Futuristic Simple Slumber ((Dreamers Wanted!))

[UnwantedTruth]

Macy did not say anything in response to the guy's apology. Instead, she got right to the important stuff. "I think we should get as far away from the crazy knife man as possible." she said with her soft, gentle, innocent young girl voice. She was subconsciously rubbing the area around her left eye.

 

[macifer]

Jimmy looked at Macy and grimaced.


"Crazy... knife man? Wait, can we die in here? We should start walking!" he said. He was starting to feel uneasy about the other dreamers-- the man had a hostile attitude, and Jimmy wasn't sure whether he wanted to leave the others, or just go along with what was being said. He decided to stay, and told himself that was because it was the rational thing to do. Really, though, he didn't want to be by himself-- and he was hoping that the group would warm up to him, offer protection or even friendship.

 

[UnwantedTruth]

Macy gave a small nod to the others. "Alright then...We'd best get moving." she said quietly, but didnt begin walking.

 

[CyanidePie123]

Terry begin moving away from the door. He turn around and speak up while walking backward





Come on guys we need to get out of here fast. Seriously we can stop and talk about this anywhere else but here

 

[Saturnity]

As the last arrivals filed in from the one-way portal, it was apparent that the group was smaller. Where there were originally over 200 in the previous dream, now only around 60 dreamers were on hand, the others having left through the other doors. Strangely, as they regrouped, the sounds of grinding and clanking seemed to grow louder. Ahead of the group was a small raised platform, upon which words were inscribed.

"In this room, some things you'll see

​

a drafty door and darkened pit

​

a hungry heart of steel is three

​

to leave you must combine your wit.

​

​

For as the screeching steel grinds on

​

the door begins to close.

​

As a sword your mind must dawn

​

Against your famished foes."

​

Below the writing was inscribed the symbol of a rabbit and the words "Remember my final words from the Field of Dreams, good luck my friends."

​

 

[macifer]

Jimmy's eyes widened, and he gasped. Then he turned his gaze to the ground, trying to hide his awe. Jimmy imagined that maybe this was his adventure, his chance for heroics. But he crushed that thought. His life was in danger, and he couldn't save anyone if he could barely save himself. He decided that it was better to stay with the group, listen to orders, and stop asking so many questions.

 

[sorrow made you]

There was so much confusion. So much that Pierce didn’t know how to react to the other younger boy desperately asking questions. Through the door, Pierce was met with nausea. The sight, sounds, smells, everything changed once he and the other two made it to the other side. His eyes took a moment to readjust from the brightness of the field to the dimness of… what reminded him of some work of industrial fantasy. Where the hell were they?


Pierce took a step away from the door, not sure if anyone else would flood in after them. He could see the others whom had come through before them standing around, looking at things here and there and quietly chattering with one another about what to do next. Finally, words directed to Pierce, and he looked over to the boy that had grabbed him.


“Well…”, he huffed and fixed his coat. “I suppose it’s better to stick together than to go by yourself.” He frowned slightly, but otherwise, didn’t seem too angry over the matter. “No point in being mad now. We’ve got bigger problems.” Again, he looked out over the machinery, the steam spouting in intervals of time.


Not too long after, his attention was grabbed again. A young woman and another male came through the door, bumping into those who hadn’t moved yet. Pierce was relieved at least that he ended up moving off to the side. He watched as they filed in, and attempted to make sense of where they were and what was happening. He let the now-group talk as he stood there, searching his pockets. Maybe in this dream, he would have a pack of cigarettes…


People were panicking. Thinking they were dead. Frankly, that thought had crossed Pierce’s mind too. Maybe they were all dead already. But if that were true, would they be able to talk with one another? Feel one another?


It was then that something said caught Pierce’s attention. He stopped his fruitless search and looked up. Maniac with a knife? Who? He glanced toward the door, almost expecting someone coming through with a cleaver raised above their head. But… nothing. The announcement though, started to send the young and anxious boy into a panic.


