*
Ten minutes later, after Maloch had finished his last scan, they gathered in the centre of the cave to discuss what had happened.
“So, um... can someone please explain to me why I woke up in a cocoon made out of ç'aether?”
Kingston, who had been going over the question in his mind as soon as Barsch was safe, began explaining. “Well, before I can answer your question, Barsch, I need to know something. Was there anything strange about your dreams last night? I mean, different from normal?”
“Normal? I can't even remember the last time I had a normal dream. I mean, from what I can remember, none of my dreams since being unfrozen would be considered normal; and almost all of them have been about either The Beast or Alza. But last night... well, earlier this morning... something was different. It felt as though something was not right. Something important was... wrong. For one thing, I can remember most of the dream- dreams? Which is unusual in itself. And the feeling I had when I saw... Perfect Alza... it was as if she was real, and everything was the way it was supposed to be. And even when it changed, when she became... Monster Alza... it still felt just as real, like it was merely a memory of something I had long forgotten.”
With his answer already in his heart, Barsch spoke, “They were real. No, um... they felt real. Every other dream I've had since I was unfrozen always felt slightly off, like I knew that I was dreaming and I could do nothing but watch. But last night, I would have sworn on my mother's grave that what I saw, that what I experienced, was as real as this cave.”
“I too felt as if the dream was different from normal. For me, it was more like a memory, one that I had remembered in two completely different ways. One was good, the other...” Alza had spoken in her trademark apathetic voice, but there was a hint of something else too. Was it worry?
“If that is truly the case, then I think my theory is correct.”
“What theory?” asked Barsch, eager to discover the reason behind his stranger-than-usual dreams.
“Well, remember when I told you that ç'aether feeds off energy and recycles it? I believe that in the absence of thermodynamic and electro-magnetic energy, ç'aether uses the abnormal energy found inside concentrated pollution like toxic waste and radioactive run-off to grow and sustain itself. And, in the absence of pollution, ç'aether has the ability to feed on our bio kinetic energy directly, which slowly weakens us and affects us on a sub-conscious level as a side-effect. When we sleep, our sub-conscious is less suppressed, and therefore is able to interfere with our alpha-waves and influence our dreams.”
“Wait, I'm confused, are you saying the ç'aether is stealing our life-force in order to grow? But why would it do that? What does it gain from expanding?”
“Hmm... that part, I haven't quite figured out yet, but don't forget, no one has ever studied ç'aether like this. It could be that naturally occurring ç'aether has a greater variability when it comes to collecting energy, as opposed to the pollution made ç'aether which seems to only absorb thermodynamic energy. Do you remember how cold it got in that ç'aether forest? I believe that the ç'aether was literally sucking the heat out of the air in order to grow.”
“Okay, I guess... but then why did it cover us in those cocoons? If it can already suck the energy straight out of us, why did it attack us?”
“I believe that the energy transfer process is greatly accelerated when a direct physical contact is made. And this, in turn, increases the effect on out sub-conscious minds, which leads to more... abnormalities... in our dreams. And I have a few more theories relating to the ç'aether that I think will interest you.”
Kingston spoke for almost half an hour, using terms like “Quantum Energy Transmogrification” and “The Immutable Law of Energy Transfer and Consistency in Entropy”. It made sense, but then again, whenever Kingston explained something, it always sounded sensible. Barsch could only nod in agreement, as he thought back to all of the physics classes he had missed during his childhood. Out of the three of them, only Maloch would have fully understood Kingston's explanation, and if Alza was following it, she gave no sign.
When Kingston finally stopped speaking, Barsch was on the verge of falling asleep. Even Alza, the stoic and unflinching, was watching the others through lidded eyes.
“Kingston, I think it would be in everyone's best interest if you all had a rest. If you sleep for a few hours, you might be able to recover some of your lost energy.”
Barsch had to agree with Maloch, but the thought of returning to the glade -and to Monster Alza- made him speak out. “But aren't we vulnerable when we sleep? What's to stop the ç'aether from returning like last time?”
“Have no fear, Barsch La Tergan, for I will keep watch. I will stay awake and keep the ç'aether from cocooning you again.”
“Are you sure? Don't you need to rest as well?”
“It is my duty to keep all of you safe. Additionally, the ç'aether did not steal any energy from me, most likely due to my lead-lined battery core. So please, rest easy knowing that I am watching over you.”
Barsch had more concerns, but the fatigue he was feeling trumped them all. Without even bothering to retrieve his sleeping bag, he took off his coat and lay back. The smooth, cool stone sent him into a dreamless sleep a few minutes later. He was followed by Alza, who for once did not move away from the rest of the group; and Kingston, who gave Maloch a look of gratitude before allowing sleep to take him.
Awakening Page 202