Outside a Nice Home in Orion City
Esmeray knocks on the door and waits for a long while as she checks her phone before a scanner on the door scans her face, beeping before the door unlocked as Kami Lucas, a beautiful blue eyed brunette who folds her arms with a scowl as Esmeray smirks.
Esmeray: Kami.
Kami: Ray... the hell are you doing?
Esmeray: I need to talk.
Kami rolls her eyes and moved herself to the side to let Esmeray in as Esmeray comes in and stands in the middle of her living room as Kami shuts the door as Esmeray pulls her phone out as she pulls an app up and hits in a code as the phone scans Esmeray and then scans Kami as Kami raises an eyebrow as Esmeray sets her phone down.
Esmeray: A portable sweeper. Little app I designed. Allows us to talk freely and openly without worry of surveillance.
Kami: What are you doing here, Ray? what's going on?
Esmeray: Tobias Matheson. Ring any bells?
Kami seems surprised by this ad Esmeray watches her face.
Esmeray: I can see I hit a nerve there.
Kami: Tobias is a registered dreamer, but one of the only ones who can infiltrate with a stable link.
Esmeray: Like you could…
Kami: I did what I had to do.
Esmeray: Yeah, by doing Orion Industrials dirty work.
Kami: Again, I did what I had to do. I don't have to explain myself to you. And word to the wise, I'd stay away from Tobias. He's good, but he's not the most trustworthy person.
Esmeray: Care to explain?
Kami: Not particularly. Just heed the warning.
Esmeray: Something is going on out there. We're not sure what but…
Kami: Ray...if you go looking for trouble, you're going to find it. Whatever it is you're planning...stop...before it's too late.
Esmeray: I'm not willing to stop fighting, same as my brother before me…
Kami: Don't...don't that is not fair!
Esmeray can see the anger and sadness in her face as Kami rubs her hands.
Kami: what happened to your brother…
Esmeray: He loved you.
Kami: And you think I didn't love him?!
Esmeray: You go legit and he winds up dead weeks later.
Kami: I did everything I could for him, to stop him from going out that night! If you think, for a goddamn second I would have anything to do with his death...you better…
Esmeray: I'm not here to start this. I forget that our wounds heal and scar differently that's all. We represent the sides of the coin he was. You believe in yours and I believe in mine.
Esmeray grabs her phone and turns the app off as she heads to the door.
Esmeray: Thanks for the heads up on Tobias. I'll think about it.
Esmeray exits her home as Kami sits down and rubs her brow as she seems conflicted.
Elsewhere.
Tobias checks over his door before he shrugs and heads in, throwing his keys onto the couch before he goes and finds his bed and flops down on it, grabbing at a bottle of whiskey as he takes a long direct swig from it before he checks his phone and sees no new messages as he grimaced and puts his phone down as he begins to thumb his palm as he grits his teeth and then closes his eyes as he suddenly drifts before he opens his eyes and sits up as he looks to see a Woman moving about getting dress.
DreamWorld
Tobias: What are you doing?
Valencia Meadows, Tobias's dream woman and mate looks at him as she straps her bra on and gets a shirt on as she comes over and kisses him.
Valencia: It's like noon, babe. I'm not staying naked all damn day.
Tobias: Since when do you make that call?
Valencia: Since you decided to make me more and more realistic instead of some made up sex object?
Tobias: Man...dumb.
Valencia: What happened? I felt you earlier but you were pretty far away.
Tobias: Was helping Crowe daddy out.
Valencia: Ahh, how is Alex?
Tobias: Stiffer and stiffer everytime I see him.
Tobias pats himself and pulls up a cigarette as Valencia gives him a look.
Tobias: Don't start with me.
Valencia: Your health.
Tobias: (lights cigarette)Yeah well.
Valencia: What happened?
Tobias: Just work stuff.
Valencia comes over and runs a hand through his hair as he looks up at her as she smiles.
Valencia: You don't have to share if you don't want too…
Tobias: Just have a lot on my mind. Trying to make sense of it.
Valencia: Well, how about, we go and get something to eat and get yourself to relax a bit.
Tobias smiles and nods as he puts the cigarette out and watches as it dematerializes as Valencia finishes getting dressed as Tobias looks outside to see the insanity of millions of people's shared dreams converged into a one hodgepodge of sci-fi and fantasy tropes.
Tobias: Just another day in paradise.
