Elyon

Sanity

The light draws nearer. He looks down to see what holds him back. Dimly, he sees the reflection of the light on metal bands that encircle his waist, his wrists, his arms, his legs, his ankles... he can even feel one around his neck. Each band is connected to a length of ancient chain, three times as thick as his spindly arms.

And still the light comes. He shrinks back, ashamed. His royal clothes are in tatters, caked in filth and blood. His skin is raw, chafed, and oozing where the chains have cut into it.

He jerked awake, gasping. Sweat drenched his bedding. This was the third time he had dreamed in as many slumber cycles. Sleep was a luxury afforded to the Tallests because of their station, more of a pleasure than a necessity since their PAKs kept them fully functional at all times. But though Tallests occasionally enjoyed sleep cycles to rest their minds, dreams were uncommon, and nightmares even rarer.

Red slammed his claws onto the control panel next to the bed, summoning drones. "Prepare the medical bay," He growled, "I want the Doctor to meet me there in the next five minutes." Glancing at his armor, he sighed. "Make it fifteen."

.....

The medical assistant to the Tallests was not an uncommon or unusual Irken. Average height, drooping green eyes, and a white medical robe hastily pulled on. But none of this is what made Red leap out of his seat in terror as he entered the room. What ignited his fears was a black, hairy spider half the size of the doctor's head clinging to him, teeth sunk deep into his scalp.

The Doctor looked up at Red, startled. "Is something wrong, my Tallest?"

"Is something wrong?" Red yelled, "What is wrong with YOU? Why are you wearing that thing on your head?"

Chagrined, the Doctor pulled off a hat he had been wearing. "I apologize, my Tallest, if it bothers you so much. I will remove it."

"Not the hat you fool!" Red's voice rose in pitch. "Are you telling me you don't know what you have on your head?"

Fear kindled in the Doctor's eyes. To contradict a Tallest could mean certain death. Carefully he felt on top of his head. Red watched in astonishment as his hand passed right through the spider. The creature turned glowing eyes on Red, almost seeming to smirk at him. Suddenly Red realized there was no way he could tell this Doctor what he saw. Word would spread that he was defective, that he was unfit to rule. He could be removed from his post by the Control Brains if they found out he was seeing things.

Forcing a chuckle, Red eased himself into a relaxed position. "It was just a joke, Doctor. I made you check though."

Relief swept the Irken's face. "Indeed, my Tallest, very amusing joke." He laughed nervously. "Now, what is troubling you?"

Hesitating, Red considered. His dreams were troubling as well. Though not as strong an indicator that he could be defective as the visions were, it could still raise red flags. Still, if the Doctor could stop them...

"I've been having nightmares." He confessed. "For the last three nights, I've had bad dreams."

The Doctor's eyes widened. "Nightmares," he murmured, "I haven't heard of a Tallest having a nightmare for at least a century."

Irritated, Red snapped, "Well it's happening now. Can you make it stop?"

With a flinch, the Doctor stammered, "Of course my Tallest. We keep dream suppressants on hand in case of the rare dream that occurs." He turned, walking out of the room. In a few moments he returned with a small container. "Take one of these right before sleeping, it should give you an uninterrupted sleep cycle."

Red took them, tucking them into his armor with a nod. "You are dismissed."

"Thank you, my Tallest." The Doctor bowed, backing out of the room. The spider tilted its body as well, eyes twinkling in a mocking light. Red shuddered with revulsion. He pushed himself out of the chair when he heard the Doctor's voice just outside.

"Nurse, I need more painkillers."

"The headache still, sir?"

"It gets worse every day, I don't know what's causing it."

Red blinked, a hysterical laugh bubbling up from his middle. "The big black spider on your head, idiot!" He almost yelled, but he suppressed both the laugh and the shout, floating out of the medbay with as much dignity as he could muster. As he passed the Doctor, the spider reached out a leg to block his path. He shuddered, but kept floating. The Doctor's hand had passed right through it, so it wasn't real at all. He would pass right through it as well, he assured himself.

It was thick, bristly hair, like the pelt of a Dunghorlt. It poked his skin, raising welts as he passed. It was solid, and bent aside as he pressed on. He paused for a moment, before breaking into a speedy float, trying to ignore the sibilant laughter from behind him.

As he dashed headlong down the hall, he tripped over a pair of table-headed service drones. Dismayed, they quickly stood and scurried to help him.

"My Tallest, so sorry! Please forgive us!" One sputtered.

"We weren't watching where we were going, it won't happen again!" The other panted fearfully.

Frowning, Red opened his mouth to order them to the dungeons, then stopped. Each carted a boulder five times their own size on the tables clamped to their heads.

"Who gave you those rocks to carry?" He returned to his feet, wobbly.

Their heads tilted up to look at him. The rocks, which should have slid off the tables, stayed exactly where they were. "What rocks, my Tallest?"

His breath caught. "Nothing, it was... it was a joke. Carry on." He watched them scamper off down the hall, still bearing the huge boulders on their tables. His breathing started to come faster as he turned and sped down the hall again.

Retreating to his room he closed the doors, then slid down to sit on the floor, eyes wide. Alone, he faced the opposing wall. "The dot wasn't there... the drones looked at me like there was nothing on that screen. They didn't even react to the blood on it, like it wasn't there either... am I going mad?"

Of course you are.

Red shot up, whirling to his left where a cloaked figure stood.

None of this is real. Your mind is addled. This is all a product of the monumental stress of being Tallest. Put it out of your head, and if you can't, just act as if you cannot see it.

"And who are you supposed to be?" Red quailed.

You may call me the collection of your reason and sanity projected in the midst of all this.

Red's world tilted, and he crumpled to the ground as his mind plunged toward the safety of darkness, where he didn't have to sort any of this out.

That's right. Sleep. It will all go away when you wake up.