Sandman 4.0(Closed for Sinister Spiders)

[DungeonsOfDread]

Don

He found it difficult to maintain eye contact, especially since she was still naked and right in front of his...Don craned his neck to the side.

"I just wanted to teach you a lesson. This world might just be dream to you still but for me it is life. The places I go are dangerous, I'm dangerous. I needed you to know that."

 

[SinisterSpiders]

Jo self-consciously wrapped her arms around her cold, aroused and naked body. She wished desperately that she had something to cover her, and it took her a good moment to remember where she was. With a burst of concentration a blanket materialized in the air around her and draped around her naked body. Once she was covered she looked up at Don, a thrill of arousal running through her at the way his head was cocked.

"Then find another way to warn me," She said, trying to sound stronger than she felt in that moment. "Do you do this-" Jo sighed and shook her head. "Do you do this to everyone who tries to help you?" She asked, running her wrists.

 

[DungeonsOfDread]

Don

Don sighed audibly.

"I'm not used to having guests. I've been in the DHub too long, seen too many of the dark and twisted minds of our world."

He looked around the void and after a brief thought he raised the temperature to a comfortable level. He then reshaped the floor into a soft mattress like material and sat down beside her.

"I don't want what happened to me happen to someone else. Someone like you."

 

[SinisterSpiders]

"What did happen to you?" Jo asked, turning slightly so that she could face him. The world around them lost some of its sharpness as they concentrated more on each other, and she tried to mentally push past the oddness of the situation and the tension from before.

"Did somebody hurt you? Is that how you got stuck? How you know about the sensory input?"

 

[DungeonsOfDread]

Don

Don held her gaze a moment, then abruptly turned away.

"That's the worst part. I don't even remember. All I know is I need to find my own dream again. If it still exists."

Trying not to kill the mood further than he already had he continued the conversation in a lighter tone.

"As to the sensory input. Changing the environment temperature is something you can learn to do as well. It's a lot harder than creating an object because its something that can affect the entire dream."

As a demonstration he conjured a light breeze that washed over them gently.

 

[SinisterSpiders]

Jo pulled the blanket around her a bit tighter, an uncomfortable shiver running through her at Don's words. What would it be like, to exist, but to be unsure of who you really are? Or where you truly belong?

The light breeze washed over Jo and pulled her from her reverie. She looked over at Don and gave him a small smile.

"So... What do you want from me then? You keep finding me, and then you try to warn me-" Jo caught her tone and then stopped, taking a breath to centre herself before continuing. "It's not that I mind. I don't- obviously," she blushed at the thought of the position they had just been in and how much she had been enjoying it, "I'm just confused."

 

[DungeonsOfDread]

Don

Don couldn't help but smirk a little, he felt mildly better that she wasn't angry at him for what he did.

"I can't really explain it, part of me feels drawn to you and the other..." he trailed off, not wanting to mention his conversation about turning her in.

"I guess I'm afraid of what might happen if we continue, I've never met anybody like me before, there are plenty of things in Dhub that can bend the rules and walk outside the lines, but the things that I can do, that we can do. Some days I don't even feel human, maybe I never was."

He leaned toward her as his hand moved on its own accord, he brushed the backside of his finger tips along her cheek and down her jawline. Suddenly he was on top of her, his lips pressed firmly against hers.

 

[SinisterSpiders]

Jo wasn't sure exactly what would happen 'if we continue'. But there was something she was sure of as his fingers stroked her cheek, as his lips claimed hers. When they finally broke the kiss she pulled back, her cheeks flushed with pleasure.

"You feel entirely human to me," She whispered back breathlessly.

 

[DungeonsOfDread]

Don

"There's, just something about you. I don't know what it is, all I know is that I'm both excited and afraid at the same time." he confessed.

Don felt a shiver in the back of his neck, their time was up. One couldn't stay in limbo too long lest they be sucked into a vacuum of nothingness. Don needed to know more, more about himself and more about her.

"I'm sorry but we have to leave now. Limbo is a good place to hide and practice but we can't stay here any longer."

Don gently untangled himself from their embrace and eased himself onto his feet. Being Limbo he was easily able to transport them back to her dream in the post apocalyptic world he stole her from. Immediately, the hush of Limbo was replaced by the screams and explosions of her world.

"I will find you again!" He yelled over the barrage of gun fire. He held her hand one last time before stepping away and toward the exit.

 

[DungeonsOfDread]

Don

"There's, just something about you. I don't know what it is, all I know is that I'm both excited and afraid at the same time." he confessed.

Don felt a shiver in the back of his neck, their time was up. One couldn't stay in limbo too long lest they be sucked into a vacuum of nothingness. Don needed to know more, more about himself and more about her.

"I'm sorry but we have to leave now. Limbo is a good place to hide and practice but we can't stay here any longer."

Don gently untangled himself from their embrace and eased himself onto his feet. Being Limbo he was easily able to transport them back to her dream in the post apocalyptic world he stole her from. Immediately, the hush of Limbo was replaced by the screams and explosions of her world.

"I will find you again!" He yelled over the barrage of gun fire. He held her hand one last time before stepping away and toward the exit.

 

[SinisterSpiders]

Jo wanted to say more, but she wasn't sure what. When Don said farewell and stood up she wanted to argue. Not now, not when she felt like she might finally learn more. A few moments later they were back in that horrible post-apocalyptic world and Don was gone. She barely heard his promise over the explosion, but when she turned around a group of shambling zombies were making their way towards her.

