The Parallel Universe
Olivia woke up from the strangest dream ever. She didn't know what to do so she went back to sleep. She woke up again in the morning, putted her clothes on, ate breakfast and went to work. Olivia's job is far from normal, the way she describes it is "I work for the FBI in Fringe Division, dealing with strange and mysterious cases threatening the United States and its residents"
Olivia opens the door to her office, well one of them at least. It looks normal when you first look at it, but behind the door there is a lab. The labs location is pretty weird; in the basement of the Kresge building on Harvard campus. Now these days it belongs to the FBI, Fringe Division and the man working in the lab is Walter Bishop, a former U.S army scientist working on a program called Kelvin Genetics. The program gave him whatever resources he needed to do whatever experimenting he wanted to. Olivia and Walter aren't working alone, Olivia has an assistant called Astrid Farnsworth and Walter has a son, Peter Bishop. They are all working for the FBI and solving the mysterious cases their boss gives them.
Olivia walks into the lab and says.
Walter I was just on the phone with Broyles, he is sending over a body for you to examine.
Oh a body, Walter said with a tint of excitement in his voice, like death was funny thing.
Yeah some sort of window or portal opened in a park in Providence, Olivia said.
What sort of window, Peter asked.
Well, there was some kids playing in the park and suddenly a window opened in front of them, you know that it's raining outside right? Olivia said.
Yeah, Peter confirmed.
Well in the window it wasn't raining, it was sunny, and one of the kids kicked the football into the window, but instead for turning back the ball went right through and one of the kids ran after it, but when the kid was passing through the window it closed so now there is only a half a kid left and we couldn't find the other half of him, it's like the other part disappeared into another world, Olivia explained
I think I might know what happened here, but I need to see the body before I can form a hypostasis, Walter said.
Okay, Peter I'll need you outside to help the EMT get the body into the lab, Olivia said.
I'm on my way, Peter said with a tint of fun in his voice.
Peter went outside as Olivia told him to and Walter yelled after Astrid or Astro as he calls her, well Astro, Astrix, Aspirin and many other names that might accurd to him while he is talking. Peter came back inside with the body and Walter opened the bag, unfortunately all of them just finished eating breakfast so they nearly puked when they saw the body.
Oh my god, what is that? Astrid asked.
It's supposed to be a kid or a boy in this case, but the rest of him we have no idea where went, Olivia said, Walter do you know what happened to this boy or what happened to the rest of him?
Well I'm starting to think that I know what happened to the other part of him, but I'm not sure, Walter said and he did seem kind of distracted.
Would you care to share with the rest of us? Peter asked.
No, not yet I'm not hundred percent sure so you'll have to wait a bit longer, Walter said sounding even more distracted.
It took him about an hour before he felt that he needed to share with the others, but when he did he didn't stop after a while.
Well we think that we are the only one in this universe, but we aren't, or we are in this universe, but there is an alternative universe just like ours and in each of them there is a version of us, slightly different, but they look mostly the same and live almost the same lives except that they did some different choices in their lives and we did the opposite, Walter said now sounding more afraid then exited.
So that is where the rest of the boy's body is Walter?, Astrid asked
Yeah I suppose so, Walter said.
Walter and Astrid went back into the lab and worked on the body, but it didn't tell much more then he already knew. Olivia and Peter was still sitting in Olivia's office talking about if it was possible to cross over into the other universe and get the other piece of the boy back, the problem was that nobody knew if it was possible to cross over or if they would find him at all.
We can't be sure if the other world will "answer" to the request of crossing over or if we will be taken by Fringe Division on the other side, Walter said.
Well it is worth a try, but how are we going to cross over? Olivia asked.
You, Walter said.
Me? Olivia asked.
Yes you, Walter said, when you were a kid you were exposed to a drug called cortexiphan, Belly and I thought that children had special abilities and we made cortexiphan to trigger that bond so they would get this abilities.
Who is Belly? Peter asked
Belly? William Bell, the founder of Massive Dynamic, Walter said
So you experimented on children, Astrid asked.
