No Dreams Last Forever

By: TJ Caracino

Chapter 1

"I dreamed a dream of you. It was good while it lasted."

- King Arthur of Camelot, First Knight

Date: October 15th, 2567

I look in the bathroom mirror and straighten my tie for what must be the hundredth time. My nerves are completely shot. Though in my estimation, I have good reason to be nervous. I am going to meet the most powerful person on the face of the planet: Neo-Queen Serenity. Me... a slightly overweight, nobody professor from NYU.

I hear a knock on the door of my hotel room. It must be my ride to the Crystal Palace. I check my appearance in the mirror one last time. Professor Mizuno gave no indication when we meet as to how I should dress, so I bought myself black dress pants; a blue silk shirt; a black vest, a black suit jacket, black shoes, and a white tie to wear. On the lapel of my suit jacket is a short-stemmed white rose, a touch which I feel will make a favorable impression on the Queen. I must say that I look fairly good. My slightly graying, brown hair is parted neatly to the right, my beard is nicely trim, and my contacts make my hazel eyes seem to sparkle.

Whoever is at my door knocks again. Switching off my bathroom light, I walk through the bedroom and head for the door of my room. I pause once more, my hand on the door handle, and take a deep breath. I don't think I have been this nervous about anything since I was a kid.

Having composed myself finally, I open the door to a reveal a lovely woman who stood over me by about two inches, just enough for me to notice. Her hair and nails are a bright green, but I took that in stride. In Crystal Tokyo, things like this are a dime a dozen. What actually surprises me is that she is dressed in a yellow senshi uniform. After a second, it clicks. This must be Sailor Polaris, or Titanite, Crystal Tokyo's press secretary and the only of the Lesser senshi to become be accepted as part of the Crystal Tokyo elite. She smiles at me and says, "Doctor Jack Hall?"

"That's me," I reply, flashing her my best smile and bowing slightly. "And I assume that you are the famous Sailor Polaris."

Her smile widens at my use of the word "famous". I don't think I'll mention that the only reason I know her is because my ten-year-old daughter is constantly watching her videos. "So how are we getting to the Palace?" I ask, hoping to change the subject so that she won't question me on her videos. "Car, bus, what?"

Sailor Polaris smiles shifts to a sly one as she steps closer. "Like this," she says, wrapping her arm around my waist. Before I can comment on her sudden familiarity, I see and sort of feel space warp around me. Colors blur, merge, and are replaced faster than my eye can follow. Finally, it all stops and I stagger away from Sailor Polaris, nausea growing in my stomach. I place my hand against the first stable thing I come across as I fight the overwhelming urge to throw up. "Ti, you really should have warn the man."

I glance up in alarm to see that I am steadying myself against none other than Lord Calcite, another of Crystal Tokyo's elite. Hastily I draw my hand away and take a step backwards. Actually, I more or less stagger away from him and almost fall over. Only Lord Calcite's quick reflexes save me from crashing to the floor. As he helps me steady myself, I hear Sailor Polaris say, "Sorry, bro, but I figured he would be able to handle the teleport."

Lord Calcite helps me over to one of the benches that line the corridor and sits me down. "Where am I?" I manage as the nausea begins to subside.

"You are in the anteroom just outside the throne room," Lord Calcite says. "My sister transported you here without thinking of what the side-effects would be."

Then, as suddenly as the nausea beset me, it vanishes and leaves me with the realization of how close I came to vomiting on the shoes of one of the most important people in Crystal Tokyo. Hastily I leap to my feet and make a quick bow.

"My Lord, I'm truly am sorry..." I stop in mid-sentence as I see the look of pain in his eyes.

"Please," he says, rising off the bench, "call me Calcite. The lord is just an honorary title."

Something told me there was more behind that than what he was saying. I mentally file the hunch away to ask him at a later time. "Certainly, my L ... Calcite," I say.

