Disclaimer: I do not own Rick and Morty.
The day began as any other for Rick N-083. The climate controlled Citadel was a steady 23.5°C. The streets had already been swept by the Janitor Ricks on 4th shift, leaving the path to The Interdimensional Rick's of Pancakes a pristine pathway. The simulated sun street lamps kept every working Rick awake and functioning as they headed to work, depending on their shift. For Rick N-083 this was especially needed as he picked up a coffee and plate of to go breakfast.
Rick N-083 had just spent the last three shifts working on a modified portal fluid that would stay charged for twenty percent longer and was ten times more efficient than the standard. It would revolutionize portal guns for all Ricks everywhere. It was a little more expensive but the benefits outweighed the cost.
It was still experimental of course. He had a multitude tests to run to ensure safety, though most Ricks didn't exactly care too much about safety, the Ricks from his dimension did.
Releasing a slow breath he walked across to Portal Gun Pro Headquarters and signed in. He was scanned to make sure he had nothing compromising as he was walking in. His bag checked before he was given his ID bag. He clipped his badge with his dimension designation on his labcoat lapel and set his bag into his locker. He proceeded through multiple security checks again, as was the usual.
Working with portal fluid and portal gun technology inside of the Citadel was lucrative required a high level. So his work had several layers of security checks to ensure there was no leaking. Both of information and of the fluid kind. Rick N-083 was one of a few Ricks who were granted the security clearance to work on it.
"Rick!" Called a Rick with the standard light blue shirt, white labcoat, and brown slacks. His ID Badge displaying his dimension designation as N-062. They were practically brothers. Their own dimensions only so many branches off from the central finite curve, their experiences nearly identical. Several Ricks turned to stare at him and he ignored them, his gaze falling on N-083
"Rims?" Rick N-083 jostled N-062, or Rims, as he caught up. Rims slid his arm over N-083 and slumped to whisper in his ear.
"L-620 w-wants to you in his office."
"Ah shit. Did-did he say what he needed?" N-083 held in a burp.
"Something about the research y-you took home."
"Fuck." Rick N-083 patted his labcoat. He'd left the papers in his locker. He'd been planning on working on them during his lunch hour. That was going to be a bust if he had to present them now to L-620.
"Come on, he's-auuugh- waiting."
"Y-you go on ahead." Rick N-083 turned around. "I left something in my locker."
"Don't kee-aaugh-keep him waiting. You know how impatient he gets." Rims called as Rick N-083 ran.
He ran for the lockers, only slowing when Security yelled "No Running." With a forced smile, he slowed and then sped back up when the guard looked away. His middle finger flipped up as he skidded around a corner and burst into the worker's locker room. He paused however when a flash of long hair caught his attention and he stiffened upon seeing Ricci of Dimension V-069. A happy "coincidence" as the Council of Ricks liked to say when referring to the only dimension the Citadel had encountered where Rick was born a woman.
"Madam Ricci." He muttered, lowering his gaze as she turned to give him a sharp critical look before smiling.
"Hitch?" The nickname fell off her lips easily.
It was an affectionate moniker that got thrown around the break room for him and his dimensional brothers. It was not an appreciated one. If only because they were the Hitch, or the cause that in their absence things succeeded.
"Was that your research proposal on the effective use of detecting particle patterns affected by R-waves even beyond M-waves I saw on my desk?" Ricci quirked her brow up. Her dyed hair styled so it always hung over one side. Even when she tried to tuck it back it always fell forward.
Rick N-083 gulped but nodded at her question.
"Impressive theories you've worked up." She exited
"Th-thank you, ma'am." He managed to correct his stammer as the door closed. Once alone, he took a steadying breath. Ricci was his boss's boss's boss. For his research proposal to get that far up the chain after several departmental reviews, he smiled. Maybe being a Hitch wasn't so bad?
With a spin on his heel he propped open his locker and pulled out the research papers and strutted out toward L-620's office. N-083 knocked on the open doorway. Etiquette was prime concern for L-620.
"Enter." L-620, or more affectionately known as Dick amongst the floor researchers.
