May 22, 1997
Maggie Beckett sits down, wondering how she could have been so stupid, so foolish.
It started three days ago when she and Quinn arrived. they were both continuing their quest to repair the timer so they can track the wormhole that Rembrandt and Wade used to go back home. There was no information in the library about sliding or about Quinn Mallory, so she and Quinn decided to stay here for a while and hope the next world has some answers. They were both eating at a diner when he showed up.
Maggie saw Angus Rickman, the man who murdered her husband.
Immediately she got up from her table and attacked him, wrestling to the floor and shouting, "Murderer!" The other diners intervened.
It turned out that Angus Rickman was not a U.S. Marine colonel from Maggie's world; he was from this world and was the Sheriff of San Luis Obispo County.
Anyway, Maggie was arrested and booked for battery. she had hoped she could plead guilty in exchange for community service, and then Quinn could bust her out and she would never have to come here again.
But it was not as simple, for she too had a duplicate here, just like Rickman did. And her duplicate was wanted for murder.
As it turned out, her duplicate's victim was none other than Steven Jensen.
This is truly an ironic twist of fate, a world where her duplicate was the homicidal sociopath.
I just hope Steven is not the homicidal sociopath in the next world, she remembers thinking.
Now it is the third day, and she is scheduled to slide out. But here she is under heavy guard. How can Quinn bust her out. Maybe Quinn will slide to the next world, and then come back here. Her husband added that ability to the timer.
Then two people approached Maggie's cell. She recognizes one of them as Sheriff Angus Rickman.
"Hello, Mrs. Jensen," says the sheriff. "You;ve a visitor."
"Is it my lawyer?" she asks.
"No, he's a priest."
Sheriff Rickman leads Maggie to a room. It is a small room, with a table and an overhead lamp. Sitting at the table is a bespectacled man in the black outfit of a Roman Catholic priest.
That man is none other than Quinn Mallory.
"We have surveillance video," says Rickman. "There is no audio recording. We can see you, but we will not hear you."
"Thank you, sheriff," says Quinn.
The door is shut.
"Are you of this world?' asks Maggie, still remembering her experience with this world's duplicates of those she knows.
Quinn shows a small, remote-control-sized device with a red LED readout, silently answering her question. Maggie can see there are eleven minutes remaining.
"Sheriff Rickman gave us a whole hour," says Quinn. "We'll be gone before then."
"Where did you get that outfit?"
"Bought it at a costume store a few blocks down. I used up the last of our money. Oh well, our money might not be acceptable in the next world."
The timer runs out, and then Quinn presses a button and opens the vortex. The light from the vortex attracts the attention of Sheriff Rickman and his deputy, and they burst in.
Quinn and Maggie jump into the vortex. The sheriff just watches the strange whirlpool which he had never seen before. It then closes.
"What was that?" asks the deputy.
"I don't know," says Rickman. "I think we should cover this up. Who would believe us anyway?"
At that moment, on another version of Earth in a parallel universe, Wade Welles receives a call.
"Hello," she says.
"Wade, this is Remmy," says Rembrandt. "I just got some news to tell you. I got a job and I'm gonna be moving soon."
"when will you be moving?"
"Saturday."
"Where is the job?"
"It's at the Chandler Hotel in L.A."
"You're moving to L.A.?"
"Yes. After sending my resume everywhere, the ownder of the Chandler offered me a job to do live music performances. And get this; the Chandler is expanding and they're hiring more workers. So I asked Mr. Chandler a favor. I asked him if he would hire one of my friends."
"You mean me, don't you?"
"Well, girtl, I know you haven't found a job yet."
"I've only been here less than two weeks. It's not like a job was waiting for me upon my return."
"Well, you will have to live in L.A."
"I've cousins in the area. Give me Mr. Chandler's number; I'm accepting his job!"
"It's a big move from Frisco to L.A. Do you really want to do that?"
"I'm spent the last two years sliding from Earth to Earth. Moving four hundred miles south isn't that big a deal to me."
That evening, Wade Welles has dinner at the Mallory house.
"It's always a pleasure having dinner with you, Mrs. Mallory," says Wade.
