Elsewhere
Vade turns in his chair as Tobias and Esmeray return as Vade stands and comes over towards them.
Vade: Alex is onto us.
Tobias: Alex was here?
Vade: Yeah, but he's with a guy I knew named Chris. Bit of a believer, that one. They should clash long enough for us to get what we need done.
Esmeray: No way we can wait till Thursday now.
Vade: No, not at all. Look.
Esmeray and Tobias look at a news report that Vade has stopped, Vade pushes play as the report resumes.
Reporter: Orion Industrial is reporting that a major breach has occured, and though details are scarce, they are reporting that all A.N.N networks are secure and the D.R.C is looking into the matter. Dreamers are believed to be responsible and the registered members are being checked and questioned…
Tobias: Shit.
Esmeray: What sort of breach?
Vade: A chain code for A.N.N was taken.
Esmeray: A chain code? Why in the hell would anyone steal a chain code? Code that powerful would fry anyone's dream share.
Tobias: Not if you're a dreamer.
Esmeray: What?
Tobias: Dreamers don't have to abide by the A.N.N dream sharing network. It is possible for someone to absorb that chain code and be relatively okay. But doing that is still insane.
Vade: If we're doing this. We need to do it now.
Tobias: Why?
Vade: They're going to move all of the board members to safe locations. Van is going to be transported in the next few hours. If we intercept his caravan we can induce him and get into the dream share and get what we need.
Esmeray: We're adding a helluva of a lot of trouble to that.
Vade: Ray, it's now or never.
Tobias: The security detail on the board is going to be nuts.
Vade: I can handle it. You two will need to handle the rest.
Vade grabs a backpack as he looks at the two.
Vade: We doing this or not?
Vade heads on without an answer as Esmeray and Tobias give one another a look as they then fall in behind him.
Elsewhere
Chris and Alex head inside the precinct as Sam is directing groups of D.R.C. members to various zones and streets as Sam waves the two over.
Sam: We've got ourselves a cluster fuck here.
Chris: I can see that...heard over the radio. What's going on?
Sam: A.N.N related source code has been taken. Dreamers, all feeds don't show a single thing other than the guards and Fortress that the chain code was housed in being overtaken. We've set up grid locks on all share networks and are slowly kicking all users off till we can maintain a lockdown. I've got units going to escort the Board of Orion Industrial to their safe houses and I've been told to have you two go straight to the main headquarters, you'll be leading the detail for chairman Vernon. Now go.
Sam goes back to dolling out orders as Alex huffs and turns as he and Chris head back out.
Elsewhere
Vade drives as he watches a few Cruisers speed by ad Esmeray checks her phone and scans along a line of source codes.
Esmeray: Shit, they're locking down neural networks and kicking people off.
Vade: Standard procedure.
Tobias: Means the dream world is going to be filled with D.R.C agents and nothing else. That's...wait. wait I have an idea.
Esmeray: You do?
Tobias: I've got someone who can help us out.
Vade: ETA, six minutes.
Tobias: I'll be back.
Esmeray look at Tobias as he rubs his thumb against his palm and takes deep breaths as he closes his eyes and continues to rub his palm and breath before everything seems to go still as he wakes up to see himself standing outside of the Inferno bar.
DreamWorld
Tobias scans about to see people and vehicles, castles and skyscrapers dissipating as D.R.C. marked agents and equipment are popping up all over.
Valencia: Tobias!
Tobias turns and is hugged by Valencia as he holds her to him as she grips his face and looks him over.
Valencia: Are you okay?
Tobias: I'm fine. Thank you for earlier I would've been fucked without…
Valencia: Where are you?
Tobias: In a car...traveling to kidnap a Board member from Orion.
Valencia looks at Tobias with an puzzled and concerned scowl.
Valencia: You've gotta be fucking kidding me.
Tobias: I know, I know.
Valencia: You're going to need help.
Tobias looks at the Inferno sign and sighs.
Tobias: Yeah…
Valencia: I'm not talking about him.
Tobias: I can't get you mixed up with my messes.
Valencia: That didn't stop you before…
Tobias: I got careless...and I almost lost you. So just…
Valencia: I'm not letting you out of my sight again if I can help it. We're doing this together.
Tobias nods as Valencia listens to thunderclaps as more and more D.R.C Agents appear, forcing dream shares out of the dream world with forceful tactics.
Valencia: This is horrible…
Tobias: We better get inside before they get this way.
Valencia nods and follows Tobias inside the Inferno as the bar was empty except for Lucifer who was sitting on the bar top rubbing his hands together before he looks up and smirks.
Lucifer: Tobias.
Tobias: Lucy.
Lucifer: Oh my who is this lovely vision?
Tobias looks at Valencia and hesitates to say.
Valencia: I'm Valencia.
Lucifer: That you are...you are…
Lucifer looks at her and then at Tobias who doesn't meet his gaze.
Lucifer: Interesting.
Tobias: Keep it to yourself, Luc.