"Sir?" N-083 opened the door, starting when he saw two Citadel Guard Ricks at the door. One of which held a nondescript gray case at his side. Sitting in L-620's chair was not who N-083 recognized as Dick, but rather was Quantum Rick, overseer of the Citadel Militia. L-620 sat across from him, in his usual white shirt and tie with brown slacks and his hair shorn short and tamed.
"Hitch! Quantum Rick, Gentle Ricks, this is Rick of N-083. He's the one I was telling you about." L-620 smiled wide and rose with a gesture at N-083. "Come-come in, Hitch."
"Sir?" Uncertain, N-083 stepped in. His boss led him to the Council seat holder.
"Ah, so you're the Rick responsible." Quantum Rick stood up, holding a hand out to clasp with N-083.
"Responsible?" N-083 was more the apprehensive. Like many Ricks, he wouldn't admit to being responsible for anything. At least now without knowing what first.
"For the formula of modified portal fluid, of course!" Quantum smirked, knowing the reason for the hesitance.
"Oh, uh yeah- yes." N-083 nodded. Rick N-083 sweated, as he glanced between Quantum Rick and L-620.
"There's no need to be nervous, Rick." Quantum Rick assured, though his grin was less than reassuring.
"Please, call him Hitch. We-we all do around here." L-620 insisted on his behalf with a laugh. N-083 did not want anyone but his brothers to call him Hitch, but correcting his superior in front of the Overseer was not wise. So he ground the back of his teeth against each other and bore it.
"Hitch," Quantum stepped around the desk now. "As you know the Council keeps a close eye on all research regarding portal technology. In-including all advancements and modifications this division discovers."
Rick N-083 knew that. Every Rick knew that, it's why every Rick who worked for Portal Gun Pro was scrutinize and underwent a psychological analysis to ensure they were the least anarchic and abided by regulatory safety measures the most. It's why Ricks from his dimension were sought after to be employed within this Division. They were the most cautious given their less than ideal experience with portal fluid. They knew the devastation of how an inaccurately processed portal fluid could devastate not just one life, but many.
"Y-yes. I do."
"Good." Quantum gestured to the Citadel Guard Rick holding the case. He stepped forward and set it on the desk. "In order to show solidarity and enthusiasm for your research, the Council will be grant use of two portal guns to test your optimised fluid."
N-083's mouth dropped open in awe and looked to his boss L-620 who nodded confirmation while slapping his shoulder. "Is it not violating Citadel law?"
"Yes. But w-we wouldn't be handing you these portal guns without assurances." Quantum Rick explained as the cases were closed. "Use of portal guns is prohibited and punishable. But these two are designed only to work within the Citadel's shield." He opened the case to show off the two guns. One was the patented white gun, the other was a vibrant red.
"Wh-why is that one red?"
"Astute." Quantum smiled. "The red one is for you to use your experimental fluid, the other for comparison. I understand you are thorough in your analysis, so here is your control group."
N-083 looked up at Quantum Rick, having not expected the foresight from him. He was the Overseer of the Militia, why would - ?
"Never forget we all had similar origins." Quantum Rick whispered as to explain his unspoken question. "Both guns are monitored, their locations tracked and we will, will have a list of every destination checked for any illicit activity."
"This…" N-083 looked at L-620 who was beaming at him. "This is an honor sir."
"This is a privilege. I hope you do not disappoint with your invention. The Citadel Militia could use al-alternate portal fluid." Quantum Rick snapped his fingers.
The case was closed with the lock sealing it reset. N-083 placed his finger against it and dialed in a code. It would be coded to him, only open to him and be trackable by his dimension designation. A safety precaution, in the event he managed to rig the gun to send him elsewhere. Though, what would they do? It wasn't like N-083 had a family they could threaten.
There was a list of further rules involved with the portal gun. As it was, only he was allowed to operate it, and only he was allowed to use them. If they became damaged or stolen, he would have to pay for them. Portal guns were expensive just to retrieve your own once you enter the Citadel but to pay for a new one. N-083 cringed at the cost that would be.
When Quantum Rick left, L-620 laughed.
