Dream Myself Alive

"All we see or seem is but a dream within a dream."
-Edgar Allen Poe

I can never remember my dreams. I'm sure I have them, I'm not that out-of-the-ordinary, but as soon as my eyes creak open and the warm rays of the sun wash over my body and bring me back to life the memories of those night-time adventures fade to black. It never really bothered me... that was, until I met Jace...


"Wonderful weather we're having here!" That was the first thing he ever said to me.

We were at the cafe that I would often visit on my lunch break; a quaint little sandwich shop with a nice patio out front. The drinks were cheap and it was within walking distance, a plus for someone without a car. I wound sit for a half hour, sometimes more, and draw. (It was a hobby and I wasn't very good at it.) That day it had stormed heavily. I distinctly remember the sound of rain pounding against the old umbrella that was little shelter from the storm.

He was lounging on a bench, letting the cold rain soak him to his core. "Isn't it great?" He shouted, his arms stretched wide as he basked under the thundering sky.

I wasn't sure if he was talking to me at first but a quick look around showed that I was the only one around. 'This guy must be crazy,' I thought. I wasn't going to acknowledge him, but he kept talking. "Why don't you come out and join me?" He beckoned, patting the puddle quickly forming on the empty seat beside him.

He looked up at the sky and smiled ear to ear. "People take rain for granted...they run, even hide, from it. You people take everything for granted - your health, freedom, clean air!" What did he mean by 'you people,' I wondered.

"Well, you won't be healthy for long if you stay out there. You'll catch a cold." I warned him.

He burst out laughing as if it was the greatest joke he ever heard. "Bring it on!" He cheered, jumping up and spinning around in circles.

That was enough for me. I decided to go back to drawing and dismissed him the best that I could. He was quiet for a while, it worried me. I looked up from my sketch pad and there he was, standing in front of me dripping wet. "I want to show you something," and he offered me his hand, water trickling off him and onto my picture.

I don't know what made me go along with him. Maybe it was the fiery look in his eyes or the unusual way he behaved? Whatever it was, I threw caution to the wind and took his hand. I left my sketch book on the table and followed him willingly.

"Where are you taking me?" I dared to ask as we wandered off the sidewalk and in to an alley. I should have been afraid but for the life of me I can't remember why I wasn't.

"Somewhere special," he smiled, playfully putting his finger to his lips as if it was a secret. "Just trust me, Anna."

The storm showed no sign of letting up. Shivers ran down my spine as the frigid rain penetrated my coat and hood. "How do you know my name?" I inquired.

"We've met before, you just don't remember." He replied nonchalantly. "Almost there," he stated as he stopped in front of a wooden fence. He walked over and grabbed a trash can, dragging it closer to where we stopped. "It's just over this fence."

"I don't understand," I shrugged.

He climbed carefully on to the flimsy plastic trash can and looked down at me. "You will," he assured me before jumping over.

"Wait!" I shouted, nervous about going after him.

"Come on, you can do it!" He called back with a laugh.

With trembling legs I climbed the can. I struggled to keep my balance, nearly tipping over. I closed my eyes and leapt forward, latching onto the edge of the fence. I pulled myself up and tumbled down in to the grass.

When I opened my eyes I was surrounded by light. There was no more rain, in fact there was no sign of the storm at all. The ground was perfectly manicured and dry. I sat up and looked on in disbelief. "Where are we?"

"A garden, obviously." Jace replied vaguely. I was surrounded by bush after bush of flowers I had never seen before. There were so many bright and wondrous flora and fauna that I could hardly believe my eyes. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. "Stop gawking and come on," he gave me his hand and helped me to my feet, "it's time to wake up."

"What?" I was even more confused. "I am awake." There was no doubt in my mind that he was crazy, then again I had no way to explain the magical disappearance of a thunder storm.

"Well, it's not a dream, not really." He sighed in frustration. "Just come with me and I'll explain everything."

All of a sudden a door appeared before us. I was stricken with fright. "But.... what if I don't want to?" All that blind confidence I had before had vanished. All kind of horrors could be waiting for me beyond that door and I had no way of knowing.

He looked at me with great compassion. "I'm sorry Anna, but everyone has to wake up now, it's time."

I didn't understand and I didn't want to. I struggled with all my might, punching and kicking at him in a futile attempt to escape. "Don't fight it, Anna, it'll only make it harder on you!" He yelled, pushing me forward despite my best efforts. I started to cry... I was so scared. Before I knew it the door was open and I was on the other side. The world went black.

The first thing I remember when I woke up was feeling like I had just been punched in the chest. My lungs gasped for air and for a minute I had forgotten how to breath. My body was cold and naked. I tried to scream out but my throat was too hoarse to make even a peep. I yelled at my body to move my arms, to get up, to flee, but my muscles refused  to cooperate.

A metallic face looked down at me. "Don't be afraid, this happens to everyone." I recognized the voice, but not the face, if you could call it that. He must have noticed because he introduced himself shortly after. "My name is JaceBot2911, but you can call me Jace. We spoke earlier?" I couldn't tell where his voice was coming from, he had no mouth, no nose, only two bright holes like electronic eyes.

I tried to speak, opening and closing my mouth like a fish out of water. "Don't strain yourself, you've been in stasis for a very long time." He reached into my padded pod and picked me up like a child.

The only part of me that I could move was my eyes. Once I was out of my 'box' I could see so many unfamiliar things. There were more pods, hundreds, maybe thousands of them. The ones closest by were empty like mine and I could scantily see the tops of other metallic heads moving in the distance. "346,273,829 days to be exact," he continued as he spun me around. "Your memory should come back to you in four to forty-eight hours." He started to take me somewhere, it was hard to tell from upside down. "Everything else might take a bit longer. But, you're back!"

"I'm sure you have a lot of questions. To be honest, I kind of get tired answering them. Good thing it's not my job." He laughed. "I know I misled you there a bit but I do get bored doing this over and over again." It seemed strange to hear such a natural voice coming out of a robot, or at least I think he was a robot. We went through three doorways before we saw anyone else.  

At last we arrived at our destination, a pure white room full of beds. Androids like Jace zoomed to and fro, attending to the humans that rested upon each cot. He sat me down on the closest bed and covered me with a blanket. "The doctor's going to take good care of you now. Goodbye, Anna," was the last thing he said before patting me on the head and returning to the place from whence he came. I saw him come and go a few times as I laid in that bed, paralyzed from the neck down. A short little bot that looked like IV stand eventually zoomed over and gave me a series of shots with a needle so big that I was glad I couldn't feel it.

With time, the feelings in my body slowly came back. At first I could wiggle my toes and clinch my fist, then I could shift my hips and even adjust my blanket. A TV monitor rolled by and parked itself next to my bed. A man came across the screen, smiling in almost an unnatural way.

"Welcome back, citizen! If you're watching this then guess what? We won! The world is safe to return to. You will be reunited with your family and friends as soon as the waking process has been completed. While you slept, builder bots have been working hard to recreate life as best you knew it. You should be able to return home in no time! So rest and relax, Omnicore has saved the day again!"

As quickly as the bot came, it went, leaving me with more questions than I had answers. I couldn't remember anything. Even the short memories of the garden and the cafe were fading away like water down a drain. My past and everything I thought defined me was gone.

So I went back to sleep.