Disclaimer: See Acknowledgements page
CHAPTER TEN
Anna sat down before the computer console and switched on the monitors. She turned around to face Duncan who was sitting in the chair next to her. "Now most people would think that what I'm about to tell you is too far fetched to be believed, but I have a feeling that you won't. Turning back to the console, she brought up a file entitled The World of Malachi Mitchell. "According to this file, Thaddeus Blake was really a scientist by the name of Dr. Malachi Mitchell."
"A scientist?" Duncan asked incredulously. "Then how did he end up a science fiction writer?"
"He explains all that here. As Dr. Mitchell, he was working for his government on a research project. During this time, he was secretly doing research on a theory of his own....that in our universe, there are multi- dimensions. Some dimensions are very similar, while in others there are noticeable, even enormous differences. And in each of these dimensions, you will find the physical existence of various human counterparts."
"Really," Duncan said with disbelief in his voice. "Sounds like one of his stories to me."
"Then how do you explain this?" Anna asked as she entered a couple of commands in the computer. In a matter of seconds, images began to appear on the screens....images of Anna. Anna pointed to one of the women who was sitting in a padded room wearing a hospital gown. It was evident she had been sedated. "That, Duncan MacLeod, is Margaret Grey."
Duncan looked at the screen and thought a minute. "It's obviously a tape of Margaret when she was in the hospital months back."
"Well, if that's true, then explain to me why Thaddeus Blake would have a tape of it and how it came into his possession?" she asked as she spun around to face him.
"Not knowing Blake, I couldn't say, but there has to be a reason."
"There is and I just told you. These are my counterparts. And apparently, Margaret and I have switched dimensions. Malachi explains it all here in this file. It really is quite an interesting story," Anna said as she began relating the tale.
Malachi's World - 32 years ago
Malachi sat in his study looking over papers he had brought home with him regarding the project he had recently been assigned, a project that would hopefully save his people. Although his race was highly intelligent, Malachi was a veritable genius among them. Since the age of six, he had been groomed for a life in scientific endeavors, which left very little time for a social life. Lately, he had been working on remedying that situation as he was lonely and longed to have a female companion in his life. He knew he was not a handsome man, but he wasn't your typical scientific geek either. Just under six feet tall and slightly stocky, he had curly brown hair and deep set brown eyes with bushy eyebrows. He had recently traded in his glasses for contact lenses. He had also recently purchased a weight machine to tone up and lose some of his weight. Unfortunately, it looked like this endeavor would have to be put on hold as Project Andrew was of the utmost importance to the survival of his people.
The war was not going well for his people. In the battle of Brawn vs Brains, they were losing. It seemed their intelligence alone could not save them, so they decided to create a race of males that would be a combination of both intelligence and strength. The first born would be named Andrew after their greatest leader, Andrew Morgan Jones. They were finally nearing the end of their quest.
The project involved taking various genes from different men to create the perfect child and Malachi had been brought in to be one of the fathers. The woman chosen to be the mother was named Lynette Quinlan, whom he would meet tomorrow. She would be artificially inseminated next week. After the child was born, he would be taken away for special training. This was the only part of the project Malachi didn't like, even though he knew this training was for the good of all. Having been an orphan, he grew up without the love and support of a mother and a father, always dreaming of having a family of his own. He did not want his son to go through this same ordeal. More than that, he didn't like the idea that he would have no part in his son's life.
Oh, he knew he could have other children later, hopefully boys. Not that he had anything against girls. He would love to have a daughter more than anything in the world. It was just that, in his world, females existed for only one purpose....to be subservient to men, seeing to their every whim and pleasure. If he had a daughter, he would want more for her. Unfortunately, the female population was incapable of rising above this aspect of their nature as it was part of their genetic makeup. And the male population was quite satisfied with this fact of nature and didn't want it to change. They especially liked the fact that if a woman ingested any amount of alcohol, she became extremely amorous.
Eventually, Malachi put his papers away and headed for bed. It had been a long day and he needed to be at his best for tomorrow. What he didn't know was that it would turn out to be one of the most important days of his life.
Malachi arrived in the conference room shortly before 10am. Most of the other scientists were already there discussing the project. He could feel the excitement in the air. At 10am, the project director called the meeting to order, then gave a brief synopsis of the work to date. This was followed by an introduction and congratulatory remarks for each member of the team. It was then time to introduce the mother-to-be. From the moment Malachi saw her walk onto the platform, it was love at first sight. She was beautiful. Standing just over five feet tall, she had long, dark auburn hair, emerald green eyes, a little turned-up nose and a smile that lit up the room. Malachi could not take his eyes off of her.
The director continued with the meeting by outlining the agenda for the upcoming weeks. He explained what to expect and what the ultimate goals were for each phase of the operation. Malachi was only half- listening to this as his attention was focused on Lynette, on her every movement, her every facial expression. He thought about the luncheon scheduled after the meeting and decided he would make sure he met Lynette so he could get to know her better.
