That night Enzo Matrix's sleep was once again troubled by nightmares of memory. He saw the moment of his humiliation. What followed was a collage of images that swirled around his mind. He saw how he became angry, saw AndrAIa try to bring him back from the brink and saw his frustration over being stranded so far from home erupt into violence. He saw deletion and destruction and again he screamed...

This time when he awoke he threw himself out of bed. He pounded his fists on the wall and cursed but then caught himself. He breathed deep and slow and tried to regain his focus. "What would AndrAIa think of me now?" he muttered. He lay back in bed but refused to sleep.

Matrix remained up the rest of the night. With the coming of the Cyber Sun he dragged himself out of bed and ran his fingers through his hair. His mind was a jumble but he had no time to collect his thoughts. A vid window opened up and a familiar face appeared. "Good morning, my Son" the face said.

Matrix looked up and saw Phong, Mainframe's ruler staring back at him. Matrix never failed to marvel at the wisdom that the face projected. "Good morning Phong" Matrix replied a little weakly.

The sagely old sprite adjusted his glasses. "You seem troubled my Son. Are you alright?"

Matrix rubbed his eyes. "I'm okay".

"I need to speak with you in my office as soon as possible Matrix. A dilema has arisen and I need your participation in handling it" Phong said. Matrix stood up like a shot.

"Give me a nano to freshen up and I'll meet you in your office".

Phong nodded. "Take all the time you need my Son".

Matrix jumped in the energy shower, jumped out and then dried off. He tapped his icon and was immediately clad in his battle dress. He plucked GUN fom his holster and checked his power levels. Fully charged they read.

He returned GUN to his proper place, and made his way to Phong's office. Who knew what was going on. Had Megabyte survived and come back to Mainframe, had Daemon finally made it's prescence known, had Hex relapsed into insanity? Whatever it was, it stood no chance. Matrix would die for Mainframe if need be. Luckily, it didn't come to that.

Matrix burst into Phong's office. "What's the situation Phong, are we under attack?" he said.

Phong looked up from his desk and met the sprite's gaze.

"We are not under attack my son".

Matrix looked more than a little confused. "Then what's the dilema?"

Phong rolled out from behind his desk and stood beside Matrix. Matrix decided to come down on one knee so that Phong wouldn't have to strain his neck looking up at him. Phong put a hand on Matrix's shoulder. "The dilema is you, my Son. The well being of your sub conscious". Matrix shook his head.

"I don't understand. What do you mean?"

"I have been talking to AndrAIa" Phong began, "and she is very worried about the nightmares that have been plaguing you of late. She fears for you my son"

"Didn't trust me to come to Phong for help on my own did she" Matrix thought. "Phong, it's not as bad as she thinks. It's just some bad dreams. Everyone has them from time to time, they'll pass".

"Forgive me for saying this my Son but things are worse than you realize". The compartment on the front of Phong's body opened up and he produced a mirror. He held the mirror to Matrix's face. Allowing him to take a deep, long look. Matrix at last realized how haggard and tired he looked. The vibrancy, the intensity that he normally projected were no where to be seen on his features. His head drooped and he looked away. Phong placed the mirror back and broke the silence "Yes we all have nightmares but not every night. We need downtime, we need normal dreams if we are to function properly Matrix. AndrAIa only came to me because she loves you. She feels she has let you down somehow by not being able to help. Coming to me was very difficult for her".

Matrix rolled that around his brain for a moment. "I... I was going to come speak with you about this but....."

Phong cut him off. "But you are a proud sprite, I know. But now you are in my hands and I promise you now as I promised her earlier that I will help you".

Matrix looked the old sprite in the eyes. "How?" was all he said.

Phong smiled at him. A reasuring grin that put Matrix at ease. "No diagnosis can come without examination my son. Therefore, I must examine your dreamstate".

Matrix stood back up with a start. "But how?" he asked.

Phong rolled back to his desk, opened a drawer and produced a small green disk with a red center. He held it up so Matrix could see.

"What is it?" Matrix wondered aloud.

Phong turned it over in his long fingers. "An RDE or Reality Distortion Engine. This one has been modified to allow one sprite to view another's subconscious. That is at least how it is supposed to work".

Phong led Matrix to the medical section of the Principle Office. There he had had Matrix lie down on a table as he did the same all the while explaining what was about to happen. Phong told Matrix that they both would be induced to sleep by the device called the Downtime Ray, a device used by Binome Surgeons to put their patients to sleep. The ray was important to Phong's plans because of it's strength. It would immediately induce sleep but also a dream state. Therefore Phong could get to work quickly. Both would be wearing the modified RDEs. The devices would link them together via the subconscious and would hopefully allow Phong to leave his dreamstate and enter matrix's. That was the plan at least. "Are you ready my son?" Phong asked.

