Lucid

GROUND ZERO

'Zero. I'd call this one zero. It makes zero sense. And... I feel like I'm started at the bottom again. What In the actual hell is going on?' Theo felt almost lightheaded, for certain he was exhausted. 'No dream version of Maddie??? What was happening?" He slowly opened his eyes, where was he?
Plush bed, it looked like a hotel room from what he could discern, fine exquisite finishes, Light peeking through the thick curtain, the room was still and dark, and very very silent, there were no exterior noises, no movements of any kind he could almost hear his own breathing. He sat up on the bed, still in the waking process .
It was almost a welcome break from the whirlwind he was amidst. He dropped back onto the bed, he needed a minute and he was glad he had one to himself.
There was no urgency in him to get up to go find Maddie or if what agent Q said was true, for her to let him find her, It felt like his world had been turned upside down, but that's just it this wasn't his world it was hers, she literally controlled everything, allegedly.
Suddenly and out of nowhere he heard heavy rain, and yet he remained unmoved. Even though he felt depleted, deceived, and very confused , in this moment he felt very very relaxed. He lay there not knowing what to do next. Was he trapped? He looked down at his hand, "Shit" he whispered, Maddie had taken his watch, he knew it was her because she had moments before placed it on his hand, and now he was here alone and she was gone and so was his watch. The rain kept drumming outside and Theo just lay there lost in thought.
'I've got to get out of here, with or without Madison and maybe away from her, why would she lie to me so profusely? So outright? Me? I put my life on hold to come find her, and this is what she does to me? I've got to get my watch make my way back to my apartment and get out of here, maybe I could do it without needing dream ten, cmon Theo you could figure this out, you did it to get here you can get yourself back home, but ... are you really going to give up on you and Maddie so easily? But how could I trust her again?' He let out a heavy sigh because he knew... he knew. He shot up from the bed and pulled back the heavy curtain, the very second he did that; instant noise! The bustle of the busy street below, (no sign of rain or further rain noise) and little echoes of activity from outside the hotel door started in play, it was clearly orchestrated by none other.
As he gazed out the window, the one landmark that gave him ease and discomfort all at once; Theo was in Paris. He laughed, almost as if losing it for a bit. 'Oh Maddie... Maddie Maddie Maddie,' she knew exactly what she was doing, his perception of her developing; Madison was very calibrated, he was not surprised really because he knew how intelligent she was but man oh man was she was deliberate.
Madison knew Theo always spoke of Paris fondly, it was one of his most memorable trips that he took with his mother before she passed and Since her death he was never able to go back and now here was Madison, playing with his emotions. Theo knew. He knew.
He was scantily clad, he opened the teak armoire and saw a plethora of fine clothing, resting at the bottom was a designer duffle bag, inside it was everything he needed to dress the part, and a leather notebook which he opened. As he opened it the words appeared on the random page he held:

"Theo, my heart, I know what you must think of me, believe me I did it only to keep you safe, I promise you, that is the truth, if you want to know more, your watch is in the nightstand, turn it on, and you will be able to find me, but if you do so, do it cautiously and stealthily, I will try my best to make it easy for you. If I'm being honest I don't expect you to but I'm only hoping you would want to hear my truth from me, if however you want to go, leave it off, enjoy Paris and when you go to sleep your next stop will be dream ten, you will be able to navigate your way out from there. I have to keep this short because I know they are here and they could be tracking you; for a while I wondered but now I know ; it's your watch, it's lead them to you and ultimately to me. Do what's best for you. Forever Yours, Maddie"