Calcite smiles at me and stands. "Ti and I will go inform the Queen that you have arrived. She should summon you momentarily."

With that, the two vanish, leaving me alone. I notice the difference between the two with amusement. Calcite had disappeared without fanfare or special effects; Titanite, on the hand, had struck a pose and vanished in a flash of light and a swirl of cherry blossoms. The differences between the two would probably fascinate Doctor Paipera, the psychology professor at NYU.

I sit back down on the bench and mentally start to review my speech. It is the same one that I gave the Grant Board almost two years ago. Now this is my last chance to show the Grant Board that I am not a "worthless investment" as one member of the Board called me at the meeting. My teeth grind together as I remember that meeting...

* * * * * * *

I stood in front of the semi-circle table that sat the five members of the Grant

Board. Each member represented one of the most powerful industries in the Northern United States. To the far left was Mr. Frank Calino, the representative of SEPTA, the king of public transportation since the reawakening. Next to Frank Calino was Miss Carlota Panger of the Disney Corporation, monarch of the media. In the center of the table sat Mr. James Bay, representing the still czar of the computer industry, Microsoft. Next came Mrs. Allison Rynder of the K-Mart Foundation, the leader in the consumer goods industry. The final member of the Grant Board was Mr. David Reiner of the Irons Corporation, the front-runner in the new space race and the only corporation to be founded after the Reawakening.

"So you would like to us to give you a grant of over 500,000 dollars so that you can research into the connection between the Silver Millennium and the legends that have cropped up over the years?" Mr. Calino said, leaning forward.

"Yes, that is correct," I replied.

"Why?" Miss Panger asked. "If I may be so bold, but what difference does it make? Given how far back the Fall occurred, this seems to be a worthless investment on our part."

My teeth ground together at his description of my work. "I am particular interested in the downfalls of these mythical kingdoms," I explained, patiently. "I hope that by finding out what caused the fall of Silver Millennium, we could avoid the same happening in this area."

"But we don't live in the same society that existed during the Silver Millennium,"

Mr. Bay said.

"With all do respect, sir, how do you know that?" I shot back. "Maybe the society that existed in the Silver Millennium is the same as the one that exists today. Without finding out what we can about the past, we are doomed to repeat their mistakes."

"How would you propose going about finding out what occurred in a civilization that has been dead for over Lord knows how many millennium?" Mrs. Rynder asked.

"The Manna Wells of Earth were open at the time, so by using simply divination, we should be able to come up with most of the facts. After that it would be a simple matter to interview the Senshi of Crystal Tokyo to fill in the gaps."

The room was silent. Finally, Mr. Reiner glanced at the other members of the

Board. "If there are no further questions for Dr. Hall, I believe we should vote on the issue. Mr. Calino?"

"Yea."

"Miss Panger?"

"Nay."

"Mrs. Rynder?"

"Yea."

"Mr. Bay?"

"Nay."

Mr. Reiner turned his eyes to me. "A tie," he said. He bit his lower lip.

"Unfortunately. . ."

Mr. Reiner jerked suddenly as if he had been jolted with electricity. Obvious to the looks from myself and the other board members, Mr. Reiner looked down at his watch in surprise. He pushed a button on its side, spun his chair around so that he was no longer facing me, and pushed himself away from the table and the other board members. I could hear he mumbling something, almost like he was arguing with someone. Finally, he spun his chair back around to face me. For a moment, he simply sat there and stared at me. Taking a breath, he said, "Yea."

* * * * * * *

To this day, I believe that Mr. Reiner was going to say no until he received that he looked at his watch. Whoever the man is (or was) that Mr. Reiner was arguing with, I owe him to produce some results with this research. Unfortunately, I am now at the end of my rope. The divinations of the Manna Wells did not produce the results I had expected. The mages could only tell that "bad things" had happen, to quote one of them. And I spent most of the grant the board had given me in hiring those mages, leaving me with next to nothing in terms of cash.

