Episode 1: The Empress of Dreams

Second Sun

Liverpool, England.

The pub was deceptively large for a dock yard tavern.

It had a low ceiling, mocking the interior of an airship with gaslit corners and a central bar area. There was the scent of food, spilled drink and smoke from various origins filled the air along with the din of conversation.

Through the low light, Alexander made his way to the bar and ordered himself a stout and then walked through the maze of patrons to find a secluded booth in a corner

So his evening began.

Alone in a corner, his thoughts lost in the foam of his beer.

"Well now ol' boy, what are your options?" he said to himself. There wasn't an immediate answer. He had some money saved up from his uncle who sponsored him for the academy. But after today he suspected he couldn't count on that anymore.

He took a sip of his stout while glancing around, the shoremen were minding their business and paying him no mind. "Just as well" he thought as he aloud, reminding himself to go slow. He had to make this one last.

He did have enough experience and learning in him to get a job on an airfreighter. Maybe he could get an ensign, Jr Airman position or something along that line.

York was so lost in possible courses of action that it dawned on him that the din of pub sounds had slowly faded to a muffle. The more he looked in his glass the more the world around him seemed to fade.

Perceiving the change he looked about to see what was the cause. He blinked and rubbed his eyes in an attempt to clear his vision which had seemed to have started to fail him as the world had become an impressionistic painting.

However his eyes were drawn to a bright lone figure that seemed to glide towards him. As the figure approached it became clearer in focus and revealed itself to be a tall woman dressed in a gossamer robe and a hooded cloak.

Looking up and speechless at first, Alexander was at a loss for words, for a change.

"C-Can I help you?" He finally managed to sputter out.

Hands the color of porcelain reached up to pull the hood of the cloak down.

York let out a sharp intake of breath.

Before him was a woman of un reproachable beauty. She looked more like a renaissance sculpture than an actual being.

The woman smiled. "May I join you Alexander?" she said in a voice that could only be described as lyrical time.

Alexander nodded as she gracefully took a seat across from him. She looked about for a moment as if to joyfully take in her surroundings.

"Who are you? " York finally managed to say "And how do you know my name?"

Again she smiled and leaned forward a bit.

I have many names, but under this sun you can call me Empress of Dreams. "Empress?" He shook his head as if trying to wake up. "Hang on, what did you do at the pub?" He finally realized the air about him was muted and distorted as he gestured to the affected establishment.

She leaned back and said in a reassuring voice. "They are unharmed, believe me. The only one who can see me is you, Alexander York."

As if she knew what he was about to say , she continued.

"I have known of you as I have known about many. I am the Empress of Dreams," She gave him a slight bow.

"I rule what you would understand as the dream realm and I keep its balance and confidence. Hence I know of everyone's dreams, what they secretly desire and their aspirations. Essentially the kingdom of the sub conscious."

She smiled once more as she recognized the bewilderment in his face. "It's all very complicated." She added more as a cushion, than anything.

Alexander was doing his best to follow.

"Oh." And after a moment. "Why are you here? Talking to me?" he added, taking a deeper gulp of his stout.

"You, Alexander, are a nexus of sorts."

York's eyes widened a bit

"Throughout time there have been beings with the ability to "slip" through realms and realities. Be it dreams, time, space, and some even lives. They have the ability to access them and pass through realities. Sometimes at will and sometimes by accident. Sometimes all at the same temporal moment." She paused to let what she said sink in and to see if he absorbing what she was telling him.

With an intent look she continued. "Some even go through their lives without ever knowing their gift."

"You're saying, me?" He said, pointing to himself in disbelief. "I can do this. Just leap about through space time." York had studied some physics at the academy so the concept wasn't entirely lost on him, but this was a bit much. He hadn't even passed steam engine mechanics. He hated that class

Her face and voice became serious.

"There are forces at work, Alexander. Darker forces. Forces who wish for control and dominance. Forces who know they are powerless unless they gain control of ideas and ideals, the building blocks of manifested reality. They want control of dreams. My Realm is under threat."

York leaned back taking it all in. It was a lot.

"There is more that you must know." The Empress added.

"The Aborigines of this sun have a name they use: The Dream Time. It is the foundation of their belief of how life came about. They were not far off. You see as one dreams, one's sub consciousness can access one's dream forge, as it were. A place where one can build premonitions, possibilities and flights of fancy, They can full of happiness or horror, And from there, depending on how strong the dream is, they can manifest it into reality." She paused again.

Realizing she was waiting for a response, York sat up a bit.

"Right! Dream Forge. I'm following."

The Empress let out a small chuckle.

York smiled at her laughter as a thought came to him. "So...if I may ask. Where do you fit in all this?"

