Dreamscape

By Daniel West

Life is perception, what a person believes, becomes their reality. In the future all entertainment is virtual reality, people will use enhancements to stimulate the brain to create dream realities. Curtis buys the latest VR27 dream enhancer. The salesman warned him that fond memories should only be viewed passively. Actively viewing a memory recreates a new, altered, memory. After repeated viewings, these altered memories become so corrupted that the reality no longer exists. Curtis becomes so caught up inside that dream world that he forgets that any other world even exists. Curtis refuses to give up on the idea of rescuing his long deceased family, in his attempts he enters a dangerous underworld populated by Dream walkers, Dream Divers, I.V. feeding lines, and stasis chambers. In his search for ‘The Dream Master’ the master hacker who can make his VR experience a permanent reality.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Nov 2, 2014
• ISBN: 9781312648579

Book preview

Dreamscape

DreamScape

A Psychological Thriller

Daniel  West

DreamScape - Is a work of fiction.

Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. Places and events have been created for effect

© Copyright 2014: Daniel West and Gestalt Epiphany, Ltd

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. Published in the United States.

Daniel West Author

ISBN 13 - 978-1-312-64857-9

9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1

First Edition

(Unedited Version)

LuLu Press Inc.

Raleigh, NC

Other Books by the Author

Dancing in Hell

A Guide to Surviving Your Spouse’s Mid-Life Crisis

Czech Mate

Psychological Thriller

Acapulco Gold

Psychological Thriller

Deadly MILF’s

Psychological Thriller

The stunning conclusion to the Czech series

The Charleston Shuffle

Psychological Thriller

The Spider and the Fly

Psychological Thriller

DreamScape

Psychological Thriller

The Burning Bush

Satire

Extreme Hunting

Season 1

Swan Song

Satire

Galactic Pirates

Sci Fi

The Admiralty

Book 2 of Galactic Pirates

The Ambien Defense

Legal Thriller

Dark Web

Psychological Thriller

Acknowledgments

I thank my son and coauthor, Daniel West Jr. for standing by me all these years and helping produce this book

I owe all of my success to you.

- Daniel Sr.

To all of the people who left the comfort of their home to explore the vast unknown… and to all of the women who drove them to do it.

Table of Contents

DreamScape

Dedication _

Prologue_

The Dream begins_

Undertow_

Backdraft_

Shaman_

Dream Walkers_

Étude in Black _

Dream Divers_

Stasis Chambers_

The Darkest of Nights_

The Law of Intended, and Unintended, Consequences_

Elysian Dawn_

The Dream Master_

About the Author _

Dedication

This book is dedicated to Daniel West Jr.

Up the Wolves – The Mountain Goats

To the one person who stood by my side and had faith in me, no matter how dark the times got for us.

Thank you, I will always be in your debt.

DreamScape

A Psychological Thriller

Daniel  West

Prologue

All perception, begins in the human mind. When a person receives stimuli, visually, audibly, or through any other sensory method. Their body turns that stimuli into electro-chemical signals, and sends those signals to the brain. Their brain then interprets those signals and classifies them as real, or imaginary.

Therefore, all reality is based upon the perception of the human brain. If the brain accepts something as being reality, what the brain has accepted, becomes that person’s individual reality.

When an individual accepts, as fact, something that calls upon them, or even allows them, to harm others, it is referred to as insanity.

Group reality, is based upon what the collective of the society, accepts as reality. Societal reality can be self-deceiving, and destructive.

When a society collectively accepts a spiritual, or political, belief that calls upon them, or even allows them, to harm others. This phenomenon is known as group insanity.

Entertainment, has always been simply a process of stimulating the proper neural receptors in the brain, in order to receive an organic, and chemical, response.

For centuries, mankind has used, sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell, to create entertainment.

With the advance of computer technology, chemistry, and bio-electrics, the world is about to enter a new era of entertainment, and cast out all of the old, outdated, forms of entertainment.

