Agent Smith: Why, Mr. Anderson? Why do you do it? Why get up? Why keep fighting? Do you believe you're fighting for something? For more than just your survival? Can you tell me what it is? Do you even know? Is it freedom? Or truth? Perhaps peace? Could it be for love? Illusions, Mr. Anderson. Vagaries of perception. The temporary constructs of a feeble human intellect trying desparately to justify an existence that is without meaning or porpose. And all of them as artificial as the Matrix itself, although only a human mind could invent something as insipid as love. You must be able to see it, Mr. Anderson. You must know it by now. You can't win. It's pointless to keep fighting. Why, Mr. Anderson? Why?! Why do you persist?!
Neo: Because I choose to.
Agent Smith: Mr. Anderson, welcome back. We've missed you. You like what I've done with the place?
Neo: It ends tonight.
Agent Smith: I know it does, I've seen it. That's why the rest of me is just going to enjoy the show, because we all know I'm the one who beats you.
Mifune: If it is our time to die, than it is our time to die. But we'll give them hell before we do!
The Oracle: You are a bastard.
Agent Smith: You would know, Mom.
Answer: They never wanted to have the possibility of it getting set off accidentally, as it would render the entire dock area (and possible more) inert instantly. In fact, they probably weren't terribly prepared for the Sentinels ever to find/reach their location. In 100 years, they hadn't yet.
Rooster of Doom