I lean back, thinking on the year and a half I wasted on divinations before

I realized that the senshi were the only way to find out about the Silver Millennium. I began calling in favors to meet with Doctor Ami Mizuno, the Senshi of Ice and Water, Sailor Mercury.

I had hoped that she would meet out of professional courtesy at the least. I sent her a letter, including my theories and what I had assumed about the Silver Millennium. While e-mail would have gotten to her a lot faster, I felt that sending her a letter would catch her attention and show her that I truly wanted to do this. About a week later, I received a call from Dr. Mizuno. Unfortunately, it came while my vid-phone was on the fritz and in the shop for repairs, so I had to speak to her through an older model of phone which provide a voice only connection. She was very enthusiastic about my theories and wanted to meet with me as soon as possible.

Two hours after receiving her call, I was on a plane to Japan. It took me another week to get an actual appointment with Dr. Mizuno and I had several brief conversations with her without ever actually seeing her.

* * * * * * *

I knocked on the door to Dr. Mizuno's office and walked in. Inside was a young woman with gleaming blue hair sitting at a very neat and orderly desk. The young woman was dressed in a simple, blue dress with a white, lab coat overtop. Across from her sat a young man dressed tan khakis, a white polo shirt, and a pair of brown dockers.

Both of them looked up as I entered the office. "Hello," the young woman said. "Can I help you with anything?"

"Yes, I'm Dr. Jack Hall," I answered. "I'm looking for Dr. Ami Mizuno?"

The young woman stood up, rounded the desk, and bowed to me. "Dr. Hall, it's so good to see you," she said. "I'm Dr. Mizuno."

I quickly bowed back, then said, "I'm sorry, I must be looking for your grandmother or some type of relative. She was the original Sailor Mercury."

The young man at the desk covered his mouth in a vain attempt to mask his laughter. Dr. Mizuno merely gave me a small smile. "I am the original Sailor Mercury."

"What?" I stammered. "But... I... I..." I took a deep breath. "I was expecting someone older."

Dr. Mizuno laughed. "Most people are," she said. She gestured to the man at the desk. "Dr. Hall, this is my husband, Tom James Endo-Bradington. Tom, this is Dr.

Jack Hall of New York University."

I shook hands with the man as he rose from his seat, amazed at the strength behind his grip. Mr. Bradington turned to his wife and said, "Since you have business to attend to, I'll get going. See you at home."

With that, he kissed Dr. Mizuno on the cheek and left. Dr. Mizuno gestured for me to take a seat as she sat back down. "Thank you for coming on such short notice, Dr. Hall," she said as I sat.

"Thank you for seeing me," I countered. I produced a digital palm recorder.

"Do you mind if I record this? It's easier than taking notes."

"Be my guest," Dr. Mizuno said. I pressed the side of the recorder in, activating it. "Though I have a feeling you will be somewhat disappointed."

I glanced up at her in alarm. "What do you mean?"

"I remember very little of the Silver Millennium and what I do remember will most likely not help you."

I slumped back in my chair, letting the palm recorder fall to the table with a soft thud. "Then why am I...?"

Dr. Minuzo leaned forward. "Because in two days time, you will be giving a presentation of your theories to Neo-Queen Serenity and King Endymion."

I blinked twice. "Do they remember more than you do?" I asked, hope creeping into my voice.

"No," Dr. Mizuno admitted. "But Queen Serenity might be able to use the Silver

Crystal to help you."

I frowned. "How?" I asked. "I thought that use of the Silver Crystal's power would kill the Queen."

"No, the Queen is constantly using the power," Dr. Mizuno explained. "Only the full use of its power would kill her."

"So I have two days to prepare?" I asked, grasping at my last hope.

"Yes."

"If you will excuse me, Doctor, I believe I must prepare myself." I stood up, grabbing my palm recorder and pushing the side again to turn it off. I bowed to Dr.