Before she had left this dream she had been filled with a sense of dread and fear at seeing the haphazard creatures. Now, though? After what Don had shown her, after what he had told her... It was a dream. All of this was a dream.

So Jo simply walked away. She walked down the dilapidated street until the flashes and crashes turned to the bright glare of the sun and the waves lapping at the beach.

"Much better..." Jo sighed as she settled down on the sand and ran her fingers through the sand.

***

"So what you're saying is that, if nothing else the DHub is totally the best for getting some Tall, Dark and Handsome!" Peggy summarised over her notes as Jo finished telling her about the previous night.

Jo rolled her eyes.

"Well, that is a very simplified version of it, but yes..." Jo sighed. She thought back to her dream. To the mysterious man in it. Don. Was he even real? If Jo had been connected on a mainstream, regulated device she wouldn't have doubted it. But with the way that Dick had described her machine, she wouldn't be as publically available to other dream riders on it. So, logically, Don would just be a figment of her imagination. But he wasn't. He wasn't fuzzy like the others. He didn't remind her of anyone else, or say and do things that her dream self had expected.

Peggy sighed loudly.

"Jo, honestly, it's not a big deal. We all do stupid things in our dreams. It is part of the fun," Peggy said dismissively, tapping on her data pad and saving her notes before standing and straightening up her uniform. "If the worst you did was get a little frisky and tell him about your terrible first date at the movies, then you have nothing to worry about!"

"What if I couldn't stop myself from making that terrible dick in a popcorn box joke?" Jo asked, her nose scrunching up as her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Peggy looked up at her, two pretty manicured eyebrows cocking up.

"Oh Jo, it's a lost cause- throw the machine away and pretend it never happened!" Peggy said dramatically, both her and Jo bursting into laughter.

"Evening ladies. What's so funny?" A smooth voice interrupted their laughter and Jo's face drained of colour.

"Dick, what do you want?" She asked, her face no longer full of laughter and lightness.

"Oh, nothing. The director just wanted me to give you the new KPIs to sign," Dick said, reaching over to give Jo the slimline tablet. As Jo went to take it Dick held it for longer than necessary, his fingers brushing over hers as his lusty eyes brushed over her.

"Thanks. Goodbye," Jo said, snatching it and turning her back on him. She heard his footsteps recede and she had to make an effort to calm her racing heart. There was silence for a few moments before Peggy spoke again.

"You know... sometimes Tall Dark and Handsome in real life is worth more than the Dnet..." Peggy suggested, probably the moment after Dick was out of earshot.

"Not in his case. Not now. Not ever."

~*~

By the time Jo got home she was exhausted. It was a long shift at work, and her run in with Dick was more taxing than it should have been. She had seen him around all week, but this was the first time she actually had to talk to him. After a warm shower, she flopped into bed and looked over at the Sandman headset. She was about to ignore it, to have a good old-fashioned sleep. But then she thought of Don, of the things he was teaching her. It was such a nice distraction... She could see how people could get caught up in their love of the virtual reality.

So Jo put the device on and settled into bed. When she opened her eyes again she was in a strange, blue-lit place. Light and shadows shimmered all around, and the place felt clammy even though it was large. Beneath her bare feet was sand and shells, coral spread around her like foliage. When she looked up she was surrounded by a dome of air underneath what looked like an endless ocean. Sea creatures of all persuasion swam around the Atlantis-like city she found herself in.

Much, much better than what she was dealing with before. She smiled to herself as she set about exploring, wondering whether Don would find her again tonight.

 

[DungeonsOfDread]

Don

Don wrestled with his inner demons, if he turned Jo in he would get the one thing he'd been yearning for so long but then she would be at the mercy of who knows what? Actually
he did know. He'd witnessed what Nick was capable of and it wasn't pretty, could he really do that to her? No he couldn't, she seemed so innocent. He couldn't actively put her in harms way.
He would tell Nick his decision and live with the consequences.

Don waded through the Dhub, going from dream to dream until he found what he was looking for. When he found Nick,
it was in the most unlikely place. Fishing at a lake in the middle of a forest, it was so calm and peaceful, so unlike him. In fact to Don it was almost as if he was waiting
for him. Without turning in his direction Nick spoke.

"Looking for me?" He cast his rod toward the shimmering water.

"You don't want Jo. There's nothing special about her, you must have the wrong girl." Don lied.

Nick turned and gave him a sly grin.

"Nothing special ah? Do you even know who she is?"

Don held his gaze. Nick nodded and he raised his brow.

"I bet she gave you the usual story. An ordinary girl with an ordinary job?"

Don didn't budge. Nick's expression changed to a look of knowing.

"I bet she gave that bull shit first date story." Nick motioned his arms in a stretch and fake yawn before placing them around a phantom person. Don eyes widened at the realisation,
Nick maintained his composure and continued.

"Look buddy, its okay. The pretty ones are always the hardest to resist. I should know."

Don couldn't believe it, she'd been lying to him the whole time?

"Just tell me who she is." Don stated flatly. Nick became serious.

"Shes works for a shadow organisation that wants to shutdown the Dhub. We suspect she is getting friendly with you so you'll do their dirty work for them." Nick explained.

Nick threw the rod aside and strode over to Don to look him directly in the eye.

"Just take us to her and well give you what you want."

"Us?" At his word, several individuals stepped out of the shadows. Don readied himself, this was usually the time he ran. Unfortunately his exits were blocked. Don made his decision.

