Chapter 11
ALTEA – CASTLE OF LIONS
With a connection established, Slav and his team were able to press on with their work with renewed enthusiasm. Shiro traveled back to the Astral Plane a half-dozen more times, twice with Keith, relaying information to the other side and learning whatever he thought could help about what they were doing over there. As days passed and they gained a clearer picture of what it would take to get everyone home, a new problem swiftly emerged.
Shiro held up a hand to stop Slav's unending flow of words that he could barely follow. "Sorry, but I don't think I can understand most of that in order to properly relay it. It would be different if I could carry notes with me, but the Astral Plane doesn't work like that, remember? Everything there, from the way you look, to what you carry with you, is based on personal memory."
Slav crossed his arms over his chest and gave Shiro an unimpressed look. "You're telling me you can't remember a simple thing like-"
"No, I can't," Shiro interrupted before Slav could get rolling again. "We need to match this tech exactly on the other side in order for this to work, right?" He looked around the room, gazing seriously at all of the genius minds gathered into one place.
Honerva and Alfor were carefully studying the blueprints, while Coran hovered over their shoulders. Allura wrung her hands in worry. Hunk stood back with Lance and Travis, who were mostly there out of curiosity. Slav stood, unmoving, staring up at Shiro with narrowed eyes.
And then Slav sighed. "Ah, you're right! How can I expect anyone to accurately describe the brilliance of my machine? I'll simply have to build another one and send it to them!"
"We can do that?" Allura asked, sounding surprised.
"Of course!" Slav responded as though it were the obvious answer. "Though getting our delivery person back is more... questionable."
Honerva looked up. "You are not seriously considering sending someone over, are you? The only reason we have a shot at getting Keithir and Katie back is because a perfect swap occurred. We would have to replicate that in order to send someone over and have a chance at getting them back as well. Would we be able to do that?" She turned to Alfor for assistance.
"It would require new calculations and reconfiguring the device, which could take days with all of the tests we would need to run. It is doable, but it will take time," Alfor said.
"The longer we wait, the more of a risk we run," Hunk pointed out. "Do we have that kind of time?"
"Question!" Lance blurted out, waving his hand in the air.
Everyone turned to look at him, but Lance said nothing more and kept his hand raised expectantly in the air. A few ticks passed and Shiro sighed and asked: "Yes, Lance?"
He lowered his hand. "For those of us who aren't total nerds, what's all of this about? I thought we only needed the one intergalactic thingy-" ("Trans-Reality Extrapolator," Slav grumbled.) "-you know, the same one that caused this whole mess. Why do we suddenly need two? And why can't we send it over on its own?"
"To begin with, the fact that this swap occurred with a single machine and no one got hurt or lost is truly a miracle. The second machine is needed to make absolutely sure that everything goes correctly, and for that they have to be as close to identical as we can get," Allura explained. "It's the last piece we need to put into place, now that father and I have used our knowledge of alchemy to follow the connection to the other reality and worked out how to apply it to the extrapolator.
"As for why we cannot send it over on its own... Slav – and the rest of us – fear that if it ends up somewhere else, it could be used for great evil. The chances of it not arriving in the correct universe are much higher than if we send someone."
"So basically, we have no choice but to send someone?" Lance asked.
Allura worried her lower lip. "We would rather not, but if it is our only option... We still have a few days before everything is prepared. I would like to try sending Pidge with Shiro once again and see if we get a different result before we do anything drastic."
Shiro wasn't so sure that repeating the attempt would make a difference, but he was willing to try again. Whatever it took to get everyone home and also keep everyone in the correct universe. (And that was one problem he hadn't expected to have.)
"I'll talk to her about it later," he promised.
Everything about getting Keithir and Katie back was more complicated than any of them imagined, but at least there was progress and a possible date in sight. In less than a week, they could have their friends back.
"So why can't we send Keith or Pidge over with the machine?" Lance asked.
Allura paused. "It is a valid suggestion, but we want to ensure a smooth swap to get them back. Sending someone over is easy, but bringing them back is not. With the swap, we don't have that problem."
