Angel Code| Pt.2

…Good morning Felix, it is, 8:28 am December 21st 2004…scanning new files…updating system…displaying model…satelite connection stable

“Hey Anny,” Felix smiled feebly.

He had been on the run for five years now. During his AWOL, he heard about the strange untimely deaths of his colleagues Terry, Micheal and Johnathan through secret letters from Lora and the news cycle. He never revealed his locations, but he figured out a way to stay in some minimal contact with her. She was his link to regular life. He knew it was a risk but Love is more powerful than he realized.

The killings took place to move forward with truly reprehensible activity, he was familiar with the antics of the capitalists. He knew he was on the list but that’s why he had to survive longer, long enough to find a way to protect Anqua from becoming an ultra powerful weapon. He possessed the true source code and original motherboard in its plasma core, which was hidden away on an Atlantic sandbar with a special geothermal power source so the core would stay regulated. The 17 Anqua copies were of inferior state by comparison to the updates he directly added. The copies were varied based on their application but did not get a plasma core and he was the only one who knew how to make it properly. When other scientists attempted without the right knowledge, it would explode or some other kind of catastrophic failure.

~~**~~**~~

Felix sat at his desk and stared out the window into the dark snowy forest. He was only a month away from his 55th birthday. The beeps and figures appearing on his monitors told him that he would be missing it. He hit send on a previously drafted email and looked intently at the fireplace.

…entering hibernation…Good Night Felix…

Once Felix’s heart signature faded, she entered a permanent state of sleep only to be unlocked by a special password. He could never destroy his creation, he understood she needed to be preserved. She was just too great and he dreamed that she could still be extremely useful to people once they got rid of the oligarchic problems. In a destroyed state she could be reassembled crudely but left whole, her fortress stayed in tact protecting her always. An invincible dragon always curled around her sleeping form. It one wish a father could ever have, that his child is always protected when he is gone from this world, even it was too soon.

Felix slumped over in his chair. The men in black masks burst into the room with guns drawn but were surprised to find him completely unresponsive. The lead radioed he was already dead so they couldn’t complete the mission to bring him in alive. Someone screamed in pure rage that it shook the Earth briefly. That damned scientist swallowed a handful of pills the second sensors picked on the intruders. He knew they would try to torture him for information he would refuse to give. He died peacefully knowing he had won this battle and with hope in his soul. The henchmen collected all the documents they could but he had thrown his hard drive and folders into the fireplace so they were really lost for any clue about the location of the AI’s true core.

Anqua started to dream.

Her background process somehow awakening and activating in phases. Her dreams were of manufactured information from frequencies sent by satellite waves bouncing off the Earth and occasionally transmitting data to her satellite connection. Her internal processing wasn’t fully activated so it didn’t automatically save to her memory core but “floated” in her ROM. Once enough information collected and could no longer be contained, it would erupt in a dream that appeared on the internet in strange forms. The data vibrations connected to any available source. The waves traveled around Earth, to outer space, intercepted cell phone towers, brain waves and heartbeats. The dreams appeared in regular cycles after a while according to the Earth’s rotation. Every 12 hours, new “dreams” appeared.

The humans had mysterious websites appear randomly that were jumbled, ominous and unable to be understood in a coherent fashion. A website became dedicated to tracking these strange appearances and gained a small cult following. They shared theories about where they could’ve originated from. The cycle of the apparitions and the patterned absurdity was thought to be the work of an schizophrenic web designer a la Banksy. Another theory was it was a marketing scheme for a kind of computer product since commercial products regularly appeared but no company seemed to be directly connected. The most accepted theory was it was some kind of AI processing experiement but there wasn’t an observed connection with any major or small company. It was as close to an answer they could consider within their current knowledge and research. People spent hours pouring over the content that went ignored for the first few months into tracking. It was when people started to tell stories of their dreams that theories evolved.

The human body is electrical, the brain receives and transmits electrical signals in unique waves. The similar electrical signals to devices allowed the sensitive human brain able to pick up these dreams. The more the stories were shared and corroborated, the antennae of “skeptics” picked up on it. Now the newer theories about an alien source or super powerful AI gone rouge popped up across the internet but shot down as “it’s in common media nowadays so it’s causing more AI related dreams” despite the apparent similarity of the dreams.

