Dreams of a Nobody: Professor Cookie

By Shantnu Tiwari

Welcome to the planet of Prometheus.

 

A planet whose sun is made of ice.

 

A planet where war destroyed ninety percent of the population just a few years ago.

 

A planet where dreaming is punishable by death. A planet where your dreams can come true, and then kill you.

 

A ghost train turns up in town, with everyone except for thirteen year old Sakura dead. Everyone suspects Sakura, but Dyom already knows who committed the murders: The man known as the Dream Lord.

 

And now, he has one week to stop the Dreams, before they destroy the planet and kill everyone living on it…

• Language: English
• Publisher: Shantnu Tiwari
• Release date: Oct 7, 2014
• ISBN: 9781501403484

Book preview

Prologue

The fire swept through the land, burning everything in its path. The sky itself had burst open, and the flames were flowing down like water.

The surface of the planet had become as hot as the sun. At least a billion people had died in the last hour alone.

One man was walking through this inferno like he was in the park. The raging flames, the thermonuclear explosions, the death of the planet all seemed to have no effect on him. They didn’t scare him in the least. He had finally achieved what mankind had been dreaming for centuries—complete immortality. Nothing could touch him. Death was his slave, waiting on his beck and call.

But he knew that this was only for a day. Tomorrow, he would go back to normal and time would catch up with him. Death would finally have its revenge for being forced to wait for him.

But he didn’t care. He didn’t want immortality. What he wanted was here, and once his mission was complete, he could die, as far as he was concerned.

He searched around till he found her. One girl, sitting in the middle of the inferno, the flames avoiding her like they were scared of her.

She wasn’t completely okay, though. Her eyes had been burnt, leaving her blind and in extreme pain. He gently hugged her.

Hush, my child. Don’t cry. Your eyes will heal soon. The pain will go away. He didn’t add that only the physical pain would go away.

The little girl held him tight and cried, her tiny body racked with pain. She had no idea what was going on. It was good her eyes had been burnt, or she would have been even more scared. The scene of terror around her would have scared many adults, and the millions of dead bodies would have driven them crazy.

He stroked her hair and she slowly stopped crying. When she was quiet, he whispered in her ear.

Don’t cry, for you won’t die today. I have seen your death, and trust me, today is not the day.

He looked at her to see if that had scared her, but she just held him tightly.

Don’t fear death. One day, you will laugh at death. But today, you are safe. You are with me.

She had stopped crying, no doubt calmed by his soothing voice.

I need a favour from you.

She looked at him with her burnt eyes.

On the day of your death, when you are sure you are about to die, I want you to give me a message.

She spoke, with a tiny and scared voice. How will I know I am about to die?

Trust me. You will know. Five years from now, we will meet again. And you will die. There will be no doubts in your mind that you are about to die. That’s when you must give me this message.

He whispered it in her ear.

Do you understand?

Yes, she nodded. I understand. Death is not the only way.

1

G ood morning, gentlemen. My name is Mrityu, and I sell immortality. In a bottle.

Mrityu held up a fancy blue bottle, about the size of a finger. One drop will take ten years off. Five drops will make you as young as a teenager. A few drops will also grow any organs back. And the whole bottle?

He burst out laughing. Well, the whole bottle will bring even the dead back to life. That’s the miracle I sell. Immortality in a bottle.

He looked at his crowd. They were sceptical. Arms crossed, looks of disdain. But he knew how to charm the crowd. The harder they tried to resist, the easier it became to reel them in.

Perhaps you want a demonstration?

It’s not just that, Mrityu. We have not heard good things about you.

Mrityu smiled.

Like what?

Like you have been going around the cemeteries, offering to bring the dead back to life if only the grieving relatives sell you their mind.

Gentlemen, I am the Dream Master. I make all dreams come true. Of course, some dreams have a price. But my price is always reasonable and always affordable.

A man with a cruel face leaned forward. He wanted to be the next leader of the group and took every chance to assert his authority.

And then there is the matter of the ghost train. We have received reports that you may be responsible for that.