The group decided to move, but remained in place. They were looking for someone to lead, weren’t they? Someone to give some kind of direction. Pierce had to agree with their decision though. He let out a sigh and moved closer to the group again. “Yeah, alright. Let’s get going. From what I can see, this place could be pretty big. We’ll stick together. Someone keep an eye on the front, and someone else keep an eye on the back of the group.” He motioned for them to start moving, and he would walk along behind. If anything, Pierce could rely on his own ability to fight off the knife wielder.


As the group (if the group decided to) started moving, Pierce could see something protrude from the ground. Another platform? He glanced over his shoulder before making his way to it to read.


“A drafty door, darkened pit… a hungry heart of steel is three... “ He read off and continued to read aloud. “To leave you must combine your wit. For as the screeching steel grinds on, the door begins to close. As a sword in your mind must dawn, against your famished foes….”


Pierce took a step back and stroked his chin. “Huh…” He mused, glancing around. This puzzle was going to be hell. What Pierce gathered… they would have a time limit before they were sealed in there and left to die. He looked over the several faces around him. Had anyone gotten any part of the puzzle? Pierce read it over again. “I guess… we’re going to have to go on a scavenger hunt if we want out of here.”

 

[macifer]

Jimmy was certain he'd never be able to solve the puzzle, but wanted to at least aid someone more capable. He made a conscious attempt to calm himself, breathing in deeply and adjusting his glasses. No one here was going to hurt him, he thought, and his instinct to follow the man with the red streak was proving to be sensible enough.


"A... scavenger hunt? Does that mean there's, um, something I could help you look for?"

 

[TripTripleTimes]

Cora finds herself in the dreamland confused and dazed. She remembers waking up in a brilliant field of purples, land that stretches across to the horizon in whichever directions. It is a wonderful sight to behold, if she is not so confused.


Is she lucid dreaming? The dreamer asks herself, but this cannot be. Cora remembers too much (but so little at the same time). She knows herself and she knows how she dreams. Usually, she is not aware that she has fallen asleep. Her nights would feel like a slow desending into a void, and then slowly, images would appear before her. Her senses are dull and everything is muddy. Nothing in her mind make sense, but her dreams are her adventures and Cora always looks foward to fall asleep.


This is different. Lucid dreaming does not cut to this weird phenomena. She remembers going to bed and even closing her eyes. She can think clearly and her senses are all intact. She slapped her face with a palm of her hand to prove just that.


Then she sees rabbits and fireworks. Things got weirder from there, but then, this is kind of the norm in dreams. Right? The girl does not fully believe what the creatures were saying. She still has a hard time trying to understand all that is happening. Before she knows it, the sea of people around her begins to push past her to reach the doors.


Wow, rude.


Cora is not the few staggering ones that stayed in the field of purple flower. Once the people thinned out, Cora makes her way towards the doors, enjoying the view as she walked. She knows, that as a dream, she will never come back to this. She enters, completely unaware of the blade wielder that frieghtened two other people into the same door Cora went through a while later.


As soon as Cora enters through a door and her eyes adjust to the new lightening, she cannot help but feel that this new area has the Treasure Planet vibe. Mysterious and haunting. By herself, Cora quickly distances herself from the loud group of people.


She looks at the metal blocks but thinks nothing of them. She still needs time to sort things out. Not the hows and whys, but the where and what-nows. She struggles to remember the important words that the bunnies said but sadly, Cora can only remembers parts and words. Her shoulders slumbers down. Now it is a good time to see how the people over there is doing.


Cora sees the distance between her and them is quite far. She wonders if she can... she closed her eyes.


In the past, Cora have experienced certain dreams where she had some very limited influence to her dreaming self. She could close her eyes. It is very minimalist and cannot really be counted as Luciding, but when she could, she teleported.

 

[macifer]

Jimmy heard faraway footsteps, and turned around. He saw Cora, but at that distance, wasn't sure what to make of her (still being on edge from the mention of a knife-toting maniac). She didn't look like that, or like a "ravenous foe" of any kind, but when Cora teleported to them, Jimmy took several steps back. Afraid, and nearly struck dumb, he still managed to get out the necessary words:


"Wh-who are you? And how did you do that?" He sighed quietly, and bit his lip. So much for not asking questions, he thought.