"Well now that thats over!" his boss opened up a cabinet door and pulled out a decanter of Hambrosian liqueur for the special occasion. "A drink-"
"Sir…" N-083 looked down at the case in his lap. "I only just worked out a formula, I haven't even created a prototype fluid yet."
L-620 waved it off. "Baugh. No worry. I ran your initial formula through simulations to test. You'll get it. "
"B-but sir. What about my proposal on detecting particle patterns. Madam Ricci just said-"
"I'll put K-45 on that one. I want you to concentrate your full efforts on this."
"B-but-"
"Relax, it will go off without a hitch." L-620 laughed at his oh so clever joke. N-083 grit his teeth but nodded.
"Oh and…" L-620 belched low as he shifted papers. "You have funding to bring on two Ricks. I'm also assigning Summer to your research unit, to keep track of things."
"Summer?!" N-083 groaned.
N-083 entered the small lab he'd been assigned. All ingredients for standard portal fluid lay in boxes, ready for an inventory check. He set the case of portal guns down and moved through the lab, surviving every beaker to ensure sanitation and checking for cracks. Not that there would be, but he liked to be sure.
Safety first.
He was in the midst of setting ingredients to distil and into the centrifuge when a loud sigh grated on his nerves.
"N-083. Y-you're supposed to check out the candidates first." Summer of dimension I-023-C, rolled her eyes before pinching the bridge of her nose with her glasses raised.
Summer I-023-C was one of a small handful of Summers on the Citadel. They were all from the same Dimension cluster where Beth never married Jerry and instead became a single mother with their Rick's help.
N-083 only knew this because the story circled the watercooler on more than one occasion. Rumors at first before she happened upon them and straightened the story out. No , her grandpa didn't kill her father. Her grandpa was the best in the world.
Speaking of her grandpa. Rick of I-023-C stepped in after her. "Hitch, sh-she's right you know. You should really check out the list first."
The list was those who wanted in on this research. To have their names on the end product and to have the glory of awe from lesser Ricks.
"I-I know. I'm just di-distil- creating standard portal fluid first." N-083 hated responding to Hitch but despite protests, the moniker stuck around.
"Woah woah. Let Summer handle that." Rick I-023-C smirked as his granddaughter stepped around N-083 and took over. "You should consider the list. Specifically me. I took the liberty of attaching my credentials."
"I-I know your credentials." N-083 snatched the list from I-023-C. He knew his game, knew the angle he was trying for. I-023-C didn't have a Morty either, but his Summer was his replacement and a damn good one. Not for the Morty waves of course, but because under his and Beth's tutelage she was a great scientist and asset. The problem was, she was still a teenager and as teenage girls go, they could be irrational and overly sensitive. Not exactly conducive to the study of science.
"I'll look at these now." N-083 grumbled as he slipped to the one office in the lab.
A dozen of Ricks wanted in. And almost none of them were qualified to actually work with him, not by his standards. Accompanying each file was a psychological profile on each Rick.
J-029 was slower than most Ricks but he was reckless and overly passionate. He never had kids and thus never held that responsibility.But he was certainly nicer than other Ricks.
Q-23ε7 was known for his anti-Council sentiment, but his research was always top of the line, sometimes even ahead of N-083's own research. But his political stance left him less than desirable, especially the precarious position they already were being under the Council's ever dutiful eye.
Rick N-083 rubbed his eyes. I-032-C was the best of the bunch and he hated to admit it. Picking a second researcher would be difficult. But who said he had to pick only from provided?
Picking up his communicator he sent a ubiquitous text with a smirk and then turned it off as he headed back into the lab.
"Alright I-023-C. You're- you're in." N-083 shot to the Rick who was lecturing Summer on the proper methods of incorporating a sanitization field in portal fluid.
"Oh? And who's our third?"
"Working on it." N-083 shrugged. "Let's make a batch of standard portal fluid to get our baseline readings."
They stopped for lunch. I-023-C Rick and Summer dispatched for their own break. Summer to report to L620 and Rick to get them lunch. But N-083 made a beeline for one of the other labs currently studying extending the current charge life of portal guns. It was what he'd been working on just yesterday, while working on the portal fluid formula as a side project.
It had started as a theory really. Start with the basics and work your way up. Sometimes the path to least resistance was the simplest solution.
