After I saw the Marines slide to another world,I was taken to a conference room where I met with senior military officers and research
staff. I recognized one of them as Professor Maximilian Arturo.
"Professor Arturo," I said to the heavy bearded man sitting down at the table.
"How did you know me?" he asked.
"I've met you before," I said. "Or rather,your counterpart on the last world I've been to."
"Well,I have not introfuced myself," said the professor. "I am Maximilian Arturo,chief researcher for the Terminal Island facility."
"I attended one of his classes when I was a student at the University of California," said Quinn. "Later,he and I applied for government funding to carry out our research,and it leads here. Now, Mr. Mallory, explain your story."
"On my home world,there was a war between two species of people," I answered. "Humans and kromaggs. My parents sent me to live with their duplicates on another world. My foster parents died when I was young. Last year,I met my blood brother. He was traveling with another version of Maggie Beckett and someone named Rembrandt Brown."
"Did you say Rembrandt Brown?" asked a young man wearing dreadlocks.
"Yeah,that was his name."
"I have all his records. He is a great singer! One of the best,man."
"What is your name?"
"Bennish. Conrad Bennish Junior."
"Back to my story,Mister Bennish. Quinn,that is the Quinn who was born on my home world,told me about my true heritage. He opened my foster mother's locket which had this microdot. When I wore it on my head,I received a message from my birth parents. They told me everything."
"what was the story of my counterpart?" asked Quinn.
"You," I said. "I mean he. He built a sliding machine in 1994. He,Professor Maximilian Arturo,Wade Wells,and Rembrandt slid. Along the way,they puicked up Maggie and lost the professor. Remmy and Wade later returned home,but left Quinn and Maggie behind. Quinn and Maggie made it back,only to find it had been conquered by the kromaggs two months before they got there."
"Kromaggs?" asked General Hunt.
"Yes,after they were driven off my home world,they started to conquer other dimensions," I said to him. "On my home world,sliding technology is much more advanced. They could not return home because of a slidecage which prevents wormholes from opening on their world."
"Any possibility the kromaggs might come here?"
"It is slim. Most worlds I have been to have never seen a kromagg."
"How advanced are their weaponry?"
"Manta ships. Energy weapons. They are pretty advanced."
"Well,we do not have manta ships,but we have a sliding machine and
energy weapons."
"That's good. I have been to worlds which have successfully repelled a kromagg invasion. Their technology was considerably more advanced than many worlds I have been to. I am not familar with the technology of this
world,though."
"This is great," said Maggie. "Not only do we have to deal with the Nazis in this dimension,we have to deal with kromaggs from another
dimension."
"It could be worse," I said to her. "You could be living in a world where the Nazis rule America. I have been to such a world,and it was a
living nightmare. Fiortunmately,I was only there for sixteen hours. Now,tell us about your slides."
"let me expalin this," said Quinn. "This project was started in the fall of 1995. We were researching anti-gravity,but opened this wormhole. This project was militarized and moved to the Terminal Island facility. There,with unlimited funds from the U.S. government,we managed to study the wormhole. We then sent probes through and bring them back. We developed a tracking systems for the wormholes. We sent animals through. Then,on October 20,1996, we sent a human through-the first human to slide from this dimension to another dimension."
"Was it you,Quinn?"
"No,it was then-Captain,now-Major Maggie Beckett."
"Beckett?"
"That is right," said Maggie. "I will go down in history as the first human from this world to slide to another world."
"Anyway,"said Quinn, "after preliminary tests,we decided to send more people through. We explored that world Major Beckett first slid to. We also explored other worlds. Today,we have mapped over one hundred fifty worlds."
"Wow. So what do you do?"