"Follow me".

 

[SinisterSpiders]

Jo spent what felt like hours wandering through the sandy Atlantis, exploring the different spirals of the coral-made tower and pearl-crusted rooms. There were shipwrecks that had been turned into the scaffold for grand mansions, and troves of treasure hidden caves behind dried-seaweed entrances.

Jo spent so long wandering the dreamscape unharried that she almost forgot that a world outside existed. She almost forgot that she was hoping to see someone. But there was a niggling in the back of her mind, and she walked over to one of the fountains in the coral castle courtyard, settling on the seaglass bench beside it and looking into the trickling water.

This place was so beautiful, so calm. It was a place beneath the sea of life above, where the calm blues of the ocean soothed her mind in a way that was a welcome relief after the stresses of everyday life.

 

[DungeonsOfDread]

Don

Don jumped between worlds faster than he'd ever done before. He was burning with rage, the feeling of betrayal seared through his very being. He didn't care if the others could keep up with him, he wanted, needed to see her again. To see the look in her face when he ousted her.

"Woah, wait up buddy." Nick finally caught up and held him by the shoulder.

"Some of use aren't as...limber as you." He commented and looked back. The rest of his associates were still far behind, Nick pressed a button on a small device that looked like a wrist watch. Suddenly the rest materialised right next to them.

"Look we cant just rush in there guns blazing, this girl isn't the type to get caught with brute force." Don looked around at Nicks friends more closely now, they looked like the usual suits that often tried to catch him but this time he noted that a few of them were carrying weapons, not unlike weapons in the waking world.

"Really? what are those for?" Don narrowed his eyes at them. Nick moved his arm around Don like they were best friends.

"Those are just a precaution, non-lethal. Of course nothing can really hurt you in here."

"Hmmm, you're right, however if she really is as good as you say then maybe shouldn't charge in there with you and your friends. She might get away before you have the chance to get her. Maybe I should talk to her first." Don suggested. For the first time since Nick had informed him of her duplicity Don was having second thoughts about turning her in.

"Too risky buddy. Look just get us into the world and well take it from there. In fact there's no reason for you to even be there when we bring her in. Also, once shes safely in our custody I will personally deliver the information you've been so desperately after."

"Alright." Don agreed. It felt cowardice, not facing her before it happened but he wasn't sure if he could go through with it if he spoke to her. Would she just spout more lies? Nick was right.

"So how close are we?"

"It's the next one." Don replied and continued forward.

When they made their way into the next dream world Nick left him with rendezvous instructions but not before giving him the thumbs up and a smile that looks all too triumphant.

Had he done the right thing? Did he care anymore? No, he needed to look out for himself now.

 

[SinisterSpiders]

The peace didn't last.

It never did.

Jo first noticed that something was odd when the world around her shimmered. It wasn't just the distant sun shifting over the waves either. It was all of the air in her underwater bubble moving. She tried to ignore it at first, but it was as if the whole dome was growing tense. It was filling with anticipation.

Reluctantly she got up from her comfortable perch on the rim of the fountain and looked around. Then, she saw them. Out of the rippling shadows of the coral on the sand, they emerged in a large, well-formed circle around her, all carrying weapons- guns, batons... As she spun around on the spot Jo could count eight of them. Despite the good feeling she'd had for most of this dream, she was now terrified. Her heart was racing, and she could almost feel it in every part of her body. Panic was rising, a thick, hard ball in her throat as she looked around. This was a dream. That's all it was. Nothing more nothing less.

But then Don's warnings from the previous night drifted through her mind. The Dhub was a dangerous place.

"Don't panic. We're here to help," the voice that rung across the distance sounded familiar. There was something to it, a lilt in the words that she recognised. Jo turned, focusing on the face of the person who had spoken. The circle of bodies tightened in on her. Of course, being told not to panic was something that almost immediately made someone do the opposite. Jo's fists clenched at her side and she backed towards the fountain, tensing when the back of her knees banged against th edge of it.

"Who are you?" Jo demanded, looking around herself for an exit. The man who spoke before came forward, pushing further towards her than the others in the circle.

"Listen to my voice, look closer," he suggested, a knowing lilt in his tone.

And despite her fear, Jo did. She looked at him and after a moment the strange sleep-fuzz veil over his face settled into familiar features.

"Matthew?" Jo asked, confused. Matthew was Dick's friend, the one that had sold her the Sandman device. He smiled. It was an easy, casual thing on his handsome face, but there was something about it Jo did not trust. She looked around, wondering if Dick was in on this too.

"That's a girl, no need to freak out Jo. You're safe with us," Dick said, letting his weapon hang over his shoulder by the strap and offering his hand to her.

"Safe with you? Why don't I get that feeling?" Jo asked, looking around pointedly at all of the guns and weapons around her.

"Yes, safe. These aren't for you, they're for other people. Dangerous people. We believe one has been in contact with you.... Don?" Another person finally spoke up, someone to her left, a tall slender with a pretty but otherwise unremarkable face.

Jo's heart tightened. Don! Were these the people he had been running from? If so, where was he? Was he ok?

"Where's Don?" Jo asked immediately. Matthew let out a snort of amusement and Jo glared at him. He raised his hands in placation and gave her an apologetic nod.

"Don isn't who you think he is Jo. We need you to come with us so we can protect you. Teach you how to keep yourself safe in the Dhub. You've got... special abilities. You can't let someone like Don turn them for his own means," Matthew explained.

