DreamWorld
Tobias stops off outside of a large club/bar called the Inferno as he parks the Motorcycle and moves as someone comes sailing out of a window as the window rematerialized before someone else goes sailing out as Tobias laughs and pushed the double doors in as he is met with the sight of various sin and debauchery. Between nude women of all colors, and creature types, to various forms of drug use, gambling, violence and sex, Tobias seems comfortably at home as he goes and sits at the bar as a large devil like figure, with horns and douchebag sunglasses smirks and comes over to him.
Lucifer: Tobias. My favorite customer.
Tobias: You say that about everyone, Lucy.
Lucifer: Only to the ones I like. Drink?
Tobias: Double, rum and coke please.
Lucifer: Of course.
Lucifer makes him the drink and makes himself a shot as he slides the drink to Tobias who takes it and clinks it with Lucifer's shot glass as the two down their drinks.
Tobias: Always hits the spot.
Lucifer: Drink with the devil, and you'll never be displeased.
Tobias: Here on business, Lucy.
Lucifer: Well, business is what I'm always dealing with. Lay it on me.
Tobias: Wait, gotta ask.
Lucifer: Here we go…
Tobias: How don't I know you're not just a figment?
Lucifer: Religion exists, and will always exist. I am as real as the stories told, and I exist just as you exist. Everyone had a little heaven and a little hell in them. Some just embrace it more than others.
Tobias: I don't even believe in you, Lucy.
Lucifer: But I believe in you. And isn't that all that matters?
Tobias: Senator Danvers, sound familiar?
Lucifer: Quite the regular.
Tobias: No surprise. I need to find him.
Lucifer: Time crunch?
Tobias: Fifteen minutes.
Lucifer: Sounds like a problem.
Tobias: Any ideas where he is?
Lucifer: You didn't see the giant billboards all over the place? Seems pretty obvious.
Tobias: The obvious ain't my bag man. And I ain't got the time. Do you know where he is?
Lucifer smiles and pours himself a shot as he takes it and nods.
Lucifer: I have an idea. But there's a problem.
Tobias: Is there now?
Lucifer: I know where his party is, but he's...off the grid.
Tobias: How is that possible?
Lucifer: Someone's keeping him tethered here. Don't know how or why. I have a general direction...but that's about all I can do.
Tobias: Sounds good. What I owe ya?
Lucifer: On the house.
Tobias: You're the best, Lucy.
Lucifer: So they tell me.
Tobias looks at his phone as he got a message that says it's from Lucifer, opening it up as he sees the route he needs to take as Tobias heads off and out of the Inferno bar as Lucifer smirks and watches as more violence erupts around him.
Elsewhere
Alex paces back and forth as he looks to see the time ticking away.
Alex: Come on, Tobias…
DreamWorld
Tobias gets to the coordinates and gets off his bike as he looks about and scans about the area as he can feel the ground shake under him.
Tobias: Neural decay...he's around…
Tobias quickly begins looking for any signs and eventually finds a caverns-like entrance.
Tobias: Best chance I got.
Tobias takes off towards it as the ground shakes and some digital flashes begin to skitz out around him.
Tobias: Definitely the right path.
Tobias reached back behind him and pulls a modded out Rifle as he scans about and heads into the cave as he follows the winding path until her comes to a set of Three Doors, Tobias touching each one as the middle one causes a louder tremor, Tobias nodding as he takes a deep breath and kicks the door in as he keeps the rifle up and tells the Hooded Figure not to move as the Senator, dressed in medieval armor was tied down with chains as the room shook violently.
Tobias: Nothing has to happen here...I just need the Senator.
Hooded Figure: (modulated voice) It is not your time, Tobias Matheson. The wheel spins, and yet your purpose is not yet chosen. The Senator must die. The reckoning must begin. We must be Awakened.
Tobias: Awakened…?
Hooded Figure: Turn yourself away, Tobias. You matter not with this. Involve yourself too soon and you cannot be saved.
Tobias: Okay, sure.
Tobias fire point blank and hits the Hooded Figure in the head, dropping him as Tobias quickly runs and begins firing at the chain locks as the Hooded Figure quickly rises and comes for Tobias from behind, tossing him violently into the side of the wall as Tobias groans and winced as the tremors become more violent and frequent.
Elsewhere
Alex sees that there is only four minutes left as the A.N.N device begins beeping loudly.
Agent: I'm getting critical overloading, Neural decay at 11 % and rising!
Alex comes to Tobias and squats down.
Alex: Tobias! Come on man, I need you to come through! Tobias…!