The door slid open at that moment, interrupting their meeting, and in stepped Alanna with baby Koichi in her arms. He smiled the moment he saw Shiro and reached his arms out toward him, babbling, "Dadadadada!"
"Sorry," Alanna apologized as she walked over to him. "He's been missing you both. You know I can't resist those eyes when he asks for you."
Shiro gladly took his son, swinging him up into the air and smiling at the delighted squeal he got in return. "Did you miss me, buddy?"
"Miss you!" Koichi parroted back, throwing him arms around Shiro's neck. "Where's mama?" He peered around until he spotted Allura and then pointed. "Go there, dada!"
Shiro chuckled and pointed to Alfor instead. "You want to go there?"
"No! There!" Koichi protested, giggling.
"Oh, that way!" Shiro turned around walked toward Allura, who met them halfway, greeting Koichi with a kiss on the forehead.
Koichi reached for his mom, and Shiro transferred him over to her with practiced ease. He spent a moment watching the two interact before remembering that they were in the middle of an important discussion.
"We'll continue this later," Shiro told the others. "Slav, do what you can and I'll talk to Pidge later so we can try again with the Black Lion. It seems I've been neglecting a very important duty and need to attend to it now." He watched Allura raise Koichi into the air and swoop him back down as he giggled and begged for her to do it again and again.
He had a beautiful family to spend time with.
.
.
Pidge hadn't known what to say when Keith told her about Shiro being in the Astral Plane. It all sounded so unbelievable! But then again, had someone told her a year ago that she would find herself in space, working with aliens, and piloting a massive robot lion, she never would have believed that either. (Not to mention all of the other crazy things she'd seen and done.)
Once she got over her shock, it was time to get to work, figuring out exactly what she could do to help. Much like their reality-swap dilemma, it seemed more like something she'd have to take a backseat in and let someone else do all of the work.
That didn't mean there was nothing she could do. Her purpose was just a little different from usual.
She sat down next to Keith as he towel-dried his hair after another lengthy training session with Thace. (One interesting thing she'd learned about Keith was that his habit of keeping his things neat and tidy also extended to his hygiene. He showered after every training session.)
"I've been thinking a lot about Shiro, and I know Allura said something about a way that our Allura can help, but I feel like there's still more we can do before then. Or more we have to prepare for. I mean..." Pidge sighed and glanced up at Keith to find him staring back, giving her his undivided attention. She blushed a little at the attention and averted her gaze.
"We have the real Shiro in the Astral Plane, who has no body to return to, which is why he can't leave. And then we have our impostor Shiro, who we know nothing about. Like, where did he come from? Who or what is he? I considered an android for a while, but I personally helped run diagnostic scans on him when we found him and he is one-hundred percent flesh-and-blood human. Or, well, almost one-hundred percent, with the arm and all. So I asked Allura if there have been any attempts at cloning in this reality, just to know if it's possible, but she says its a type of alchemy banned across all Alliance planets and colonies."
"But what else could he be?" Keith interrupted.
"I don't know. I've considered shapeshifters too, but there's no ability like that in the Planetary Database – or at lease, nothing that results in sharing memories or looking exactly like someone else," Pidge said. "A clone is the only thing that makes sense, and when you consider everything that the Galra have done to expand their empire, it wouldn't surprise me if they perfected cloning at some point. With Shiro's arm, it would be easy to implant memories and control him in a way that wouldn't be obvious to us."
"A clone..." Keith looked away, his brow furrowed in thought. "We really couldn't have known. If it weren't for this whole situation, we wouldn't have found out."
Until it was too late.
Pidge didn't know what the Galra were planning with Shiro, but she knew it wasn't good. They needed to deal with it as quickly and quietly as possible, without letting the clone know something was up. She was sure they had some way of keeping an eye on him, or else there was some sort of trigger that would have him enacting their plans, like a sleeper agent.
