Harbinger/1

Images were swirling around him--images of breathtaking ferocity, monstrous creatures from out of the world. They were headed all around him, bony carapaced armor a brownish hue, crab-like, immense demonic beings that belonged to another world... Sharp blades, a frenzy of activity, an endless thirst--like Daniel had never known of before. He looked in horror at what was behind him as well... a veritable storm of creatures, whirling around with charged anticipation... of what? There was an absence of thought, just a mindless, sheer power...

...Dread...

Force! A greatness and majesty beyond comprehension, beyond all that was human. It was... definitely not of this world... The pervading blackness cast shadowy glints off the hardened shells of these floating giants, so many that he could not count... Around and around, past him... He rushed to his side as one of them charged at him, went past. But he was not standing on anything, just hovering in an immense... void...

He could almost sense the roaring hatred--or was it devotion?--Daniel could not tell, though these were as diametrically opposed emotions one could have... Hungry beasts, eager to the hunt, dim darkness of--and then fear-

It was all silent with activity, pulsating with emptiness, the formula for the impossible. His imagination.

Then yet another creature charged, through the scintillating disturbing web that clouded his mind's eye, charged straight at him, he saw himself slipping away, and jumped-more fear- if only it could not attack him! A bead of sweat dropped from his brow. A flotilla, rushing past him... and that creature slammed right into him, through him, emerging from the other side...

And Daniel awoke from his nightmare of a slumber, in the soft bunk-bed of the military outpost of Artifact Station, tossing and turning and gasping in his own self-projected shock, while three other soldiers watched over him with disconcerted glances.

What had happened?

Is this... this place still my quarters on Mar Sara? --?

What had come to pass? What were those creatures? But it, or they, were already slipping from his memory, he could not recall--Must! --but couldn't, couldn't call forth from the dimness of his mind the troubling encounter of but seconds ago that had so startled him awake with sudden trauma.

He stopped shaking, gradually, gasping for breath as another three hot beads of liquid rolled down beside his ears.