Chapter 24, Aboard the Prinz, Medical Bay
The medical bay was quiet, with a slight humming coming from the equipment. The side annex was dimly lit with only a chair and a flexcouch.
"I don't want you to think I'm crazy," said Isla sitting upright on the edge of the flexcouch.
"Not at all," said Chief Medical Officer, Lt. Net Sohn, her dark hair shortly cropped on one side. "How may I help you?"
"It started a few days ago . . . It's hard to describe."
"Try me. I have heard it all, from Deep Space Praxis to Naxis Disorder."
"I don't want to be crazy. I really don't."
"We're non-judgmental here. Always."
"It always starts at night . . . "
"What happens?"
"During slumber, when I should be cogitating and archiving. It starts with the dark clouds. They swirl around and have no form or shape."
"How long does this last?"
"Sometimes a few minutes. Sometimes longer."
"Go on."
"Then I . . . and this is where it really starts to get crazy . . . I start to see and hear things."
"What kinds of things?"
"Conversations, movements, colors and sounds . . ."
"Do they form patterns?"
"Why, yes, they do. I'm talking with all kinds of people . . . people who I normally never have discussions with like the Zurgons or the Anemonedians."
"Are there any people that you know?"
"The other night I was conversing with Captain Jose Promis."
"What was the topic of conversation?"
"It was the oddest thing. I was telling the Captain about Janken pon."
"Janken pon?"
"A game of rock-paper-scissors. Rock is formed with a first, and rock beats scissors, which is formed with two fingers, scissors beats paper, which is formed with a hand, palm out and paper beats rock."
"When is this game played?"
"Whenever a decision has to be made painlessly."
"What kind of decision?"
"Any kind. It could be who goes first in a queue, or off an elevator. I play it a lot with Enzo and Ezio."
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"Enzo and Ezio?"
"Lorenzo Vincenzo Fiorenzo or Chef Enzo and Ezio the bodyguard."
"Your fellow automatons?"
"Indeed. Then, one night I saw Canis Majoris go wild."
"The hypergiants star that is over 3600 times the size of the Sun?"
"Yes, it grew and grew and grew and then it formed a hypernova." Isla shuddered.
"We do see a supernova in our galaxy every fifty years. It's not that rare."
"But its gamma rays killed all the humans. Only Enzo and Ezio where left after the hypernova and we kept playing Janken pon, but nobody could eliminate the other."
"What happended next?"
"I came out of slumber. All my defenses were up and activated. What does it mean Dr. Sohn? Am I losing my mind?"
"You could be gaining it."
"I don't understand."
"Everything you told me sounds like these images and experiences have formed by themselves. Did you experience any sense of time?"
Isla held her hand to her mouth. "I did not."
"Then that's it. None of the hundreds of the now ancient Aboriginal languages contained a word for time."
"What is it?"
"You've been dreaming."
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To be continued . . .700Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS6Fi9SZJl5
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