"His arm has to be the key to all of this, right?" Keith asked. "It's like what you and Hunk talked about before when Shiro started to remember how Ulaz helped him escape."
Pidge nodded. "It's the most likely way they're controlling the clone. If we can remove it, that should be enough to stop him, but..." She hesitated, not sure how Keith would react to what she was about to say. She was still working out her own feelings about it all. "Just remember, this is all theoretical. I won't know for sure until Allura tells me more about her idea and we get back to the others."
"Pidge, I don't care what it takes to get Shiro back. You have no idea everything he's done for me," Keith said, completely serious.
"There's a moral issue that I'm not sure the others will easily overlook," Pidge admitted.
"But this is Shiro we're talking about!"
"I know," Pidge said gently, laying her hand over his. "I know, and I'm with you. I'm just saying that this clone looks, acts, and thinks like Shiro and that's not an easy thing to ignore. There's also the question of whether or not this clone counts as a living, breathing person. What do we do if Shiro refuses to leave because he believes his clone deserves the chance to live once he's free of Galra control?"
Keith opened his mouth, likely to give some sort of heated retort, but his more rational mind took over before he could do so. "That does sound like something Shiro would do."
"We'll figure out what to do if we get to that point. I won't give up until we get him back," Pidge promised him.
She meant it, with all of her heart. She'd dropped the ball when Shiro first went missing, losing herself to her misery and grasping onto the one lead she was able to chase after, which was the one that led her to find Matt. Looking back, she felt horrible about leaving him to search all on his own.
Pidge wouldn't do that again.
If it was her and Keith against Lance, Hunk, and Allura, then she would stand by him until they had the real Shiro back.
"Pidge, I... I really appreciate that," Keith said, his voice soft. "I guess there isn't much we can do until we get home."
"Or at least until we have more information," Pidge agreed.
Her hand was still resting over his, but neither of them tried to move away, continuing to sit together in relative comfort.
"You know, Hunk and Lance brought over an Altean movie player and helped me set it up. If you're interested in a quiet night in, I was going to raid the kitchen for snacks and bring them back here," Pidge said.
Keith said nothing for a moment as he thought it over. "A movie night does sound nice."
Pidge beamed and let go of his hand in order to get up. "Is there anything specific you want me to bring back for you?"
"You don't want me to go with you?"
"I figured you could pick out which movie we watch first. They're all in that box and Hunk promises they're labeled and have descriptions. Something about Lance and horror movies?" Pidge wasn't sure what that was all about and hadn't been willing to ask more about it.
Keith shifted his gaze to the box and nodded. "I can get us all set up here. If you find any chocolate chip cookies, I'd like a few."
Pidge fought back a grin. "I'll see what I can do."
.
.
OLKARION – CASTLE OF LIONS
Katie slid into bed and curled into Keithir with a tired sigh. He wrapped his arm around her and kissed the top of her head, giving her time to get comfortable.
"Everything alright?" he asked. "Is our cub giving you trouble?"
"I don't think she's a fan of the food goo," Katie said with a grimace.
Keithir chuckled. "I can't say I blame her. No one actually likes food goo, except for maybe Coran."
Katie hummed in response.
"We'll be home soon and then we can find something she does like. I'm sure Hunk will be happy to help, and mother may have a few tips," Keith said, once again kissing her, but that time on the cheek. "Is there anything I can do?"
"Just keep holding me?" Katie requested.
Keithir was happy to comply and even happier to have a night where he could relax and cuddle with his wife in bed. She'd gotten so wrapped up in trying to help Slav build a replica of the original machine, that she often came to bed long after he'd already fallen asleep and then he would wake long before she did.
It wasn't as though he was just lounging around while she worked. His role was to keep venturing to the Astral Plane, where he could talk to both Shiro's and occasionally Keith.
And when he wasn't there, he was trying to figure out a solution to the "Shiro Dilemma", writing down any of his ideas and theories to leave behind for Keith and Pidge. He didn't have much, but he hoped it would help in some small way.
All of that at least kept him from worrying.
About getting home.
