Chapter 10 Tanner, Eve and Bond
"Damn it!"
Bond looked out over the ocean at the retreating ship and then around the ship they are on. It was in desperate need of repairs. "Fuck." Bond then said under his breath.
"Where still here?" Eve asked confused. She was still dressed as a scruffy looking pirate, having been part of Silva's crew before realizing herself into M's dream.
Tanner picked up the sac at his feet. "I think I know why."
"Why?" Bond asked, moving toward him.
Tanner pulled the orb out of the burlap sac Q had given them and Silva had a pirate grab as he took M.
"But how?" Eve asked.
"The last thing that M said before Silva took her away was, that it was her dream and that she was in control." Tanner explained to himself as much as to Bond and Eve.
"So M sent the orb to us to keep us together." Eve remarked. "To keep us near her in her dream?"
Bond grimaced. "We would have dissolved back into whatever nightmares that blood thing sent us into."
"What are we going to do? M may not even still be here. We aren't really sure how this all works...I mean we've no frame of reference for dream travel. It's not like we can even guess what might happen. Like if were were in a television show or film. I could fancy a guess at where we would be going and what to expect if it was Dr. Who, a police drama or even Star Trek for that matter." Tanner said.
"I think it will keep us wherever she is but to be sure, let's see what happens if the three of us touch it together." Eve suggested.
"NO!" Bond yelled. "If we do that, it may make the door that leads us back home. Then we've all but left M to fade away in here by herself. In the grasp of her worst bloody nightmare! It would be a living hell. No; I will not leave without her. You two go...go get Q to bloody well fix this mess and maybe try to come back in to help."
"No...I won't leave!" Eve said just as abruptly. "Listen James Bond; I'm pretty sure that you saved me from Vampires. And I saved you from marauder highwaymen." Eve exclaimed.
"I remember! I think the we've been drifting in between each of our dreams the entire time. The moment you mentioned Vampires...I remember the cold mountain air." Tanner said.
"We need each other and if anything, three of us will make this move faster than just one. We have to save M!" Eve exclaimed.
"Not to mention, the fact that every horror film I've ever watched had the individual picked off one by one, when they went somewhere alone." Tanner added. "So what do we do first?"
"We fix this ship and get after them." Bond said as he picked up a piece of wood that had been shattered in the cannon fire from the pirate ship.
"I don't know much about fixing ships but I suppose you can put us all to work now that you are captain Bond." Tanner suggested. "Maybe M will help if she is controlling this dream then maybe it will be like a montage scene in a show."
"Bill I think that you watch entirely too much telly but I do agree with you. The laws of physics don't seem to apply here and time is relative to M's moods. Let's just hope that the sea remains calm or I will be sick even if this is a dream." Eve remarked.
"Yes, so now that I'm captain let's get to work fixing my ship."
"Try not to let it get to your head Captain Bond." Eve Smirked. "Even if you do cut a handsome figure in your uniform and britches." Eve added with a wink.
"Hey now." Tanner protested jealousy. What about me little miss pirate wench?"
"Wench!?"
"You two get a grip. We've work to do."
"So serious all of a sudden Bond. This is a surprise." Tanner added.
"Not really Bill. Bond's in love and that bastard Silva just took her to who knows where doing who knows what…"
"Eve!" Tanner exclaimed reaching out to touch her arm in warning while shaking his head. None of them needed to speculate on what was happening to M right now.
"Yes but it's that luxury of time thing that may be all of our downfalls. Q came in here for a reason and something tells me that we need to take control of this situation and get out of here soon." Bond said. "Alright crew! We need to make all haste after that ship! Come on then...get the lead out!" Bond began barking orders at the crew and they all began to scurry.
Q looked around his desk and found his small tools that he uses for very fine work. He just woke up from a 5 hour nap after being ordered by Mallory to take one. He didn't have the time nor inclination to make it home.
Every young employee from Q branch had been called in to help deal with this disaster. Q was certain he would be put out to pasture as soon as he retrieved M and the others. He had known M a long time and although it was Bond's fault that he absent mindedly took the orb to her office, Q would feel accountable.
