Page 1, Column 1 - Panel 1 - Narrator (Vet): Look, that doesn't matter to me anymore, Mike. I know it's not my fault. She just wanted something else, something different...sort of like getting a new hairdo.
A woman, in her late 30's, is standing in the doorway of a house, pointing at a guy with short black hair (the vet) and shouting angrily at him. She is holding a suitcase and some other packed bags.
Page 1, Column 1 - Panel 2
Narrator: I couldn't do it for her, y'know? I couldn't come up with the six-figure salary or the Tom Selleck body, and she finally gave up waiting for it. I told her to take it or leave it, and she thought about it for a long time.
The woman races away from the house with a young guy in a red sport scar,
not even giving it a second thought.
Page 1, Column 1 - Panel 3
Narrator: Anyway, believe it or not, I've been feeling pretty good these days. My job with Express Mail is picking up, and I think I'm gonna get custody of the kid. Kathy's disappearing act really took a burden off my mind. There's just one little glitch, one hang-up...
The vet is sitting in the psychiatrist's office, in a chair, talking to the doctor behind the desk.
Page 1, Column 1 - Panel 4
Narrator: I had this dream last week, when I was out backpacking with Barry and Steiger. It really upset me, y'know, and I've been trying to figure out what it means. It's why I came back to the hospital, and you, cause I could always talk to you. See, it's about Nam.
The vet is sleeping in a sleeping bag out in the woods, about to experience his dream.
Page 1, Column 2 - Panel 1
Closeup of two men and a woman, all in military uniforms with insignia for Project Dream Lord. They are hunched over flickering electronic consoles, punching buttons and checking readouts. They all wear headsets and microphones, and are intensely busy. An older man, in his middle 40's, stands behind them, watching over their shoulders. He also wears the Project uniform, but is clearly in charge. His name is Commander George Farley, and he is the head of Project Dream Lord.
Farley: I'll be damned. They're in there, they actually penetrated.
Man 1: Brigade has crossed threshold, sir. No disruptions in local dimensional envelope, no plasma recoil.
Lady 1: I read six life forms, all consistent with established auric signatures.
Page 1, Column 2 - Panel 2
Lady 2 (across the wide control room from the first speakers): Sir, I confirm the Brigade's entry into alternate space. Medical monitors are functioning and double-checked. Vital signs are base-line for all six subjects, showing no abnormalities. I detect no mutations or disfigurements.
Farley: Good, that had me worried. We don't need another Twilly or Gabriel, for God's sake.
Page 1, Column 2 - Panel 3
Farley (to a group of technicians at another control panel): Navigation?
Man 3: Mapping procedures initiated, Commander Farley. We've set the Brigade's point of entry as zero and extended axes in three directions.
We can direct the group to any point with coordinates with respect to those axes
Page 1, Column 2 - Panel 4
Farley: Communications?
Man 4: Dream Screens will provide us with full audio and video from alternate space, but it's one-way. We can only contact the subjects through high-frequency blips in Morse Code.
Page 2 (4 panels)
Page 2 panel 1
(continued from Page 1 Column 1)
It's weird, because I hardly ever think about the war. I mean, it happened and now it's over. It's not my life anymore. This dream, though... this dream was pretty bad.
Page 2 panel 2
(continued from Page 1 Column 2)
Varley: All right then, let's get this show on the road. Operation Golden Fleece is officially underway.
Lady 1: Sir, the Brigade has intersected with target life form, coordinates X-50,Y-14, Z-23. We have visuals.
Page 2 panel 3
A larger panel in the center of the page, beneath both columns. Narrative box on the left is with Column 1, and the Narrative box on the right belongs to Column 2.
The panel shows the Dream Lord, recovered from his critical injuries last issue, but with his uniform still in shreds. He is still sitting in Lullaby's cloud, now looking out with a shocked and confused expression as the Brigade approaches him.
Narrative panel (the vet): I was in a strange place, somewhere in Nam. I was sitting in a big clearing. .I think I was injured. I looked up...
Farley's Narrative (in box): Well well. It's him, all right. Dr. Emmett Adams...our boy The Dream Lord.
Page 2 panel 4
A large panel occupying half of the page. The Dream Lord is just sitting on the cloud, watching the Night Brigade encircle him. He is still not quite sure what is going on, or what he should do, and is mentally and physically exhausted from his travails in the last chapter. Lullaby is standing beside him, already frowning and getting ready for a fight, to defend the life of the man she just saved from Bogeyman.
