Future Shock: Chapter Four-Dreams [Date: 2yrs + P.B.]

     Riddick’s sleep had been restless, shallow, and he woke before dawn’s first golden
rays had even begun their ascent over Thelta’s tropical horizon. He sighed, knowing
he’d become too dependent on the sleep function and longed for the days when he’d
taught himself not to need rest. In slam, sleep meant lack of awareness and therefor
helplessness so he learned to do so for only an hour a week, sometimes less. That cut
down the chances of him never waking up again due to a slit throat.

Convincing himself that he’d gone soft he decided to practice some exercises in the
garden, to sharpen his speed and strength. He passed Raye’s room as he went and
stopped to watch her still and restful body fast in sleep. Her curly black hair fell over
her face and shoulders, and her chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm. She looked
peacefully worlds away and Riddick envied that. She stirred lightly, raising her arms
above her head and rolling onto her back. He froze, alarmed he’d woken her. He
breathed a sigh of relief when she neither spoke nor opened her eyes. He watched her
intently, his eyes burning into every soft curve of her body, trying to figure out exactly
what it was he felt. He’d traveled that road before, he’d had her and she’d betrayed him
to Johns. And Riddick made it a habit never to make the same mistake twice.

Mona was in the garden, doing stretches and other meditative exercises on the damp
warm ground. She didn’t seemed startled or surprised when she finally noticed Riddick
standing behind her. She just smiled her serene friendly smile and observed, “You rise
early, I hope your night was not unpleasant.”

“As much as expected,” shrugged Riddick. The lovely, older woman stood and slipped
a brightly colored cotton robe over her simple body suit. “I didn’t mean to interrupt,” he
said watching as she rolled her long black hair into a sloppy bun and fastened it. “I
didn’t think anyone else was around.”

“I was just finishing anyway,” she replied pleasantly. “It’s a meditation I learned when I
was living among the Siouavari peoples in their colony on Beta Major. That’s where I
did most of my field research on agriculture.” She seemed distracted for a moment, as if
she was deep in thought, then, without warning, she returned to her original
observation. “Perhaps you have bad dreams and that is why you are wakeful?” she
asked raising an eyebrow.

“Everyone has bad dreams,” he said dismissively. His face betrayed nothing, his
expression remained impassive and calm even though, under his rock solid surface, a
storm was brewing. He smiled bitterly as he told her, “Someone once told me that
nightmares were the product of a haunted heart.”

“Possibly,” Mona nodded wisely, “or perhaps they don’t mean anything. Only you
know the answer for sure. The Iyysh of Iyyui believe in a Goddess of dreams, Yao-Yao.
She reads your heart in your sleep and weaves into a dream web what she finds is
most important for you to know, your future, your past, your deepest wishes and
fantasies. Perhaps Yao-Yao has something to tell you, hmmm?”

“You’re very well traveled,” Riddick observed, genuinely impressed. “And the holy
man seems very fond of you.”

The woman blushed slightly. “He flatters me with unnecessary compliments. Elemo
has a wonderful soul. Which reminds me, he asked me to tell you that he has
something rather urgent to speak to you about. He usually rises after dawn, if you’d like
to wait for him in his office. It’s been very enlightening talking to you, Mr. Riddick, but if
you’ll excuse me I have to start preparing breakfast.”

“The fighting, it comes closer everyday,” Imam said sweeping his hand across the sky.
Riddick could just barely make out the vague outline of a space battle in the outer
atmosphere of the planet, at least a dozen ships engaged in combat. The Muslim shook
his head and scowled disapprovingly, “ One day I fear we will have to move the colony,
perhaps even off planet.The Company, they believe they have the right to do anything
they like. They are learning otherwise. I am glad you came, old friend. There is
something I needed to show you.

“We check the passenger transport lists quite often, to monitor Company and rebel
activity in our area,” explained Imam. “One day, while looking through a passenger list
for a shuttle outbound to the rim world of Teyre 4, we came across a familiar name. I
wanted you to be the first to see this.” The Muslim removed a disc from a robe pocket
and plugged it into a nearby datapad. A jumble of names appeared on the screen. “I did
not know what to make of it. Perhaps it is only a coincidence, a trick of conscience and
sorrow.”

Taking the datapad from Imam, Riddick could hardly believe his unusual eyes. There
she was: Passenger 37, seat 3, row 29 Fry, Carolyn. His stomach twisted in a knot and
his throat went dry. Could it be true? Was she truly still alive? Could she have possibly
made it off that planet? Imam clapped him on the shoulder and told him, “She is alive,
or was two months ago when we intercepted this list. It is much to think about, my
friend. Take it with you, ponder what has been said.”

Riddick’s shine job made it difficult to read the writing on the datapad’s flat green and
gray electronic screen though he could see her name clearly, burning into his vision.
He found the passenger list online through the mainframe of Raye’s planetary hopper.
Kitcher and Lorre StarLines offered the extra added bonus of passenger profiles, but
when Riddick tried to access Fry’s all that came up was: Fry, Carolyn; pilot(ret.), age
unknown. Flipping back to the main menu another name caught his eye :Jade, Hannah.
His heart stopped beating for a split second. Her profile offered even less than Fry’s.
Profession: unknown, age:unknown. It was a coincidence, it had to be. Coincidence,
nothing more.

“Hey, what’s up?” Raye asked innocently and unaware as she walked up behind him.
She frowned, craning her neck to look past him to the viewscreen on the console.
“What’s that?” Riddick told her that they were going to Teyre 4 and Raye scoffed,” The
ice planet??! Yeah, right.” Her face fell. “You’re serious, aren’t you? Well, what the hell
for?!”

“Something I’ve been looking for for a while might be there, Riddick replied flatly,
shrugging slightly.

Raye sighed, knowing better than to question him further. “All right,” she breathed
defeatedly. “I’ll begin prepping the ship. It’s your call, big evil. I hope we find what
you’re looking for.” Riddick didn’t reply. He hoped they did too.


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