Despite the fact that she didn't know Don in real life, and she knew of the trouble he'd been having, she didn't trust Matthew any more than him. In fact, if it were a choice between the two she knew she would go with Don in a heartbeat.

The circle of people tightened around her, Matthew's hand still up and reaching for hers.

"Come on, let's go somewhere we can talk."

Matthew closed the distance between them now and attempted to take Jo's hand. She recoiled, stumbling as she almost fell into the fountain behind her.

"No!" Jo cried out in anger. Though it wasn't just a word, it was a command. It was a force that plowed through the people around her and into the dreamscape beyond. Even outside it could be felt, a small drop of power moving in a sea of subconscious. A ripple effect that showed her pursuers that she was exactly what they were looking for.

Then, a loud crack echoed through the giant under-water dome, and behind Matthew a large piece of a coral castle started to fall. It groaned as it lurched towards Matthew. Matthew and the others swore, jumping out of the way just as it crashed to the ground where they had been standing. Jo looked around and started to run, making for the path that led towards the outer city. But her flight didn't last long. There was an ear-splitting crack, and Jo felt something slam into her back. She fell forward, face landing in the sand, as Matthew came up behind her. He leant over, grabbing her by her arms and hauling her up. She tried to argue, she tried to squirm out of his grip, but every time she moved her body roared with pain and she was unable to get free.

"This is for your own good Jo, trust me..." Matthew said as the world around them dissolved and Jo was taken out of her dream-world against her will.

 

[DungeonsOfDread]

Don

Don waited in the dingy 1920's bar, the dream that Nick had chosen was so seedy that Don surmised it had to be Nick's actual dream. The smoke was so thick that even Don found it difficult to breathe. Just as he was about to alter the atmospheric conditions Nick appeared.

He sauntered up to Don's table with a wide grin on this face.

"Well done Donny. I just found out that Jo is in our custody." Nick sat down just as the waitress came over to their table. Nick smiled at her suggestively with one brow raised, with no words exchanged she departed, seemly knowing his order.

This was definitely Nick's dream. Don took note of everything around him, every detail, every feeling. A person's core dream revealed a lot about themselves, especially things they might not want anybody else to know.

"You better not have hurt her." Don warned.

"Of course not. She's far to tough for that anyway, look, all you need to know now is she is safe."

"I want to see her. I want to understand." Don requested.

"I don't think that's a good idea Donny boy. She's already managed to get inside your head. Anymore interaction could be dangerous for you. Besides don't you want what you came here for?" Nick hinted.

"I'm not so sure anymore. It's been so long and I've been running for so long." Don replied. Nick gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder which Don immediately recoiled from. Nick didn't seem to be bothered by it and handed him a piece of paper. It seemed so anti-climactic, after all this time to be simply handed a black and white explanation of who he was.

Don took the piece of paper, it was written in an old style print format reminiscent of the dream he was in.

Name: Donald Anderson.
Age: 28
Occupation: Accountant.
Address: Unit 5B Complex 52BGD, Quadrant 54.9

DhubId: 981723.
...

The document continued on in much the same way, in painted the picture of a boring ordinary man living in the modern day. Don felt let down, a part of him always thought he was much more in the real world, a person of great importance that gave him the abilities he had.

"You seem a little glum there Donny. Not what you thought?"

"I just, how do I know this is real?" Don replied.

"I'm glad you asked. Come with me and I'll show you." Nick hinted mysteriously.

 

[SinisterSpiders]

Jo felt like she was waking up.

Not waking up from her dream and into the real world, but waking from her dream and into a nightmare.

Somewhere between the pain in her back and Matthew's hands on her arms, the world as she had known it had changed.

She, Matthew and three others were in a waiting room of sorts. It was the kind of cold, white, clinical thing she associated with a doctor's lobby. It was all sterile, clinical lined and there was even a faint whiff in the air of sanitizer. But there was one alarming difference. The walls- all four of them- were gone. There was nothing beyond them but endless space. A vast black nothingness broken occasionally by searing pinpricks of light.

"Where are we?" Jo asked, brown eyes wide as she looked around. She tried to shrug free of Matthew's grip but he held tight. It was odd too, as it felt like his grip was all over her, rather than just her upper arms. She frowned; it must be some special Dhub ability of his.

"Don't worry, we're safe," Matthew said calmly. He let go of his arms, the pressure on her body easing as he stepped back. Immediately Jo's muscles became tense, ready to move. "Don't think of running- this space, the darkness beyond this room? No-one, and I mean no-one, has fallen into it and returned to tell the tale."

Jo looked over at Matthew, her vision narrowing as she tried to search his eyes for any level of truth. In the end she decided it wasn't worth testing the theory.

"Why should I trust you after you took me like that?" She snapped, her hands balling into indignant fists at her side.

"Because this is bigger than you and me. Bigger than the five of us in this room,' Matthew begun, gesturing to one of the couches beside them and settling down. He looked up at Jo, waiting for her to join him. She merely cocked an eyebrow at him and he shrugged indifferently. The other three behind her remained standing. For some reason, she had trouble focusing on the features of their faces, just like all of the figments of her subconscious in her own dreams.

"In an ideal world I would have introduced myself to you properly. But this is not an ideal world, just like the real world beyond the Shub, this one is easily corruptible," Matthew explained, suddenly a glass of water appeared in his hand and he took a deep sip.

