The Last Hunter

Chapter 9- A Connection

I woke up on the floor, my head pounding. I looked up to the top bunk from where I'd fallen. It was still dark, Zabrina sound asleep. I remember tossing in my dream, but I couldn't remember what happened.

I sat up, shaking and sweaty. I had a vague memory of dreaming about my brother, the bombers, flames, and death, maybe even my house.

I pushed myself into a standing position, rubbing my head. I must have hit my head on the way down. I started back up the ladder, then stopped. I sat back down on the ground. With all the technology in the world, is there a way to resurface dreams, and, if so, know what they mean?

I stood up, slipped on some shoes, and left the room. I tiptoed upstairs, and into the science lab. I stepped in, but stopped, listening. There was rustling in the lab, then quiet footsteps. I looked around, grabbed a broom, and flipped on the lights.

"Ahh!" I shouted.

The figure turned quickly around, suppressing a scream.

"Ryan? What are you doing here?" I "whisper-yelled", my heart pounding.

He regained his composure. "I couldn't sleep. You?"

"Same reason. Well, and another thing."

His eyebrows furrowed. "What?"

I tilted from foot to foot. "I was thinking, have you ever been able to recover dreams?"

 "Actually, yes. I've had some strange dreams lately, but I can't remember all of them."

"Do you think Dr. Aeron has a way to do that?"

Ryan's eyes lit up. "We could ask Val!"

I rolled my eyes. "Great," I said in a sarcastic voice, "As soon as I know how to find a robot, turn it on, and now how to make sense of an answer, then we'll be in great shape."

He clenched his jaw. "For your information, Val is a VA1023, so she doesn't charge. She creates her own energy by reducing CO2 levels and converting them to energy. Hence the 02 in her name."

I "lightly" ground my teeth. "Great, well, where is she?"

He rolled his eyes, and marched out of the room. I blinked, then followed after him.

He briskly walked over to the staircase to the basement, down the stairs, and down the hall. I scrambled after him. We walked into a room where Val was cleaning.

"Hey, Val!"

She spun around—quite literally—to face us. "What are you doing here?" She spoke in a normal voice but a bit quieter than normal, like her volume had been turned down. Probably part of her programming.

Ryan stepped up to her. "We were wondering..."

"If I can retrieve your forgotten or muggy dreams?" Val finished for him.

He looked at her, confused and almost terrified. "How did you do that?"

"A simple brain scan. And—to answer your other question— yes, I have mind scan software to retrieve memories, dreams, and many other things through brain stimulation."

Ryan and I looked at each other, trying to decide what to do.

"Should we?" I whispered to him.

He shrugged. "You seem to have a lot on your mind. Maybe you should go first?"

I rolled my eyes, sighed, then turned to Val. "I guess I'll go first."

She walked over to a chair. "Sit down."