The Dream
Van was running across the desert on his way back from visiting his sister, Maria. "What's that?" It was a lump of black, a break of the yellow-brown monotony of sand. He spun the controls and angled toward the thing. "It's a person!" he cried. He jumped out and nudged the person. No response. "Hello?" Nothing. He turned them over. " Raven!" What was he doing out here in the middle of the desert? "Oh well. I can't just leave him here."
He picked him up, surprised at how light he was. How long had he been traveling? He slung him into the blade liger and they set off for the Guardian Force base. Van was worried. Was Raven insane? Why in hell would he be traveling alone in the desert without water? He shrugged mentally and opened a com- link to the base. "Blade Liger to base, blade liger to base." Irvine's face appeared on screen.
"What? Don't tell me you saw another flying papaya!" he replied. "Listen, do you know what happened to Raven after the battle with the Death Stinger?" "All I know is that he hasn't killed or destroyed anything. Why?" Van smirked. Was Irvine going to be surprised! "I found him. He's unconscious and hasn't looked like he's eaten anything in weeks." Irvine stared and fell over.
"Ahhhh! Galumph!" He struggled upright. "Well, turn him in!" "I can't." "Whaddya mean you can't?!" "He's almost dead." Irvine sulked for a second and then replied, "Then bring him to base." "Alright. Van, out." Van leaped down from the blade liger. "Hi, all." Moonbay, Thomas, and Irvine stared at him before yelling, "WHERE'S RAVEN!!" He pointed. "Up there."
He climbed up, picked up Raven, and threw him out, yelling, "Look out below!" Irvine, Thomas, and Moonbay started running around in a dither. Finally, Irvine caught him. "Whoa, Van wasn't exaggerating when he said he was half dead. I doubt he weighs 70 pounds." Raven was thin and emaciated. They paraded into the infirmary, where Dr. D and Fiona were working. "Wha.! Why'd you bring that killer in here!?"
The doctor squawked. "Nessicity." Van replied. "Grandpa, check him out." Muttering darkly about impudent young people, he moved to the bed where Raven was spread-eagled. He pried open his eyes, listened to his breathing and heartbeat, and assessed his general condition. " He's almost dead! He's suffering from severe dehydration and starvation. Physically, he's fair. Mentally, he probably still carries some scars." Van nodded and dumped Raven in a hospital room and locked the door. "Let's leave."
I was warm. That was nothing new. I tensed my extremities. Hmm. Something heavy was on top of me. A blanket? I sniffed. Sterilized. I listened. Coughs, talking, machines. A hospital. I slitted my eyes open a crack. White tile. I turned my head to the left. An I.V. A camera. A locked door? Let me out!!! Let me out!!! Wait. I listened carefully. Flyheight was here. Irvine. The transporter. The old man. Okay. I'm at the guardian force base. I'll be fine, as long as I don't dream. The world's spinning, and then, oblivion.
"Uraagghh!" An ear-shattering scream pierced the night. Immediately Van was up and running toward the infirmary where the scream had come from. Once, there, he saw a horrifying sight. Raven was asleep, but screaming and fighting. Moonbay, Irvine, Thomas, Dr. D, and Fiona were trying to restrain him. Sadly, they were failing. Raven was berserk! He threw Irvine and Fiona across the room. His eyes were open, but blank and unseeing. Van dived in and added his strength to the fray.
The organoid. It's here! I leap for it with my 7-year old legs. My dad grabs me and throws me back. Mom's body is on the floor. He has a gun. "Blam!" The organoid is unfazed. It leaps forward and clamps his jaws on my dad. It's red. Ambient! My dad screams. I scream. I run forward and pummel the organoid. It swings its tail around and I hit the wall. A flash of light. Father. he's dying. Red. A tidal wave of blood. My blood. Mom's blood. Dad's blood. Ambient. I'm being tossed about like a leaf in a tornado. "You can never go home. You're doomed to wander until you die." Who said that? Ambient? Hiltz? Or. me?