For the first time, Mrityu’s mask slipped a little and he appeared flustered. Gentlemen, I had nothing to do with that. Your own detectives are investigating. Please, let them finish their job before throwing around wild accusations.

They are hardly wild accusations. Why do you spend so much time in the graveyard, accosting the relatives of the recently deceased?

Mrityu threw up his hands in frustration. Gentlemen! Would you not like to see a demo of my miracle immortality in a bottle?

He walked to one of the oldest men in the room and opened his bottle. Four drops will remove forty years.

And to everyone’s shock, the man grew younger and younger till he was in his early twenties. Everyone gasped and moved forward, to touch and see for themselves if it was just an illusion. But just then, the man turned back to his old self.

That’s it? You can make him younger for a minute?

Gentlemen, gentlemen. That was just the demo version. The full version isn’t free. But of course you knew that. Mrityu gave them a cheesy smile.

And what is your price?

For you, my friends, a special price. All of you here are the most powerful people in the country. You own most of the corporations, you run the government and the military. I will give each one of you, personally, the gift of immortality. In return, I want the minds of the people who work for you.

Minds? You mean their souls? You want to turn them into slaves, into puppets, the type you control?

Ouch. Do you really have such a low opinion of me? Mrityu pretended to be offended. He paused, like he had just realised something. Well, actually, that’s exactly what I want to do. But why do you care? You, your family, and anyone else you choose, will be given the gift of immortality. Why do you care about what happens to the great unwashed masses?

Everyone looked at each other. It was clear they were conflicted. You ask for too much. The population has been trained to be docile, but even they will revolt if we let you enslave their souls. No, we cannot do that. Ask for something else.

Mrityu just shrugged. Don’t worry about it. I’m sure there is something else you can give me. We can come to an agreement later. Till then, start making the list of who you want to save. Goodbye!

He left before they could ask him anything else. Outside, he called his assistant.

What is this ghost train?

You don’t know? The train where everyone was murdered. It happened yesterday.

2

One day earlier

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The train braked so hard that Sakura fell off the table. A few people helped her up.

You okay, child? asked a rich old lady. Even though her words were kind, her eyes were full of contempt.

Yes. Thank you, said Sakura shyly.

Why do you not have a proper seat, child? Sitting on the table is very bad manners.

Sorry. The table was empty. Sakura sat down on the floor.

The rich woman’s husband spoke up now. You haven’t answered the question. Why don’t you have a seat? Are you travelling without one? Don’t you know it’s a crime?

I have a ticket. She showed it to them. The old man looked at it. This is valid only for the storage car. Why are you here?

Sakura looked down at the floor in embarrassment. The old woman took pity on her. Give her a break. She’s but a child. She obviously didn’t know what she was buying. Are you travelling with your parents, child?

No, ma’am. I’m an orphan. My orphanage closed down, so they are sending me to another orphanage.

That certainly explains it. Have you eaten? Did they give you any money for food?

Sakura shook her head to say no.

We have just eaten and are short of cash. Or we would help you. The old woman pushed her pearl necklace into her dress.

That’s okay, said Sakura. I’m sure I will eat soon.

The old woman shook her head. It’s been a whole day. How can you survive without eating? Let me ask the others. She stood up and spoke to the others in the dining car. Can anyone spare this child some food? She is an orphan and hasn’t eaten all day. She put a marked emphasis on orphan.

Sakura looked around hopefully, hoping someone would volunteer. But everyone sank deeper into their chairs.

Too bad, child. Maybe you will get breakfast in the morning. And now, we must head to our car. It’s late, and we need our sleep.

Everyone left, leaving Sakura alone. Slowly, she made her way back to the goods car. She was planning to sleep on some hay, as it was the only comfortable part in the whole car. As she lay down, she immediately started thinking of food. That’s when the back door to the carriage opened and the driver stepped through.

No one gave you anything to eat, did they?

She shook her head, and he threw something at her. She caught it mid-air; it was a sandwich.

My wife made it for me. You can have it.

But what about you?

Don’t worry about me. I’ll help myself to the train kitchen. Being staff does have its benefits.

