A/N: The chapter before happened later in another chapter so you'll see to what events Lady had come to. This will be a short fic though.
Chapter one: The Dream Machine
A blessed thing it is for any man or woman to have a friend,
one human soul whom we can trust utterly,
who knows the best and worst of us,
and who loves us in spite of all our faults.
by--Charles Kingsley
He was at it again, at those experiments in his laboratory and for a better man; it would have made a difference for humanity. In his case, it was for his only gain. Lights by the dozen were attached to the ceiling by hanging wires and a sky light opened up to reveal the blanket of stars. They illuminated the interior with a heavenly glow, more so than any unnatural light can. He must have heard me snuck in from behind. I couldn't help but get frustrated at my skulking around. It has been a habit of mine since and though my admiration for my father had been left behind in my childhood, I cannot stop thinking how brilliant he was. And there he is, looking at me with those self same eyes, another factor in which made me want to swallow the bile that reminded me of our connected blood bond.
Half turning, he addressed me with the same mock voice, "Come to visit your papa and watch as he makes a newfound discovery?"
Then returned to attaching wires; played with contraptions, plugging multi-colored ends to their twin. Odd shaped bottles adorned the rectangular tables, half filled with noxious chemicals and bubbling foam. It looked like a laboratory out of a cartoon but this wasn't a children's storybook tale, just my story and my nightmare. My father was very particular about cleanliness and allowed his servants to come in once a day to clean up what mess he had. There were multitudes of tubes and jars containing animal and human parts. I didn't know if he had someone procure his hobbies for him but one thing was for sure, he didn't do the dirty work. He just liked to do the brain work, manipulating others to bring him his needs.
My mother became weak over time and often lay there helpless in that great big bed of hers. It swallowed her up whole in the downy folds of linen and stained cotton filled with her sweat. Daily, I'd come to visit her and hold her hand, making sure she receives her medication. Father didn't want any physicians to visit but I managed to get them despite his wishes. It was I'm sure too late by that time. Her condition appeared desperate and as a doctor examined her, jotting down illegible scribbling on a piece of paper, I'd hold on to my mother's hand tightly. Whispering to hold on and that I would never leave her even as I wished I could flee from this place. If I could take her with me I would but she was as much prisoner here as I am.
So now, in that laboratory, facing my father's back, I watch him fumble with care at the large metallic equipment over the small hospital bed on wheels. He turned to me with a grin. "Such a quiet lass you are, my good girl. Come, I've something to show you and your dear papa would love it if you could help."
Inside of me, I knew it was all wrong, just like those half dead animals in large tubes aligned against the wall. This was through experience as well. My own personal experience as I watched him curiously, first with esteem, and finally repulsion. They breathed a kind of life that told me they were not suffering anymore, but were in a sort of comatose. The body parts of once live beings contained in tight jars filled with alcohol induced fluid. Curiosity was one of the banes in life and I moved with my own accord, my two legs now in front of the bed. He reached out and touched my shoulder, "Good girl. I want you to be first, my dear daughter. I have something wonderfully planned. This will be a momentous event. And it will take you to discover your dreams."
I backed away slightly, looked at him with a slight scowl, "My dreams?" I wanted to laugh out loud but I never laugh anymore. "What is this, father?" The monstrous contraption looked larger than life now. I stared at it. It loomed like a great big eagle; spreading it's extensions out and the wires that connected appeared to glow with invisible electricity and fire. I took a great deep breath. Though I still called him my sire, I wanted to know what he working on that was lasted for so many hours in the day.
The eyes that stared down at mine glittered, "Lay down, child. Do you think your papa would hurt you? I know you by now, girl. You're as curious as me to know how this machine works. I know what it does but I needed you, you to fulfill its function."
I held back my arm, pulled back as he tried to pull me towards the bed. His eyes flared with irritation as he saw my reluctance, "Your mother, how is she?"
