The distant walls of the atrium contracted and expanded, like Freyr imagined the inside of a heart might look. A rhythmic pounding lanced the space between her temples, forcing her to squeeze her eyes shut. When she opened them a moment later, Vreta was in front of her, blocking her view.

She let herself be guided to the foot of a nearby grassy knoll and sat down heavily. She grasped the foliage beneath her and it felt reassuring somehow. She stared at her feet And when she looked around again after a minute or so, the atrium had regained its regular lighting. The tentacles had gone.

“I’m…ok.” Dr Lang sighed. She looked over at the large lizard that was examining her.

“I’ve been having these…dreams.” She finally admitted. “Like I'm back inside the Cradle - they feel so [i]real[/i]…”

She looked around again. “It's bizarre, am I still in that hospital bed? I feel like maybe I am dreaming right now.”