“But I don’t understand… Is this happening now? …Can’t I climb a dream on my own? …Why do you appear again, Manqui? …Am I still not free from you?”
“I want to tell you stories from past earthly sunrises, with mountains and forests; …To still manipulate you even here… in your spatiotemporal nothingness. Remember …what I told my judges when they asked for their dues. ‘Wait, I’ve already paid enough. Now it’s my turn!'”
“…I remember… yes… Your words convinced me so much… that I’ll use them for myself now! Because this unique… new… condition of freedom suits me! Get out of my dream. The misty alternation of transparencies ends… eh… starts whenever I say… I say now! From this third and beyond… I prefer a black-and-white scene in detail… eh… of a sunrise… on a piece of Earth… with water… lots of water… I was thirsty.”
He drinks a bit from the special pocket of drinking water in his survival belt, closes his eyes, and can now dream of himself, again, outside the framework of reality.
There he sees a dazzling new sun rise slowly revealing its new form through its shadow. It’s no longer the two-legged upright Choky but a very peculiar creature that, abstractly, resembles and reminds him of something familiar yet alien. It has a proud tail and crawls on all fours with a staggering gait. Puzzled amidst the dizziness, he manages to balance.
“…At least… Manqui isn’t around here… everything’s fine for now… this dream… But what is this other creature… coming towards me?”
He encounters this differently mysterious, yet beautifully black, charming quadruped with its large attractive tail. They instantly feel the urge of sway as they approach, to entwine their swaying tails and forget their four legs and nonexistent arms.
The smoke of a fire, probably from the previous night, watches astonished as they leap and spin in the streams flowing into the sea. They perform a sweet, slow, playful, and sensual dance on the sandy beach, where the female welcomes, as romantically as possible, bowing to the rising sun, the quadruped male Choky standing upright on two legs. Oneiranthropy.
They dance for so long that it seems like they’re standing still in time, until Manqui reappears with his own terms. Just before Choky manages to change his dream again, shouting “What do you want again, Manqui?” he reminds him that it’s time for food. Even then, she entertains him. The dog is amazing, sitting beside him, waiting her turn, and will settle for the leftovers! With all that’s happening, what a paradise…
“When I escaped from the… Doggie Foodhouse… where were you? …Ah… I remember… the peculiar Human took you away from my company… Well… I’ve almost covered everything in our sector and I’ve already lived an exciting life! …Full of games… scents… suspense and twists! …And dog trainers… ha, ha!
Whether you like it or not… there’s an explanation in your bedtime murmurs! …Ha… ha… ha! … Choky! …How long has it been! …It’s like you’ve changed… and what a nice belt! …But listen first!”
This time it’s Ro who ultimately wakes up Choky with his words.
“I searched… I found evidence… that some generations ago we were simpler beings… without worries… burdens, as if we didn’t have… freedom… work… hands. Maybe we even had four legs. Now it seems we have evolved… naturally or not, who cares… we have embraced humanitarian traits… we have embraced human ways!”
“I don’t like this way… but I like it a little… I’ll embrace you now… like fellow humans… I you… dog-man… old dog, Ro? …But where were you… what are you shouting in my sleep?”
“…That I always missed you… to smell you… in front of me… after so many turns… so many changes… it seems unthinkable… I believe now that… I’ve made it! Ha, ha!”
Choky, although groggy from the dream and distressed, immediately recognized his old friend and began to tell him about his adventures in different and mysterious worlds. How he managed to overcome every difficulty that arose with his amazing survival belt with pockets and auxiliary tools.
He found most of his enjoyment when passing through waste sectors. There, after enjoying the shows, he slipped away with unbelievable ease as all the Common Guards were devoted to performances with live music.
“One can always find music in waste sectors!”
He had the necessary food production components in a long pocket of his belt and nothing else worried him except finding and stealing whatever organic material he could find in the bins in order to later turn it into food. Even if he caught a scent, he had already taken the path of escape, having easily replenished his deficiencies.
He did so well until he arrived here and finally met again the oldest friend he could remember.
“…Friend Ro… let’s take a walk… as we are… now… straight away… our first and best walk… we owe it for so many years!… Let’s take a stroll in this sector… Let’s celebrate our reunion… let’s sing it in the street!… Show me… the way to the markets… the way to the dining halls… let’s make rounds… celebrations!”
“…A… I remember… you always had nice… ideas but I had better ones!… I suggest we sit here… the fire you rekindled… still burns strong… I have some… small snacks to share while it lasts! Here…”
“…bring…”
“…here you go…”
“…Tell me your stories… the lessons life’s adventures taught you!”
“…Yes… as always! First, the snacks…”
“…And then… your belt… how is it doing?”
“…then Manqui… took me from the Common Orphanage… yes… taught me a bunch of tricks… he says weird things… He once told me… that God was said to be on the side of those who are better armed… that’s what Francesco Maria Arouet… Voltaire… philosopher… writer… essayist… scientist of the central commonwealth said.”
“…Ah… my friend, you’ve heard a lot… dogphilosophy… Go on! Ha-ha-ha!”
“…Yes.. but you have more and better experiences to share!… Here, take…”
“…Give…”
“…No, bring…?”
“…Well then, we have to decide… three-syllable words… one to agree on… Which do you prefer?”
“Pass… or… go?”
“Go… go…!”