The image was gone almost as soon as it appeared, and another took its place; a world filled with ancient crystals that almost touched the sky, each a living being, filled with immeasurable intelligence. They grew at a glacial pace, every thought taking hundreds of years to complete. They talked to each other through haunting music, so beautiful it brought tears to his eyes.
Then a new one, a world of eternal cold, littered with caverns of iridescent ice. His mind’s eye zoomed through them, the colourful light mirrored by countless icicles that took his breath away even as the intolerable cold made his bones hurt and his body shiver.
A second later, he found himself once again underwater, only this sea was blue, like on Pearseus. Majestic creatures slid effortlessly through colourful corals in an underwater world of immense beauty. Thin slivers of sunlight split the waters from above, to dance on their leathery skins. He followed them deeper and deeper, a legion of small, transparent creatures swimming around them. The waters darkened and the creatures glowed red and blue, like an orchestra of colour. He fixed his gaze on their thin, slithery skeletons, visible through their transparent skin.
This world, too, was gone almost as soon as it popped into his head, and a lush forest took its place, intense heat replacing the cold of the abyss. Magnificent, blue-leaved trees filled every corner, overflowing with red vines and colourful flowers. Strange animals of every size and shape crawled under the canopy or jumped from branch to branch in a frenzied attempt to avoid a cloud of ash and smoke covering the forest. A towering volcano belched methane into the air and spewed lava in long streams. Trees burst into flames as the burning river swallowed them whole. The last image was of a terrified creature clasping in despair the vine on which it hung as the lava ate away the tree’s trunk.
David screamed and found himself back in the room. The stern look on the Old Woman’s face had been replaced by one of worry. She leaned over him and wiped his brow with a soft cloth. “What happened?”
He jumped out of the chair and leaned over the table, his whole body shaking. He steadied himself to fight the nausea. “Water,” he croaked. His throat felt parched. She produced a canteen. He grabbed it and drank the water in impatient gulps. When he had emptied it, he plonked it on the table, which had now reverted to its solid state, the rivulets of blue light gone. “What was that?” he asked with a gasp.
The Old Woman eyed him patiently. “The worlds created by the Dreamers. This is where they now live. You wanted to talk to them, wake them up. That’s where you’ll find them.”
He wiped water from his chin. “Impossible. There are so many of them! How can—”
“He needs my help,” a voice said behind him. He turned his head to see Valentiner enter the room, escorted by Tie.
“This is no place for you, child,” The Old Woman said with a kind voice.
Valentiner locked eyes with her. “On the contrary. This is exactly what I was brought here for. It is the Lady’s will that the Dreamers be awakened. I’m the one who can make sure of that.”
“How do you…” The Old Woman’s voice trailed off as she studied Valentiner’s peaceful face. “You want to try?”
“David and I must do it together. It is our destiny.” The little girl jumped on one of the chairs and tapped the table. It came alive under her fingers and the soft glow resumed.
“Are you up for it?” the Old Woman whispered in his ear. “If not, I can—”
“I’ll be fine,” he said. He tore his eyes off Valentiner for a second to meet the Old Woman’s worried gaze. “Thanks.” He smiled at her reassuringly and sank on a chair. The centre of the table pulsed with a life of its own. Once again, he let his eyes fix on the eerie glow.
This time, he found himself on a hill overlooking a vineyard. “This is my home,” Valentiner said, her back turned to him. He took a few uneasy steps towards her. “Soon, I’ll return there, but right now let’s help you do what you must.”
“What—” he started, then the cascade of images exploded in his head once more. He opened his mouth to scream, when something pushed them away. The images still surrounded him, but they were kept from entering his mind. The world around him changed to a vast valley, a lone, tall boulder standing in its middle. Soft grass covered the ground, swaying gently under a warm breeze. With a blink of an eye, he found himself and Valentiner on top of the boulder, staring into the empty vale. Now what? Where are the Dreamers?
The Marshes
Azalia
Ping! The soft sound from the monitor drew Azalia’s attention back to her station. She reluctantly drew her gaze away from the hunk of a cadet who had stepped onto the bridge, to stare at the blinking screen. Since she had only just arrived to the ship but a short fortnight ago, she only knew a handful of her crewmates. Still, she caught herself already daydreaming about some of them.
The ship was fresh out of the dock, and on its maiden trip to the Outer Rim, to reach the Far Colonies. She checked the monitor with an almost inaudible sigh, convinced it would turn out to be another computer glitch. Her experience had taught her that ship’s electronics always have teething problems. She had already logged over a dozen of them for the techs to look into, marking each of them according to the degree of frustration they caused her.
She tapped an impatient finger on the display, but the red dot remained stuck. Her brow furrowed as a second dot appeared, then another and another, until the far edge of the screen was dipped in crimson.
“Captain,” she called, trying to hide the alarm in her voice.
A short, bald man sitting at the helm threw her a casual glance, dragging his eyes away from the thin display in his hands.
“I think you’ll want to see this.” Her stomach tightened as the red dots merged into a solid, blood-like mass.
She waved her hand and the display in his hands flickered for a moment, then turned red. He leaned forward, squinting to see better.