"I'm just so glad you could come," says Elizabeth Mallory. "Have you told your parents yet."
"I already told them after I called the Chandler. I told my cousin about moving to L.A. and she agreed to let me stay with her until I find my own apartment. Of course, I'd have to pay my share of the gas and electric bill."
"Excuse me, ladies," says Rembrandt. "I've got to go use the bathroom." He gets up and leaves.
"Excuse me, Wade," says Elizabeth. "Could you meet me in the basement?"
The two of them go down into the basement, which was empty save for the blackboard which has the sliding equation written on it, as well as the happy face written by Quinn's duplicate over two years ago. Wade remembers that the U.S. government purchased the equipment and the money was deposited in Quinn's bank account.
"You must still miss Quinn," says Wade.
"I have this hope that he will come back," replies Mrs. Mallory. "You came back."
"The professor's not coming back."
"He must have been close to Quinn."
"Quinn admired him as a mentor. We trusted him."
"And were you close to Quinn?"
"Yes."
"There were two things I wanted to tell Quinn after he comes back. I want to tell you one of them. Quinn had a brother."
"A brother?" Wade asks. "He never told me he had one."
"I never told him," says Elizabeth. "It was two years before he was born. When I went into labor, it was very difficult and agonizing. I lost consciousness. When I came to, Michael was with me. He told me our son...our son died."
Wade's face turns even paler. "I'm sorry," she mutters.
"The baby was asphyxiated. The doctors tried to save him, but they couldn't. We had to bury him three days after he was born."
"Did he have a name?"
"Colin. His name was Colin."
"I can't understand how you felt, but you must have been consoled somewhat when Quinn was born."
"Quinn was nothing short of a miracle, especially since the doctors told me I'd never have another baby. He helped me and Michael deal with the grief of losing Colin, and he later helped me deal with my grief when Michael was killed in that car accident."
"What was that miracle, if I may ask? I mean, was it a fertility treatment or something?"
"It's gonna be hard to believe, even for you. and I want to be the one to tell him, to tell him about Colin and about how he came to us."
"I understand."
Mrs. Mallory paces around the basement. "Still, I want to be prepared in case I'm not here to welcome him home."
"Don't say that," says Wade.
"I never expected to lose my husband," says Elizabeth. "After Quinn disappeared, I learned to be prepared. I have a safe-deposit box containing Colin's birth certificate as well as a letter explaining everything to Quinn. I left instructions in my will. Wade, as Quinn's closest friend, I want to include you in the will."
"What?" asks Wade, surprised by the announcement.
"If I die before Quinn's return, I'm going to willyou the contents of the safe deposit box. My attorney Ross J. Kelly will contact you and give you the details of where the safe deposit box is and what is to be done with my body. Once that happens, you will know the truth about Colin and about Quinn and I want you to make sure he learns about his past."
"I'm sure you will be here to greet your son when he returns," says Wade. "But I promise I'll do that if you are unable to."
"Well, I'd better call my attorney and tell him about my change of plans," says Elizabeth. They both walk up the sdtairs to the first floor.
"What were you two doing down there?" asks Rembrandt.
"Girl talk," says Wade.
May 26, 1997
Wade Welles and Rembrandt Brown walk along the sidewalk on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. They approach the building labeled the Chandler Hotel.
They are both familar with the hotel, having stayed in a few of its counterparts in parallel universes. They enter the lobby, which has couches and a rack full of brochures as well as the registration desk. Side hallways led to a bar and restaurants and ballrooms.
Mounted on the wall is a poster about the Chandler Hotel.
Welcome to the Chandler Hotel, one of the newest hotels in downtown Los Angeles. The Chandler came to be when Los Angeles businessman Archibald Chandler purchased the bankrupt Royal Chancellor Hotel which was closed in January of 1995. The hotel was quickly renovated and was open to the public on June 12, 1995.
The Chandler sports over one thousand rooms, including twelve suites. There is an indoor swimming pool, indoor tennis courts, and a fitness center for our guests. Guests may dine in three of our fabulous restaurants or have a drink in the Chandler Lounge and Sports Bar.