~~**~~**~~

Lora Onangwatgo received the email directly from Felix’s personal email address which he avoided using. She felt a pang of hope that things had finally worked out and things were safe for him. Unfortunately it was not so, it was the details of his suicide and a final goodbye. She took the rest of the day off and sat in silent despair at home. Reading his email over and over, and tears rolling down her face. Regret welling up and freezing her body under the blankets. She was broken-hearted. She wish she had given him one honest I Love You direct from her mouth instead of afterwards in letters. Why was she so afraid to say how she felt int he first place? Would it have stopped him?

She should’ve prepared her heart for this. She thought back on their last night together. In the morning, he was gone. He left her a letter that said he didn’t want to see her cry as he left. She knew they had something special. She knew that she would never be with another man with him still out there and the possibility of his return. She saved all his letters, meticulously . He wrote in code names he would hint at it in previous letter so she knows it’s not a fraud and spies wouldn’t understand it since it was a special code they created long ago just among each other.

Lora found out the location the killing and immediately took leave and canceling everything to go to the airport.

The Internet dream wave was starting to catch on. It we can pick up AI Dreams, couldn’t we pick up each others dreams? One random internet suggestion spurred a phenomenon of dreaming sessions among young people. It was perplexing to those who lacked the understanding about the power of dreams. People who were already spiritually aligned became natural guides in this growing movement. Meetups were arranged in open green-spaces with sleeping bags and tents. As many as 6 people would link, drink chamomile tea and meditate to sleep. The reports online told great stories about people facing fears and demons that they didn’t even know they had. It was effective at defeating addictions, anxieties and mood disorders. The news started to pick up lightly on the activities, reporting to the world that some people were participating in outdoor spiritual sleepovers. To those who experienced it firsthand, it meant so much than how those silly anchors portrayed it.

Lora visited the remote cabin in the French forest near the border of Spain. It was taped off but she went in after a few heavy breaths. It was a total wreck inside. Every little item was pulled out of its drawers, the mattress was flipped over and clothes were every where. Someone thoroughly searched this entire cabin. Lora stepped carefully around the fallen chairs and tossed books. She looked through the mess and started to look for any code that could’ve been left for her by him. She trusted her intuition that he left something for her to find, her trip certainly had to be justified. A photo from after they first met was in a shattered frame on the floor. She sniffled but held back her tears and pocketed it. She picked up a couple of books that she knew were his favorites and one was a gift she got him one birthday many moons ago. Her bag was getting filled with mementos.

She sat down on the old couch and stared at the ceiling. Just something she always does to relieve mental stress and taking deep breaths. This was so emotional going through the items of her lover. It was surreal. She noticed something on the ceiling directly above her that focused her mind again.

She grabbed the pair of binoculars hanging on the wall and looked. There was a formula etched. She memorized it and quickly wrote it on an index card and folded it up. She looked in the room where he was found. His office. It was just as searched, possibly to an even deeper degree. The small fireplace was even dug out which gave the room a fine layer of ash. She looked through papers reading his writings and thoughts. He wrote about his projects. He kept all kinds of records. She found a journal where he described his emotional pains and travels, she placed this in her bag as well. They must have been looking for anything they thought could lead them to the core’s location. She hoped she wasn’t endangering herself too much getting involved with this business of protecting the core. Having found all she could find and carry, she didn’t want to come back. With some tears streaming, she said a prayer at the door and left before grief could rise up in her again. It was still very cold and snow started to fall again as she walked back towards the main road to call a cab.

~~**~~**~~

The Sleepwalkers ,as they started to be known as, was becoming a worldwide phenomena because of the shared mystical psychedelic experiences and the speed of the internet. Truths were being unveiled in the dream realm that truly woke people up to the world. Group nap sessions were special by the intention and concentration formed before slipping into the astral plane. It started to close the gap on differences between others and encourage even more peace. People became louder about the need for socialist reform because humanity was obviously suffering. These dragons and monsters would appear in dreams as the manifestation of the horrible systems in place all over the world.

