{"id":801,"date":"2012-03-05T00:01:49","date_gmt":"2012-03-05T06:01:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jackofharts.com\/?p=801"},"modified":"2013-02-25T00:19:30","modified_gmt":"2013-02-25T06:19:30","slug":"dreams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/?p=801","title":{"rendered":"Dreams"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hello, my name is Jack.\u00a0 Dreams are amazing things.\u00a0 They show us what we want, what we are afraid of.\u00a0 They show us what we could have if we had the courage to take it, or what we would have if we chickened out.\u00a0 They help us deal with real life, giving our minds time to relax.\u00a0 The trick is to know when the dream ends and life begins.\u00a0 I generally don\u2019t have a problem with that.\u00a0 There have been times though when I wanted the dream so badly, that leaving it<\/em> was hard.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Dreams<\/h1>\n

 <\/p>\n

A bonfire burned on a moonlit beach.\u00a0 Stars twinkled in the firelight, and music echoed across the surface of Rainy Lake.\u00a0 Old and new friends alike danced and sang and ate and swam and did all the other things that friends do when they get together.\u00a0 Jack danced with Sarah and Kelly.\u00a0 He took a break to arm wrestle with Big John and Chris.\u00a0 He swam with Hillary and Betty.\u00a0 He sparred with Jay and Tom and he sang with Taylor and Jennifer.\u00a0 In the end, he sat down and drank with Charles and Samantha, crossing his legs and leaning back in a beach chair to relax.\u00a0 After a time that felt forever and only a few moments at the same time, Betty and Kelly walked up to them.<\/p>\n

Jack turned to Charles.\u00a0 \u201cGuess I\u2019ll see you soon.\u201d\u00a0 Charles nodded and faded away, beach chair and all, leaving nothing but sand where he\u2019d lain.\u00a0 \u201cAnd I\u2019ll see you<\/em> tonight<\/em>,\u201d Jack said to Samantha and she leaned over to kiss his cheek before fading out.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo what\u2019s going on today, ladies?\u201d he asked with a calm smile and came to his feet.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t really them of course.\u00a0 It never was.\u00a0 Nobody here really was.\u00a0 They were his imagination.\u00a0 He knew that.\u00a0 But Kelly and Betty didn\u2019t always feel<\/em> like that.\u00a0 Sometimes they felt like somebody else, like their words came from someone else\u2019s<\/em> mind.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, you\u2019re obviously not going to stay today,\u201d Kelly said with a regretful shake of her head.\u00a0 \u201cWe could have so much fun here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jack shook his head and watched all of his friends party.\u00a0 It felt good to watch them have fun, so good.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve heard the sales pitch.\u00a0 I\u2019m not interested.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot today at least.\u201d\u00a0 Kelly shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cBut there\u2019s always another day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jack smiled at Betty.\u00a0 \u201cAnd that\u2019s what she\u2019s<\/em> here for.\u00a0 To help me on those<\/em> days.\u201d\u00a0 He furrowed his brow at her.\u00a0 \u201cWhoever you<\/em> are.\u201d<\/p>\n

Betty smiled back at him, looking totally innocent of not being who she appeared to be.\u00a0 Jack shrugged.\u00a0 Whoever she was, she\u2019d never steered him wrong.\u00a0 And he had to admit she\u2019d picked a good face to wear.<\/p>\n

\u201cAh,\u201d Kelly whispered with a knowing look.\u00a0 \u201cThis is one of your paranoid<\/em> days when you think we\u2019re somebody else.\u201d\u00a0 She sighed.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re right.\u00a0 I admit it.\u00a0 Nobody lives forever, Jack.\u00a0 One day, you will walk with me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jack nodded and aimed a wry smile at her.\u00a0 \u201cAnd that day will be the best day of your life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kelly laughed.\u00a0 \u201cDo you have any idea how many people I\u2019ve taken to the other side?\u201d<\/p>\n

