Chapter 1
A brilliant blue flash sliced through the darkness and woke Eleanore from a sound sleep. Its accompanying noise—something out of Doctor Who—made Eleanore shake her head, separating the bizarre dream from reality. As she threw her duvet from her legs and moved to investigate, she heard the sound of a limb colliding with her desk followed by a man's voice: "Fuck!"
Eleanore froze; she braced herself to scream for help when a clammy hand clamped over her mouth.
"D-Don't freak out—don't freak out! It's me. It's Rick." He released her, and Eleanore immediately flicked on her lamp. Sure enough, Rick had found his way into her room and onto the bed next to her.
"Rick!" His shit-eating grin disappeared when Eleanore swatted at him. "What is wrong with you? Do you know what time it is? Did—Did you break into my apartment?" She hissed her reproaches, delivering a few more smacks to his arm for good measure.
"Ow! Ow!" protested Rick. "Who cares wh-wh-what time it is?" After catching a glimpse of Eleanore's face, he quickly added, "No, I didn't break in. I portal-ed in here. I invented a new mode of transportation and a new verb—quit hitting me!"
Eleanore folded her arms across her chest. "'Portal-ed'," she repeated. "Like, you teleported in here." Rick simply nodded, pride plastered on his face. "So that...psychedelic light wasn't a dream."
"All real, baby," he flirted. "Check it out."
He passed the portal gun to Eleanore. She turned it over in her hands, studying the simple contours, dials, and analog screen. "Is it an egg timer? Or a...radio? It looks like a tiny, terrifying microwave."
Rick snatched the gun back, the pride melting off his face. "It's a portal gun. Context clues, baby love." He tapped the glowing, blue test tube on top. "Portal fluid. I m-made it from scratch. We can go anywhere. Anywhere."
"Can we go in the morning?"
"Ha, ha."
Eleanore took the portal gun back, and she examined the portal fluid closer. "How did you make this? The math must've been—" She squinted. "Is that my earring?"
Rick ignored her question. "I came as soon as I perfected it." Eleanore knit her eyebrows in response, and Rick added, "Well, kind of. Still working out some kinks. I w-woke up one of your roommates before I made it to your room. She sleeps in the nude, FYI."
"Who? Wh—never mind. Don't answer that." Eleanore sighed and raked her fingers through her hair. "Rick, this is really amazing." The admiration in her words didn't match the solemnity of her face as she placed the gun back into his hands. "But we talked about this. I can't go with you. I have school and a job and...I'm seeing someone. I can't just pack up and leave everything."
"Like I did, you mean?"
"I didn't say that."
"Did you have to?" Rick spat. Eleanore remained silent, unsure of a response. "Look, I'm not asking you to run away from your life," he continued. "Just one trip. One 'a-adventure.' You and me—Eleanore and Rick! But this time in space." He framed his speech with a grand sweeping gesture, glancing sideways with hope-filled eyes.
Eleanore frowned. "Fine," she replied after a beat. Rick punched the air, and Eleanore heaved a great sigh.
"Yes! Yes!" Rick cried. "Let's go. Wh-Where do you wanna go? Anywhere you w-want. What's your favorite planet? Y-Y-Your favorite star? I know the perfect spot." With a flourish, Rick aimed the gun at the floor, producing a luminescent portal. Eleanore let out a surprised squawk as Rick took her by the hand and jumped feet-first into the portal.