M had a soft spot for Bond and she would never give up a good agent for such a mistake. Q on the other hand should have put it back in the safe. He had become very forgetful of late.
Q had been experimenting with entering the dreamscape with the others and thought that the last time he came closest to drawing the four of them together. Taking a duplicate of the original orb into the dream with him had been the hardest thing to overcome.
Q had a talented friend of his hypnotise him into believing the object was real enough to produce it and give it to the others on the ship in that dream. What you believe becomes real and whatever can manifest itself as true in the swirling images of a dream.
Although, vivid dreaming doesn't happen often, it could help them all in this circumstance. In this strange occurance, it helped him deliver the portal to link and awaken them.
Q had the doctors give them medication to induce a dreamless sleep to allow their minds to rest. The agitation of strong dreaming that you cannot awake from was running havoc on their systems. Even though M was a tough woman it was far more dangerous for her considering her age.
Gareth Mallory was back to inspect the now sleeping troops and to check in on his progress. Q could see that his young grand nephew Quintan was speaking with him out in the lab.
That lad had the markings of a great Quartermaster, even if it was nepotism that Q recommended him to M at his last scheduled review meeting.
Q exited his office and moved to his nephew and Mallory in the lab. "I see that you've come down for a report."
"Yes. The doctors report that they are now sleeping calmly. How are you doing? I hear that you were ordered to sleep for a while."
"Yes...yes quite. I am fine and I think that I may have given them what they need to break out of this dream."
"What? Why didn't you call me right away?" Mallory said abruptly.
"I….I'm sorry but I didn't think you needed every little update." Q explained somewhat perplexed by Mallory's attitude.
"Just make sure to keep me informed from now on. I need to know the second M wakes up."
Q merely nodded and looked at his pad as Mallory saw himself out. Q watched as he left Q branch and buzzed his nephew, who came right away.
"Lad...what did Mallory speak with you about before he came into my office?"
"He just wanted to know if I had ever had much interaction with M before this incident. I told him only cursorily. Is that alright Uncle?"
"Yes...yes my boy but I would like you to dig into Mr. Mallory and anyone who could be motivating him to usurp M. And keep this between you and I lad. If you notice anyone in the lab who may be working for Mallory...I need you to let me know."
"I will uncle...I mean...Quartermaster."
James woke in a small wooden bed. His head felt groggy. That was a strange dream...a...dream...M...Tanner...Eve! He looked down at his feet and the boots beside his cot.
"Shit!" Bond palmed his face in his hands. "Why...M...Christ!" He couldn't believe that he was still here in M's dream. Another bloody dream! That's all this is!
Caught in a net of shifting awareness and yet he slept. Just now he woke from a dreamless slumber, Q must have done something because it was beginning to feel like he had been up for days running and jumping from dream to dream.
Poor M...he had to save her. Bond was more than angered that she had had to witness her husband brutally murdered and by the maniac who tried to kill her.
Bond couldn't stand this anymore. The pain he heard in M's wail, as Silva killed Nigel. As it torturously hurt her, it tore into him more that he thought it possible.
She...it...why did what emotionally affect her, hit him harder than the last fist that collided with his face? He ached watching M crumble with seeing Nigel's brutal death. For her to have had a brief glimpse of him again after he had died in reality.
Bond could only imagine how he would have felt had his parents resurfaced in any of his dreams. It was because he knew what it was like to lose your entire world in an instant, that he felt so pained for her now.
Bond had seen and dealt enough death to know that there was nothing but pain and regrets in those last moments of life. Bond had not known Nigel Mansfield but he bloody well envied the man.
The orb was obviously making this dream more stable for Bond to be able to even attempt to rationalize his feelings for M while dressing in a 19th century naval uniform.
A knock sounded at his door. "Come!" Bond barked, as he struggled in pulling on one of his boots.
Tanner and Eve entered his cabin. "Did you sleep?"
"Yes. And you two I imagine." Bond looked up at the wary way that his two friends looked at each other.
