Dreamscape By Timothy W Humphries

It was just another day in 2050. The sun rose and New York City buzzed to life. Government service pod's moved through the sky in the hum drum of peak hour. Jake Kelly sat quietly at the back of the service shuttle. The dark blue suit, tie and well pressed shirt scratched at his neck, causing him to reach for the side of his collar to remove the iching sensation. Dark rimmed specticles sat on his nose. His jet black hair was slicked back every morning, a routine unbroken. The long commute to work via government shuttle began at precisely 6:30 am. He lived in a housing complex in New Jersey. The area had become known as 'Fox Valley'. It had been completed in 2020, not long after he was born. The area quickly decayed into a crime haven, with low life's of all kinds causing problems for everyone. Jake had always wondered what else he could have achieved if he hadn't taken this path. His father Bill Kelly had died in the Alaskian War of 2034. The Russians and Chinese attempted unsuccessfully to invade America for what was left of it's oil reserves. Running sorties over Alaskian skies had been his father's job. He'd been proud even as a young boy that his father was a pilot and all American hero. Jake's mind wandered to the day where his family had been informed of Bill's death. His mother's distressed face was seared in Jake's memory and remained, haunting him. Life from that time had become a slow grind of hopes dashed and disappointment compounded by fear of failure. Jake had been told he held great intellectual capacities but was failing to apply this ability. All through school the same refrain of behavioural issues caused problems for the uncontrollable child. With the memory of his father still potent in his mind, he embarked on an administration and computer course at College and quietly moved into the controlled life of Administration and Information Systems in the US Air Force. This was his life. Goto work, push papers, run machines, take phone calls, get things down, take notes for tommorow and then home. He was in the Air Force, serving safely, but in a small way following in Father's footsteps. It remained important. The shuttle pod rattled into the CBD of New York City and settled on the main Air Force building air lock. A voice came over the loud speaker. "Disarm doors," It was a metallic sounding female voice. A whooshing sound rose from the front of the craft. Jake's colleagues were all dressed in similar dark attire. Once the door was open, the long march began. The monotonous sound of footsteps crunched in Jake's mind.

The bleak white washed walls of Admin Command were sharply decorated with a sign that read: Safety, Respect, Discipline There was something ultimately disturbing about this visage. Perhaps it was because they were plastered over walls that had a picture of President Andrei Moltzen. The firebrand Russian born politician emigrated to America and joined a successful campaign to repeal the non-national alien law allowing him to run for President. He had been a vocal opponent of Russia's attempt to invade America. The ironic thing being his wealthy manufacturing family profited from the war, through weapons and northern shelf oil contracts. Now in charge of America, he had successfully amended the constitution to allow for no term limits for the office of President. He had been elected twice and was heading for a third victory. The age of the extremist Oligarch had come to America! Despite all this Jake never once dared raising his voice to it. America had become a different place after the Alaskian War. The darkness of fear had become the predomiant force in all areas of life. Dissenters had been rounded up and sent to the old Guantanamo Bay Prison which was open again. Where once Middle Eastern Terrorists resided, average American's and others were now being interred, just for voicing an opposing opinion! "Liberty is dead!" were words that often screamed in Jake's mind, but were quieted by the fact that he needed his job to survive. Compromise, a smile, a wave to colleagues. These were indicators of acqueiescence to things that ultimately could not be changed. Sitting at his desk, the lights had gone out again. There was an ongoing energy crisis. Despite the riches of America's past, Jake now lived in a country, paralyzed by fear about electricity turning off without a moments notice and a maniac President whose hypocrisy and avarice seemed to know no bounds. Retrieving an old lamp he often used when the power went out, the working day began. His kerosine lamp was a reminder of Governmental and Corporate incompetence. Shards of light shone down on his work. Most Air Force work was completed on recycled paper and other tasks were done with a cerebral matrix computer connected via an interface in his eye.

The device opened an operations system that allowed user access to all required documents and communication tools. The power suddenly returned then Jake began touching and moving holographic files between folders when his collegue Ziggy Keating approached his desk. "Kelly psst, Kelly" Came Ziggy's voice. "Hey Ziggy what's up, got another Z1-5 to palm off?" Jake replied with a smile. "No man, I've got something to tell you," He said it with a whisper. "What?" Jake replied puzzled. "I can't tell you here. Meet me in the lunch room for lunch," Ziggy saw one of the Operations Robots circulating and disappeared back to his desk. Interested by Ziggy's conspiratoral tone, Jake continued on with the stamping, document changes and other administrative tasks. The monotony rattled on till about 12:45pm. Walking into the lunch room at about 1pm Ziggy was waiting. Chewing on a rubbery sandwich, he looked up to see Jake. "Jake!" Ziggy said slapping Jake on the back. "Good to see you Zig, so whats the big secret?" Jake replied. Motioning Jake over to the balcony, he slid Jake a plate of food and they sat on some old chairs overlooking the bustling view of futuristic New York. "So whats up?" Jake asked. "We've been friends for a long time," Ziggy started with earnestness in his voice. "All the way back to grade school," Jake replied in between chewing his own rubbery sandwich. "Something important has come up. I've heard about a movement. An anti-Moltzen movement. There are over 4 million members at last count and growing. I've told them about you and we want you to consider coming to our meetings,". Jake's Government issued drink cup rattled to the table as he choked on the powdered orange juice and spat out some of the contents in surprise. "Me? But I'm only a mid-level admin officer!". "That's the point, we have mid level military officers, academics, students, famous people and fucking wealthy pricks! We are planning to throw caution to the wind and explore what's outside. I know you still have an interest in computer hacking. You've gotta help us!". Jake motioned Ziggy to be quiet as another robot circulated through the adjacent halls.

