The Tethered Mind: Skyratchet

Chapter 7: A Whisper in the Dream

The blinking cursor flashed steadily on the computer screen, a pulsing rhythm that seemed to grow louder with each blink. It was familiar—the desk, the screen, the hum of the computer fan. Everything in its place, the faint glow of the monitor illuminating the dim room. I sat at my desk, staring at the blank document in front of me. The words wouldn't come. They never did. Just that damn blinking cursor, mocking me.

Blink.

I felt an odd heaviness in the air, like a weight pressing down but not on me, but my mind. The room felt... wrong. It was my room, sure. The same place I'd spent countless hours playing games, procrastinating, and everything in between. But something about it felt off, like I was standing in a memory that wasn't entirely my own.

Blink.

I sighed, rubbing my eyes, the tiredness pulling at me. When did I last sleep? The screen glowed a little too bright, almost like it was alive. I squinted at it, trying to make sense of the shifting pixels. Words were forming on the screen, flashing in and out too quickly to read.

"Welcome back, Gaines."

The voice made me jump, even though I recognized it immediately. Dave's smooth, infuriating voice. I didn't turn around. He wasn't physically there, after all. He was always in my head.

I blinked, trying to clear my vision as the screen flickered again. The flashing words became clearer now, even though I couldn't quite read them. Something felt wrong with this whole setup. It was as though I was supposed to be doing something, but I couldn't remember what.

"You seem... distracted," Dave said, his voice deceptively calm. "Mind if I offer a suggestion?"

I couldn't help but smirk. "Oh, sure. Enlighten me, Dave."

The blinking words on the screen grew sharper, but still incomprehensible. It was like watching a dream within a dream, only I couldn't wake up. My fingers hovered over the keyboard, but they felt foreign—heavy, like they didn't belong to me.

Dave's voice became a low hum, almost soothing, as if he was trying to calm me. "You know, Gaines, I've been thinking. About the Administrator's offer. It could solve a lot of problems."

The cursor blinked faster.

"What problems, Dave?" I muttered, my fingers twitching over the keys. "I've got enough problems as it is without whatever you're about to suggest."

His voice softened, but there was an edge to it, like he was trying too hard to sound casual. "Oh, just the small matter of survival, old boy. I mean, you're running out of options, aren't you? The Administrator can give you an upgrade. Something permanent. Something... strong. Wouldn't that make things a lot easier for you?"

Upgrade. Accept. Administrator.

The words flashed on the screen now, clearer, repeating over and over again. They didn't make sense, but my eyes were drawn to them anyway. I stared at the screen, feeling an odd pull, as though something was reaching into my mind.

"No thanks," I muttered, shaking my head. "I'm not looking to become more 'integrated.' You know that's a trap."

The screen flickered again, and now, it wasn't just words. The desk in front of me rippled, like water, and for a moment, I thought I was sinking. The room shifted, the walls warping. My surroundings stretched, elongating, until my desk and chair seemed miles away, yet I was still sitting there, glued to the spot.

"It's not a trap," Dave continued, his voice calm, but now a bit closer. "It's the only way. You can't go back to the way things were. Not anymore. You've seen too much, done too much."