Audrey stepped off the tram and onto the station platform. Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm her racing heart. It had been like this since Smith had so uncouthly laid his offer on the table at lunch. The moment had taken her completely by surprise and Audrey was still trying to wrap her head around the whole thing. Securing her purse strap against her shoulder, she made her way towards her apartment, opting not to put on her headphones so she could try and clear her thoughts. What had compelled him to say such a thing, she wondered? There was an obvious human explanation, of course, and it was that persistent idea that was making her heart beat so. But Audrey knew that couldn't be it. There was no way she was that lucky. For the last six months, Audrey had been doing her best to simultaneously accept and stifle her crush on Agent Smith. The simple truth was that she liked him, and even thought about him romantically. His strength and bravery was one thing; Smith was a program

Blurb Despite his better judgement, Agent Smith has come to accept, and even enjoy his friendship with Audrey Clark. Through their regular meetings, he's learned a lot about human behavior. Though he can't explain why, he wants Audrey to be happy. If having a child will make her so, shouldn't she get what she wants? Chapter One It was a beautiful September day in the city. After an almost full week of rain, the Matrix's weather algorithm was finally giving the people a break, and it seemed almost everyone was taking the opportunity to be outside and enjoy it. One of these people was Audrey Clark. Unlike the stone-faced program who walked beside her, Audrey had a spring in her step and a smile on her face. She knew that everything she was experiencing was an illusion, but that didn't stop her from taking pleasure from it. She loved the way the sunlight played through the leaves, she loved the smell from the farmers' market produce and the crisp breeze that carried hints of the

Madelyn Wainwright was a blossoming debutante. A fine, soft-spoken lady of society, she was treated to many luxuries by her affluent parents in a time otherwise plagued by war. Unlike her mother and father, however, her nannies and tutors did not think it right to keep young Madelyn in the dark about what was going on and took it on themselves to educate her with stories of space travel, exploration, adventure, and war. This instilled in her a sense of wonder and curiosity that would motivate her throughout her life. Driven to explore and understand the universe, Madelyn convinced her parents to let her study Astrocartography. It was a respectable profession, and they encouraged their daughter’s intelligence. Madelyn attended a prestigious university on her Homeworld and made quick work of earning both her BS and her master’s on the subject. Just before graduation, Madelyn met First Mate Cline. He was handsome and ambitious. He was a space traveler and had survived several battles.