"Yes, so I've heard," Jo said exasperatedly, remembering Don's words from the previous night. "But I don't see what that has to do with me."

"I'm sure you have an idea," Matthew said, "I know you've met Don, and I get the feeling that he has shown you a little of what you can do... And when I say a little, I mean, a drop in the ocean."

Matthew got up once more, walking over to the reception like desk and pressing a button. A holographic projection shot up out of it. A moment later the screen filled with a rapidly running series of numbers and photos, all seemingly random. The screen then settled...

0.01%

"You, Jo, are part of the 0.01%," Matthew said, letting the number stay there for a moment before he clicked. The number then divided up again.

0.015% 0.0149% 0.0001%

Matthew tapped the first number. "This is the percentage of people whose unique dream habits and biological chemistry mean that the Sandman devices would truly harm them. The second number," he pointed to the 0.0129%, "This the number of people who have been denied access to the system because they have the unique ability to gain true awareness in their dreams. The ones who can control their unconscious selves. Then- the zero point zero zero zero one..." Matthew looked over at Jo, and despite herself, Jo found that she was hanging on his every word.

"You, Jo, are the zero point zero zero zero one. You are that tiny, rare, minuscule percentage that can not only control themselves, but very fabric of your dreamscapes."

Jo had heard this before from Don. She couldn't force a look of shock on her face, but she did manage to remain neutral.

"That's fantastic and all, but what does that mean? I just wanted a chance to dream, I don't care about the Dhub beyond that," Jo said to Matthew, her words full of honesty. She could understand on a very superficial level that the abilities she supposedly possessed could be potentially dangerous, but that was only if she had an intention to make them so. And she was not that type of person, she had never been that type of person. She devoted almost every one of her waking hours to helping people, she couldn't possibly use her sleeping ones to do the opposite. Matthew shook his head slowly and held up a hand as if to silence the thoughts he knew were racing through her mind.

"I know who you are Jo, outside of this place," He gestured around vaguely, "There is a reason that Dick was working at the hospital. There was a reason that Dick offered you the off-grid machine. I know- we know-" he pointed to the shadowy figures behind her, "that you are not capable of such destruction. It is one of the reasons that we chose you."

Jo's back straightened at those words- the ones about them choosing her. About knowing about her life outside. About Dick. About Dick working in the hospital. Jo swore under her breath and Matthew walked forward slowly, as one would approach an animal about to bolt.

"The thing is Jo, there is a bigger reason that we wanted you. Or, a smaller one, may be the most appropriate way to phrase this. In your Sandman test, your neural activity was off the charts. It was beyond anything that Dreamscape had ever seen before. Out of the 0.0001% even you are unique. We aren't entirely sure of your abilities, but we have a theory... and if we're right, you could be the only person we know of who could help us save the unconscious minds of millions upon millions of people."

Jo stood there, completely stunned, unable to process this. What the hell was he talking about? What danger was there in this strange, chaotic place that could possibly harm that many people?

"That... that's not possible," Jo said, shaking her head and taking a step back from Matthew.

"We didn't think so either... but then, when read the feed from your time on the Sandman-"

"Y-you have been spying on me?!" Jo snapped, her eyes narrowing as she took in Matthew in all of his presumptuousness.

"We've been watching you," he corrected, as though expecting this. "And from what we've seen you are truly unique. And we need you. Everyone who connects to the Dream Hub does."

"I don't believe you."

Jo's voice was defiant, and she took another step back. She let out a gasp of shock as her back pressed against one of the people behind her. She immediately stepped forward again and Matthew sighed heavily.

"Fine," he conceded, "I shouldn't expect you to take my word for it. Look, here's the deal. Give me a chance. Come with me, let me show you exactly what is at stake. If, after that, you don't want anything to do with us, I'll leave you be," Matthew said. There was such an earnestness in his voice that Jo would have believed him. But there was something about the way the people behind her stiffened, the tension that snapped into place behind them. This, she thought, wasn't what they had agreed on. Even though Matthew stated that he would let her go, she wondered if the others would allow him to do as much.

But Jo didn't have much of a choice. She could feel the nothingness that yawned beyond this floating place. She could sense the abyss all around, and she knew instinctively that she had nowhere to run. She had no idea how to leave this space and she had no doubt that a failed attempt would mean she may just not wake up ever again.

Matthew reached out and offered Jo his hand. Jo had no choice but to take it.

"Thank you," he said, with a level of hope and appreciation that left Jo stunned as they dissolved away from the waiting room.

 

[DungeonsOfDread]

Don

Dick dragged him through a series of dreams each one more plain than the previous. He spoke to Don as he moved.

"We've had a lot of time to find out who you are and although we haven't found your elusive dream we think we are getting closer."

They entered an office building, it was plain and dull. The walls were a faded peach colour and the carpet was only a few shades darker. The cubicles were filled with everything one might expect from an office; Desk, chairs, computers. Nothing out of the ordinary, yet there was something about it. Familiar?

"So what do you think?" Dick asked enigmatically.

"It's an office....pretty boring if you ask me." Don replied nonchalantly.

"Don't see anything you recognise?" Dick was seemingly trying hint at some greater meaning but it was still lost on him, Don simply shrugged in response.

"Come this way my friend." Dick led him over to one of the cubicles, it didn't seem any different; in fact it wasn't until Don saw the name plaque that he took more notice.