About Yorak.
About the new baby.
And a million other little things.
Keithir closed his eyes and reminded himself to enjoy his time with Katie before another long, tiresome day of standing around and talking about how they could fix and improve the Trans-reality Extrapolator.
"I love you, Katie.
She shifted against him until she could kiss him, slow and sweet. "I love you too. We're going to get through this, you know. We're going to get home."
"I know," Keithir said, truly meaning it. "I just can't shake the feeling of... I don't know. Like there's something we're missing. Or something we haven't taken into account."
"There could be, but I'm sure we'll figure it out in time." Katie yawned and settled back in, snug at his side.
She was probably right. He'd sleep on it and probably come up with an answer in the morning.
.
.
The longer she stayed out of the room where they were working on the Trans-reality Extrapolator, the worse Allura started to feel. The guilt of needing a break when there was so much work that needed to be done ate away at her, but with the arrival of Matt, they had a fresh mind and could afford to take breaks. (Plus, Hunk and Coran worked together to ban her from entering the room, which was completely unfair. It was her Castle!)
Allura couldn't deny that she needed to get away for a little while to give her mind time to rest, and once it was all over she would have to thank them, but for the time being, all she knew was frustration.
Everyone was doing their best, working hard to match the descriptions and details given to them by Katie and Keithir, but it wasn't enough.
Allura walked through the halls, head bowed and her eyes trained to the floor. How had they gotten so close, only to see failure the more they worked? Replicating the machine was proving impossible without the blueprints, despite Keithir's best attempts at relaying messages from the other side.
She slowed to a stop, closed her eyes, and took a deep, calming breath.
She had to relax. The stress would overwhelm her if she couldn't.
When she opened her eyes, she saw Lance walking toward her, blue towel slung over one shoulder and a look of concern on his face.
"Allura, are you alright?" he asked.
She forced herself to smile and try and put Lance at ease. "I am perfectly fine. The others shooed me off to rest for a little while, so I was headed back to my room."
"Ah, cool, so was I. I mean, not to your room! My room! I was going back to my room!" Lance babbled, a little flustered.
Allura watched in amazement as he awkwardly backtracked, wringing one end of his towel in his hands. It was a welcome change from the blunt flirting he used to attempt, but strange at the same time.
Was she starting to see the real Lance, and not the front he put up to protect himself?
"Going back for a bath?" she asked curiously, gesturing to the towel.
"Huh? Oh! Uh, no, no. I was going down to the pool and then I remembered that it's in the ceiling – which is pretty! But not really great for swimming," Lance said with a shrug.
Allura tilted her head to the side, unsure of what Lance meant. She didn't think there was anything wrong with the pool. It looked fine to her when she and Coran were first looking over the Castle to make sure everything was running properly. "What's wrong with it?"
"Besides that fact that it's on the ceiling? Probably nothing."
Oh.
Oh!
Allura's eyes lit up and she tried not to laugh.
There was absolutely nothing wrong with the pool, Lance just wasn't using it correctly! Showing him how sounded like the perfect way for her to relax and take her mind off of more serious thoughts.
"Don't move, I'll be right back," she told him, hurrying past him to her room. She caught sight of a fleeting expression of surprise and bit her lip to keep from laughing.
She reached her room in record time, stripping out of her gown the moment the door closed behind her. She tossed it aside, planning on taking care of it later, and began the search for her swimsuits. She found two stashed away in a drawer and took a moment to contemplate which one she wanted to wear.
One was blue and white and covered her entirely, much like her flight suit. It was primarily for public appearances; simple and modest, it covered her markings the way she was supposed to when being seen by someone who wasn't family.
It would go against all of her lessons if she chose her second swimsuit, which was pink with white down the sides. It showed off her arms and legs and had always been her favorite.
Coran would be highly disapproving of her choice if he knew.
Allura figured he didn't need to know.
She happily slid it on, grabbed her towel, and headed out to rejoin Lance. Her heart pounded from her unexpected fit of rebellion. It was exciting!
