Cloud to Cloud

Episode 51: Restart of the Grid

Hannah sat with eyes closed, a high-backed chair supporting her as she reclined. A series of wires adorned her fingertips, temples, while bands surrounded her arms. Leading from the connections were an array of physical adapters, monitors, keyboards, and radios.

"Things are going to move much faster with your assistance, Hannah dear." Linus Atticus approached the screens.

He keyed in a series of codes. Hannah's eyes snapped open, yet she stared vacantly into the room and over the heads of the dozen others within the space.

A circle of monks sat in meditation, maintaining an energy field prison preventing Hannah from extending her aura beyond the reach of Wave7's control.

"Well, good morning. I hope you're finding the accommodations comfortable." Linus sneered.

Hannah continued to stare unseeing at the man, yet visions flickered behind her vacant eyes.

"There is little chance of ITower catching up now, even if the architect continues. No one can punch keys as fast as your mind works, dear Pythia." He chuckled. "Perhaps this is a little reminiscent of your time in the Temple of Apollo."

The earth grid slithered within Hannah's mind. Layers of code flitted across the screen as Linus watched. Ley lines flicked on and off with each passing thought, yet the world around Hannah blurred into a thick fog.

"What does this look like from inside your mind, I wonder?" Linus stepped closer to the wire frame.

Hannah awoke to the tone of temple bells. She covered her head to drown out the din. The sound shook all memory of her dreams--she wondered if that was the idea.

Keep the Oracle from dreaming. Keep visions focused on the Grid.

Lack of proper sleep served to maintain fatigue and decrease her risk of over thinking.

The chill of the morning awakened her skin with the same harshness the bells had rattled her mind.

The sky was bright and clear, though her vision was not. Hannah made her way to a narrow window. As puffy as they were, her eyes narrowed in contemplation if she was really looking out a window, or if she was back in the temple, or in the oracles' cave or perhaps in some hidden hostage room. Where were the monks that surrounded her before? Or were they here but just not visible to in this state.

Below she could hear bickering. The words were not clear.

"Can none of you think for yourselves?" The male voice was weary and strained.

A pair of women in plain beige dresses arrived without so much as a knock on the door. They roughly requested the clothes Hannah wore and offered a uniform of silk scrubs.

A vision flashed in Hannah's mind as her arm brushed one of the women. A pale blonde haired woman expressed something otherworldly. Her death will be sudden, electric, Hannah thought.

"They're waiting for you." The woman's voice shook away the vision.

Hannah reached out for the woman. "Are you real?"

It had been the same script every morning, at least in the state where there was a small window. They took the same walk to the lower chambers of the temple. Though sometimes Hannah thought it looked more like a warehouse. The varied visions made it confusing to decipher.

Each time, three people, typically women, guided Hannah's steps. Her time alone ended at waking and would not return until sleep took her.

At the foot of stairs a handful of monks stood around the large cage. Food was laid out on a large oak table. It always smelled fresh and looked bright. Hannah's stomach gurgled.