Not so sweet dreams

Posted on Fri Oct 24th, 2025 @ 10:36pm by Lieutenant Commander Oscar McDonald MD

845 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Vinyl and Void

Oscar… the sound of his name seemed to echo through the darkness while he slept, each syllable so softly spoken yet managing to reach the very depths of his subconscious, startling him awake. For a moment he lay there, in the dark, listening. Yet he was met with silence.

Had a few two many nightcaps caused his mind to play tricks on him? He had to admit, it wouldn’t be the first time.

After a few more more minutes of silence he decided his mind had, indeed, been playing tricks on him. Grumbling to himself he shook his head, rolling over and with every intention of returning to the quite pleasant dream he had been enjoying.

But no, it seemed his brain had decided that sleep was no longer on the agenda and after a few more minutes of tossing and turning he let out a frustrated sigh, kicked the covers away and climbed out of bed. In response to his movement the lights in his quarters activated, providing soft light that illuminated his sparse quarters.

He checked the time. 03:20 hours.

On his day off.

This was Vivian’s doing. Since her ‘visit’ his stress levels had been in the stratosphere and even her departure had not improved his mood. Yes it was the right thing to do, calling her in. Yet dealing with the devil had consequen -

His train of thought stopped as he felt an icy chill in the air, his breath forming a cloud that instantly reminded him of home yet without the rain or foreboding dark clouds. At the same moment he became aware that he was most definitely not alone, goosebumps forming on his flesh and a certainty that if he turned around….

Instinct told him to leave. Quickly. But he was no child, he did not scare easily and certainly no trick of his imagination was going to make him flee from his own quarters.

Summoning all of his resolve he turned around, braced for, well, anything really. Yet all he found was his unkempt bed and a wall. Nothing unexpected at all. He studied the familiar pillows and bedding, nodding to himself as he walked over to the intercom.

Clearly the environmental controls needed fixed and perhaps it was this simple malfunction which his subconscious mind had picked up on. Shaking his head, rubbing the back of his neck he called down to engineering, jumping back when he received a burst of static and electrical sparks in response.

And it didn’t stop there… as he watched the chaos seemed to cascade throughout his quarters. Anything electric seemed to explode in angry sparks and the rest seeming to be caught up in the grips of a… tornado?

He got the hint, hurrying towards the doors which refused to open. Banging on the door he called out, hoping someone would hear him until he literally had no voice left. And then he was floating, gravity no longer keeping him grounded.

The feeling was unsettling and he drifted higher and higher, looking down at what had been his quarters but now? Now it looked like the inside of a ship… no a shuttle!

As he flailed, trying to find something to hold onto, he could see up close as the shuttle hurtled through the atmosphere of an unfamiliar world. Out of control as alarms blared.

And then the shuttle ran out of room and all he could do was scream at the universe as everything went dark.


*******

“A double shot espresso? Hmm, interesting,” Doctor Chloe O’Connor mused as she heard her friend and mentor place his order. “And weren’t you meant to take today off? Oh, hi… A triple shot chocolate surprise for me please. Chloe.”

Finding a spot to wait in the crowd, McDonald sighed, “I couldn’t sleep. So I thought I may as well do something productive and get on top of the reports. What’s your excuse miss triple shot?”

“Couldn’t sleep either,” she grinned, peering around him to wave at one of the science technicians before catching the look of disapproval on McDonald’s face. “Relax. I’m not gonna marry him or anything,” she teased, “he’s fun and athletic and very -“

He pressed a fingertip to her lips, “do not, for the sake of my soul, finish that sentence.”

She laughed, enjoying his discomfort until she was jostled by more people pushing past to order. “Is it just me or is this place busier than usual?”

“Indeed,” he concurred, gratefully collecting both of their drinks when their names were finally called so they could escape into the corridor and head for the medical bay. “So, do we need to have the talk?”

His tone was so serious that she had to do a double take before they stepped into the lift, both collapsing in a fit of laughter once out of sight. By the time the pair reached his office, all thoughts of his troubling dream well and truly banished.


OFF

 

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