Gravity was the weakest force due to the graviton particles naturally dispersing into other dimensions. It was the one force that Ricks everywhere mastered first. But only in defying it. Not traveling with it.
But what if they could travel with it? Gathering the graviton particles to naturally phase through dimensions, rather than the hackneyed way of punching through the fabric between realities? That fabric was permeable, they didn't need to damage it. Part of the portal fluid was tearing through it and also repairing it once it closed. Most of the Council didn't want to admit that one day the fabric will collapse, but that day was so far in the future they didn't want to hear it. But if they could prevent it before it became a problem, why shouldn't they?
It was a theory that worked itself into a workable formula. He was still perfecting it, thinking of possible ways to improve it, to control the way the particles went so they had some measure of control as to which dimension they went to. It was a pet project that he had submitted a research proposal for months ago. When no word came back about it, he moved onto other projects, other ideas. But someone he brought it home to tinker on it.
And now, he had a whole lab to test the formula.
N-083 smiled as he stepped out of the facility and took a quick jaunt toward Central Rick Park toward his usual spot, where he spied Rims was sitting with N-083-T and N-005.
"Ehh! Hitch, my man!" They raised their thermos of Citadel approved slop as he slid into the air for celebration.
"Alright, alright. Thanks."
"Your-your own research team. Heard they saddled you with Summer." N-005 scoffed. He'd never gotten on with his dimension's Summer. Most Ricks didn't.
"Yeah. I-023-C."
"Ouch."
"Oh boy, sorry for ya."
"Don't-don't you at least get to pick your-your team?" N-005, or Neat Rick as they call him, questioned as he covered his mouth to belch and wipe his mouth.
"Yeah yeah. I-023-C is already on board."
"You're kidding. I-023-C's Rick and Summer?" exclaimed Rims as he slicked his hair back in aggravation enough to knock his glasses. "I-I worked on a pro-project with them a year ago. Fuck me, they were insufferable."
"Great." N-083 groaned as he took out his own slop meal and sipped from it. "I still have an opening for one more actually." N-083 looked to N-083-T or Ricket with expectation.
Ricket narrowed his eyes, his unibrow furrowing deep as he saw the look in Hitch's eyes.
"I was hoping-" Hitch began.
"No." Ricket interrupted with a bite of a Council approved sandwich.
"Aw come on!" Hitch tossed his arm over Ricket who shoved him off.
"No."
"Why not?" Hitch's immediate question stilled conversation.
"You know why." Ricket snapped and slammed his lunch box closed.
"Ricket...sorry. Yo-you know I understand."
"Not nearly enough, Rick N-083." Ricket snapped as he stalked away.
"Ah shit. He's gonnna- gonna sulk now." Neat Rick muttered as he wiped the inside of his thermos with a moist towelette.
"Think I should go after him?" Hitch asked Rick N-062.
"If you're asking, then you should." Rims shrugged.
Hitch downed his slop and tossed his sandwich to Rims before taking off after Ricket.
"Hey. Rick-Rick-auugh-" He pounded his chest. He shouldn't have downed the slop in one go. It usually caused heartburn and it would not help his gastroesophageal reflux disease. "Ricket!" Hitch caught up to him and grasped his shoulder. "Hey man. I-I didn't mean-"
"No, of course you didn't." Ricket pushed him off and kept headed back into the building.
"It's not like I don't understand. I lost Beth too."
"Wrong. You lost Beth. I.." Ricket looked down. "I lost them both."
"Then why do you even work here." Hitch asked.
"To stop Ricks from doing it to other Ricks." Ricket grumbled as he signed his way through security.
Hitch huffed as he was patted down and then caught up with Ricket to continue the conversation. "I understand. But… this research. It's-its less dangerous."
"You don't know that."
"And that's why I want you on the team. You're-you're- you'd be the perfect check for safety. Better than me." Hitch explained.
"Safety?"
"Yeah! I want- I want all the precautions, sensors, and and interdimensional monitors. I-I don't wanna fuck this up. For me or anyone."
"But you will. We already have a solid portal fluid. What use is trying for another one if it will just blow up again?"