Mizuno as I said, "Thank you."

As I turned to leave, Dr. Mizuno said, "Oh, a word of advice, make your speech interesting enough to capture the attention of a ten-year-old."

I look over my shoulder at her. "Why?"

"Trust me."

* * * * * * *

"Dr. Hall?"

I look in surprise to see another one of the senshi standing over me. She is very beautiful, dressed in an orange fuku with a red bow in her hair. It was Sailor Venus: the Senshi of Love and Beauty. Her eyes meet mine as she beckons me to follow her.

I trail her down the hall in silence glancing around at my surroundings as I do.

Everything seems to be made of solid crystal. And the interesting part is that if you look at the walls just right you can see through them. At the end of the hall there are two large doors open wide to admit the public. Waiting next to the doors, like a pair of sentinels, are the last of the Inner Scouts: Sailor Jupiter, the Senshi of Earth and Lightning, and Sailor Mars, the Senshi of Spirit and Fire. Both are dressed in their respective senshi uniforms and both look more imposing than Sailor Venus and Sailor Polaris did.

The first thing I notice upon entering is the feeling of peace that befalls me. I suddenly feel as if a great weight has been lifted off my shoulders. The analytical part of my mind immediately informs me that it must me some sort of enchantment to make me feel at ease and off-guard. But for what I am here for, it actually works to my advantage.

The Throne Room is actually rather small and plain. A thin red carpet runs from the doors to the Royal Dais where King Endymion and Neo-Queen Serenity sit. The rest of the throne room is made up of the same crystal that the rest of the Crystal Palace is made of. But unlike the rest of the crystal, no matter how hard you try, you cannot see through this crystal.

King Endymion sits in the throne to my left, completely at ease. A ghost of a smile lay upon his lips, almost as if he knew something that no one else did. He is wearing a purplish tuxedo-type garment as normal. Most feel the tuexedo-ish make of his clothes are a tribute to his days as Tuxedo Mask. His blue eyes made contact with mine and instantly I find myself liking the King of Crystal Tokyo.

To the left of the Royal Dais stand representatives from Crystal Tokyo University, some of whom I recognize. There's Dr. Mizuno, who smiles as she catches my eye. I see Dr. Pyrite, who excels in the Crystal magic (subsequently Magsci) & interdimensional sciences, and next to him Dr. Azurite, who specializes in so many fields its impossible to remember them all. I saw them both once when Dr. Pyrite gave a speech on the magical matrixes at NYU.

To the right of the Royal Dais stands all of the Senshi and Lord Calcite. I hadn't noticed Sailor Jupiter or Sailor Mars join Sailor Venus, Sailor Polaris or

Lord Calcite by the throne base.

Turning away from the Sailor Senshi, I gaze upon my main audience for my presentation: Neo-Queen Serenity. She is the picture of beauty and power. Dressed in a regal looking white dress, she sits up straight in her chair, her twin, blond ponytails draping around her. She smiles at me, filling me with a confidence I didn't have until that moment.

Placing my left hand behind my back, I click my heels together and bow, bringing my right arm across chest as go down and bringing it up above my head as I come up. "A rose," I say, stepping forward towards the Queen and extending my right hand towards her, "for the gracious ruler of Crystal Tokyo."

With a flick of my wrist, I produce a small white rose in my right hand. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Sailor Mars and Lord Calcite start at the sudden appearance of the rose in my hand. Even the Queen looks mildly surprise as she takes the rose from my hand. I take a few step back away from the Royal Dais, coming to stop near the senshi and Lord Calcite. "How did you do that?" King Endymion asks, voicing what is most likely going through everyone's head.

I smile at the King and reach out with my right towards Sailor Venus. She doesn't move or give a word of protest as I cup my hand behind her ear and produce a quarter.