The Chandler's location in downtown Los Angeles near the freeways makes it a perfect place to stay while visiting the sights of the city. There is a free shuttle service to the Metrolink trains, the Metro Blue Line, Amtrak, and the L.A. Airport.
We hope you enjoy your stay at the Chandler, and we hope you come again.
"Well, let's go meet our new boss," says Rembrandt. They both go through a door marked "EMPLOYEES ONLY" and enter a hallway. Soon they enter the president's office. They both sit down on chairs facing a wooden desk. The walls of the office are paneled in cherry wood.
"Hello," says an old man in a suit, sitting behind the desk. "I am Archibald Chandler. You must be Rembrandt Brown."
"Yes, sir, I am," replies the musician.
"I used to be a fan of your music, the Spinning Tops right?"
"Yeah, that was back in the day."
"You will be an excellent addition to our live music performances. I want this hotel to be a place where people can have an active nightlife before retiring to their rooms, preferably in the hotel, of course. And you will not be disappointed with the salary; it will be enough to rent an apartment in this city, with enough left over for luxuries. and who is this young lady?"
"I'm Wade Welles," says Wade. "Rembrandt's a friend of mine and he told me that you were handing out jobs."
"Well, Miss Welles," says Chandler. "I see you have one reference. We are hiring for several positions, from maids to bartenders to cocktail waitresses."
"Those are the kinds of jobs I had fvor the past two-and-a-half years," says Wade. "I would like to be a cocktail waitress."
"Then you are hired. As are you, Mr. Brown."
"We accept," says Rembrandt.
Archibald Chandler picks up a telephone on his desk. "This is Chandler, I need some W-4's."
Soon, a secretary enters the office with some forms. Chandler takes the forms from the secretary and then hands them to his new employees. "I will need you to fill out these W-4's," he says.
Wade and Rembrandt look at the W-4 form, which is used by employers to make appropriate pay withholdings and send them to the Internal Revenue Service and the Franchise Tax Board. They both filled out the W-4's,. knwoing they are starting a new phase in their lives.
June 14, 1997
Captain Maggie Beckett enters the Chandler Lounge and Sports Bar, wearing a white blouse and blue jeans. She looks at a clock mounted on the wall, noticing it is 5:00 PM. She looks at the lounge, which has a stage for music performers and a bar where beer and other alcoholic beverages are served. She sits down at one of the tables.
"Hello, Maggie," says Wade, now dressed as a cocktail server. Her uniform consists of a black shirt with the Chandler hotel logo on the back. "Are you of this world?"
"Yes, I am. Could you get me a screwdriver?"
"Sure," says Wade. She goes to the bar and asks the bartender for a screwdriver. Minutes later, the mixture of vodka and orange juice is served to her. She brings it back to the Marine captain.
"Are you busy?" asks Maggie even as she gives Wade her Visa credit card.
"No, it's not busy now."
"Well, how is your new life?"
"Well, three days a week I come here and serve drinks. I get a lot of tips. I've made some new friends."
"Any boyfriend?"
"No, that hasn't happened yet. You know, yesterday Remmy and I went back to San Francisco. We celebrated the one-month anniversary of our homecoming with my family and Mrs. Mallory."
"We're still searching for Quinn."
"I'm sure Quinn is doing everything in his power to come back," says Wade. "Maybe Quinn will be here for the two-month anniversary. Remmy will be performing at 9:00. I'd better go see what the other customeras want."
"Okay," says Maggie. she looks at the color televisions mounted on the wall and sees various sports being shown.
She hangs around and has a few drinks. Then, at 9:00, Rembrandt Brown appears on stage, dressed in a black suit.
"Hello," he says, sitting down in front of the piano. "My name is Rembrandt Brown. I was once a singer for the Spinning Topps bac k in the late '70's. Now I am honored that you are all here. Let's get started with a classic, Tears in my 'Fro."
He then starts playing the piano and sings his classic song. After he is finished singing, everyone in the bar applauds.
"Okay, okay," says the musician. "Let's have another one."
