When The Matrix Online goes live next month, Monolith's persistent state project will give us the opportunity to jack into the newest segment of the Wachowski brothers' intriguing property. Upon its debut in 1999, the first movie in their trilogy captured the imagination of millions with its combination of explosive action and a unique setting, a complex computer simulation created by a nefarious artificial intelligence to occupy people's minds in a false reality while their bodies served as a source of energy. Concentrated in the city of Zion, those humans who understood what was happening fought back. At the end of the third chapter, a fragile state of truce existed, with neither side truly at ease. In this kind of unsettled environment, there are many ways for those who know what's real to help determine how the future will unfold.