Donald Anderson

"This is my dream!?" Don couldn't help but yell. Dick didn't give him the affirmation he was looking for. He gestured side to side with his head as to imply it was only half correct.

"Not exactly. The group I work for has been doing some amazing innovations when it comes to scanning the Dhub for dreams. We are able to index and catalog dreams based on content, frequency, type and a whole lot of other shit. This dream popped up a while ago and we were able to save a snapshot of it. In fact this isn't even a proper dream right now. It has most of the characteristics of a dream but it lacks the personal touch."

Now that Dick had revealed the true nature of the dream Don could identify the feeling he was getting. It was similar to when he entered the permanent dream worlds, not quite as solid as they are but close to it. Dick continued as if reading his mind.

"We can't keep them around forever, but we can hold onto them long enough to investigate, they also live off the regular Dhub grid which means we wont get any uninvited guests. Unfortunately our software couldn't seem to track the owner of this dream but we should be able to get enough clues to find out more."

Don rifled through the piles of paper on the desk, like most dreams it was absolute gibberish, the human brain only compiled enough information for the dream world that was needed for its creator, small details on piles of paper wouldn't be needed. The drawers were mostly empty except some standard stationary.

"If this isn't my dream then there probably isn't much here, their subconscious wouldn't have bothered to leave anything about somebody else, especially if they didn't know me." Don admitted.

"That is mostly true, but its all in the little details, if you bothered to look you'll notice that not many other desks don't have name tags, yours is one of the few." Dick gestered around the room and pointed to several other cubicles within sight.
He was right, most of the other cubicles, while similar in appearance didn't have the gold coloured plaque his did.

"This person might have known you either professionally or personally. in which case it's worth investigating isn't it?" Dick gave him the most annoying know-it-all smirk. Don made his way to the next desk with a name.

Joan Peters

The name didn't mean anything to him, but he could barely remember anything about his former life. This was going to take a while.

"How long will the dream stay here?"

"Hard to say, the technology keeping it here is still experimental. I would pay attention to your surroundings though, we have observed dreams like this collapsing at a moments notice. Anyway I'm off, good luck." Dick gave him a double thumbs up sauntered toward the exit.

Don looked back over at the empty office and dreaded the daunting task that lay before him.

 

[SinisterSpiders]

Jo went from standing in a waiting room suspended in space, to actually being suspended in space. She was still holding Matthe's hand, and as she realized the nothingness around them she stumbled. His hand was the only thing that kept her from falling.

"There is no need to panic," Matthew assured her in a calm tone. "This space is not like the other. You cannot see it yet, but there is a world of around us. You won't fall."

Jo nodded mutely, with a frown on her face.

"So, where are we then?" She asked, looking around. Matthew smiled. The space they were in was pure and utter blackness. There were no lights around them, and no sense of how big or small the area was. Jo only knew that she could feel nothing beyond the fact that her feet were flat and she was holding Matthew's hand. She didn't know if a step forward would find her on solid ground or hurtling through nothingness.

"The Dreamhub is complicated. I could talk about how it works for days. Weeks, even. This place.... we made it as an easy way to explain how things work. You see. It all starts with the Dreamer. Right now, we'll say this is you," Matthew started. As soon as he spoke she felt a warm, comforting beam of light surround Jo. She didn't know where it came from, but it began and end just a foot either side of her in every direction. Matthew smirked, seeing her try to figure it out around her.

"Each dreamer is connected to their Sandman Device via their headset. The device acts as a gateway between their conscious and subconscious minds. The first Sandman devices did just this- provide awareness and the ability to form memories where there wasn't one before. The one you're using though- it's connected to a network. On that network? Hundreds and millions of other dreamers."

As Matthew finished that last sentence, the world around them flared to life. Whisper thin tendrils of light, more than Jo could count in her lifetime flared out from her in a blinding flash. Each one raced and raced through the darkness until it connected to another dreamer. Each dreamer touched then exploded with their own light- their tendrils racing out to find others. More and more and more until Jo was breathless with the sheer amount of bodies in this seemingly endless space. Jo just looked around, overwhelmed with the sheer presence and connection of it all.

"For the most part," Matthew continued, his voice surprising loud in Jo's ear. She jumped, almost having forgotten he was beside her. "These dreamers are just observers. They can see what their own dreamselves are doing, others too if they run into them. They are amused by the oddness of their dreams and wake up with amusing anecdotes to exchange over the water coolers.

"Then there are those we talked about earlier. Those who can become aware of and control their unconscious dreamselves to varying extents." Matthew waved his hand and most of the room went dull. All around the people were now scattered through the space, few and far between. So much so that Jo had trouble making out the details of their faces. "Even fewer are able manipulate their dreamselves and the fabric of their dreamscapes." More people disappeared, and now it was almost as though the few who did remain were the far off stars in a dark overcast sky. Matthew turned, taking a step closer to Jo. The light that surrounded her enveloped him now, and she shivered at his closeness.

"Then there is you...." The world around them when blank once more. "And perhaps a few others. One, maximum two that we have encountered..." Off in the distance, so far Jo almost doubted that the lights existed, two more speck graced the darkness. "Well, as I mentioned, you are not only aware and able to manipulate your own dreams.... but the very Dhub itself. You proved it to me before. When you brought that tower in the underwater dome crashing down you sent out a shock-wave of panic through the realm. Every dreamer around would have felt that momentary flicker of panic. Every. Single. One."

