PSYC Ward: Explorer

World 8: Gongxi Facai!

HERC-LOG #05:

Dr. Hammerhead's first idea was to test what would happen when this was used on the brains of those in various non-responsive states. The results have been pretty insightful. Comatose victims who were on life support due to organ failure perk right up, but people who actual brain damage that prevents them from doing things aren't fixed without actual neural restructuring. The people collectively seem to be very active. Further study will be done on their condition.

PART A: The Festival of the New Year

Rachel was wearing a very odd piece of headgear. A thick, black helmet that completely cut off her eyes, ears and nose from the world around her. She could only hear Kyle's voice via telepathy. She had been led through the Cloth and was now in some new world.

'Okay. You can take it off now.' Kyle said.

Rachel reached to the side of her head and felt the clasp holding the mask on either side over her ears. She popped the first one off, and then the second. Even that was enough to fill her ears with the sound of music and revelry. Woodwind instruments accentuated by a low, banging drum and the sounds of wood and metal being clanked and clanged together. She lifted off the back of the helmet, before removing the faceplate. The smells assaulted her almost instantly - seafood, dumplings, burning incense of orange and holly, and of course the smell of spent fireworks.

Her eyes adjusted to the light of the setting sun, which was lighting up the sky with brilliant purples, oranges, yellows and then blue. After a moment, and she saw hundreds - wait, no actually probably only a dozen - paper lanterns marked with the symbol for happiness, floating on the air - no, wait, hung up on something. Strands of shining red and gold ribbons curled through the air, tied to the fronts of the stands that sold all manner of fantastic, celebratory merchandise. At the end of the road, the vendor stands were replaced with thatch, slope roofed cottages, and a stage stood at back with six people playing the music she was hearing. And of course, filling that road were at least three dozen people.

"Gongxi Facai, Rachel! Happy Year of the Dragon!"

Rachel felt her smile tearing from cheek to cheek, there was so much to take in. The thing that caught her attention first, however, was a shop with masks on display of different animals of the zodiac. She ran up to it giddily, and Kyle followed.

"Oh man, look at them all!"

Each mask was unique and hand crafted. There were so many, but having been born in the Year of the Dragon, this celebration being Year of the Dragon, and just a general fan of dragons, Rachel eagerly looked at the dragon models. There was one in blue scales with a long snout and jutted, jagged teeth. Another one had red scales with black edging and whiskers, a stubbed snout and a pair of fangs, with two glaring blue eyes.

"Oh man! That's one so awesome! How much?" She asked.

The shop keep, a tall and plump woman with bright rosy cheeks dressed in a red Cheongsam with golden oranges all over it, tilted her head.

"Four Jiao-Zi, please." She said.

Rachel paled a little bit.

"A-ah, ri-ight."

She didn't have Jiao-Zi. She had United States Dollars from the year 2050 - a country that didn't even exist at this point. She put her fingers together and gave a sheepish sort of grin.

"A-ah...um..."

Rachel suddenly saw Kyle at the stand too.

"What's the matter, Rach?" She asked.