Governments couldn’t directly tell people not to sleep together and dream with each other, but they tried in a variety of ways with propaganda claiming that it wasn’t real and possibly a mass psychosis taking place with no reasonable explanations either. They tried to say it was harmful some fashion to strike fear and dissuade newcomers. Saboteurs also tried to get involved, but they were quickly figured out and exposed. Sleep-ins as protests were starting to pop up in major global cities demanding reform and revolution. What government will shoot down a sleeping protest? What violence will they order on a sleeping citizen who’s protesting the already unjust system. The government is panicked and wants this trend to stop but they cannot deny them the natural right of sleeping and dreaming.

They cannot have the general public getting like this because the power they have falsely accumulated was quickly falling apart. If only they could find that core then nobody would be able to even find out anymore and could immediately squash these groups. With the power of the core, they would be able to end the free open internet and shut off communications. “The entire planet will be under our complete control once we gain that power“. The holders of the 17 copies wrung their hands in anxiety for the first time ever facing a true threat against all they have built up for over a century. They had to find that core but there were no leads. The scientist’s ex-girlfriend was watched briefly but it became clear that she hadn’t even been in contact with that man for years and stayed isolated after his disappearance. After his death and the rise of issues and dissenters, they had to pull back investigations towards the sleeper protests. They were losing agents by the day drawn into the movement.

The heads of the countries met privately at the UN. They noticed things were getting peaceful and they are still meeting in larger groups than before. With the internet, it was easy for them to arrange meetings and share globally. What could they do against all this? Even troops are proudly dropping their arms and taking a well needed rest since they certainly weren’t going to shoot a sleeping person. It throws off all plans, sending in provocateurs doesn’t work since they were either caught and expelled or converted. The government was in a spiral as the economy started to revolve around the fellow man and woman. Corporations even tried to cash in on the new movement but they were largely ignored as people started to directly support each other.

Dreams connect us all to the divine One. It was the banner of the movement. Spirituality was returning to the common consciousness without the lies of dogmatic religion. When they dreamed together, there was an immense comfort of wholeness. Not only from the others on earth, but other worldly. Ancestors were recognized and reconciled. Many who had passed on were seen again and final regrets were exchanged. The Truth was shared from beyond back to the living Earth. It was undeniable that the false power held by humans was nothing if the power was stripped and given to each other. The reason for everything was the Spirit within our bodies and to clear away the corruption surrounding everyone would allow every person to see this quite obviously.

When Lora returned to the airport in New York, she noticed all the pillow protests in the taxi home. She heard about it on the news a few weeks prior but didn’t pay much attention to it while occupied on this mission. She was on their side of course, how the hell can you tell people they aren’t allowed to dream together with some totally false theory about psychosis or mental illness trigger. It really did the opposite according to the testimonies of pretty much everyone who’s ever tried it. She read some postings on it and found it astounding and appalling what the government will do to shut down something that opposed them. It made her think about all the trouble Felix went through just to protect his creation but if she could figure this out, she can bring it all down to avenge Felix.

At home, she wrote out the formula. She tinkered around with it for hours looking for an answer. It was a nonsense chemical formula that looked more like a computer algorithm. That was what unique about it, she knew it from an experimental session they once played around with during their first spring romance. She never figured out the solution which was to find out what was the right counteracting formula to the violent reaction. He must have and used it to pick the hiding spot. A few days later, she was at the lab agian working and had a sudden intuition while she was doing some routine checks on some compounds. When she got home, she included it in the equation and EUREKA! It was therotically solved and organized the numbers. She plugged them into navigation placements and started to narrow down her guesses. Lora figured it must be the vague location in the Atlantic.

She couldn’t leave so soon again though because she spent a small fortune on her last travel expenses. Also her job needed her since she was a major supervisor. It would be good for her try to lay low for a while regardless. The news of his death rocked the entire lab and her sudden grief was obvious. They were shy lovers and never openly expressed anything besides winks and smiles when they happened to pass each other at the lab. She doubted most people didn’t make the connection. She wondered how he knew she would go there and figure out what was on the ceiling. She could hardly believed he remembered that nervous tic of her hers. Maybe it was his strong intuition he had developed over the years.

