Sci-fi Novel - The Dream Artist - Part 2

Part 1

Part 2

When my pocket computer informed me that it was three minutes before the meeting, I got up and walked by the ornamental pool with bright red fish and the large-leaved lilies in it, and I reached the back door of the mansion. As soon as I walked in through the open door, I saw an elite android saying, “welcome, Ruhi Bey, let me accompany you upstairs.”

“What do you know about the mission?”

“My job is to identify you and take you upstairs.”

“How did you identify me?”

"According to facial recognition algorithm, 98 percent compliance with recordings in the memory, height 186 cm, weight 85, eyes light brown, slightly fractured black hair, 40-41 years old…”

I interrupted him by saying, “understood.” In the high ceiling room where android left me at the door, my old colleague, Tunç, greeted me with a smile. Next to him was a tall, serious-looking woman with a straight blond hair tied behind her back.

Tunç said, “Welcome, old friend,” in a sincere tone beyond what I expected. It seems that after all this time, the unpleasant experiences in the past seemed unimportant to him. Recalling that he was appointed the assistant secretary of Homeland Security about two months ago, I said, “What an honor it is.”

“Let me introduce you to Peri, one of the brightest young researchers in our organization,” said Tunç.

I walked around the big wooden table, approached Peri and shook her hand, which felt as light as a bird to me.

“Our guests are coming,” she said.

The officials rushed to the yacht, a blond man of Anglo-Saxon descent, a Chinese woman with a broad face, and another man who I thought might be Spanish or Portuguese appeared. While waiting for them to go up, I said, “before our foreign friends arrive, can I get information about my mission?”

Tunç answered me with "one-minute" sign he made with his finger, and he started to write something on the computer in front of him. Our foreign guests came through the door, they sat in their reserved seats, we greeted, and everyone wore translation headphones distributed by the service android so that we would experience the comfort of speaking in our native language during the conversation.

“I wonder if the reason I am in with the same room with you could have been the dream artist Selim Özben missing for more than a month ?” I asked.

Tunç and Peri looked at each other in confused statements; the guests did not seem surprised. They thought I had been informed about the mission before.

“I suppose other researchers have undertaken this important task before, but it seems they have not succeeded; it is probably a difficult event that the algorithms can't solve,” I said.

“You see, ladies and gentlemen, Ruhi is a colleague who can make accurate predictions about a mission that has not been given to him,” Tunç said.

“You must have followed it through hypernet.”

“Partially from hypernet, partially from my friends who are the fans of Selim Özben" I replied.

“We rarely lose track of people. Even if they don't stick to the camera records, they're surfing the web. Selim Özben did not leave a trace on hypernet for 35 days; if he is not held as a prisoner, we can assume that he is seriously injured or dead" said Peri.

Tunç said that the United Nations cultural committee appointed the guests at the table and they wanted to see the work on the fate of Selim Özben in place. Of course, they believed that Turkish authorities would be sensitive to the issue, but they were worried that the incident had not been lit for 35 days, so they would investigate the case and inform the world with a report they would write.

James Austin, the British member of the delegation, said he hoped that Selim Özben was alive and that he would continue to publish his dreams. It would be better for everyone. “The truth itself is the greatest revolutionist, and no matter how painful it is, it has something that educates us. If we have to face a painful truth, we want to know it as soon as possible,” he continued.

In the meantime, the sunlight reflected from the wings of an ekranoplane passing through Istanbul strait hit the ceiling of the room. The delegation did not realize the ekranoplane because they were concerned about Selim Özben's loss.

“We have appointed Ruhi Bulut, one of our most experienced researchers, to solve the Selim Özben case. Our young researcher, Peri Weiss, will help him with his work. Peri's father is German, and her mother is a Turk. I always say about Peri: German discipline and the practicality of a Turk has found a body in her. Our friends will work with all their power to give us good news.”

“But I hoped I could work with my team,” I said. I wanted to get rid of the suit and the tie that made me feel like I was trapped.

“You know that your team has been deployed for other missions, and you will be a good team with Peri,” said Tunç.

The Chinese female representative, Qian Chen, who listened to the speakers from the beginning of the meeting, said that Selim Özben's case was significant for her while watching the old records of his dreams, she felt sad when she thought that the new ones would not be published.

Taking advantage of the short pause, service android moved around the table and noted orders for drinks. Everyone at the desk was upset. The Spanish representative, who has not spoken since the beginning of the meeting, said that the political dimension of the event should not be overlooked, that those living in the night are mostly unemployed, and that these people are much more sensitive than the average person, and that this sensitivity could create a potential of rebellion coupled with unemployment and boredom. “There is a suspicion among the opposition that the dream artist has been interrupted by large companies" the Spanish representative added.

Deputy Minister Tunç said, “Ladies and gentlemen, we know that we have no chance of changing the nature of what has happened. My wish is that Selim Özben should be found as soon as possible. If he's alive and able to return to his old order, I doubt he will continue to color our nights with dreams. Because the main feature that gave him worldwide fame was that there was no disruption in his dreams; he was a very disciplined person, known to have never slept in a dream before he was prepared enough, transforming the God-given talent of the dream into an unforgettable performance. He did his duty very well until the day he disappeared, and now it is our turn; as I said, our government will use all the means to clarify the situation. I do not doubt that you will provide support at the points of international cooperation. Starting today, we have reached a new stage in our research activities. I ask you not to worry about the result; I don't deny that the case we're dealing with is unusual, and it points out that we haven't been able to shed light on it by now, but now we're in an alarming state. We will conduct excellent research, equipped with all kinds of authority and facilities."

Tunç's speech increased my impatience to come out of the room and wear comfortable clothes, fortunately, we were about to end the meeting. After saying farewell to foreign guests with mutual respect and good wishes, Tunç said, “we did a good job, friends, let's eat lunch at the ministry's zeppelin, and we'll talk about the details.”

I said, “I will need some special powers on our research.”

“I'm going to have a private meeting next door, and you guys can have another coffee and enjoy the Bosphorus view, and we'll meet you downstairs in 20 minutes.”

”I'd like to change my clothes on my quadcopter and wear a less formal outfit," I said. Peri opened her pocket computer like opening a folded paper, connected to the hypernet, and put to work.

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