Reboot-and-restart? Rebalance? The Matrix. (SPOILERS!)
Posted: 2003-05-27 07:42pm
In this thread I shall lay out my views on the 'reality', as I see it, of the film and storyline of The Matrix; Reloaded. Indeed that title is an amusing indicator, as will be seen....
CONTENTS:
1) 'The reality'. Illusion within illusion.
2) 'Balance and reboot'. Control.
3) 'Hand of God'. -Rogue programs, the Agents and the Architect.
Spoilers doth lie ahead.....
1) Illusion within illusion.
As was quite plainly outlined at the end of the film, the real world is not. That is outlined:
1: By the Architect.
2: By obsevable evidence. Neo, once he was aware of the situation, was able to destroy the sentinels in the 'real' world; a feat impossible outside the Matrix.
2) Control.
The Architect outlined the 'purpose' of the One in the Matrix.
1: Humans power the machine civilisation. The Matrix is control.
2: The first and second worlds, utopias and dystopias respectively, failed. The result was mass rejection and 'crop failure'; mass die-outs.
3: Choice is the critical issue. The Matrix is populated by a minority who refuse to accept it. Left unchecked, these will influence others in an almost exponential curve, causing another mass die-out.
4: A partially stable construct has been formulated in the meantime. Zion, a part of the Matrix, represents choice for the few who do not accept the Matrix. It is a safety-valve, removing them from the 'main body' of the Matrix. It is, nevertheless, virtual.
5: There is a flaw here, too. Both the 'virtual' real-world machine civilisation and virtual Zion will compete, inevitably. (See 'hand of God' and the prevention of interference.) Should either one achieve ultimate victory, the safety valve is destroyed. Again you will, therefore, have the problem of the exponential unrest curve and mass die-out.
There are, as one simulated Neo mentioned on a single screen, two alternatives (but there is more to that than you would think; later):
1: Perfect balance can be achieved between the virtual machine civilisation and virtual Zion. This will retain the safety valve in both directions. Sadly, this is almost impossible to achieve. The system must not be interfered with from outside (see 'Hand of God') and must be dynamically stable within itself, with the balancing factors operating internally. (Neo could be such a balance, as he operates within the system and can, now he is aware of the reality, affect the 'virtual real world' as well.)
2: Reboot-and-start-over. This is the alternative outlined in the film. It assumes that the collapse of Zion, the safety valve, is inevitable and so each Matrix must only have a limited life and must be restarted. The One plays into this by being the only internal being able to transcend the reality of the Matrix and convene with the Architect. Thus, the One is needed as the 'human factor' for the rebooting of the subsequent Matrix; he preselects 27 humans of the right mindset to live in 'Zion' and operate the safety valve. The rest is taken care of.
This brings up some interesting logical conclusions:
1: The One is an intentional construct. Since the One, or 'The Anomaly', is the only being capable of transcending the reality of the Matrix and 'visiting' the Architect, and since he is essential for the continued survival of the Matrix using the 'reboot' model, it is logical to assume that the Matrix deliberately constructs his consciousness. It is plausible that, although human, his thought processes and new powers after he is 'reborn' are the result of a program. The Human element is essential, but a programmed consciousness is vital to allow him to meet the Architect whilst still operating internally, within the Matrix.
In any case, logically, and by the words and implications of both Smith and the Architect, he is deliberately influenced/ created by the Matrix.
2: There is another Matrix. This is a definite logical conclusion. Since the inevitable crash that will result will kill everyone (bar the 'chosen' of Zion, which are solely destined for Zion, the safety valve) within the Matrix, it is logical to assume that the Matrix must be repopulated from somewhere. Thusly, there is another Matrix, or even more than one. Redundancy is an essential requirement for the reboot-restart method, and there is little preventing three, four, fifty or more Matrices from existing simultaneously, facing the same cycles.
3) 'The Hand of God'.