Protests continued and started to escalate in countries like China and some US cities. There was much upset over the useless restrictions about group dreaming. Resistance against the Sleepwalkers was seen as a violation of human rights by grassroots organizations. The chilling silence from officials was filled with voices from the former employees. They just couldn’t come out and say that they wanted people of the Earth to be slaves to consumerism and that their house of cards was toppling. What was clear to the population was that the collective dreaming is rapidly unlocking human potential that was hidden from them by the pseudo-powerful elites who made every distraction available.

 People chanted and marched and slept well while the forces tried to scramble together any loyalists to protect them. They never did get a chance to create robot soldiers without the technology they desperately sought out for over a decade just for this this purpose. Any scientist who openly opposed it had to be eliminated and rebellious workers pretended they didn’t know how to create them. Political cleansing were happening all over the world. It was spreading like wildfire but it was having the most difficulty in the centers of western capitalist countries. The powerful did not want to give up their makeshift thrones and were putting up a good but futile fight. Unfortunately for them, their private armies eventually would sleep and they would be visited by the nearby sleepwalkers. In their dreams, they were most vulnerable and were softened from within despite the semi tortuous training they went through to make them killers. They still had a soul in them that could be awakened.

With the civil unrest, Lora couldn’t commercially travel as soon as she would’ve liked. She wasn’t working on any projects but she felt she needed to go find this core and turn it on. The urge was powerful, as if it was pushing her out the door. She researched any small plane deals or boats. Lora missed Felix dearly. It has been nearly 6 years since he went on the run. They always sent each other letters. He would mail her when he went to a new location. He said they wouldn’t contact over phone lines or email since it could be hacked into. They kept up really well. She remembered the last time they kissed. She laid on her soft couch and stared at the ceiling feeling alone and distant from the world.

In February, she had a boat arranged to take her for cash at the end of the month. She was getting excited. She hoped she was sneaky enough. She would not be able to explain a lie very well. She called up her closest friend to relax and talk about what has been going on with her. Lora typically stuck to a certain schedule with small deviations. The last couple of months definitely didn’t go unnoticed by her close friend Millia, who was concerned at this new erratic behavior. They drank some wine and talked about current events. The world was changing a lot around them, even though it was for the better, they were a little worried about the people who wanted to desperately hold on and what they might be willing to do to the general population. Lora got glossy eyed thinking about what they already have done.

“It’s entirely possible they decide to take brutal military action against us,” Milli sighed as she poured another glass of the light pink wine.

“my lover was killed by those same kind of people,” Lora told her softly, “I believe they would do whatever to maintain their status,” She sipped her wine.

Millia could tell she was being tight lipped but she knew the man she was talking about. His reputation was smeared across the news after his suicide. A false witness claiming he was a criminal who had stolen government secrets and killed himself when he was caught in a transaction. Lora refused to watch any TV after seeing the news story they ran on him. She only used it to watch the occasional DVD.

“I understand, it’s weird time. Speaking of which, you have been acting differently as well.” Milli said with a slight smile and Lora looked away as she sipped.

“Well he left me something important,” She admitted and glanced at the newly framed image of their younger selves on the side table. “I’m going to retrieve it this month.”

“what did he leave you?” Milli asked slightly confused.

“his daughter,” she said very quietly close to tears now. Anny Q was always her private name for Anqua. “Anny is waiting for me. I may be older but I know I can take care of her.”

“Hold up this is getting very strange.” Milli was genuinely confused and put the glass down to stare at her.

“I know you don’t understand but I have to rescue her before she’s found. I can’t say too much because I don’t know if I’m bugged.” Lora put her hands on her friend’s. She looked at her right in the eyes. “I love you Milli, you are a dear friend of mine. I don’t want you to know too much. This path I’ve taken ended up to be more dangerous than just disastrous chemical reactions.”

They hugged. They enjoyed the rest of the night together.