At 11:00, Wade finally gets off. Instead of heading home, she decides to sit with Rembrandt and Maggie.
"So what brings you all the way here to L.A.?" asks Rembrandt.
"I had the weekend off, and I decided to visit you two," says Maggie. "I wanted to see how you're doing and all."
"Well, I'm happy with my job," says Rembrandt. "Singing and playing the piano, and hearing my fans cheer. Maybe I'll get to move on to bigger things. I like performing."
"Tell us about your life," Wade says to Maggie.
"I was born in San Diego," says Maggie. "My dad was an Marine infantry officer, so we moved around a lot. I've seen a lot of places. I wanted to be a fighter pilot. I took flight training after Officer's Candidate School. Then in 1991, my wing was sent to Saudi Arabia and I flew against the Iraqis during the Gulf War. I was later assigned to intelligence. I wasn't thrilled with the assignment, since I preferred flying F-14 Tomcats. Then I was sent to Yerba Buena, where I got to participate in an important project."
"You know, you're a lot nicer than the other Maggie," says Wade.
"Who?"
"One of your duplicates slid with us for three months."
"How was she like?"
"She was bitter, with a chip on her shoulder. I guess it's because Rickman murdered her husband. While we were chasing Rickman for the timer needed to get home, she wanted to kill him."
"Who was her husband?"
"It was Steven Jensen."
Maggie is surprised at the answer. "She was married to Steven Jensen's duplicate?"
"Yeah."
"Well, a romantic relationship witgh one of the techs never occurred to me."
"Maybe you should go after him," says Rembrandt. "If it worked for her, it will work for you."
"Maybe."
"I just hope the other Maggie finds peace," says Wade. "and I hope Quinn comes him."
"The we should have a toast," says Maggie. "To Quinn Mallory."
And so they have a toast.
In another version of the Chandler Hotel Lounge and Sports Bar in a parallel universe, anohter version of Maggie Beckett sits at the bar watching television. She decided to come down here and have a drink.
She watches the television. The crowd that was here earlier dispersed, after a game from the NBA Finals was over. The ESPN reporters are now summarizing the sports.
"..and that was it for the NBA Finals Game Three," says the ESPN reporter. "Now in golf, Tiger Woods won it again in the Pebble Beach Tournament." Maggie sees an image of a young dark-skinned man. "Tiger Woods beat out Matthew Perry and Colin Mallory. Here are the final scores."
Maggie's ears perks up the moment she heard the name "Mallory". She then sees the images of the golfers who played in the Pebble Beach Tournament. One of them looks a lot like Quinn!
Then Quinn comes down to the bar. "Hey, Maggie," he says.
"Quinn," says Maggie. "I just saw you on TV."
"Really?" asks Quinn.
"Well, it was someone who looked like you. And his name was Mallory. He played on some golf tournament."
"Was it my double?"
"No, his name wasn't Quinn."
"It might be a brother or a cousin." He pulls out the timer. "Well, we'll be here for two more days. Maybe the next world will have the technology needed to repair the photon tracker."
"Do you know exactly what's wrong with it? What if it can no longer detect where Wade and Remmy are?"
"I think the traccer itself is working, it's just that the guidance system can not plot an interdimensional course."
"You lost me."
"Well, I think I'm gonna have a drink now."
And he does.
July 9, 1997
The Kromagg Dynasty High Council meets in the chambers. They have been debating over the past few days.
"Our resources are spread too thin already," says one of the councilors. We would have to withdraw troops from our off-world garrisons to get enough people for the invasion. What we need to do is to continue our projects into bypassing the slidecage that blocks our return to our world."
Another councilor is recognized. "This world in question possesses quantum probability translocation technology. We have all read copies of our spies' reports. A world of humans possessing such technology must be razed! And do not forget that we tracked a companion of the son of Mallory to that world. We believe that the son of Mallory will make it there, and we intend to capture him."
The matter is put to the vote.
"Very well," says the chairman of the council. "The votes are tallied." Symbols appear on a holographic screen. "We invade."
A kromagg general approaches the chairman and his aides. "It will take two days to make preparations for the initial assault," he says.