Narrator (vet): ...and suddenly, I was surrounded. There were eight or ten of them heavily armed, not more than five yards away. I couldn't figure out how they got so close, but I guess I was unconscious for a while. I saw that look in their faces. though. I knew they were going to kill me.
Narrator (Farley): Lucas, signal the team. Confirm the target's identity and initiate retrieval procedures. If retrieval is impossible, instruct them to eliminate the target. I doubt that bastard will come peacefully.
Night Terror (in the main body of the panel): You are Dr. Emmett Adams, correct? The UCLA sleep scientist?
Dream Lord: What's going on? Who are you?
Night Terror: Come with us, sir. We've been sent to take you home.
TITLE (along the bottom of the page): The Charge of the Night Brigade
Page 3 (7 panels)
Page 3 panel 1
Dream Lord (suspicious, defensive, frightened): What is this, another of his games? I thought you said we were safe here!
Lullaby: We are! There's no way that big dope Bogeyman can reach into this dream niche! Believe me, he's tried!
Page 3 panel 2
Night Terror: Sir, if you'll just come with us, we can get you back home right away. All your questions will be answered during debriefing.
Lullaby (quietly advising the Dream Lord): Watch it, buddy. I don't trust these bozos.
Dream Lord: Who are you people?
Page 3 panel 3
Catnap: We are not at liberty to divulge that information. Our very existence is top-level classified knowledge. Just by seeing us, you have placed yourself in considerable danger.
Lullaby: Well excuse us! We didn't exactly go out of our way to get a look at you!
Page 3 panel 4
Lullaby: In fact, if we don't want to see you, and you don't want to be seen, wouldn't it be better for everybody if you just hit the road? Amscray! We've got more important stuff to do than rap with you dummies!
This panel is a closeup shot of Lullaby as she mouths off to the Brigade, trying to defend the ailing Dream Lord. The two running narratives again appear, in boxes at opposite sides of the panel, each a different color.
Narrator (vet): I dreamed that the soldiers wanted to take me away, I guess to some prison camp. I was hurt and scared, and my buddy tried to talk our way out of it.
Narrator (Farley): Who the hell is that? Tomlin, is she in any of the project records?
Tomlin: No. sir. All data checked and cross-referenced.
Page 3 panel 5
Narrator (vet): The 'Cong wanted to know who we were, what unit we were with. I knew I couldn't tell them a thing, or I would jeopardize the rest of my squad.
Narrator (Farley): Lucas, tell them to find out who she is. She could be an extra bonus when we bring in Adams.
Night Terror (facing Lullaby): May I ask what your name is, Miss?
Page 3 panel 6
Lullaby (hands on her hips, defia
nt): No you may not, Rufus! It's confidential! The silent treatment works both ways, see?
Night Terror: Once again, Miss, I'm asking for your name. What is it?
Page 3 panel 7
Lullaby: Morgan Fairchild! Yeah, that's it! That's the ticket!
Night Terror: Morgan what? Would you repeat that?
Page 4 (8 panels)
Page 4 panel 1
Lullaby: Ha ha ha! Dream Lord, this guy's got a headful of loose change! Don't even worry about him! No way is he with the Bogeyman!
Symbol: Who is this "Bogeyman" you keep referring to? Is that some sort of code name?
Page 4 panel 2
Lullaby (acting to the hilt): Oh, yes it is! He's this really mean guy, y'know, who's all smelly and sneaky, and he hides in your closet when you're asleep, and just when you're havin' a really nice dream. he slithers under your bed...
Page 4 panel 3
Lullaby steps away from the Dream Lord, toward Symbol and the others.
Lullaby (dramatically, intensely): ...and gets real close, and all of a sudden...
Page 4 panel 4
Lullaby: ...he grabs you! BOOGA BOOGA BOOGA!!
She shouts at the top of her lungs and leaps at Symbol, snatching a piece of equipment from his belt. It is flat and rectangular and studded with buttons, like a calculator.
Page 4 panel 5
After grabbing the device, Lullaby runs back to the Dream Lord's side, laughing and gaping at the thing like a new toy.
Lullaby: How do you like this, Dream Lord? These wise guys come bearing gifts. I wonder what it does?
Symbol looks surprised and upset at losing the mechanism, but Night Terror holds him back and speaks sternly to the girl.
Night Terror: Miss, you'd be smart to return that right away. It isn't polite to steal other people's property.
Page 4 panel 6
Lullaby: What other people? You just told me I'm not even supposed to see you guys. As far as I'm concerned, I'm all by myself right now, checkin' out this nasty new gadget I found!
Night Terror: Miss, we no longer have time to play games with you. If you do not surrender that immediately...