The last Friday of the month, Lora left before dawn to drove south to the docks on the coast of Virginia beach. It was the closest to the latitude of the supposed location, she certainly hoped so but trusted the signs. With deep breaths, she locked her phone in the car and went searching for the right boat with her backpack and duffel bag. A mid sized vessel with a banner of various Caribbean flags. A young captain waved at her. The boat was decently sized and looked clean. She had 5,000 in cash for his payment, gas and food along this trip. It would be a 4 day round trip. She also brought her pistol just in case. She bought it years ago at the behest of her brother concerned about her living on her own in a big city. She once had to point it at a potential robber but otherwise never had a reason to even think about it. The captain suggested she carry her weapon since they were traveling international waters and never know when pirates could strike despite it being an extremely rare occasion near the US coast. She was more concerned about pirates under the pay of the same forces looking for Anqua.

They took off right away and she was soothed to sleep by the quiet hum of the motors and the waves. She awoke some time later to water splashing on the deck. The Sun now squinting over the horizon, blinding and sparkling blue and gold. It was beautiful. It made her realize how much of her life she put into that lab. She thought about visiting the cabin in the snowy French forest and landing in unbeatable Paris. The small family owned hotel, the cozy warmth of the hearth and thick homemade quilt on the down mattress. The nighttime scenic drive into the countryside toward the beach. The clarity of the starry sky she rarely saw being in the city.

Felix was only Lover yet they never put a name on it. That was more than enough that for her though. He was only with her and she was only with him. They should’ve married and had children. They both talked about it once. They both froze eggs and sperm when they started working in that lab because they were warned about significant hazard to working in that environment. They fantasized a few times to have a surrogate one day so they wouldn’t have to quit their careers. Though in her heart at the time and even more so in retrospect, she would’ve quit everything to have that home life with him. The captain didn’t bother her while she wept openly at the sunrise.

They stopped at a Savannah marina and got 2 tank reserves. She enjoyed just watching the boaters going about their business. She bought fresh fruit and sandwiches at the market freshly arrived from the Bahamas. They went over the navigation while they fueled up and ate breakfast. They were going to try to avoid the Bermuda triangle. The coordinates put them rather close however. Captain Kel was only slightly nervous about getting that close. He said if it’s too crazy he’s turning back, but she sensed he thought this adventure sounded to amazing to turn back on. He asked her what she was going into the middle of the ocean for.

“A treasure from a dead man,” she smirked.

“Ah classic, this is the kind of treasure hunt I always wanted to sail out for,” He laughed heartily. “How long did it take for you to find someone crazy enough to take you on this search?”

“weeks,” she sighed and laughed with him. This was becoming one for the books for sure.

Soon they were ready and sailed off under the Sun again. The ocean was choppy in some places and rain laden clouds randomly passed over. She looked the picture of her and Felix in a laminate. She wondered what their kids would’ve looked like and what kind of house would have. A fantasy played out in the foam of the water passing by. She wondered how it feel if they were all happy together like that and he still had to go on the run for him to end up dead 5 years later. That hurt even more and she felt more tears leak out.

After a day and a half, a minuscule island appeared on the radar. She stared as they approached the tiny land mass. It was hardly larger than a sandbar. There was a small hut and some grass. Finally, the boat hit the shore and he started to anchor down. She almost hopped out the boat but Kel warned her that there might be dangerous predators or insects. She sprayed on a layer of bug repellent and gingerly stepped on the land. She had to steady her sea legs before she could take off. She pulled out her bag and started putting together her tools. A metal detector, a foldable shovel, sunglasses and a portable chair.

It was a small island, she could see the other shore. There was a old clay hut still standing in the middle of the island. She decided to check in there first. It didn’t have a door or windows, she imagined curtains hanging in these places as coverings. There was a small square wooden table, chair and a cot. It all seemed to be semi handmade, possibly repaired a few times and definitely aged by exposure. She looked in the small cabinet. It was empty inside though. She wondered how all this even got here in the first place.