Maggie Beckett sits down, wondering how she could have been so stupid, so foolish.
It started three days ago when she and Quinn arrived. they were both continuing their quest to repair the timer so they can track the wormhole that Rembrandt and Wade used to go back home. There was no information in the library about sliding or about Quinn Mallory, so she and Quinn decided to stay here for a while and hope the next world has some answers. They were both eating at a diner when he showed up.
Maggie saw Angus Rickman, the man who murdered her husband.
Immediately she got up from her table and attacked him, wrestling to the floor and shouting, "Murderer!" The other diners intervened.
It turned out that Angus Rickman was not a U.S. Marine colonel from Maggie's world; he was from this world and was the Sheriff of San Luis Obispo County.
Anyway, Maggie was arrested and booked for battery. she had hoped she could plead guilty in exchange for community service, and then Quinn could bust her out and she would never have to come here again.
But it was not as simple, for she too had a duplicate here, just like Rickman did. And her duplicate was wanted for murder.
As it turned out, her duplicate's victim was none other than Steven Jensen.
This is truly an ironic twist of fate, a world where her duplicate was the homicidal sociopath.
I just hope Steven is not the homicidal sociopath in the next world, she remembers thinking.
Now it is the third day, and she is scheduled to slide out. But here she is under heavy guard. How can Quinn bust her out. Maybe Quinn will slide to the next world, and then come back here. Her husband added that ability to the timer.
Then two people approached Maggie's cell. She recognizes one of them as Sheriff Angus Rickman.
"Hello, Mrs. Jensen," says the sheriff. "You;ve a visitor."
"Is it my lawyer?" she asks.
"No, he's a priest."
Sheriff Rickman leads Maggie to a room. It is a small room, with a table and an overhead lamp. Sitting at the table is a bespectacled man in the black outfit of a Roman Catholic priest.
That man is none other than Quinn Mallory.
"We have surveillance video," says Rickman. "There is no audio recording. We can see you, but we will not hear you."
"Thank you, sheriff," says Quinn.
The door is shut.
"Are you of this world?' asks Maggie, still remembering her experience with this world's duplicates of those she knows.
Quinn shows a small, remote-control-sized device with a red LED readout, silently answering her question. Maggie can see there are eleven minutes remaining.
"Sheriff Rickman gave us a whole hour," says Quinn. "We'll be gone before then."
"Where did you get that outfit?"
"Bought it at a costume store a few blocks down. I used up the last of our money. Oh well, our money might not be acceptable in the next world."
The timer runs out, and then Quinn presses a button and opens the vortex. The light from the vortex attracts the attention of Sheriff Rickman and his deputy, and they burst in.
Quinn and Maggie jump into the vortex. The sheriff just watches the strange whirlpool which he had never seen before. It then closes.
"What was that?" asks the deputy.
"I don't know," says Rickman. "I think we should cover this up. Who would believe us anyway?"
At that moment, on another version of Earth in a parallel universe, Wade Welles receives a call.
"Hello," she says.
"Wade, this is Remmy," says Rembrandt. "I just got some news to tell you. I got a job and I'm gonna be moving soon."
"when will you be moving?"
"Saturday."
"Where is the job?"
"It's at the Chandler Hotel in L.A."
"You're moving to L.A.?"
"Yes. After sending my resume everywhere, the ownder of the Chandler offered me a job to do live music performances. And get this; the Chandler is expanding and they're hiring more workers. So I asked Mr. Chandler a favor. I asked him if he would hire one of my friends."
"You mean me, don't you?"
"Well, girtl, I know you haven't found a job yet."
"I've only been here less than two weeks. It's not like a job was waiting for me upon my return."
"Well, you will have to live in L.A."
"I've cousins in the area. Give me Mr. Chandler's number; I'm accepting his job!"
"It's a big move from Frisco to L.A. Do you really want to do that?"
"I'm spent the last two years sliding from Earth to Earth. Moving four hundred miles south isn't that big a deal to me."
That evening, Wade Welles has dinner at the Mallory house.
"It's always a pleasure having dinner with you, Mrs. Mallory," says Wade.
