Quinn smiled at the astonished look on the professor's face, his three friends sitting next to the bed as he sat up slowly. Geiger, Diana, and Mallory sat near the foot of the bed, having woken up shortly before he did. Geiger and Mallory shoved off any hands that tried to push them back when they awoke, claiming they would be fine.
"Mr. Mallory, if I'm understanding you correctly, you're telling me Quantum Instability allows you to breach the walls of our existing multiverse and peer into our neighboring multiverses?" Arturo asked, his voice laced with disbelief.
"It would seem so. I saw things that couldn't possibly be happening within our multiverse according to the data collected by the network. I saw Geiger doubles, and not only that I saw entire multiverses being rewritten or reset. One of which was on the brink of collapse due to a mistake on my doubles part. I wanted to help him, but I didn't have the time and even if I had he couldn't see me" Quinn replied.
"I saw similar things" Mallory replied, catching the attention of the small group, "I saw one group where the multiverse seemed to survive the fractures. My double was merged with your Quinn, much like I was. But because the reset never occurred we were still merged. He decided to agree with an operation that split them, at the cost of his own life"
Quinn frowned at that, as did his friends. None of them liked the idea of Mallory dying because of Geiger's thoughtless experiment.
"I too saw my doubles, many of them trapped in the same unstuck prison I was. It would seem Quantum Instability draws us to our doubles in outer multiverses." Geiger said.
"But why?" Diana asked, looking puzzled.
"I admittedly don't know, nor do I believe we should research it. Quantum Instability is incredibly unsafe. Had the network not sent help, the three of us may not have survived" Geiger replied, turning his attention to Quinn, "We have what we need, the ability to repair the fractures and stabilize the final Quantum Signature Quinn's network detected. If it is indeed your brother, Colin, I would see about leaving immediately. I believe the recent fracture was specific to this world, so he should still be safe. However, his instability may cause a fracture on his own world soon"
"I agree," Arturo said aloud, turning his focus to Quinn, "Mr. Mallory, the sooner we find and stabilize Colin the better. Are there any preparations we should make before the slide?"
Thinking back to his first visit to Amish world, one idea came to Quinn immediately.
"We may need a change of clothes"
Finding the town wasn't hard considering the network's timer deposited them not far from where Colin's Quantum Signature seemed to be located. Luckily it had been outside of town, so they didn't have to worry about the townspeople thinking of them as Devils or witches. Not that Quinn particularly cared what these people thought of them, but it would be much easier to find Colin without their interference. Now, the four friends dressed in Amish style clothing walked through the town toward Colin's home.
Looking around the familiar setting Quinn remembered how horribly the townsfolk treated his brother because of his inventions. The word Necromancer came to mind, remembering the woman who insulted Colin for having an interest in her daughter. Many of the other townsfolk giving him a wide berth, seeming to believe just walking next to him would cause them some form of misfortune. He even recalled when they first met, many threatening to shoot Colin.
"You said these people feared your brother because of his mind?" Arturo asked, walking next to Quinn and eyeing some of the townsfolk unfavorably as they passed.
"Yeah, a lot of them feared him, considered him a Devil or something. Apparently, he accidentally fried some of their chickens once, but I don't think that's reason enough to hate him like they do" Quinn replied.
"Fools, all of them. To fear science as they do, to mislabel one who could bring this world some much needed advancements. I have no doubt your brother will wish to return home with us, where his mind will be much more appreciated"
It was clear the professor did not agree with the way they treated his brother, a sentiment Quinn both agreed with and appreciated. Despite not meeting him yet, both the professor and Wade seemed ready to accept him with open arms. Rembrandt too seemed more than willing to meet Colin, saddened that he couldn't remember the adventures they already shared.
Quinn soon spotted the small house, approaching it and turning the knob with little surprise that it was unlocked. After all, most people here tend to avoid this home.
Upon entering he didn't spot his brother, frowning as he double checked the timer. His position was nearby, perhaps out back. He turned to face his friends, spotting Arturo quickly walking over to one of his brother's tables scattered throughout the small lab.
"A Wimshurst machine, your brother invented this?" Arturo asked, looking astonished as he took in the device. His eyes turned to take in sketches on the walls, and the other tables through the lab.
"Yeah, when we first met he was flying a hang glider too. Also his invention" Quinn replied.
"Absolutely remarkable! To think your brother could not only think up these inventions but bring them to life on such a technology and science starved world. It would seem much like his brother, Mr. Mallory is quite the genius" Arturo praised.
Quinn couldn't help the smile that came to his lips. It really felt good to have the professor back after all these years. A sentiment he wouldn't soon forget.
"What's a Wimshurst machine?" Wade asked, looking to the device in question.
"Ah yes, Ms. Welles, you see, the Wimshurst machine is an electrostatic generator," Arturo began, turning to face both Wade and the machine at the same time as he explained, "It was developed between 1880 and 1883 by British inventor James Wimshurst. Wimshurst machines are part of a class of electrostatic generators called influence machines, which separate electric charges through electrostatic induction. Earlier machines were much less efficient and would exhibit an unpredictable tendency to switch their polarity. Wimshurst machines solved this problem"
"You know one of these days, we're going to slide into a world where all they speak is greek. You're gonna fit right in" Rembrandt replied from across the room, smiling as the professor turned to him with a look of slight irritation.
"Mr. Brown Wimshurst machines were one of the first machines to generate electricity by induction. They can store electricity in jars much like these" Arturo replied, gesturing to the jars spread about on the small table.
"Now that sounds more like English" Rembrandt replied with a wider smile, the irritation growing on Arturo's face. He opened his mouth to yell, cutting himself off as the door opened, Colin Mallory entering the small home and looking between the four friends. As his eyes landed on Quinn and Rembrandt, they widened, a smile coming to his face as he threw down the bag he previously carried.
"Brother, Rembrandt! You found me!"