Yes, but we were only trying defend or world from a coming war, Walter said.
Still experimenting on children is horrible, don't make that sound like charity work, Peter said sounding upset and angry.
Olivia took a few steps back and a deep breath, probably to deal with what Walter just said and trying to not get too frustrated. The thoughts was running through her head and she was thinking "why can't I remember this, is my brain trying to protect me from something horrible? Was the things Walter did so bad?" she could never get a perfect answer, but she did get something "He was trying to prepare you, not hurt you, at least not with a mean meaning" she didn't know if she was going to trust that thought.
But how am I going to do so? Olivia asked, you don't know if the cortexiphan is still in my body.
Well I can simply run a chemical test from your blood and that will tell me if it's still in your brain, Walter said.
Ok, so you want to do this now or? Olivia asked.
Yes I think that we don't have much time before another window opens, Walter said.
Another window might open!? Peter said now sounding even angrier and surprised than before.
Yeah and I suppose we don't have that much time, Walter said sounding worried.
He drained some blood from Olivia's arm and she tried not to get angry with him, but it was hard. Walter went over to the centrifuge to and putted the holder into the centrifuge. Peter was walking around in the lab trying to calm himself down and Astrid was standing beside Olivia trying to not look worried. But Olivia catched her facial expression and looked at her with a smile. She was trying the best she could to not thinking much about it, but she understood that it was going to be hard for her to sleep that night. Walter was done with the testing and came back to the others, looking kind of worried, but in the end he said:
Well I found out that you have some cortexiphan left, but it isn't enough to get us to the other side and back, Walter said.
So what do we do now? Astrid asked.
Well I have some cortexiphan in the back so I can dig it out from the fridge and the dose Olivia, but that depends on how willing she is to get a headache and throw up a bit, Walter said.
I'll get sick or the fabric of the universe collapses? Olivia asked
Yes that's what it stands between, Walter said.
Ok I'll do it, Olivia said.
Astro I need your help, Walter yelled while he started walking to the office.
It's Astrid, Astrid said.
Rejection, Walter said sounding angry.
Astrid gave him a shocking look and went after him while she was thinking about all the weird names he gave her all the time. Olivia and Peter were standing in the back looking at Walter and Astrid while they discussed what they thought about Walter's story about cortexiphan. Olivia was staring into the air like someone had just been there sucking out all the life in her body and Peter saw that she was upset with Walter.
You're going to be fine Olivia, Peter said.
Well I hope so, you know it's hard for me Peter we have been together for three years now and if something happens I want you to know that I love you. You're my everything and without you I wouldn't be able to do this with just Walter, Olivia said.
You know that I love you to and I always will, since I saw you for the first time I loved you, no matter what happens I'll always be there for you, Peter said.
Olivia smiled at Peter and Peter smiled back. Walter came out in the lab with two plastic bags like the ones you have in an IV- drip, but there was something red inside instead. Walter walked over to Olivia and Peter while Astrid was still in the back, probably cleaning up after Walter. He started hanging the bags up on a stand and told Olivia to sit down in the chair. She did as Walter told her to and the closer to the experiment they got Olivia got more and more frightened.
Peter I need you to hold my hand, Olivia said sounding scared.
Peter walked over to Olivia and took her hand, he gave her a kiss on the forehead and told her to relax and that he would never leave her side.
After an hour of sleep Olivia woke up again and she was a bit blurry when she was talking, but it didn't take long before she was back on her feet.
So where are we going to cross over? Olivia asked.
I know that there is a soft spot at a place called Reiden Lake, I know that a window opened there 25 years ago, Walter said.
Astrid can you check with the FBI's archives and see if we have something on Reiden Lake, Olivia said.
Astrid walked over to the computer and started searching in the FBI data base and archives. Walter and Peter were cleaning up after Walter's little test and Olivia, once again, were staring into the air like nothing happened around her.