"With the little used art of sleight-of-hand," I say. "When I produced the rose, you all immediately started searching for magic energy that I must have used to create it. What you failed to notice is that the flower I wore on my lapel is gone. When I bowed, I simply remove the flower from my lapel and produced seemingly out of thin air." I step towards the center of the room so I can better address the whole room as I continue, "You went straight to the obvious solution: real magic. When you live in a world where real magic is common place that is the natural answer. But you never considered another source for the rose."

I can see that I have their attention. Even the Queen seems genuinely interested in what I'm saying. I meet her eyes as I continue. "That is what my theory is about: Another source. For centuries, historians, scholars, and common, every-day people have tried to explain where our legends, our myths, or our beliefs come from. We have attached them to everything from the stars to the motion of the planet. But recently, we were presented with another source for those legends which must be now be considered: the Silver Millennium.

"The Silver Millennium is the one thing that all mankind has in common. Similar

legends can be found all of the world. Legends such as King Arthur and Camelot can be found with different names in China. Legends such as the mysterious isle of Atlantis can be found in the same form all over the world. The Silver Millennium could be the source for most, or all, of the legends that have been told over the centuries.

"The thing I most interested in is the fall of the Silver Millennium. Almost all legends deal in some way with an ending. Camelot, Atlantis, Acardia, Mu..." I pause as I see King Endymion's expression sadden at the mention of Mu. I mentally file the expression to come back to later as I continue, "All of them end in tragedy and all of them warnings in a way. The cause behind the Silver Millennium's fall is well known: a witch-queen by the name of Beryl; but the reasons behind the Fall are not known. Questions must still be answered. How did it happen? Could it have been prevented? And what can we learn from it? If we do not discover the secrets hidden by the veil of the past, then we are doomed to relive the mistakes they made and doomed to suffer the same fate."

"When I first started to research into this, I hired a mage to do a simple divination on the Manna Wells of the world. Unfortunately, the Wells have been closed for so long that divinations are impossible. After that, I had hoped to interview you, the Senshi, and piece together what had happened through your accounts. But once more, misfortune reared its head. Dr. Mizuno revealed to me that you did not remember much of your past in the Silver Millennium."

Queen Serenity nods, confirming what I just said. "Then why are you here? There seems to be no way for us to help you."

Dr. Mizuno steps forward saving me from having to give a reason as to why I am here. "I have theory that you can use the Ginshousu to create a holographic recreation of the Silver Millennium that Dr. Hall can use to study the past."

"Are you sure it could do that?" Queen Serenity asks. "I don't normally use it for something like that."

"According to Ferrite, before it was forged into the Ginshousu, it was called the God Chamber. One of Pyrite's theories is that the God Chamber effected reality inside the chamber and could change it however the user wanted, creating images much like our holodeck does. When it was forged into the Ginshousu, the power switched so that it would effect reality outside of it. It should still have the power that our holodeck has."

"I don't know if I can do this," Queen Serenity says looking back at me.

"But I'm willing to try."

She holds out her hand as her eyes close and instantly a small, clear crystal appears in her hand. Her face becomes a mask of concentration as she calls forth the power of the Ginshousu. I hold my breath, waiting for my last hope to become a reality. But after a few moments, it becomes obvious that nothing is going to happen. Queen Serenity opens her eyes and looks at me sadly. "I'm sorry..."

The crystal flashes.

I blink in surprise. No one else seems to have noticed this.

"...Dr. Hall, I agree with what..."

The crystal flashes again, a bit brighter than before.

I stare at the crystal, trying to figure out what is going on.

"...you were saying and I too would like to..."

Flash, brighter than before.

"...learn more about the Silver Millennium..."

Flash, brighter.

"...but it seems that there seems there..."

Flash, almost blinding.

"... is nothing I can do. I truly wish I could help..."

As the words leave the Queen's mouth, the Ginshousu lets forth a blinding, white light that fills the room. My hands come up and cover eyes as I involuntarily take a step back. I trip over my own feet and slowly begin to fall...