ORB: Chapter 1

A couple of days earlier….”Is there anything else that I can get you?” Says the overly stout woman holding a hot cup of coffee over the table. “No, that will be all.” Richard says while trying to cover up the files that he had brought home from his office. “I’m telling you Richard, I keep having strange dreams about these balls of light in the sky but I can’t seem to piece them all together.”It’s like the dream is a puzzle and I'm just trying to piece them together just to get an understanding of them.” I don’t know how, and I don’t know why.” I think these dreams may mean something.” “Well, what do you think they mean Amber?” Said Richard.”I think they somehow are in connection to the rumors that I have been hearing around town." "Well, I've got something that you might be interested in seeing." Richard said I'm a whisper. "Take a look at these!" He slided over a few files that he had walked in with. "I think there just may be something in these files that may have a connection to your dreams." "Okay great! I'll take a look at these when I get home."

Richard works for Centrom it's a secret company that specializes in artificial intelligence and robotics. Richard is one of the head engineers over there and is actually really good at what he does. He called me up and asked me to meet him here at the diner because he said he had something that he needed to show me and here we are. "Well, I've gotta get going." "Call me whenever you can make out the connection between your dreams and the files." He gives me a hug and then leaves a tip, hugs me, then walks right out of the diner to his car. I hangout just a little while longer at the diner and then I high tail it home.

On the drive home I got to thinking about the files and what could be in the files that Richard so badly wanted me to see. How would these files correlate with my dreams? I mean, Richard works for a robotics company. What would that have to do with the dreams of the balls of light that I keep having? As I'm pulling into my garage, turn off the car, I grab my purse and the files. As I make my way to my bed and start to take off my shoes and my work clothes. I leave the files sitting next to my nightstand while I go to take a long hot shower. I figured if I was going to look through these files I would at least get a bit comfortable and relaxed. By then I have took my shower, brushed my hair, and brushed my teeth and finally grasp the soft sensation of my silk satin sheets and pillows. "My God this feels so good." I look over at my nightstand and I grab the files. "Now let's see what's in these files."

In these files were a bunch of data reports and customer complaints. Most of the reports were claims that the products that Centrom were producing were taking on a mind of its own as well as problems within it's malware and hardware. Many of their clients were displeased and we're wanting a refund or treating to expose the company for what's being provided. Centrom has a wide range of products from smartphones, computers, smart cars, robots, and household appliances. They even have their very own software and operating system. Other companies pay them to provide them with these products. The data provided showed that there was definitely an increase in the Artificial intelligence department and that some of these products started to take on a mind of their own. It was almost like the operating system was now creating code without the help from the coding departments. It was like the software was ALIVE!

After reading all the files, I turned off my light and I went to bed. I told myself that in the morning I would give Richard a call and talk about what he's just shared with me in these files. After all, he's at risk for losing his job by sneaking me these files.

The next day I tried to really just piece together everything that I had just visually witnessed. The data in the files were so clear but yet my dreams are still very much all over the place and very vivid. I do feel like that the light may have some connections to Centrom. But I just can't figure out how. I needed to get in touch with my friend Carol, she’s a licensed psychologist. I figured since my dreams are vivid and all over the place she would be the one to really just crack the code by hypnotizing me. I heard that hypnosis is a great way to get unclear dreams to become more clear and would help me with remembering certain things within this dream as well as putting the whole dream into a relative perspective. So I called her.

“Hi, you've reached Dr. Carol Sanders I am unable to come to my phone right now but if you would leave your name, phone number, and the reason for your call I promise, I will get back to you.” BEEP! “Hey Carol it’s Amber. Remember those dreams that I told you that I was having? Well, they are back and I can’t seem to piece any of them together. They are like all over the place and there are only certain things that I can remember. Is there any way that you could fit me in this week for a therapy hypnosis session?” “Please feel free to let me know your schedule so that i can pencil it in, thanks!” It sucks that she didn’t answer but Carol is a very busy woman and I am sure that she will get back to me soon. Meanwhile, I need to call back Richard and talk to him about the files. ‘Hello.” “ Hey, it’s me! I went over those files from the diner and I think you maybe right. Does anyone else know about these files other than me and the people you work with?” “No”. Richard said sternly.“Good, because I think that there may be a connection to all of this and I think that is it best that I get into a session with Carol.” “You think Carol will be able to help?” “Yeah, most definitely!” “I’d say go for it. Just keep me updated on any current information that you may come across.” “Alright.” I said as I hung up the phone, I looked at the clock, “Oh shit! I’m late for work!” I get out of bed and I rush to eat ans put on my clothes, i turn off everything in my house and off to work I go.