Eventually, the meeting adjourned and the group headed for the conservatory. Tables had been set up in there for the luncheon. As the scientists milled about, Malachi tried to make his way towards Lynette and an introduction. However, it was not to be. Several of the scientists stopped him to discuss his current work on the project. Just as they finished their conversation, it was time to sit down for the meal. He tried to concentrate on the topics being discussed at his table, but it was hard with thoughts of Lynette occupying his mind. He was hoping for another chance after lunch to meet her. Unfortunately for Malachi, just before desert, the director announced that Lynette was leaving as she had another engagement to attend. She arose from her table, smiled, and left the room. Although he was disappointed, he knew he would eventually get his chance. Tomorrow was always another day.
It would be several days before Malachi got the chance to meet the girl of his dreams. He was working in the lab when she entered with the director. He had brought her to meet the individual members of the "father- to-be" team. She was even more beautiful than the first time he saw her. When the director introduced her to Malachi, he was at a loss for words. Lynette smiled coyly at him and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Mitchell. I'm looking forward to working with you on this project."
Malachi finally found his voice. "The pleasure is all mine, I assure you, Miss Quinlan," he said with a big grin on his face. He was in heaven. However, the director was not amused by this little tête-à-tête. This project was too important to be disrupted by a lovesick scientist. He would have to put an end to this immediately. He asked Malachi to come to his office in an hour, then quickly escorted Lynette out of the lab. Malachi knew in his heart what the director was going to say to him and he wasn't very happy about it. He turned back to his work, but found it was hard to concentrate on the task in front of him.
An hour later, Malachi reported to the director's office and was promptly escorted in. "Malachi," the director began, "I'm sure you realize just how important this project is. Our very existence depends on it. We can't risk jeopardizing it in anyway. You do know what I'm referring to, don't you?"
Malachi nodded. "Yes, I know," he said dejectedly. I'm about to be kicked off the team because I'm in love with Lynette.
"Normally, I would remove a person I felt might disrupt the project; however, your intelligence and knowledge are too important to it at this point in time, so I'm going to keep you on the team. But I warn you, if I find your conduct inappropriate or feel you are not living up to the goals set forth in this crucial endeavor, you will be dismissed. Do I make myself clear?"
Malachi nodded again, concealing his joy at not being denied the pleasure of seeing Lynette. "I promise I won't let you down."
"Good. You may return to your work."
"Thank you," Malachi said and promptly left the room. Once outside, he sighed and silently thanked the powers that be for allowing him to remain on the team.
CHAPTER TEN
Anna sat down before the computer console and switched on the monitors. She turned around to face Duncan who was sitting in the chair next to her. "Now most people would think that what I'm about to tell you is too far fetched to be believed, but I have a feeling that you won't. Turning back to the console, she brought up a file entitled The World of Malachi Mitchell. "According to this file, Thaddeus Blake was really a scientist by the name of Dr. Malachi Mitchell."
"A scientist?" Duncan asked incredulously. "Then how did he end up a science fiction writer?"
"He explains all that here. As Dr. Mitchell, he was working for his government on a research project. During this time, he was secretly doing research on a theory of his own....that in our universe, there are multi- dimensions. Some dimensions are very similar, while in others there are noticeable, even enormous differences. And in each of these dimensions, you will find the physical existence of various human counterparts."
"Really," Duncan said with disbelief in his voice. "Sounds like one of his stories to me."
"Then how do you explain this?" Anna asked as she entered a couple of commands in the computer. In a matter of seconds, images began to appear on the screens....images of Anna. Anna pointed to one of the women who was sitting in a padded room wearing a hospital gown. It was evident she had been sedated. "That, Duncan MacLeod, is Margaret Grey."
Duncan looked at the screen and thought a minute. "It's obviously a tape of Margaret when she was in the hospital months back."
"Well, if that's true, then explain to me why Thaddeus Blake would have a tape of it and how it came into his possession?" she asked as she spun around to face him.
"Not knowing Blake, I couldn't say, but there has to be a reason."
"There is and I just told you. These are my counterparts. And apparently, Margaret and I have switched dimensions. Malachi explains it all here in this file. It really is quite an interesting story," Anna said as she began relating the tale.
Malachi's World - 32 years ago
Malachi sat in his study looking over papers he had brought home with him regarding the project he had recently been assigned, a project that would hopefully save his people. Although his race was highly intelligent, Malachi was a veritable genius among them. Since the age of six, he had been groomed for a life in scientific endeavors, which left very little time for a social life. Lately, he had been working on remedying that situation as he was lonely and longed to have a female companion in his life. He knew he was not a handsome man, but he wasn't your typical scientific geek either. Just under six feet tall and slightly stocky, he had curly brown hair and deep set brown eyes with bushy eyebrows. He had recently traded in his glasses for contact lenses. He had also recently purchased a weight machine to tone up and lose some of his weight. Unfortunately, it looked like this endeavor would have to be put on hold as Project Andrew was of the utmost importance to the survival of his people.
