Agent Russ took a deep breath.
The deck of the Day Tripper shifted gently below his feet, and he allowed the gentle rocking to pass through him. He concentrated, allowing his thoughts to gain specificity and intent drawn from his own associations. Slowly, he pushed these thoughts onto the greater dream.
This is still really, really weird.
There was a flash of soft blue light, and the idea of an American Colt pistol, the image of his own sidearm, appeared in his hand.
"Well done." The attendant mystic said, a new woman whose name Russ did not know but would wager included the word 'Dreamer'. "Those things in which you invest the most meaning are easiest to draw upon in the mind. Not just physical things, but words and ideas. Draw your power there, and it will only grow."
"Thank you." Russ said, standing up with a grunt. The last few months had passed in an uncertain haze, unchanging sky and no need for sleep leaving Russ with little to do but master further layers of mental skill and explore the vast Astral Plain that stretched to the far edges of thought.
"It… makes sense. Reminds me of how toons work."
"I wouldn't be surprised." The probable dreamer replied. A moment later they paused and tilted their head. "Oh."
With a mighty gong and a few chords from a sitar, Moonwind the mystic appeared on his ship. "Russ! I have it!"
A look of relief passed over the agent's face. "Any problems?"
"Oh, a couple of close spots, but I got what we needed."
---
On the shores of Hudson Bay, a man legally referred to as Moonwind Stardancer crept along a pier. At the end of it was a small tugboat, helmed by a man shrouded in a black raincoat meant for the chill of the Atlantic.
"Raoul." Moonwind said quietly. "I need to expand my consciousness. Do you have the goods?"
Raoul nodded furtively. "See for yourself." He said, pulling a box from within his coat and handing it to the other man. Moonwind lifted the lid slowly and peered at the labeling inside.
Mega Drive Tetris.
"This is the unreleased 1995 edition?" He asked.
"Finest Brazilian bootleg." Raoul replied quietly, but not without a hint of pride. "You sure you want this, Moon? You remember what happened last time."
"I must, old friend." Moonwind replied. "Someone is counting on me."
"Then it is in your hands."
Moonwind smiled slightly manically. "Excellent."
---
"With the necessary mental stimulus locking me into The Zone, I will be able to achieve a greater mastery over the thoughtstreams than I would normally be capable." Moonwind explained. "From there, I should be able to create a path for your body to follow that will return it to the physical world. However! I will need to focus my full cognitive ability on keeping that path open. The path will be long and perilous, and you will be on your own."
"And there's no better way?"
"Absolutely nothing I can think of!"
"Then let's get started."
---
Russ waited. There was no gear to check, no dossier to review. Just the quiet pause before the storm, whatever that storm would be.
"It is time." Moonwind said, aligning the final dreamcatcher. "Once I begin the ritual, you should find the path opening."
"…Thank you Moonwind. All of you. Without you, I would be…"
"Think nothing of it." Moonwind replied. "And if we were to meet in the realm of the physical well… please don't arrest me for vagrancy."
Russ nodded, after a moment. And Moonwind began.
"Semper Fidelus Tyrannosaurus. Mentius Discipulus. Scandium tu quoque. Magnus nihil mali fecit. Eminent Dominium. Memento Nolanus underratus. Mentium Magister. Magister Disipulius, Disiplus Mentium!"
Agent Russ closed his eyes.
---
Once again he walked among the birch trees.
Now that he knew what was going on and, in the abstract, where he was, Agent Russ was confused. A sense of lingering familiarity lurked in the back of his mind, yet he had no memory of this place. The knotted wood stared at him like unblinking eyes, the scattered leaves of the forest floor crunched underfoot. Russ walked onwards, passing beneath two trees lying collapsed and lopsided over the rough path. He stepped over a third log, collapsed flat upon the ground, and brushed aside a cobweb.
He was struck by the terrible sense that he was being watched. Slowly, he turned around. At the center of the three trees, seemingly floating in thin air, was a single, massive eye.
It blinked.
A moment later arcs of blue lightning shot from the eye, impacting the fallen logs with the smell of burning ozone. They spread, forming veins of energy that tied the trees together and began to lift them into the sky. The entire crackling edifice groaned, and there was a brilliant flash of light that forced Russ to shield his eyes.
OH. FINALLY, FINALLY! SOME SCREENTIME.
Russ stared as the sound simply forced its way inside his head, not even pretending to pass through the air which appeared to surround him. Whatever was before him had taken the form of a yellow brick pyramid, Eye of Providence looking down from between a small bowtie and simple black hat.
WELL WELL WELL! IF IT ISN'T SHADES, IN THE FIGMENT! GOOD TA SEE YA! HOW'S THE FAMILY? HA HA HA HA HA HA!
Russ fingered his weapon nervously. "Do I know you?"
NOPE! BUT I KNOW YOU, THAT'S FOR SURE! AGENT BOB RUSS, LOYAL SERVANT OF AMERICA, ARCHETYPE OF AUTHORITY, EMBODIMENT OF 'JUSTICE', THE ONLY IDEALIST LEFT INSIDE THE BELTWAY! I AM VERY FAMILIAR WITH YOU.
Russ' instincts screamed at him. He glanced around the clearing searching for and not finding a way out that wasn't simply running through the trees. He ran through his options and found stalling his best one.
"Who are you then?"
I HAVE BEEN NAMED COUNTLESS NAMES ACROSS THE AEONS AND REALITIES. BUT YOU WILL CALL ME… BILL.
"...Bill?"