"We monitor them. Aside from our sliding technicians,we also have linguists and historians who visit these parallel worlds. They stay there for weeks or even months,studying the history of that world. They bring back books, newspapers, magazines,and computer software. Sometimes we acquire new technology which we send to the Pentagon. That is why they support this project;new technology acquired from more advanced worlds,siuch as your home world,will give us an edge against the Germans. And of course,there are some worlds we just like to visit for R&R. Instead of having to go to Las Vegas, we can just slide to another world and go to the Circus Circus Hotel and Casino located on the corner of Long Beach and Ocean. I've actually had my picture taken there. This project has given us a new perspective on ourselves,our history,and where we are going. This dwarfs the landing on the moon."
"This is interesating. Can you help me find my friends?" I asked.
"Well," said Quinn. "Do tyou know the coordinates for any weorlds they previously visited?"
"No."
"Okay,we have shown Mister Mallory here about our little secret," says General Hunt.
"I think I need to run some tests on him," said Doctor Davis.
"Tests?" asked Arturo.
"He told me he slid in his sleep."
"If it would help me find my friends,I would like to participate," I said.
So that's what I did.
Dr. Diana Davis took me to a lab. There was this big old machine which
resembled an X-ray machine.
"this device was used back when we sent probes through," said Davis.
"We studied their spectra. Over the years,we improved this device to study other things. Now,I will use this to collect data. It won't hurt,Mister Mallory."
"Okay," I said to her. "Fire away."
Davis went to a control panel and pushed some buttons. Another
technician stood by. I heard a humming sound,and I felt a dry,cold heat on
me. After a minute or so,the humming stopped.
"That's it," said Davis. "You may go."
We all left the lab. An MP escorted me to my new quarters,while Dr. Davis went in the direction of the lab.
I was assigned an room one the base. It was underground. It had a bed and a radio. It even had its own bathroom. I lay down,asnd looked up. At least I had a place to call home. I wondered where my Quinn and my Maggie and my Rembrandt were. I read through an Entertainment Weekly magazine left inn the room. I read that Mariah Carey had her second child with husband Eddie Veder,and that Vanilla Ice was having a concert in Madison Square Garden in New York City. I also read a small article about this world's Rembrandt Brown buying a house in Miami Beach. I went to sleep. I wondered if I would wake up in the same world.
staff. I recognized one of them as Professor Maximilian Arturo.
"Professor Arturo," I said to the heavy bearded man sitting down at the table.
"How did you know me?" he asked.
"I've met you before," I said. "Or rather,your counterpart on the last world I've been to."
"Well,I have not introfuced myself," said the professor. "I am Maximilian Arturo,chief researcher for the Terminal Island facility."
"I attended one of his classes when I was a student at the University of California," said Quinn. "Later,he and I applied for government funding to carry out our research,and it leads here. Now, Mr. Mallory, explain your story."
"On my home world,there was a war between two species of people," I answered. "Humans and kromaggs. My parents sent me to live with their duplicates on another world. My foster parents died when I was young. Last year,I met my blood brother. He was traveling with another version of Maggie Beckett and someone named Rembrandt Brown."
"Did you say Rembrandt Brown?" asked a young man wearing dreadlocks.
"Yeah,that was his name."
"I have all his records. He is a great singer! One of the best,man."
"What is your name?"
"Bennish. Conrad Bennish Junior."
"Back to my story,Mister Bennish. Quinn,that is the Quinn who was born on my home world,told me about my true heritage. He opened my foster mother's locket which had this microdot. When I wore it on my head,I received a message from my birth parents. They told me everything."
"what was the story of my counterpart?" asked Quinn.
"You," I said. "I mean he. He built a sliding machine in 1994. He,Professor Maximilian Arturo,Wade Wells,and Rembrandt slid. Along the way,they puicked up Maggie and lost the professor. Remmy and Wade later returned home,but left Quinn and Maggie behind. Quinn and Maggie made it back,only to find it had been conquered by the kromaggs two months before they got there."
"Kromaggs?" asked General Hunt.
"Yes,after they were driven off my home world,they started to conquer other dimensions," I said to him. "On my home world,sliding technology is much more advanced. They could not return home because of a slidecage which prevents wormholes from opening on their world."