"Let's do it" Matrix replied.

Both placed an RDE on their foreheads and lay back on their tables. Phong held the Downtime ray activation module in his hand. He pressed the button. The device lowered fom the ceiling and bathed both sprites in an orange glow that lasted a mere nano second. Instantly the two were asleep.

And the dreams began...

Matrix found himself in one of his least favorite places. It was a system he and AndrAIa had fallen into on the long road home. It was falling apart, a virus had corrupted it, it's Guardians were no more. Enzo would see worse on his travels but this one stuck out. All around him was war.

The binomes and sprites infected by the virus battled a resistance force. Matrix didn't know it at the time but this was exactly how he would find Mainframe when he got back there. It proved to be something of a training ground but he couldn't think about that now. All he could think of was the little sprite who lay in his arms. The one who he was too late to save. The one that died as held on to it. This nightmare was one of his worst memories ever and he let out a cry of despair and anger. He cursed being stranded here, seeing good sprites and binomes dying left and right and being powerless to do anything about it. He put the dead sprite down and plucked GUN from his side. Matrix then began to fire at anything that come in sight, drowning his frustrations in destruction. His anger clouded his vision so much so that he was unable to to notice the landscape that was changing and swirling about him, becoming brighter and less distinct with every breath until Matrix found himself in a white void alone. Well not quite alone.

A familiar voice calmed him. "That is enough my Son, enough!"

Matrix twirled around and saw Phong. He placed GUN back in it's holster and fell to his knees and held out his hands like a child beckoning a parent. Phong saw that Matrix was trembling and scared so he went to him and embraced him. "It is alright my Son, it is alright" he said as he calmed Matrix.

"Did you see it, did you see it" Matrix cried.

"Yes, I saw all my Son and I understand. I fully understand all you went through. And I may have found your solution".

Matrix looked at his old teacher. "Where is it, what is it? he demanded.

"Rise Matrix" Phong stated. "Rise and follow me".

The two old friends walked for what seemed like minutes before finally reaching their goal. As they walked, the ground became darker, blacker and an indistict shape began to form in front of them As they walked the way became darker, the shape much clearer. This continued until the reached their destination and the shape came fully into view. When matrix realized what it was all he could say was "unbelievable".

In front of them stretched a wall, the biggest wall ever seen. It stretched upwards and sideways for as far as the eye could see. At first Matrix thought he detected movement in it but upon closer examination he discovered that it was not the wall itself moving but images moving across the wall's face.

The images danced and flickered, came and went but Matrix recognized them easily. They were his experiences, his memories of being lost in the games and all the horror therein. "What is it" Matrix questioned his old friend.

"For lack of a better term, I would call it a Memory Wall. In your case, a bad Memory Wall" Phong said.

"But why bad memories of the past and why now of all times? I'm home, mainframe is free, things could never be better why now, why these memories" Matrix asked as the images continued to flicker on the wall's surface.

"Now is precisely the reason Enzo, the key to your puzzle" Phong answered. Matrix was more than a little confused. Phong understood and explained. "You see Enzo, while you and your companions were trapped in the games traveling from system to system, you were fixated on three goals, and nothing else. One, survival, Two, finding Bob and three, coming home in one piece. These goals were always foremost on your mind. These three goals and nothing else. The hectic pace of trying to stay alive left no time for you to reflect on your situation or what you saw and experienced. You put this things quite literaly in the back of your mind, locked them away while you stayed focused on other things. Now you are home, you survived and you rescued Bob. Your life has slowed down considerably since then, so these memories burst forth taking advantage of this lapse. They invaded your subconscious, and infected your dreams like a virus. They built the wall you see before you and locked out the good dreams, dreams of pleasant memories or of the future. But now that you are here, you can end this torment".

Matrix tried to take it all in. "How", Matrix said, "how can I do it".

Phong pointed to the wall. "Memories, dreams, they can be very tricky and difficult to deal with but you're solution is simple my Som. Tear down the wall. Free yourself from the past, forever".

Matrix didn't have to hear that a second time. He was about to bring out GUN when he decided to take a more straight forward, more apt approach to the situation. He turned to Phong and smiled at his old teacher. "Thank you old friend, now stand back".

Matrix drew back his arm, let out a defiant cry and let loose with a mighty punch. His fist smashed a large whole in the wall's facade. As he drew back he and Phong became aware of a rumbling. They moved back a safe distance and watched. What they saw was this, in every direction, from top to bottom, the wall cracked and toppled. All around was the loud rumbling of the wall's destruction. The fall of bad memories. The two voyagers could have sworn that at one point, the wall actually let out a mournful cry but they couldn't be sure. It ended quickly though.

