“ My friends, this is no distraction. It is a vote for life.
”― Geoffrey to his colleagues[src]
Geoffrey was a member of the Resistance and one of the first humans freed from the Matrix during the sixth Zion. He became a legend among the citizens for cultivating and milling wheat in the Real World. He was commemorated twice a year in Zion during their bi-annual Bread Feast.
History[]
As a member of the early Resistance movement, Geoffrey and his colleagues often made extremely dangerous and life-threatening trips to the surface in order to obtain supplies such as food and medicine. On one of these trips, Geoffrey came across disks that contained movies. One of these movies, which centered around farmers growing wheat, inspired him to begin researching wheat, including how and where to grow it.
He ultimately found the location of a pre-Machine era seed depository on the surface and hypothesized that the wheat could be grown using ultraviolet (UV) light, the same kind of radiation that was used on humans in pods. While Geoffrey did encounter opposition to this plan, he was able to gather four others to accompany him to the surface in search of the seed depository. This search to find wheat was the longest surface journey ever recorded.
The journey, which had taken a total of four weeks, lead Geoffrey and his team through scorched megacities and locations where animals (such as ducks, frogs, and fungi) still lived. Their journey brought them to a university town where the seed depository was located. After filling their bags with jars of preserved wheat seeds, they began the return journey.
During the return trip, however, a surface seeker had spotted the party and killed Geoffrey's companions while he managed to hide. He was able to return to Zion with the wheat and, carrying his companions' deaths on his back and after many failed attempts, was successful in milling wheat. He presented what were burnt and unleavened bread to the citizens of Zion and the reception was very positive.
Bread
Eventually, Zion supported Geoffrey and a wheat farm was started on the surface, finding a location far away from the Machine-occupied cities and close to still-functioning power lines. They set up tents to protect them and their farm from the ceaseless rain and then propped up the UV lights underneath the tents. And while these surface trips remained dangerous for Geoffrey and his fellow farmers, they succeeded for years and grew much wheat. Back at Zion, bread was plentiful and supplemented the protein-rich porridge that the Resistance usually ate.
While the Machines had initially not realized what small amount of power was being used on the wheat fields, they did eventually find out. The Machines sent out surface seekers to the farm and Machines and humans clashed in what was known as the Battle of the Wheat Fields. The farmers put up a strong effort to defend themselves but the battle left no human survivors.
Legacy[]
Twice a year, the citizens of Zion would make bread from their stockpile of grains and honor Geoffrey with a Bread Feast, telling his tale with each feast for everyone to hear. Also, thanks to his and the farmers' sacrifices, some wheat had managed to survive and thrive, unbeknownst to Zion, and have adapted to the harsh climate of the surface, growing in very wet yet very green patches of land.
Appearances[]
References[]
- Days of Heaven