Operator (The Matrix)

This article is about the 'hovercraft' ships shown in the fictional universe of the Matrix series of science fiction films, comic books and video games. The Animatrix short film "The Second Renaissance" depicts the war between men and machines which led to the creation of a computer-generated world known as the Matrix. Humans are shown using technology enabling personal vehicles, like a flying car called Versatran, and flying warships to hover above surfaces. The "hovercraft" used by the human resistance, years after the end of the war, seem to use similar technology for propulsion.

Hovercraft are designed to patrol the sewers and tunnels left over from the megacities that existed before the Man–Machine war. Their crews attempt to enter the Matrix in order to locate and free the minds of humans who are ready to understand the truth of the artificial reality. A ship's Operator remains as guide, and prepares crews with navigation data and by hacking equipment and information in the form of programs sent directly to them.

Every hovercraft is equipped with a transceiver, used primarily to broadcast a pirate carrier signal into the wireless network that forms the Matrix. This transceiver is also used to communicate with Zion Control, the security staff monitoring access into the city docks. Typically, hovercraft do not attempt to contact Zion or other hovercraft while on patrol as this could give away their position to Sentinels, killing machines that regularly hunt for ships.

Each hovercraft is also equipped with an EMP device which disables any electrical devices in the blast radius. Since this includes the equipment of the hovercraft itself, in order for the EMP to be used the craft must land and its crew cannot be connected to the Matrix. EMP activation switches are placed on the Operator console. All ships are equipped to varying degrees with ballistic gun turrets (reminiscent of World War II-era bombers, like the B-29) for close-in point defense against Sentinels, for when the EMP-weapon is unavailable or its use undesirable. The turrets are controlled by proxy at turret control stations throughout the ships, either with control sticks or by computer interface (touchscreen). They also have multiple panels on the outside, which give off an electric shock to any machines in close proximity, such as sentinels on the hull of the ship.

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