The Eighth Chapter

            Rhoa woke to the darkness of the room, and in his wakefulness – attempted to go back to sleep. Unfortunately, his attempt was simply just. He pulled the covers off himself, pulling his feet over the side of the bed, and rubbed the back of his neck. It was strange to no longer feel the slippery pangs of contorting metal running through his back. A light flickered on overhead, as if just noticing his presence, a soft orange casting shadows over the bed. He pushed himself onto his feet and found himself standing without issue. The light overhead turned on, and the light over the bed turned off, the overhead light a soft white. In front of him was the closet, however, a new detail presented itself. Grey prongs, just below his height, protruded slightly on the exterior of the closet. He pressed his finger on one of the prongs, and the holographic tv sprung to life. It was like the tv he had at home, but less bulky. A remote slid out the side of the prong and he mindlessly scrolled through the channels. Unfortunately, even with so many channels, none of them were appealing. He flicked on the news and let it mindlessly drone on. He sat down again on his bed, the soft fabric spreading between his fingers as he leaned back.

            Rhoa could not shake this feeling that he was being watched. Maybe that is why he woke up in the first place. Everything had felt so fast yesterday, maybe he is just now catching up to it all. But, none of it felt like it was really happening. He felt elated but detached. Could nothing in this world be true to itself, or could he just never allow himself to feel the possibilities? Rhoa shook his head in protest.

            “No, no, come on now. Get it together, Rhoa. First day on the job and you’re already running away from it.” Rhoa said to himself.

            Rhoa stood, and immediately felt uneasy. He felt eyes on him, chilled goosebumps forming on his skin. There was something in the room. He looked around, but felt his eyes avoiding the ceiling, his nostrils flaring as he edged closer to it.

Rhoa did not waste any time, he turned the holographic tv off, scrambling for his bag, and dashed through the door and into the well-lit hallway. The door closed, and he could breathe again. Standing in the hallway in nothing but boxer-briefs had its moment of cold respite, the heat of fright subsiding, but Rhoa got dressed to stave off the crisp chill lingering in the hallway. He opened his bag and retrieved a black pair of sweatpants and a regular grey shirt, both of which had been washed before he left home. As he put on his socks, he looked at his boots inside. He put them on, wondering if he would receive some form of athletic shoe at some point, which he would refuse, and closed the bag. Rhoa walked to Kay’s door, looking back periodically at his own door, and knocked. After a few seconds, a tired voice came on over the pad.

            “Yes?” Kay sleepily asked.

            “It’s me, Kay. Can I come in?” Rhoa asked.

            “Who?” Kay asked, sounding as if she could fall asleep at any moment.

            “Rhoa.” He said.

            The door opened, and Kay appeared just as tired as she sounded, wearing a grey shirt and yellow pajamas with purple polka dots. Rough dark lines had started to form under her eyes, but the strangeness of their new bodies seemed to make them much less harsh than they could have been. However, as Kay saw him, she seemed to shrug off the tiredness and liven up. Kay hugged him, and he hugged her back. They held their embrace, and it felt as if she would not let him go. Rhoa pulled away.

            “Is it alright if I come in?” Rhoa asked.

            “Yea, of course.” Kay gestured for him to come in.

            As Rhoa did so, in the corner of his eye, he saw his own door silently peeling open. Rhoa quickly walked into Kay’s room, and she shut the door. Their rooms were exactly identical, however, Kay’s looked a bit more used - the closet and shower sat open, and the holographic tv had been moved to the side of the closet. Rhoa immediately scanned the top of her room quietly, and Kay sat on her bed.

            “You’re early by the way.” Kay said rubbing her eyes. “Emily said something about picking us up yesterday but that won’t be for another hour. I’m not sure why, I could have just taken you over today.”

            Kay watched Rhoa nervously look around her room, his hands gripping his bag.

            “Rhoa?”

            “Huh?” Rhoa responded in a distracted tone, but then looked away from the ceiling.

            “You look nervous, couldn’t sleep?” Kay asked.

            “Yeah, I think I’m just nervous about today. What exactly are we doing?” He asked with a half-hearted smile.