DreamWorld
Tobias can hear Alex's voice echoing through tremors as the Hooded Figure materializes a Blade and stabs it down at Tobias who moves and quickly delivers a running knee that takes the Hooded Figure down as he scoops the rifle up and fires at the last chain lock, freeing Senator Danvers as Tobias quickly hands him his phone.
Tobias: Exit, exit now!
The Senator nods and quickly hits an exit button, disappearing all of a sudden as The Hooded Figure stands as Tobias shrugs.
Tobias: Sorry.
Hooded Figure: His survival is a test. A test you have passed. You will hear from us again.
Tobias: The Awakened…?
Hooded Figure: We are more. We are everything. We are everywhere.
The Hooded Figure glitches and then disappears as Tobias begins to rub his thumb against his palm, closing his eyes as he does.
Elsewhere
Alex watches as Tobias begins to rub his thumb against his palm before he slowly opens his eyes, Alex nodding as Tobias looks over to see Agents and Paramedics checking in the Senator and his party as they were all awake but incoherent.
Alex: Luckily he was the host, so they woke up when he woke up. You okay?
Tobias: Heads splitting.
Alex: I'll get you a coffee and some migraine meds. Come on.
Alex helps Tobias up as more agents and paramedics flops into the home.
Elsewhere
Vade turns in his chair as Esmeray raises an eyebrow at him.
Esmeray: Well?
Vade: Three minutes to spare. Vitals are high, neural decay peaked at 16%. They'll be off the network for a few weeks before they can reboot themselves back into a share.
Esmeray: Dreamer did good then?
Vade: Think I have a name and face to match.
Esmeray: No shit? a registered?
Vade: A register. Meet Tobias Matheson, Dreamer 2217.
Esmeray watched as Vade swipes the image over to her screen, Esmeray nodding as she reads the file of Tobias and kicks her legs up against the desk.
Esmeray: What do you think?
Vade: I don't like that he's registered.
Esmeray: But he's got control.
Vade: That a risk you're willing to take?
Esmeray: Only if you are.
Vade: Hmm. I'll think about it.
Esmeray: Think you can get the temporal feed before Orion wipes it or data locks it?
Vade: Alright got it recorded and decoding now. Wanna see what the irregularities were.
Esmeray: Wasn't it just the dreamer?
Vade: No. Whatever happened at the six hour mark they doubled up on to critical overloading and it wasn't the network. I've checked and checked. This was outside interference.
Esmeray: Well then by all means.
Esmeray gets up and grabs her jacket as she grabs her keys as Vade looks at her.
Vade: And where are you going?
Esmeray: I've got to go talk with Kami.
Vade: Esmeray…
Esmeray: If anyone's gonna know more about this Tobias guy it's gonna be Kami.
Vade sighs and goes back to his screen as Esmeray confidently strides out of the room.
Elsewhere
Tobias sits on the balcony, a coffee in hand as he has his head leaning against his hand as Alex means with his back against the bannister.
Alex: Everything will be hush hushed, you know how it goes.
Tobias: Doesn't bother me one way or another.
Alex: I thought all of you Dreamers were idealistic.
Tobias: I'm more the pragmatic type.
Alex: What'd you see in there?
Tobias shrugs as he takes a sip.
Alex: Look, you and me both know you don't show up on the Neural feeds. I need to know what I'm dealing with.
Tobias: There was someone else.
Alex: A dreamer?
Tobias: I think so.
Alex: How is that possible? Don't dreamers have to be in the exact vicinity to infiltrate?
Tobias: I thought so...but maybe not.
Alex: Sure it wasn't someone networked in?
Tobias: Well, if someone in a Hood shows up on your feed kicking air then let me know.
Alex: What did they say?
Tobias: Nothing. Babbling about the Awakened and shit.
Alex: The Awakened... not possible.
Tobias: Just telling you what he said.
Alex: Anything else?
Tobias: They knew my name. Said it was a test.
Alex: They did?
Tobias: Yeah...thing is, I don't doubt that. I shot the fucking in the head and he didn't dematerialize. Probably could've killed me if he really wanted to but didn't. Then he just blinked out, like I do when I wake myself up.
Alex: We've got a A.N.N blackout for the six miles radius we'll scan every system and see what comes up. You'll get a deposit in a day or two and I've been told your door has been fixed. You want a lift?
Tobias: Nah, I'll walk. I need a drink, a real drink. No offense.
Alex: None taken. Take your time. Thank you, Tobias. You did this country a huge favor.
Tobias: Yeah…
Alex pats him on the shoulder and heads back inside as Tobias finishes the coffee and groans as he stands and leaves the residence as he puts his hands in his pockets and puts some distance between himself and the nice neighborhood.
End of chapter