It was the time of year that you started to put on layers, when the leaves had already changed and mostly fallen, when the sun was out without a single cloud in the sky but it was still cold. Today was one of those cloudless days, the day was just getting started and some had left their homes ready for the long day ahead.

Eli had only one layer on, bracing the cold, his hands deep in his pockets as he walked briskly down the street. Sleep had escaped Eli so often that bags had built up under his honey eyes and made it so he had no way of knowing if the sun was setting or rising as he trekked further down the road.

It was times like these Eli cursed the fact that he didn't drive, though it wasn't like he really needed too before. Before today Eli stayed in the same area, went shopping at the same store, went to the same bar, and laid awake on the same couch every night. It was all in walking distance and if not it would just require a bus ride or two. But this place, it was out of his comfort zone.

He got goosebumps as he thought about it, his thin hand, idly going to the back of his neck right where the plug was. It was something he didn't think about often, the thing that everyone had like it was a cell phone, some upgraded in ways that it lit up in different colors. Eli's was plain, a black hole into his body to send electric currents into. He watched the light change and walked forward, cars squeezing behind him and few other pedestrians right after they cleared the lane. He noted how the closer he got the longer the lights took to change. That was the kind of shit that pissed off Eli, little things about that place always found its way creeping into his head like an old friend, getting him wound up before he even opened his mouth.

It was just one of those things, a greedy company that had too much money. Except, the only thing was, people thanked them for it and accepted the check they were sent in the mail with no weight on their conscience. And when Eli saw people laughing and smiling, as they got off the tram that ran through the lots, he wondered if anything would change if they knew what he knew about the highly esteemed REVER company. He felt that nothing would, people were already selling their children so people could live out a cheap thrill. More reasons to not deal with people, not when so many made him sick. It was a pity he found beauty in them all the same.

It was the last stop, so far from the main building that the place looked more like an abandoned warehouse than a blinding white interior lab with machines laying around. All hooked up and ready to go, a few already going even.

"I need your ID and name please." The guard said.

"You know who I am." Eli brushed passed him, his elbow hitting the guard's gun as he did.

"Sir--"

"It's fine, let him through." One of the scientists said and quickly went back to work with the others beside them.

"The fucking balls..."

"Just get back to work Charles." the other guard rolled his eyes.

Eli approached the sliding glass doors, looking over the rows of white machines that resembled coffins more than they pods. Eli looked at the thumb scanner as he ran his thumb over his ring, collecting the thin plastic.

"Welcome to HF-1205, REVER's thrill of a lifetime." The door told him in a soft woman's voice. Another herd of scientists were gathered around pods, scribbling numbers and notes as they looked at graphs and the plain faces of the people asleep inside.

Eli walked past and up stairs to a small carpeted office that looked over the pods that filled the lab from wall to wall. Eli tried not to think about how many pods there were and how many held people. There were already two people in the office, Seth, who was standing, looked right at Eli with cold green eyes before sighing, "you're late."

"It looks like I'm just in time. Coffee still hot?"

Landon, who was sat on the couch in his pod suit a jacket over to make him more comfortable, scoffed, "you're about to go into pod sleep."

"It's also drug induced so who cares if I enjoy some coffee... These donuts look good too."

"Shut up both of you," Seth said, "did you at least read the file before you got here?"

"Yup." He had... and he hadn't really.

"That's good at least, go get changed and we'll review when you get back."

"Kay." Eli left the office, donut in hand.

"You have got--"

"Landon don't start with me, you know it wasn't my decision," Seth cut him off sighing again. He could already feel in his bones that this was going to be a long job, both with time and energy. Seth took a deep breath, a hand going on top of his black hair as he exhaled, "the company was very clear about what we're all here for."

"I know but he... You know it doesn't matter. Are the pods ready yet?"

"They're still being calibrated, we want to run at perfection to reduce the margin of error as best we can."

"The margin of error can't be that big as it is, once he's dressed I say we go in." Landon got up from the couch, looking over the pods from the panoramic window.