            “Trying to figure out what your power is. I tried yesterday to no luck. Bill said I just needed some more time.” Kay said.

            “Who’s Bill?” Rhoa asked.

            “He’s the mentor here. You’ll meet him too, he’s nice.” Kay said.

            Rhoa nodded, however, he paced uneased in front of her.

            “Come sit, you’re making me nervous just watching you.” She said, patting the spot on the bed next to her.

Rhoa walked over to the bed, putting down his bag beside it, and sat down. He pushed himself back further against the wall and let his feet hover just above the ground. For a moment, he felt lonely in her presence. The Somnium gave them new bodies with abilities, and perhaps with strings that they just couldn’t see yet. There had to be some side effect, Rhoa thought to himself. The vision. He remembered that dream, calling out her name, and the freight box.

“We died, technically, you know?” Kay said beside him and pulled Rhoa from his thoughts. “I had a dream. Or was I really there? I don’t know. I never used to think about dying and what might come after, but now I’m not sure what to think. I saw your parents, and they seemed happy to see me. But it was all wrong. It felt like I was being dragged along.”

They quietly sat a moment, allowing a silence to fill after Kay spoke.

“I had a dream too. I was back at the Docks and had to chase after crazy malfunctioning robots trying to steal our cargo.” Rhoa said jokingly.

“That sounds like you.” Kay said and they both laughed.

“But, once I had disabled them, something took over.” Rhoa said, his laugh stopping and his smile fading. “There was a voice so inhuman that I can still hear it in my head, like it’s scratching to get out. It told me to open the crate, and I did. Inside, it was like I could see the universe in its bright darkness all set out before me. But then it moved and grabbed me. I called to you for help. It pulled me, pulling me closer and closer until it was everything.”

Kay was not sure what to say. Both had passed the Somnium’s test, she questioned, however, if either of them was the same person. She started reaching for his hand but stopped halfway.

A knock came to the door, and Kay got up to answer it. The door slid open, and Emily’s tired face squinted into the room, her attire the same as the other day except with a black shirt.

“Good morning, Kay. I knocked on Rhoa’s door and he didn’t answer. You wouldn’t happen to know where he is?” Emily tiredly asked, yawning.

Before Kay could answer, Emily’s tired eyes shifted from Kay to Rhoa sitting in the room. Emily’s tiredness seemed to fade away and she became immediately alert.

“Oh, there you are! In Kay’s room.” Emily said in a disapproving tone. Emily recomposed. “Well, since you’re both here we can head on over. Bill is waiting for you both.”

Emily turned into the hallway, her lab coat fluttering behind her, and turned back towards the door while crossing her arms.

“Could you guys give me a minute to change first?” Kay asked while she looked down at herself.

Rhoa stood from the bed, picking up his bag and slinging it over his shoulder, then exited the room. He walked by Emily, doing a half turn and circled for a moment before standing beside her.

            “I see you can walk normally again.” Emily said smirking, her eyes drifting to Rhoa’s legs.

            Rhoa smiled and nodded in response.

            “Thanks, again, for the help.” Rhoa said.

            “Well, I couldn’t just let you crawl through the hallways like some kind of moving door mat.” Emily said and they both laughed.

            “Who’s a doormat?” Kay said as she exited her room, she had changed into a sleeveless white shirt and grey sweatpants, along with a pair of white running shoes.

            “I helped, Rhoa, get back to his room yesterday. He was having trouble walking.” Emily said, a bit proud of herself.

            “Oh, I didn’t know. You seemed to be walking normally.” Kay said looking at Rhoa.

            “Yeah, honestly it feels pretty normal now. I guess everything caught up.” Rhoa said.

            “Just in time, right? You two have a lot on your plate going forward. C’mon.” Emily said as she turned around facing the end of the hallway.

            Emily led them down the hallway, turning left out of their hall, and down towards the training room. Rhoa readjusted the bag on his shoulder, and Kay walked beside him.

            “Why did you bring your bag with you?” Kay asked.

            “I’m,” Rhoa paused, attempting to come up with something, and sighed, “having issues adjusting to the room, I guess. I just decided to bring it with me.”