After a little while they were in Olivia's car on their way to Reiden Lake, Astrid was staying in the lab incase Broylse showed up and asked for the others, anyway someone had to take care of the lab and make sure no one broke in. Walter was singing and Peter understood that it bothered Olivia so he told Walter to be quite. It was a long car ride to Reiden Lake, but in the end they finally got there. Walter walked out and looked around, like he had been there before, Olivia and Peter walked around looking when Walter suddenly said:
Peter you know that we owned the Lake house over there before your mother died right? Walter said.
Yeah I remember that, we used to come here during the summer, I remember that I could stay outside for hours just looking at the water, Peter said.
Hey guys, is that the window you were talking about? Olivia said
Yeah, we have to get over there now before it closes, Walter said.
They ran over to the "window" and just stood there studying the other side when Walter said:
Olivia I need you to think back to when you were just a child, playing outside the daycare center in the sun.
Olivia took a deep breath and closed her eyes to try and focus on the life she had as a child, the happy part of her childhood of course. Olivia had a darker childhood then most people believed, but now she had a fantastic job and a boyfriend, a sister and a niece. How can you not call that a happy life? Her life did take some serious changes for example that she killed her stepfather, but he was a bad guy. He was an alcoholic and when he was drunk he would accuse her mom for seeing other men and she just lived with it. One day he hit her really hard and broke her nose, he ran out the door got in the car and drove off, but Olivia heard his car turnaround. He kept a gun in his night tray so she took it out and when he opened the door Olivia pulled the trigger. And she saw the look in his eyes just begging her to finish, but she didn't. They took him to the hospital and they said that he wouldn't make it, but that he didn't die, he recovered and one night he just escaped and they never saw him again.
Olivia suddenly fell on the ground and Walter looked at the window, it wasn't blurry any more, it was clear.
I think that the door is stabilized enough to go through now, but we have to hurry before it closes, Walter said.
Olivia? Olivia are you ok? Peter asked.
Oh my god, yeah ehm I think so, Olivia said, Walter what are we going to do when we get over there? We don't know if the park in Providence exists on the other side or if someone will come a take us.
Well I guess that's a question we will get an answer to soon, but we have to hurry now, Walter said.
Peter took Olivia's hand and they all went through at the same time. They all stopped for a moment and looked around, Reiden Lake didn't look the same on this side, all the trees were dead.
Wow, what happened here? Peter asked and sounded confused
I have no idea, Walter said.
Walter how are we going to get to civilization, we are in the middle of nowhere, Olivia said sounding disappointed like she had expected something else from this world.
They were just standing there when they suddenly were surrounded by Fringe agents. No one understood a thing until a redhead women showed up in front of them. She looked exactly like our Olivia and our Olivia and Peter was just standing there like someone just hitted them in the stomach.
So you are the people that we have been waiting for? I'm Olivia by the way or you might call me Bolivia so it will be easier to separate the two of us, Bolivia said as she was looking at Olivia.
Well it's nice to finally meet you, Walter said, I have been talking to you for a while and now we are finally here.
Olivia and Peter looked at Walter with shocking eyes, they had no idea that Walter had been talking to this other women. Walter looked at Olivia and Peter with the "I'm sorry, but I couldn't tell you" eyes like he was expecting something sounding like a comment from one of them, but they were just standing there.
Shall we get in the car and drive to New York? The secretary of the Defense is waiting and he isn't that patient, Bolivia said.
Walter what is you and Bolivia talking about? Peter said now sounding angrier then confused.
Well we have planned this for several months now and it is like an deal so that this world can start healing itself, but in order to do that they need our help, Walter explained.
Olivia and Peter looked at each other with a worried look, but they couldn't let Walter behind so they agreed that if Walter had a special connection they would stay here with him. They all went to the car and got inside, Walter was sitting in the passenger seat in the front and Peter and Olivia in the back.
So we have fixed some apartments for the three of you, not together, but wall-to-wall, you know what I mean, Bolivia said, one of the apartments are made for two persons and the other one is made for one person, so you have to figure it out yourself how is going to live in what apartment.
Peter, you and Olivia can stay together in the apartment that is made for two persons and I'll live in the other one, Walter said.
