17. Information, Please

8:15 AM, Wednesday
William brushed a speck of lint from the pants of his suit, then looked up the track again. He was sure he'd heard the whistle of an approaching train several times - even smelled the coal from its engine - yet still hadn't seen a train.

The wind picked up just a bit as it blew across the platform. He adjusted his grip on the handle of his valise, and lifted one side of his jacket, looking over the paperwork in his inside breast pocket - ticket and passport. He heard the whistle again, faint but there. William looked up the track again. Nothing - not a light, not even a trail of smoke from a locomotive. William pondered whether to get a drink before the train arrived, or if it was better to wait until he'd boarded.

A silver silken handkerchief floated to the ground by his feet. He heard a woman doing a less-than-convincing imitation of a Southern drawl from behind him. "Oh, mah...Ah dew be-leeve Ah've dropped mah han-ky. Be a deah and pick it up fo' me?"

He knew who it was without even turning around. He bent to retrieve the cloth and stood up, twirling it around his fingers. "Hi, Angelica."

"Hiya William!" she said, grabbing the handkerchief and giving him a hug. She was dressed as a true belle from the late-1800s, decked in all the frill and lace - every bit of it silver. "Still a gentleman, I see. How are ya?"

"Waiting for a train I'm beginning to think isn't coming," he replied rather wistfully, looking up the track again. "I think I might check back at the ticket booth, to see if they have a schedule."

Angelica chuckled. "There's no schedule, silly! Ya make yer own!"

William closed his eyes for a moment. He once again heard a whistle. He opened his eyes and looked - no train.

Angelica slapped him on the arm. "No no no. Ya gotta wait for the right time!"

"But you just said--"

"Don't do all I say," replied Angelica. "Don't do what ya think - Do what ya feel! Remember the two-way street? This ain't a brain thing - it's a heart thing!"

She then went into that low clear tone again, which William had learned by now meant that real advice was coming. "William," she started, "I know I joke with you a lot...but I can tell you honestly that things could not be going better than they are right now - even better than I could have seen. Things will change after you board that train. You've already seen to that, without knowing it. Please don't change anything you're doing - and please don't forget what you've told yourself...and what you're about to be told. It will become invaluable very soon."

She suddenly patted William on the shoulder and looked at her watch, her voice changing back into her street vernacular. "Hey! I gotta go. I can never stick around as long as I wanna - but at least I get to say everything I hafta. Hang in there William - you'll get there - either way it comes." She pointed to his other shoulder. "Someone wants to talk to ya. I'm outta here!"

William looked to his left, then snapped back to her. "Angelica, there's a--"

poof.

He sighed. "--dove on my shoulder."

He looked back to the dove. It looked at him, and inched up his shoulder closer to his face. It then opened its beak - "William--" it spoke.

William studied the bird closer. It spoke again. "Willllliammm...," in a soft inviting voice, extending a wing to his face, its feathers gliding over his skin, brushing his hair back from his forehead.

William had never imagined that the touch of a feather could feel so warm.

The dove spoke once more, nearly singing his name. "Willliamm...wake up, Punny Boy..."

William opened his eyes to find Kim's face in a warm smile, within inches of his. His face was accentuated by a whisper of her hair hanging down. She was softly drifting her fingers along his hairline, from his forehead to his temple, his hair following her touch. Her warmth greeted him like the morning sun on the first day of summer. He drank in her eyes, now so close.

William wanted to go back to sleep, so he could wake up like that all over again. It was now his turn to purr, low and soft. "Mmmm...what a lovely alarm to wake up to. I think I'll throw my other one away."

She uttered a single giggle - "Hmmm" - and blushed a bit. "Your breakfast will be ready in a short while," she said. "I'm making us omelettes."

"Let me borrow your line," he replied, smiling. "Mmmmmm...there are some green onions you could dice in."

Kim giggled softly. "Too late - I'm one ahead of you." She then pointed in the direction of the kitchen. "I have to go check the skillet."

"How long have you been up?"

