The four most important transcripts from: The Matrix: Reloaded
Councilor Hamen of Zion, on man’s dependency on machines:
[Neo, unable to sleep for the nightmares of Trinity’s death, stands outside his room overlooking Zion. Councilor Hamen approaches:]
Hamen: Care for some company?
Neo: Councilor Hamen…
Hamen: I don’t want to intrude if you prefer to be alone.
Neo: No I could… probably use some company.
Hamen: Good. So could I. It’s nice tonight. Very calm. Feels like everyone is sleeping very peacefully.
Neo: Not everyone.
Hamen: I hate sleeping. I never sleep more than a few hours. I figure I slept the first 11 years of my life, now I’m making up for it. What about you?
Neo: I just haven’t been able to sleep much.
Hamen: It’s a good sign.
Neo: Of what?
Hamen: That you are in fact, still human. Have you ever been to the engineering level? [Neo shakes his head indicating no.] I love to walk there at night… quite amazing. Would you like to see it?
Neo: Sure.
[scene transitions to an overview of the primitive-looking machines that are the mechanical infrastructure of Zion’s civil utilities.]
Hamen: Almost no one comes down here. Unless of course there’s a problem. That’s how it is with people They don’t care how it works as long as it works. I like it down here. I like to be reminded that the city survives because of these machines. These machines are keeping us alive, while other machines are coming to kill us. Interesting isn’t it? [Neo looks at him inquisitively] Power to give, and the power to end it.
Neo: We have the same power.
Hamen: Yeah, I suppose we do, but down here I think about all those people still plugged into the Matrix, and when I look at these machines I… I can’t help thinking that in a way we… are plugged into them.
Neo: But we control these machines, they don’t control us.
Hamen: [patronizing?] Of course not. How could they? The idea is pure nonsense but, it does make one wonder just… what is control?
Neo: If we wanted we could shut these machines down.
Hamen: [laughing, still patronizing?] Of course. That’s it. You’ve hit it. That’s control isn’t it? If we wanted, we could smash them to bits. Although if we did, we’d have to consider what would happen to our lights, our heat, our air.
Neo: So we need machines, and they need us. Is that your point councilor?
Hamen: [still patronizing?] No. No point. Old men like me don’t bother with making points. There’s no point.
Neo: [making light of the situation:] Is that why there are no young men on the council?
Hamen: Good point.
Neo: Why don’t you tell me what’s on your mind councilor?
Hamen: There is so much in this world that I do not understand. [nods toward a machine composed of different terraces of water flowing] See that machine? That has something to do with recycling our water supply. I have absolutely no idea how it works. But I do understand the reason for it to work. I have absolutely no idea how you are able to do some of the things you do. But I believe there’s a reason for that as well. I only hope we understand that reason before it’s too late.
Neo Meets the Oracle again:
Oracle: Well, come on. I ain’t gon’ bite-cha. Come around here and let me have a look atcha. [removes sunglasses] My goodness! Look at you! You turned out alright didn’t-cha. How do you feel?
Neo: I uh….
Oracle: I know you’re not sleeping. We’ll get to that. [pats the bench beside her] Why don’t you come and have a sit this time?
Neo: Maybe I’ll stand.
Oracle: Well, suit-cha-self.
Neo: [Uncomfortably moves to the bench and sits.] I felt like sitting.
Oracle: I know. So… let’s get the obvious stuff out of the way.
Neo: You’re not human are you?
Oracle: It’s tough to get any more obvious than that.
Neo: If I had to guess, I’d say you’re a program from the Machine World. [turning to her body-guard] So is he.
Oracle: So far so good.
Neo: But if that’s true, that could mean you’re a part of the System. Another kind of control.
Oracle: [smiling encouragingly] Keep going.
Neo: I suppose the most obvious question is: How can I trust you?
Oracle: [smiling with admiration] Bingo! [shakes her head as though bewildered] It is a pickle, no doubt about it. Bad news is there’s no way if you can really know if I’m here to help you or not. So it’s really up to you. Just have to make up your own damned mind if you’re going to accept what I’m going to tell you, or reject it.