Lance was right where she left him, and as she approached, his expression shifted from confusion to surprise, his mouth parting as he got a good look at her. Allura felt her cheeks heat up at the attention and almost hoped he'd drop one of his outrageous flirtatious comments to break the mood, but none came.
He visibly snapped out of it and averted his gaze. "Sorry, I just wasn't expecting – it's a lot like what girls wear back on Earth."
"What were you expecting?" Allura asked curiously.
Lance shrugged. "I don't know. I guess it just surprises me how similar humans and Alteans are. It shouldn't after being out here so long." He offered her a small smile. "So, you're going to show me how to use your weird Altean pool?"
Allura laughed as she began to lead the way. "I'm going to show you how to use our perfectly normal pool."
She and Lance continued to joke as he fell in step next to her, sharing a pleasant conversation as they walked through the Castle. Talking to him was effortless; something she hadn't fully expected.
He had come so far since his first few months at the Castle. All of them had, but there was something remarkable about the change she saw in Lance and she couldn't help but look at him differently.
He was someone she could call a friend. Someone she could talk to and rely on. Someone she trusted. Someone fun.
They arrived at the pool and Lance looked up at it and then very pointedly at Allura, one eyebrow raised as if to ask: "So now what?"
Allura, determined to prove him wrong, strode across the room to a slim door, passed her hand over the panel, and gestured for him to enter first.
Lance peered into the small room. "Uh, Allura? Why are you making me go into a closet? Is this some kind of joke? Are you going to lock me in there because I made fun of your pool?"
"This is an elevator."
Lance needed a dobosh or two to recover before he could move and properly form sentences again, only to be stunned into silence a second time once the elevator reached the top and they stepped out onto a platform.
"Allura, this is incredible," he whispered.
"This isn't even the best part," Allura said as she turned to a second display next to the elevator. She pulled up a screen, which displayed a variety of options. "Using this, we can create our own beach. Or at least a projection of it. From the crystal sands of Altea, the black sands of Nalquod... Even the red of Daibazaal."
Lance was quiet as Allura demonstrated all but the last. "Any tan beaches?"
"Quite a few, actually," Allura said, easily finding what Lance asked for.
The floor still felt like hard paneling, but over it was the image of hot, dry sand, shimmering beneath sunlight. Under Lance's direction, Allura picked blue skies and tall plants with leaves sprouting from the top, which he told her mostly resembled palm trees, except they were the wrong color. An artificial sand bank rose up across one side of the pool, while the rest stretched on to mimic the natural ocean and horizon line.
It was far from perfect, but from the look on Lance's face, she could tell that it was the closest to home he'd had in over a year.
"Once the war is over, I'd love to visit Earth and see your beaches. We could add them to the database here," Allura said.
"Yeah?" Lance took his eyes off of the projected beach. "If you need a guide, I could show you around."
"I would love that, Lance," Allura said, and found she truly meant it. She set her towel down a good distance from the water so it wouldn't get wet, and then grinned at Lance before running and diving into the pool.
Lance tugged off his shirt in a hurry, tossing it and his towel aside, and quickly joined her.
They spent hours up there, goofing off and splashing each other, showing off their best dives and "fancy" jumps. Allura completely lost track of time, and it wasn't until the artificial sun dipped over the horizon and the low-level lighting kicked on that she realized how long they'd been up there.
"Sundown on the beach," Lance murmured as he floated on his back. "I want to do this every night."
"It really is nice," Allura agreed. She hoisted herself up onto the edge of the pool and left her legs in the water as she began the lengthy process of gently squeezing water from her hair. "I'm glad I bumped into you, Lance. I really needed this."
Lance let his legs sink down so he could properly look at her. "Anytime. I mean it. And not just for swimming. Any time you want to relax and do something fun, I'll be there, if you want me to be."
"I may have to take you up on that."
There was so much she could share with him about Altea. Games. Stories. How to make the skin-care lotion that he loved so much. And in turn, he could teach her about Earth.
It would be a great cultural exchange.
