An old jacket she’d had for who knew how many years rested in Zion’s hands as she listened to Xiro’s attempts at conversation. She would allow herself a smile of remembrance, holding back a shudder at the man who had made their life a literal hell. Anytime plugged into the matrix programs seemed to be like heaven for Xiro and the other members of the sect. Unfortunately, Zion didn’t have that little ticket to freedom, always having the Sergeant over her shoulder, pointing out the obvious, spitting in her face when he yelled. However, compared to the others, he treated her the best though was the hardest on her as far as work went, if that made any sense. Perhaps it was because she was such an easy target, being a woman. Or maybe there was the chance that he saw the diamond in the rough.
Who knew?

Zion watched Xiro as he sat in shock at the lack of rust on their new beds, which she would have added, were quite comfortable.
At his last words, she shook her head and stifled a laugh
“That’s because I’d been doing it five years longer than they had.” she pointed out.

A silence came from out of nowhere and seemed to envelop the room in its mysterious quiet, settling between them. Only Zion had the strength to break it, asking quietly

“Can I tell you something?”

It seemed to have come from the blue, perhaps it was carried in with the moment of lost speech, could it have been that there had been a whisper on the wind of sober silence?

Without looking or even listening for a response from Xiro, she began to speak once more in a secretive manner.
“When I sleep….I see the coding” she traced her thin fingers over the zipper of her jacket, her eyes a million miles away “I…dream in it….not all the time, but often…and I’m….” she looked up, her eyes meeting his, finally dilating back to reality “In the matrix.”

It didn’t really mean much, but for some reason she felt the need to say it, to get it off her chest. It seemed nothing else was going to be coming off lately, so that would have to go, to lighten the load. Somehow, saying such a pointless thing had an odd effect of…helping.
Maybe it was just Xiro, or maybe it was having verbal contact with someone who would try to understand.
Maybe it was just……admitting it.

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