"I'm just so glad you could come," says Elizabeth Mallory. "Have you told your parents yet."
"I already told them after I called the Chandler. I told my cousin about moving to L.A. and she agreed to let me stay with her until I find my own apartment. Of course, I'd have to pay my share of the gas and electric bill."
"Excuse me, ladies," says Rembrandt. "I've got to go use the bathroom." He gets up and leaves.
"Excuse me, Wade," says Elizabeth. "Could you meet me in the basement?"
The two of them go down into the basement, which was empty save for the blackboard which has the sliding equation written on it, as well as the happy face written by Quinn's duplicate over two years ago. Wade remembers that the U.S. government purchased the equipment and the money was deposited in Quinn's bank account.
"You must still miss Quinn," says Wade.
"I have this hope that he will come back," replies Mrs. Mallory. "You came back."
"The professor's not coming back."
"He must have been close to Quinn."
"Quinn admired him as a mentor. We trusted him."
"And were you close to Quinn?"
"Yes."
"There were two things I wanted to tell Quinn after he comes back. I want to tell you one of them. Quinn had a brother."
"A brother?" Wade asks. "He never told me he had one."
"I never told him," says Elizabeth. "It was two years before he was born. When I went into labor, it was very difficult and agonizing. I lost consciousness. When I came to, Michael was with me. He told me our son...our son died."
Wade's face turns even paler. "I'm sorry," she mutters.
"The baby was asphyxiated. The doctors tried to save him, but they couldn't. We had to bury him three days after he was born."
"Did he have a name?"
"Colin. His name was Colin."
"I can't understand how you felt, but you must have been consoled somewhat when Quinn was born."
"Quinn was nothing short of a miracle, especially since the doctors told me I'd never have another baby. He helped me and Michael deal with the grief of losing Colin, and he later helped me deal with my grief when Michael was killed in that car accident."
"What was that miracle, if I may ask? I mean, was it a fertility treatment or something?"
"It's gonna be hard to believe, even for you. and I want to be the one to tell him, to tell him about Colin and about how he came to us."
"I understand."
Mrs. Mallory paces around the basement. "Still, I want to be prepared in case I'm not here to welcome him home."
"Don't say that," says Wade.
"I never expected to lose my husband," says Elizabeth. "After Quinn disappeared, I learned to be prepared. I have a safe-deposit box containing Colin's birth certificate as well as a letter explaining everything to Quinn. I left instructions in my will. Wade, as Quinn's closest friend, I want to include you in the will."
"What?" asks Wade, surprised by the announcement.
"If I die before Quinn's return, I'm going to willyou the contents of the safe deposit box. My attorney Ross J. Kelly will contact you and give you the details of where the safe deposit box is and what is to be done with my body. Once that happens, you will know the truth about Colin and about Quinn and I want you to make sure he learns about his past."
"I'm sure you will be here to greet your son when he returns," says Wade. "But I promise I'll do that if you are unable to."
"Well, I'd better call my attorney and tell him about my change of plans," says Elizabeth. They both walk up the sdtairs to the first floor.
"What were you two doing down there?" asks Rembrandt.
"Girl talk," says Wade.
May 26, 1997
Wade Welles and Rembrandt Brown walk along the sidewalk on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. They approach the building labeled the Chandler Hotel.
They are both familar with the hotel, having stayed in a few of its counterparts in parallel universes. They enter the lobby, which has couches and a rack full of brochures as well as the registration desk. Side hallways led to a bar and restaurants and ballrooms.
Mounted on the wall is a poster about the Chandler Hotel.
Welcome to the Chandler Hotel, one of the newest hotels in downtown Los Angeles. The Chandler came to be when Los Angeles businessman Archibald Chandler purchased the bankrupt Royal Chancellor Hotel which was closed in January of 1995. The hotel was quickly renovated and was open to the public on June 12, 1995.
The Chandler sports over one thousand rooms, including twelve suites. There is an indoor swimming pool, indoor tennis courts, and a fitness center for our guests. Guests may dine in three of our fabulous restaurants or have a drink in the Chandler Lounge and Sports Bar.
