Jessica went on. “This is not my field of expertise, and if you wanted to pursue it further, I would recommend we turn to someone else as a resource. If you weren’t comfortable doing anything further, that would be wholly understandable. Disorientation doesn’t sound positive.”

“It felt more real than this room, here.”

“Parahumans have unusual relationships with things like drugs, legitimate or otherwise, which we talked about before starting you on your regimen—”

“Yes.”

“And they also have unusual reactions to dreams and things like dreams. In this case, walking you through a near-sleep state where your mind can wander, it’s possible you’re tapping into the kind of thing others have experienced.”

“Who are these others?”

“I can’t name names, of course, but in scientific literature, there are people with powers who don’t sleep, ever, but they dream while awake, because the mind still wants to sort things out. That sorting is important. People with perception powers sometimes need to dream to refresh themselves and get what they see separated from what their power sees. Occasionally tinkers sometimes need to tap into dreams to get inspiration. Virtually every parahuman reports dreams that are different than what they experienced before their triggers, if they can remember their dreams at all. Dreams are often reported as clearer, more exciting, having meanings, or, commonly, having a strong emphasis on memories.”

Ashley leaned back. “This is something people know about?”

“In some circles, yes. It’s hotly contested and it isn’t made easier by the pseudoscience and just how complicated and different parahumans can be.”

“Complicated,” Ashley said. “That’s the kindest way I can think of phrasing it.”

Jessica smiled before going on, “Dreams are something the unpowered use to sort out the unconscious mind, and we believe it’s a space and a tool that the powered use, sometimes, to sort out the unconscious end of powers. I personally wonder if the emphasis on life and memory are a way for people with both a parahuman and civilian identity to sort out the identity they’re neglecting.”

“I’ve talked to too many imbeciles over the years. Why does the world have to end before I can find anyone who makes any sense?”

“If that’s a compliment, then I’m flattered. I could tell you that the PRT wanted to bring you on board for a long time, and had you accepted, you might have found more discussions like this. Answers, company, things like your hands.”

‘Your’ hands, Ashley thought. They weren’t her hands.

“I do want to point out, however, you need to be careful of that wording, bringing up the end of the world. It’s only been a year, Ashley, and people are still hurting.”

“It’s awfully hard to ignore that it happened.”