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Uh-huh, said Dog. Jack seemed to have satisfied his questions for the time
being. I m going up front just to check the heading. You? he asked,
standing.
Jack stood too, taking his mug over to wash it out, sliding past Dog as he
did so. I think I might try another session and see if I can get anything
more meaningful out of it. So remember&
Dog laughed. Forewarned. I ll call you from up front if anything happens.
Otherwise, I ll be in my cabin. We ve still got a few hours on this leg.
He slipped out of the galley, leaving Jack to attend to his own mug.
Jack replaced the mug and made his way back to the cabin. It wasn t going to
be easy to slip back into dreamstate, having just been there, but there was
something about the last session that was worrying him. What he d told Dog was
true enough, but he was sure there was something there, something he had to
tease apart to get to the meaning. There was only one way to do that go back
and see if there was anything else.
Back in his cabin, he opened the locker and dragged out his bag. Somewhere in
there, he d remembered to pack the stone shard he d acquired at the
university. His conversation with Dog had reminded him he still had it. With
any luck, it could provide the defining prompt he needed. He cursed, unable to
find it. He shoved his hand deeper into the back, feeling around beneath
hastily bundled clothing. He was on the verge of pulling everything out,
convinced that he hadn t packed it after all, when his fingers sent a sudden
flash of energy through his arm and chest. Deep in one corner, Jack s
fingertips had made contact. He pushed deeper and grasped the stone shard,
drawing it forth, his fingers curled tightly around it. That initial flash was
enough. The energy was more subdued now, but it was still there, barely
pulsing beneath his perception. Jack crossed to the bunk and placed it down in
the bed s center. He stood there for a couple of seconds, looking down at it,
debating. Would it take him back, or would it lead him somewhere completely
different? Finally, he decided it was worth the risk.
Not even bothering to shove his belongings back into the locker, he stripped
off his clothes and resumed his position, with the stone shard held beneath
his hands at the very center of his chest, but not before he had checked the
cabin door to make sure he d be truly undisturbed.
He felt the energy and tried not to think about it. He needed to fix one
thing in his mind, and this time it wasn t Billie. He thought about a voice, a
deep, sonorous voice.
Welcome to our dream.
Gradually, his breathing slowed. Gradually, his thought processes relaxed.
Down, he thought. Down, deep, dark. Waves of darkness.
Welcome to our dream.
Hold it, Jack.
He was back in that darkened doorway.
This time there was something else. He could smell earth. He could hear.
Something whooshed past in the air above. A vague buzzing came from all
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around. He stood in front of the darkness, waiting. He worked his mouth, dry
now. This was important, some way; he knew it, and the nerves tingled in his
arms and fingertips. The stone shard was there in his right hand. He glanced
down at it, stroked his thumb over its surface, but there wasn t anything else
he could feel from it. Swallowing, seeking to drive moisture into his dry
throat, he took a deep breath and stepped inside.
Billie? he said quietly. Now, why had he said that? He pushed the thought
away.
Hello? Lame, but better.
Silence beat against him. The shadow seemed to muffle any noise that had been
outside.
Hello? he said again, this time louder.
Nothing.
He took three firm steps into the darkness. Not only was it muffling the
sound, but it also wrapped about him, slowing his movements, putting pressure
against his chest. It was difficult to breathe. The darkness moved around him,
drawing closer, trailing thick, cloying bands across his mouth and nose.
No, he shouted, trying to force the shadow away with that single word.
He couldn t catch his breath. Tighter still. He was bound in shadow, panic
starting to well inside. He bunched his will, pushed, thrusting out with his
mind.
No!
And it was gone. The space was filled with light. Jack drew a deep,
shuddering breath, and another, blinking against the light. As his eyes
adjusted, details swam into focus.
He was in a bright, empty room. Dark stone walls marked out a broad, square
space, climbing to a dark ceiling. In one corner sat some sort of platform,
hovering a mere foot above the stone-paved floor. He noticed for the first
time that he was not alone.
One, two, three more of the alien creatures stood around the space, immobile
on their four silvery legs, their central trunks stationary.
Jack caught his breath again, waiting. They were still, no movement at all.
This time there was no dipping of the central trunk, no unfolding of petals;
they could have been identical metallic sculptures spread randomly across the
space of the vast room. He took a hesitant step toward one of the creatures,
then another. He was standing right in front of it now, though how was he
supposed to work out what was the front? He walked slowly around the creature,
looking for some sign, something that would give him a clue. His nerves were
singing, his breath coming in short gasps, and he could feel the sweat on his
body. It was warm here, too warm.
He stopped his circuit and looked up at the central piece, searching for some
movement, anything that would tell him the creature knew he was here.
Hello, Jack.
Jack spun toward the sound of the voice. Talbot stood in the far corner of
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the room where before there was simply floor and walls, leaning against one
wall, his legs crossed.
Talbot pushed himself off the wall and waved at him. Jack almost laughed. The
gesture seemed completely out of place.
Jack was almost afraid of speaking. Talbot, what are you doing here?
What are you doing here, Jack Stein?
And suddenly he was over in the corner, standing in front of the man. Jack
was thankful this was the whole Talbot, not the burned one with half a face.
No, Talbot, why you? What are you doing here?
I m not here, said Talbot.
Jack checked back over his shoulder, but the randomly arrayed creatures had
not moved, as far as he could see.
What do you mean, you re not here? I can see you. I m talking to you.
Yes, said Talbot. But I m really not here.
Okay, you re not here, said Jack.
Talbot smiled.
Am I here? said Jack.
Yes, you are here, said Talbot. And so are they. He waved his arm in a
wide, encompassing arc. All of them.
Jack turned slowly. So why am I here? he said, looking from one alien
creature to the next.
I don t know, said Talbot. We don t know. We have been trying to determine
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