7.
Possibilities
"We could try zipping you guys around a cybersite at lightspeeds for a little while." Mirror Jackie suggested. "Doesn't that have something to do with it?"
"Jackie, that was Jarcimian's Theory for Time Travel, and it was tested a long time ago and it didn't work." Mirror Digit pointed out. "Completely unrelated."
Matt tapped the control panel they were gathered around on the bridge. "I still think that creating another cyberbreech is our best bet." he said. "That was how we got here."
"Yes, but we were nearly killed in the process." Inez stated. "Who's to say we don't get killed in transit this time around?"
"Not to mention that creating cyberbreeches is dangerous in itself." Mirror Jackie added. "Harmful to the environment, you know."
"Well, it's not like we've got any other ideas." Matt grumbled. "We may have no choice in the matter."
"We could try adding a portal to the mix." Inez suggested. "Future Matt used one to time travel. Who's to say we can't use one to jump from one alternate reality to another?"
"True, but how?" Matt asked. "And how do we make sure we end up in the right reality? You said yourself there could be millions of them."
"Maybe Dr. Marbles could help." Inez thought aloud. "He knows quite a bit about portals."
"We've already tried contacting him." Mirror Jackie said. "He's needed at a peace delegation between two of Earth's countries. We're on our own until that's over."
Inez thought for a moment. "What happens when you go through a portal pointing in the direction of a cyberbreech?" she asked.
"Absolutely nothing." Mirror Digit answered. "Even I know that."
"There must be some kind of why to use a portal in this." Inez said, flopping back in her chair.
"I think you were on to something, though, Nezzie." Matt said, "Obviously, if there is a way to use a portal, we're going to have to subject it to conditions that a portal's not normally exposed to."
"Okay, so let's think." Mirror Jackie said, getting up to pace. "What did Future Matt do to time travel in your guy's universe?"
"He opened a portal, then sent some Kryoxide through it." Inez explained. "Dr. Marbles explained that it slowed travel to the point that one actually traveled backwards through time."
"Any way we can apply that to this?" Mirror Jackie asked, gesturing to the computer screen where they had been running simulations.
"Not with Kryoxide." Matt explained. "That would only send us back in time about a year or two, not at all the effect we want." he thought for a moment longer. "Maybe we use that stuff that Dr. Marbles talked about being the exact opposite of Kryoxide? What was it called, Li...ly..."
"Lynitrogen." Inez answered automatically.
"Lynitrogen?" Mirror Digit repeated. "That's extremely dangerous stuff."
"Exactly why we didn't use it for that." Inez went on to explain. "The risk of it exploding was just too much."
Mirror Jackie stopped pacing to stare at the computer screen, where a picture of a cyberbreech was being portrayed. "You said that you guys were at the cyberbreech that brought you here to seal it off, to prevent it from expanding." she said. "How?"
"We used a Space Fabricator." Matt explained. "We dropped it in and it sealed the event horizon of the breech. The problem we had was that we got caught in the event horizon before the Fabricator was released and activated."
"So you were actually in the breech when you activated the Fabricator." Mirror Jackie summarized. "That explains why you guys came out here so beat up. Part of it was the breech's extreme gravimetric pull, while most of it was the Fabricator sealing the breech."
"Why, how does the Fabricator work?" Inez asked.
"It releases a kind of energy in large bursts that will produce a kind of interspacial "patch" over the breech, or whatever it's used on. Anything caught in that burst of energy generally gets damaged a great deal, and you guys were right in that burst's path." Mirror Jackie explained. "In fact, that was what drew the Cyantis over to your location. We detected the burst of energy, uncommonly found in nature in such large amounts, and we went to investigate."
"Okay, but where does that get us?" Matt asked.
"Pretty far." Mirror Digit piped up, who had been quietly thinking throughout the latter part of the conversation. "We can use a Space Fabricator on a portal and get the same effect."
"On a portal?" Matt asked, bewildered.
"Sure." Mirror Digit said. "Think about it. When a portal connects from Cyberspace to the Real World, the portal is essentially a cyberbreech. The difference is that it's much smaller, more stable, and lacks the need to tear up anything in it's path. I'm willing to bet that if we used a low-level Space Fabricator on a portal, we can force it to jump to another reality."
"But which one?" Inez asked. "And will it lead to the Real World, or will it stay in Cyberspace?"
"I don't particularly care where we end up, just so long we're alive and in the right universe." Matt said. "Too bad we can't test our theory."
But then Mirror Jackie stopped pacing, brightening. "But we can!" she said, and began typing commands into the console they were gathered around.
"What are you doing, creating a simulation?" Mirror Digit asked.
"Nope, even better!" Mirror Jackie answered, then took a step back so the others could see. "Viola!"
The screen now showed a computer generated image of the immediate area around the Cynatis and opening at a safe distance from the ship was a Real World bond portal.
"You can create portals with this ship too?" Matt asked, amazed.
"Yep." Mirror Jackie answered, typing commands into the console again. "Can launch Space Fabricators too."
A dot suddenly appeared on the image and moved rapidly from the Cyantis to the portal. There was a flash of light, then all that remained was a slightly unstable version of the portal.
"Did it work?" Matt asked.
"There's a way to find out." Mirror Jackie answered, typing in one final code. Another dot was released from the Cyantis and entered the portal. Then the screen suddenly erupted into static.
"What happened?" Inez asked.
"I sent a probe into the portal." Jackie explained. "Should be getting a picture soon..."
Sure enough, the picture reformed to show a brilliant view of Cyberspace. The immediate area was empty.
"Well, it worked. It jumped realities." Mirror Jackie confirmed.
"But to which one?" Inez asked. "How can we confirm that?"
"Well, the probe is getting a transmission, maybe that can tells us." Mirror Jackie stated.
She pressed a few buttons, then the transmission began broadcasting.
"...confirmed breech is closed. Guys? Please respond! It's Jackie! Just say anything to tell me you're alright and that Hacker didn't get you guys! Please! Where are they..."
Matt let out a whoop of joy, attracting the attention of others in the room. "It worked, we have a way back!" he yelled gleefully.
Inez listened to the transmission as it continued to play. "Can we tell them we're alright?" she asked Mirror Jackie.
Mirror Jackie shook her head. "The probe can receive transmissions, not send, and besides, when the portal closes any minute now, the transmission will get cut off anyhow."
Sure enough, the screen soon erupted into static, returning to it's original display. Matt opened his mouth to ask when they could expect to go home, but then the voice of an officer in the room cut him off.
"Receiving a transmission from the Alliance!" he announced. "Emergency transmission!"
Mirror Wicked broke off the conversation she was having with another officer. "Emergency? What about?" she asked aloud, then ordered, "On screen!"
The forward screen's display was replaced with Mirror Matt's face, from the Alliance. Matt made a frown at how his mirror companion looked, but made no remark.
"Matt." Mirror Wicked said, sounding surprised, like she didn't expect to see Mirror Matt on the screen. "Report, what has..."
But Mirror Matt cut her off.
"We're under attack!" he said. "Repeat, the Alliance is under attack!"