Jack shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cNo idea.\u201d\u00a0 He focused and a black western suit appeared on his lanky body, a white cowboy hat on his head, and he tucked one thumb into a belt and the fingers of his other hand into a pocket.\u00a0 \u201cBut I do know this.\u00a0 You\u2019ve ain\u2019t never<\/em> taken Captain Jack with you.\u00a0 And the day you do will be a day you never forget.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kelly laughed again.\u00a0 \u201cYou are so full of yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Ma\u2019am,\u201d Jack answered with a tip of his hat to her before turning to Betty and crooking an arm out for her to take.\u00a0 \u201cShall we, my lady?\u201d<\/p>\n

Betty took his arm with a smile.\u00a0 \u201cWe shall,\u201d she said and they walked forward into the rainbow.<\/p>\n

He shut his eyes against the light, opened them and looked into the early morning darkness.\u00a0 He blinked, focused, and picked out the edges of the guest room he slept in.\u00a0 He searched with one arm to find an empty bed beside him.\u00a0 A disappointed breath of air escaped his lips and he shook his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cLights,\u201d he called out and a soft diffuse light bathed the room.\u00a0 He blinked against the sudden assault, realizing he should have told them to come up slowly, and felt his eyes adjust to the new light level.\u00a0 He opened his eyes wide again and scanned the room.<\/p>\n

On one wall, he saw the door he needed and whistled.\u00a0 He peeled the blankets back, rolled off the bed onto his feet, and made his way into the guest bathroom to do his morning business.\u00a0 A quick shower later, he toweled off, dropped it in the laundry chute, and stepped back out into the guest bedroom feeling refreshed and ready for another day.<\/p>\n

He picked yesterday\u2019s Dress Whites off the floor and pulled the rumpled uniform on with a frown.\u00a0 Charles wouldn\u2019t like that.\u00a0 And to be honest, neither would he.\u00a0 Coming back to work, after a good night\u2019s sleep in a comfortable bed, with a rumpled uniform just didn\u2019t feel right.\u00a0 He rubbed the uniform as straight as possible and stuffed his feet into the bright red guest slippers at the foot of the bed.\u00a0 He shook his head, grabbed his cowboy hat, and turned away from the bed.<\/p>\n

Jack opened the door, hat in hand, and stepped out into the hall to see Samantha\u2019s father waiting for him.\u00a0 Jack stopped in his tracks and swallowed, eyes scanning up and down the man.\u00a0 A dark red robe covered a dress shirt and trousers, and a pair of matching fluffy red slippers that just looked wrong a man that looked as serious as her father.<\/p>\n

\u201cMister McEntyre,\u201d he said, working hard to keep nervousness out of his tone.<\/p>\n

Samantha\u2019s father smiled at him in a knowing manner and scanned his uniform.\u00a0 \u201cStill not making use of the closet I see,\u201d he said with a shake of his head.<\/p>\n

Jack cleared his throat.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Mister McEntyre.\u201d<\/p>\n

Samantha\u2019s father nodded slowly, as if deep in thought.\u00a0 \u201cYou should,\u201d he finally said, clapped Jack firmly on the shoulder with one hand, and turned to walk away.\u00a0 \u201cJoining us for breakfast this morning, Jack?\u201d he asked as he made his way towards the stairs.<\/p>\n

Jack stood still for several moments, a chill running down his spine.\u00a0 No father had ever said or done anything like that to him before.\u00a0 The man had accepted him.\u00a0 That was huge.\u00a0 Jack cleared his throat and turned to follow Samantha\u2019s father.\u00a0 \u201cYes, Mister McEntyre.\u201d<\/p>\n

The breakfast turned out to be good, with bacon and sausage and eggs, along with something they called scones, and a black pudding.\u00a0 There were also onions and tomatoes on the small table set for three, but really the most amazing part of the breakfast was when Samantha walked into the room in her emerald dressing gown.\u00a0 Well, actually the most<\/em> amazing part was when she kissed him on the cheek, in front of her father, before sitting down.\u00a0 The rest of the breakfast pretty much paled in comparison to that moment.<\/p>\n