Elections were coming up and now digitally controlled and administered over the interweb. Everyone knew they were stacked by the key players. Paying off electoral officers to rig the system in their favor was standard practice. Moltzen had perfected it. "What if we're discovered? We'd be put in jail?" Jake said. "Aren't you sick of the lies, the deceit and stupidity?" Ziggy said whispering again trying not to be overheard by the other eaters. "Yes," Jake replied truthfully. "Well come tommorow night and find out for yourself. You won't regret it," Ziggy darted off after one of the monitoring officers noted he had overstayed his alloted lunch hour. After checking the schedule, the robot motioned Ziggy to get back to work. The metallic uniform of the officer shone in the afternoon sun. With military batten in one hand and sleek computer processor on the sleeve of his uniform, Government bureaucracy had gone robotic! Pausing a moment and looking on the skyline of New York, Jake got up and returned to his afternoon chores. Sitting at his desk running processes through the computer and processing intelligence requests, Jake felt compelled by Ziggy's words. A sense of excitement rattled through his mind as he considered the thought of going underground to overthrow a tyrant! The battle in his mind raged. Should he put his job at risk? What sort of group was this? Were they exclusively American or was it global? The back and forth of his brain continued till it was time to clock off. Logging the hours and retrieving his metallic briefcase Jake made for the elevators and the transport departure lounge. Several minutes passed and his shuttle arrived. The same group of blank faces stood up and formed a queue. A barcode on their breast pocket was scanned and they moved onto the shuttle sitting down for the homeward journey. Seated Jake felt like a citizen erased. He existed and yet felt like he didn't. Process this, stamp that, what did it all mean? His imagination often wandered. What if he'd chosen to be a writer in College? Would he still be alive today? Trapped by a sense of duty and obedience there was a counterveilling sense of rebellion in him. It was exciting and terrifying at the same time! The next evening, Jake's black coat bristled at the touch of his skin and he scratched at it again as he had with his government issued shirt. He was apprehensive. The streets were lit with a haunting glow just after dusk. Every street in America now had a camera and government issued loudspeaker to allow the massive Department of Interior to monitor and direct every move of almost every American.

There had been a public outcry about this when it was first introduced. Gradually though the dissenters disappeared. Whether it was back to their jobs or Prison no-one knew. Perhaps this new movement Ziggy was involved in was a rebirth of that protest. Jake scratched his head for a moment found a coffee stand, bought a coffee and walked over to a cab and jumped in. "East Side Manhatten" Jake said looking at the Indian driver. Clicking a button, the taxi began launching its thrusters and lurched into the skyway. Sitting in the back of the cab watching the evening descend Jake felt like this was a mistake. He was caught between loyalty to the truth he had once known. That which allowed him to think, feel and act and the truth of survival inside something he knew to be evil, but an evil that provided materially. Crossing the Hudson River, Manhatten approached and he motioned to the driver where he wanted to stop. Touching his implanted RFID device on the cab drivers scanner, his account was paid and a slip of paper was handed over. Thanking the driver, Jake jumped out onto the streets of New York. Few people ever went out now. He could remember a time when it was a bustling metropolis at night. A few street urchins moved about with children fighting over scraps of food in an old shopping trolley. Walking past this scene, Jake walked a few block's to the 'Princess Theatre'. It was a broken down old play house that had been closed years before. Mostly squatters and drunks were its inhabitants. This night though, it was the meeting place of 'The Movement'. Walking into the Lobby he heard the sound of music. It was playing coursely in the background on the speakers. It was an early 21st Century band called 'Muse'. The tune was 'Map of the Problematique'. Jake remembered it from his college days. An old man calling himself CitizenZ walked over to Jake with a clipboard. "Hello sir, are you here to sign up?" His smile was benign. "Yeah, sure!" Jake replied taking his pen and putting all his details down. Planting his home address, phone number and email on the form, as well as his name. Jake felt like he'd already passed the point of no return. The nervous excitement bubbled. Other people milled about quietly. Some laughed, others were just waiting till they were motioned into the auditorium. Ushers appeared and motioned the assembled throng into the auditorium. Excitedly they cheered and began filing in. Caught up in the throng Jake made his way down into the darkened theatre. There was a projection system being warmed up on the mezzinine floor and he wondered if he'd stumbled onto a cult.

Sitting down, he heard the voice of Ziggy. The laugh was unmistakable, he was up the back. Some heavy duty backup generators were strewn in the far corner and cables ran in all directions to run the rudimentary lighting and AV system. The makeshift lighting went dim and the viewscreen lit up. The first thing that appeared were pictures of people being shot and killed in the Alaskian War. Both sides slaughtering each other, followed by tanks exploding and the cries of mothers, babies and vintage media coverage of the politicans of the period. Footage of several planes crashing was overpowering. Music heightened the sensation. Suddenly the words Safety, Respect, Discipline appeared on the screen. An erudite voice then boomed over the loud speakers. "Safety, Respect, Discipline! Safety, Respect, Discipline! We've been taught these words for as long as we can remember. We've been taught to obey, to acqueiese, to submit to our masters. Politics, economics, history, religion, all have been dominated and controlled by a select group for the purpose of enslaving you! Where did your self respect go? Where did your self esteem go? You remember don't you, a time when you felt free. Freer than any other time in your life! The time when you wrote, listened and debated purely for the joy of it. Then comes graduation and your working life. Chained to a desk, like a glorious chorus from old Russia. A servant in the choir of an unknown face, for an unknown cause. An unknown that seeks to destroy rather than liberate you. I'm no god, neither are you. Choose this day. Choose this day to break free. Don't submit to your masters, your colleagues or your family, or your friends. Submit to yourself. Submit to your dreams, your aspirations and your noblest ideals. You are fearfully and wonderfully made, by the excellence that exists in you! Live for today and tommorow, not for anything but yourself. If you want something, go and get it! Most importantly don't give up! After all this is America. It used to be about freedom. Look around, what do you see today? I see nothing but destruction. There is another way". The screen flickered for a moment. It filled with the view of metallic coloured spheres that reached into the sky. A man stepped onto the stage. Old and haggered, he appeared on screen directing the camera clumsily to show the gigantic spherical cities. It was as if he was recording it to prove its existence. "You are in a dream. By coming here tonight you have chosen to wake up. We are all inhabitants of a holographic dream reality called 'Dreamscape'. This man's name is Danny Goldman, he has recorded for posterity the truth. He awoke to the truth and returned to us, via his malfunctioning pod. All we know is that earth was overun after the Alaskian War. A new force has installed human farms on every corner of the globe and planted us inside this holographic chamber that recreates this reality that we know today. You are all apart of the Dreamscape. The question is, what are you going to do about it?". Grabbing the old man the speaker hugged and shook the man's hand thanking him. Several live images of parts of the old world being destroyed and supplanted by the artiface of metallic spheres flashed across the screen. Several people were so shocked they couldn't speak. One woman was so shocked she screamed and ran out into the night.

