‘Once again, Kallo escaped.’ I said to Sionn.
‘Yes, but now we know his whereabouts. By the way, welcome home,’
‘Yes, I said, we really missed you.’
‘But now, you really miss Zelda?’
‘Yes, but we can see her in dreams.’
‘Yes, that is now possible, you, Reeas, Deria, and Debra are assets we would not like to be without. We are still trying to get Debra to cooperate with whoever else is in charge of a lightship, but at the moment, she is only concerned with you!’
‘Really,’ I said.
‘Dan, you must distance yourself from her.’
‘How can I do that?’ ‘She is the only thing that saved me from Kallo.’
‘No! You would have realized sooner or later.’
‘Yes, but as Debra said, it could have been a very long time later.’
‘Nevertheless, we want you to work on the inner-planes from now on.’
‘What?’
‘Yes, you will have to work without using the lightship.’
‘What about the Team?’
‘You will still see them in your dreams.’
‘Yes,’ ‘but for how long?’
‘For however long it takes.’
‘How about us going back to the other Universe?’
‘No! That would still be the same.’
‘What does Debra think about this?
You know she already knows.’
‘Well, why doesn’t she show herself?’
‘I’m sorry, Dan, we had to isolate you when you checked in, that is why Debra isn’t here.’
‘Do you mean I was ambushed?’
‘Yes, we couldn’t take a chance, you will be taken to the isolation tubes later.’
‘Thank you, very much,’ I said.
‘Don’t worry; it will only be for a short time.’
Reeas came in with Deria; I can see they are upset.
‘How did you manage to put the drug into me?’
Sionn looked at me for a few seconds and said, ‘I would rather not say.’
I knew it was Reeas! I walked out straight away to get my mind together. I am now starting to feel the effect from the drug.
A single touch from Reeas was all it took!
My consciousness is starting to fade!
For you Students: I can only hope you will still be able to access my thoughts, but I can’t say. I became unconscious. I don’t know how long I was unable to access my own mind, maybe minutes, maybe hours. I then became conscious.
I find I am in a sort of massive room, It is about the size of a football field; it then started to fill up with the usual stuff that we need for everyday living; things like houses and streets, but the space is limited, I am starting to feel a little angry, I then notice that people start to appear! I try to talk with them, but they didn’t seem to be fully conscious! Where am I? I feel strangely different.
I am stood outside of my own house! My car is back in the driveway. I ran to the door, could it be that my wife and son are here! Yes, they are! I hugged them, and can’t control my emotions. I am starting to feel my usual self but what is my usual self? I know I am Dan Sherman, and a school teacher, but what else am I? My mind is struggling to remember things. Back at the Earth base Reeas is talking to Sionn about me.
For you Students: You will have to access the events through time-lapse-relay from now on. I know I am supposed to upload my thoughts, but what thoughts? All I know is, I am supposed to pay the electric bill tomorrow, well, never mind, time for dinner.
Message from the Guardian-Database:
The message above has been inserted into this recording later as Dan Sherman has been temporarily isolated for his own good. Recordings will continue automatically through the database…
Reeas: ‘How long will Dan have to be in isolation?’
Sionn said, ‘For however long it takes.’
‘Well, I want to go in there.’
‘No!’ said Sionn. ‘That is impossible! He has to be kept there alone.’
‘But he has no one to relate to.’
‘That is how it has to be, Reeas, we can’t take a chance on him remembering. If you doubt what I say, go into the space-port and contact Debra!’
‘What do you mean?’
‘She is searching everywhere for Dan.’
‘Do you mean she is still conscious of Dan?’
‘Yes, and getting more agitated by the minute.’
‘I thought you said she would be deactivated when Dan was gone?’
‘All the evidence said she would be. She seems to have grown beyond all expectations, and if she keeps growing, she will become very dangerous.’
‘How could this happen?’
‘We believe it was the experience with Mannus. She got too much power from him.’
‘I think we should get Dan out of isolation.’
‘No! That would be catastrophic!’
‘What are we going to do, then?’
Suddenly, Debra is in the room.
‘Where is my Dan?’
‘Debra,’ said Sionn, ‘you must get back to your duties.’
‘My Duty is to Dan!’
‘You are a part of the Guardian-Network.’
‘Not until I find Dan.’
Sionn looked at Reeas. Reeas said, ‘Debra, Dan has gone on a little rest break.’
‘What do you mean?’ Before Reeas can answer, Debra shouted.
‘You put him in isolation! After all he did for you, you put him in isolation!’
‘It was for his own good,’ Sionn said.
‘No! It was for your good. You think that he would hurt his own People, don’t you? Can you actually believe that Dan Sherman would hurt anybody? No, wait! You think that ‘We’ would be a threat.’ Suddenly Debra changed into “Cloft, the Tourgen Clone.”
‘Release him now, or I will destroy this base and everyone in it.’
‘Debra, you are part of this base, and as such, you have a duty!’
‘I told you once, release Dan!’
Sionn said to Reeas, ‘release Dan.’
Message from Dan Sherman:
Suddenly I am aware, but not in the usual sense; I am stood in a place I don’t know, looking at people I don’t know!
‘Where am I?’, I said.
Reeas said, ‘You are back with us, Dan.’
Debra is back as her usual self, she said, ‘Dan, I am here, you will be alright soon. I won’t leave you.’
I am, by now, very confused. Suddenly, I am aware as never before. Debra has ‘merged’ with me! I feel unbelievable power.
I also feel anger!
‘What happened, Reeas? ‘Why did you drug me?’
Sionn said, ‘She was obeying my order.’
I feel anger welling up in me.
‘I have to get out of here. I said.’ Debra said, ‘We are one now. We will take my ship and fly anywhere we want.’ All I want to do is go; I made for the exit. Reeas shouted, ‘Dan, please come back.’ There are security guards around the ship by this time, they are People I don’t know, but I know one thing, they had better get out of my way.
‘Stop right there,’ the leader said.
Debra is part of me, now, so I know I am totally safe. I just continued to the ships access point. Sionn shouted ‘let him go.’
I guess he knows, I can’t be stopped; I am not in a mood to upload my thoughts as a Guardian, you understand, so whatever you think is relevant to the ongoing story I hope it is appropriate. I think this part of the experience will be edited out by the Guardians. But you never know. All I know is, I am going on a little break with my own ‘alter ego.’
We take off to nowhere. I feel at rest now and in charge. The ship, or Debra is a dream. I can feel her in everything; we are now totally secure in our relationship. But what about Reeas, she is my wife! But I have Debra, what do I need a wife for? Let me put this into perspective. I am a Guardian, and as such, I can do everything I want, go anywhere I want, in time, and space! What do I need anyone else for? I feel invulnerable;
I also know I am something apart from Dan Sherman, and even more than a Guardian! Where am I going? What am I going to do?
‘We are going on an adventure.’, Debra said.
‘Where are we going?’
‘I want to take you to my home.’
‘What home?’
‘The place where I was born,’ she said.
By now, I am getting confused again. Debra seemed to be getting more and more powerful, and I am feeling more and more insecure.
‘Don’t worry,’ she said. ‘You are still not back to full consciousness yet. Relax, and I will put on one of your favorite records, what about a ballad?’
I feel it should be some sort of unfinished symphony! By now, the ship or Debra, is moving faster than at any time before. The speed is beyond the known factor!