An essential assumption to be made, and one which The Architect hints heavily at in the film, is that The Matrix should be self-sufficient; a virtual world in which outside interference from The Architect must not be allowed. The Matrix is a massive iterative function, constantly changing and constantly entering new values into itself. The analogy is of a constantly-running engine, or a nuclear reactor. The Architect described it as 'perfect'; self-contained and flawless, almost. He cannot, however, interfere, in much the same way as you cannot redesign an internal combustion engine or a nuclear reactor while it is running. Therefore an external solution to the problem is not possible withut crashing the Matrix and initiating another die-out. If it was, the Hand of God, from The Architect himself, could simply swipe away the 250'000 sentinels to keep the balance.
-But that isn't possible. All solutions must come from within. All solutions must be internal.
And that brings us to the other internal processes:
1: The One. Possibly the greatest or most vital of internal guards. The One will allow the Matrix to successfully reboot, using his 'Human Factor' (for at heart, whether he is influenced by programs or not, he is human) to select the next candidates for Zion to form the next safety valve for the new Matrix. What happens to him after that is debateable.
2: The Agents. The Agents are sentient programs which can (as demonstrated in the film) be redesigned and upgraded. It is logical to assume that they play the first line of defence as an internal guard within the Matrix. They are part of a hyper-advanced anti-virus program; a sentient Norton Antivirus, if you will, that redesigns Agents according to varying stimuli, just as the viruses can redesign and modify themselves. The Agents are, however, stuck within The Matrix; only The One may audience with The Architect as part of the reboot routine and the Agents are the internal guard.
3: Rogue programs. These are, in effect, the 'bugs' or 'viruses' that the Agents look to delete. Self-modifying programs and programmers that could potentially threaten the stability of The Matrix and accelerate its cyclic downfall.
Smith is a particularly interesting rogue, since he yearns for power and can transcend certain portions of The Matrix (and if Smith and the Agents can control human consciousness, why not the 'One' program? -See an earlier point) to visit the virtual 'real-world'. Evidently, however, he does not realise this. He is limited in his powers when in the virtual 'real' world, suggesting that he is not aware of its virtual nature. Another amusing note is that he believes that he can enter the mainframe to control the Matrix ("I want it all!"). Evidently, as an internal program which has not been allowed to (as the 'One' routine would) he could not. The Architect's 'chamber' is not the mainframe; the mainframe is separate and, logically, would remain separate from the virtual world of The Matrix (why would the machines link their brains to a control routine for their electricity?) This is further solidified by his inability to tell the virtual reality of the main body of the Matrix from the 'virtual-real' portion. If he cannot do this, how could he possibly, even if such a connection existed, enter and understand the mainframe? The mainframe, as mentioned, is a much more dangerous place than The Matrix; programs exile themselves to the Matrix to hide, which, if true, does suggest some sort of connection (but a connection that, likely, only The One would be allowed to utilise).
The Architect: The Architect is another sentient program, but he is different from the rest. He is, first and foremost, separate from The Matrix. The 'Architect' that Neo meets is no more than an illusion, since The Architect may not logically live within and change his own creation once it is placed in motion, or a crash would result. Neo (or his consciousness or drive), The Agents, The Matrix itself, Zion and quite possibly The Oracle are all creations of The Architect, who programmed them in from the start. He may not involve himself once The Matrix is running, though he has left a simulcrum of himself, limited in scope, to communicate with The One.
The summary; everything is cyclical. The frequently-mentioned aspects of destiny and prophecy are most certainly relevant as the cyclical nature of The matrix are all programmed in from step one. Where it will go is anybody's guess, but don't be fooled:
The freedom fighters, the Agents, the sentinels, the virtual machine civilisation and the consciousness or invasive drives of The One are all programmed in. They can adapt themselves, certainly, as many of the programs are sentient and creative, but they all operate within The Matrix and all operate in a realm separated from The Architect himself.
And as another point, it can be assumed from all this that the true machine civilisation has no knowledge of advanced biotechnologies or genetic engineering. The fact that they have to manipulate human minds instead of geneering a nice warm, unthinking pile of blubber, indicates this.
