"Where am I?"
"You are between worlds, young one." I started. Floating in grey nothingness, I hadn't expected an answer.
"Who are you?" I tried vainly to twist around, to see something.
"Caretaker. Creator. I am what I need to be, as are we all." A white quadruped figure stepped out of the nothingness. "I doubt I'm what you expected. I am not of your world."
"Between worlds . . . that's what you said. Why are we here?"
"You are here because I brought you. Because you are something different . . . and I hope it will be enough. My world lies on the brink of war, and I am trusting you to save it."
"That's . . . " I swallowed. "I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't that." I paused. "You said you were the caretaker and creator. Why can't you fix what went wrong?"
The figure did not move, but somehow I got the impression of a sad smile. "My being of my world is the reason I cannot change it. It is a place of power, and much of my own now resides in others. Individually, they could not contend with me . . . but together, their strength exceeds what I retain."
"So they're gods."
Another perhaps-smile. "Essentially, yes."
"So then . . . why me? I'm no god. I'm not even that special in human terms. Heck, I haven't even finished college. How can I do anything against them?"
"You are more than you realize. And you will not be alone. And I . . . I will not be sending you there in the form you now have."
"I . . . what?" What did that even mean? I liked myself.
The figure sounded almost regretful now. "I will send you to my home in a new form. One of power."
"What if I don't want that?"
"Yours is the freedom to choose. If you truly wish to be returned home, I will not force this on you. But I ask that you listen and understand before you make your decision."
". . . I can do that. I guess."
"I cannot give you my power. You will arrive with very little. But what I can give you is potential. Be careful, learn, and in time you will be able to challenge any of them."
I swallowed again. What would that be like? Being some kind of . . . superhero. "Would I ever be able to come home?"
"Restore the peace, and you will be safely returned. This I vow." The last word resonated through the grey fog, and I realized I believed the promise, which was strange. I have a hard time knowing when people are telling the truth. Sometimes they say things to mess with me.
"All right. Let's say that I agree to this. What then?"
"You will be changed, and I will place you in my world. One more thing. You cannot bring your memories."
"I . . ." the words floored me, and images flooded into my mind. Friends, family, places, feelings . . . Looking into the night sky . . . Rachel's smile, and her eyes. "How could you even think of asking me to give that up? Who would I be then?"
"You will still be yourself. I do not ask this lightly. But I . . . have made a mistake."
"Mistake?"
"You are not the first to have been brought to my world. The memories of the others have proven . . . dangerous, in a way I never imagined."
"How?"
"Your knowing would change nothing. I believe you will find out in time, and maybe then you will understand why I do this. But until you can defend yourself . . . the memories you carry will only place you in greater danger. For your sake, and for the sake of my world, you must find a way to proceed without them. Knowledge is power, young one, and my enemies want that knowledge badly. Sending you unarmed but with all of your memories would only make you a target from the beginning."
"If all that is true . . . I don't think I should go."
"I understand, young one. However, you don't fully understand your situation. If I send you back home . . ." The figure trailed off. "I cannot promise this will be the end of things."
"Wait. Are you threatening me?"
"I am not. But as I have said, my world is on the brink of chaos. You are my last play. Whether or not you choose to help me, I cannot control what will happen next, or what worlds will be affected. The time when I could guarantee safety to anyone . . ." again, I didn't hear anything but I could have sworn it sighed, ". . . is over."
"That . . ." I didn't have the words to describe what I felt. "I don't know . . . can I think about it?"
"There is still time. You may think for as long as you need to."
I thought. I've never heard of another world with life on it. Or power, or gods. On the face of things, it seemed preposterous. On the other hand, I was floating in grey nothingness with some kind of powerful being in front of me. That fact was undeniable. If there's something I can do . . . shouldn't I do it? But why me? Really, what kind of person asked this of a random stranger? "Come save my world!" It sounded like something straight out of a kid's fantasy story.
If this was all true, things wouldn't turn out that simply.
There was no reason for me to go. I'd woken up that morning, gotten dressed, eaten, and was walking to class when I suddenly found myself here. Microbiology was nothing like saving the world.
Maybe part of it was fear. Really, how was I supposed to fight gods? Against the one in front of me, I would last until it felt like killing me. I was no warrior. I opened my mouth again. "Can I ask a question?"
"Of course."
"Why me? What makes you think I'll be able to do anything—especially if you can't?"
"I did not take you by chance. You are different from the others brought to my world."
"Different how?"
"In your mind. What I have planned for you would have broken them, but you think differently. I believe you will be able to handle it."
"Believe? You're not sure?"
"Nothing is ever certain. But yes, I believe you can handle this form."
"And fight gods?"
"You will have that potential."
"And if I succeed, I get to go home."
"I will return you, with all of your memories, to the moment you left."
I swallowed. "If that's what it takes to keep everyone safe . . . I'll do it." My heart dropped like the floor had vanished. What was I agreeing to? Sometimes, you just have to trust. Rachel's words, so easy for her. I longed to be like that. To be like everyone else. So I would trust, for her. "I'll do it," I repeated.
I hurtled through a void marked with endless stars. Time . . . time mattered little. I was. I knew exactly three things. There was a world out there, one I was to save. The second was a name: Rachel. The third was a certainty that Rachel was not on that world.
That was all.
Everything else remained to be learned.