            Kay gave him a questioning look.

            “Okay. You could have changed out of your boots at least. You know there’s shoes in your closet, right?” Kay asked looking at his boots, and then down at her own shoes.

            Rhoa nervously laughed and heard Emily snicker in front of them. Kay sighed and shook her head.

            “I guess you’ll be packed for when we leave, however long that will take.” Kay said.

            The words lingered for a while, Rhoa feeling a nervousness building as heat upon the back of his neck. He looked at Kay without moving his head, for a moment, his attention then falling forward again.

How long would it take them to figure out their powers? He wondered.

If Kay has yet to figure it out, and she has some sort of talent at it, then how long could it take him? A week? A month? He took a deep breath and sighed. Rhoa pushed the thought aside for now.

            They met few people on their way, and from the lab coats, only scientists. The training area was not far from the dorms, though it was a bit further than Rhoa was expecting. Slightly closer to them on the left side was the cafeteria, closed off by a metal door with a glass middle section, overhead the door was “MESS” in simple white lettering. Slightly further ahead on the right was the briefing room with the exact same set up as the cafeteria but with “BRIEFING” overtop.

            “I think I need to grab a coffee, you two head on to the training room and I’ll catch up.” Emily said yawning and turning to them. “Do you want me to grab you guys something? Protein bar? Coffee? Water?”

            “I’ll take a water, thanks.” Rhoa said.

            “Me too, thanks.” Kay said.

            Emily nodded and walked into the Cafeteria, the door sliding close behind her. Rhoa watched her walk inside and took a quick peek through the glass. It was not large; a few round metal tables and chairs were scattered through the room. At the far end were a few large grey metal cube dispensers that probably materialized whatever someone wanted. Rhoa had heard of the machines, though never actually used one as they were incredibly expensive. A door on the right side of the room led to a lounge, though Rhoa could not tell what was in it from where he was standing. He turned away from the door and looked at Kay who was waiting patiently.

            “Sorry, was just curious. Let’s go.” Rhoa said.

            They passed the Briefing room and Rhoa glanced inside. It was the same size as the cafeteria but appeared more like a command room than a briefing room. It was dotted in consoles with a large holographic table in the middle.

            They kept walking, their shoes echoing against the walls, until finally coming to the training room. The sign overhead had chipped away with the letters sputtering “rainin”. Kay stepped through the door confidently, while Rhoa remained behind her in the hallway for a moment. He took a deep breath, his anxiety reaching a peak, and then entered. As he entered, he felt the air shift and the area opened before him. The ceiling reached far overhead, and the room stretched for quite some time, the grey metal walls marked in different places from years of wear. Most of the area was open, however, to the left of the door was a sitting area with a few benches. A few feet in front of the door was a red line that stretched from one wall to the next. The line, Rhoa suspected, is some sort of separation line indicating one section from another, the Docks came to mind. As his mind drifted, Kay walked over to the sitting area.

            “Hey, Bill!” Kay said cheerfully.

            At that moment Rhoa became aware of the other person in the room. A man stood in front of a console, that sat just outside the red line near the benches. He turned, his rippling muscles moving as he did beneath a white tank top, and a pair of copper brown eyes looked at Kay. The man’s bald head gleamed under the lights, and his black bushy beard appeared nicely kept. The man’s face was hardened, a small scar stretched from his right eye to his cheek. Perhaps an ex-soldier, Rhoa thought. The man was older than them, perhaps in his late 40s or early 50s, however, was in incredible shape. That man is shredded, Rhoa thought – the words nearly coming out of his mouth. Rhoa felt an incredible desire to leave the room immediately.

            The man’s copper eyes soullessly looked at Kay.

            Suddenly, as if a switch had been flipped, the man smiled widely and laughed.

            “Kay!” The man yelled and walked over. He grabbed her into a hug and lifted her off the ground. Surprisingly, she did not appear to be in any pain, but her ears were red in embarrassment. He then put her back on the ground and let go. Kay and the man looked over at Rhoa.

            “This is Rhoa. Rhoa, meet Bill.” Kay said smiling.

