Read Online The Experiment of Dreams by Brandon Zenner - Free Book Online
Authors: Brandon Zenner
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sense, just one shade of color leading to the other. It was the same when he studied Emily’s cabin in the woods. The painting was confusing when he stared at one small section—maybe because he wasn’t an artist and didn’t understand how colors worked—but when he stepped back and looked at the composition as a whole, the piece took shape, and the form and subject came to life.
Humans , Ben thought, with the ability to produce and master art, use their minds in such ways that I will never truly comprehend.
Ben studied every corner of the ship, up close, and far away. Finally, Dr. Wulfric put the painting down. Ben blinked his eyes back into focus. He was tired, not just from all the mental exercises, but because it was getting legitimately late.
“I want you to remember these paintings to the best of your ability when you go to sleep tonight. Try to get yourself into a lucid state of dreaming and picture each of these paintings as if you’re observing them hanging on an art gallery wall. Look at them from afar, and then bring your eyes in close. Just like we did here. Examine each crest of paint, each line, each shade and crack.”
Ben nodded. “I’ll do my best.”
“Good. Then that will be all for tonight.”
Dr. Egan hit a few more keys on the computer keyboard then stopped. He leaned back in his chair with his arms stretched high, yawning.
“I’ll show you upstairs. Charles, if you don’t mind shutting things down?”
Dr. Egan nodded, removing his glasses to massage the tender area on the bridge of his nose.
Ben followed Dr. Wulfric to the small door on the far side of the room, beside the larger double door. It led to a small landing at the base of a stairway. At the top of the stairs the doctor flicked on a light switch to reveal a large and comfortable room. A small open kitchen took up the left side, with a fridge, sink, dishwasher, and a stove.
The opposite side of the room was more of a living space, with two couches facing a large flat-screen television. Books and magazines lay neatly arranged on a coffee table, and a small bookshelf beside the couch was fully stocked with an assortment of books. Two circular dining tables with chairs occupied the middle of the room.
“This is our break room,” Dr. Wulfric said. “If you wake up before us, please make yourself at home. There’s coffee in the cabinet, eggs in the fridge, and cereal in the pantry. Help yourself.”
Behind the break room was a long hallway illuminated with the same wall sconces as in the lab and entry room below. They passed several doors on either side before arriving at the far end.
“Dr. Egan and I will be staying the night as well, in separate rooms. These late nights happen quite often for us.”
“What does your wife have to say about that?”
Ben glanced down, seeing Dr. Wulfric play with the ring on his finger, stroking it unconsciously with his thumb.
“My wife passed away a few years ago. That’s why I wear the ring on my right hand. Sort of an old custom.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know. You mentioned you had a daughter, and I saw the ring. I shouldn’t have presumed.”
“Please, don’t apologize. It’s fine, really. You should feel worse for Charles down there, whose wife gives him hell when he stays the night. I won’t be in the same room with him when he makes that call.”
They both laughed, relieving the tension. Dr. Wulfric opened the door at the end of the hallway to a bedroom. It looked like any decent hotel room: a large clean bed, a dresser, a desk facing a window, and a small bathroom.
“There are clean toothbrushes in the bathroom, shampoo in the shower, and pajamas in the dresser over there. Just put your dirty clothing in the hamper and put the hamper outside the door. Housekeeping will have your clothes clean before morning.”
“Housekeeping? Are you serious? They’re going to clean my clothes? I’m surprised you let a housekeeper in the lab.”
“We don’t. One of
Humans , Ben thought, with the ability to produce and master art, use their minds in such ways that I will never truly comprehend.
Ben studied every corner of the ship, up close, and far away. Finally, Dr. Wulfric put the painting down. Ben blinked his eyes back into focus. He was tired, not just from all the mental exercises, but because it was getting legitimately late.
“I want you to remember these paintings to the best of your ability when you go to sleep tonight. Try to get yourself into a lucid state of dreaming and picture each of these paintings as if you’re observing them hanging on an art gallery wall. Look at them from afar, and then bring your eyes in close. Just like we did here. Examine each crest of paint, each line, each shade and crack.”
Ben nodded. “I’ll do my best.”
“Good. Then that will be all for tonight.”
Dr. Egan hit a few more keys on the computer keyboard then stopped. He leaned back in his chair with his arms stretched high, yawning.
“I’ll show you upstairs. Charles, if you don’t mind shutting things down?”
Dr. Egan nodded, removing his glasses to massage the tender area on the bridge of his nose.
Ben followed Dr. Wulfric to the small door on the far side of the room, beside the larger double door. It led to a small landing at the base of a stairway. At the top of the stairs the doctor flicked on a light switch to reveal a large and comfortable room. A small open kitchen took up the left side, with a fridge, sink, dishwasher, and a stove.
The opposite side of the room was more of a living space, with two couches facing a large flat-screen television. Books and magazines lay neatly arranged on a coffee table, and a small bookshelf beside the couch was fully stocked with an assortment of books. Two circular dining tables with chairs occupied the middle of the room.
“This is our break room,” Dr. Wulfric said. “If you wake up before us, please make yourself at home. There’s coffee in the cabinet, eggs in the fridge, and cereal in the pantry. Help yourself.”
Behind the break room was a long hallway illuminated with the same wall sconces as in the lab and entry room below. They passed several doors on either side before arriving at the far end.
“Dr. Egan and I will be staying the night as well, in separate rooms. These late nights happen quite often for us.”
“What does your wife have to say about that?”
Ben glanced down, seeing Dr. Wulfric play with the ring on his finger, stroking it unconsciously with his thumb.
“My wife passed away a few years ago. That’s why I wear the ring on my right hand. Sort of an old custom.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know. You mentioned you had a daughter, and I saw the ring. I shouldn’t have presumed.”
“Please, don’t apologize. It’s fine, really. You should feel worse for Charles down there, whose wife gives him hell when he stays the night. I won’t be in the same room with him when he makes that call.”
They both laughed, relieving the tension. Dr. Wulfric opened the door at the end of the hallway to a bedroom. It looked like any decent hotel room: a large clean bed, a dresser, a desk facing a window, and a small bathroom.
“There are clean toothbrushes in the bathroom, shampoo in the shower, and pajamas in the dresser over there. Just put your dirty clothing in the hamper and put the hamper outside the door. Housekeeping will have your clothes clean before morning.”
“Housekeeping? Are you serious? They’re going to clean my clothes? I’m surprised you let a housekeeper in the lab.”
“We don’t. One of
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