The Nomad Chronicles

abridged

Deep Dream State

I am surveying the perimeter of the Biodome. There are hasty scaffoldings, and bio-drones working on the defenses. An android appears and gives me the download.

I nod.

I open a portal to the City of Nowhere. It's already under attack. bastards. There are dark energy creatures crawling all over the city. It's overrun. Wait, they're attacking the Templars. They're attacking everyone.

I find Brian, whoever that is. He's a Templar, but he's different somehow. He has a spark. The other ones don't. Are they DC's? Soulless sentient beings? I have no time to ponder this.

We swim through the air toward each other, covered by the dark energy creatures. It's too much for my symbiote to handle. I grab Brian's hand. I change our energy to red, and we burn off the dark energy creatures.

I see Walms flying around like a giant bat-manta ray. He is eating them up, and laughing about it. He keeps farting and burping.

"Too much dark energy man. You can't handle it."

"Hey, you don't tell me what to do, hombre!" There is a red glint in his eye.

I open a Selene portal to a black hole. I ask Selene to follow him around and drain the excess dark energy from him. She nods and sprouts wings.

I hear a telepathic call from Raven. I see her image blurry in front of me. "Templars attacked the Biodome... Fire... destroyed... how did they? bastards... they've taken us captive, Nomad... nightmares... forever..."

I burst into flames in anger. Templars throw a net over me made of my nightmares. Thanks for getting rid of those dark energy creatures, you idiot.

Brian, you bastard! But, Brian is under the net with me. He is screaming like a madman. He is living my worst nightmares.

The Templars laugh at him.

Soon, you will be infected with your own nightmares. We have been weaving this net for many years. I feel a stinging pain where the night touches me. It feels like a jellyfish sting. I feel like I am going to die. I writhe in pain. The Templars laugh and spit on me. I turn into Jesus.

"You bastards are going to pay."

Some of them look afraid. But, the leader boosts their resolve, saying, "Good shapeshifting work, asshole. Have some nice nightmares." I scream, and fall into myself.

I am a little boy, about three. Alone in space. I have a little Humpty Dumpty Doll. I see images of murder and rape. I feel like my soul is vomiting. I hear a scream like a waterfall dying. I realize it's me.

GODDAMNED THESE BASTARDS. IT'S JUST A FUCKING NIGHTMARE.

I morph into a Devil-Cat. I absorb the dark energy of the nightmare, and channel it into my Black Lantern Ring.

I slam my fist into my hand. I absorb the entire nightmare into the ring. I am walking in Hollow Earth.

I see stairs leading to an arch. I see Templars torturing a red cat version of me on an asteroid. It looks like Q10.

I run through the arch. I shoot shackles around the necks of the Templars. I spin them around, and toss them into a black hole portal. I grab my red cat self, and take him to the Glen of Healing. I bow to the Glen, and teleport back to the City of Nothing. I see myself having a nightmare under the nightmare net. The Templars are making bets and drinking red wine, then I realize it's my blood.

I morph into a minotaur-vampire. I grow fangs. My skin grows pale. My eyes glow a dark red.

"AND NOW I WILL DRINK YOUR BLOOD!"

I teleport around them, savagely eviscerating them, ripping their heads off, slashing their necks, and consuming their blood. I absorb the nightmare net into a tiny leather pouch. I decide to keep it for myself. I make a necklace of nightmare bones, and put it on my neck.

My other self and Brian stands up.

Thanks for the help. Wait, you're me.

Hey don't ponder paradoxes too long.

PEACE