In what seemed like the blink of an eye, the wall was demolished, Matrix was free. The horizon beyond was bright and glistening.

Martix looked at it or a moment and then spoke. "Phong, what do you think is in there?"

Matrix didn't receive an answer so he turned around. Phong was no longer there. Matrix scanned the horizon for a Moment but then heard his voice.

"My role in this drama is over my Son. What lies beyond, you must see for yourself. I will await you on the outside". And the voice faded away.

Matrix was left alone. The bright light called him. He moved into it.

Matrix was at peace. He was calm and he closed his eyes and opened them again slowly. He found himself in Mainframe, bright beautiful Mainframe. His home. He became aware of others around him, binomes who went about their business oblivious to his prescence. He was still in the dream state and the image began to sparkle and blur and he found himself in the park where two figures caught his attention. he recognised them immediately. It was Bob and Dot, a little older but it was them, walking together in the park, Bob's arm around her. But something was different beyond their age at least something was different about Dot. She had a slighlty puffier look about her not fat, just puffy. Matrix looked her up and down and understood. Dot's stomach was swollen. In that moment, he understood.

Inside her was a baby, the baby of Dot and Bob. Matrix finally noticed the rings that adorned a finger in their left hands and in that moment he realized the depth of his love for them. He reached out, he wanted to touch them, to tell them how much they meant but the image swirled and sparkled again. Matrix now found himself in place that he had never seen.

It was gigantic. It glistened like the brightest cyber sun and at once he knew, he knew he was in Bob's birthplace, the Super Computer. Again the image changed and Matrix saw a sprite about his age, a sprite who like him was large and muscular. His skin was golden, he was shirtless and he shone brightly. Sudenly Matrix heard a voice. "I'm very impressed with the demonstration of your skills Backup".

"Backup?" Matrix thought. "Backup, this was little Backup, grown intro man?" The source of the voice appeared from behind the young sprite and it was someone Matrix recognised. Turbo, the Prime Guardian. His face was badly scarred from the Daemon infection but otherwise he looked in magnificent shape. Matrix knew, somehow he knew that Daemon had been destroyed and the Guardians freed. Turbo spoke again. "I need someone like you to round out my new staff". Turbo offered his hand. "Will you join us?"

Backup reached out and shook the hand of the Prime Guardian. Matrix heard the adult Backup speak for the first time. "It would be an honor and priviledge, Sir" he said, with a deep voice that would scare any virus to death.

"I'm glad to welcome you to the Guardian Directive Backup" Turbo stated. "By the way, where did you learn those techniques?"

"I was taught by the best Sir. Enzo Matrix" Backup said.

"He taught you well" Turbo said.

It was all Matrix would see and hear of the Super Computer and his pupil.

The image blurred and reformed again. But this one took awhile to fully form. Matrix saw a gathering of friends, all sitting down on long benches inside some building. Just about everyone he knew was there. Phong (looking much older), Hack and Slash (after apparently going through some sort of upgrade), Little Enzo (now a teenager), Frisket, Mike the TV, even Hexadecimal. Bob and Dot sat in the front row. Dot's hair was now much longer and Bob sported a moustache. Dot was crying but Matrix couldn't undsrstand why. Then he saw what had their attention. Two sprites, a man and woman who was veiled were getting married. The image shifted and Matrix saw himself!

The Priest spoke. "By the power vested in me by the Net, the core, Mainframe and the User, I pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride". Matrix saw the vision of himself approach the woman who was veiled. "Please, please let it be her" Matrix pleaded. The vision lifted the veil and he saw the face he prayed he would see. She had tan skin, silvery eyes that sparkled like diamonds and three freckles on each cheek. AndrAIa. The newlyweds kissed. As they did Matrix sank to his knees so overcome by joy he was. But that wasn't the final vision.

The image swirled one final time and matrix had one last vision. The beach of Mainframe. A family outing. He, AndrAIa, Bob, Dot and a now very old Phong who rested in a deck chair. Matrix saw the vision of himself now fully bearded. Bob (who still had his moustache) was with him as well. They both held the hand of a small child and frolicked with the little one in the water. The child was quite striking. A boy with green skin like his Mother and hair of the brightest silicon silver like his Father. The child of Bob and Dot. His Nephew.

Matrix turned round and saw Dot as beautiful as ever, her dark hair very long. She was talking to someone. That someone was AndrAIa, her Aqua hair cut short, just as it was when she was a child.

Both women held something in their arms. Something small but alive and bursting with promise and again Matrix knew what it was, who they were. Matrix walked over and looked at his and AndrAIa's children, beautiful children, their twins. A boy with tan skin and black hair, a girl with green skin and aqua hair. Bob and the vision of his futre self brought his nephew over to others. Dot handed the boy to Matrix's double and picked up her son. She and Bob doted on the child as AndrAIa and her husband took their children over to see Uncle Phong.