"We have to at least try."
"I did my trying." Ricket shook him off and stormed off.
"Damnit." Hitch sighed. He wanted Ricket on his research team. But he could do without.
Returning to the Lab he spied Both Rick and Summer of I-023-C staring at the grey case.
"Hey wha-what's in here?" Summer asked with a belch that made her grandfather proud. The two laughed.
"Portal Guns." Hitch slumped into chair.
"Shit a dick, really?" Summer jumped out of her.
"Sumsum, language." Rick chided her.
Summer rolled her eyes but slid next to Hitch.
"Well, can we see them?"
Hitch rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Fine. But we can't use them. It's limited to inside the Citadel and only so many yards away." he popped open the case.
"Haven't seen one of these since we first came to the Citadel." Rick scratched his chin as he picked up the white portal gun but a red light dinged on the case and a disembodied voice chimed.
"Unauthorized Rick access. Put the Portal Gun down or prepare to be neutralized."
Rick yelped and Hitch snatched the portal gun back and the disembodied voice changed.
"Authorized Rick access. Thank you." The light blinked off.
"Jeez, the Citadel isn't playing."
"Guess I'm the only one allowed to actually uh...wield it." Hitch set it back in the case. "Right, let's get to making some portal fluid!"
Making portal fluid was a delicate process. You could make just enough for one portal gun in your basic home chemistry set, but you risked the chance of contaminants and gross dimensional particles affecting it. Especially if you used portals anywhere near the chemistry set. It required as neutral of an environment which was created using neutrino and anti-neutrino particles. Which usually happened with a bit of an explosive effect.
Thankfully, the lab came with a chamber to lock and localize it, for safety. Once the environment was neutralized, they moved the sterilized equipment in and began. Creating portal fluid in bulk at the right temperatures required time. Time that they had.
A week and they had enough. Then, they began creating his test formula.
A process in and of itself. Isolating graviton particles and creating liquid gravity was trying. Getting it to release in a portal format to step through - a nightmare.
Late shifts, no lunches, and with the security clearance to bring research home, Hitch was concentrating his full effort into this. A week in and L-620 wanted a report. Two weeks and L-620 demanded two reports. With each week more reports of progress were required and Summer was held responsible for running them. I-023-C Rick was right there next to him pushing the boundaries of the portal fluid.
"Wh-hy don't we just use graviton as a force, to push the pores of fabric of reality-"
"It would disrupt some dimensions if we stretched the pores to far." Hitch snapped as he drew up another formula. "It'd be like like trying to take shit when your anal ring has been ruptured. Just spilling everywhere in a freefall. Like oh-oh god. Diarrhea."
"Gross." Summer piped up from her spot.
"Shut up Summer." Both Ricks mirrored each other.
"Thats what portal fluid does."
"We-we're trying to make it different! So it doesn't"
"No, what we're trying to do is make it more efficient and cost - urrp - effective."
"That's not what the research is." Hitch slammed his fist down. "If we just-just use graviton as a force it will be no better then the standard. We'll damage everything."
"Oh pfft. It won't damage anything. The pores will bounce back."
"Not-not always. Don't you-you care about the safety of our reality. About what punching the fabric with holes over and over will do?"
"Oh here we go, Hippie Rick everybody." Rick rolled his eyes. "Out-out to save the multiverse." RIck slow clapped. "You can't account for everything."
"We should at least take into account that our actions will matter. Fa-fabric doesn't hold up if you keep wearing it out. E-eventually-augh- you have to replace it or-or-or you end up with no fabric." Hitch shouted.
"I'm okay with being naked." Rick smirked.
"Grandpa!" Summer's tone was disgusted.
"Sorry Sumsum, Grandpa's just making a point."
"Wha-what point are yo-you making? The fact you don't care if if you damage our-our-auugh reality as we know it. Dooming us to the vacuum of space, living an unending purgatory of useless thoughts and meaning. Your point wo-won't matter if we-we aren't ourselves, Rick!" Hitch seethed, breath heaving. "You-you shouldn't just think of the now. You-you gotta thi-think of the future, beyond your own actions. Because they affect other people, other wo-wor- realities. If you don't you-you end up being short-short sighted and then and then you're trying to invent teleportation. Working tirelessly be-because other scientist have-haven't caught on that we need to see the beyond. But they've been too busy des-destroying the planet. So you-you make a portal gun and you don't even test it you just go for it. But your cal-calculations were wrong and..." He trailed off, realizing what he almost blurted out.