Page 4 panel 7
Night Terror: ...my friends and I will rip your ugly little body into bloody chunks. (He still seems under control, calm, emotionally remote from the whole confrontation.)
Dream Lord (off-panel): I'd like to see you try.
Page 4 panel 8
Medium shot of the Dream Lord rising to his feet, glaring at the Night Brigade.
Lullaby: You tell him, buster!
Dream Lord: I've had enough of this crap. Do you understand me? You are in my world now, the source of my power. Your existence here depends on my good will...so do not threaten my companion.
Page 5 (9 panels)
Page 5 panel 1
Dream Lord (concealing his weakness, trying to act tough): In fact, I don't want to hear another word out of your mouths unless it's an explanation of who the hell you are and what you're doing here.
Narrator (vet): The 'Cong said they were going to kill my partner, and that set me off. Even though I was hurt, could barely stand up, I tried to defend him. I told them we were both wired with explosives, and if they touched either of us, they would die, too.
Narrator (Farley): Adams's finally showing some spunk! I didn't think he would bow his head and let them slip the cuffs on. Lucas, let's give him a little line before we reel him in. Tell the Brigade to feed him some data.
Page 5 panel 2
Night Terror: Very well, sir. We are members of the Night Brigade, a new branch of the armed forces of the United States. Through the use of mechanisms developed by Project Dream Lord, we have been empowered to travel into this dimension of dreams.
Page 5 panel 3
Dream Lord: Go away. You people have no authority here.
Night Terror: Negative, Doctor. We've officially claimed this alternate space as territory of the United States of America.
Page 5 panel 4
Dream Lord: You're joking, right?
Night Terror: No, sir. Based on our rights of first discovery, and the fact that this space is currently not claimed or governed by any other state, we have annexed it. Right now, we are in the process of establishing a permanent manned presence here.
Page 5 panel 5
Night Terror: We have designated this space "Slumberland One."
Dream Lord: That is utterly ridiculous! You can't claim the Dream Zone -- it isn't some land mass or strip of ground! Really, it isn't even a place! It's a manifestation of dream energy, an after-image of mental processes!
Page 5 panel 6
Dream Lord: This dimension is in a constant state of flux and disruption. It's never the same from one day to the next. It's controlled by unimaginable forces which explode and recede without warning.
Hangover: So? Sounds to me like Latin America!
Page 5 panel 7
Catnap: Dr. Adams, your theories and reservations are noted, but inconsequential. Slumberland is a place, with physical dimensions and measurable properties. As such, it comes under the jurisdiction of any government wishing to claim it first.
Dream Lord: I'm not getting through to you, am I? This dimension doesn't belong to any one nation or group, and it never will! It belongs to all humanity, every living being!
Page 5 panel 8
Dream Lord (forgetting much of his fear, shunting aside his pain as he becomes angry): Everyone who dreams has a stake here, an irrefutable legacy! Everyone shares this world, has their own personal part of it. You couldn't keep anyone out if you wanted to!
Symbol: An immigration policy is currently being formulated in Washington, Dr. Adams, to deal with that problem.
Page 5 panel 9
Narrator (vet): The enemy soldiers finally made their move, and I knew there was no way out. We were both going to die.
Narrator (Farley): Okay, that's enough. Adams's confused and stirred up now, so he'll be reckless and easy to capture. Give the order to attack.
Night Terror: Dr. Adams, I'm sorry to say that we must now charge you with trespassing in American territory. Do you have any papers or a passport?
Dream Lord: You're crazy! You've got no claim here! You people are the trespassers!
Page 6 (7 panels)
Page 6 panel 1
Night Terror: Your personal citizenship in the U.S. was revoked when you stole government equipment and went into hiding. Citizenship in Slumberland is not retroactive, and cannot be obtained through squatter's rights.
Dream Lord: What? What the hell are you talking about?
Catnap: Doctor, you're under arrest for trespassing and for attempting to subvert the native government of Slumberland.
Page 6 panel 2
Lullaby (She is whispering to the Dream Lord, touching his arm.): Buddy, how are you feeling?
Dream Lord: Not so good. Better than before, but not by much.
Lullaby: Well then, I think that maybe we oughtta' take a deep breath...
Page 6 panel 3
Lullaby: ...and get the hell out of here!
She dives off the side of the cloud, pulling the Dream Lord along with her. Behind them, the Night Brigade scrambles into a pursuit formation.
Narrator (vet): All of a sudden, my partner and I took off! We ran like mad into the jungle and somehow got away from the Vietcong. Behind us, I could hear them running, their guns and canteens rattling as they shouted.
Mr. Sandman Page 8