Elsewhere
Alex stands with his arms behind his back as Two Men in suits stand before home as the elevator reached the top floor before dinging and opening up as the Two Men walk forward and open the double doors into a large conference room where seven me and three women sit five to a side as Alex goes and stands at the edge of the table as the head of Orion Industrial, sixty eight year Winston Vernon puts his hands together.
Winston: Agent Crowe. What news do you have for us?
Alex: With the help of a Dreamer, we were able to rescue Senator Danvers from critical overloading. He is suffering from a pretty significant amount of neural decay but we believe he'll make a full recovery. everything is on this file and I have sent over the data feeds.
Winston: Yes, about that. We saw that Danvers was held down by something unseen. Care to explain?
Alex: We cannot confirm, but we believe a possible second Dreamer may have been responsible.
The board murmurs as Winston nods.
Winston: I see. A theory of course. But we'll need more than a theory. Someone is targeting high end supporters, and we cannot have another frenzy like the Awakened nonsense occur again. Discretion is key here. I allocate any and all services to your department. Your captain has been informed of my decision. This dreamer of yours...2217. Can he be trusted to keep quiet?
Alex: I've known Tobias for most of my life. We grew up together. He's trustworthy.
Winston: I want to believe you. However, we cannot have this information getting out. The board has voted unanimously to have him apprehended.
Alex: Sir, that's unnecessary…
Winston: Orders have already been given. If he resists he will be terminated. Are these orders in conflict or do we have an understanding?
Alex: We are understood, sir.
Winston: Choose your people more wisely next time. Dreamers are disposal assists. Be well to remember that. And find out who was behind the attack.
Alex: Yes, sir. Thank you.
Alex turns and heads off with the Two Men following behind him as Alex quickly pulls his phone out and texts a number before putting his phone away as he gets back into the elevator with a solemn look.
Elsewhere
Esmeray checks her phone and answers it as she seems surprised.
Esmeray: What's going on?
Vade: Just got a tip to check the D.R.C register list, and Tobias has been scrubbed. They're about to take him off the grid.
Esmeray: Shit!
Vade: What do you want to do?
Esmeray: Can't lose this guy...no fucking way.
Vade: They're sending a unit there now, ETA, seven minutes. Sending you his address. You better haul ass.
Esmeray checks her phone as she hangs up and finds the quickest route she begins to head off as fast as her legs could carry her.
DreamWorld
Tobias and Valencia walk hand and hand as Tobias throws a grenade that rolled towards him away as it exploded into the air and nearly knocks a guy out of the sky who was flying by as he flips Tobias off as Tobias just waves at him as Valencia snickers and gives him a cheek kiss as she smiled at the sunshine and the perfect weather.
Valencia: So why don't you add to the dream share?
Tobias: Pfft, and let these animals have access to you. No way.
Valencia: I'm serious.
Tobias: And I'm serious. I'm not giving you up. Not to anyone and everyone.
Valencia: I'm not real, Tobias.
Tobias: You are to me. And that's what matters.
Valencia blushed as she looks around quickly and then grabs Tobias by his shoulders.
Valencia: You need to wake up!
Tobias; What...what's going on?
Valencia: Something... something is happening...you need to wake up, babe, now! Wake up!
Tobias starts rubbing his thumb against his palm as Valencia seemed panicked as she looks about.
Valencia: Wake up!
Elsewhere
The new door that was just installed is broken in ad Tobias jumps up from his bed and quickly throws his arms up as the D.R.C agents scream and point the weapons at him as Tobias is confused as he is violently thrown down and patted before one starts to put cuffs on but Tobias can hear a muffled voice shouting at someone else before there is errant gunfire which makes Tobias cover up as the Agents switch their focus from him as Tobias looks up and sees Esmeray violently beating the hell out of the Agents, kicks, punches, disarming moves and a violently crotch kick that makes Tobias cringe as Tobias watches a Agent grab Esmeray from behind as another agent violently strikes her in the stomach, Tobias quickly jumping up as he grabs the Agent who grabbed her from behind and puts him off, Tobias slamming his head repeatedly against the side of the door as Esmeray disarms the other Agent who rose his gun to fire but as she took the gun the same way Vade had the Hustler she fires into the Agents face, killing him as Tobias looks shocked as she turns and caps the other Agents with precise headshots.
Tobias: Holy shit.
Esmeray: Thank me later. We won't have much time. Grab anything you value and follow me.
Esmeray turns and heads out as Tobias looks about and quickly grabs his shoes and his wallet before following Esmeray out of his busted up apartment full of dead agents.
End of chapter