You know now why people in movies tick off each day on their cell walls. You don't know how long you've been in here, and it's difficult to focus in such a place. Your dreams are brightly lit, when you do dream, and sometimes you dream you're still in your cell, so maybe you're not dreaming at all. The tall, elderly man in the corner watching you tells you otherwise, but maybe he really is here to rescue you. To set the record straight. To take responsibility.
"You've disappointed me, Jason," he says calmly. "I was counting on you to save my legacy."
You scramble to your feet.
"Father, I-"
"I don't want to hear your excuses. I thought you were a man of your word."
"But I really did send Liber8 to 2012, just like you asked! We did it! It worked!"
Alec shakes his head. "No, Jason. The timeline unfolded just the same. I admit, I've made mistakes. But this was supposed to set things right. I shouldn't have left it to an amateur."
The word "amateur" drips with derision.
It breaks your heart, and the despair is too much right now. Is there any point to any of this?
"How can..." You tear at your hair, tears streaming down your face. Your back hits the wall with a thud and you sink down to the floor. "How can I fix this? What do you need me to do?"
Alec gets down on one knee, gently takes your chin in his hand and tilts your face up.
"To die."
You blink and suddenly you're lying on your side. It was just another nightmare. Your dad wasn't here to rescue you and he wasn't here to kill you. He wasn't here at all.