Are you sure that you're ok with that Walter? You know that it's fine with me if you feel safer with Peter, Olivia said.
Yes I'm sure, anyway you two lovebirds hasn't spent much private time together in the last weeks, Walter said with a small laugh in his voice.
Peter look at Walter and laughed kind of short, but he turned his head and gave Olivia a kiss. It was a beautiful place in one way, but at the same time there was something missing in the nature, Olivia, Peter and Walter looked outside as they were getting closer to New York, everything was dead, no threes, flowers or grass.
Walter and Bolivia stepped out of the car and Peter and Olivia did the same, they were at the D.O.D checkpoint pier outside Liberty Island that apparently was the place that the ferry docked. Peter, Olivia, Walter and Bolivia were standing on the pier for several minutes, suddenly the ferry was there and they went onboard. When they got to Liberty Island they were escorted into an office that was quite big actually, but it wasn't a lot of stuff inside. The door opens and a man in a suit comes in, now Peter, Olivia were standing there gasping for breath, it was Walter, or at least another version of him.
Hello, I'm Walter as you might have understood, you can call me Walternate so you can separate me and your Walter, he said while looking at Walter, Peter and Olivia.
Yeah as you guys might have understood Walternate is our secretary of defense, Bolivia explained, it was his idea to start communicating with your Walter so we cloud get your help on this project, it's basically all about saving our world, because without your help our universe will die.
So you guys need our help, Peter asked.
Yeah and it's getting late so we can talk more tomorrow, an agent will drive you to your apartments and tomorrow I'll show you around in town, I suppose you have been to New York before in your universe, but things are different in this one, Bolivia said and smiled.
An agent drove Olivia, Peter and Walter to their apartments and told them that it would be along tomorrow so they should just know that someone would come and pick them up at 9am next morning. Olivia asked Walter one last time if he was sure that it was ok to just be alone although they were just next door, Walter said the same thing that Olivia and Peter needed some time alone and that if he needed something he could just knock on the door.
It was in the middle of the night when Walter knocked on the door and he kept on knocking until Peter opened it.
What is it Walter, Peter asked.
Wake Olivia up, there is something you need to see, and I think you can call Bolivia as well, Walter said, sounding worried.
Peter went back into the bedroom and woke Olivia up and when Olivia woke up he called Bolivia and asked if she could come over since Walter had something to show them.
What's going on, Bolivia said.
Show and tell apparently, Peter said.
Walter went over to the window and waved for the others to come over.
See that red and black hole over there by the bridge? Walter asked.
Yes, it looks like a… oh my god, Bolivia said and suddenly she got quiet.
What is that, Olivia asked.
It's a wormhole, they only open when the fabric of this universe is about to collapse, Bolivia said, she took her phone up of the pocket and made a call, hey it's Dunham I need an amber team at the Brooklyn Bridge right away, we got another wormhole.
Bolivia rushed out the door together with Olivia and Peter who insisted on coming with her. When they got to the bridge the amber team was already in possession and the protocol was already in effect. If you wonder what Amber is, it's basically a yellow plastic looking mass that spreads out on a small area when it's released, and the form that it is released in is gas, a single white looking gas form. Thousands of people have been trapped in Amber and now most of them have been pronounced dead.
It is hard because people demonstrate against the Amber team and us when we are doing this, but it's something that keeps our world from tearing apart so I guess that they would rather watch Amber areas then die, Bolivia said.
Just as she had finished that sentence some people already had lined up with signs saying "Amber means death" and Peter and Olivia understood that they needed to hide so that the general public wouldn't see them or Walter since he is looking just the same as Walternate.
After a couple of hours they all went back to their apartments and Bolivia told them that a car would come and still pick them up at 9am. Walter was looking sadder than ever since he in some way was responsible for all of these horrible things that are happening to this world. Olivia tried to convince him that it wasn't his fault and that now that they were there, on the other side; they were going to fix it. But for some reason he didn't listen to her or Peter this time, he just went back into his apartment and Olivia and Peter was just standing left like two dead persons in a simple love story.