“What is this?” He slammed his hand on the console beside his seat with such force that a round imprint was left on his palm. A claxon blared a shrill alarm. “Battle stations,” he barked. “This is not a drill! I repeat, this is not a drill!”
A bead of sweat glowed on his forehead as he turned to Azalia and opened his mouth to speak. Then, he froze, like a startlingly lifelike statue. Azalia’s brow furrowed. Everywhere she looked, people stood still. Even several dots had been caught mid-blink.
Without thinking, she raised herself from her station and approached the captain. Cocking her head, she flicked his ear. Nothing happened. A wave of panic swelled inside her. She drew a sharp breath, trying to focus her thoughts.
This is but a game, she reminded herself mechanically. Awareness bubbled up from her subconscious. Foggy memories formed in the back of her mind, pushing her thoughts away from her current mission. She remembered vaguely that they had been taught what to do in these situations, but it had been forever since the system last froze, and that was only for a few minutes.
She tapped an annoyed finger on the captain’s console. What’s going on out there? Why haven’t they fixed it yet? Whatever it was.
Since Azalia could remember herself, she had loved gaming, and had been one of the fiercest supporters of the Dreaming community. When they had faced persecution, she and thousands of others had fled to a recently terraformed planet to dig themselves into its bowels, surrendering themselves to their favourite pastime. Once their world started crumbling all around them, they had struck a deal with the Orbs, the strange entities that had belatedly revealed themselves to humanity. Those would watch over them, protect them during their endless gaming, and in return would be allowed to use humans for their reproduction.
How many years ago had that been? She had no way of telling; time had little meaning there. Decades stretched into centuries, then millennia. She had been a priestess, a warrior and a knight more times than she could remember, spending countless lifetimes in castles and spaceships, fighting men and women, monsters and aliens. She studied
her outstretched hands, wondering for a moment how her body might be faring. Her real body, the one they had put in stasis, to be looked after by the Orbs. She had no way of knowing of course, and had not even thought about it in a very long time. Games were fully immersive, and while inside one all memories of the past faded away.
She let out a gasp as the room around her disappeared in a flash. A warm breeze blew on her face. She found herself in the middle of a valley, surrounded by countless others. Recognizing other Dreamers, who had played with her in the past, she nodded in greeting. They stared at her in confusion. This is worse than I thought. Had the Orbs failed them, or was this a system malfunction?
A young man atop a large boulder lifted his arms, and an expectant hush descended upon the crowd. He cleared his throat. “My name is David.”
What an unusual name, Azalia thought. Not more so than any other of the made-up names she had come across in her games, of course.
“I apologize for interrupting your dreams. I am aware that I have broken the Covenant, and I want to assure you that this was not done lightly.”
This was done on purpose? A few annoyed cries sounded behind her. “Get us back, you jerk!” someone shouted, and Azalia felt like joining, but curiosity won over. What could have happened to convince the Orbs to break their promise after all this time?
While David waited for the crowd to fall silent, Azalia examined him better. Although very young, he had a presence that demanded people’s respect. A pretty girl, no older than ten, emerged from behind him. Azalia stared in curiosity at her white hair, so unusual for someone so young. The shouts finally died out, allowing the man to continue.
“Here is the truth: the compound that has sheltered you all these years, is under threat. When you terraformed the planet, the one we now call Pearseus, you devastated its previous inhabitants. For over a hundred thousand years, they had hidden away, while the Orbs and what was left of humanity tried to beat them back.” He stopped and drew a sharp breath, seeming to search for his next words. “We have failed,” was all he said in the end.
It can’t be that bad!
“Not our problem,” someone shouted.
“Yeah, get us back to our games!” a woman next to her screamed at David. Azalia expected him to cower, but the jeers just seemed to make him angry.
“One hundred thousand years,” he bellowed. “That’s how long you’ve been left alone to play your games. Hiding in your make-believe worlds, while the rest of the world crumbled to nothingness. You are the sole survivors of a world long forgotten. Not even your memory remains.” He raised a finger in accusation. “The choice is no longer between playing and fighting.” A spasm crossed his face; whether of anger, fear or some other feeling, Azalia knew not. “Now you’re faced with a simpler choice: fight or die.”
“Screw you,” someone shouted and angry voices agreed. “Go back to wherever you came from, you jerk!”
The girl standing next to David stepped forward, squeezing his hand to silence him. “You are warriors.” Her sweet voice mesmerized them, silenced them. “You are the bravest of your kind.” Murmurs of agreement greeted her words. “But how many amongst you have what it takes to play the hardest game of them all? How many can say that they faced reality and survived? Join us, and you will earn the respect of your co-players for eternity. You will be those who fought for real – and lived to tell the story. You’ll be the envy of all Dreamers.” A playful wind tousled her white hair, making for a fascinating visage as she raised her hands. “And before you ask, you won’t raise your swords against humans. We’d never ask that of you.”
“Honeyed words hold little truth,” a man next to her yelled, but Azalia ignored him.