After they were all done eating, Jack excused himself, kissed Samantha on the cheek, and made for the front door.\u00a0 He kicked his slippers off and pulled his uniform boots on, feeling the uniform really set in at that moment.\u00a0 He stood up tall, placed the cowboy hat on his head, and pulled in a deep breath.\u00a0 He let it out, pushed the door open, and stepped outside McEntyre House into the crisp morning air.<\/p>\n

Jack sucked in a deep breath as he saw the first sun peaking between the trees and reached into his slightly rumpled uniform to pull his sunglasses out.\u00a0 He slipped them on over his eyes and sighed in relief, then ambled down the steps and walked around the car to the driver\u2019s side.<\/p>\n

Jack opened the door and froze as he saw Samantha leaning against the doorframe.\u00a0 Her emerald dressing gown and red hair gleamed in the light of the rising sun and Jack smiled at her, took in another deep breath, and slipped into the car.\u00a0 The door shut and he saw Jasmine sitting on the dashboard in her normal white tank top and blue jeans.<\/p>\n

\u201cReady to go back to base?\u201d Jack asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cReady,\u201d Jasmine answered and the car began to move away from McEntyre House.<\/p>\n

Jack smiled at Jasmine.\u00a0 \u201cDid you have a good night?\u201d<\/p>\n

Jasmine sighed in pleasure.\u00a0 \u201cOh yes.\u00a0 Very<\/em> good.\u00a0 Norman is\u2026well\u2026how was your<\/em> night?\u201d<\/p>\n

Jack chuckled at her redirect.\u00a0 \u201cVery<\/em> good,\u201d he returned and glanced at the empty seat next to him where Betty usually sat.\u00a0 \u201cBetty?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m still in privacy mode,\u201d Betty answered.<\/p>\n

Jasmine gasped.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d she whispered and flickered out, the hum of holoemitters fading away with her form.\u00a0 \u201cMe too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jack glanced around the empty cabin of the car for a second before sighing.\u00a0 \u201cOK.\u00a0 What\u2019s up?\u201d<\/p>\n

Silence answered him for several seconds, an eternity of cyber time if Betty was actually considering what she was going to say.\u00a0 \u201cThose dreams you told Sam about,\u201d she finally broke the silence with.\u00a0 \u201cThe people you dream about\u2026\u201d she trailed off and silence reigned again.<\/p>\n

Jack cleared his throat.\u00a0 \u201cYes?\u201d he prompted.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you ever dream about me<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n

Jack smiled, relaxed back into his seat, and sighed.\u00a0 \u201cActually, the days I really don\u2019t want to wake up?\u00a0 Those are the days that you<\/em> talk me into opening my eyes one more time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh,\u201d Betty whispered.\u00a0 \u201cHow did you wake up before<\/em> I was born?\u201d<\/p>\n

Jack smiled and shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I spent some time with Taylor and Jennifer before volunteering to join the military.\u00a0 They<\/em> wouldn\u2019t let me sleep my life away either<\/em>,\u201d he said with a chuckle.<\/p>\n

\u201cI see.\u00a0 And then it was your hate of the Shang that kept you waking up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jack sighed.\u00a0 \u201cYup.\u00a0 I\u2019ve got a better reason now.\u201d\u00a0 Jack pulled in long breath, let it go, and shook his head at the mild trepidation that filled him.\u00a0 \u201cYou can tell yourself that,\u201d he finally whispered, knowing there was no turning back from telling her that.<\/p>\n

Silence reigned for several seconds again before Betty answered.\u00a0 \u201cThank you, Jack.\u00a0 Exiting privacy mode now.\u201d<\/p>\n

