Chapter 24:
The Professor fell out of the portal, followed by Michael and Sam. Arturo stood up, groaning.
"My back!" Arturo shouted.
"I agree, that was a rough one, Professor." Michael said.
"Woah!" Rebecca shouted as she fell out of the portal, and into Michael's arms.
"I hope this happens more often," Michael laughed.
"Shut it." Rebecca said. "I could have stuck the landing. Took gymnastics as a kid."
"I'm sure you could," Sam said.
"Anyway, we should figure out where we are." Arturo said.
They walked out of the park and start walking toward Cal-U. They get to the gates and their eyes widened.
"Oh my god." Arturo said. "This place has had quite an upgrade."
"They have. Even more so than the two decades since you've been away." Michael said. "That is the biggest library I've ever seen."
"Let's go to the dorm room, just to see if there's any sliding technology there. It's worth a shot, right?" Sam asked.
"I will check the library, to see the history of this world." Arturo said.
"We'll meet up at the gate in an hour then." Michael said.
"And we slide a little less than a day." Sam said.
Michael grabbed a can out of the fridge and opened it up. He took a large swig as Rebecca turned on the news.
"And in this picture courtesy of TMZ, it appears that one of the biggest power couples of the scientific world has returned to San Francisco after an almost four month disappearance. Michael Josephson and Rebecca Collins are seemingly back, and hopefully with the results of their secret project." the newscaster said. Michael spit out his drink.
"What?" Rebecca asked, looking disgusted.
"Power couple?" Sam laughed.
"Oh, this is not good." Michael said.
"It also appears that Professor Maximillion Arturo has returned from his retirement with the two of them, and an unknown person. More on this at 5." the newscaster said.
"We have to get to the library." Rebecca said. "The Professor might get hounded by the paparazzi and we don't want that."
"Good idea. Let's go!" Sam said.
In the library, the Professor sat at a computer and scrolled down the page, searching up news articles.
"Hmm. This world seems to have had a massive technology boom, right after the new millennium started. Quite interesting." Arturo said to himself.
"Uh, are you Professor Arturo?" a voice asked.
"Who wants to know?" Arturo asked turning around, to see a college aged boy.
"It's just that, you've been retired for years, and I'm a huge fan of your theories on cosmic wormholes and the Einstein-Rosen-Podolsky Bridge." the boy said.
"I'm very honored." Arturo said.
"What are you doing in this library anyway?"
"I'm doing some research for a new project, and I missed Cal-U."
"Cool."
Suddenly a ringing noise came from the boy's pocket. He took his phone out and looked at the screen.
"Wow." he said.
"What happened?" Arturo asked.
"It looks like Jollins is back." the boy said.
"Jollins?" Arturo asked.
"Michael Josephson and Rebecca Collins, it's the portmanteau they came up with for them."
"Oh dear."
"What's wrong?"
"It appears that I left something important back at my car. I must be going."
"Oh, okay. Have a good day, Professor."
"Thank you..."
Arturo walked out of the library and into a swarm of people outside the gates.
"What is going on here?" Arturo asked.
"Jollins is coming out of the residence hall!"
"Let me through!" Arturo shouted, pushing past the people.
"Professor!" Michael shouted as Arturo stepped out of the crowd.
"Let's get out of here. Do you know anywhere hidden we can stay?" Arturo asked.
"Quinn's place is usually abandoned." Michael said.
"Then let's go there." Arturo said.
The group pushed through the crowd as a taxi pulled up. They climbed in and closed the doors.
"Sir, please take us to 4159 Blue Jay Way." Arturo said.
"Got it, Professor Arturo." the man said in a thick Russian accent.
"Say, what is your name?" Arturo asked.
"I am Anton Kurlienko." the driver said.
"Of course you are. Your father was a cab driver as well, right?" Arturo asked.
"Yes he was. Very good one as well, he said it was his destiny." Anton replied.
"It was indeed." Arturo said smiling.
The taxi pulled up the Mallory House and the group stepped out, with Arturo paying the driver. Michael walked up and checked the windows.
"Looks empty. But we better knock to be safe." Michael said, walking to the door. He knocked, and stepped back from the door.
"Phew. Seems like we're safe. Now how do we get in?" Rebecca asked.
"I got this." Sam said, taking a key out of his pocket and opening the door with it.