"No Landon, we are not going into this like it's nothing. This is serious, this is one of the few dreamscapes with a body count and it's not because of stupid things like age or illness it's because the dreams hunted them down. I'm going to make sure you don't get stuck down there and you are going to make sure you don't do anything to get yourself killed." Seth poked Landon hard in the chest.

"I'm the best, you don't have to worry about me. Though I am worried about that guy,"

"Don't, just look out for yourself."

"But--"

"Promise me, you have a family remember. Your sister can't afford to be out an older brother."

"Whatever..." Landon crossed his arms, leaning his back against the glass.

The doors opened to Eli, dressed now in a pod suit which was a blaring white compared to his copper skin. He had his sweater over to tone it down a bit, also to cover up some areas that were a bit too tight.

"Now that we're all here we can get started." Seth went on as Eli sat on the couch, Landon came over as well but kept the whole couch between Eli and him, "you guys are going to be going under for two hours this first time. We want to establish a full connection whilst letting you get a grip on the environment so we can choreograph a plan after your full interviews you'll have after you wake up."

"Wait, we're only going down for two hours?" Eli asked.

"That's what I said, yes."

"Why? Why not the full eight?"

"First off, you guys are never going to be down there for more than four hours, connections get faulty after the first four and we aren't risking you two for extra time. Second, we don't want either of you two to engage before we know what we're dealing with. We only have some of this dreamscape mapped and the last thing we need is you two getting lost or dying."

"Nothing like that can happen, I'm sure we can get it done right here right now if you just give us the eight hours." Eli argued, his hands balling up into fists.

"It's not happening, the company--"

"Fuck the company."

"The company is the one paying all of us, sponsoring this whole expedition, who the fuck are you?" Landon pushed, his nose crinkling as his face twitched. Landon thought Eli was spewing utter nonsense, sure it would be good to just finish it here and now, but that wasn't the whole job.

"No one." Eli relaxed, at least tried to relieve himself. Taking a deep breath and biting the inside of his cheek. He was hard to get himself down to a peaceful level, he knew a tone would push through even if he didn't want there to be one. So he stayed silent, not listening as Seth went on. Eli figured he heard all the important bits before when he interviewed for this job. He still couldn't believe he had put himself at so much risk, it went against every rule he had to be here.

"Alright we should be done calibrating now so let's get you two hooked up." Seth said, clapping his hands together as if to wake them up.

Landon and Eli left the office, Eli trailing behind trying to get a look at Landon. He was certainly taller, at least half a foot, and his hair was as close as black as you could get and his complexion was a warm beige. When they parted Eli noted his piercings, one on his right nostril and black gages in his ears, but the most striking thing were his clear green eyes.

Eli could tell that Landon was the type of guy who knew how he looked so he pushed himself to ignore the small bubbles of attraction in his stomach. He was only handsome, he hardly seemed like a good person to Eli anyway. Though he wondered now if his dark brown curls and soft face had caught his attention in any way.

Probably not.

"Alright go ahead and step in." one of the scientists said as the white pod stopped at a full upright position, door opening like it was setting free a vampire.

Eli could feel his heart rate spike as he stepped in, it didn't help that the pods were shaped like oversized mechanical coffins.

"That's good you're doing great, we're just going to plug you in and hook up your oxygen."

"Aren't you going to knock me out now?"

The scientist chuckled a bit to herself, "we haven't done it that way for years. Once the pod fills with water you'll start to slip into it."

"I see." Eli said, cringing at the pinch at the back of his neck after he was plugged in. The breathing mask was put onto his face along with some wires at both his temples.

"Alright we're shutting you in, good luck in there."

"Thanks..." Eli said as he watched as the door closed on him leaving him in silent darkness. It was so dark that he could only feel that gravity was shifting and hear the water that started to fill the pod. But after a moment he couldn't tell if he was underwater or not, let alone which way he was. Then just like the scientist said he started to slip into it, and the next thing Eli knew was that his feet were on solid ground.