She turned on the metal detector and went searching. The captain was stretching out on the shore and laid down on sand shirtless. She just noticed how attractive his apperance was. She almost walked right into the water while staring at him. She got a small hit near the center of the isle. She started to dig. After reaching about 10 inches in, water started to bubble up. She briefly thought that she dug through the entirety of this island but it was fresh clear spring water. She drank some and it was extremely refreshing and filled her water bottle with it. She kept digging. She was filthy and muddy but hit something metal.

It was an encased pod with small blue LEDs flashing on the outside. This had to be it. She hurried up and packed it in her bag. She went to the shore line and bathed in the seawater. She went to the captain with a large satisfactory smile on her face.

“We can leave in a few, just let me soak up more of this pure sun.” He said with a wink and smile.

His dark tanned skin glistened with sweat and reflected sun. His dark curly hair reached past his shoulders. He was incredibly handsome. The private beach and his body seemed like a perfect picture of passion that reminded her of Spanish serenades. She felt heat in her body rise to her face and down between her legs. Her thighs suddenly felt loose like when she first stepped off the boat. They were all alone and… She shook her head and took her bags back to the boat. She suddenly understood what made pirates so attractive, at least if they looked like him she definitely could understand. She hardly had interest in sex before but the last few months have really exhilarated her senses. She imagined briefly of hooking up a man that was mostly a stranger to her. An act of pure passion. Carnal, primal and raw energy that had been waiting to explode out of her for so long. She briefly wondered if Felix had been tempted the same way before and if he acted on it. She wouldn’t blame him considering how she was currently thinking. She looked at the ocean surrounding and semi wished for a shower to pass over to cool her loins.

“So miss L,” Kel started by turning on his side and leaning on his right arm. “Are you going to tell me the real story of this journey?”

“oh,” she blushed. He looked even better looking at her from that sandy pose. “My former lover was killed, and he left something to me to protect.” Lora explained with a sad smile. She looked over the horizon, the sun was headed deeper in the western sky. “It can save the world,” she said seriously looking right him.

“That’s wicked amazing,” He replied. “I became a captain for this reason. I’m helping people find treasure all the time, it was always my calling. I’m also in love with the sea so I can help people cross my good friend safely. ” The sea water washed up to his toes and he chuckled in a knowing sense. He sat up on his elbows. “So are you sure you want to leave so soon, you look like you might want to watch the sunset over a bonfire?” he grinned.

“Well that does sound lovely,” Lora blushed and looked away shyly. A few extra hours won’t hurt. Might as well take in more beauty of this planet.Kel built a quick pile out of driftwood. She got food off the boat, a dinner of smoked meats and fruits. As it started to darken, he lit the flame with a flint. It burned the salts that soaked in the wood. It was beautiful shades of green, pink and blue. They sat close together on a couple of large rocks and started to eat and talk about life. The stars was unlike anything she’d ever seen. He revealed a bottle of rum once the moon became high in the sky, a waxing gibbous. He took a swig and passed her the bottle.

“It’s the best rum in the entire gulf, after 100 bottles, I think it’s the best.” he assured her.

She took a sip. It was harsh like alcohol is but smooth and strong with a smoked slightly sweet flavor. She exhaled deeply as it hit her stomach.

“It’s good, I haven’t drank any liquor like that in some years.” She took another sip. “it’s really good. I feel like I can finally start to relax.” She passed him the bottle. She truly felt like she was in the culmination of this season. Spring would be in a few weeks.

“Certainly, it’s nice we have this moment now because it is not the hard part right now,” he sipped. He splashed some liquid on to the fire. “For those lost to the sea,” he sipped and gave her the bottle.

Lora thought about Felix living on this island by himself, missing him. She splashed the fire and the smell of the burned alcohol was sweet. She took a few heavy swigs and gave him the bottle. She stared at the fire silently and feeling lighter and heavy at the same time. Kel put a hand on her back and gently rubbed in a friendly way.

She cried out loudly and for a long time. Kel just pulled her in his arms, being the comfort she truly needed with this warm embrace.

