The whole team is already prepped by the time Dad and I enter at 4:30 a.m. sharp.
"Dr. Hale? Aria?" Sun pauses from climbing into her sleep pod. "You two are not seriously working this morning."
Nurse Debbie looks up from where she's checking the team's health scans. "Go home, Dr. Hale. Don't even think about it."
"We've got this covered," Dr. Cage, Dad's assistant reassures. "You need to get your rest."
"I'm here and ready to work," Dad says, beelining for the coffee pot. Everyone in the lab pauses and glances at each other. "I appreciate you coming in for me tonight Dr. Cage, but I think working will get my mind off things."
"I will stay and be of assistance," Dr. Cage says. "Just in case."
"I'm going in, too," I announce. "We were so close last time and today we just might break huge ground. Today we are going to make history."
I flash on my brightest smile and pretend I don't see Tony's frown or Javier's shake his head. I know what they're thinking and they're wrong. Without me, they wouldn't have made the ground we've made in the Dreamscape. The longest any team has lasted without me has been a minute. The silence in the lab hovers over me as I pop a mini-doughnut into my mouth before heading to my own pod.
"Seriously," I try to relieve the tension. "How could I sit at home and stare at the ceiling while you all are here making scientific advances?"
"Aria." Nurse Debbie fists her hands on her hips. "You're supposed to be on leave for the rest of the week."
"I'm great," I say with a mouth full, which only deepens her frown. "The joys of being young."
"She's good, Debbie," Dad says, and then to me, "But anytime you feel uncomfortable, have signs of dizziness or disorientation, you need to transition to fade. Promise?"
"Absolutely." But all I can focus on is Jake. Will he recognize me? Will he trust me more or less when he sees me? Do I really want to enter his dreams? Oh god. Maybe this is a bad idea.
"So this is the same patient we entered on Wednesday?" Javier asks.
"It certainly is. Patient 145." Dad takes a deep gulp of his coffee and stares off at the wall as if he doesn't want to make eye contact with the team. "We nearly made it to what we believe is the Vault last time. A first attempt like that is unprecedented. Dr. Cage says the patient was willing to come back in for a second round. I think if we use the same methods as before, we can get in."
"I'm down with that." Tony fist-pumps Dad. "Let's cross our fingers he's got more hot dog stands around."
"We're not going for the food, Tony." Sun flashes him a pointed look as she snuggles her tiny frame into the folds of her pod.
"Food unifies people," Tony reasons. "Why do you think the dreamers are always so relaxed around us?"
"Because of the hot dogs?" I chuckle.
"You know it, baby!" Tony pumps his arms into the air before marching over to his pod.
A quick glance at my heart monitor tells me my heart rate is already elevated. If I'm not careful, Nurse Debbie is going to out-rank Dad and call me off the mission. I push aside the memories of my fall into the Void and instead, focus on the memory of Jake sitting on my car.
Ugh! My heart is only speeding up at the thought of seeing Jake again. In a few moments, I could be there and see his deepest, darkest secrets. Maybe this is a bad idea. Do I really want to know what they are?
"Your heart rate is a little high, honey," Debbie says.
"Just excited."
Debbie nods, but she purses her lips.
"Don't worry." I pat her hand. "I'll be fine. I won't do anything stupid."
"I wish I believed you," she mutters.
The world shifts, fuzzy at first. Then the floor rolls beneath me like I've entered a funhouse. I hold out my hands, trying to grope onto something, and my stomach heaves like I just completed a roller coaster loop. A hard piece of metal presses against my palm and I grip hold of that, allowing the world of Jake's dream to solidify for me.
I'm standing in the foyer of a business with ceilings that stretch at least four stories high. Chandeliers dangle from above and the walls are golden, glistening with ornate mirrors and paintings. The sounds of a string quartet replace the previous tones of the sleep pod and my muscles relax. Around me, people stroll about, chatting and drinking champagne from tall flutes. The women are decked out in floor-length gowns and the men wear crisp tuxes.
Wow. I don't even know how to handle myself in this situation. A quick glance tells me I'm still wearing my jeans and spaghetti-strap shirt. Crap. I close my eyes, trying to visualize myself in a formal dress, but I'm coming up blank with images to help me.
"Letdown. No hot dogs." That's got to be Tony's voice.
Sure enough, Tony lounges in a settee beside me, looking completely weird wearing a formal jacket and bow tie with his flamingo shorts.
"You've got to nix the shorts," I point out.
"I know." Tony runs his hand over his dreads. "It's just they're so damn comfortable."
"Have you spotted, Ja—" I stop myself for a second and change my words. "The dreamer?"
"Not yet. But remember when I told you he looked familiar?"
Instinctively, I bite at my pinkie. Don't say it, Tony! Don't say it's Jake from our class!
"He looks the spitting image of that guy from our class. Can't remember the dude's name. Oh, there he is. By the piano. Woah, is he playing the piano? Not bad. Not bad."
I follow Tony's gaze and sure enough, there's Jake, working the piano like he's Mozart's second cousin. Weaving through the crowd and a group of dancers, I pick my way closer to him. My heart stutters seeing him lost in the magic of the melody. His fingers fly over the keyboards, nimble and light. His body sways to the music, hair flinging about, hanging over his eyes. I wonder if he plays in real life.
Suddenly he stops as if sensing something and looks up. At me. I freeze, not able to move in hopes he'll believe I'm here because of the dream. Not because I'm an intruder. A fake.
Slowly he stands. The music continues, even though he's no longer playing it. The room darkens until it's just him, me, and the piano. Behind me, I feel the presence of my other teammates, waiting. Watching.
What must they think of this? Do they suspect anything?
My jeans and shirt vanish swapped with a sheer sapphire-colored dress, waving about in a sudden wind along with golden heels. My hair cascades in waves over my shoulders and as Jake steps toward me, his hand reaches out. This time he touches my hair. My skin tingles as if the air is sizzling around me.
I've never experienced these feelings in a Dreamscape before. What does that mean?
"The Vault," Javier whispers in my ear.
My eyes jerk away from Jake as I realize I'm losing myself in the dream. I must stay focused and professional.
Jake's eyes snap over to where Tony is standing on my right side.
"Uh, oh," Tony mutters. "I don't think I'm blending well in the dream."
This is one of the reasons why we try to stay unobtrusive. The moment we stand out, our Dreamers will either panic and kick us out of the dream, or they'll wake up. Both are bad.
One step, then another, Jake backs away, eyes widening, hands out at his side as if to keep his balance.
"He's panicking," Sun whispers. "Hold it together and prepare yourself. I bet we're going to enter REM."
REM is a dangerous section of a dream. It's when a dreamer is most lucid, the dreams are wildest, plus the dreamer is more susceptible to waking.
As usual, Sun is right. The room shifts and the floor warps, sending the four of us sprawling to the ground. The walls compress inward until it's only a matter of seconds before they squeeze us into pancakes.