Matrix saw a family. One that loved each other very much and without meaning to, he began to cry but not tears of sadness. He brought his hands to his face and wept tears of joy.

Matrix awoke in the Priciple Office Medical sector. Phong hovered over him. The wise old sprite removed the RDE from Matrix's forehead and he sat up. "You did it Phong. You saved me" he said.

Phong shook his head. "No my Son. You saved yourself, you banished the nightmares, you defeated the persistence of memory".

Matrix slid off the table and rubbed his eyes. He felt refreshed, new and vibrant. "If you hadn't shown me the path, I never would have made it back. Phong, you're the greatest teacher I ever had. You're the greatest sprite that ever lived".

Phong looked at the floor a moment then returned Matrix's gaze. "Some would say the same of you my Son" he said softly. "May I ask, he continued, as to what you saw beyond the wall?"

"I saw the future, a wonderful future for us and Mainframe. It was beautiful Phong, it was so beautiful" Matrix said. Then he added "Phong do you think it will come to pass?" The old sage thought for a moment.

"It is my experience that sometimes, dreams do come true my Son".

Matrix bent down and hugged his old friend. "I love you Phong".

Phong returned the hug. "I love you too my Son. Now go live your dreams. Live the future".

"I will, Matrix said. "I'm going to jump the gun and make a dream come true".

The muscular sprite called Enzo Matrix walked out of the Principle Office a new man. The nightmares were ended and the future lay ahead, new memories, sweet memories ready to be born. His mind was made up. It was time. He went to a certain shop and purchased a certain item. Afterwards he paid a visit to his Sister and Bob. He told them of his decision and showed them his purchase. Dot hugged her little brother and tried to hold back her tears. Bob too hugged him and told him how proud he was.

Matrix took their blessings and headed off to the Eight Ball Arms. He went up to AndrAIa's apartment and opened a vid window. "AndrAIa, can I come in?"

She saw his face and lit up. "You know it lover. I'm in the garage".

Matrix walked in and made his way to the garage chamber. AndrAIa was working on her bike. She was clad in shorts and a tank top. She had pony tailed her hair to keep it out of the way. "Hey honey" Matrix said as he went to embrace her.

"Whoops hold on, don't want machine oil all over you" she said as she wiped her hands clean with a towel. They kissed and hugged in greeting.

"AndrAIa, we need to talk about a few things" Matrix stated matter of factly.

"Okay" she replied, a little confused. He brought her over to the work bench in the corner and sat her down. He sat beside her and took her hand. "I know you talked to Phong about my problems". She was about to say something but he hushed her. "Let me finish, I know why you did it. I understand and I want to thank you"

"Thank me?" she said.

"I promised you that I would seek his help but you knew I wouldn't because I'm stubborn".

"Well that is true" she said with a wry grin.

"Look, Phong helped me. It's a long story and we're not going to get into it now but the nightmares are gone. They won't be bothering me again. When I'm ready, I'll tell you what we did but not today. We have something else to talk about today".

"Alright, what are we going to talk about lover" she asked.

"Well I was hoping that you might start to call me something other than Lover" he said rather seriously.

AndrAIa looked confused for the second time that day. "What , what do mean, what do you want me to call you" she replied.

"I was hoping that you might call me, he took a deep breath, "Husband".

AndrAIa's silvery eyes opened wide with suprise. Matrix took out a small box from his jacket and opened it up. Inside was a ring of diamond. AndrAIa was nearly speechless. "Enzo" was all she could say.

"AndrAIa, will you marry me" he asked.

She stood up and pulled him with her. She looked him in the eyes. He smiled at her and awaited her answer. AndrAIa took his hands in her's and she responded. "Yes".

Matrix placed the ring on her finger. They embraced tightly. "I love you Enzo, I love you so much" she said. "It'll be so wonderful"

"You don't know how wonderful" he thought to himself. "But you'll see in time". Matrix put his hand to her chin and lifted up her head. They kissed for what seemed like an eternity.

That night Enzo Matrix and AndrAIa dreamed. And they rested peacefully. Together.

All the things,
you said to me today,
changed my perspective in every way.
These things come to mean so much to me,
into my faith, you and your baby.

It's out there
If you want me
I'll be here

I'll be dreaming my dreams
with you,
I'll be dreaming my dreams
with you
and there's no other place
that I'd lay down my face
and be dreaming my dreams with you.

Dreaming my Dreams-The Cranberries

Dedicated to Husbands, Wives, lovers and dreamers everywhere.