“Amber! You’re late!” said my boss Stan. “I know and it won't happen again! I had a late start today.” I’m a journalist at the Quotidian Print. A local newspaper in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. I live in a small town where the population is under 10,000. I moved here straight out of grad school from Georgetown University. I chose here because it was the only town that felt like home. I loved how peaceful it was here and how friendly the people are as well. Because the last place I wanted to be after grad school was back in my hometown Boston, Then I would've had to face my ex, Sebastian. I wasn’t ready for that plus I had heard that he went off and married Madison from high school. I couldn’t stand her. Ugh! That was five years ago, and I've moved on from that. Had a few little relationships here and there, but none too serious. What can I say, I love journalism and I can’t see myself doing anything else. I think I would die if i wasn’t able to write and had to stay home and be a stay at home wife and mom. I’m not the marriage type. I enjoy my freedom and times where I can just come home and just unwind and really just be comfortable with myself. I love that. A part of my job here at Quotidian Print was to find lead stories for the locals to look forward to reading considering that most of the town was pretty much clean and quiet sometimes it can be hard trying to crack down any leads on stories. A majority of the time I find myself interviewing the eldely and getting past time stories from them as well as birthday shout outs, That's really all I can do other that report what's on the news. All and all I enjoy it. I couldn’t be any happier.

“Buzz! Buzz!” I looked down at my phone to see that my phone was vibrating. I glanced over at the notification alerts. It was Carol calling me back. I answered, “Hey Carol! Did you get my message?” “Yes I did and I looked over my schedule too, to see where I could fit you in. Are you available later on today at 3pm?””I’ll see if my boss will let me off the hook early enough to get to you. Let me see what I can do. I’ll get back to you on it.”okay great!” “You’re welcome, talk to you soon!” I hung up. Carol is really a lifesaver and she really doesn’t know how great that it is that she can pencil me in today because the rest of this week I am swamped and Stan has been staying on me about a lot of things. This week is the annual town picnic where local vendors, locals, business owners, and restaurants get together and pitch in to bring food and drinks. Theres games, contests, and a pageant all in one week. Each day is a new activity. I usually take out my camera and get pictures for the paper and then I also interview the winners and all of the vendors, and restaurant owners. Doing this sometimes requires me to pull all nighters and by that I mean I am usually glued to my desk with tons of work to do. All in all it’s fun. It’s what I've signed up for. Most of everybody that works here ahd family to go home to, not me. So that way a lot of that work load falls on me. Isn’t it crazy? Even mean, old, wrinkly Stan has a wife to go home to. It’s life, so I take it as I go.

I’ve got to convince ol Stan to let me get off work early this evening so that I can make it to my session. I’ve got to come up with a really good reason to leave out of here at 4pm and pretending to be sick ain't one of them. I looked up from my cubicle just to see where Stan was. I looked for him in his office but he wasn't there. So I walked down to the conference room. He wasn’t there either. “Alberta, where’s Stan?” “He went out for lunch with his wife. He will be back later, sometime, after two. Is there something I may help you with?” “No, I’m fine. Thanks.” Alberta was Stan’s secretary. And there is no way she could help me. I walked back over to my desk and sat down and got back to work.

Stan came back a little over two. You could still smell the scent of old lady perfume and cigars on his clothes as he walked back into the room.”Now what can I do for you Amber.” he said with annoyance in his tone, “ I was wondering if I could get off early for me therapy session with my therapist today at 3pm?” I said, fearing that he might say no, but to my surprise he said that as long as I provided a doctors note of the appointment that he would approve it. With happiness in my voice I agreed to bring back a doctors note and I went back to my desk to finish up my work day.