The war was not going well for his people. In the battle of Brawn vs Brains, they were losing. It seemed their intelligence alone could not save them, so they decided to create a race of males that would be a combination of both intelligence and strength. The first born would be named Andrew after their greatest leader, Andrew Morgan Jones. They were finally nearing the end of their quest.
The project involved taking various genes from different men to create the perfect child and Malachi had been brought in to be one of the fathers. The woman chosen to be the mother was named Lynette Quinlan, whom he would meet tomorrow. She would be artificially inseminated next week. After the child was born, he would be taken away for special training. This was the only part of the project Malachi didn't like, even though he knew this training was for the good of all. Having been an orphan, he grew up without the love and support of a mother and a father, always dreaming of having a family of his own. He did not want his son to go through this same ordeal. More than that, he didn't like the idea that he would have no part in his son's life.
Oh, he knew he could have other children later, hopefully boys. Not that he had anything against girls. He would love to have a daughter more than anything in the world. It was just that, in his world, females existed for only one purpose....to be subservient to men, seeing to their every whim and pleasure. If he had a daughter, he would want more for her. Unfortunately, the female population was incapable of rising above this aspect of their nature as it was part of their genetic makeup. And the male population was quite satisfied with this fact of nature and didn't want it to change. They especially liked the fact that if a woman ingested any amount of alcohol, she became extremely amorous.
Eventually, Malachi put his papers away and headed for bed. It had been a long day and he needed to be at his best for tomorrow. What he didn't know was that it would turn out to be one of the most important days of his life.
Malachi arrived in the conference room shortly before 10am. Most of the other scientists were already there discussing the project. He could feel the excitement in the air. At 10am, the project director called the meeting to order, then gave a brief synopsis of the work to date. This was followed by an introduction and congratulatory remarks for each member of the team. It was then time to introduce the mother-to-be. From the moment Malachi saw her walk onto the platform, it was love at first sight. She was beautiful. Standing just over five feet tall, she had long, dark auburn hair, emerald green eyes, a little turned-up nose and a smile that lit up the room. Malachi could not take his eyes off of her.
The director continued with the meeting by outlining the agenda for the upcoming weeks. He explained what to expect and what the ultimate goals were for each phase of the operation. Malachi was only half- listening to this as his attention was focused on Lynette, on her every movement, her every facial expression. He thought about the luncheon scheduled after the meeting and decided he would make sure he met Lynette so he could get to know her better.
Eventually, the meeting adjourned and the group headed for the conservatory. Tables had been set up in there for the luncheon. As the scientists milled about, Malachi tried to make his way towards Lynette and an introduction. However, it was not to be. Several of the scientists stopped him to discuss his current work on the project. Just as they finished their conversation, it was time to sit down for the meal. He tried to concentrate on the topics being discussed at his table, but it was hard with thoughts of Lynette occupying his mind. He was hoping for another chance after lunch to meet her. Unfortunately for Malachi, just before desert, the director announced that Lynette was leaving as she had another engagement to attend. She arose from her table, smiled, and left the room. Although he was disappointed, he knew he would eventually get his chance. Tomorrow was always another day.
It would be several days before Malachi got the chance to meet the girl of his dreams. He was working in the lab when she entered with the director. He had brought her to meet the individual members of the "father- to-be" team. She was even more beautiful than the first time he saw her. When the director introduced her to Malachi, he was at a loss for words. Lynette smiled coyly at him and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Mitchell. I'm looking forward to working with you on this project."
Malachi finally found his voice. "The pleasure is all mine, I assure you, Miss Quinlan," he said with a big grin on his face. He was in heaven. However, the director was not amused by this little tête-à-tête. This project was too important to be disrupted by a lovesick scientist. He would have to put an end to this immediately. He asked Malachi to come to his office in an hour, then quickly escorted Lynette out of the lab. Malachi knew in his heart what the director was going to say to him and he wasn't very happy about it. He turned back to his work, but found it was hard to concentrate on the task in front of him.
An hour later, Malachi reported to the director's office and was promptly escorted in. "Malachi," the director began, "I'm sure you realize just how important this project is. Our very existence depends on it. We can't risk jeopardizing it in anyway. You do know what I'm referring to, don't you?"
Malachi nodded. "Yes, I know," he said dejectedly. I'm about to be kicked off the team because I'm in love with Lynette.
"Normally, I would remove a person I felt might disrupt the project; however, your intelligence and knowledge are too important to it at this point in time, so I'm going to keep you on the team. But I warn you, if I find your conduct inappropriate or feel you are not living up to the goals set forth in this crucial endeavor, you will be dismissed. Do I make myself clear?"
Malachi nodded again, concealing his joy at not being denied the pleasure of seeing Lynette. "I promise I won't let you down."
"Good. You may return to your work."
"Thank you," Malachi said and promptly left the room. Once outside, he sighed and silently thanked the powers that be for allowing him to remain on the team.