It was the one thing he mentioned that made me boil with anger, but I stemmed it down for that always made him happy when I was angry. It was a twisted kind of happiness because somewhere, somehow he had lost his ability to be happy. The small remark allowed me to do as he said. I couldn't help but believe him that I would not be hurt. In his twisted way, I was useful just as my mother is useful alive than dead. There may be a time when he no longer needed us but that time I hoped would never happen.
Lying back, I stared up at the canopy of stars through the open sky light. I could see Mars was bright out tonight, glittering red and white intervals, as if the fiery message winked at me and told me a secret. My father's voice droned in, "Now relax as I put these wires on your forehead."
The sheets felt cold against my bare skin and though there were no winds in that great room to comfort me, but I felt goose-bumps climb up like tiny spiders with their multitude of legs scampering away at my skin. My eyes closed briefly as he attached pins in my forehead, like that of Chinese acupuncture. It was with some miracle perchance that he had not drawn any blood as my entire scalp seemed to be filled with wires. My hands gripped the sides of the metallic bars at each end of the bed and the sheets clung on to my now sweating body.
"I told you to relax, girl, yes, that's it. That's a good girl. I want my girl to know that she can have what she wants in her dream."
It was like one of his empty promises, telling me he'd buy me this but I didn't want gifts so that he could shove me away. I didn't know what I wanted anymore.
I barely heard him shuffling around the room as he turned off the lights. My eyes flew open and the darkness above grew stark against the white lights of the stars. They started to blur as he switched several buttons and flipped switches. Entering codes in a computer that he had pulled up next to the bed. His last words before I went into a dream state were that he would make sure I was safe.
It happened all so fast. I spiraled into a tunnel and walked through it, they looked like one of those after death experiences where the victim could see blackness and then a blinking light at the end. I could not tell if my legs were moving or that the tunnel itself moved me towards it, but I ended up in a pasture, my boots touched ground. Odd colored cobbles that looked like they were placed there in a sufficient order. Before me, I could smell the scent of cinnamon and something musky strong and they pulled me along as I noticed trees aligned in a perfect fashion.
There were no animals, I found that in this realm there were only things that I could smell and see, like the trees, which are now glittering in silver and gold. Is heaven this way? And I wondered what my father had planned for me when he said about dreams. Am I dreaming? I felt alone but not lonely. There was a cliff at the edge of this dream like state. I walked tentatively over the edge and saw water. A large river flowing mechanically southward and a noise behind me made me nearly step forward. A hand reached over to grab me around my waist, pulling me back.
I did what any reasonable girl of my caliber would do. I elbowed the intruder and turned so that I could attack, but instead felt a wall of resistance. What I saw brought a gasp from my lips. Whatever it is before me; stood tall and had a large metallic head, and if it weren't for the draped blue solid form he or it had, or the slant of the glowing blue eyes I wouldn't have known. Nor would I have realized that it turned to its former self. A man! White hair that appeared silvery and touched with sheen of light blue glazed over his head. The gleaming azure slants were replaced with the coldest eyes I've ever seen.
He spoke. The voice, masculine yet edged, was as frigid as his eyes. "I thought I was the only one here. I'm glad to know I wasn't. What is your business here?"
I swallowed, stepped back, and he snaked out to grip my elbow. "You really should watch out for yourself, and although it's your life, I'm not thrilled to lose my new company just yet." He moved his head towards the waters below. "This may be a dream to you, but everything in it, is real. Including what happens if you fall over."
He seemed to wait for me to speak and when I did not, I continued to glare at him. This was my father's experiment? A freak in a metallic suit who at will can change himself into a man?
His voice became terse from my long silence, "Suit yourself." His cold eyes scanned me and then suddenly, he walked away.
"Wait."
He didn't stop to listen and I caught up to him. "What is this place and who are you?"
"Don't you know?" he lifted a white sleek brow at me, his eyes peered at me, "Your father locked me away here and you're suppose to get me out."
"WHAT?" I shook my head. "How am I supposed to do that? I don't even know what this place is."