"Any possibility the kromaggs might come here?"
"It is slim. Most worlds I have been to have never seen a kromagg."
"How advanced are their weaponry?"
"Manta ships. Energy weapons. They are pretty advanced."
"Well,we do not have manta ships,but we have a sliding machine and
energy weapons."
"That's good. I have been to worlds which have successfully repelled a kromagg invasion. Their technology was considerably more advanced than many worlds I have been to. I am not familar with the technology of this
world,though."
"This is great," said Maggie. "Not only do we have to deal with the Nazis in this dimension,we have to deal with kromaggs from another
dimension."
"It could be worse," I said to her. "You could be living in a world where the Nazis rule America. I have been to such a world,and it was a
living nightmare. Fiortunmately,I was only there for sixteen hours. Now,tell us about your slides."
"let me expalin this," said Quinn. "This project was started in the fall of 1995. We were researching anti-gravity,but opened this wormhole. This project was militarized and moved to the Terminal Island facility. There,with unlimited funds from the U.S. government,we managed to study the wormhole. We then sent probes through and bring them back. We developed a tracking systems for the wormholes. We sent animals through. Then,on October 20,1996, we sent a human through-the first human to slide from this dimension to another dimension."
"Was it you,Quinn?"
"No,it was then-Captain,now-Major Maggie Beckett."
"Beckett?"
"That is right," said Maggie. "I will go down in history as the first human from this world to slide to another world."
"Anyway,"said Quinn, "after preliminary tests,we decided to send more people through. We explored that world Major Beckett first slid to. We also explored other worlds. Today,we have mapped over one hundred fifty worlds."
"Wow. So what do you do?"
"We monitor them. Aside from our sliding technicians,we also have linguists and historians who visit these parallel worlds. They stay there for weeks or even months,studying the history of that world. They bring back books, newspapers, magazines,and computer software. Sometimes we acquire new technology which we send to the Pentagon. That is why they support this project;new technology acquired from more advanced worlds,siuch as your home world,will give us an edge against the Germans. And of course,there are some worlds we just like to visit for R&R. Instead of having to go to Las Vegas, we can just slide to another world and go to the Circus Circus Hotel and Casino located on the corner of Long Beach and Ocean. I've actually had my picture taken there. This project has given us a new perspective on ourselves,our history,and where we are going. This dwarfs the landing on the moon."
"This is interesating. Can you help me find my friends?" I asked.
"Well," said Quinn. "Do tyou know the coordinates for any weorlds they previously visited?"
"No."
"Okay,we have shown Mister Mallory here about our little secret," says General Hunt.
"I think I need to run some tests on him," said Doctor Davis.
"Tests?" asked Arturo.
"He told me he slid in his sleep."
"If it would help me find my friends,I would like to participate," I said.
So that's what I did.
Dr. Diana Davis took me to a lab. There was this big old machine which
resembled an X-ray machine.
"this device was used back when we sent probes through," said Davis.
"We studied their spectra. Over the years,we improved this device to study other things. Now,I will use this to collect data. It won't hurt,Mister Mallory."
"Okay," I said to her. "Fire away."
Davis went to a control panel and pushed some buttons. Another
technician stood by. I heard a humming sound,and I felt a dry,cold heat on
me. After a minute or so,the humming stopped.
"That's it," said Davis. "You may go."
We all left the lab. An MP escorted me to my new quarters,while Dr. Davis went in the direction of the lab.
I was assigned an room one the base. It was underground. It had a bed and a radio. It even had its own bathroom. I lay down,asnd looked up. At least I had a place to call home. I wondered where my Quinn and my Maggie and my Rembrandt were. I read through an Entertainment Weekly magazine left inn the room. I read that Mariah Carey had her second child with husband Eddie Veder,and that Vanilla Ice was having a concert in Madison Square Garden in New York City. I also read a small article about this world's Rembrandt Brown buying a house in Miami Beach. I went to sleep. I wondered if I would wake up in the same world.