Jo's eyed widened. It wasn't something that she had intended to do. It wasn't something she even knew she could do. She thought that it was perhaps why Don had taken her under his wing. Why he had started training her on how to use her abilities. Perhaps even the reason that he had been warning her about the foul forces at play in this subconscious world.

"Now, I have every faith that you are a good person Jo," Matthew said with a friendly and confident smile, "But the others... well, they are not. We managed to deal with one-" one of the distant speck winked out, "But the other one? Well, we're going to need your help. He is powerful. Far more powerful than we first thought. And dangerous too. Let me show you why."

With a click of his fingers, Matthew brought the room flaring back to life. Once more Jo was just a tiny atom in a sea of humanity. She covered her eyes for a few moments as she got used to the brightness, the fullness once more. She could feel those thin tendrils of connection keenly now. Each one a pulsing anchor to her fellow dreamers.

"This other Dreamer. The other point-zero-zero-zero-one-percenter. He has discovered how to use his powers to cut off other dreamers. Anyone on the Dhub is exposed to his threat. He can do it slowly. One by one-"

Jo caught some flickers in the corner of her eye, but when she turned she couldn't tell what they were. They were people disappearing, of that she was sure, but they felt so far off and isolated that they barely warranted notice.

"But the real danger is that he can do it in bigger groups. If he wants, even an entire dreamscape could be isolated."

Immediately to Jo's left, a group of about fifty people just vanished. Gone. There was a huge gaping nothingness where they once were, and all sense of connection to the life and vigor that was once in that space was just gone.

"And... What happens if they are isolated?" Jo asked, a frown tugging at her red lips. Matthew sighed heavily.

"Their subconscious is cast adrift in the backwash of the Dhub. Without any connection to the Network, the Sandman device is unable to bring them back to their bodies, and back to their real life," Matthew said, falling silent, leaving Jo to process this.

Jo turned properly to face the gaping chasm to her side. Just the dark nothingness where there was life before was enough to make her heart beat faster. How was this possible, that one person could ruin so many lives? How could so many people's subconscious minds just disappear, their real selves never to wake again? The idea made Jo feel ill. Sick, right down to the very core of her being.

The next realization hit Jo like a physical blow: If Matthew was telling the truth, she herself had the power to do this.

Jo coulnd't even bring herself to think about contemplating such an atrocity. What sort of monster would be out there who could do such a thing? Jo didn't know, but she knew she couldn't just walk away now that she was aware of the danger to so many innocent lives.

"How... What... Tell me what I can do," Jo said firmly, turning back to Matthew. With a click of his fingers and a satisfied smirk the world around them once more went completely black.

"Take my hand and I will show you," he said.

This time when Jo reached out and took Matthew's hand it wasn't as an excuse to escape. It was with the firm and conscious intention to join his cause.

 

[DungeonsOfDread]

Don

Don spent what could have been hours maybe even days pouring over every inch of the dream. He'd even started to inspect the walls for clues. Dick jumped back in to check up on him a few times but he didn't really help, he seemed to be more interested in what Don was thinking.

By this point Don was pretty certain he knew who owned the dream. He was sitting at the most detailed desk in the whole office, it contained family pictures and actual stationary in the drawers. Her name was

Trinity Fisher

She was a woman mostly likely in her mid-thirties with a husband and two kids, he didn't recognise any of them but it gave him an odd sense of belonging, this small connection to the outside world made him feel human again. The big question was how did she know him? Was he a close friend or just another colleague? As Dick pointed out, the fact that his name was on a desk did mean something.

Don noticed Dick enter the dream but didn't acknowledge him until he was standing directly behind him.

"The dream is starting to dissipate., did you find what you need?"

Don already knew it was happening, he just wanted to make sure he hadn't missed anything. Don stood up before Dick made another move.

"Okay I think I have everything I need." Don lied.

"Let's go then!" Dick gestured toward the exit with and open palm.

After Don and Dick passed through the saved dreamscapes Don took small mental notes about their make up and location. Despite the fact that they were all different and volatile in nature their location within the Dhub was static, should he choose to Don could return here.

As soon as they return to the regular Dhub Don left Dick behind, he didn't need a tail while he waded his way through the Dhub in search of what he was after. Now he had a name it would be much easier to find what he was looking for.

Don spent an indeterminate amount of time searching for his quarry, He knew that the Dhub was massive and finding her would be like trying to find needle in a haystack but for someone like him it shouldn't have been so hard. He was about ready to give up until he got his first real lead.

It wasn't a her location but he found out that someone else was looking for her. The last few dreamers he asked kept saying the same thing.

"Hey yeah, someone else was just here looking for her."

Although none of them knew Trinity they were at least able to point him in the direction of his competition. Who was this newcomer? Why were they looking for Trinity? Don doubled his efforts and knew he was closing in on his new target.

 

[SinisterSpiders]

Before explaining how the Dhub worked, Matthew had told her that it was complicated. She knew now that he wasn't joking. After returning to what Matthew referred to as "Head Q" (which he thought was a terribly ingenious pun), Jo was shown around and settled in. Much to her surprise, the place operated much like what she imagined a military bunker would be. There didn't seem to be any windows or exits to the joint, not of the traditional outward looking kind at least, and everyone was buzzing about with a sense of purpose. There were meeting rooms, 'sleeping' quarters, strategy rooms, and even a central control room that somehow had screens hooked up to show various different places within the Dhub network.