Olivia woke up to a strange sound from the kitchen. She went out and Peter was standing there cocking pancakes, eggs and bacon. Of all the thoughts going through her mind right now the one that really made her think was "where is Walter".
Hey, where is Walter? Didn't he say that he wanted to make breakfast for us? Olivia asked.
I went into his apartment and there was a note saying "I already left, I told you that I wanted you and Olivia to have some time alone", Peter said and he didn't look worried at all.
Well I guess we should take advantage of this opportunity, Olivia said and smiled.
Well what Olivia and Peter didn't know at that time was that Walter had been captured by a guy, no one knew how this guy was, but he had to have been one of the guys that wanted to end this world.
Don't you think it's strange, that Walter want's to skip breakfast with us? Olivia said, sounding worried while she was eating.
Well now that you put it that way, yes, I think it's a bit stranger, Peter said, he would never skip breakfast.
I'll go and check his apartment, Olivia said.
She went into Walter's apartment and looked around. She didn't find anything special, but suddenly she saw an item on the floor, it looked like a record player, but at the same time it looked different than any record player she had ever seen. She went back into her own apartment and showed Peter what she had found. They studied the device and decided to call Bolivia since she lived here and might know what it was. After about 30 minutes she arrived, Bolivia of course, she told them that it was a sort of message device, they could hear what the person who left it had said before they left it there and they could send a message back.
It's not a phone, but it's what we give to kids so they can communicate with parents and friends, Bolivia explained.
Well how can we listen to the message? Peter asked, sounding worried.
Bolivia hitted the play button and they heard a voice with a British accent. "As you might have seen Walter Bishop is missing from his apartment, we want to tell you that he is fine, if you want to see Walter again come with a Fringe team to the corner of Longwood Ave. and Southern Blvd. and you'll see him again. Bring with you the record device and meet me there in one hour"
Olivia could see in Peter's eyes that he was worried, what happened to Walter, was he really there as the guy from the tape said? This was among the thousand thoughts that were floating around in Olivia's head and probably Peter's head too.
So shall I call HQ? Bolivia asked.
Yeah, we should probably have a tactical team ready, no one can know that our universe exists at all, Olivia said.
We have to get Walter back, we have no idea who this guy is so how are we going to find him at all, we don't know if he is telling the truth, Peter said, sounding worried and angry at the same time.
We just have to trust him! What other choice do we have, Olivia said.
She could see it at Peter's facial expression that after listening to that message he was even more worried. She looked at him with calming eyes and she gave him a hug so that he knew that he wasn't alone on this.
You're not alone Peter, we all want to find Walter, Olivia said.
Ok, I just called HQ they are on their way to the meeting place so we should get going, Bolivia said.
They all went outside and got in the car. About 20 minutes later they were at the corner of Longwood Ave. and Southern Blvd. suddenly a man walks out from a building and tells them that the guy they are looking for went away.
What!? Peter said, sounding angry.
Take him, Bolivia said with a bossy voice.
You're making a mistake; I'm not the one you are looking for! I was just asked to give you the message to you guys, the man said.
What's your name, Olivia said.
Tyler, Tyler Carson, he said.
Well we still have to bring you in, but if you are telling the truth then we will know, Bolivia said.
They took him back to the HQ and questioned him, as he kept saying, he was telling the truth and he had no idea that they had kidnapped Walter. They let him go, but what now, what are they going to do? No one knew where Walter was and no one knew where to find him.
You can just go back to your apartment and then we will keep searching for him, Bolivia said
But we can't just walk around at home, Olivia said.
I'm sorry, but that's what you have to do, our Division has rules that agents are not allowed to work on cases where family is involved, Bolivia explained.
So as they were told, Peter and Olivia went back to the apartment, but none of them could eat, sleep or in that case do anything. Suddenly the phone rang; Olivia got up from the couth and answered the phone.
Hello? Olivia said.
Olivia is that you, the voice said.
Excuse me, who are you? Olivia asked.
Oh sorry it's Walter, he said.
Walter!? Where are you? Olivia said, shocked of course, Peter came over to her and putted the phone on speaker.