“I’ll fight,” she shouted. She relished the thought of a real fight. It’s been too long. A warm glow filled her heart at the thought of walking again in the real world. The girl was right; she was a warrior at heart. If she were to die, she would do it fighting; not cowering away.
“Me too,” someone yelled beside her, followed by many more. Soon, the valley split in two, with hundreds of men and woman eager to fight emerging from the crowd to gather around David and the girl.
“Those of you who are ready to join us, stay put,” David said. He started yelling instructions, shouting to be heard over the commotion, as the rest of the crowd faded away, returning to their games. The throng of people around him nodded in agreement, preparing for their exit from the Dream. The first time they would be outside their pods in a hundred thousand years. Azalia found the thought both terrifying and intoxicating. Her lip cocked into a nervous half smile as her surroundings exploded into white light.
Chamber of Justice, The Capital
Teo
“And for the floors, I suggest Anthean marble.”
Teo looked at the lanky man and laughed. “I’ll do the floors next year, when I’ll have all the marble I need.”
The man bowed his head respectfully. “Very well. In that case, may I suggest we take a look at the new curtains? These fabrics just arrived. They will—”
Teo heard a familiar swooshing sound behind him. “It will have to wait,” he told the man and ushered him out the door.
“But, sir—” the man protested as the Regent slammed the door on his face.
“Later!” Teo yelled against the carved wood and turned to face the unexpected arrival.
“It looks like your men have failed.” Given the loaded content of the words, the tone of the voice that came from a dark corner of the room was surprisingly unemotional.
Teo ground his teeth. I wish he’d stop appearing like this! “You never said the Antheans had energy weapons.” His own voice betrayed his frustration as he marched to the desk and picked up his e-lib. He faced the man who had materialized in the corner and waved the e-lib in his face. “Also, I keep getting reports from the North. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about any of that?”
“What happens in the North is none of your concern,” Pratin replied, examining his nails.
In truth, he had doubted that Pratin had anything to do with the strange occurrences in the North. Pratin’s reply, however, took his breath away. “Bull!” Teo exploded and threw the e-lib at him. It passed through the man to crash against the wall.
Pratin stared at the point where the device would have struck him as Teo blinked in surprise. “You can’t hurt me, Regent. And I suggest you focus on the Capital. The North now belongs to my children.”
“Your…” Teo nearly choked. He shook a furious finger at the man’s face. “I’ll skin your children alive! I’ll flay them! You don’t—”
“Now, now, no need for such drama.”
Pratin’s condescending words sent the blood to pound on Teo’s temples. His well-rehearsed fury now became real. “You stay out of the North, you hear me? You’re here to serve me, not the other way around.”
Pratin leaned forward and cocked his head to study him, like examining an insect or an awkward specimen. “Soon, you’ll realise what a pathetic little man you really are. When you do, I’ll be there to watch.”
The visage flickered away, leaving Teo trembling in impotent rage. “Clerk!” he barked and the door creaked open.
A man’s head appeared in the opening, his eyes scanning the room for the person who had caused Teo’s fury. “Regent?”
“Have Alexander report to me. Now!”
The man threw the empty room a curious look and disappeared. Teo picked up his e-lib from the corner. A new crack had appeared on its corner. He muttered a curse under his breath and plonked it on the table. Had Pratin not upset him so, this would have never happened. That idiot had a lot to answer for. He had to find him and make sure he posed no danger to his plans.
A soft knock interrupted his thoughts. “Come!” he yelled.
Alexander stepped into the room. “Regent, always a pleasure.”
“Shut up. I need you to listen carefully. Those idiots you sent to capture David, did they see anyone else
?”
Alexander’s brow furrowed in confusion. “My Lord?”
“What the hell is going on in the North?” Teo exploded. “I need to know.”
Alexander produced an e-lib from within his spotless robe. He turned it on as he slumped himself on a chair. “We have reports of whole villages abandoned. The survivors speak of blue-eyed demons and monsters attacking them. We assumed it was just nonsense, of course. Ape propaganda, to scare them into leaving. The First have always wanted the North to themselves.”
That is what Teo had thought, too. The First had probably masqueraded into monsters to scare the humans away, to finally have the place to themselves. Perhaps he should not have been so quick to dismiss the stories, though. He had baited Pratin on a hunch. Now, his gut told him the situation was more complicated than he expected. “Who lives there?”
Alexander studied his screen for a moment. “Mostly miners. A few settlements. During the war with Anthea, most folk fled southwards. Only a few have returned.”
Teo filled a goblet with wine and swirled the ruby liquid before taking a large gulp. “I want a full report on the situation. There’s something going on, and I need to find out what.”
Alexander turned the e-lib off and shoved it back into his pocket. “Yes, my Lord.”
“Have your men scour the North. I need to know what those monsters are, so capture one. Alive, preferably.”
“Will you send regulars, too? If you do, we may have to coordinate with them.”
A sensible idea. And yet... “The last thing to do is spread panic. I’d rather use more… discreet means. For now, let’s just keep all this between us. If anyone asks, the First are up to their usual tricks.”
Pearseus Bundle: The Complete Pearseus Sci-fi/Fantasy Series Page 82