DID SOMEONE SAY DOCTOR

HNNGCKK...!

[HIS HANDS REACH UP TO PULL AT ITS ARMS. HE CAN FEEL THE UNCOMFORTABLE, SHARP FEELING AS SYNAPSES AND MEMORIES ARE TORN LOOSE AND TAKEN.]

N-NO!

NO! HNNNGH! L-LEON, IT DOESN'T MAT—

HNNGH...

[HIS STRUGGLING SLOWS. STRAY TEARS ROLL DOWN HIS CHEEKS AS WHITE-HOT LIQUID COATS HIS NERVES.]

L-LEON, DID—

[HE SUDDENLY STUMBLES BACK AS HE IS GRABBED. HIS BACK IS SLAMMED INTO HIS MACHINERY. THE MEMORY INHIBITOR'S COMPUTING BECOMES DAMAGED.]

[HIS GLASSES TUMBLE OFF OF HIS FACE.]

[HE CAN'T HELP THE GASP HE LETS OUT. THE FEELING OF A RAPID HEARTBEAT IS SO FOREIGN.]

...

[DIFFERENT VOICES. HIS EARS RING.]

I... I...

[HE SHAKES HIS HEAD. THIS IS STUPID!]

[YOU'RE DREAMING AGAIN.]

[IT WILL ALL BE OVER SOON.]

[HE FORGETS TO TURN OFF THE MEMORY INHIBITOR.]

BRONEV?! WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?

YOU'RE—

[HE FEELS THE BUZZING RETURN. HIS THROAT GROWS TIGHT. THERE IT IS AGAIN. WAS THIS WHAT HAPPENED?]

[TREMBLING HANDS SNAKE BEHIND HIM AND GRIP HIS DESK.]

IS THAT YOU BRONEV...?

[HE COVERS HIS EARS AND GRIMACES. HE BACKS UP A LITTLE.]

[DOC CANNOT HEAR HIM NOW. HE CAN ONLY MONITOR VITALS AND CONTROL THE OUTWARD FLOW FROM THE HIPPOCAMPUS.]

[HE HUMS TO HIMSELF AS THE PRESSURE TO HIS SKULL IS RELEASED SUDDENLY. HIS CHEST DOES NOT FEEL TIGHT.]

FRIEND?

SOMETHING GOOD HAS COME OF THIS?

I SEE. I UNDERSTAND.

I BELIEVE I KNOW IT.

I'VE FELT THIS BEFORE. IN THE STREAM.

IS THIS CANCER? DISEASE? PLATELETS?

[HIS FACE REMAINS BLANK AS HE STARES AT LEON. HE DOES NOT FEEL THE GRIP. HIS MIND IS NUMBED. HE DRAWS IN A TREMBLING BREATH AND CLOSES THE MACHINE. TIME WARPS AROUND LEON, DEVOURING HIM. DOC HAS TO WORK HARD ON THE MONITORS TO KEEP AN EYE ON HIM.]

VERY GOOD. YOU ARE GOING TO STEP INTO THE MACHINE AND REMAIN CALM. I WILL DO THE REST. YOU ARE IN SAFE HANDS, LEON BRONEV.

[THE MACHINE HUMS WITH A DARK BUZZ. IT MAKES THE AIR FEEL PRICKLY AND HAZY.]

I CAN'T HAVE YOU GOING IN LIKE THAT. LEON, PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER. YOU NEED TO REMAIN FOCUSED. YOUR MIND SHOULD GO WHITE WHEN YOU ARE IN THE STREAM. YOU NEED TO HOLD ONTO YOURSELF PHYSICALLY.

LOOK AT ME. YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE. I KNOW WHO YOU ARE.

YOU ARE LEON BRONEV. YOU ARE GOING TO HELP ME.

I WILL BE SENDING HIM THROUGH SHORTLY.