Lucifer: I never figured you to be the one to have an Echo. But this world is full of surprises.
Valencia: A what? Echo?
Lucifer looks at Tobias and then at Valencia.
Lucifer: Haha oh my. Come. Come sit, have a drink.
Lucifer hops behind the counter as Tobias nods at Valencia as the two go and take a seat at the bar. Lucifer pouring them a drink as he begins to speak.
Lucifer: It is believed, that Dreamers such as Tobias here, could achieve levels of untapped potential within the dream world. Now from information that I've gathered throughout the many years (hands the drinks over) I've been able to surmise that Dreamers can achieve three distinct powers. The first and most obvious is their natural ability to infiltrate the dream world without using A.N.N tech or being part of the dream share. That's their base power. Now 99% of them can do this and only this. But there have been whispers and unconfirmed reports that they can achieve two other variating powers. One is a long ranged infiltration. Wherein the user doesn't have to be in the exact vicinity of the dream share to enter it. They can enter and leave the dreams at will (Tobias drinks) like a form of teleportation almost. The second, and the most rare, is the ability to create and sustain a dream created machination with its own free will, acting and doing independently of its user. These constructs are called Echo's. You(taking a drink and pointing at Valencia) are such a miracle.
Valencia: Tobias…?
Tobias spins his drink and finishes it.
Tobias: He's right.
Valencia: What's so special about Echo's?
Lucifer: You're life. Life within a dream. The first and only of your kind. You exist when there is no dream and you exist when there is. Your death here...would mean actual death. He could not reconstruct you, for you are a unique and living construct.
Valencia:(to Tobias) Is that why you wouldn't take me anywhere or involve me in anything? Because you're afraid if I die...I'm gone…
Tobias: If you die...you are gone. Nothing I could think of or do would bring you back. I couldn't risk it.
Valencia doesn't know what to say as Lucifer smirks and makes another drink.
Lucifer: I assume all that's going on out there is of your doing, Toby?
Tobias: I need your help.
Lucifer: Two favors in one day. How lucky am I.
Tobias: I've got a high level target I gotta get information out of. But can't do it in the open. I'll need to bring him somewhere secure...free if D.R.C influence and detection…
Lucifer: You wanna bring him here? Sure, I'd love to see how that plays out.
Tobias: What do I owe ya?
Lucifer thinks and looks at Valencia.
Lucifer: Her.
Tobias: What!?
Lucifer: Now now, I just wanna talk with her. Learn a little more about Echo's. I deal in information and this is as good as I can get with learning what I can about Echo's. That's my price.
Tobias looks at Valencia unsure but she nods at him.
Valencia: I'll be okay. I'll be right here.
Tobias nods and touches her hand as Tobias looks at Lucifer and finishes the drink.
Tobias: If anything happens to her…
Lucifer: Dear Boy, I'm the Devil. Don't make threats you know don't have the ability to follow through on. Besides. I promise to be a complete Gentlemen.
Tobias sneers but closes his eyes and takes a deep breath as he rubs his thumb against his palm before time stands still as he opens his eyes…
Reality
Tobias takes a deep breath and looks about as Vade continues to drive as Esmeray looks at him.
Esmeray: We good?
Tobias: Yeah. I think so.
Vade: Coming up. Get ready.
Vade stops at the stoplight and watched his phone as Esmeray cocks a pistol and hands it to Tobias
Esmeray: Know how to use this or are you only useful in the dream share?
Tobias takes it and puts it away.
Tobias: I can handle myself.
Esmeray: We'll see.
Vade puts his phone away as he watches the caravan of D.R.C cruisers drive past with a Lincoln town car in the middle.
Vade: Let's do this.
Tobias and Esmeray nod as Vade guns the car after them.
Elsewhere, DreamWorld
Xander stands atop a hill as he watches the D.R.C takeover and lockdown as Leon sits at the edge, smoking a cigarette as Tegan paces back and forth.
Tegan: This is so very fucked.
Xander: Not entirely.
Leon: Lockdown like this ain't good fit anybody.
Xander: We can handle this. If anything, this is exactly what I wanted.
Tegan: How? why!?
Xander points out the only line structure that was seen still standing as everything else was dissipating and being phased out by the D.R.C
Xander: That's the central control tower for the D.R.C, which allows them complete antinomy over the Dream Share. There is where we'll find the second chain code.
Tegan: That's going to be an impossible fight. Even with three of us.
Voice: Four…
The three turn as a figure approaches them, a long jagged edged sword (The Inquisitor from Fable 3) hanging behind his back and trench coat as his green eye is in contrast with his mechanical one. The Figure looks over the hill and stands beside Xander as Tegan and Leon look at him confused.
Tegan: Uh...and you are?
Xander: Tegan...Leon...this is Artur Nero, and he is my Echo.
Artur nods at them as the Two look at each other in shock before Xander smirks as he and Artur scan the horizon which is full of D.R.C agents and their presence.
End of chapter.