Jake was the only one that seemed composed. He spoke up. "If what you say is true? How did you get this photographic evidence and how do you know who 'they' are?". The bald bespectacled man, grinned with the widest smile Jake had ever seen. "This is my brother. A year ago he awoke from the Dreamscape and managed to escape his confinement and get photographic evidence. He travelled through the real world undetected to get these pictures. He even managed to upload it into his memory bank and survived to tell the story! He got close enough to them and even recorded their voices in the cover of darkness". The man cleared his throat. "We need you to help plan an attack on them. They call themselves the Xor. They're from another part of the galaxy. They were starving. They are feeding, on us! We're not going to give up till we defeat them! We're also working on how to breakout, so we need your help". "So where is this movement getting its money from?" Jake asked. "We're not here to take your money. The point is we're not like every other religion or group you've known or practice. The truth is we're hear to gather enough numbers to escape this reality. We're here for your consent! As we move towards cracking the dreamscape code, we want to raise an army and destroy the Xor, so we can rebuild the earth in our own image. It will be a new world of No governments, oligarchs or war! Our truest dreams realized" He said it with honest conviction. Stunned silence fell across the room. The leader broke the silence. "Sign up. Its the best thing you could ever do!". As the crowd clapped and dispersed they made for the door of the theatre. Jake stayed. Ziggy marched down from the back. "So Jackie boy, you like?". "Totally. I'm still a little sceptical, but if it can be proven by my own eyes I'm in!". "Great! They have monthly meetings, I'll let you know when its on". "At some point, I want to meet the leader, Zig" Pointing to the bald man and his brother who disappeared into the torn curtains. "Sure, his name is Dr. Garry Goldman. A former lecturer in economics from New Hampshire. He used to be a death metal drummer. He knows how to get you in sync with his beat". Smiling and nodding Jake shook Ziggy's hand. "Should be fun".

"Exactly man! That's our advantage, we're small and agile!". "See you at work tommorow," Jake said patting Ziggy on the back. "No Problemo" Ziggy replied. They darted out into the night and Jake caught the next cabflyer back to New Jersey. There was no time for drinking or dancing, that didn't exist to him anymore. Next morning, Jake sat at his sterile cubicle. The vast awareness of the previous nights events felt like the breaking of dawn on his mind. The conscious and unconscious dictates of his past service to Government and country had all been a holographic sham. If he really was inside a 'dreamscape' reality who was he before this? Was he peaceful or violent? What was his real character? Had they all been conditioned? It could have been anything! Distraction continued as task completion was observed and adjudicated by the metalic robots stalking the halls of the Air Force Administrative wing. Jake took every opportunity to quietly tell his collegues about 'the movement', the word was spreading quickly. As the days and weeks progressed, Jake began becoming more and more distracted by his new truth. Between tasks, Jake grabbed a coffee on break one morning. Returning to his desk, he flicked his holo-computer on and began quietly drafting a letter. Printing the letter Jake retrieved a pen and signed it. It was addressed to his boss Leuitenant Russell Romanov. Walking to his bosses office, he nodded and passed the note to Russell's inbox in a manilla folder. No words were exchanged, no sense of guilt or powerlessness hung on Jake's shoulders, he had resigned! If 'the movement' was right, none of this mattered anymore. The time had come to break the bonds of suppression. Having returned his identification papers and card, Jake took an elevator down to the lobby of the building. It was the first time he had taken the old way home in a long time. His travel privileges, salary and the other perks of military rank had been revoked, permanently. Refusing his consent to this fake reality was both liberating and terrifying. What would they do to him? He now had the time and resources to do what ever he wanted. Looking back at the sparkling building that shone in the afternoon sun, he could only shrug. Ignoring the crowded throng Jake walked to the old subway system and grabbed a subway back to New Jersey. Behind him two gray suited men in dark sunglasses followed behind. He hadn't seen them, but they were watching. Back in his apartment, Jake began grabbing clothing and other essentials, planting it into an old backpack.

Sitting in the kitchen he opened a tin of beer and downed the contents. Switching the old digital television off, Jake walked onto the balcony of his apartment and listened to the sounds of New York City for one last time. Having contacted CitizenZ, Jake had been alerted to an encampment of people who had wanted to commit more time to 'the movement'. It was an old property in upstate New York simply known as 'the farm'. CitizenZ had told Jake he would pick him up and drive him up to 'the ranch' as it had become known. Sitting in CitizenZ's Four Wheel Drive Jake had become more silent. Had he joined a crazy cult? What was the ultimate end to all this? Fear and reason continued to clash in his mind. What was next? "Don't worry Jake, you made the right choice" CitizenZ said soothingly. Nodding, Jake's face reflected a paradoxical certainty and uncertanity. The irrational fear inside Jake subsided as the old pick up truck motored into the dusk sunlight of upstate New York. Turning onto an old dirt track, a gently mountainous region spread before the headlights of the truck and a rocky outcrop of valley's and streams beckoned. It felt like a distant hideaway, somewhere that Jake could have hiked through when he was a teenager. The sheer backdrop seemed so simple and yet emblematic of this new, unknown beginning. The pickup truck pulled up to a makeshift security post. A dishevelled middle aged man stood guard. He was sitting in an old carnival ticket booth that had been converted to provide security for 'the movement'. He immediately recognized CitizenZ. "Hey Z, what's happening?" He said smiling. "Nothing much, just got another recruit here. Former military, he's seen the light," CitizenZ grinned. His clothes were torn and sweaty. Jake had the distinct impression this may have been a former New York City Police Officer. Waving pensively at the man, he smiled back. "Well go right ahead Z, just have to tag the new recruit." Winding the window down for Jake, the large man waddled around the front of the car with a hospital style tag in his hand. It had a number on it, he slapped it on Jake's wrist through the window and said. "Welcome to the movement". "Thanks" Jake said shaking his hand. 10