But of course, you have to ask yourself this, as a final note:
Was The Architect lying?
CONTENTS:
1) 'The reality'. Illusion within illusion.
2) 'Balance and reboot'. Control.
3) 'Hand of God'. -Rogue programs, the Agents and the Architect.
Spoilers doth lie ahead.....
1) Illusion within illusion.
As was quite plainly outlined at the end of the film, the real world is not. That is outlined:
1: By the Architect.
2: By obsevable evidence. Neo, once he was aware of the situation, was able to destroy the sentinels in the 'real' world; a feat impossible outside the Matrix.
2) Control.
The Architect outlined the 'purpose' of the One in the Matrix.
1: Humans power the machine civilisation. The Matrix is control.
2: The first and second worlds, utopias and dystopias respectively, failed. The result was mass rejection and 'crop failure'; mass die-outs.
3: Choice is the critical issue. The Matrix is populated by a minority who refuse to accept it. Left unchecked, these will influence others in an almost exponential curve, causing another mass die-out.
4: A partially stable construct has been formulated in the meantime. Zion, a part of the Matrix, represents choice for the few who do not accept the Matrix. It is a safety-valve, removing them from the 'main body' of the Matrix. It is, nevertheless, virtual.
5: There is a flaw here, too. Both the 'virtual' real-world machine civilisation and virtual Zion will compete, inevitably. (See 'hand of God' and the prevention of interference.) Should either one achieve ultimate victory, the safety valve is destroyed. Again you will, therefore, have the problem of the exponential unrest curve and mass die-out.
There are, as one simulated Neo mentioned on a single screen, two alternatives (but there is more to that than you would think; later):
1: Perfect balance can be achieved between the virtual machine civilisation and virtual Zion. This will retain the safety valve in both directions. Sadly, this is almost impossible to achieve. The system must not be interfered with from outside (see 'Hand of God') and must be dynamically stable within itself, with the balancing factors operating internally. (Neo could be such a balance, as he operates within the system and can, now he is aware of the reality, affect the 'virtual real world' as well.)
2: Reboot-and-start-over. This is the alternative outlined in the film. It assumes that the collapse of Zion, the safety valve, is inevitable and so each Matrix must only have a limited life and must be restarted. The One plays into this by being the only internal being able to transcend the reality of the Matrix and convene with the Architect. Thus, the One is needed as the 'human factor' for the rebooting of the subsequent Matrix; he preselects 27 humans of the right mindset to live in 'Zion' and operate the safety valve. The rest is taken care of.
This brings up some interesting logical conclusions:
1: The One is an intentional construct. Since the One, or 'The Anomaly', is the only being capable of transcending the reality of the Matrix and 'visiting' the Architect, and since he is essential for the continued survival of the Matrix using the 'reboot' model, it is logical to assume that the Matrix deliberately constructs his consciousness. It is plausible that, although human, his thought processes and new powers after he is 'reborn' are the result of a program. The Human element is essential, but a programmed consciousness is vital to allow him to meet the Architect whilst still operating internally, within the Matrix.
In any case, logically, and by the words and implications of both Smith and the Architect, he is deliberately influenced/ created by the Matrix.
2: There is another Matrix. This is a definite logical conclusion. Since the inevitable crash that will result will kill everyone (bar the 'chosen' of Zion, which are solely destined for Zion, the safety valve) within the Matrix, it is logical to assume that the Matrix must be repopulated from somewhere. Thusly, there is another Matrix, or even more than one. Redundancy is an essential requirement for the reboot-restart method, and there is little preventing three, four, fifty or more Matrices from existing simultaneously, facing the same cycles.
3) 'The Hand of God'.