The lab was silent. His gaze tracked between the two as realization dawned on them.
"Is that what this is about?" Summer was the first one to speak. Her tone soft and pitying.
Hitch glared at her. "No. Yes… I…" He grit his teeth, hands fisted in his hair. He didn't want to talk about this. With a growl he snatched the portal guns case and stalked up the stairs.
"Where are you going?" Summer asked, her tone laced with rampant concern that Hitch ignored.
"To clear my head and work somewhere else!" Hitch snarled.
"You can't take those with you!"
"Newsflash Summer, I've got security clearance!" Hitch lifted his middle finger as he stormed off.
The fauna and flora of Central Rick Park usually gave him a moment of peace to relax, clear his head. But Hitch was too wound up.
He would have headed to his apartment but he still had the rest of his shift for this day to finish up. Not to mention he did have to take the case back to the facility. The case was allowed out but only a certain radius from the facility. It beeped a screeching tone if he took it too far. A lesson he learned when he was exhausted and sick last week but still wanted to work on it yet not infect everyone else.
He was sitting with it in front of him. Unlocked.
Perhaps he was being too long sighted? Maybe the Council was right to not worry about it right then?
He rubbed his eyes in an attempt to soothe the throbbing pain he'd been ignoring behind his eyelids from dryness and sleep deprivation. He needed water and a good five hours of sleep.
"Fuck…" He groaned and set his head down on the case. He had to apologize to Summer before it got back to Dic- er L-620. "Fuck." He tapped his head against the case. "Fuck!" He did it again slightly harder. "FUCK!" He slammed his head harder, almost wishing for a concussion but none came. Instead a throat was cleared.
"Uh… ah geez. Are-are you alright?" It was a Guard Morty. Just beyond him was his partner, a Guard Rick. Seldom did you see a Morty alone in this part of the Citadel. The only place they were ever alone was Morty Academy and Mortytown, where Rickless Morty's congregated and lived, having either lost their Ricks or abandoned them.
Poor bastards.
Hitch stared at the Morty. He'd always been envious of the Ricks with a Morty. Having that extra layer of protection from the Citadel and Council. He never even got the chance to hide from them. He didn't even try to when given the chance. Hitch had never requested a Morty. Not even when he got over his daughter's death (yeah he was way over it, note sarcasm) or the divorce. He just settled into Citadel life.
"Y-yeah. I'm fine." He muttered as he sat up. "Just l-lo needed a long look at my s-sorry life."
"Alright. Just-just making sure. Some of the other Ricks were complaining." Morty raised his hand when Hitch looked around. "Ju-just- you take care of yourself, Rick."
"It's...Hitch." He mumbled.
Guard Morty nodded. "Hitch."
The name didn't grate on his nerves when coming from a Morty. It was even nice.
Groaning, he opened the case. He did say he was going to work on the portal gun while here. Maybe a change of scenery would help. Pulling his tool kit from his belt he popped open the red portal gun. The purple portal fluid crystal was his modified fluid, using liquid graviton. He connected the crystal to what would make it project the portal.
The idea was rather than forcing the fabric to open, the fluid allowing particlization of those stepping through it via the pores in reality and then reforming them in the exact same order. Thus far it's worked short range with inanimate objects and living creatures like hamsters, dogs, and monkeys. But they couldn't get it to work beyond twenty yards. They hadn't even tested it on Ricks or Mortys yet.
Maybe it was time to because sometimes you just needed to get your hands dirty. Or… well disassembled by gravity and put back together.
Assembling the gun together again he set it in the case and moved further into the Park, away from onlookers. Wouldn't want to worry any of the Guard Ricks or entice a Rick to steal the guns afterall. Once in a good spot he pulled the red gun out and pointed at a rock by the artificial pond and watched the portal form as it did in the lab. It was an concentric pattern that pulsed with the artificial gravity of the Citadel before settling. An aura of disintegration formed around the portal with a layer of reassembly. He could see leaves falling in and reforming repeatedly.
