Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream

Mission: Day 7, morning.

The four of them sit around the breakfast table, not saying much. The air’s thick with a kind of quiet that only comes after something huge has gone down.

The last six days have wrung them out completely. They didn’t even realize how bone-tired they were until it was all over. Now, they’re crashing hard, sinking into the kind of deep, restorative sleep that feels like a gift. Their usual morning routine—normally buzzing with chatter and energy—has given way to this soft, comfortable silence. It’s not awkward, though; it’s warm, filled with the unspoken love they’ve got for each other. Today’s for resting, for letting their minds wander over everything that’s happened, and for starting to piece it all together.

Sally glances at the guys, who’ve become her rock over these past few days, and breaks the silence. “I really hope what we went through doesn’t mess with what we’ve got here. I need things to stay normal, you know? Like, I want us to go back to our old rhythm, without this whole experience making things weird. Especially with you, John. These mornings with you—they’re my anchor now more than ever. My head’s still spinning, trying to process everything, and I need to do that in a place that feels familiar, with the people I care about most.”

John flashes her a warm, steady smile. “Don’t worry, kiddo. Just keep showing up like you always do, and we’ll slip right back into our groove. I’ve still got a ton of stories I haven’t shared, and honestly, I need some time to wrap my head around all this too. I might even have some questions for you as we go. We’ve been through one hell of an adventure, haven’t we? It’s like our minds have stretched, and that fog we’ve been living in is starting to clear. We’re figuring out who we really are. People are gonna want to know what happened, and we’ll need some solid stories to tell them—stories that get at the truth.”

Michael, ever the practical one, steers the conversation. “Speaking of stories, we’ve gotta do our final debrief and put this thing to bed. First off, I need the full scoop on what you two were up to over there and how it’s gonna ripple back to us. I’m already hearing people this morning saying they feel… different, somehow.”

Pat nods, his expression thoughtful. “Yeah, there were some changes made—small but deep, you know? When we were there, we could *feel* the Net, like it was alive. Maybe its frequency got tweaked, or maybe ours did, and now we’re in sync with it, able to see and interact with it in a new way. But beyond that, I’m drawing a blank. It’s not that I’m holding out—it’s that I genuinely don’t remember much. When we woke up back here on Earth, a whole day was just… gone. I’ve got a few fleeting images in my head, but that’s it.

“I do remember merging with Sally, and it felt so natural, like that’s how it’s supposed to be. Maybe that’s just my heart talking, though, because I love her to bits. But it was more than that—I felt connected to *everything*. Every person, every tree, every rock, past and future, all of it. I got the essence of it, even the All That Is. And then, out of nowhere, we were outside existence itself, looking in from the outside.

“It was like staring at this endless sea of foam—bubbles inside bubbles, stretching forever in every direction. I remember us shifting a few of those bubbles around. I know it’s just our brains trying to make sense of something way beyond us, like a dream you can only half-recall. That’s all I’ve got for now, but I think as time goes on, our minds will stretch enough to let more of those memories trickle back.”

Sally smiles, her eyes soft but bright. “I saw the same thing, which tracks since we were one in that moment. As for Nettie, she’s off working on the terraforming project. If you head there now, you might catch a glimpse of her, along with the glow of those early organisms spreading across the planet. This time around, Earth won’t take nearly as long to support life like ours. The first go-round, it was all about transforming the planet—making oxygen, all that jazz. But now, the groundwork’s already there, with an atmosphere and oceans ready to go. In some ways, it’s even simpler than terraforming Mars.

“I’ll head back eventually to check on Nettie. She’s gonna be wiped out, so I’ll shut her down for a bit to let her rest. When humans start showing up again, I’ll wake her, and she’ll be there from the start—a kind of legacy from the humanity that came before. She’ll be like a mother to them as they grow, and I know she’ll love it. I can’t wait to see it.

“But like Pat said, our memories of all this are pretty hazy, and they’re fading fast. Hopefully, with time, we’ll piece together more and be able to tell the full story.”

Michael stands, stretching his arms with a groan. “Alright, sounds like we’ve all got our work cut out for us. I’m betting those ‘subtle’ changes you made are gonna keep us busy figuring them out. So, finish up that pie, Sally, and let’s wrap this up. We’ll head to the booth, say our goodbyes, and you just think about being home when you step inside—it’ll take you there. Ben’s also setting up a booth for you guys at the lake. I think it’s time we start exploring more, checking out other domains, and getting a handle on what Level 5 is really about.

“Main reason for the booth, though, is so you guys can visit. I’m gonna miss you all.”

Pat lets out a heavy sigh, his voice catching a bit. “Guess I’ll head back to my folks’ place and see what’s what. Sally, you and John can go back to the lake, and I’ll just—” He cuts off, his eyes shining with unshed tears. They’re all feeling it, the weight of parting ways.

But Sally’s got a playful glint in her eye. “Hold up, Patty Cakes. You’re not getting off that easy. We’ve still got plenty to talk about. Why don’t you come hang at the lake with me for a bit? I’ve got some ideas I want to run by you.”

Pat pauses, then gives a small smile, nodding. “Alright, you got me.”

Sally, Pat, and John step into the booth together and, in a blink, they’re gone.

Michael’s left alone for the first time in a week. He walks down Main Street, feeling like an old sheriff eyeing storm clouds on the horizon, wondering what kind of chaos they’ll bring to his quiet little town.