"Where did you get that?" Arturo asked.
"Last world when we dropped by the house I saw this hanging on a hook by the door and figured it'd come in handy eventually." Sam replied.
They walked inside and turned the lights on. Arturo walked to the basement door. He pulled it open and started to walk down the stairs, followed by Michael, Sam and Rebecca. He reached the switch and turned it on.
"Oh no." Arturo said, looking around the room.
"What's wrong?" Michael asked.
"Look at it, sports stuff! This Quinn didn't create sliding!" Arturo said. "It's like that world we landed on years ago, oh dear."
"What world?" Rebecca asked.
"There was this world that we landed on where intelligence was regarded over athleticism. And Quinn's double was a sports star, and I was a famous scientist."
"Is is possible that we've landed on that world?" Michael asked.
"Quinn once said that the wormhole was like a roulette wheel. So there is a chance of landing on the same spot twice..." Arturo said.
"So, if we're on that world, you have some connections we can exploit to find hiding." Sam said.
"I do know someone who would be able to help, but I'm not sure if they're alive on this world." Arturo said.
"Well here she is, Kristina Arturo." Sam said, "Her number is in the phone book."
"Allow me to make the call." Arturo said, picking up Sam's cellphone and dialing the number.
"Hello?" a female voice asked on the other end.
"Kristina?" Arturo asked.
"Max?" she replied. "How were you on the news? You said you were at a scientific conference!"
"I'm not your Arturo, I am from another universe, perhaps we met in the past?" Arturo asked.
"You're the Max I met years ago, after you slid, I knew you weren't my Max, he was a scoundrel, even when he returned. Up until he saw some tape, and became a better person." Kristina said. "You did that, didn't you?"
"I did. And now I require your help to hide out for a while, because we're being swarmed by paparazzi, me and my companions." Arturo said.
"The two people you were with, Jollins is what they call it, right?" Kristina said.
"Yes..." Arturo said, sighing.
"Go to 627 Johnson Street." Kristina said. "That's where their secret lab is, my Arturo went there a few times to assist in their research."
"Thank you, Kristina. I am eternally grateful." Arturo said.
"Saving our marriage is thanks enough, Max." Kristina said. "Goodbye, Max."
"Goodbye, Kristina." Arturo said, hanging up.
The group walked into the unlabeled building and walked up to the reception desk.
"Hello there," Michael said.
"Go right in, sir." the receptionist said, waving her hand at the door.
"Thank you." Michael said, as they walked into the elevator.
"So, how do we explain this to our doubles?" Rebecca asked as the elevator flew down the shaft.
"I'll handle it." Michael said.
The elevator's doors opened and the group stepped out and saw a man and a woman standing over a table.
"Whoever just came in, can you pass me the three inch hydrokinetic adjustable wrench?" the man asked.
"Here you go," Arturo said, passing the wrench.
"Professor Arturo! Nice of you to drop by..." the man said, looking up, revealing himself to be Michael's double. "And who are they?"
"Right, these are your doubles from another universe, and I am your Arturo's." Arturo said.
"So these are the ones who TMZ found." Rebecca's double said.
"Yeah. Listen, we need your help. We're stuck here for a little bit, and need to hide out." Michael started.
"Sure, just stay out of our way." Rebecca's double said. "This is a very delicate experiment and even someone picking it up the wrong way could doom us all."
"What are you creating?" Sam asked.
"An anti-gravity device. But so far, it's a dud." Michael's double said.
"Anti-gravity?" Arturo asked. "That's what Quinn, our Quinn was working on... when he created the timer."
"Timer?" Rebecca's double asked.
"Sliding, to another universe." Michael said, grinning.
"So if we fail at this, we can still make something good?" Rebecca's double asked. "And we can still win that medal!"
"I love you, honey!" Michael's double said, grabbing Rebecca's double and started kissing her.
"Ugh," Rebecca said, grimacing.
"I don't know what he sees in her." Michael whispered to Sam.
The group stood in front of a wall. The doubles stood to the side, waiting expectantly.
"So you're showing us sliding?" Michael's double asked.
"Yes, yes were are." Rebecca said, aiming the timer as it timed out. The portal opened and their doubles stood in awe.
"I hope you discover it, but be sure to keep your home coordinates written down somewhere." Michael said, as they hopped into the portal.
To Be Continued...