Seeing it react with an environment that wasn't sterile was fascinating.
Htich stepped to it and tossed a stick in it. The aura was disturbed by the intruder, instantly the stick dissolved into microscopic specks that filtered through the purple portal. They came through the other end as particulates that swarmed until it formed the same stick.
"Alright." He nodded and then stuck one finger in the aura. It shifted around slowly dissolving the finger but he pulled back and as he did the finger reformed. Once he got too close though, the force of the graviton particles would push him through and out the other end from the sheer force. "Okay…" It was painless. If a bit odd to feel his finger stretch beyond what he thought it should be. Communication still traveled through each cell and particle.
Now for the real test.
Hitch dropped the case down. With a held breath he stepped through. The force of graviton pulled him apart, atom by atom. He was a being and also not. It was odd as part of him was on this side of the portal and the other formed on the other side.
"Ugghhh.." The sound he emitted was lost as the portal treated it like a blackhole and then...then he was whole again and stumbling as the aura of the portal pushed him away.
"Woah." He gapped at the portal. It worked. It... worked . "YES!"
Now to test distance.
He closed the portal from the gun. A feature he incorporated was being able to close the portal when he wanted. The fluid draining and the graviton particles dissipating as they naturally would leaving little to no damage to the fabric of reality. The purple faded slowly in the same concentric pattern it had formed. The pulsing grew less and soon it was gone.
He set up a portal again, watching as it formed but he had set the coordinates to beyond twenty yards. He knew exactly where.
He did the stick test and promptly ran to the exit portal. His legs burned as he skidded to the other side of the Park. There was the portal. The stick should have passed through already but all he saw was a pile of ash.
Reaching for the ash, he intended to stir them but the aura of the portal caught him. The disintegration caught him, yanking not just him into the portal but the ashes. He yelped, reaching behind him for some purchase on anything and stumbled back. His arm disassembled into particles of remotely the same shape but he could see through it.
"Ohfuckohfuck." It wasn't painless. "Ah shit…FUCK!" He clutched his arm only remembering to shut off the portal as he held his partially particlized arm aloft. But very quickly it pulsed until it clustered together to make his arm whole again.
"Hitch?" Ricket was standing in the clearing, shock on his face.
"Ricket…Its...it's not what it looks like." Hitch began.
"Where did you get that portal gun?" Ricket gasped.
"Okay, it is exactly what it looks like." Hitch stood up, shakey. His arm however had trouble remaining in this plane and sunk through the dirt. He had to yank it out and glare at it. It wasn't completely sealed together yet but it was getting there. Ever so slowly. "It's for my research."
"I get that but… really? Outside of the lab?!" Ricket stepped forward and snatched the gun.
"Wait don't-" The case began beeping with the same threat. "Put it in the case! Put it in the case!" Ricket did as told and Hitch sighed as he slammed the case shut.
"Let me see your arm." Ricket glowered.
"What no. It's fine." Hitch held back.
"Hitch, your arm does not look fine."
"Ricket, it's fine. It's just… uh reintegrating with the rest of my particles." Hitch turned his arm. He could see the rest of his skeletal structure had reformed and now the muscles and blood particulates were clustering.
"Unbelievable. Is this why you wanted me on this project? To prevent your reckless behavior?" Ricket growled.
"No. I wanted you on the project to-to...well help."
"Why? Why would I ever help with portal fluid modification. I don't even understand why you still work on it." Ricket seethed. "It's the reason why you lost your daughter, the reason why mine and my wife are dead. It's foolish for us to continue on that path, it leads only to destruction."
"Then their deaths would be for nothing." Hitch snapped.
Ricket stilled.
"If you just give up on your research because-because they died, then… then their deaths were for nothing." Hitch sighed. "At least you probably learned more about precautionary steps because… because of what you lost."
The silence between them was deafening but the park was lively with chatter and belches.
