A rude awakening

[ima_npc]

[You awaken from a deep sleep. You are groggy and cold and feel off in ways that may be initially difficult to place. The door to your stasis pod opens. How did you get here? That's a really good question. Who are you? That's another.]

[Step outside into the warmer (albeit not especially warm) room and you'll see the others, all dressed in a similar style of stasis suits. One or two of them are wearing the same colors as you, though it's perhaps hard to tell with the dim, red glow that fills the room.]

[The doors are closed. There is no apparent way to open them. And a robotic voice intermittently rings through the room:]

Life support is being restored to the facility. Please stand by.

Comments

[court_chesster]

[There is something deeply disturbing about the epiphany that maybe they in fact had the same dream.]

Oh. Erm. I don't think those are dogs. A dog has kind of a longer snout, usually, and a tail that wags when it's excited.

[whenitrainsitstorms]

[Thinks about it.]

Are they about this big?

[Hold his hands up; it's about the size of the puppy from the dream.]

[court_chesster]

Some are bigger than others but yeah. That's about the right size for yours.

[WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?? BUT IT'S TOO LATE TO BE HONEST ABOUT IT NOW???]

[whenitrainsitstorms]

[Nods to himself, thinking about the puppy in the dream.]

Then I think I do remember dogs. I just didn't know the name.

[court_chesster]

If you can dream it then it's still in there somewhere, right? What else did you dream about?

[whenitrainsitstorms]

[Frowns and takes a minute, trying to remember. He's watching you while he says it, like he's looking for something.]

I dreamt I was flying. You were there.

There was a fire below us, so we went to help.

[court_chesster]

[He thought he was prepared for this potential answer, but in fact he was not, and the spark of recognition is not hidden well.]

A fire, huh...

[whenitrainsitstorms]

[He's had confirmation from a few others by now, so just jumping in and saying it. Bluntly:]

Did you dream the same thing?

[court_chesster]

I... I don't know. I think maybe I dreamed something like that, but it's not really possible for two people to dream the same thing, is it?

[whenitrainsitstorms]

I would have said no. Only...

[Indicates one of the other guys in blue and gray.]

He and I both dreamed of a cookfire in the middle of darkness.

[Indicates the blonde tiny.]

And she and I both dreamed of drawing pictures with color-sticks. [Pause.] Crayons.

[court_chesster]

[Glancing between the indicated parties.]

...I don't understand what this means.

[whenitrainsitstorms]

I don't either.

[court_chesster]

[His gaze is still flitting around. What he really doesn't understand is what it means for his lies.]

...We'll figure it out together.

[whenitrainsitstorms]

[Looks at you again, really looks, for maybe just a beat too long. Then he nods.]

In the meantime, it sounds like you're our best hope of figuring the rest out.

No one else remembers anything.

[court_chesster]

I'll do my best.

Um... about that dream...

[whenitrainsitstorms]

What about it?

[court_chesster]

I don't recall it super well, but kinda got the feeling like maybe you were... a little bit mad at me?

[whenitrainsitstorms]

About you roasting sausages while the town burned down?

[court_chesster]

What!? I was not!

[whenitrainsitstorms]

You were.

[court_chesster]

No way! Why would I do that? Maybe you're mad at me, but don't make me into a jerk in your dreams!

[whenitrainsitstorms]

So you're saying everything about the dream was the same for you.

Except for that.

[court_chesster]

No, I'm saying I shouldn't have been doing that! Why are you painting me like the bad guy in your dream?

[whenitrainsitstorms]

Then you were just... what?

Acting out the motions? Getting swept along with what was happening anyway?

[court_chesster]

I don't know! I don't even think that was my dream!