 

[sorrow made you]

Well… the group’s reactions were relatively muted. Maybe they were all trying to figure out what to do. Searching for these things meant that the group would have to split up. And Pierce had just mentioned to stick together. This was quite a dilemma… He looked over the group, trying to size everyone up just in case they did have to go off on their own.


He could easily put the girl and guy that came in together as a pair… but then that would leave three of them. The two boys that came with him could group off… but looking at the younger of the boys, Pierce wasn’t so sure. He was so frail looking, so nervous. Would the other man that had initially grabbed be able to defend himself and the other boy? With a small huff, he ran fingers through his hair.


Looking to Jimmy, he dropped his hand. Wasn’t he paying attention? “We need to look for a drafty door, a darkened pit, and I’m going to take a guess and say three generators.” He paused. might just be wise to split up into two groups. I can take someone with me and the other three could go together.”


Eyes settled on Jimmy again. “Do you want to look for the door with me?”

[ooc: once we know if the bit with Cora was valid, I’ll edit my post to add in Pierce’s response to her]

 

[Saturnity]

Even as Pierce read the engraved note upon the pedestal, a reverberating screech of metal sounded throughout the steel complex, the direction of which was untraceable. Ahead, the singular shaft of light that designated a massive door against the far wall began to slowly widen, sending several Dreamers into a desperate scramble to reach it. The distance to the door was fairly large, spanning an entire football field, yet there were no apparent obstacles in between. As the Dreamers reached the door, they slowed to a stop, examining the area cautiously before disappearing into the brightness beyond.


Almost instantly, the intense metal whine ceased, and the spreading door came to a halt. In unison, an eruption of screams tore through the metallic scented air, only to be abruptly cut off, leaving an ominous silence once more drifting through the air.


While this happened, Cora attempted to join the main group, her resulting attempt at teleporting jittery and imprecise. Although she arrived alongside the others, the path of her warps was ragged. As if on cue, the sound of heavy footsteps met the ears of the onlookers, as a middle aged man in a grungy industrial worker outfit stepped out from between two of the large metal structures lining the central aisle.


"Well, I'll be!" he spat with a heavy southern accent, a vaguely genuine smile cracked upon his rugged features, "Looks like I gots me some company!"

Spoiler

Clenched in one of his fists was a overused pipe wrench of some kind, however he didn't seem to appear threatening to the group as he made his way to the pedestal and sat on it.


"I've been hoping for some guests, since the only other one around here is Rusty." He glanced back at the door, which remained open and unmoving. "But looks like some of yer friends have already been 'quainted."


@CyanidePie123 @CRiTiCAL ERR0R @macifer @Zalarx @UnwantedTruth @TripTripleTimes

 

[TripTripleTimes]

Feeling herself going out of control, Cora regrets of even thinking this dream is like any others she has had. After teleporting to the small group that gathered at the platform, the girl stumbles fowards and then falls to her knees while holding her mouth. Her head spins and her body aches, nausea overwhelms her senses. Faintly, she recalls someone saying something with a freighten voice. She realizes that she might have freighten some people, arriving to them so suddenly.


"S-sorry," Cora pauses, her nausea lessening with a sudden thought. She thought she heard her brother. Oh wait, it might be her. Still feeling weak, she runs a hand from her forehead to the back of her neck, pulling at her hair. Her hair is short. She does not need to do more check to confirm that she has a body of a... Cora breaths in deepily and sighs out loud. She then pulls herself up to sit. She then massage her temple trying to get rid of her headache. Yes, she is aware that she did not answered someone but she would like to orient herself first.

 

[CyanidePie123]

The situation was too mich for Terry whose hands began to shake. Where did that person come out from? What exactly was happening?


Terry decided to help the newcomer before deciding anything else. This person needed some sort of help.


Do you need help? I think we're all pretty confused right now.

 

[TripTripleTimes]

Cora stops rubbing her throbbing head to look up at the stranger who come up to her, asking her if she is alright. She looks up at the large man standing beside her. As she does so, her eyes catches the man's shaking hands. This guy doesn't look too good himself. Her lips stretch to a smile.