Signalling two young teens in the background, they raised the makeshift boom and allowed the pick up truck to pass. Looking down at the tag, Jake saw a barcode and the number "525" printed on the front. If awareness of the truth had been outside of comprehension before, it was now hitting home. The pick up truck sank into a sliding descent across the rocky track. Bumping along Jake held on jumping abit in the front seat. The smell and sound of people was approaching. "Here we are," CitizenZ said giving the truck a burst of acceleration to break through the brush. Breaking through the undergrowth, the blue truck appeared into a large landing at the bottom of the valley. The evening sky was clear and sat against a sparkling full moon. Tracks ran in all directions up and down the hill. Multiple huts dotted the landscape and the afterglow of old lamps gave it a personal 19th Century flavour that appealed to Jake. Remembering he had forgotten his old lamp, he was still pleased that this group was prepared. A large house appeared at the foot of the hill next to a quietly running stream. CitizenZ pulled the truck up and shut off the engine. "What's next?" Jake asked. "We have to get you signed in and then allocated a place to sleep" CitizenZ said. "OK". Traipsing up to the entrance of the old house, Jake managed to catch a glimpse of some of the other campers who milled about in the background. They were mostly dishevelled, some looked like hippies, others had families. The mix of backgrounds was reassuring. Stepping up to the front door, CitizenZ took hold of the bronze latch and gave it a couple of heavy smacks. "What's the password?" Came a voice from the other side. "Beef jerky. Lets us in you Nazi!" CitizenZ replied with a laugh. The door swung open and a smiling face greeted them at the door. "CitizenZ you old lug" The medium height man grabbed CitizenZ's arm and shook it. "Calm down Brian, I've only been gone for a few hours" CitizenZ said. "I know, but you never know, when we might see each other again with the way things are". "Alright, Alright calm down, I've got a new recruit. He needs to be signed in," CitizenZ said pointing to Jake.

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"Come in, Come in! What's your name boy?". "Jake, Sir" Jake said stepping forward. Shaking his hand, he looked directly into the man's eyes. He looked like a sunburnt old sailor. The ruddy complexion of his face told a tale all in itself. His smile was partially toothless but sincere. "Hiya," Jake said nervously. "My name is Brian O'Gorman, Irish scamp and documentation champ!" He said chuckling. Stepping further inside the house, it looked very messy. It was abuzz with women moving about, filing documentation and a bank of computers. It was both makeshift and organized all at the same time. "Let me give you the tour," Brian said bumping past one of the other functionaries. "This is the computer room, we are running an old server thats jacked into the holographic New York University to run the dreamscape code's. We call them the 'crack team'. The boys are on it aren't you boys,". Jake waved at the crack team and they waved back laughing at Brian. "Next we have the records room, where we keep a makeshift record of everyone here and provide support services for any of our global affiliates. If they visit its all tracked back here". Waving at the ladies going about their filing and computerized correspondence, Jake suddenly felt the global nature of the organization. "Finally, we have the process room. Just go through this form, sign off and then we'll give you the dreamscape patch, so that we can co-ordinate all our locations. We'll be in the other room if you need anything". Disappearing and shutting the doors behind them, Jake was left alone, with a blonde woman behind an old desk. She sat in what looked like a well pressed nurse's uniform. Smiling she stood up and said. "So another new recruit". "Yes, this must be very exciting" Jake said shaking her hand. "It would be good to get out of here for a bit, so much work. My name is Jane". Running through the form, Jake filled in all the details and then signed it and handed it back to the woman. Looking over it she sighed and then said.

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"Hold your hand out please". Jake held out his tagged hand, the woman produced a scanner and scanned the barcode. There was a beeping sound on the computer view screen and Jake's electronic details were launched on the screen. "Well Mr. Kelly here is your dreamscape viewer patch. Thank-you for your time. Here are the details for your assigned room and here is another ID". Handing him the identification and eye scanner, Jake hooked it into his cerebral interface on the side of his temple. It immediately launched producing a dreamscope code screen. "Thanks, Jane". It scanned his eye and opened the menu and launched a global menu that probed the communications network. Jake touched the holographic scan button and listened to the communications being transmitted across 'the movement' and locked his own location in relation to the rest of the network. Nodding to the woman, Jake stepped back out into the corridor. CitizenZ appeared. "What's next?" Jake asked. "One more step, time to get you to your new digs," CitizenZ said excitedly. Nodding, they walked out into the evening air. Watching people walk past looking at him, Jake was selfconscious. "Don't worry Jake, you'll fit in," CitizenZ said slapping Jake's back. They walked a bit further watching people standing around fire's to keep warm in the cool air. An old weatherboard shack stood in their path. The paint was broken but it looked relatively comfortable. "Here we are Jakey boy," CitizenZ said pointing at the weather worn hall. "It looks like an old Church" Jake said. "Well observed, it was. We got it from an old preacher who wanted to donate something to the cause". Walking up to the front of the shack, the door flew open. "What the hell is this!" The woman was visibly angry. "A new recruit Sarah, his name is Jake Kelly" CitizenZ replied. "Hello Sarah," Jake said extending his hand. 13

