The reality that forms the lives of millions of human beings is not real. The world that seems real to most people is in fact a computer-generated simulation, but almost no one knows it. In reality human beings are floating in liquid in machine pods, with tubes connected to them in a grotesque post-apocalyptic world where the sun is blotted out. To the average person, of course, it seems to be the ordinary world of 2006. Although some details of the history remain untold. There was a battle between human beings and machines whose cognitive capacity had surpassed their own.

In a desperate attempt to win, human beings blocked out the sun's light in order to deprive the machines of their power source. Despite this extreme tactic, the humans lost, were enslaved, and are now farmed to supply energy sources for the machines. The machines induce the appearance of ordinary 2006 life in the human beings with a computer generated "virtual community" for the purpose of keeping them docile and asleep so that they and their offspring can be used like living batteries.

While humans seem to walk around in an ordinary life, their minds are radically deceived and their bodies are exploited. The heroes are thus thrown into fighting a noble battle for the liberation of the human species, and defending the real world from being destroyed by 'Agents'.

Sitting down on a stool in a small sushi restaurant in the East Side of New York City, a japanese man brought a plate of sushi wraps to the main counter and set it infront of a man in black. "Thanks.." Nano said as the man nodded and walked away, tossing the chopsticks aside and grabbing a fork from the small utensil canister nearby. He impaled a wrap with the fork and shoved it in his mouth, chewing for abit then choking it down. "Sometimes I wish all of this wasn't here.." He said. 'I get what you mean man, but some people call this their home,' a voice said in his head before he took another bite.

'Your contacts will be along soon, you'll have to wait.' Nano just swallowed what he had eaten and takes a swig from an 8 oz. bottle of Coke he had bought earlier. "They better be good enough.." He set down the bottle and took another bite, stabbing the fork into a piece of sushi on his plate. His sunglasses were lying on his nose, revealing his eyes, but he was still highly recognizeable by his crew.

Blaze walked into the sushi bar and saw his captain sitting with a plate infront of him, He stepped over to him and sat on the stool next to him. "Care to explain why we're here?" He asked waving his hand at the waiter to get what Nano was having.

He shoves another piece of sushi in his mouth and pushed the empty plate away from him, chewing, swallowing, and turning to Blaze. "We got word that a red pill (person just about to be unplugged) is being hassled by the authorities," he said, taking another swig of his coke. "We need to get him to safety, so it's more or less a rescue mission."

"Rescue?" Switch asked quietly, taking a seat across the table from Nano. She was one of the few freed people who didn't wear sunglasses while inside the matrix. Her brown eyes sparkled cheerfully from beneath the baseball cap she wore. "Sounds like fun, no?"

While growing up inside the matrix, she'd learned to speak Spanish fluently and occasionally the words still slipped out of her mouth. "I came up with a temporary new look," she went on, tugging the cap from her head. Shoulder length blonde hair cascaded out of the hat as the matrix code portraying Switch's hair was altered slightly.

"Nice, no?" she grinned. "If no, don't worry. I'll never be a permanent blonde."

David stood outside the sushi bar, he had no plans of going in. It was to stuffy for him and David perfered the fresh air, well what his mind was telling him was fresh air. David was happy, he usually was inside the matrix and would love to become a perinment fixture into the matrix but he wasn't going to turn his back on his companions.

David then noticed a familar blond walk through. He thought nothing of her until he released it was Switch. He quickly rushed in after her. He stood for a short while, looking for where she went. He quickly sound her sitting at a table with the captain, Blaze and another man. He walked over to the table and took a seat next to Switch. "Hey guys."

"So do we know Where this potential is, Cos i ain't exactly up for breaking into an agent controlled facility." He said as the waiter brought over his food. "Besides if i die who will fly the ship?"

"I'd volunteer for the job," Switch teased, "but somebody refuses to train me." She grinned at Blaze and offered him a teasing wink.

"Well i don't train people so i won't be sent on some suicide mission." He laughed before taking out the chop-sticks and using them to eat the Sushi. "Say what you like about the matrix, It's sushi still tastes good."

"The truth is, it's actually in a military training facility.. and this isn't an optional mission, you three." He polished off his coke and tossed it in a trash can. He turned to Switch. "Seeing as you have the most experience, besides me, in the Matrix.. you'll head in first with me. If we get caught, they'll be our backup."

Blaze, you'll be going in with Solidus as Switch's backup. As for me, i'll be going in unarmed. I like the odds stacked against me, so i'm going in with Switch, who will also go unarmed. If we get in trouble.. as I said before, you two come in guns blazing. Spyke will provide intel and combat information as we progress."

"Gotta have more details than that," Switch said with a frown. "How many guards? What's the layout of the place?" She shrugged. "I don't mind a challenge... so long as I know what we're getting into."

"Spyke will provide you with intel as we progress. 9th street and Hill, near the old Church," he said, standing. 'I'll be your eyes and ears team, so lets do this right.. we don't want a repeat of the sewer facility.. that was gross and a little bit disturbing, to say the least,' Spyke said over the frequency of all four of their earpieces.

"You're telling me, I never knew how much sewage could be produced in an artificial reality." Blaze Joked as he stood up.

"So says the one who sits outside the matrix," Switch joked to Spyke. Then, she frowned. "I don't mind the short notice for what we're doing... really. I just prefer a little more info up front... but whatever."

She stood and turned to Nano, giving him a theatrical bow. "On your lead, Cap'n."

"Alright.. who's driving?" Nano said, walking around the corner and clicking a small button on the keys to a black Oldsmobile Cutless. "It's a beater, yes, but it's so we won't draw attention."

"I'll drive." Blaze said as he walked to the drivers side door. "I'd rather not die on the way there." Blaze held his hand out to catch the keys.

Nano nodded and headed to the passenger side door, opening it and stepping in, waiting for the others to gather into the car.