Deeper
Summary: How do you extract from someone in a coma? How do you navigate the unstable dreamscape of a person who is a permanent dreamer? The team can't fully comprehend the type of danger they are in for on their new job.
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Note: I don't own Inception.
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Chapter One:
The ocean was singing. Waves crashed on the shore and the sound of the water as it splashed and made its way back into the sea was incredibly melodic. The sound of his children laughing and playing the sand made it all the better. It made the sun shine brighter and the ocean bluer.
Cobb stood by, watching his daughter and son running in the sand, playing a game of tag, and shrieking in delight. It had been so hard to picture the scene in front of him almost half a year ago, but the reality was finally sinking in. He had his kids again and nothing else seemed to matter. Nothing but their smiling faces, their grasping hands and their honest words.
Sometimes he would still think about the dreamscape and the things he could do in them. The way he used to build, before the fallout with Mal and the night that sent him fleeing from the country. He still thought about the team, every single one of them, and wondered how they were doing. He hadn't contacted them since he got home, mostly from lack of trying. But recently, he found himself wondering more and more when the next job would show up, when something would jolt him out of his state of semi-retirement.
"Daddy! Daddy!" Phillipa called, running to him with her arms extended.
With a smile, he ran down the span of beach to his children, scooping them both up in one motion and swinging them around. They laughed and laughed, clinging to each other as the waves crashed against the shore and the sun shone down on them.
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"Now, pay attention to the structure of this building. You'll see that though the design is quite modern, there are many elements that-"
Ariadne tapped her pencil against her desk, unable to write any notes or even pay attention to what her instructor was saying. All she could do was envision what she could do with the structure she was being shown. She thought of the possibilities and her mind filled with images, each one breaking down what existed, fracturing it and then completely building it up again. The building, in her mind, became a new form of itself, familiar, yet completely new.
She didn't want to admit it, but now that inception was over, she found herself thinking more and more about dreams and the way she was able to navigate through them. Her reality was no longer as exciting as it used to be. She knew she would never be able to stop thinking about the dreamscape after the first time she figured out how to design in a dream, but she didn't think it would consume her. She never expected to be constantly on the look out for someone familiar, for someone to call her back for one more job.
Yet, she kept going with her life, kept going to classes and kept up with what little social life she had left. Despite her longing, things were going well with her. She got good grades and was content, but she didn't know if she was alright with just being content.
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He didn't know what he was going to do with himself. He had found himself in a secluded tropical corner of the world where the alcohol flowed like water and the company was good. And when he thought of company, he didn't mean friends or acquaintances.
It wasn't any surprise to Eames that he ended up in a smoky bar, downing shots of tequila and smoking cigarette after cigarette. If he could have had it his way, he would live like that forever. But there was no fun in living the leisurely life and knew he would tire of it quickly. His mind would soon wander to the next con, the next heist, the next job.
Inception had given him one of the biggest rushes he had ever felt. The adrenaline pumped through him for days after it was over. The feeling of the accomplishment had been so great he nearly gave away his true occupation the first night he was in his tropical paradise. He had never been one for talking about his profession, but for once, he would have loved to have kept in contact with someone on the team, just so he could relive those moments where he felt as if he were going all in on a bad hand only to have it all turn around and pay off.
"Hello, stranger," a busty, tan, brunette with shapely, slender legs approached him. "Buy me a drink?"
Eames smirked, cocky and confident. "For you, love, I'd buy more than just a drink."
The woman laughed before taking a seat next to him, waiting expectantly. He gestured to the bartender for more to drink before he got comfortable. It was going to be a good night.
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Arthur sat in his kitchen, looking over a copy of the morning newspaper. A cup of coffee sat on the table, still steaming. He had been laying low and it was working out well, for the most part. He liked to think he was fine with living a normal life like everyone else. He liked to think that he was fine with having friends who knew nothing of what he did. He liked to think that he was fine with trying to create a life he imagined he would have had if he wasn't in the business. However, no matter how hard he tried, he knew it was all just a façade and the lie wasn't going to stick.
He knew, beyond all else, that nothing would ever compare to the control and freedom that he found in the dreams he shared with those he worked with. It was something that no real life experience or even a normal dream could replace. He knew that no friend of his, all of them so oblivious and unassuming, would compare to Cobb, so sharp witted and exceedingly good at what he does. And yet, he stayed out of touch, never even reaching for his phone when he knew there was a job out there suitable for the two of them. He knew the boundaries of those around him, almost too well.
Now that Cobb was home and safe, Arthur knew it would be a good long time before he started looking for something on his own. He had been the extractor's partner for so long that working with someone different just didn't feel right. He knew, without a doubt, that unless Cobb agreed to it, he wouldn't be taking any jobs for a good long while. But Arthur had a feeling that something was coming, something that would eventually bring them all together once more.
He could only hope that it wouldn't be anywhere as crazy as their last job.
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Cobb groaned when he heard the phone ringing in the darkness of his room. His hand fumbled for the lamp on the bedside table. He flicked the switch and the light came on with a blinding glare. Blinking in the brightness, he grabbed his phone, squinting to read the number. It was a foreign number.
Clearing his throat, he answered it, "Hello?"
"What would you say to another job, Mr. Cobb?" the familiar, accented voice on the other end of the line asked.
"Saito?" Cobb asked, running a hand over his face as he pushed himself up.
"My friend, you are as perceptive as ever," Saito said, sounding amused. "I hope I haven't caught you at a bad time."
"It's the middle of the night. I hope there's a good reason for this call."
"You have not changed," the man on the other end said, his voice clearer and punctuated with professionalism, "I have a proposition for you. Perhaps you would consider it."
"What kind of proposition? I'm not going to perform anything like inception ever again."
"Nothing of the sort, though you may find this one to be a challenge."
Cobb sat up and leaned his elbows on his knees, "I'm listening."
"A dear friend of mine needs to extract some information from her twin sister regarding a crime. It sounds simple enough but, her sister has been in a coma for the past two years."
The extractor had to take a moment to make sure he was hearing correctly, "Did you just say that the sister is in a coma?"
"Yes."
"That's not just a challenge, Saito. No one knows what goes on in a coma patient's mind. It'll be too unstable."
"And that is why I called you."
Cobb thought about it for a moment, trying to think up excuses for why he wouldn't want to do the job, even though a part of him desperately wanted to get back into dream sharing, "You'll be taking me away from my children."
"I assure you, it will all be taken care of. You can bring them here with you and I will have my servants watch after them when you work. I will be glad to make arrangements," the Japanese business man explained, "For what I will pay you and your team, you know it will be worth your while."
Of course he'd be prepared for that, the extractor thought as he rubbed his eyes with one hand. He didn't know how he could say no to an offer like that. Giving up his share to Yusuf had set him back. His bank account was depleting from being out of work for so many months, the money really would be worth his while. But the idea of entering an unknown dreamscape was causing him to be hesitant.
"What if we can't get the information they need?" Cobb asked, "Then what?"
"I assure you, there are no dire consequences to this job. My friend has made it clear that this is only a personal matter. No harm will come to you or your team if you cannot get what she needs. Furthermore, you will still be paid for your time."
Cobb thought for a long moment. He knew he had stayed silent too long when Saito cleared his throat on the other line. The extractor sighed and nodded to himself before speaking, "You better start making some calls and arranging flights."
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Note: I don't know how this story came about, but this story is a bit of an experiment. I wanted to write something that was detailed and well thought out. The chapters may come slow, but after this, they should be pretty long. I'm pretty much setting myself a length goal with each chapter.
Hope what you like what you read so far. Thanks for reading and please let me know what you think.