Theo let out a frustrated groan, he knew. He got dressed, looking exceptionally well he grabbed the duffle, his watch and exited the room, the hotel and everywhere else was overflowing with dream bots, Maddie did well, hiding him in plain sight.
As he ventured onto the street he started walking aimlessly but seemingly intentionally, there were so many bots he felt almost as one of them, but clearly Madison was trying to hide him very well.
He now knew that when his watch was on, she was the one synching her earrings for him to find her, nothing about what he thought he'd figured out about this world was true apparently, maybe he was just another one of her bots.
The day was beautiful though, Maddie made sure of it, the waking up with the rain, the plush hotel room with the view of the Eiffel Tower, the beautiful weather, it almost felt real. He stopped and took it in for a moment, it felt exactly as he had described it when he told Maddie about his trip with his late mother, Claire. He was feeling emotional and a little nostalgic, oddly enough it made him miss the actual real world. He missed home, he missed his job, he missed real interactions with regular people, all the mundane but real things of living an actual life.
Theo knew that Maddie was very capable of managing her way out of this. She didn't need rescuing, her strength and resilience were profound in real life and in here. Maybe he was only getting in her way, heck he lead the agents right to her. He could try to find her out there and maybe help her from there because what purpose was he serving in here? Other than a prop and a problem (if she really put on such an elaborate show only to keep him safe) but even then, he knew, he knew that even amongst all the chaos, all the bots, the deceit, the drama, all the unanswered questions about this entire world and scenario, Theo knew that she was his purpose; the Maddie he knew and loved would have the answers and give him peace and that Even amidst this perplexing unfolding drama, he did not want to be without her in any world, it was the very reason he paused his life to come into hers to find her.
Theo looked around cautiously and casually turned on the watch.
"Theo! Oh thank god you stayed!" Theo felt someone grab him and hugged him
"Maddie?" He pulled away from the hug to find himself looking at a faceless bot with Maddie's voice. He blinked quizzically.
"Yes Theo" the voice was calmly emitting from the bot "I can do anything and everything I want, I am in control of it all, well, for now at least, I want you to find me so I can explain everything the whole truth, Theo I need you to fully understand that with this risk, if you choose me, they will be coming for you not only in this world but life as you know it in the real world will also not be the same, now I can't talk to you so long via one bot, keep moving, they are definitely here and probably looking for you now, walk towards the tower, I'll try to keep up" the bot turned and walked away.
Theo turned around and kept walking, constantly looking at the bots closest to him
"Maddie, Maddie are you there??" There were literally thousands of bots on the busy street, but none responding to him. Also now that his watch was on they could be coming for him, but how would they know he chose Madison? Would they know? Could he use that to his advantage if they didn't ?
"Theo! I'm here!" A smartly dressed gentleman bot started walking alongside him "I'm here in the city, the closer you are the earrings the watch signals your body almost propelling it towards me, in a sort of magnetized way. This is incredible technology, no wonder they can track you, even the smallest prototype they probably took from your apartment."
"Mads I'm close I can feel it, is it safe for me to come to you? Tell me wh—"
"This is new to me and I need to keep your identity hidden, I'm going to switch bots, just in case keep walking I'd find you again"
The gentlebot took a sharp left turn and Theo kept walking, he walked quite a bit still no response from any of the bots but he felt Maddie nearby she must be close.
He was a couple yards out from the tower and then he saw it, a strange looking boat perched on the Seine he squinted a little more, was that a submersible?? Maddie was there. He started walking faster,
"Theo I'm here! Don't look around, they could be watching you" he felt the presence walking along side him but he kept his eyes forward
"I've found you on the river I'm coming" he stopped suddenly, that was a female voice but he was so caught up he only just realized it wasn't Maddie's! The body kept walking and then stopped and turned to look at him, She spoke into her watch "She's on the river!"
Theo turned and ran towards the river, Q behind him, he kept his eyes on the submersible. He needed to get to it before they got to him! How did they find him so quickly? He kept running towards Maddie, Q hot on his heels!
"Theo you have to jump!!!" A bot suddenly running alongside him! That was Maddie!
While an orchestrated group of marathoners creating a gap between him and Agent Q
"Jump now Theo!!" The bot 'shouted'
Theo noticed the submersible pulling up alongside him on the river! Maddie at the wheel,
"Theo Don't do it!" Agent Q shouted still after him.
Theo leaped off the canal and onto the sub, instantaneously the sub converted and went underwater, Theo looked up at Maddie, she smiled "Welcome to my world Mr Lawson"
He was out of breath but he managed to laugh out of relief,
"Turn off your watch, we'd be under for a while" she pointed at his hands
Theo complied.
Maddie enabled cruise control and walked back towards him "Are you hurt? Are you okay?"
"I'm okay Mads, tired but okay"
She held his face "I'm sorry I lied"
"I believe you" he was mentally taxed and it showed
"Okay no more lies..." she sat opposite to him, took out her earrings and placed it in his hand.
He looked at her "Mads, wha- why?—"
"You'd understand when I explain."