Why would a person stimulate just one, or two, senses? With the new technology an individual can become immersed in their own reality, a reality of their own choosing.

The Dream Begins

Curtis entered the entertainment department at his local shopping bazaar, he walked over to the Virtual Reality headwear and inspected the units lying on the table.

The salesman walked over to Curtis, Hey, old timer, is your generation finally catching up to the modern technology, or did your video equipment finally wear out?

Curtis laughed nervously, We’ve just been allowing your generation to work out the bugs on the new technology, before we decided to embrace it.

The salesman laughed, "So your equipment did wear out. He held out his hand, My name is Eddie. What’s your name?"

I’m Curtis.

Well, Curtis, I will make sure that today’s experience is a pleasant one for you, and we send you home with all of the gear you need to have a great time.

Curtis nodded, Yeah. He picked up one of the units, How does this stuff work?

The salesman decided to be a smartass, The headwear sets up a neuro-ocular pathway link, which sends signals directly to the cerebral cortex. The cortex then stimulates the pineal gland, causing that gland to flood the body with Dopamine, the happy chemical in your brain, and various other hormones.

Curtis placed the VR headwear on the table, "I am a Dentist. I do have a medical background. If you choose to try to be condescending toward me, I will simply take my business elsewhere."

The salesman frowned, I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist. Let’s start over. He held out his hand, Curtis, I’m Eddie, I’ll be your VR advisor this afternoon. I would like to give you my personal thanks for stopping in today, and congratulate you on your choice of Somnitech for all of your VR experience needs. Only Somnitech can please the truly discriminating buyer. At Somnitech, we believe that perfection, is the only level of quality that is high enough to suit our customer’s needs.

Curtis shook his head, Go back to being a smartass. The ‘bad salesman’ routine doesn’t fit you.

Eddie laughed, I’m starting to like you.

Curtis picked up one of the units, how does someone actually use this thing?"

Eddie pointed to the VR helmet, "First, you press that release on the side of the device. The helmet activates. When you see the green light come on, you can slide the helmet over your head. It is possible to place the helmet on your head, then activate the device, but I don’t recommend doing that. The warm up period will feel like a lightning storm inside your brain."

Curtis nodded, Then what?

Then, you pick your experience. The device has over twelve million built in experiences. Like diving on a shipwreck, skiing in the Swiss Alps, skydiving. You name it, it’s there. Eddie looked around cautiously, then whispered, It’s got some hellatious porn programmed into the menu.

Curtis raised an eyebrow, I hear that these things can stimulate your actual memories, allowing you to relive fond moments of your life.

Eddie nodded, They sure can, but I don’t recommend actually reliving any of your fond memories. When you relive an event, your brain rewrites that event with your new experience, and the actual memory is erased forever. I recommend that you only view those memories passively, like watching a favorite movie. That way, your memory stays intact.

Eddie’s eyebrows furrowed, "If you have any bad memories. You can use this device to redo those moments, and turn those bad memories into good memories."

Curtis hefted the helmet, It feels light, almost like a motorcycle helmet.

"It is light. If it was heavy, it would interfere with your VR experience. We want you to not even realize that you have anything on. We want you to believe that what you are seeing is reality. Put it on, I’ll show you."

Curtis donned the VR helmet.

Eddie led him to a chair and helped him sit down, he spoke toward the device, Demo number seven. Go.

Curtis heard a momentary whirring sound, then he found that he was somewhere else. He looked around. He was standing in front of a cave in the woods. A voice from inside the cave called out to him, Come to me. I am the Dream Master. Let me discover what it is that you truly desire.

Curtis entered the cave, dust and small clumps of dirt continually rained down on him as he walked deeper into the cave. He felt his way along dark, damp, passageways. Several times, he had to stop and brush the cobwebs out of his face.

Several hundred feet inside the cave, the narrow, winding, tunnel suddenly opened up into a huge underground chamber. Small fires lit the room in a red orange glow. At the far end of the room a huge wolf lounged on a bed of furs.