"I didn't want any visitors, this is my place," Sarah said withdrawing her hand. "We are almost full Sarah, economies had to be made," CitizenZ said calmly. Sarah's Texas accent took on a fresh twang. "Well don't be thinking you're gonna get any from me Mister" She said. Nodding, Jake stepped up to the scanner and ran the ID across the scanner and a green light verified his new abode. "Well good night CitizenZ. I didn't catch your real name" Jake said smiling. "It's CitizenZ. See you in the morning Jakey," CitizenZ chuckled and disappeared into the night. Jake could tell the distrust in Sarah's eyes was toxic so he crept past silently. Moving to an old military bunk that had been set aside, he set his meagre possessions and backpack down and paused for a moment before diving onto the bed and falling asleep. The next morning broke like any other. Sparkling dew set against the silence of the encampment, it bespoke both desperation, hope and an unspoken longing for freedom. Oddly the 'peace' of being free from responsibility and care caused Jake to sleep so soundly he slept in past breakfast. Arising at 9am, he trundled out in his ripped jeans, sneakers and an old bomber jacket that had been his father's. It's snug fit was a reminder of the past and a comforting connection to adventures yet unknown. Walking down to the main assembly hall, people milled about some ghostly silent, others joking boisterously. Jake's lips were dry from the night before. He grabbed a communal cup from the kitchenette at the back of the hall and plunged into some fruitjuice and toast that had been kindly prepared by some of the wive's of the group. The hunger subsided. Jake then walked over to one of the seats. A group of people sat down and a rumpled older man walked up to a podium that had been erected. "Please, let me have your attention, my name is Ryan Murphy. Just updating the camp, we are still working on cracking the ''dreamscape code'. We would like to inform newcomers, if you have not already been informed. If and when the code is cracked, we have setup a sentry post at the bottom of the Camp to provide weapons and other supplies. The exit point if we do indeed exit will be an old cave called 'Friars Cave' about one mile from here. We will keep you informed of progress. Till then thank-you for your attention,". Clapping, Jake stood up to leave when he saw Ziggy's face. "Ziggy!" Jake said.

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"Jakey old boy! Meet my new girlfriend Kelli and her friends Terri and Leah," Ziggy introduced the attractive brown haired triplets with a sly grin. "Hello," Jake said shaking their hands. Leah looked at Jake with a sheepish grin and giggled for a moment. "So how'd you find out about the movement?" Leah asked blushing. "Well it was Ziggy here, he put me up to it" Jake said punching Ziggy on the shoulder. "Best thing I ever did it seems" Ziggy winked. "Jake, we've been detailed to the computer facility tonight for the graveyard shift. Wanna sign up and give it a try?". Scratching his head and giving Leah a flushed grin, Jake replied. "Why not. Maybe I can put my old hacking skills to some use". The girls burst into a giggling mass of admiration for Jake. "You were a hacker?" They all said in unison. "Well, it was a hobby. Wasn't a pro or anything like that. Kept me occupied on my off time. Seems my skills are needed now" He winked again at the girls. "Cool, see you later, here have some cigarettes," Leah said pressing the packet of cigarettes and lighter into Jake's hands. Brushing his hand playfully as she walked out, the girls locked arms and skipped into the morning sun singing an old song called 'Help' by the Beatles. "Zig, I was trying to keep my skills secret. Didn't want the leaders finding out!". "They have your records anyway, can't hurt to have our best mind on the job," Ziggy said smiling again. "Haven't done it for ages" Jake said. "It's like riding a bike, or a girl HAHA! I saw how you looked at Leah. It's all in the practice! Beside's you'll get rest breaks and maybe able to get to know Leah better, hey, hey!" Ziggy said devilishly. "Look's like I have no choice now. I'm going to hike down to the cave and check it out. See you tonight," Jake said punching Ziggy on the shoulder again. "See you," Ziggy said waving and swigging a bottle of old scotch he produced from his coat pocket.

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Jake grabbed an old cannister from the kitchenette topped it up with water and marched off into the forrest. It took 2 hours, but Jake was walking gradually to save energy. It was mostly a downhill incline. The canopy of old trees were broken by shards of midday sun. Pausing a moment Jake took a swig from the cannister and then marched further on. Stopping for a moment Jake could hear the noise of some conversations between three or four people. It sounded like an argument. A rocky outcrop dropped down into a dark chasm. Backtracking a bit Jake saw what looked like a rope that had been tied to an old oak tree and disappeared into the chasm. Grabbing the rope, he tested its strength. Confirming it he put his weight on the rope and then began climbing down. It felt like another world. Jake jumped down into the darkened corner to find a damp cave and four ex-military officers arguing over who would get to go through the Dreamscape wormhole device first. It was a large golden rectangular shaped device that sat against the rock. Two other ex-officers sat on holographic computer terminals watching and processing geographical data. "Hi" Jake said approaching the arguing officers. They couldn't see him and spun around with weapons drawn. "Who goes there?" They said in unison. "Jake Kelly, Number 525," Jake replied. Stepping out of the shadows the anonymous security officers checked Jake's patch and then the leader of the pack said. "Sorry Mr. Kelly we just have to make sure security is in order" He said with authority. "That's Ok, What's your name?" Jake asked reaching out to shake the man's hand. "I used to be Constable Garry Moore. Not anymore, just a security guard. This is Larry and Bruce" He said. Shaking each man's hand Jake replied. "Well I'm one of the computer experts. I'm going to be on a late shift on the code cracking assignment and was just wondering if I could check out the dreamscape device". "It's really called the golden door!" Larry the redneck said in a hick accent. "Golden door hey, So can I take a look?" Jake replied. "Sure, Sure go right ahead," Garry replied.