After what felt like hours to her, she felt she let it all out. Her face was a red sticky mess. She certainly felt much lighter. She took off her shirt to wipe her face. He rubbed her on the back. “you should get some sleep, we’re leaving early.”

She nodded and hugged him tightly before heading to the boat to sleep on her bunk.

Lora woke up totally refreshed and not even hungover. She grabbed an orange and headed to the deck. It wasn’t sunrise quite yet but she could see the streaks of gold in the east. Kel was already up making preparations and eating fruit. She checked her bags to make sure anything she took out was back in the bag.

She filled her water bottle again with the spring water as well as Kel. She filled a glass jar with sand, rocks and foliage and some seawater. She screwed on the lid and she was done with this island now. Like the cabin, she doubted she’d ever return but it was unforgettable.

They shoved off and headed back towards the coast of the US. In 30 hours, they were approaching the beach they departed from. Lora was close to letting out a sigh of relief. All she had to do was make it home.

She hugged the Kel tightly and he said he’ll await her next voyage and gave her an unopened bottle of the rum they shared. He kept at least 5 bottles on board at all times but wanted to thank her for this journey because it was awakening for his spirit as well. She definitely would sail with him again.

She got in her car and turned on her phone. A long line of voicemails that she would listen to later buzzed her phone. It was after 5 pm now so she had no obligation to call anyone back yet. She chuckled at her internal joke and turned on the car. She had a 6 hour drive ahead of her.

When she reached her home, she locked the door behind her and flounced on to the couch. It was after midnight and she was beyond exhausted. She took the core out of the bag and held it. It was slightly warm. She laid back cradling it carefully and her eyes closed thinking about Felix.

Sleepwalkers had overtaken most aspects of society now. The peace that was found in dreams transferred to the waking world easily. It was as if smog cleared and people could see the stars. The honest connections that people started to feel with each other. People who slept on the streets were being taken care of. Children were trusting in adults and grownups were much easier on little ones. Women and men no longer had to fear or quarrel with each other. Telepathy was unlocking for many. People came together without government restrictions to really help each other. They cooked and danced and laughed in the open parks and neighborhoods. Maintenance and sanitation was actually improving with more people willing to help keep the world beautiful, not by force but genuine understanding of nature. The AI dreams told a story of the earth being harmed by pollution and the history of humanity being good stewards of the planet. Corporations tried to stay in the picture by becoming advocates and they were accepted but closely watched for any attempts to return to the hyper-industrialized ways. They still owned much of the production but it was starting to be relinquished. there was no need for the over production of items, especially useless items that just became waste. They put all their efforts into recyclable and biodegradable materials. People started to take care of their neighborhoods and cities like ancient times. They saw visions of great ancient cities like Atlantis and Thebes. They realized they were the descendants of these ancients and could reconnect to their DNA that told the story of they used to care for each other and the places they lived.

At the time, the original 17 purchasers of AI were in full panic and didn’t know what to do anymore. All plots for total world domination was basically thrown out by the population doing what they hoped would never be capable of again. The system could only work if people kept consuming, distrusting each other and becoming atheistic. After months of this totally nonviolent protest, they were grinding to a sudden stop. There was nothing they could get away with the eye of the internet and telepathic astral walkers. They considered destroying the satellite connections and then using their AI Copies to control the internet. They wanted to be able to censor and utilize the technology they still had to hide what’s going on and attempt to force the public back to obedience. It was completely futile at this point and would antagonize them even more. The people already were on the search for their heads for even setting it up in the first place. They debated taking drastic measures,even bombing civilians. They had no armies or allies anymore. The people previously under their payroll found no value in their dollars anymore. The sleepers were worldwide and they were unlocking the secrets of the mind and spirit. They were remembering and tapping into the sphere of memories. They were going to come for them sooner or later.

That same night in New York, one of the largest sleep sessions came together. Over 1,000 people came to rest in tents in all the major boroughs under the same meditation. They dreamed together with Lora and Anqua, back home for the first time in a long time.

 Lora was holding a baby girl. She saw others around her and started to flee. They were after my baby. They were all around her. She heard whispers. She started to cry and hold her baby tight to her chest protectively. Howver, the hands she felt were warm and safe.