He stood there, watching Sakura eat. We will be entering the Dead Zone soon. You know what that is, don’t you?

She nodded.

When we enter it, the shields will come down over the windows. At the same time, all lights will switch off and the train will speed up. Significantly. This might cause you to panic, but don’t. I’m just two carriages away. So remain calm. We speed up so we don’t have to spend much time in the Dead Zone. Any questions?

Yes. Why do the lights go off?

The shields come down to protect us from the dangerous and poisonous atmosphere in the Dead Zone. You cannot survive more than five minutes there. As for the lights… He seemed to be struggling, as if there was something he didn’t want to say. Let’s just say there are things in the Dead Zone we want to avoid. Things that were once human and now hunt us. We turn off the lights to avoid attracting their attention. Not that any of them would be stupid enough to attack a train.

Sakura had almost finished eating, so the driver waved goodbye. Right, I’ll leave you now. You better go to sleep, as we still have a few hours’ journey left. I’ll see you in the morning.

Good night, said Sakura.

Good night.

The driver left. There was a fair amount of light in the carriage, but Sakura still tried to make herself comfortable. She lay down and closed her eyes and was soon asleep. She dreamed of a war, of fire destroying the planet. She dreamed of burning to death, only to be reborn like the Phoenix. She dreamed of the most beautiful woman walking towards her. The woman was so beautiful that everyone stopped to look at her.

Who are you? asked Sakura.

I am the Destroyer. I am the End of All. I am the Goddess of Death. And I will visit you soon. But now, you must wake up.

She touched Sakura’s forehead, and she felt like she was burning all over. Sakura opened her eyes in shock. It was dark. For a moment, she was confused till she remembered what the driver had told her. A glowing red sign above her confirmed it. It said:

We are now in the Dead Zone. All lights will switch off. Please avoid making loud sounds.

The shields must have come down. But something was wrong. It took her a few minutes to realise what.

The train wasn’t moving.

They were in the Dead Zone, where no one could survive for more than five minutes.

So why had they stopped? The driver had said that they would speed through this region.

And then she heard something that made her blood turn cold.

Someone was knocking.

From outside the train.

She squeezed herself into a tight ball and held her breath so that she wouldn’t be noticed. But it didn’t work.

A shrill and raspy female voice was heard from outside the train.

I can smell your blood, young one. I can feel your soft and tender flesh, even from out here. Come on out here. I have a lot of toys you can play with.

We have sweets as well, said a male voice, and the female laughed; a cruel and witch-like laugh.

Come out, come out, and play.

Sakura held her mouth shut tight and her eyes shut tighter. She hoped the things outside weren’t talking about her, and if she kept quiet, they would leave her.

But she was proven wrong when someone started hitting the door from the outside. The shrill voice started screaming.

Open up! Open up! Open up! Open up! Or I will tear your flesh.

Sakura tried to hold back her tears and looked for something to hug, but there was nothing around. That’s when she heard another voice: Right behind her.

She jumped in the air and screamed.

Don’t be scared, girl. What was your name? Sakura? It’s me. The driver. I gave you my sandwich.

She saw the voice was coming from an intercom. If you can hear me, press the red button and talk to me.

She saw a red button in the faint light, and pushed it. Hello? she said faintly.

Hello. I can see you from here, though you can’t see me. Sakura, I have really bad news. We have broken down. Right in the middle of the Dead Zone. Remember I told you about the things that wander this area?

Sakura nodded and gulped in fear.

It seems a group of them has found us. They are looking for a way in.

Sakura felt her heart beating so fast, she was sure every creature for miles could hear her.

I’m very sorry to say this. I am sorry to ask for your help, but everyone on the train has vanished. They might be hiding or they might be dead; I don’t know. But I need your help. I can’t start the train, as a power coupling has come loose. I need you to reconnect it. Here is the part you won’t like: You will need to leave the train, as the coupling is outside.

Sakura shuddered involuntarily. I can’t go myself, as I need to restart the train immediately. Our shields won’t hold for much longer. This is what you must do. You must make your way to the dining car. I will create some noise here and distract the creatures. You must then open the door and step outside. I will lock the door electronically behind you, as we don’t want those things inside.