"I'm alright." Oh boy, she will need to get used to her new voice, soon. Cora pulls herself up from the ground, swaying a bit off balance as she did so. "Just feeling sick after that stunt I did." She stands up straight and lets out a wide grin to show the people around that she is fine.


Cora looks around the area where she teleported to. She reads the words engraved on the platform floor and then up at the people in the group. There is a curious man standing by the beam of light on the one side of the room that catches her attention for a brief second before her attention is brought back to the people around her. Because of her teleportation, she have completely missed the screaming and horror-cliche silence, but luckily she did caught the last few sentence from the construction worker.


"Oh, right." She should have introduce herself earlier. "I'm KC."


(You guys are free to use the male pronoun for Cora since that's the appearance she is showing to you guys.)

 

[sorrow made you]

The screeching and grinding of metal seemed to blend into the background for some time until something else came to Pierce’s ears. It was the undeniable sound of a group of people in a mad rush. Instead of paying the platform any mind, they darted straight to what seemed like the open door. Something about that wasn’t right. Not if what was written on the platform was really their ticket out of there…


His suspicions seemed to be proved correct as horrendous screams came from the open door, sending Pierce’s heart racing. That wasn’t just a startled scream. That was a scream of bloody murder. It wasn’t long before it came to a stop. What… what the hell just happened to them?!


Looking around at the group, Pierce found that they had a new addition. A boy (Cora) who looked rather green. Did the implications of what had happened to those people made him feel sick? The frail looking boy seemed surprised. The other male also seemed surprised by the new face. What had the done?


Pierce couldn't focus on that. He had a strong feeling the entire group was in immediate danger.


A new and more burly voice engaged the group and Pierce nearly let a punch fly from his surprise. Turning to see who the voice belonged to, he was surprised to see that the man looked like… well that he worked there. Previously, it seemed like the entire room was empty. Instantly, Pierces eyes landed on the pipe. Keeping his fists down, he watched the man cautiously. Any strange movements, and the ex-soldier was prepared to defend however he could.


But still, the man didn’t attack. Instead, he sat down on the platform and started talking so casually to them.


“Rusty…?” Pierce echoed, the question obvious in his voice as he looked passed the man and toward the opened door. Red flags everywhere in his head. As red at the line that marked down over his right eye.


“Pardon, but…” Pierce spoke up once again. “How long have you been here? And… who is Rusty? What happened to those people?” It seemed like their scavenger hunt would have to wait just a little bit longer.

 

[The Lost Guardian]

Max wakes up in the Field of Dreams. He is extremely confused. He looks around, breathing heavily, looking for someone he knows. He doesn't see anyone. "Help me! Please!"

 

[TripTripleTimes]

Cora looks at the man with what seems like red paint caked down his face as he asks the constructor worker questions. Rusty, the girl thinks to herself, is the old man talking about the "hungry heart of steel" that the riddle on the platform mentions? With her ears open to listen to the painted man and the constructor's conversation, Cora steadily gets on to the platform and rereads the riddle.

"In this room, some things you'll see

​

a drafty door and darkened pit

​

a hungry heart of steel is three

​

to leave you must combine your wit.

​

​

For as the screeching steel grinds on

​

the door begins to close.

​

As a sword your mind must dawn

​

Against your famished foes."

​

Cora narrows her eyes at the words. She assumes that the "drafty door" is the beam of light and the "door begins to close" in the second stanza can be referring to either the "drafty door" or the "darkened pit." The reason why the pit maybe a way out is because of the phrase "a leap of faith." If they want to escape perhaps they have to literally leap off of something. Anything is possible, they have to.... expect the impossible? Were that the rabbits' last words?


Thinking about the riddle little bit more, maybe each of the items, the "door," the "pit," and the "hungry heart" are talked in order in the second- Ah, no no. She's thinking too much once again. That and that does not add up, the "wit" and "mind" lines are not in the same order, and there are more than one enemy in this area that the group of Dreamers have to worry about. Wait, they are all hungry.


Cora slowly turns her head at the construction worker. That man is not who he seems to be. She want to tell everyone to create something to defend themselves, but at the same time, she does not want to anger this stranger.