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Jake stepped up to the computer console and checked the complex telemetry that was whizzing through the interface device that connected to the golden door. Moving closer Jake reached out and touched the emblazoned firgurine of freedom boldly stamped on every corner of the device. A shock of static electricity passed through him and he stepped back quickly. "Seems in order" Jake said. "The physics of this thing were only theoretical when I was at college. It seems someone has perfected it. Who did this?" Jake asked directly. "Dr. Garry Goldman" Garry replied. "The leader of the movement?" Jake replied breathlessly. They all nodded in silent, furious agreement. "I must meet Dr. Goldman" Jake said looking over the computer data again. "Dr. Goldman will be speaking tonight at the hall," Bruce said. "Good, I'll meet him before I go on shift then," Jake replied. Shaking the men's hands and handing over the cigarettes and lighter in thanks, Jake climbed out of the cave and hiked back to the main camping area. The afternoon receded into evening and Jake began interacting more freely with many of the other campers. Dinner broke and Jake walked around laughing and joking with Ziggy and some of the other people who were enjoying ice cream and strawberries for desert. Walking over to the central hall, Jake watched as the room filled. A young 'movement' activist stood up and cleared her throat. "Hey Guys, Dr. Goldman is in the house, please give him your full attention," She said it with excitement in her face. The sound of enthusiastic clapping filled the room. Dr. Goldman stood up and walked over to the podium. "The time is drawing near where you will have to make a vital choice. Your consciousness has been awoken to the truth, but the time is coming where you will have to make another choice. Whether or not you are going to step forward to begin a new journey, one of perilous dangers and rewards. The time has come to examine your own life and make sure that this is exactly what you want. Our brave new world will be anything that our imaginations conjur, because we will be in charge of it. That will mean many things. Remember though it is because of you that this is possible. Together as individuals we can rise up against our oppressors and win!". The explosion of applause, was recorded on several video cameras and a computer support person was responding in a virtual online chat room to the other members of 'the movement'.

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Many hung around laughing and talking. Jake stood up and walked down the front to speak to Dr Goldman. He was speaking to some fans when he saw Jake approach. "Hello" He said. "Dr. Goldman it's a pleasure, my name is Jake Kelly, I'm former Air Force". "Oh, former Air Force". "Yeah, I checked out the 'golden door' in the cave this morning. The telemetry readings are similar to what I used to deal with in the Force. I think from my observations, I might be able to design a command overide program that forces a shutdown to create the wormhole". "Excellent! I sense you need something," Dr. Goldman said excitedly. "I'm interested in your brother's observations. Are there any recorded material that wasn't shown to the people?" Jake asked. "He has allot of material. Are you looking for details on the physiology of the Xor?" Dr Goldman asked. "I'm thinking their command features are controlled by computer. If this is so, I need to confirm it photographically so I can tailor the program". "I'll get Danny to come over during the shift and share some of it with you,". Dr. Goldman replied. "Thank-you Dr. It's important,". "No problem," Dr Goldman replied. Dr. Goldman shook Jake's hand again and returned to talking to his other fans. The evening shift rotated just after dusk. Jake moved into the filing room and began pouring over the records on the movement and the telemetry data being processed. The sideroom he was in was well lit and people filed in and out. Jake scribbled a quick code example on a pad of paper, scrapped one sample and started looking again through the telemetry data. Just then a red-headed woman appeared in the door way. She was surprised by the realisation of a visitor in the records room. "Hello," She began pensively. Jake looked up suddenly. "Oh, hello, you scared me," He said smiling.

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Moving over to one of the filing cabinets and filing a collection of records, she adjusted her glasses and continued. "My name is Molly Waldren, former secretary" She said extending her hand. Jake reached out and shook her hand. Looking into her eyes he felt a sudden connection. It was instant and real. She was attractive. "Jake Kelly, pleased to meet you," He said. Molly smiled. "I here you are a code breaker, what's your technical speciality?" She asked. "Well, I had some technical abilities in the Air Force, so I figured I'd put them to work here". "I've tried to analyze the telemetry data from the gate, but haven't been able to make head or tail of it," She reached for a cup of coffee on a side table and handed Jake the cup. "We'll get there, don't". Jake was suddenly cut off, an explosion shook the compound. Screaming could be heard outside. Running out Molly and Jake saw several rockets smash into some of the campers tents and the main mess at the opposite side of the camp ground. Someone ran past screaming. "It's the National Guard, Government Bastards!". Several of the campers were regrouping bloody and battered on the far side of the encampment. Running down to the supply tent, Jake and Molly dodged rock propelled grenades and gun fire as they went. A child and its mother fell dead as they tried running to safety. The explosion of blood and smell of death was instant. A burly unamed man stepped forward in the gathering group and said. "Here, all of you, grab a gun. The National Guard are on foot, we can take them individually". Handing out several guns, Jake suddenly felt like a solider again. "Where did you get these?" Jake asked. "Swiped them, they're advanced" The burly man said handing Molly a gun. The weapon felt like a rocket launcher, but was balanced with components that allowed for conventional bullets and a high powered ray fire setting. Jake felt like it was something from some of the old computer games he used to amuse himself with as a child. 19

The device linked into his arm and melted instantly through cybernetic power transfer. His mind muddled for a minute and a blue light launched a Nuclear Fuel reaction chamber that set the gun to fire mode. His holographic eye piece suddenly scrambled and launched a targetting system. It was a fully integrated, advanced weapons system! Running into the darkness, the encampment had been divided into able bodied teams. They spread out quickly. Molly followed Jake. They tracked along a ridge and began picking off the advancing Government Officers who were trying to smash 'the movement'. Molly missed a few times, but then got the hang of the interface system and began making direct hits. "Wow" Jake said impressed. "Now that's Girlpower!" Molly said grinning. Moving up further, Jake saw a tank advancing up the dirt track. Motioning Molly over, he pointed in the direction of the tank. She nodded. "Come close" Jake said grabbing Molly on the thigh. Both falling down, Molly fell into Jake's lap. They stared at each over sheepishly for a moment, before jumping up and taking aim at the advancing forces. "On the count of three, One, Two, Three!". Jake and Molly hit the execute button and the ray gun burst a shard of blue nuclear fire into the slow moving tank. The speed of the hit smashed into the tank and exploded in a massive fire ball. Several of the Government forces were vaporised on impact and the rest retreated from the encampment either on fire or severly burnt. The narrow pathway and burning wreakage blocked the advancing troops and they either disappeared into the night or were quickly picked off. Molly had taken a hit in the side of the leg from flying debris and fell weakened by the explosion. Reaching down Jake grabbed Molly and piggy backed her back down the hill. An adhoc triage unit was waiting as the injured and dead trickled in. A spare stretcher was ready and Jake dropped Molly onto one. "You'll be alright" Jake said soothingly. "Thanks" Molly said reaching up to kiss Jake on the cheek. Hugging her she was stretchered away for treatment. The motivation to crack the 'Code' was more powerful than ever!