Upon arrival, Jo was shown to her own room in the 'sleeping' quarters. She immediately asked what use it would be if she was already asleep, and Matthew told her that it was usually where people could go to get some 'space' rather than to sleep. After that, she was introduced to some of the team. There was a constant string of people coming and going

After they went through the tour Matthew took her straight to the training grounds. Despite her earlier wariness of him she soon found that he made an excellent teacher. He seemed to know a lot about the Dhub, and he had a comfort and sense of ease with his surroundings that Don didn't have. They went through the basics at first; discovering who was a Dreamwalker, and who was a normal dreamer, how to best interact with both, determining when your own dreasmcape had been tampered with, how to detect the undercurrents of personal energy that tagged when people were connected or not...

It went on and on for what seemed like days. They took breaks in between, ate meals, met people, spent time apart in their "sleeping" quarters. At one point Jo had almost forgotten that there was a world outside the Dhub at all. This new level of awareness had distracted her so utterly. But then she saw an alarm clock on her bedside table. It looked just like one she used to have as a child. It reminded her that she did have something to wake up for, something outside the vast network of minds that needed her attention.

"I need to wake up," Jo said, panting, after she ran through the halls to find Matthew. He froze for a moment before turning his charming, care-free smile on her once more.

"What do you mean?" He asked. Jo rolled her eyes. She noticed that people in this place tended to come and go, but not Matthew. He was always around when she needed him.

"I need to wake up, I need to go to work- I have a shift in the morning! Shit, what day even is it? I feel like I've been here a whole week- hell, a month maybe!" Jo said. Understanding dawned in Matthew's eyes and he shrugged.

"No, no... No need to worry. I've said it before, but just remember that time passes differently in the Dhub. If you had your machine set for a time to wake you, then it will wake you. You don't need to be concerned about oversleeping," he told her with that easy confidence of his. Jo frowned and he raised his hands placatingly, "Look, I get it, it feels like you have been here too long. Dreams have a way of doing that. Have you ever had one of those dreams that dragged you through months? Maybe years. Think of this as one of those."

Matthew was right, of course, she'd had those dreams before. But for some reason Jo had trouble believing him. It just felt wrong. Perhaps it was a mental overload, maybe she just needed a break. If work could be called a break. At least waking up in her own place and seeing Peggy for dinner would be nice. It would be good to think about something simpler than catastrophic mass murder and how to prevent it. Also, she thought to herself, it would help to get some perspective. Do a bit of research. See how these theories stack up out there. In the real world.

"Okay, but can I just wake up now? I mean, if I want to? I feel like... I just need some time. Restore a bit of normal..." Jo said. There was a flash of something in Matthew's eyes before he shook his head.

"Come with me, there is something I want to show you..." Matthew said, turning on his heel and leading Jo down the main corridor.

Matthew led Jo into the main control room. They greeted several people monitoring one of the more popular dens of iniquity on the main screens. But then Matthew led Jo to a room that she hadn't been in before. In fact, she hadn't even notice the door. It seemed to appear the moment he gestured to it, and she nodded, impressed. He opened if for her and when she stepped inside it led to another of those endless dark spaces like she was in before, only this time she was standing on a standard industrial looking metal gangway with a door at her back. This one was also lit up like a galaxy, and she couldn't help but feel humbled by it.

"Three months ago," Matthew begun slowly, his voice low, "There were more lights out there. More dreamers connected to the hub. We've run an analysis; they aren't disappearing because people have stopped using the system. If anything, the recent developments in poorer parts of the world have meant that our number should be increasing healthily. No... these people are disappearing... And, at the rate we're talking, you could look out there now and probably catch one disappear."

That news hit Jo like a kick in the guts.

"So yes, you could go out, wake up, spend your 16 hours doing things... but that is sixteen less hours in real-time that you are training in here. A veritable eternity in the Dhub that you will be away. Who knows how many lights will be snuffed in that time?" Matthew asked. He let out a heavy sigh and turned, leaning against the metal railing and rubbing his eyes. For the first time since Jo had met him he looked tired. Not in the 'needs a good sleep' kind of way, but in the sense that he has been working too part for too long. "You can go if you want. I can't stop you from waking up... but if you do, please make sure you come back. You are the only person of your kind that we have found that we can trust. We need you. They-" he gestured behind himself to the galaxy of consciousness beyond, "They need you..."

So Jo got back to work.

 

[DungeonsOfDread]

Don

Don raced through the Dhub with renewed purpose, he felt like a lion chasing the fox that was chasing a mouse. Whoever was after Trinity was barely a step ahead of him and Don was desperate to catch up.

It wasn't until he'd hit a familiar dream that he stopped his relentless pursuit. It was the office dream again, only this time there were people there, some were dream constructs and others were visitors from all over.

For an office it was oddly busy, Don waded his way through the throng of people to make his way to one of the desks. His Desk.

It shouldn't have surprised him to see what he did but it did nonetheless. A man sat alone in the small cubicle staring the computer screen. To any other observer, there wouldn't be anything odd about this but this boring plain worker was Don.

To be more exact he looked like Don, the hair cut was different, more professional and neat. He was wearing a clean pressed white shirt and black business pants. Don imagined that this man was just a dream construct of Trinity but there was still a chance he could get more info from it. Just as he entered the cubicle the construct turned around and looked at him directly. Don was completely taken aback. He expected the mans face to be blurry and undefined like any other construct but his face was clear and very expressive.

"Hello Don. It's nice to finally meet you."