After I left work I drove all the way over to Carol’s office. I parked my car in the parking lot and then I took the elevator to the second floor. When I got there I looked for suite 205, Dr. Carol Sanders and I walked right on in. I signed in at the front desk with her secretary and she assured me that I would be getting called in shortly to have a seat.

The suite was very spacious, sophisticated, and very chic. Decorated and designed to perfection, There were tons of magazines laid out as well as stress trinkets. The music was soothing and very relaxing. You could easily fall asleep there. There was also a diffuser letting out a vanilla lavender scent. It smelled like heaven. I’ve never really needed a reason to come to her office before because the dreams have only just started a couple of months ago, Plus I’ve never really seen the need to see nor visit a therapist either. To each is own, I think it can be a very rewarding career for someone that loves helping people. So I really admire what Carol does. I looked at my phone to check the time. “Maam, she's ready for you.” I went back.

When I got back there Carol greeted me, So i greeted her back. Then I sat down. Once I sat down. The session began. “Amber, when did you start having these dreams?” “I started having them a couple of months back, I'd say about six months ago.” “Do you think that anything could have triggered these dreams” “No.” “Have you ever had any dreams like this before?” “No, this is actually the first time in my life that I have experienced anything like this.” “Good.” Carol said as she grabbed her glasses and started to write something down. “Are these dreams recurring or just at random within the last six months of them first starting?” “I’d say sporadic because not every night I have them and the dream usually is jumbled and I get little glimpses and not the full thing.” She leans forward and says, “Do you think that the dreams have any connection to what's going on in your current life, is there a correlation?” “No, not at all.” “Then let's begin the hypnosis.” I sit my purse down on the floor and I put my phone on the coffee table in front of me and I lay down on the couch that I am sitting on. “Amber, I want you to focus. Focus in on my voice, I want you to follow my commands and listen to me as I count backwards.” 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, by the time I say one you will be fully aware of my voice and you will be in full control of your dream.” So I closed my eyes. She was right, by the time she got to one I was in my dream and I could still hear the sound of her voice and instruction. “Amber, tell me what you see.”

"It's dark." "I see people running for safety." "It's total chaos all around me." "People are panicking, running, crying and stumbling all over the place." "I'm not so sure where I am at." "This place is very unfamiliar." "Amber is there anything around you that you recognize?" "No." I begin to toss and turn while I'm in this dream trying to look around to see if I can find anything that looks familiar. The only thing that I have in my hand is my cell phone, but the signal is weak and I can't dial out or text even if I wanted to. "Amber! Can you hear me?" Carol says in a concerned tone. "yes, yes I can hear you." "Good because I really need to focus and concentrate." "Okay!" I said. So I did anything that I could to look around me to see if I could see anything that was familiar. I was scared and slightly frightened. The people were everywhere. Yet nothing in this dream seemed familiar to me.

I kept thinking to myself," what is this place and where am I at? Why was I here? And what was my purpose?" How does this dream have any connection with the files that Richard sent me and the company Centrom?" Carol's voice got weaker and I begin to be ravished within this dream and the dream began to take on itself.

I had totally lost control of my subconscious. The next thing I noticed was that my body begin to shake as if someone was trying to wake me. When I opened my eyes, it was Carol. She said, "okay, I think that's all for today's session." I said to her, "did you get everything you need?" and "how did I do?" "Amber I'm going to say this to you and I hope that you don't take this the wrong way." This constant dream that you keep having has taken on a life of itself. Once you're in the dream you no longer have any contact with the outer rim of your subconscious. And I'm going to be honest with you. Once we started the hypnosis you no longer could really just hear the sound of my voice or my instruction. Which is part of the reason why I just had to wake you just now. So I think it would be best that when you go home you get some rest and the next time these dreams occur you need to just get a journal and write down everything that you experience and you see in this dream and see if anything connects."

It was really hard to focus at work. I kept thinking about me and Carol's session. I also kept thinking about the dream. After I left Carol's office yesterday. I went to the store and I grabbed a few journals like she asked me to. I kept thinking that maybe she's right, maybe I should start writing the clues from my dream down.

Little did I know. That the dreams that I had would soon come into effect and would soon become a reality. Because what was going on down at Richard's job was something that the public hasn't even witnessed just yet.