Chapter 1: Chris Beaker

"I've had that dream again Doctor. I don't understand it, and it's always the same." Chris Beaker looked toward Doctor Monica Wilkinson, who was taking notes.

"You tell me it's the same dream. How do you know this?" Monica said, looking up and smiling at her patient.

"It's exactly the same as I've already told you. There are two women in a large room, they start fighting and then one of them falls to the ground, then the image changes. It's as if I'm looking down at the people. Another man is in the view and then someone else comes in, then I'm above a city, except there's no real traffic, just horses. Oh, yeah. Then there's the suns ... that's right, two of them, a normal one and a white one. Then I'm in space, just drifting ... I'm not sure how long it is when I wake up. You've got to do something about this, Doctor" Chris went to stand up, but when Monica shook her head, he remained in his seat.

"Is there anything else?" she asked.

Chris started to shake his head, but then he nodded it. "Well ... it's those tablets you prescribed. I think there's a side effect." He paused.

"What side effect?" Monica's brow furrowed.

"I find that I've been sleepwalking. I wake up and I'm sitting by the computer or the television. Frankly, I'm scared that I'm going to walk out of the house and get knocked over on the main road. And when I wake up, I'm still tired as if I haven't slept at all. Can't you give me something stronger?"

Monica looked up. "So this is affecting you physically as well as mentally, then?" She made yet another note on her pad.

Chris nodded. "Yeah, but you know, it's strange. I've been working on a new combat game and I've been getting stuck, but when I looked at the computer this morning, the thing was working. The only one who could have done that was me. But how could I when I was sleeping? Tell me that, Sar'ha?" He shook his head. "Sorry. Doctor."

Monica tapped her pen on her chin. "Who is Sarah? Do you know her?"

"Sarah? No, but that dream girl, the one who I dream about, is Sar'ha. That's S ... a ... r ... apostrophe ... h ... a."

Monica leaned forward a bit. "That's an interesting name. Do you know her in real life?"

Chris frowned and shook his head. "No, I don't even know how I know her name. That's why I'm disturbed by the dreams; it's almost as if I'm being told something, but I can't hear it."

Monica regarded Chris. "You say you've been having problems with the programme you're writing. Isn't it possible that you are just over-concentrating on it and that is why your mind won't let you sleep properly?"

Chris shook his head. "No ... No, it's not like that. I've been under pressure before. It's never been like this. It's almost as if there's a stranger inside me." Chris now ignored Monica's look and got to his feet. "You just don't understand what's happening to me. I'm losing my mind, and all you can do is to give me sleeping tablets. They're not working!" He slammed his hand down on the desk top.

"That won't help you either, Chris. Now calm down and relax, take a deep breath, and sit down." Monica said her expression calm and her voice steady.

"I'm sorry, Doctor ... but it's getting too much for me. That's why I asked for this appointment." Chris sat down and put his head in his hands.

Monica added to her notes.

Patient has now mentioned sleepwalking. Theory: Patient is symbolically running from his dreams. Perhaps he needs more comprehensive care.

"How do you feel about signing into a sanatorium?" she asked.

Chris frowned. "You mean some sort of loony bin?"

Monica sighed. "No, Chris, this is a place to rest and relax, to escape from whatever it is that is troubling you."

Chris shook his head. "I don't know ... I've got this game to complete by next month. There will be hell to pay if I just drop everything and just go swanning off. They won't let me."

"Well, if it's a choice between your work or your health, I'm sure your company would be considerate and allow this. Can't anyone else do the work?"

"Naw. Not the way I'd do it. The game has to flow and work just like the real world. All the others would manage is to make a hash of it." Chris said with a derisory wave of his hand.

Monica nodded, but persisted. "In the long run, it would be better for you to attend. It might help you to gather your thoughts, and it needn't be for a long time, just long enough. For some people, it can be a week, for others longer, but when you leave, you'll feel much better."

Chris shook his head.

"Tell you what, let's wait for a bit and see how you feel on the next appointment, shall we make it next week?" she said, smiling.

Chris nodded. "Okay Doctor, I'll think about it ... in the meantime, is there any chance of some stronger tablets? I could do with them."