"Guys." Still on the platform, Cora turns her attention to the Dreamers. "Try thinking of something. A thing." To demonstrate, she thinks of a broom, wait, no no! A gun! Definitely not a broom! Not a broom! Why is she thinking of a broom?!?! She doesn't want to go through this again if this will hurt too!

 

[CyanidePie123]

Terry notice KC concentrating on something. Confused by the boy, terry raise an eyebrow and speak


What are you doing man? Do you have an headache?

 

[TripTripleTimes]

"I hope I don't get a headache," Cora grins a bit at same man who asked her if she was alright earlier. "I'm going to think of a broo- gun. Hopefully, it won't hurt like when I teleported." She lets out a nervous laugh. "Maybe you can give it a try, oh and, what's your name?"

 

[CyanidePie123]

Terry put his hands in his pockets and show a faint smile


I'm terry. Guess I'm pleased to meet you. A gun could sure be usefull right now. There's some maniac with a knife somewhere around here. Lets just hope you know how to use that gun and for the good reasons uh?

 

[TripTripleTimes]

Cora's friendly smile flattens for a moment when Terry says that there is a maniac with a knife. She have not thought that a killer would be among them, but remembering the hundreds of people back in the purple landscape, it is possible that not all of the people were sound in mind.


"Terry, huh," Cora replies, a smile returns to her lips. "Nice to meet you too, and don't worry about a thing." The girl have never hold a real gun before, but she is no strangers to virtual reality games and her brother is a giant fan of first shooter games.


Video games in 21st century have benefit hugely from the expand knowledge of the human mind and brain. The gaming industry created new technologies such as stimulation holograms or improve existing devices such as the goggles.


If her experience in video game translated to hours wasted, she at leasts hopes that her few paintball and/or laser tag games can do something for her, like loading her gun... yeah, no. She can't picture laser tag has any benefit at this time, nor would a broom. She really wish she pictured the gun before of her home's red broom.


"Hey Terry. Try thinking of something," Cora suggests.

 

[CyanidePie123]

Uh... Sure man





Terry concentrate pretty hard but his mind keep wandering back to the burrito he ate before going to bed. Could he have stomach cramps in the dream world? Oh god he hope not. In his mexican fueled confusion, Terry mind lock on two items.


A revolver and a dark orange poncho. The revolver was known as a Gasser M1870 (Unknown to terry. He saw the gun on internet and thought it looked pretty cool. He didnt know it was an austrian gun and it had nothing to do with the american wild west but did terry care? No.)

Uh...

 

[The Lost Guardian]

Max walked around and took in all the strange sights around him. He couldn't believe his eyes. As he was marveled by the strangeness of the place, he took a wrong turn and slammed into a wall. His nose gushing blood, he gets up, stumbling a bit as he does and continues on his way, using a jacket to cover his nose. "Ahh... That hurt a lot..." Max thought to himself as he continued on, still confused and dazed. He searches for any signs of life in what seems like a barren area.

 

[macifer]

Jimmy had been frozen for most of the conversation, only nodding once-- when he decided that yes, he did want to go to the door with the red-painted man. On one hand, he continued to think it was better for him to be as disinvolved as possible... but at the same time, he realized that he would be safe enough with him. And there was a quiet thought that Jimmy was trying his best to ignore: he hoped that he would be instrumental in solving the riddle.


After coming to his decision, his thoughts were interrupted by the sudden appearance of a man who looked to him like a miner, maybe. He was talking, and even though he wasn't attacking, Jimmy's first instinct was to stay away from him. But he couldn't help imagining what it would be like if he was one of the heroes he knew from his favorite shows. Stepping forward, probably shouting something defiant at the "miner". But even in a dreamworld where nothing seemed certain, Jimmy was still certain that he was too weak to put up much of a fight. And a threat would be nothing without the ability to carry it out.


That was when he saw the guns, materializing in the hands both of KC and a man suddenly clad in a poncho. Jimmy realized that now, he and the others had some measure of power. They could interrogate the man who had appeared, ask him why they were here, what was really expected of them, how to get out. But Jimmy didn't ask any of those questions, he only asked one, which was directed at KC and the poncho man:


"..how?"