Van was running across the desert on his way back from visiting his sister, Maria. "What's that?" It was a lump of black, a break of the yellow-brown monotony of sand. He spun the controls and angled toward the thing. "It's a person!" he cried. He jumped out and nudged the person. No response. "Hello?" Nothing. He turned them over. " Raven!" What was he doing out here in the middle of the desert? "Oh well. I can't just leave him here."
He picked him up, surprised at how light he was. How long had he been traveling? He slung him into the blade liger and they set off for the Guardian Force base. Van was worried. Was Raven insane? Why in hell would he be traveling alone in the desert without water? He shrugged mentally and opened a com- link to the base. "Blade Liger to base, blade liger to base." Irvine's face appeared on screen.
"What? Don't tell me you saw another flying papaya!" he replied. "Listen, do you know what happened to Raven after the battle with the Death Stinger?" "All I know is that he hasn't killed or destroyed anything. Why?" Van smirked. Was Irvine going to be surprised! "I found him. He's unconscious and hasn't looked like he's eaten anything in weeks." Irvine stared and fell over.
"Ahhhh! Galumph!" He struggled upright. "Well, turn him in!" "I can't." "Whaddya mean you can't?!" "He's almost dead." Irvine sulked for a second and then replied, "Then bring him to base." "Alright. Van, out." Van leaped down from the blade liger. "Hi, all." Moonbay, Thomas, and Irvine stared at him before yelling, "WHERE'S RAVEN!!" He pointed. "Up there."
He climbed up, picked up Raven, and threw him out, yelling, "Look out below!" Irvine, Thomas, and Moonbay started running around in a dither. Finally, Irvine caught him. "Whoa, Van wasn't exaggerating when he said he was half dead. I doubt he weighs 70 pounds." Raven was thin and emaciated. They paraded into the infirmary, where Dr. D and Fiona were working. "Wha.! Why'd you bring that killer in here!?"
The doctor squawked. "Nessicity." Van replied. "Grandpa, check him out." Muttering darkly about impudent young people, he moved to the bed where Raven was spread-eagled. He pried open his eyes, listened to his breathing and heartbeat, and assessed his general condition. " He's almost dead! He's suffering from severe dehydration and starvation. Physically, he's fair. Mentally, he probably still carries some scars." Van nodded and dumped Raven in a hospital room and locked the door. "Let's leave."
I was warm. That was nothing new. I tensed my extremities. Hmm. Something heavy was on top of me. A blanket? I sniffed. Sterilized. I listened. Coughs, talking, machines. A hospital. I slitted my eyes open a crack. White tile. I turned my head to the left. An I.V. A camera. A locked door? Let me out!!! Let me out!!! Wait. I listened carefully. Flyheight was here. Irvine. The transporter. The old man. Okay. I'm at the guardian force base. I'll be fine, as long as I don't dream. The world's spinning, and then, oblivion.
"Uraagghh!" An ear-shattering scream pierced the night. Immediately Van was up and running toward the infirmary where the scream had come from. Once, there, he saw a horrifying sight. Raven was asleep, but screaming and fighting. Moonbay, Irvine, Thomas, Dr. D, and Fiona were trying to restrain him. Sadly, they were failing. Raven was berserk! He threw Irvine and Fiona across the room. His eyes were open, but blank and unseeing. Van dived in and added his strength to the fray.
The organoid. It's here! I leap for it with my 7-year old legs. My dad grabs me and throws me back. Mom's body is on the floor. He has a gun. "Blam!" The organoid is unfazed. It leaps forward and clamps his jaws on my dad. It's red. Ambient! My dad screams. I scream. I run forward and pummel the organoid. It swings its tail around and I hit the wall. A flash of light. Father. he's dying. Red. A tidal wave of blood. My blood. Mom's blood. Dad's blood. Ambient. I'm being tossed about like a leaf in a tornado. "You can never go home. You're doomed to wander until you die." Who said that? Ambient? Hiltz? Or. me?