BILL CIPHER! PUT'R THERE, PAL! A burning arm stretched down, alight with acrid blue flame. Russ chose the better part of valor.
NO? WELL I SUPPOSE IT CAN'T ALWAYS BE THAT EASY.
"What do you want with me… Bill?"
OH COME ON. CAN'T A DREAM DEMON STOP BY TO TAKE A LOOK AT A PASSERBY? IT'S NOT OFTEN A HUMAN MANAGES TO KEEP THEIR FORM IN THE DREAMSCAPE.
"You were just curious?" Russ asked, trying to keep the note of skepticism out of his voice.
WEEEEEEELL. OKAY, SO I DID HAVE A TINY BIT MORE OF A MOTIVE. I'M HERE TO MESS WITH YOU!
"...Mess with me." Russ replied, thrown off.
YEAH! LIKE BY POINTING OUT HOW YOU'RE NOW BREATHING MANUALLY! OR HOW YOUR TONGUE NO LONGER FITS COMFORTABLY IN YOUR MOUTH.
Russ blinked.
OOOOORRRR… HOW YOU WILL SPEND EVERY WAKING MOMENT WONDERING WHAT'S MISSING.
"What-"
OF COURSE, IN THE MINDSCAPE, YOU DON'T ACTUALLY NEED TO BREATHE. Bill said, as Russ felt his lungs seize up.
AND I CAN JUST TAKE YOUR TONGUE. He added, as Russ felt his next word die inside an empty mouth.
BUT NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO, THERE WILL ALWAYS BE A HOLE. AN EMPTINESS INSIDE YOU THAT YOU WERE MADE TO COMPLETE. YOU WILL ALWAYS BE INCOMPLETE, AND YOU WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND WHY.
Russ coughed as his lungs fought for air they could not use.
OH BY THE BY, DON'T WORRY ABOUT THAT BIT TOO MUCH, FOLKS AT HOME. Bill told you. THIS IS JUST A BIT OF PRE-EMPTIVE FORESHADOWING FOR A SIDE-PROJECT ONE OF THE QMS IS WORKING ON. MIGHT NOT EVEN GET OFF THE GROUND. FEEL FREE TO IGNORE IT, IT'S NOT GONNA BE RELEVANT IN YOUR LITTLE QUEST FOR GLORY.
Russ took a shuddering breath, language dying in the space his tongue once occupied.
BUT DON'T WORRY PAL. I'VE GOT SOMETHING ELSE YOU CAN FILL YOURSELF UP WITH! GUILT!
Agent Russ Occult Check: Resist Bill's power
97+15+15=127
Bill Contest
28+256=284
Critical Failure.
A glob of blackened phlegm flew from Russ' mouth.
Oh god.
ENORMOUS, OVERWHELMING, OVERRIDING GUILT! WHAT A WONDERFULLY WEAK, PATHETIC EMOTION! NOT THAT ANY OF YOUR EMOTIONS ARE NON-PATHETIC. AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT, YOU'RE JUST CHOCK FULL OF THE STUFF!
Russ heaved. A river of viscous black fluid streamed from his mouth, staining the white of his shirt and sending his glasses askew.
YOU KNOW, AN ALTERNATE VERSION OF YOURSELF CAUSED ME A LOT OF BOTHER. BUT I CAN'T REALLY BLAME YOU FOR THAT, CAN I?
Agent Russ convulsed on the ground. Tar flowed from his mouth, his nostrils, even his eyes leaked tears of charcoal black.
OH, WHO AM I KIDDING? OF COURSE I CAN!
One of Bill's arms extended, coiling around Russ like a constrictor and lifting him to his feet even as he writhed.
MAN, THIS IS CATHARTIC! SO GLAD I MADE THE TRIP. IT'S FUNNY. I'M PUNISHING YOU FOR SOMETHING YOU DIDN'T DO, BY MAKING YOU FEEL THE GUILT FOR SOMETHING YOU CAN'T EVEN REMEMBER! MAN, FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVES, THIS MUST BE REALLY CONFUSING. WELL, DON'T ASK ME TO EXPLAIN IT.
The arm wrapped around Russ' neck. Finally Bill's hand grasped Russ's chin, gently lifting it until Russ' still weeping eyes stared directly back into Bill's.
HOLD STILL, I WANNA REMEMBER THIS. Bill said, before the light and sound of a camera flash forced Russ to blink.
DON'T WORRY THOUGH. I'M NOT GONNA KILL YOU! YOU HAVE SO MUCH MORE MISERY IN YOUR FUTURE! IF I PUNCHED YOUR TICKET NOW, I WOULDN'T BE GETTING MY MONEY'S WORTH.
Bill released Russ in a single fluid motion, and the man fell roughly to the ground with a wet smack.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN I CAN'T LEAVE YOU WITH A SIGN OF COMING ATTRACTIONS THOUGH! AND SPEAKING OF, I'M GONNA GO GET SOMETHING FROM THE CONCESSIONAL. SEE YOU LATER SHADES! I'LL BE WATCHING.
Russ struggled to rise to his knees.
Bill chuckled.
THAT GOES FOR ALL OF YOU, TOO.
HAVE FUN, KIDS.
I KNOW I WILL.
The eye closed, and the rest of Bill vanished like a phantom terror.
Russ forced air, or the idea of air, into his lungs and out again. He struggled to focus on something small, a detail, anything to stabilize himself. The black puddle below him was beginning to shrink.
Russ paused. He looked again. It wasn't shrinking. It was coming together.
It trembled. And for reasons he did not understand
Russ ran.