New Elysium: Breakout

Turning Point Chapter 5**

*Warning - this next scene contains a " sexual assault." Discretion is advised.*

"Make me bleed or make me stop, Make me believe in God, What is wrong and what is right, Show me the way, I listen to them I have the feeling that I drown again, I put my anger and my fears aside, Nothing will last longer than my rage inside, Where is the way I have to take? If I lose my way they said my dreams will break, Now I'm standing here, If I won't walk my end is near" - "Show Me The Way" - Voicians

"These are the risks that you have to take
So wake up
The are feelings that you have to break
So wake up
You and I must try
To survive
You and I must fight for our lives" - "Skyhunter" -IWNBTS

The nightmare made no sense, but then again, dreams rarely ever did. Dreams were revered on Neo-Tokyo for different reasons and the attitudes regarding them ranged from jokes to those who believed in them like little harbingers of doom.

Dreams had been the subject of interest philosophically, religiously, and scientifically for as long as humanity had existed and yet they were no more understood in her age even with their technological advances. In some ways, Ember considered them just as savage as the day humanity first picked up a stick.

Ember had been taught to pay attention to dreams, even as she lived in a highly industrialized, science-filled community. The two aspects of Neo-Tokyo were at odds with each other. And yet, just this once, she wondered if she was wrong to not listen to some of the old stories.

Her father would tell her mother these tales when she was younger, his dreams of their house being the greatest and standing alone, ruling from on high. That's what his dreams consisted of... Even then Ember knew that was simply wishful thinking on his part, what he wanted, not what was destined to happen. He was a dark man and in her view, his dreams would be dark too.

Becoming a pilot was her escape... and she told herself his dreams as such were foolishness.

And then she had her own. She surveyed the landscape from where she stood. There was so much green, everything that indicated life was thriving here. It would have been called a prairie, one of her favorite biomes from simulations from the old world. She would imagine the wind blowing through her hair as a child with so much space in every direction. Unlike the inner city of Mizar, where every light was a poor imitation of a burning star, the light was bright here. The dream was so real to her, she could feel the gentle heat on her skin as she walked. She brushed the grass with her fingertips enjoying the feel against her palms, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the moment of peace.

The air turned cold and her eyes snapped open.

And then there was darkness moving across the horizon, it swallowed everything in its wake. She was reminded of an old story, ironically named The Neverending Story, where the hero fights against the Nothing.

The wind began to stir, first a caressing breeze and then a full force gale of strength that Ember had never felt before in her life. It tore at the ground bringing dirt into her face. Shielding her face Ember fought her way across the landscape, rocks, dirt, any form of organic matter blew across her path.

Soon she could no longer stand, and so she crawled.

She crawled until her limbs began to ache, her chest heaved. Mouth dry she finally stopped moving and let the darkness come for her. There was nowhere else to go. She wasn't waking up...

And then...

Strong hands reached under her arms and heaved her to her feet. She wasn't alone she realized. The sudden motion caused her head to snap back, as the strong hand steadied her as she caught a glimpse of red and black hair over intense brown eyes.