            Bill lumbered over to Rhoa, an intense stare licked at his brows as they exchanged glances. Then Bill extended a hand and smiled.

            “So, you’re Rhoa? It’s nice to finally meet you! Kay said the two of you came in together and she has been waiting for you!” Bill said happily.

            Rhoa took the muscular hand, and as rough as the hand was, Bill had a firm and controlled handshake. It was surprisingly pleasant.

            “Yea, it’s nice to meet you, Bill.” Rhoa said still in shock, his nervousness quickly fading.

            Rhoa and Bill let each other’s hand go, but Bill stood silently as if he wanted to ask something. Then seemed to gather the courage to ask.

            “Is it alright if I hug you?” Bill asked.

            “Yea, I guess that’s alright.” Rhoa said shrugging.

            Bill then picked him up in a hug, and to Rhoa’s surprise, was not crushing him. In fact, it felt like he was being hugged by a pillow. Rhoa felt much of his anxiousness melt away and made him question why he had even been nervous in the first place. Bill let him go and smiled.

            “Welcome to the Agency, Rhoa.” Bill said warmly.

            “Thanks.” Rhoa said.

            Bill turned away from Rhoa and made his way to the console.

            “Okay!” Bill said clapping his hands together. “So, welcome to the Training hall! You two are trying to discover your powers and this is the place to do it.”

            Bill stood in front of the console and began tapping on the screen. Bill then looked back at Rhoa.

            “Rhoa, would you like to lead us off today? It will get you familiar with what we’re doing quicker. If that’s alright?” Bill asked.

            “Sure, what am I doing exactly?” Rhoa asked.

            “Do you remember the dream?” Bill asked solemnly.

            “The dream?” Rhoa asked.

            “The dream you had when you were in the Somnium.” Bill said.

            “Yeah, it’s imprinted in my mind.” Rhoa said.

            “We call that dream the Dream of Rebirth. It’s the dream that will unlock your powers, because the two are linked. What we’re going to do is recreate it through a simulation, and you’re going to traverse it again.” Bill explained while turning back to the console.

            “I’m not good with simulations.” Rhoa hesitantly said, scratching at his back, and walked over to the benches. “I haven’t been in one for years. Is there something else I can do?”

            Bill shook his head.

            “Unfortunately, I’ve only ever seen it work this way. Like I said, the powers and the dream are connected.” Bill said.

            Rhoa sat down on the bench, still semi scratching at his back. He had not been anywhere near simulation technology in a long time. Bill gave a concerned look, then spoke.

            “Well, we can let Kay go first so you can get a look at what you can expect. If that’s alright, Kay?” Bill asked.

            “Sure.” Kay said, sitting down on the bench next to Rhoa.

            Bill pulled away from the console and leaned down, pulling out two black bands from the console, and walked over to Kay. Kay took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Bill took the larger of the two bands and placed it over Kay’s head until it rested just on top of her nose; a small divide in the band allowed her nose to fit snuggly. Bill then wrapped the smaller band around the lower part of her arm. Bill turned and walked back over to the console.

            “Okay, Kay, if you would please just take a deep breath and relax. Concentrate on my voice. Remember the dream, the dream of your rebirth. Feel it. You are sitting on a bench in the dream, Kay. All you have to do now is stand up and walk through the door.” Bill said in a trance like voice, his voice humming to a rhythm.

            While Bill spoke, a wall slowly descended from the ceiling and latched into the floor. A metal hatch sat just in front of Kay, and beside it a large techscreen revealed itself.

 

            When Kay opened her eyes the room around her was dark, shadows creeping ever closer to her. She scanned the room and did not see Rhoa or Bill - she was in the dream. She took a deep breath, her breathing audible and echoing inside the room, and stood. She felt weightless and yet heavy, the weight shifting completely to her feet. She moved her hands and felt as if they were moving through invisible water, gliding, and meeting resistance.

            In front of her a bright violet door illuminated itself in the darkness, and she walked towards it. With each step her feet became heavier and heavier, sluggishly making her way to the door. When she reached the door, she came to a complete stop unable to move any further. She reached for the door, the tips of her fingers just barely able to move over the rusted copper door knob. The door opened and a burst of air sucked her through.