The hum of holoemitters returned and Betty and Jasmine flickered back into existence.\u00a0 Jasmine glanced back and forth between them for a couple seconds before turning to her work of flying the car.\u00a0 Betty smiled at her before turning her gaze to Jack.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you for telling me,\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothin\u2019 but the truth,\u201d Jack answered with a shrug.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou do<\/em> realize it\u2019s not really me of course?\u201d she asked with an upraised eyebrow.<\/p>\n

Jack laughed.\u00a0 \u201cOh yeah.\u00a0 Just figments of my imagination telling me what I need to hear to keep moving.\u201d\u00a0 He cleared his throat and winced.\u00a0 \u201cMost of the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Betty cocked her head to the side in concern.<\/p>\n

Jack sighed.\u00a0 \u201cLook, you always want me to come back, even when you don\u2019t say a thing.\u00a0 Kelly always wants me to stay.\u201d\u00a0 Belly looked confused for a moment before her eyes widened in recognition.\u00a0 \u201cYes.\u00a0 That<\/em> Kelly,\u201d Jack said with chuckle.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou do<\/em> have a thing for redheads,\u201d Betty whispered.<\/p>\n

Jack put on an act of being insulted.\u00a0 \u201cTake that back!\u00a0 I do not<\/em> discriminate based on hair color.\u00a0 I believe in equal opportunity for all<\/em> colors!\u201d<\/p>\n

Betty giggled.\u00a0 \u201cKeep digging,\u201d she shooed him on.<\/p>\n

Jack shook his head and sighed.\u00a0 \u201cPoint is, sometimes it feels like I\u2019m talking to someone else, not just a figment of my imagination.\u00a0 Sometimes you two say things that just don\u2019t feel like anything I\u2019d ever say if that makes sense.\u201d<\/p>\n

Betty stopped giggling and gave him a very serious stare.\u00a0 \u201cBe careful, Jack.\u00a0 That sounds like crazy talk.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jack nodded.\u00a0 \u201cWhy do you think I don\u2019t tell people that?\u201d<\/p>\n

Jasmine cleared her throat from the dashboard to get their attention.\u00a0 \u201cDrew used to say she saw flashes of the future in her dreams.\u00a0 That she could sometimes tell people not to do things and if they listened, nothing would happen.\u00a0 If they didn\u2019t, something bad happened.\u201d\u00a0 Jasmine pulled in a deep breath and let it out again.\u00a0 \u201cI remember one morning after a really bad dream, tossing and turning.\u00a0 She woke up and made me promise not to shut down if she died.\u201d\u00a0 Jasmine chewed on her lower lip.\u00a0 \u201cIf I hadn\u2019t listened to her, I never would have met Norman.\u00a0 And that would have been bad,\u201d she finished with a sigh.<\/p>\n

Jack smiled at the thought of the stuffy old cyber who ran McEntyre House getting that sigh out of Jasmine.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s a very lucky guy,\u201d Jack whispered.\u00a0 \u201cAnd I hope he knows it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, he\u2019d better<\/em>,\u201d Jasmine growled, a red haze seeming to appear around her for a moment.<\/p>\n

Jack suppressed a chuckle and looked at Betty who smiled back at him.\u00a0 Jack relaxed back into his seat and laid his arm on the armrest between them, hand up.\u00a0 She saw the hand, looked him in the eyes, and he nodded.\u00a0 Her smile grew softer and she placed her hand on his.<\/p>\n

They sat like that all the way back to base, the feathery touch of her holographic hand barely rippling across his real hand.\u00a0 Jack chewed his lower lip, deep in thought.\u00a0 Questions came and went out of his mind, dismissed almost as quickly as they came to mind.\u00a0 Some questions could never be unasked after all.<\/p>\n

Finally, the base came into view and the car nosed down towards the street in front of the gate.\u00a0 Jasmine pulled it out of the dive and brought them to a slow roll through the opening before it closed again.\u00a0 She pulled the car into a parking spot and Jack let out a long breath.\u00a0 It was time to get back to work.\u00a0 He pushed the door open and rolled out of the car, rising to his feet in a smooth motion.<\/p>\n