Monica considered this, and then began writing out a prescription form for him. But what she didn't say was that the tablets she was prescribing were placebos, they looked like sleeping tablets, but without having any real effect. The reason for this was twofold, in the first it was always the suggestion of stronger drugs that helped the patient, and in the second — she received a sum of money for all new patients that she sent to that particular sanatorium. Not that she had ever visited it to see what they actually had ... but the brochure looked nice.

Chris took the prescription and thanked Monica, then went out to the reception desk and wrote out a cheque for his treatment. After that, he went to a pharmacy and paid seven pound fifty pence for the new prescription.

Chris returned to his home and sat in front of his computer, he had a double screen system. On one it showed the computer graphic representation of the world he was creating. In the second it showed the code that made up the world. His main problem was that on one section the gravity wasn't working, the avatar would be walking along and then all of a sudden it would be flying, he moved the figure towards the area ... only to find that the gravity was working, there was another avatar walking toward him. A sub-screen opened up.

Chris blinked. He hadn't programmed in this.

The figure 'spoke' "Greetings, Chris, my name is Sar'ha. This seems to be the only way we can talk to each other at the moment. Please do not panic, but I am inside you and have used your knowledge to create this area. I have put in some answers to the questions you might have, but I do not know everything, so I'll have to check this area for your questions when you are asleep."

Chris typed in a question. "What do you mean when I'm asleep?"

The scene changed slightly. "There was an accident and I was thrown out of my body, somehow I found you and ... we merged would be the best description of what happened. But I cannot take action while you are awake--your mind is more powerful--but when you sleep, then I can take control of your body."

"What? But how can you do that? And is that why I'm always so tired in the morning?" Chris said as he typed.

"When you dream, you're not associated with your body, it's your unconscious mind that is active. At that point, my mind awakens, and I can use your body. I have to say I was surprised when I found out that you were male I had thought that I'd be drawn to a female. As for the other part of your question..." The figure moved slightly again to a neutral form. "I'm sorry, but I do not understand your question. I will record it and wait for input."

"You mean to say you're female?" Chris was uncertain how he felt to find this out.

The avatar on the screen seemed to laugh. "Yes, I'm female. The 'ha part of my name tells you this. Although in your world there is no such distinction, in our world, you would be known as Chris'n — family names are not used, except on rare occasions. My father is Twine'n. His full name is Twine'n of the House of Grork'n. My sister, Sop'ha, is known as Sop'ha of the House of Grork'n. I hope that is enough information."

Chris frowned. "Not really. How can you be in my body?"

The avatar's figure seemed to wink out and then back into view, "It was an accident. I was in a training duel with my sister, and she had just dodged one of my spells and cast her own, but there was something wrong with what she said. I found myself being separated from my body. In order to survive, I have to reside inside a body, or my soul would be shattered and destroyed. I found you and managed to rest here."

"But it's driving me mad. I don't know what I'm doing when I'm asleep." Chris entered onto the keyboard.

The screen image changed again to the neutral form. "I'm sorry, but I do not understand that. I will check on this and let you know, or you may rephrase your question."

Chris considered this and then repeated his last part, "How do I know you won't hurt my body while I'm asleep?"

"Chris, I cannot do that. Although I have control over your body, it is still yours. I have to protect it and so I have started to practise some simple spells to protect it. This is to help me as well as you; I need to survive in order to get back home." The avatar looked at him expectantly.

"What spells? What do you mean?" Chris eagerly typed in.

The avatar moved its hands, and a screen opened up. Chris was now looking at his face and hearing his voice. "I've prepared this just in case you asked about the spells I have cast on your body. The first is a basic health spell, to promote quicker healing and recuperation. The second is a body building spell, to increase stamina. The final one is to increase your knowledge and memory retention. I'm not suggesting that you are not fit, although from your diary entries, you do have fears about that..."

Chris shook his head. I don't want you being nosey,

The screen Chris carried on talking. " ... but I need to get you to remember some spells to help me. But that will be for the next time. What I need you to do is to relax and just think about this word ... slumber."

Chris didn't even blink before he was asleep; before he knew it, he was back on that world watching the two women and a man walk into the room.

Chris woke up in front of his computer screen, still tired, but also hungry, The fridge in his kitchenette was nearly empty of food. He shook his head. he knew that he'd filled it up just the other day.