The wolf stood, and called out, Come to me.

Curtis approached the wolf, then kneeled in front of her. The wolf’s eyes were like giant red lasers boring into his soul.

The wolf studied Curtis for several minutes, then said, I have seen your heart’s desire. You will receive it. But it will come at a great price. The wolf focused her laser eyes on Curtis’ heart. Instantly, Curtis’ body burst into flames. Curtis could actually feel the fire consuming him. He screamed.

Suddenly, the world around him ceased to exist. Curtis found himself sitting inside a retail store. He looked at the salesman, That was intense.

The salesman, Eddie, Curtis thought, that’s right, his name is Eddie, looked nervous, I’m sorry. I don’t know what went wrong. You were supposed to have experienced parasailing in the Caribbean. I don’t know what just happened to you.

Curtis felt dazed, I met with the, Dream Master, she told me that I would receive that which I truly desire.

Eddie’s eyebrows furrowed, What does this, Dream Master, look like?

She is a giant wolf.

"What is your heart’s desire?"

I don’t know, but she said I would receive it. Curtis frowned, But she said it would come at a great price.

Eddie nodded, She must have been referring to our top of the line equipment.

Top of the line?

Oh yes. What you were using was commercial grade. The DPI, quality is just slightly grainy. If you look closely, you can see microscopic lines where the image screens, come together. Our top of the line equipment is cutting edge. We no longer have to display an image inside the helmet. The helmet incorporates a bioelectric feedback unit that creates the image directly inside your mind.

That sounds highly advanced.

It’s cutting edge stuff. But cutting edge comes at a price. What you just used was the VR 21, ‘heads up’ display unit. Our latest model is the VR 27 ‘altered reality’ unit.

Do you have one?

Yes. But I gotta warn you. When you put it on, you will completely forget that any other world even exists. There are four rules that are designed to keep people safe when they are using VR equipment. The VR 27 creates rule number five, and rule number five negates everything.

What is rule number five?

"Rule five states: anyone using this device, will completely forget that there is another world to return to. So trying to use rules, one through four, to return to that ‘safe’ world, will become a physical impossibility for them."

"So… what is the price for this ‘cutting edge’ equipment?"

You’re gonna be glad you’re a Dentist. It’s two and a half million credit units.

Two and a half million credit units? These models on display are only four hundred thousand credit units.

"If you want cheap, pick any one of these units. They are all, quality built, VR devices. If you want to actually become a part of your VR world, pay the price and buy the cutting edge VR machine."

Curtis frowned, Grab the unit, before I change my mind.

Eddie nodded, Good choice. You won’t be disappointed. Eddie ran to the back room and came out with a box, labeled VR 27. He handed the unit to Curtis. There is an instruction manual inside the box. I would pull the device out of the box and walk you through how to use it. But the box only came in three days ago, I have never even seen one of these units. It’s the latest model."

Curtis nodded, I’ll take it home and figure it out. Thanks.

Thank you. It was a pleasure serving you today.

***

Curtis carried the box home. He placed the box on the dining table and went to brew a pot of coffee. Once the coffee started percolating, Curtis returned to the table. He opened the box and pulled out the device. He placed the device on the table and searched the box to find the instruction manual.

Curtis opened the instruction manual and started reading.

The VR 27 does not utilize internal screens, airflow chambers, or internal speakers to simulate Virtual Reality.

The VR 27 uses bio feedback in order to induce the body to go into a stage four sleep cycle.

Once the brain has adjusted to the stage four sleep pattern, the VR 27 sets up a, Theta induced, brain wave pattern. The VR 27 cycles through the following brain wave frequencies, in order to maximize the mental experience that you have pre-selected.

