONEY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? ASHLEY'S ON THE SHIP WITH THE ‘OTHER raps, We WANTED TO. ‘SURPRISE YOU FOR YOUR. BIRTHDAY, $0 WE Hacked THE MATRIX 10 TRACE YOU '50 NOW IT MAKES SENSE: MY TALENTED, ADORABLE BRILLIANT LITTLE elas WANTED TO SURPRISE ME ON My BIRTHD-— ‘SUDDENLY T' Too WORREFTED By WHAT T see OUT OF THE ‘CORNER OF MY EE, To BE IMPRESSED 8Y MY SWEET ume POTENTIALS! PRECOSITY.I CAN'T THINK STRAIGHT, T'M LIKE A Ca TRYING TO GO FORWARD AND REVERSE SIMULTANEOUSLY, T WANT TO SCREAM BUT ALL CAN MANAGE IS A SICKLY case, MERE Was THE MOST WONDERFUL FEELING IN THE WORLD, INOW E CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING MORE HORRIBLE ‘SHE's GOING TO WATCH ME DIE,T'VE TRIED TO RAISE MY GIRLS TO RESPECT REALITY. TO CHOOSE IT OVER THE MATRIX REGARDLESS OF HOW INCREDIBLY PAINFUL REALITY MAY BE AT TIMES, BECAUSE REALITY MAY ALSO BE WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL SURPRISE COME" ERE. Give ME A HUG. HOLD MER AND SQUEEZE HER NeceLAce % WATCH NB TEU. Hem 7 LOVE HER ven ace wee UP 25 z EPUT ST AROUND HER MMMM x DON'T KNOW How To TeLL IM TRw!StOnt Neer ek THAT SHE AND Hem enouer susrees riace cooneo our fl Seavert SHIP AND CHEW. TO THEIR ‘EVERLASTING HORROR MM --so1 DON'T MENTION IT. LISTEN TO Neoitace 13 4 Suet Love you SHE SHAKES HER HEAD het Love Ou aN YOUR stare. es aut ren eres sa? HUN AND LOOE A eur nace re sue Wl MELIKE Ti SreAKzNe WY LOVE FOR YOU AND GUN sigtck to'veay || ruease - Just A rew eae vovos J MORE SecoNs INBERSTAND > ena. T.MEED TO HEAR HER ‘sa TT