            Kay fell to the ground gasping for air, as if breathing for the first time. As she regained her composure, she noticed that she no longer felt weightless, or like she was in water. The streetlamps buzzed methodically in a yellow luminescence, the streets a yellow hue. She was home at the Docks. But it was all wrong. The wrongness, however, was not in its shape or form - she felt its wrongness. It creeped between the contours and edges of the lamps, the streets, and the buildings. Down shadowed back alleys and closed doors, the wrongness presided yet hidden, etching itself between the lines.

            Kay crept down the street, each step more careful than the last, and avoided the subtle lines between welded metal sheets. Yet, even in her cautiousness, she felt eyes upon her. They were watching. She saw it then, a glimmer of hope cautiously moved through her, the ray of light. At the end of the street a beam of light cast itself through the opening to the Docks. She knew what was at its core, as she had seen it before – a pedestal with a guard less sword, the blade a gleaming and reflecting white.

            In her hope, Kay grew careless and stepped upon one of the subtle divides. It knew of her presence now. Between the divides, contours, and edges of the very world – it seeped through. They crawled out of buildings, back alleys, and the lamps – in the form of a person wearing a black suit. The masks upon their faces white, but upon it no one form or shape. Some masks had shadows of forms in the shape of animals, but they were unclear next to the formless. The masks were attached to their flesh crudely with spindly attachments that stemmed from the masks, like spikes made of humming organic growth.

            Kay dashed towards the Docks, no longer caring about stepping on the divides, and they crept through the cracks with each step. She looked up and saw them seeping from above, crawling down and down the buildings and streets. They were endless. In their endlessness, they appeared in front of her, blocking her way to the pedestal. She dashed into one of the back alleys, hoping that she might get around them. They chased her, their black shoes clattering away behind her. As she ran through the alley, hands grabbed at her from the walls, and she ran through them pushing away the hands, barely escaping each grasp. They tore at her skin, ripping through her shoulders, and some on her right ear. She managed to get through, the blood warmly falling down her arms, and turned left as a corner diverted her. She looked back only a moment as she ran – they ran after her and crawled over the walls, getting closer and closer.

            At the end of the alley more of the suited creatures waited. Kay looked around for some other path, but there were none. She was trapped. She kept running towards the end of the alley -she did not have a choice. An arm then sprouted from the wall and grabbed her arm, and then another gripped her leg. More and more grabbed her – pulling her inside the wall. Kay screamed until she was pulled through the wall, and then suddenly appeared back on the street. She was behind the gathering on the street, and they turned running at her. She did not have time to think, she stood again and ran towards the pedestal. The suited creatures rained from the ceiling like droplets, pooling upon the ground and running after her. All she could hear was the chattering of their shoes, and the deepness of her breaths.

            She felt colder as she got closer to the bright light of the pedestal, however, felt a bit stronger with each step. The opening to the Docks became wider, and the pedestal now in view. The sword seemed to call to her, beckoning her to retrieve it. A crash shook the ground, rumbling and thudding that sent shock waves through everything. A suited creature a hundred times larger than the others crashed through the entire left wall, its hands scrapped through and leveled a building. Its mask clipped through the ceiling and chunks of metal fell to the ground creating dents, only the upper half of its massive body visible. Kay watched with wide eyes as it twisted towards her, and another crash sounded to her right as another creature breached through. They swiped at her, but due to their lumbering size she was able to avoid them, dodging and weaving and stopping to weave between tendrilled fingers.

            The creatures closed in on Kay, they ran ahead of her on both sides crashing into the falling chunks of the walls. A set of stairs that led to the pedestal were not far now, the gleaming blade bursting in cold illumination. Some of the creatures jump for her, but she dodged them, surprising even herself. But as she ran, she felt them right behind her, the tingling tip of a finger snatching just a hair away from her neck. She felt herself jump at the stairs, only a few feet away, and glide through the air towards the sword. However, just as she jumped, so too did the creatures. She reached for the sword, screaming, its cold radiating and icing the air.