He stepped away, smoothed out his uniform as much as possible, and began to walk towards the barracks.\u00a0 Jasmine and Betty walked on either side of him in their own Dress Whites, and the holoemitters in his uniform hummed to life as they walked out of range of the car\u2019s emitters.\u00a0 To his practiced eye, their holoforms flickered during the shift, but he knew that most people couldn\u2019t see it.<\/p>\n

They arrived at the barracks without interruption and slipped into his room.\u00a0 He checked the time to make certain he had it, nodded, and stripped the rumpled Dress Whites off.\u00a0 He threw them on his rack, grabbed his green and khaki service uniform, and slipped it on as fast as he could.\u00a0 He checked the clock again and whistled.\u00a0 Time was going to be tight.\u00a0 He finished buttoning his uniform jacket, straightened his tie, and scanned Jasmine and Betty\u2019s matching service uniforms with approval.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, ladies, a new day has come,\u201d he said with a smile and grabbed his cowboy hat.\u00a0 He dropped it on his head and tipped the edge of it towards them.\u00a0 \u201cAnd we look maa<\/em>velous,\u201d he added with a wink.<\/p>\n

The cybers rolled their eyes and he chuckled.<\/p>\n

\u201cRoll your eyes if you want, but we do<\/em> look good in our uniforms,\u201d he said, opened the door, and stepped back out into the early morning air.\u00a0 He squinted his eyes against the light of the first sun and stepped away from his barrack<\/p>\n

\u201cSome<\/em>body had a good night,\u201d Betty said and Jack turned to see a smile on her face.<\/p>\n

Jack chuckled and began striding towards the office complex.\u00a0 \u201cIt was a wonderful party at The Pav.\u00a0 Amazing music,\u201d he added with a wink.\u00a0 \u201cAnd now it\u2019s time for a day of work<\/em>!\u201d he finished with a laugh and upraised arms.<\/p>\n

A platoon of dogs trotted past in full pack, a marching cadence about chasing cats coming from their lips, and Jack laughed again.\u00a0 Dobermans and German Shepards and more trotted by, tails in the air when they had them.\u00a0 Three small Pit Bulls trotted by, all of their tails short due to long tradition, and Jack nodded in approval.<\/p>\n

\u201cStubby!\u201d he shouted and saw their chests fill with pride at the name of the old war hero.<\/p>\n

An old Doberman wearing sergeant pins on his uniform stepped up to Jack and nodded his proud head.\u00a0 \u201cYou do good to respect them,\u201d the dog said in a deep voice.\u00a0 \u201cThey will be very valuable where we are going.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jack blinked and looked at the Doberman in confusion.\u00a0 \u201cWhere you\u2019re<\/em> going?\u201d<\/p>\n

The old Doberman barked out a laugh.\u00a0 \u201cSo you haven\u2019t heard?\u201d\u00a0 The dog laughed again.\u00a0 \u201cThe real<\/em> Devildogs have been mobilized!\u00a0 We prepare for war<\/em>!\u00a0 The Shang will regret the day they attacked us<\/em>,\u201d the Doberman finished with a wink and trotted off to rejoin the marching dogs.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t flounce around like useless cats<\/em>!\u201d the sergeant barked at the end of the line of dogs.\u00a0 \u201cMarch like you mean<\/em> it!\u201d he shouted with a snap at the tail of one of the marines.<\/p>\n

Jack shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cThe Shang are so fraked,\u201d he whispered with a chuckle.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hello, my name is Jack.\u00a0 Dreams are amazing things.\u00a0 They show us what we want, what we are afraid of.\u00a0 They show us what we could have if we had the courage to take it, or what we would have[…]↓ Read the rest of this entry…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-801","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-2304-forge-of-war-1stdraft","uentry","postonpage-1","odd","post-author-jack"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/801","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=801"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/801\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":803,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/801\/revisions\/803"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=801"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=801"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=801"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}