Sakura went even whiter than she was. The driver must have noticed it. Don’t worry, you can survive a few minutes in the Dead Zone. The creatures won’t notice you. You will need to run to the front of the train and connect the power cable. You will notice it easily—it is sticking out and all you have to do is push it back in. Once you have done so, I will open the electronic gate once more and you can come in. All this shouldn’t take more than five minutes; any more, and you will die for certain. Are you ready?

She wasn’t, but nodded anyway. Sakura made her way forward through the connecting doors.

The whole train was deserted. The only words that seemed to describe the situation were Dead Quiet. As soon as she thought this, Sakura shuddered with a superstitious fear. A few of the compartment doors were open, but there was no one in them. Sakura heard something and froze with fear. Had the creatures broken in? But the noise didn’t repeat. Holding her chest to calm her breathing, she moved forward.

She made her way into the dining car, where just a few hours ago, the biggest threat she had faced was the condescension of the other passengers. She kneeled by the door and waited for the signal. It didn’t take long, and soon she heard a loud whistle from the back. It was quite loud, and she hoped the creatures had heard it, too. The shields were down, so she couldn’t see anything and would have to hope the creatures had moved away.

As quickly as she could, she opened the door and stepped outside, hearing the door click shut behind her.

Sakura immediately saw the problem with the plan. Not all the creatures had been distracted. A few were standing right in front of her. And she had nowhere to go.

The creatures looked horrible. They must have been human once, though they had no humanity left anymore. Their whole skin was black and red. The black looked like burn marks, while the red was not their blood but a fire that seemed to be burning in their bodies. A foul smoke was in the air, and she found herself gagging. Her nostrils and throat burned. Not that it mattered. She would be dead in a few seconds.

She looked at the creatures again. Why weren’t they advancing on her? As if reading her mind, one of the things moved on her. It paused when it was a few meters away.

Saa-koo ra?

Now she was surprised. How do you know my name?

The creature spoke slowly, like it found speaking painful. It… is… me. Don’t. You… remember?

Remember? Sakura was sure she had never met a ghost from the Dead Zone before. Who are you?

The creature spoke haltingly. Maa… Taaa… Ra. It had to pause for breath, like speaking even these words had tired it.

Out of the corner of her eye, Sakura saw more of the creatures rambling towards her. One of them shrieked and laughed.

I got you now, child. I will enjoy eating you.

Sakura froze with fear, but the thing that had called itself Maataaara blocked the way of the other beings.

You… will… not… hurt… f-f-friend.

The creatures tried to push past her, but then another thing came forward. This one was small, like it was a child. The child started hitting the other creatures and snarled at them, driving them away. Maataaara turned to Sakura. Go do what you must.

Sakura suddenly realised she had come out here for a task. Forcing in a deep breath, even though it hurt her lungs, she ran to the front of the train. She saw the coupling that had come loose and reconnected it. The train immediately hummed to life.

Get back on the train, girl, she heard the driver say. A door opened and she stepped in, but she didn’t close the door. Instead, she turned to her rescuers.

Who are you?

The child turned to her. Her eyes were burning with fire, like the rest of her body, but Sakura could still see tears in them. Like we… promised. Friends forever, till the end. It raised its hand in goodbye. Till the end.

The haunting look in its eyes went right through Sakura’s heart. She was unable to close the door and stood at the gate, staring at the creatures for as long as she could. Soon, the train left the Dead Zone and the creatures vanished. Sakura fell back to the floor, and for reasons she couldn’t understand, started crying.

3

She opened her eyes. The train had stopped. Slowly getting up, she walked to the door, which was still open.

And saw a hundred guns pointing at her.

Don’t move even a muscle. Or we will shoot.

Rough hands dragged her out and threw her to the floor. Someone handcuffed her. She saw the driver was being handcuffed, too.

She saw the men who had arrested her were dressed as soldiers. A few entered the train but came out in minutes.

Sir, the whole train is empty!

A gun was jammed in her face. What did you do to everyone?

The driver spoke. "Please, sir! We didn’t do