            Kay felt a snap and her grasp for the sword pulled away. She felt sick, a hand appearing out of her mouth and floundering – pulling her down to the stairs. The very air she breathed had betrayed her. A hand grabbed her leg, another hand grabbed the other, until the swarm of creatures held her in a mass. They pulled her onto the stairs, pinning her, and stood around her in a circle. A spikey tendril appeared from one of the creature’s chest, and then another from its shoulders and legs and every conceivable place. They all repeated the same, until they blotted out the brimming light. Then they struck her from every direction, blood spewed into the air and pooled upon the stairs, dripping down the metal.

It was over, they had riddled her with blood filled holes, never uttering a sound. She could barely see anymore, the light appearing again as the swarm of creatures slinked back and away from her.

            But as the light became dimmer, she discovered it was not only because of her failing vision. A suited creature remained standing over her, its shadow casting over her bloodied head. It reached down, she thought to entertain itself by eating her as they once did before, however, instead it grabbed what remained of her right arm. It dragged her up the stairs, thankfully she could no longer feel pain, her bones crunching and tendons snapping. It placed her hand next to the blade, with little than a finger’s width. Kay looked at the creature, its form of a woman. She mustered whatever she had left, barely able to move her index finger only a little. The little movement she had was plenty, the bright light that cascaded eviscerated the woman creature, and the sword disappeared.

            Kay felt something move through her, like a stream bending through her veins and limbs. She stood, her wounds repairing themselves, the light brimming around her. The current that flowed through her body only rapidly increased, growing stronger by the second. She steadied herself upon the stairs, and the light faded. But, the coursing flow in her body made her every nerve scream in joyous ecstasy.

Kay looked down upon the suits, blotting every part of the city she had once called home, instead of fear, she felt pity for them. Kay had always wanted to destroy the Docks. As if on instinct, she pushed her hands out and a wave of telekinetic energy rippled through the area that pushed the legions of creatures toppling over one another. She pushed out her hands and lifted the two giant creatures, pulling them further through the metal and toppling them, their legs and feet pushing through the ceiling. She threw them on top of the creatures, destroying the entirety of the city and everything in it.

 

            Kay pulled the band off her head, taking a real breath, and looked at the illuminated metal walls of the training room with joy. She had made it this time. Kay looked around the room, realizing she had made it to the very end, and walked back to the hatch. The hatch on the wall opened as she reached for it, and immediately she met with Rhoa. Kay walked through the door, the door closing behind her, and they stood in silence.

            “How do you feel?” Rhoa asked.

            “Good, I think.” Kay said.

            “I think you’re better than Good.” Bill said chuckling.

            Kay looked around, and saw Emily sitting on the bench sipping on a cup of coffee in a metal mug.

            “Welcome back.” Emily said a bit begrudgingly.

            Kay, as if natural, lifted her hand and pulled the mug away from Emily.

            “Hey!” Emily shouted, but watched the mug float in mid-air.

            “That’s incredible.” Rhoa said, his eyes widening.

            “Honestly, it’s amazing that you were able to unlock it with only a few sessions.” Bill said. “I haven’t seen anyone do that before.”

            Kay’s mind lingered for a moment on the woman, but then exhaustion kicked in. The mug fell to the floor, luckily it was sealed, and Kay felt her knees buckle. Rhoa caught her and helped her to the bench.

            “Well, that’s usual at least. Everyone gets exhausted after their sessions, especially after unlocking their ability.” Bill said, walking over to the bench.

            Bill removed the bands from Kay, and then looked at Rhoa. Fear seemed to manifest itself in Rhoa’s eyes, and he sat down next to Kay.

            “I’m not ready for this.” Rhoa said under his breath in a whisper.

            Bill wrapped the arm band around Rhoa’s right arm, and then gently lowered the head band down around his eyes.

            “Think about what you need to do, Rhoa.” Kay said exhausted.  

            Rhoa took a deep breath, his limbs relaxing, and Bill walked over to the console.

            “Take a deep breath and relax, Rhoa. Concentrate on my voice. Remember the dream, the dream of your rebirth. Feel it. You are sitting on a bench in the dream, Rhoa. All you have to do now is stand up and walk through the door.” Bill said rhythmically humming.