Theta Brain Waves (4 to 8 Hz)

4.5 Hz - Brings about Shamanic/Tibetan state of consciousness, Tibetan chants.

4.9 Hz - Induce relaxation and deeper sleep

4.9 Hz - Introspection. Relaxation, meditation

5 Hz - Reduces sleep required. Theta replaces need for extensive dreaming

5.35 Hz - Allows relaxing breathing, free and efficient

5.5 Hz - Inner guidance, intuition

6.5 Hz - Centre of Theta frequency. Activates creative frontal lobe

7.5 Hz - Activates creative thought for art, invention, music. Problem solving

7.5 Hz - Ease of overcoming troublesome issues

7.83 Hz - Schumann earth resonance. Grounding, meditative, leaves you revitalized

3 - 8 Hz - Deep relaxation, meditation. Lucid dreaming

3 - 8 Hz - Increased memory, focus, creativity

4 - 7 Hz - Profound inner peace, emotional healing. Lowers mental fatigue

4 - 7 Hz - Deep meditation, near-sleep brainwaves.

Curtis slowly sipped his coffee as he read the rest of the instructions for safe use of the equipment. The pamphlet ended with the caveat, Thank you for allowing Somnitech, to provide you with the equipment you need in order to enhance your VR experience.

Curtis placed the manual on the table, and slowly finished his coffee as he considered all of the information contained in the pamphlet. After finishing his coffee, he read the entire pamphlet twice more before donning the VR helmet.

Curtis placed the helmet on his head and said, Snow skiing down Mount Everest. He felt small vibrations, which felt like thousands of tiny fingers massaging his scalp. Suddenly, there was a flash of light, and he found himself standing at the top of Mount Everest. The icy wind buffeting him, the air was cold and thin, and it was hard to breathe.

Curtis had never been skiing before, but he instinctively knew what to do. He leaned forward and used his poles to push off. He found himself rocketing down the side of the steep mountain side. This was terrifying, he was not skiing, he was in a semi-controlled fall. Any second, he could lose that small portion of control that he had and go crashing down the mountain side.

Curtis spotted a small cross trail, he angled his skis sideways and pointed his toes toward the trail. He spun slightly left and managed to place himself on that trail. He glided down that trail, every small bump and mogul, sent him airborne for a few seconds.

He came to a cross trail, he made a small hop and did a ninety degree cutback to change directions. He now had the mountain to his right as he descended. He followed that trail, until it once again cut back. He hopped and turned, once again, in order to change directions.

Curtis was beginning to believe that he was going to survive this experience. Suddenly, Curtis saw a rock ledge ahead, he saw the climbing ropes that people used to scale this part of the mountain. He tried to cut back, in order to change directions and avoid this drop, all he managed to do was to go off the side of the cliff in a different location.

Curtis found himself flying through the air, about a mile and a half over the ground below. There was no chance of changing directions to drop onto the mountainside again. He was looking at one hell of a freefall. He heard a small voice, Pull the rip cord on your chute and glide down.

Curtis reached over his shoulder and found that he was wearing a parachute, he grabbed the small plastic rip cord handle, and pulled. There was a small jolt, then he started a controlled descent into the valley below. He thought to himself, what would have happened if I hadn’t been wearing this chute?

He heard a voice answer his unspoken question, The VR 27 would have removed you from the dream before you hit the ground. To die in the dream, is to die in real life. Your body would not have known the difference, and would have shut down permanently.

Curtis was confused, Is this a dream?

The voice answered, This is a VR experience, it is a dream, yet, it is so much more. The voice paused, Only the Dream Master can explain what this truly is… and the Dream Master is not ready to speak to you yet. He will call for you when he feels that you are finally ready.

Curtis found himself sitting on his sofa, he was holding the helmet on his lap, and he was breathing hard. He could vividly remember every second of the experience, and it all seemed real.

***

Curtis took several slow breaths to relax, then donned the helmet once again, he thought, I want to be Billy Clanton during the gunfight at the OK Corral.

Curtis was momentarily blinded by the bright light, he looked around, he was in a narrow lot next to Fly's Photographic Studio. He knew the people who were in the alley with him. He turned to his brother Ike, "The Earp brothers are coming,