»23 individuals - 16 female, 7 male«

"After which, you will be required to select from the Matrix 23 individuals - 16 female, 7 male - to rebuild Zion"

How could Neo "select" these individuals? Isn't select another word for choose? How can you choose if choice is an illusion. Included in these 23 individuals do you get another Morpheus, Trinity, etc, or do they come later when the Zionites "choose" to free them?
And another thing, why the numbers? 7 males for the seventh matrix, or just 7 males because 7 is the "perfect" number. These numbers could also explain why many in ZION are darker skinned. With these numbers, you could easily mix races and get a blended skin color.
just thinking.

mbrook13 wrote:

Isn't select another word for choose? How can you choose if choice is an illusion.

Precisely.
(as written at

With regard to skin colorsin Zion, if you only have 23 individuals who are breeding, you will get a blended skin color within a few generations. Morpheus said that he remembered fighting the machines for a hundred years. Is that time enough, maybe.

mbrook13 wrote:

With regard to skin colorsin Zion, if you only have 23 individuals who are breeding, you will get a blended skin color within a few generations.

1) But why are the most enemies white?
2) And what about the idea, that the original 23 freed had become the council?

Because whitey is the devil!