Chapter 9: Finding answers

“When I was younger and very ambitious,” he started. “I had a very interesting dream. Mostly everything was dark, but there was a voice. My voice! He was telling me things to study. Physics, electronics, engineering, and even books on dream theory. It took me four years to master those, plus other fields to put me ahead of the game. Like I said, I was very ambitious. After that, he started describing diagrams and blueprints one piece at a time. I had to memorize them and draw them out. I added improvements, of course. While I built that machine, I was building another, more powerful machine. When the first machine was finished, I built the first dream chamber, also with improvements, from the blueprints.

“I’m guessing this has something to do with ‘Walker from the dream’,” Danny said. “But why would he want you to build these machines?”

“I’m getting to that,” Walter said. “Now it was time to turn on the machine and activate the dream chamber. I didn’t know it at the time, but the dream chamber I built was an exact replica of one already built. The only noticeable difference was the man now standing in the room with me. His name is Walker, and yes, he’s my double from the other side. That’s why he contacted me. He explained his theories about the universe splitting, the veil of Dreams, and the medial barrier. At the time we didn’t know about the medial spirits, or that the medial barrier was a realm of its own. He helped me find certain people to put together a group of scientists. Some were already scientists, while some weren’t, but he helped me train them.”

“Why go through all the trouble?” Danny asked. “I mean he already had a team of scientists. Why get their doubles involved?”

“He was trying to find a way through the medial barrier,” Walter said. “And he wanted to try out a theory he had about our doubles. Since we are connected, it’s easier to reach our doubles. He wanted to use that to break through the medial barrier. With the technology and power, he gained from that, he hoped to rule both of the worlds.”

“So, he’s the arrogant ‘SOB’ you were talking about?” Danny asked.

“No,” Walter said, “I was talking about myself. You see, I saw more potential than he did. I knew that the medial barrier had to contain a power greater than we could imagine. I connected my machine directly to the medial barrier in an attempt to take the power for myself. I thought; why rule the world as a king, when you could control the universe as a god? I was such a fool!”

“So, what happened?” Danny asked. “It didn’t work?”

“No, it worked,” Walter said. “I charged myself up with medial energy a little at a time. The power was intoxicating. I felt like I was becoming a god. Then everything came crashing down. My wife was one of the scientists. I loved her more than my own life. I sent her to perform a very dangerous experiment. I guess I thought since I was practically a god, nothing would happen to her. She died painfully and alone, and there was nothing I could do.”

“Is that why you switched sides?” Danny asked.

“Not exactly,” he said. “But it’s part of it. I no longer had a reason to live. She was gone. It was my fault, and I couldn’t bring her back. I wanted to end it all. I tried to end my life, but the medial energy wouldn’t let me die. So, I used my machine to project my dream self into the medial realm and to create a feedback loop that would destroy the entire universe. Then she showed up. At first, I thought she was my wife, but it was her double. She was more patient and caring than her counterpart. I fell in love all over again, and she helped me see the error of my ways. After that, I vowed to stop Walker and make things right.”

“What about Lancel?” Danny asked. “How does he fit into all of this?”

“He’s from the other side,” Walter said. “He’s both of us combined plus his mother. He has more physical energy from that side, but he’s the first to actually cross the medial barrier. He also knows the most about medial spirits, well after you. From what I hear, you practically are one. Anyway, I learned about him years later. She carried back a part of me, but Walker defiled her. She died shortly after giving birth. Almost twenty-two years ago he made it here, and you pretty much know the rest of the story.”

“What about this sleep clinic?” Danny asked.

“Remember the team of scientists I mentioned?” he asked. “When Walker and I became enemies, they all chose sides. We each have allies on both sides, as well as enemies. The group at the asylum is what’s left of our enemies here. They’re probably holding him there until they can figure out how to get him back across.”

“Then, that’s where I’ll start,” Danny said. “But I need some allies myself.”

Before he started his “mission,” Danny stopped by his apartment to tell his mom and Emily what had happened. They didn’t take the news well, but he assured them that he would not rest until Lancel was safe. Then he went to the veil of dreams to get answers and some help.

He had a feeling that he would need all he could get. He learned that at least two spirits were helping them. One was a lesser spirit, but one was more powerful than he should be.

Merlin told him that medial spirits were involved and helping them, but he didn’t know how many. Danny pointed out that they shouldn’t be able to do much to help them. They certainly shouldn’t be able to give extra energy to a spirit. But Merlin and Gary both told him that there was a machine creating a new kind of connection, allowing more than one medial spirit to supply the energy. Danny stopped by Walter’s to tell him what he had learned.

“It sounds like an experiment I’ve already done,” Walter said. “It wasn’t a failed experiment, but not really something I needed. If that’s his game, I have just the thing. Whatever you’re planning on doing Danny, be careful! This is dangerous stuff.”

“I will,” Danny said, “but I won’t get any more answers without going there myself. First, I need to stop by the medial realm, though.

“So, he went through his dream door and was gone. When Danny got to the medial realm, he went to his garden. He wasn’t sure why, but he knew he had to go there. When he looked around, he realized the garden had changed. It seemed to be a lot bigger. At least twenty-five full acres. The tree in the middle was still there, but it was also bigger. It still had the bench around it, and the ground was paved in Cobble Stone in a ten-foot radius around the tree. Around that, Cobblestone paths were leading out in different directions. The koi pond was in the same spot; however, it was no longer at the edge of the garden. It was also bigger and had a beautiful antique-looking fountain in the middle. Danny looked around. There were now all varieties of fruit and nut trees everywhere, along with more flowers and greenery. It was no longer the simple garden he remembered. It was a paradise!

“What do you think?” A familiar voice asked.

Recognizing his own voice, Danny turned to see his medial spirit in physical form again.

“How are you in physical form again?” Danny asked. “I didn’t know you could change forms without me.

“I can’t,” he answered, “but this garden that we created isn’t just a world that we made. It’s part of us. We can be or do anything we want here.”