Don't Wake Me, I'm Not Dreaming

5

"Are you sure I won't be arrested for coming back here?" Marilyn asks as they come into the Dream Lab through the pipe.

"I don't care either way." Luigi replies blankly, as they both yelp when an engineer comes at them with a bat.

"What the hell?" Luigi demands. "I thought everyone was detained?"

"We were." The engineer lifts his pant leg, showing off an ankle bracelet. "I'm just here to stock up the lab with spare parts so the new team has everything they need, before I 'disappear'."

"And you're sure Pauline still has it?" Luigi asks Marilyn.

"Positive." Marilyn confirms. "She's not our new mayor for nothing."

"Uh hello?" the engineer says. "Care to clue me in?"

"Found it." Luigi says a while later.

"I gave Pauline my smartwatch." Marilyn explains to the engineer. "If she still has it, we can track her, and possibly everyone else too."

"Don't hold your breath just yet." Luigi says. "Should've guessed they would've leaned on the NSA to hide them in one of their facilities."

"So you need a photo ID and biometrics." The engineer nods thoughtfully. "Virtually unhackable."

"Is that not what we said about Dreamwalking before we did it?" Luigi points out, then says, "And I don't need to. I'm just gonna walk right in."

"I'm the acting Pi'illo Kingdom emissary." Luigi tells Marilyn as he types it into the computer. "Recently appointed by the Zeekeeper while the current one is out of commission."

In seconds, the emissary's photo is replaced by Luigi's.

"You think they'll wonder why you're not a Pi'illo?" Marilyn jokes.

"Nah." Luigi waves it off, making them both laugh.

"Now we need the biometrics." Marilyn reminds him. "Last I checked, Pi'illo fingerprints aren't like ours, are they?"

"They don't need to be." Luigi says, pointing at the laser engraver.

"You really think this is gonna fool the biometrics?"

"Or that it won't mess up on the first try?" The engineer points out.

"Long as it scans once, we're clear." Luigi says.

Luigi takes a breath, then walks into the NSA facility.

"Hello." Luigi greets the desk agents, handing over his phony NSA badge.

"Pi'illo emissary, huh?" one agent notes. "What're you doing here?"

"Here to oversee a transfer of the prisoners from my kingdom you detained." Luigi says matter-of-factly as the other agent scans the badge.

Luigi's picture comes up pretty quick, so the agent hands it back, "Checks out."

"Hang on. I'm calling this in." The other agent lifts the phone and punches in a number. "Hello, I'm calling to confirm the overseeing of a prisoner transfer."

"Standby." Marilyn sends the call over to the engineer, who's waiting.

"Go for the Zeekeeper." The engineer says. "Are you calling about the prisoner transfer?"

" Yes I am. "

"Let him in. Tell him I say hi."

The desk agent hangs up. "Sorry about that.", then gestures, "Scan your fingerprints for me."

Luigi places his hand on the scanner, but it doesn't register. He tries again, but again, it doesn't go through.

"I need to see your badge again." The desk agent orders.

"Or you could spend a little less time harassing emissaries." Luigi lifts his shirt sleeve to rub the scanner. "And a little more cleaning this damn thing." He smacks his hand down, and this time the scanner approves.

"I'll escort you." The desk agent says, to which Luigi nods.

"Wonderful."

"Thank you, but I got it from here." Luigi tells the agent after she finishes punching in the code.

"You sure?" she asks. "Some of these guys are tougher than they look."

"I think I'll be okay." Luigi says.

"Then I'll wait outside." The desk agent says, to which Luigi only nods and walks in, closing the door behind him, but when he sees the state of the room, he screeches,

" Are you kidding me? "