I'm still in the building where you found Tyler, it was him, he was one of the guys that took me, our fooled me in this case, Walter said.
Ok, listen don't do anything until we get there! I'm going to call Bolivia and we will be there soon, ok? Peter said.
Ok, but you have to hurry, I think they are about to move me, Walter said, sounding worried.
Peter called Bolivia and told her everything, she said that they had to stay home this time and that she would get a tactical team together and bring Walter home safe. So once more all Olivia and Peter could do was to sit on their butts and do nothing. About half an hour later it knocked on the door, it was Walter and a Fringe agent, shocked as they were both of them they hugged Walter as if they hadn't seen him in many years.
So how did this happen to you Walter? Olivia asked.
Well he told me that I was wanted at the HQ right away and that he was going to drive me there, but he never drove me there. He took me to a building; I suppose it was where you guys found me. He asked me a bunch of questions, I don't know why, but I answered, it was like he forced me to answer, Walter explained.
So you don't remember anything beyond that? Peter asked.
No I'm sorry, I don't, Walter said.
Suddenly the phone rang; Olivia picked it up and answered. It took a while before she was done talking, but from what Peter could read out of her expression was that in one way was good news and in another bad news.
That was Bolivia, she is coming to pick us up, she said Walternate needed to talk to us, Olivia said.
Ok Walter get your coat, we're going out, Peter said
When Bolivia arrived Walter didn't hastate on getting inside the car, which Peter and Olivia though was weird since he just got back from the building where he was being held.
Once again they took the ferry from the Liberty Island check point and docking over to the island itself. When they arrived at the island they were escorted into an office that wasn't Walternate's office, but Bolivia explained that this was the office were they had meetings with him when it was something he wanted to discuss with Fringe Division. When Walternate came into the office he looked happier than when they arrived, like someone suddenly had told him that he could go home for the day.
I'm here to tell you that our world is done healing itself, vortexes are closing and ambered areas all over the globe is being reopened as we speak, Walternate said.
Wow that went fast, but what are we going to do now that your world is healing? Olivia asked
Well, the way things look now you can go home, Bolivia said.
But we didn't do anything while we were here, Peter said, we didn't do anything, we didn't even solve the case.
No we made that happen so you would come over here to help us heal our world, Bolivia said.
And you didn't have to do anything anyway, Olivia's cortexiphan ability helped us heal, Walternate said.
Yes, it's true, you didn't do anything that was visible, Walter said.
So now we just go back to Reiden Lake and go home? Peter asked.
Yes, Olivia has more cortexiphan in her blood then when we crossed over, Walter said, it feeds itself until it's used on something that requires a lot of cortexiphan power.
After the meeting they went back to the apartments and pack their bags and then Bolivia drove them to Reiden Lake. Olivia did the same thing this time as when they crossed over the first time. And against all odds it worked, Olivia said goodbye to Bolivia and walked through the window. When she had walked through the window closed and Olivia had to look around to see if Walter and Peter were with her and they were. They could all take a deep breath and feel relieved. Peter called after Astrid so she could come and pick them up. After an hour she was there, she did look sad, but didn't say anything until they were back in the lab.
Broyles died while you were gone, it was a case and he died in an explosion, Astrid said, so the new boss is Charlie.
Charlie? Oh my god I haven't talked to him in a long time! Olivia said, he must be devastated I know how much Broyles ment to him.
We just have to look forward, and Olivia you know Charlie well, I'm sure that he won't shut us down, Peter said
Yeah we have to just hope, solving cases that the universe doesn't handle itself, that's our job, you, me, Peter and Walter, Astrid said.
Yeah, can you just give me a second I think I'm going to have a bit of a cry, Walter said
They all kept on working in Fringe Division on our side, Charlie did great in his new possession as the boss of the 13th floor of FBI building Boston. And after this, things just went up, Olivia and Peter started a family and moved to Brookline outside of Boston and Walter moved in with Astrid so she could take care of him. So we can say that even after Broyles died it was a happy ending for everyone anyway.
~ 15 ~