Checking the time, he saw that it was still early, and so he phoned up a nearby pizza take-away. He was going to order a medium sized, but then decided on a large pizza with everything.

He noticed that the screen was still showing the avatar, so he typed in, "What happened?"

Again the avatar opened another screen, and Chris was looking at his face. "Sorry about that, Chris'n, but you triggered off an alarm and that caused the program to make you sleep.

"While that was happening, it woke me up. I've gone through the logs, and this is what you need to know — I have to return home, but to do that, I need a 'pole' in this world to connect me to my own body on my world." The picture smiled at Chris, which seemed to him a strange thing to do to. "I'm using your words to describe this, but I can't find the correct ones in your mind. Think of it as a flow of water. It follows the path of least resistance. At the moment, you're at the top of the hill, and my real body is at the bottom, only there's a dam in the way, and that is you ... or rather, your knowledge, which is why I'm trying to improve your body and mind. It is for this reason you are so hungry and tired all the time. Your body is working hard on building itself up and so energy is being used."

The Chris in the screen shook his head. "I'm sorry to have to do this, but it's the only way I can survive. You will be better off as well."

I'm not sure about that! Chris thought to himself as he remembered his tiredness of the past few days.

He typed, "What if this is all in my mind? I'm just becoming a psychotic? This could all be a split personality I've created."

The avatar appeared again, but this time it was frowning, "I don't understand what you mean ... accessing thesaurus ... the answer you require is, no, you are not going mad. This is actually happening, I'm sorry that you feel this way, but there is no easy way to tell you. All I can ask is that you trust me."

Chris snorted. Trust me, indeed. How can I trust a person I can't see? He typed his thoughts as they came to him.

The avatar seemed to freeze before a video screen opened, and Chris was now looking at his face again. "There is a way in which we can see each other, but I didn't want to teach you this so soon. But if it will help you, I will. I suggest you relax your body and then say these words: Condor plain separatus. It will allow your mind to leave your body and join with me in a different realm. But before you do this, I must urge you to consider what you want to say as we only have a short amount of time there."

The screen froze at that point, and Chris sat back to think. His rumbling stomach brought him back to reality.

Just as he looked at his watch, the doorbell rang announcing the arrival of food. He quickly paid for the pizza and a tip for the delivery man before taking the box into his kitchenette, but the lid was opened and the first slice eaten by the time he got there.

A few minutes later, Chris was looking at the empty box and wondering how good the cardboard would taste. The pizza just wasn't enough food. Again, he checked the time. Although it was late, there were some supermarkets still open. He went down to his car and drove to the nearest.

Half-an-hour later, he arrived back home with his car boot full of food, although on the way home, hunger had forced him to stop to take out some sliced ham to eat. When he arrived back home, he restocked his fridge and cooked another meal to eat.

Finally sated, Chris sat back and looked at the tablets he'd brought to help him sleep, pondering whether he should take one. He sighed. It wouldn't hurt to have one ... but then how would he contact Sar'ha?

He gave a laugh. he was thinking about contacting a figment of his imagination, as if just spouting words would ... well, what if it didn't work? He'd look stupid, but ... what if it did?

Chris frowned. Why was he even thinking of doing this? It was just his overworked mind playing tricks on him, As if saying ... what was it now?

He realised that he was just putting off the evil time. He sat back, closed his eyes, and then spoke "Condor plain separatus."

He was on a desert plain where the land was completely flat and went on forever. Chris shook his head; this wasn't how he'd thought some other place would be. He expected trees and a river.

Immediately, the scene changed. Now he was in a wood with fresh, clean air and the sound of running water nearby. He followed the noise until he came to a stream. He sat down and watched the water flowing.

"I like this. You've learnt quickly how to influence this place." A young woman was standing next to him.

"I take it this is all in my mind? So whatever I think it should be, it will be." Chris stood up and extended his hand, "I'm Chris. I take it you are Sar'ha?"

Sar'ha shook his hand. "Yes Chris'n, This is my true form. I'm sorry that my arrival has caused you so much trouble, but if I hadn't found you, then I would be dead." Sar'ha said this so formally that Chris's first thought of 'you're joking' vanished as he realised that this was true; she couldn't lie in this environment.