[offers a red candy in a red wrapper, a candy which we see unwrapped has the exact shape ansd size as the red pill he chose from Morpheus so long ago.] Candy?
Neo: Do you already know if I’m going to take it? (Implying the incident where he took the pill from Morpheus.)
Oracle: Wouldn’t be much of an Oracle if I didn’t.
Neo: But if you already know, how can I make a choice? (Implying that he didn’t really have a choice between the red and blue pills)
Oracle: Because you didn’t come here to make the choice. You’ve already made it. You’re here to understand why you made it. [Neo takes the the red candy she offers.] I thought you’d have figured that out by now.
Neo: Why are you here?
Oracle: Same reason. I love candy. [implies that she too likes the tasty illusion of life in the Matrix, just as 99% of humans do, but choosing red candies, she also likes the knowledge that it is a tasty illusion, and the knowledge of exactly how the illusion works.] [unwraps and pops the red candy into her mouth.]
Neo: But why help us?
Oracle: We’re all here to do what we’re all here to do. I’m interested in one thing Neo: the future. And believe me, I know. The only way to get there is together. (implying the cooperation between human and machine.)
Neo: Are there other programs like you?
Oracle: D’oh, well, not like me, but… look, see those birds? [indicating the flock of crows she’d been feeding before Neo arrived.] At some point a program was written to govern them. A program was written to… watch over the trees, and the winds, sun-rise and sun-set. There are programs runnin’ all over the place. The ones doing their job, doing what they were meant to do, are invisible. You never even know they’re here. But the other ones….well…. [exasperated] we hear about them all the time.
Neo: I’ve never heard of them.
Oracle: Of course you have. Every time you’ve heard someone say they saw a ghost, or an angel. Every story you’ve ever heard about vampires, weir-wolves or aliens it’s the system assimilating some program that’s doin’ somethin’ they’re not supposed to be doin’.
Neo: Programs hacking programs… Why?
Oracle: Hmm they’ve their reasons but, usually a program chooses exile when it faces deletion.
Neo: And why would a program be deleted?
Oracle: Maybe it breaks down. Maybe a better program is created to replace it. Happens all the time. And when it does, a program can either choose to hide here, or return to The Source.
Neo: The machine Main Frame.
Oracle: Yes. Where you must go. Where the path of The One ends. You’ve seen it… in your dreams haven’t you? The door made of light? [Neo nervously nods yes.] [Oracle looking concerned] What happens when you go through the door?
Neo: I see Trinity… and something happens… something bad. She starts to fall, and then I wake up.
Oracle: Do you see her die?
Neo: No.
Oracle: You have “the sight” now Neo. You are looking at the world without time.
Neo: Then why can’t I see what happens to her?
Oracle: We can never see past the choices we don’t understand.
Neo: Are you saying I have to choose whether Trinity lives or dies?
Oracle: [softly and lovingly] No. You’ve already made the choice. Now you have to understand it.
Neo: [shaking his head defiantly] No! I can’t do that. I won’t.
Oracle: [again, lovingly] Well you have to.
Neo: Why?
Oracle: Because you’re The One.
Neo: What if I can’t? What happens if I fail?
Oracle: Then Zion will fall. [Oracle’s body-guard places his hand on her shoulder, indicating time to leave.] Our time is up. Listen to me Neo. You can save Zion if you reach the source, but to do that you will need “the Keymaker.”
Neo: The Keymaker?
Oracle: Yes, he disappeared some time ago. We did not know what happened to him until now. He is being held prisoner by a very dangerous program, one of the oldest of us. He’s called the Merilvincian, and he will not let him go willingly.
Neo: What does he want?
Oracle: What do all men with power want? More power. [hands Neo a paper] Be there, at that exact time [pointing at the paper], and you will have a chance.
Body Guard: We must go.
Oracle: Seems like every time we meet, I got nuthin’ but bad news. I’m sorry about that, I surely am. But for what it’s worth, you’ve made a believer out of me. [reaches for his hand and pats his chest] Good luck kiddo. [leaves]