"Oh...I see an about time too. Well I won't be the one to tell anyone. M would just say keep it low so no fuss is made. So be subtle at work in other words. Hell...now I'm replacing her." Bond said sadly shaking his head as he stood and pulled on his coat and captains hat.
"Shall we go out and see what this dream has wrought for us now?" Bond led them out of the captains quarters and out onto the deck. It was gloomy out but no storm on the horizon yet.
A perfect reflection of their current mood and likely M's, as this was her nightmare, they were just stuck in it with her.
"Q and the doctors must have given our bodies drugs to have such a dreamless sleep." Eve said as they looked around at the ship.
"M must have thought to wish our travels faster." Tanner said noticing the repairs that had been accomplished. Tanner couldn't keep the worry out of his voice. M was in the hands of her worst nightmare and it had a sobering effect to the otherwise adventurous spirit of the circumstances they were in.
"Any other day I would love to dream of adventure and pirates." Tanner said
"Yes; well today it is real and there is real danger." Eve added.
Bond began yelling at the crew to find that ship, trusting that they would know just how to do that because he hadn't a clue.
"How long do you think they had us sleep?" Bond asked.
"At least 5 hours. No doubt Q insisted on at least that much." Tanner answered.
A midshipman came and told them their heading and the last time that they spotted the pirate vessel. Bond nodded thanks and told him to run drills for the men and make fasted speed in pursuit.
The wind seemed to sense their urgency and picked up, billowing the sails and propelling the ship faster towards their goal.
"M." Bond muttered under his breath. Eve heard him and looped her arm through his. "She's given us breath in our sails." Bond said looking more worried than Eve had ever seen him.
"Bond, I think she's fine. Your imagination is likely worse than what imaginary dream Silva could be. I mean self preservation dictates that M should not wish harm to herself so we have to remain positive."
"But what if the grief...and the guilt...well...she could feel that she deserves punishment." Bond grimaces as he looked at Eve. Eve face sort of dropped, as if she hadn't thought of that.
"Silva should and will be dead again by my hand!" Bond snarled, looking out over the seemingly endless waves. He gripped the railing tightly digging his nails into the hardwood. That bastard will hurt her...touch her and god forbid, rape her to take his revenge.
Tanner grimaced as he followed them to look over the port side of the ship. "Seeing Nigel die...and the guilt she felt about giving Silva over to to Chinese could do just that."
"No...stop it!" Eve exclaimed. We have to believe in the positive. Emotions are strong in these dream so we must send out only good vibes. If M knows that we care...that we love her then she will feel hope." Eve looked at Bond as she said this. "You do love her don't you James?"
"Yes. Yes I do."
"I suspected as much." Tanner added, as he shook his head in both amazement and pity. Amazed that Bond had so easily admitted something that had been simmering beneath the surface between the two stubborn people for years and years. The pity was for the dire situation that they found themselves in.
"I thought so!" Eve exclaimed with a large smile on her face. "You aren't just saying this because she is younger in this dream are you Bond?"
"M certainly is...well...va...va...va...voom now that she's young and blonde." Tanner added a little too enthusiastically for Bond and Eve.
"M is a gorgeous woman regardless of her age and for her age...well I damn well hope to hold myself that well." Eve said with her hands on her hips. "Don't you two dare just drool over her because she's young...if it's love Bond...it should be about more than just looks."
Bond frowned. "You seriously think I'm that shallow Eve?"
"Sorry Bond. I never thought of it that way before but I suppose I've been younger in my dreams also."
"Me too." Tanner said "God I hope she is alright and we can find her soon."
"No but I just wanted to make sure and you know that she will believe the same when you tell her here. "
"She might." Bond pondered aloud. "But in all my dreams she was just as we know her and I was still drawn to her every single bloody time. I could have had dreams of anyone, you included Eve but it was always her."
"True love." Eve said in awe as she pulled her right hand up to curl by her heart. "So sweet."
Bond blushed and turn to look out over the waves and just then the sun peeked through the clouds.
"Come on you scallywags...let's go find the woman of my dreams!" Bond yelled to the crew who cheered as if they knew the entire plot to this dream and endorsed it wholeheartedly.
To be continued…