Overlap

Chapter 26: My Ultimate Desire

<10/31/2010 - ??:?? | Unknown Location>

Ever since my last lucid dream, I've felt just a little easier about everything than I used to. It could just be because that Altiri warrior didn't kill me last time, but this could always change. When I went a few days without having any of those dreams again, I starting to think I might finally be in the clear.

But after falling asleep in my cozy bed tonight, I was shown just how wrong I was for believing I had any control over any aspects of my life. Waking up again to return to the same frozen wonderland around me without a tree or space ship in sight, I took my time getting my thoughts together while brushing the snow off of me. I knew already that I was still the one in control. Having one lucid dream by accident was rare enough, but this one is counting six in a row.

Was my subconscious mind really this far out of my control? Or is the cause of this something else? Just being here again reminded me of that girl. She was far stranger when speaking to me directly after she stopped trying to cut her blade into me. She knows that I'm lucid dreaming too, and that can't be a coincidence. But of all things, what I still didn't have was the reason behind it. Why do I keep having these dreams in the first place? What purpose can they possibly serve?

Before I could think on it much longer, I turned around after hearing some nearby footsteps, immediately spotting and recognizing the Altiri woman from before. She wasn't carrying her sword this time, and she approached me calmly with a bright smile on her face as if something wonderful just happened in her life. Her mere presence towards me felt far different now than it did before, but I still felt on edge despite her behavior. "You!" I hollered over the mild artic wind, pointing directly to her.

She then stopped walking and pointed to herself. "Me." Her response was a greeting in itself, though she let the excitement and happiness flow through her voice as it projected several meters over to myself. She began walking again to get closer, thereby speaking without having to yell.

I didn't want to bring it up or to sound rude, but it was pretty surreal to see her like this. Not long ago, she seemed so aggressive and violent, but was now so happy and cheery. I can't help but wonder if I did something to cause her total behavior to change. I doubt that I would get a straight answer from her either way, so I chose to ignore that aspect for now and try a different approach with her. "I guess if you are here, so are your sisters, correct?" Can she really remember every chain of these dreams like I can? If so, what is she really?

"Of course." Letting her voice pitch up higher, she ensured her delight in meeting me again was as obvious as it could be. "Want to meet them again back on my ship?"

Meet them again? So she does remember. That settles it then. Whoever she is, this person or product of my mind is far more than some interactive simulation of a person made for a simple dream. She must be some kind of node for all of this, which means she has all the answers. Even though I learned my lesson from before, I had no choice but to try this again, being as direct as I could be. "Not just yet. Tell me something first. Why am I having these dreams in the first place? There must be some point to all of them. None of this is random enough to mean anything insignificant."

"I mentioned it before—"

"You gave me a nonsense answer," I corrected.

"Our signal is currently part of you. Ask yourself Reed. Why do you keep dreaming of hanging out with our group? Why do you keep dreaming of the Altiri?"

Answering a question with a question huh? I've been asking myself the same thing though. Why is my mind so hung up on the details of the Altiri? Where did it come from? Why am I so obsessed about it? And why do I keep finding myself here lately? You see stranger, this doesn't help me at all. It only creates more questions that I have no answers to. I may be in control of myself and my own thoughts here, but my subconscious is obviously still pulling the strings right now. I have no control over these dreams, so I really don't know why. "I already told you, I don't know why."