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Returning to the computer section, many rooms were shot up and being washed out by buckets of water. The smell of smoke hit Jake in the face as he walked in. A backup power supply generator had kicked in and the lighting returned. The security team around the server room were working frenetically. Jake jumped straight onto a terminal and began punching in code. Hours passed. Around 1am, he suddenly had an idea, stepping back through the 5,000 lines of code he suddenly adjusted one of the parameters and then executed the code in a simulator. The simulator flashed green, the code had passed the compile function! Smiling a group of teenagers walked over to watch the repetition of the simulation. "Dude, you cracked it!". The teenagers slapped Jake on the back and shook his hand. "Now to test it for real. Get the leader down here, so we can talk about departure". The teens ran out and one of the ex-army colonel's marched down with a sly grin playing on his face. "What's all the commotion?" He asked confused. Jake switched on a projector and ran the simulation again. The colonel's eyes widened. "Excellent work!". Jake nodded. The next morning a meeting was held in the main encampment meeting area. The debate raged over whether to take the injured or leave without them. Jake returned to the computer screen and finished the viral program. Punching it into a portable program, the virus was encaspulated and setup as a downloadable app that could be stored on the camp's holographic processors and spread throughout the movement and uploaded to the Xor when they crossed over. After debate died down, Danny Goldman stepped up. "The time has come to make your choice. You can stay here or come with us tommorow at midday. Freedom is at the very door, it's time to step across the threshold and greet the sweet air of Liberty once more. Make sure you have your assigned weapons with you. It's time to take the fight to those Xor bastards and we're gonna win!". Excited cheers rose from the crowd. Jake was walking down to the meeting when he heard the end of the speech and crowds cheers. Having not recieved further information about the Xor, Jake was certain he would get it from Dr. Goldman this time around.

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As the crowd dispersed, Jake walked over to Dr. Goldman. "Dr. Goldman, you never got the files to me" Jake said slightly annoyed. "Sorry about that Jake, with the attacks, it was a bit difficult. Here have this memory chip, it has everything you need to know". Retrieving the memory chip Jake thanked Dr. Goldman and walked back to the computer terminal rooms to review the information. Looking at the recorded information it was clear the Xor would be a challenging opponent. Their slimy green muscular build made it look like they would be impossible to beat with conventional weapons. Looking at the biological data, it was obvious that the Nuclear ray gun would be a clear advantage in the coming fight. Shutting off the computer, Jake jumped on one of the spare beds and fell asleep. He began dreaming, all he saw was Molly's face. She was laughing with him and then caught by the Xor and killed. He screamed, awaking before dawn in a pool of sweat. Molly was lodged in Jake's thoughts. Grabbing one of the ray gun's from a temporary security cabinet, he marched out into the early morning to look for her. * The wasteland of earth flickered between shattered red and grey. The blue sky remained obscured by spherical metal buildings crammed in the landscape. Shining golden in the sun, 10 billion people had been enslaved in metallic pods. Eyes covered, brains connected to the holographic 'Dreamscape', this was reality! Down in the marshlands, the Xor moved about. Red eyes pulsed in the green sludge. Their bodies sweaty and green, they pulsed with a nuclear glow. One of the Xor was swimming around in the marsh. It seemed he was resting from his work. The guagantuan pods spread before the landscape. The sun peeked through in the afternoon light. The Xor's relaxation was suddenly interrupted. A red light buzzed on his armband. Jumping out of the marsh and shaking off the water and mud, he began walking back. The demonic presence of the spherical pod chambers stood at 200 stories high. Winding tracks allowed for multiple platoon's of Xor soliders to excercise and do drills. They moved with stealthy precision. The explosive roars and cries echoed in the distance. The red light buzzed again on the Xor's armband. He trailed down to the imposing structure. Approaching it he slapped his finger on a scanner. Scanning his biological data the creature waited for the door to open. The dark and musty smell of an elevator shaft enveloped the creature. The door shut and whooshed to the depths of the earth. The Xor had established an underground bunker. Moment's passed. The elevator stopped. Another light flashed and the door whoosed open.

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The underground chasm was at least 100 acres long and high. Thousand's of Xor soliders marched and practiced military manueuvers. The firey core of the earth could be heard with the geo-thermal power generators pumping power into the large alien system. Sulphric ash filled the Xor's nostrils. His eyes adjusted to the sight. He was a security officer returning to his post. Suddenly a roar was heard from behind. His superior began berating him. It seemed he had made a mistake. Taking the punishment for a moment, he roared in return. The superior disappeared suddenly. Moving over to his post, the Xor stood his post. Suddenly, a pack of 5 Xor approached the sentry. They all roared to life. Grabbing him from his post they began fighting furiously. Defending himself against the attacks, he kept his attackers at bay. An older Xor produced a knife and plunged in the direction of the defenseless security officer. The nostrils of each creature flared with murderous intent. The punching and kicking continued, till he was over-run. The older Xor produced a silver knife and plunged it into the victim's heart. Struggling for a moment, he fell back, lifeless. Green blood oozed from every orafice. The pack conferred in an alien language and then together picked up the dead Xor. Marching the lifeless form along the underground concourse, they made for a shrine that had been erected to the god of Xor. Planting the dead creature on an alien sundial, the ooze continued flowing and turned purple. A golden clothed Xor appeared with two assistants. One of the assistant's produced a water bowl and placed it in front of the leader. The leader washed his claws in the water and then splashed the lifeless one with the remenants. Stepping up he roared into the chamber. Every eye was now fixed on the shrine. The lifeless Xor disipated into a sparkling core of molecules and disappeared with a flash of blue light. Stretching out his hands the leader roared again. The multitude of soliders replied with their own piercing roar. The random sacrifice was complete! * Midday approached. The nervous excitement of 'the movement' had reached fever pitch. People began pouring out of the tents, caravans and makeshift cabins. The long walk down to the 'golden gate' was orderly and everyone was smiling and laughing. Jake sat by Molly's bed. Her health had deteroiated quickly. She lay sweating and coughing. She looked into Jake's eyes silent. "Save yourself," She said frowning. Squeezing her hand Jake became teary and said. "I wish things could have been different,". Pausing, he reached down, they kissed, then Jake stood up and walked out the door. With the ray gun connected to his arm interface Jake began hiking down to the cave. The walk was riven with sadness over Molly. The sound of rumbling tanks in the background were clearly heard. The government was marshalling more forces. They were at a distance. 23