Hitch and Ricket stared each other down. If it weren't for Ricket possessing a goatee and Hitch being as clean shaven as he could be, they would have been near identical. There was also the matter of his arm, the skin just now sealing over exposed flesh and the sleeve of his sweater and labcoat quickly following it. They were less complex than the rest of his arm.
Hitch stretched his hand and tested its solidity. "Well, at least that's fixed."
"Unbelievable." Ricket sighed. "Alright, I'm in. Because for fuck's sake you need someone else watching your back than just I-23C." Ricket shook his head.
"Yes…" Hitch smiled. "Now help me figure out a way to extend the distance. The new portal fluid only goes so far and it doesn't have the same reach as the standard."
"Have you tried incorporating some of the ingredients of standard." Ricket asked, both not wanting to re-breach the topic of their lost families due to their error.
"It would destabilize the entire formula. Plus there's the method of cross contamination..." Hitch trailed off but considered the idea further. "Unless... I inject standard portal fluid into the crystal instead of graviton fluid."
"You synthesised the crystal for graviton." Ricket offered. "And we know portal fluid works across vast distances without any limit, maybe if the crystal-"
"-treated it like graviton. I just have to re-calibrate the gun for that." Hitch smiled. "See this is why I needed you. Not just for safety protocols." He opened the case and popped open both guns, carefully swirling the green portal fluid and pouring it into the canister that held the graviton crystal. The crystal sucked it in, swirling the green liquid around with a pulse. Closing the normal portal gun, he recalibrated the red portal gun.
"Did you make sure reboot the interdimensional catalogue?" Ricket peered over.
"Yes." Hitch nodded.
"What about the the new energy readings. It would be a bit depleted."
"I did the calculations and am inputting them in now."
"What about-" Ricket paused as Hitch stared at him. "Alright alright, just making sure."
"Well... nothing ventured nothing gained." Hitch closed the gun and powered it up. He eyed coordinates.
"Lets keep the distance to something conservative, yeah?" Ricket asked with a slight concern.
"Fifteen yards should do it." Hitch set it and set out a portal.
Or he thought he did.
"Uh…" He looked at the gun. The indicator let him know a portal had been opened but it wasn't right in front of him.
"Huh, did you make sure to re-calibrate the-" Ricket began but stopped when an explosion rocked Central Rick Park. Hitch and Ricket went flying to the floor. The gun skittered over a rock and the crystal cracked again. There was a distant explosion and the Citadel shifted. Screams filtered through the flora.
"Shit shit shit…" Hitch felt the artificial gravity go and he went flying up. "Ricket!" He looked toward his brother who was gripping a tree branch as the water came flying up.
"The gun, Hitch! Turn off the portal!" Ricket screeched.
Hitch had already spotted it, floating in the distance. There was a deafening screech of metal. Swimming in the air he pushed toward the gun, grasping it as he saw over the trees toward the streets of flying ships with Ricks and Mortys flailing as they tried to grip street lamps and curbs.
"TURN THE PORTAL OFF, HITCH!" Ricket reminded him just as he pressed it. Almost instantly the artificial gravity kicked back and he plummeted to the floor.
"Fuck…" Hitch clutched the gun close as sound sof shooting had him look to Ricket who slid the case to him.
"Put it away."
"But-"
"But the fucking gun away Hitch!"
Case snapping shut, he looked at Ricket and they ran toward the sound of shooting, despite their instincts telling them to run.
A dissolving purple and green portal with concentric waves filled the center of the park. Littered along the floor where it lay was bodies, as though they had fallen from a height. Some of them had landed on top of each other. The survivors stumbling to their feet and looking around with a wild panic as Guard Ricks descended on them. The ones who tried to run were shot down and those who didn't fell to their knees with their hands raised up, pleading. Guard Ricks demanded to know their name and their dimension but they looked confused and couldn't answer. Those too were shot dead.
But there was something unsettling about the survivors of the portal and those who complied as best they could to the Guard requests. Even as they were arrested and hauled up, Hitch could see them. Their faces, body type, and height were all the same with slight variations in clothing style or hair color and style.
Even more unsettling, they neither looked like a Rick. Or a Morty. Or a Summer. Or even a Beth or a Jerry. They were a complete stranger.
Who were they?