The Chandler's location in downtown Los Angeles near the freeways makes it a perfect place to stay while visiting the sights of the city. There is a free shuttle service to the Metrolink trains, the Metro Blue Line, Amtrak, and the L.A. Airport.
We hope you enjoy your stay at the Chandler, and we hope you come again.
"Well, let's go meet our new boss," says Rembrandt. They both go through a door marked "EMPLOYEES ONLY" and enter a hallway. Soon they enter the president's office. They both sit down on chairs facing a wooden desk. The walls of the office are paneled in cherry wood.
"Hello," says an old man in a suit, sitting behind the desk. "I am Archibald Chandler. You must be Rembrandt Brown."
"Yes, sir, I am," replies the musician.
"I used to be a fan of your music, the Spinning Tops right?"
"Yeah, that was back in the day."
"You will be an excellent addition to our live music performances. I want this hotel to be a place where people can have an active nightlife before retiring to their rooms, preferably in the hotel, of course. And you will not be disappointed with the salary; it will be enough to rent an apartment in this city, with enough left over for luxuries. and who is this young lady?"
"I'm Wade Welles," says Wade. "Rembrandt's a friend of mine and he told me that you were handing out jobs."
"Well, Miss Welles," says Chandler. "I see you have one reference. We are hiring for several positions, from maids to bartenders to cocktail waitresses."
"Those are the kinds of jobs I had fvor the past two-and-a-half years," says Wade. "I would like to be a cocktail waitress."
"Then you are hired. As are you, Mr. Brown."
"We accept," says Rembrandt.
Archibald Chandler picks up a telephone on his desk. "This is Chandler, I need some W-4's."
Soon, a secretary enters the office with some forms. Chandler takes the forms from the secretary and then hands them to his new employees. "I will need you to fill out these W-4's," he says.
Wade and Rembrandt look at the W-4 form, which is used by employers to make appropriate pay withholdings and send them to the Internal Revenue Service and the Franchise Tax Board. They both filled out the W-4's,. knwoing they are starting a new phase in their lives.
June 14, 1997
Captain Maggie Beckett enters the Chandler Lounge and Sports Bar, wearing a white blouse and blue jeans. She looks at a clock mounted on the wall, noticing it is 5:00 PM. She looks at the lounge, which has a stage for music performers and a bar where beer and other alcoholic beverages are served. She sits down at one of the tables.
"Hello, Maggie," says Wade, now dressed as a cocktail server. Her uniform consists of a black shirt with the Chandler hotel logo on the back. "Are you of this world?"
"Yes, I am. Could you get me a screwdriver?"
"Sure," says Wade. She goes to the bar and asks the bartender for a screwdriver. Minutes later, the mixture of vodka and orange juice is served to her. She brings it back to the Marine captain.
"Are you busy?" asks Maggie even as she gives Wade her Visa credit card.
"No, it's not busy now."
"Well, how is your new life?"
"Well, three days a week I come here and serve drinks. I get a lot of tips. I've made some new friends."
"Any boyfriend?"
"No, that hasn't happened yet. You know, yesterday Remmy and I went back to San Francisco. We celebrated the one-month anniversary of our homecoming with my family and Mrs. Mallory."
"We're still searching for Quinn."
"I'm sure Quinn is doing everything in his power to come back," says Wade. "Maybe Quinn will be here for the two-month anniversary. Remmy will be performing at 9:00. I'd better go see what the other customeras want."
"Okay," says Maggie. she looks at the color televisions mounted on the wall and sees various sports being shown.
She hangs around and has a few drinks. Then, at 9:00, Rembrandt Brown appears on stage, dressed in a black suit.
"Hello," he says, sitting down in front of the piano. "My name is Rembrandt Brown. I was once a singer for the Spinning Topps bac k in the late '70's. Now I am honored that you are all here. Let's get started with a classic, Tears in my 'Fro."
He then starts playing the piano and sings his classic song. After he is finished singing, everyone in the bar applauds.
"Okay, okay," says the musician. "Let's have another one."