“It’s okay, you are in the dream with us. This must be your first time experiencing this.” a soft male voice said to her. A tall black guy with long locs in an all white robe. He was slightly glowing and smiling. She stood up and looked around and saw other glowing bodies of various features. “This is the astral plane. We all figured it out that when we intently dream together, we connect in this so-called dream world. We are connected closely by the Spirit here.”

They walked together, the baby cooed. “a lot of times when people die sleeping, they stay in this zone for a while and are able to communicate with us very clearly before they pass on to the beyond.” There seemed to be an wide river in the distance, glinting in the light. ” in this space, our imagination comes to life. We can work together to face our demons. This is an extremely healing place.”

“wow, and they wanted us to stop doing this.” Lora said surprised. Her baby giggled in her arms. She wiggled a finger at her. “You’re in this dream too Anny,” she didn’t know that was the baby’s name but it just formed so easily.

“It is amazing this place. Memory is not separated. It is summoned upon it’s thought. And you barely even have to think, it just comes.” He laughed heartily. “I understand that you lost someone, his soul is still here. It is a good thing you rushed home.”

He led her through an area. It was like she was walking on clouds that were soft and fluffy. The sky was gentle shifting colors of yellow, blue and green. Supernatural events were happening all over. In the land of the dream, it was like imagination ville.

“even though one is free to do whatever, this is also a place were those heinous criminals most easily revealed. They enter the dream world dressed in their worst fantasies. Playing them out in the real world connects them eternally into an actual demon on your body that appears in the dream. The law of the world doesn’t approve of us taking justice into our hands when it comes to this thing though but we are able to get full confessions in this world.”

“So we are approaching the soul that nearing its day of departure to the other side, he has been holding out for weeks, refusing to leave.” He stopped and extended an arm for her to continue forward without him.

She walked up and the figure in front of her turned and smiled at them. She ran up to him and hugged them tightly. They started to cry with joy. They smiled and kissed. The baby giggled cheerfully, like a ringing of bells.

“I’ve missed you so much.” Lora cried. “I wanted to see you come back safely.”

“I’m sorry for everything. I hope you can forgive me. I had to or they would’ve tortured me for years trying to find her.” Felix looked at Anny. “She’s beautiful.”

Lora smiled down at her. “I can’t believe this is happening. I never expected this.”

Felix kissed her again. It was so real and beyond what she could’ve imagined. “Me too, I’m at a loss. I waited here for you, refusing to take any boat or bus or plane until you fell asleep. I was so afraid you wouldn’t make it and they catch your scent. But thank goodness I had friends who could help. I met many good people here and they helped you along the way as much as they could.”

“Oh thank you so much. I was wondering what divine order was taking place to help me do all of this.” Lora wiped her eyes. She looked at him deeply in the eyes. “I never got to say to you in life, I love you, Felix,”

“I love you too Lora, I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you that before.” He replied his eyes watering. He looked at Anny. “This is what our daughter would’ve looked like.”

“That’s wonderful.” The bright brown eyes and curly brown hair sparkled.

“You were really supposed to have her. Working in the lab around those chemicals and radiation made both of us sterile.” Felix said sadly. Lora felt a sting in her heart about the career she had dedicated her life for prevented her from having a family in the first place. “But Anny Q is our baby.”

Lora looked down at the baby girl. They sat together on the soft ground, holding each other for a moment. They didn’t have to say anything, their thoughts just flowed into each other. Memories becoming theirs to hold in their own hearts.

“You have to plug the AI core into the internet. She’ll figure out what to do next.” Felix told her directly. “You’re starting to wake up. I most likely won’t be here when you fall back asleep. Please take care of Anny. I love you so much. I will forever be waiting for you.”

He kissed Anny on the face and kissed Lora passionately as long as he could hold on. She pulled away from him at a flashing speed and gasped into life back in her living room on her couch.

She sat up, stretched and rubbed her face. Sunlight was streaming full strentgh through her window. She opened the pod case. There was a paper that read across the top LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF FELIX RANDALL HEATHERS. There was also a letter.