“Ike, open your eyes. Ike, if you can hear me, open your eyes!”

I opened my eyes.

I was sitting up, my body naked and trembling, my flesh sticky and wet from the tetrodotoxin, the liquefied gel draining from the open cryogenic pod. Before me was Andria, her dark hair short, her expression one of concern. Lara was next to her, smiling in relief. Jason Sloan was on my left, checking my blood pressure.

“Dude, you gave us quite the scare, it took us twenty minutes and two shots of adrenaline to revive you.”

I struggled to speak, my throat parched.

Bella Maharaj leaned over, offering me a cup of water, positioning the straw in my mouth.

I sipped, too weak to move, my mind still in a fog.

Was this real? Could everything I had experienced simply been an Omega dream?

“Blood pressure’s stabilizing,” Jason reported. “Let’s wrap him in a blanket and get him up to sick bay for an IV and a complete physical.”

Reaching out, I grabbed the cryogenist by the wrist. “Asshole,” I rasped. “What the hell happened to your emergency flush?”

“Sorry, dude. Commander Read found out I had set the system and deleted the program. There was nothing I could do.”

“How … long?”

Andria smoothed wet strands of hair from my eyes. “Thirty days, six hours, and change. Ike, when I heard what Kevin did to you, I resigned.”

“You didn’t have to do that.”

“I wanted to.”

“No … I mean you didn’t have to do that because you and me—we’re through. So please … go to Europa or the moon or Sioux City, Iowa … I don’t give a rat’s ass. Oh, and if you ever eat calamari again, I’m going to back over your Porsche with my pickup.”

Lara snickered.

Jason whispered, “Ouch.”

Andria stared at me, the hurt in her eyes tearing me apart. And then she left.

*   *   *

Two IVs, a shower, and a bowl of soup later and I was almost beginning to feel human again.

“So, the dreamer awakens.” Dharma entered my room, sitting on the edge of my bed. “How are you?”

“Still wondering if this is real.”

“Omega dreams often take several days to wear off.”

“What about love?” I took her hand in mine. “I fell in love with you in my dream. I’m not sure I want to lose that feeling.”

For the next hour I told her everything, sparing no detail.

When I was finished, she leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. “Your dream carries a theme of forgiveness. Just as the cephaloped forgave their oppressors, so too must you forgive yours if you are ever to find happiness. That includes the people who murdered your family, the enemies of your previous lives … and one more person—the keeper of your heart.”

Ah … karma.

Chapter 42

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