At 11:00, Wade finally gets off. Instead of heading home, she decides to sit with Rembrandt and Maggie.
"So what brings you all the way here to L.A.?" asks Rembrandt.
"I had the weekend off, and I decided to visit you two," says Maggie. "I wanted to see how you're doing and all."
"Well, I'm happy with my job," says Rembrandt. "Singing and playing the piano, and hearing my fans cheer. Maybe I'll get to move on to bigger things. I like performing."
"Tell us about your life," Wade says to Maggie.
"I was born in San Diego," says Maggie. "My dad was an Marine infantry officer, so we moved around a lot. I've seen a lot of places. I wanted to be a fighter pilot. I took flight training after Officer's Candidate School. Then in 1991, my wing was sent to Saudi Arabia and I flew against the Iraqis during the Gulf War. I was later assigned to intelligence. I wasn't thrilled with the assignment, since I preferred flying F-14 Tomcats. Then I was sent to Yerba Buena, where I got to participate in an important project."
"You know, you're a lot nicer than the other Maggie," says Wade.
"Who?"
"One of your duplicates slid with us for three months."
"How was she like?"
"She was bitter, with a chip on her shoulder. I guess it's because Rickman murdered her husband. While we were chasing Rickman for the timer needed to get home, she wanted to kill him."
"Who was her husband?"
"It was Steven Jensen."
Maggie is surprised at the answer. "She was married to Steven Jensen's duplicate?"
"Yeah."
"Well, a romantic relationship witgh one of the techs never occurred to me."
"Maybe you should go after him," says Rembrandt. "If it worked for her, it will work for you."
"Maybe."
"I just hope the other Maggie finds peace," says Wade. "and I hope Quinn comes him."
"The we should have a toast," says Maggie. "To Quinn Mallory."
And so they have a toast.
In another version of the Chandler Hotel Lounge and Sports Bar in a parallel universe, anohter version of Maggie Beckett sits at the bar watching television. She decided to come down here and have a drink.
She watches the television. The crowd that was here earlier dispersed, after a game from the NBA Finals was over. The ESPN reporters are now summarizing the sports.
"..and that was it for the NBA Finals Game Three," says the ESPN reporter. "Now in golf, Tiger Woods won it again in the Pebble Beach Tournament." Maggie sees an image of a young dark-skinned man. "Tiger Woods beat out Matthew Perry and Colin Mallory. Here are the final scores."
Maggie's ears perks up the moment she heard the name "Mallory". She then sees the images of the golfers who played in the Pebble Beach Tournament. One of them looks a lot like Quinn!
Then Quinn comes down to the bar. "Hey, Maggie," he says.
"Quinn," says Maggie. "I just saw you on TV."
"Really?" asks Quinn.
"Well, it was someone who looked like you. And his name was Mallory. He played on some golf tournament."
"Was it my double?"
"No, his name wasn't Quinn."
"It might be a brother or a cousin." He pulls out the timer. "Well, we'll be here for two more days. Maybe the next world will have the technology needed to repair the photon tracker."
"Do you know exactly what's wrong with it? What if it can no longer detect where Wade and Remmy are?"
"I think the traccer itself is working, it's just that the guidance system can not plot an interdimensional course."
"You lost me."
"Well, I think I'm gonna have a drink now."
And he does.
July 9, 1997
The Kromagg Dynasty High Council meets in the chambers. They have been debating over the past few days.
"Our resources are spread too thin already," says one of the councilors. We would have to withdraw troops from our off-world garrisons to get enough people for the invasion. What we need to do is to continue our projects into bypassing the slidecage that blocks our return to our world."
Another councilor is recognized. "This world in question possesses quantum probability translocation technology. We have all read copies of our spies' reports. A world of humans possessing such technology must be razed! And do not forget that we tracked a companion of the son of Mallory to that world. We believe that the son of Mallory will make it there, and we intend to capture him."
The matter is put to the vote.
"Very well," says the chairman of the council. "The votes are tallied." Symbols appear on a holographic screen. "We invade."
A kromagg general approaches the chairman and his aides. "It will take two days to make preparations for the initial assault," he says.