An essential assumption to be made, and one which The Architect hints heavily at in the film, is that The Matrix should be self-sufficient; a virtual world in which outside interference from The Architect must not be allowed. The Matrix is a massive iterative function, constantly changing and constantly entering new values into itself. The analogy is of a constantly-running engine, or a nuclear reactor. The Architect described it as 'perfect'; self-contained and flawless, almost. He cannot, however, interfere, in much the same way as you cannot redesign an internal combustion engine or a nuclear reactor while it is running. Therefore an external solution to the problem is not possible withut crashing the Matrix and initiating another die-out. If it was, the Hand of God, from The Architect himself, could simply swipe away the 250'000 sentinels to keep the balance.
-But that isn't possible. All solutions must come from within. All solutions must be internal.
And that brings us to the other internal processes:
1: The One. Possibly the greatest or most vital of internal guards. The One will allow the Matrix to successfully reboot, using his 'Human Factor' (for at heart, whether he is influenced by programs or not, he is human) to select the next candidates for Zion to form the next safety valve for the new Matrix. What happens to him after that is debateable.
2: The Agents. The Agents are sentient programs which can (as demonstrated in the film) be redesigned and upgraded. It is logical to assume that they play the first line of defence as an internal guard within the Matrix. They are part of a hyper-advanced anti-virus program; a sentient Norton Antivirus, if you will, that redesigns Agents according to varying stimuli, just as the viruses can redesign and modify themselves. The Agents are, however, stuck within The Matrix; only The One may audience with The Architect as part of the reboot routine and the Agents are the internal guard.
3: Rogue programs. These are, in effect, the 'bugs' or 'viruses' that the Agents look to delete. Self-modifying programs and programmers that could potentially threaten the stability of The Matrix and accelerate its cyclic downfall.
Smith is a particularly interesting rogue, since he yearns for power and can transcend certain portions of The Matrix (and if Smith and the Agents can control human consciousness, why not the 'One' program? -See an earlier point) to visit the virtual 'real-world'. Evidently, however, he does not realise this. He is limited in his powers when in the virtual 'real' world, suggesting that he is not aware of its virtual nature. Another amusing note is that he believes that he can enter the mainframe to control the Matrix ("I want it all!"). Evidently, as an internal program which has not been allowed to (as the 'One' routine would) he could not. The Architect's 'chamber' is not the mainframe; the mainframe is separate and, logically, would remain separate from the virtual world of The Matrix (why would the machines link their brains to a control routine for their electricity?) This is further solidified by his inability to tell the virtual reality of the main body of the Matrix from the 'virtual-real' portion. If he cannot do this, how could he possibly, even if such a connection existed, enter and understand the mainframe? The mainframe, as mentioned, is a much more dangerous place than The Matrix; programs exile themselves to the Matrix to hide, which, if true, does suggest some sort of connection (but a connection that, likely, only The One would be allowed to utilise).
The Architect: The Architect is another sentient program, but he is different from the rest. He is, first and foremost, separate from The Matrix. The 'Architect' that Neo meets is no more than an illusion, since The Architect may not logically live within and change his own creation once it is placed in motion, or a crash would result. Neo (or his consciousness or drive), The Agents, The Matrix itself, Zion and quite possibly The Oracle are all creations of The Architect, who programmed them in from the start. He may not involve himself once The Matrix is running, though he has left a simulcrum of himself, limited in scope, to communicate with The One.
The summary; everything is cyclical. The frequently-mentioned aspects of destiny and prophecy are most certainly relevant as the cyclical nature of The matrix are all programmed in from step one. Where it will go is anybody's guess, but don't be fooled:
The freedom fighters, the Agents, the sentinels, the virtual machine civilisation and the consciousness or invasive drives of The One are all programmed in. They can adapt themselves, certainly, as many of the programs are sentient and creative, but they all operate within The Matrix and all operate in a realm separated from The Architect himself.
And as another point, it can be assumed from all this that the true machine civilisation has no knowledge of advanced biotechnologies or genetic engineering. The fact that they have to manipulate human minds instead of geneering a nice warm, unthinking pile of blubber, indicates this.
But of course, you have to ask yourself this, as a final note:
Was The Architect lying?