"Ah" she replied. "A fair question."

York grinned, rather pleased with himself

"You see, I was charged to keep the dream realm in balance. To make sure dreams are neither too helpful, a hindrance or too harmful. Dreams can lead to great things and terrible things as you may know. They can create extremes, like justified brave new worlds or genocides, if they are not regulated. That way conscious reality can temper them from idea to an actual thing through one's value system. Humans are capable of a lot but you are still young and not very disciplined. Like a toddlers, you will eat sweets until you get sick. Dreams are the same in a way, if they are not balance."

She gave him a serious look, "Some forged ideas are not good for mankind.

"Like insane wars." York added in regards to the Great War.

She nodded. "Exactly."

"But aren't you an Empress?" York said in ignorance. "Don't you have control of your realm? Can't you just decree a thing?"

"It is more complicated than that, my dear." She countered

"A very long time ago, when I was given the stewardship of dreams, I received this device, a compass, if you will. To help guide me through and to dreams, across dimension and to navigate that Dreamscape. It helped me keep the balance of things until I fully understood how the realms worked."

She raised her hand and gestured as she was balancing something on her fingertip.

"You see. chaos and control are things that must be balanced, and yet one must allow them to seek to offset the other. It is antithetical in a way. But just like Ying and Yang, it its through their struggle that they create harmony." She paused.

"But it is essential that one side must not dominate the other."

"This, I assume, is where you come in all this?" York asked.

The Empress nodded.

" After a few eons I didn't need it anymore, and so I kept it in my "Kingdom", under lock and key."

She reached into her cloak and produced a golden disk, about the size of one's palm and about a quarter of an inch thick with a tapered edge. She placed it on the table and pushed it towards York with a beckoning gesture for him to pick it up.

Gingerly he did so. It was heavy. Calling it finely crafted would be an understatement. There were machined dials and clockworks of a delicate and exact nature that it boggled reasoning. It was covered in indecipherable runes and markings.

In a sense, it was a work of art.

"No one knew when the compass was created. It always just was" The Empress continued as York inspected the compass in wonderment.

"This? This does all that" He said with some incredulity.

She nodded

"And It must be destroyed."

York regarded her with raised eyebrows.

"You, Alexander York must see to it."

"Hang on, what?"

"The Dream Compass must not be allowed to fall into the hands of darkness, Alexander York." The Empress said forcefully with a resonating voice.

"They would sow such suffering and chaos across the Dreamscape that all the realms will affected. All the dimension will be stirred in their caldron of fleeting greed." She looked down and shook her head. "All will be doomed"

She looked up and gave him a piercing gaze.

"You must see this done."

York was expressionless for a moment, then smirked. "Easy, we just take a hammer to it and call it done?"

He clapped his hands and opened his palms. "A walk in the park."

The Empress shook her head again. "It cant be destroyed that way, Alexander." She leaned forward. "It must be taken to the Temple of the Continuum and dropped into the well of Ex Nihilo. There it will be un created, never to come to reality again."

York leaned back and chuckled "You're mad . Miss."

Her perfect brow softly furrowed as he went on.

"I'm a nobody" He explained pointing to himself.

"I have no prospects, hardly any money and I just got kicked out of the Naval Academy, and you want me to go God knows where and bodge this....widget?" he emphasized by holding up the compass. "How do you expect me to accomplish this?"

The Empress of Dreams leaned back and folded her arms across her chest.

"That is exactly what I'm saying." She said challenging.

It was his turn to lean forward. "Why me?"

"Ah, a good question finally." She replied with a hint of sarcasm.

"The enemy is well aware of my comings and goings." She explained. "They know I can only travel in medium of the Dreamscape, so they will notice if I take an unexpected trip to the temple and stop me."

She gave him a slight grin. "Which is where you come in."

York nodded slowly in understanding. "Where as I can do so un noticed."

"Yes, Alexander York."

He pondered his new fate, which had changed in direction rather quickly.

The Empress added. "I have had an eye on you for a while now Alexander York, you are capable and your dreams are balanced if not fanciful." she added with a grin. " You will have allies in this endeavor, you wont do this alone, and I will visit you in your dreams."

He looked up at her. "Wait one, if you can only travel in dreams, how are you here?"

"Who said you're not dreaming now, Alexander York." She replied with a kind smile as she raised her hand.

"Its time to wake up and begin."

She snapped her fingers.

The din of the tavern returned like a wave breaking on the shore.

York blinked and stared at the now empty chair in front of him.

He looked down and regarded the compass he was holding in his hand.

"Bloody hell." he said under his breath. He quickly stuffed the gadget in his coat, downed the last of his pint, and walked out of the pub.