Reaching the rocky outcrop, the line up of people was long. Dr Goldman saw Jake. "Hey let Jake through, he can launch the gate,". The crowd parted and Jake walked uncomfortably down to the front of the line. Dropping down the rope line, he stepped down and started looking over the telemetry screens. Punching in the numbers, the virus program update was brought to life. A sound pinged in everyone's eye patch and added the virus launch function for their individual use. "Alright, we're ready, lets try it!". Jake stepped up to the platform and set the code's. They were accepted and then a bright gold coloured light began forming inside the gate. It hummed for several seconds and then burst open. The multicoloured worm hole formed. It was grainy but stable. Several rows in the crowd had been knocked down by the force of the blast but were ok. Jake stood up connected his ray gun. One of the others grabbed a loudspeaker and said. "Make sure your gun is connected properly, we may face resistance. This is it! Let's get em!". The crowd roared in response. Nodding to the speaker, Jake stepped forward and walked through the worm hole. A flash of golden blue light passed through his eyes then flashed again. Stepping out Jake was on the other side. The earth was lit but darkened by the 200 story's high metallic pod buildings. The people in the Dreamscape pod's began demateralizing as they were appearing through the 'golden gate'. Disconnected from the machine, they were finally free! The horrors of reality and truth filled their eyes. Flashes of golden blue light spread all over the sandy plain. People were appearing from everywhere. 4 million people had taken the step out of 10 billion. If the Noah's ark story was true, this felt like a new Noah's ark, carrying the cradle of humanity. Within seconds a large group of Xor stood aloft watching as human's started emerging from the simultaneous wormhole gate's. They were ready for battle! Jumping down from the side of the metallic buildings, the Xor roared to life. Jake saw the swarming Xor begin to smash into the emerging crowd. "LOOK UP!" Jake screamed. The people around him heard and pointed their ray gun's in the direction of the Xor. Fire suddenly burst from the Xor's mouth's as they stretched their wings out. Their teeth quivered with the burst of flames. Their slimy wings billowed outwards and they began clawing at the crowd from above. An alarm began sounding within the Xor communications network. The survivors as they emerged shot blue ray gun's into the flying creature's faces.

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Blood and ooze split human and Xor alike. Jake had managed to dodge a few attackers. One of his comrades had stood as cover fire for him and ran along with another muscular woman who had smashed hundreds of the swarming Xor. Dodging another set of attacks, Jake noticed an interface on the pod buildings. "COVER ME!" He yelled. Jake's anonymous team nodded and began spraying covering fire in the direction of the Xor attackers. Racing to the interface, Jake motioned some of the others over to link in. They followed. "On the count of three. One, Two Three!". They started by scanning their eye piece devices over the interface units and hit the upload button. A white flash of light filled the network of metallic building's. The energy began building. It seemed like the building was frying. The light continued building, then a firey explosion filled the sky. The groaning sound of splitting metal shrieked like a sinking ship. Some of the buildings stood firm whilst others fell. The process frightened the Xor senseless. They backed off and disappeared down the underground elevator shaft. 'The movement' had won! Jake fell down, exhausted. It was over. Silence fell. The air hung thick with smoke. In the distance other pod buildings exploded in fireballs. Unfurled like a flag the sparkling sunlight bathed 'the movement' members for the first time. Standing silent all they could do was absorb the glory of the moment. Smiles and laughter broke out, then cheers. Dr. Goldman was mud covered and bloodied. He clambered up to one of the fallen buildings. The crowd gathered around. His shirt was torn but his smile was unrestrained. "Today we have achieved the impossible. From the antiseptic madness of the Dreamscape to reality! Our's is a sacred trust. We have marched into the belly of the beast and come out the other side. Let it be known from this day forth. Safety, Respect, Discipline is no longer the chain which enslaves us. Through the ugliness of fire, destruction and death. History will record this, as the day that heralded the beginning of a brave new world! Our brave new world! Reimagine yourself, be whatever you want to be. Submit only to choice, not force. Your mind is your only limitation. Go, enjoy it. It's your's!". The ragged group, tired as they were roared in enthusiastic reply. Jake stood up and watched the dispersal of the crowd. Looking across at someone walking past, they had an old shirt that had been converted into a flag. It was a navy blue colour. The shirt was blackened by dirt mud and blood. Painted onto the front was a white coloured V. A girl was walking along with it smiling. Jake grabbed her. Laughing triumphantly, he kissed her on the mouth then grabbed the flag and began celebrating by dancing up and down. 25

The crowd around him started laughing and clapping. The anonymous girl was initially stunned but started laughing as Jake started goofing around. Running up to the crest of a hill, the exploding buildings thudded like muffled gunshots in the distance. The afternoon sun broke again. Standing shoeless in the light Jake planted the flag in the soil. The afternoon breeze caught the shirt and the crowd waved and cheered Jake's gesture. The V for Victory symbol shone brightly in the afternoon light. Jake then cleared his throat and said. "This is our moment. Our time has come. All of this is ours!". The crowd broke out in applause. All Jake could do was smile.

THE END

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