An explosion goes off as Pete and Charlie are in the middle of an argument. The bottom panel then shows Charlie (left) and Pete (right) being alerted to the explosion
An Asset to the System was a webcomic that was written and illustrated by Troy Nixey with letters by Richard Starkings and Comicraft's Jimmy Betancourt for Series 2 and was later included in The Matrix Comics Volume 2 and in The Matrix Comics: 20th Anniversary Edition.
Story[]
Peter “Pete” Williford was a security guard for Grau Industries. He had longed to become a police officer since he was a child, a dream owed to the police saving his family from a home invasion; a crime that resulted in the death of his father when he was only five years old.
One evening at work, Pete brought with him the academy application papers he was struggling to fill out. The forms were then noticed by his fellow security guard Charlie, a former cop of 28 years, who annoyingly expressed disapproval at Pete's repeated application attempts. Charlie tried to advise Pete not to waste his life away on trying to "serve and protect", rebuking how his life wasn't worth the sacrifice, and then further remarking that security work was where police men were supposed to end up; not where they start.
Failing to pay any attention at all to the security feeds during their discussion however, the two security guards were then caught off-guard by a sudden explosion near the building entrance as an unknown Redpill breaks into Grau Industries using an incendiary bomb. The two security guards, whose security stations were only a short distance away, then observed the mysterious Redpill emerge from the flames before he leapt several meters up into the air, traveling past the two security guards, and landing well inside the building and running off.
Confused by the incredible display they just saw, Pete immediately turns to ask Charlie his opinion, only to witness his partner getting possessed by an Agent. The Agent, materializing almost instantaneously, then ignores Pete and immediately sprints off after the first intruder.
Charlie was unable to move for a while, trying to convince himself that he and Charlie must have been drugged or trying to think of some similar explanation. Eventually though, Pete decided to grab the shotgun locked under his desk and, after equipping his side-arm, gave careful chase after which he then caught up to the two intruders, now too engaged in a gun fight to notice him.
He pointed his side-arm at the Redpill and ordered him to stop, carefully positioning himself in between the two men, and then pointing the shotgun held by his other arm at the Agent. The Agent attempted to assert authority over Pete, stating his jurisdiction and asking Pete to stand aside as he kills the Redpill. But unconvinced, and wanting to take control of the situation, Pete instead chose to order both men to put down their weapons.
Part of Pete's police academy entrance exam essay can be read while his body is disconnected from the system.
Ultimately, both men were not happy with Pete's interference. Still staring at each other, they simply chose to ignore Pete, who suddenly and painfully realized what was about to happen as both men raised back their firearms.
Ending[]
Back in the Real World, a Docbot could be seen overseeing Pete's disconnection from his pod. His limp body, after being severed from the plugs and cables of the power plant, was then flushed into the liquefaction facilities.