"About an hour. I let you sleep in...Still So Not Backgammon Boy," she snickered, getting up to head back to the kitchen.

She then pointed to some papers on the bed. "Wade must have replied late last night. I printed out what he sent. Read, and I'll be back." She then continued down the hallway.

William's gaze followed Kim down the hall, her long hair swaying in a visual symphony with the rest of her form. He looked over to the papers, then noticed the backgammon set was now on the desk. He moved his arm to get the papers, and saw that he was covered with the afghan from the couch. He wondered if Kim had slept on the couch last night, and came in and covered him when she awoke.

Kim lifted the edge of the first omelette to check its progress. She still mulled over telling him that in the middle of the night, she took the backgammon set from the bed, retrieved the afghan from the couch, and slid back into bed, throwing the afghan over them both and cuddling next to him for warmth. She slept remarkably sound as the wind howled outside.

He started to read and was immediately pulled into the technical-sounding report before him.

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The Cross
The Cross, as it has come to be known by, was originally introduced to the Cellers in early March of 1986, by three individuals who were rather secretive about the sources of their knowledge. It is now generally accepted that they must be scientists who have experimented with, and are well-versed in travel of an interdimensional nature. They have come to be known by the term "Cross Agents." The three original individuals, referred to as "senior Agents," are:
Angelica Guardia
Misty Visione'
Kathy Symbiona
It is believed there are now literally thousands of subordinate Agents, whose primary function is researching potential candidates (Fleshers) for a Cross. They operate in a vast underground network, gaining information through television and buying habits, among other methods.

History
CROSS is an acronym for Cross-phasic Replication Over Sympathic Systems, "Sympathic" meaning a reciprocal influence, in this case between the Celler and Flesher environments.

The Cross was met with much skepticim throughout the Celler community at first, until a few were performed. Even to this day, there remain problems with some aspects of initial acceptance upon the arrival of a Celler into the Flesher environment, and with other logistics such as emotional events or other trama (a Celler "out of character").

The first Cross was successfully performed on August 4th, 1986, when "Scooby-Doo" crossed to 13-year old Katie Friedrich, of Fon Du Loc, Wisconsin. Katie faithfully watched the shows, and often imagined romping with the dog in the field behind her house, or riding him. The Cross lasted for three days, ending when Katie's mother had found the vial while cleaning, and replaced the cap on it.

Crosses increased in number shortly after this event, when it was shown that it produced no adverse effects.

Mechanics
The Resonance Conduit
The Resonance Conduit is the path, or "doorway" through which the Cross is performed. It could best be thought of as a sort of "wormhole" linking the Celler and Flesher environments. This is accomplished through and powered by energies from solar winds, and by the Van Allen Belt, which surrounds the Earth.

Solar winds, thought William. He now understood the searing light and gale-force winds that erupted from his mirror that night.

The Conduit, in its dormant form, is "open-ended" - that is, the Conduit is only connected to the Celler environment, the other end extending into space, drawn by the magnetic pull of the Moon. In its active form it is "pulled" to the Earth, nearly doubling onto itself, and joined with the Flesher environment once each lunar cycle, when the magnetic draw is weakest. The Flesher end of the Conduit is geodynamic, extending from pole to pole, and moving through each time zone at 12:00 AM local time. Cellers cannot enter the Conduit during its dormant stage, as all conditions for the Cross have not been met.

Midnight on the first night of the new moon. William read on intently.

While in the Resonance Conduit, the Celler is bombarded with several different types of radiation which give them third-dimension and other properties of the Flesher environment (i.e., light and shadow, physical density).

Third-dimension properties cannot be removed from Fleshers to allow them passage through the Resonance Conduit. As such, there is no possible travel from Flesher to Celler environments. There is no viable translation from third- to second-dimension through the Resonance Conduit. Were a Flesher to enter the Conduit as it opens, it would prove fatal.

Frequency
Each Celler is assigned a frequency of resonance, which allows the Cross to take place at the specified time, once all condtions have been met. This specific frequency ensures that the proper Celler is Crossed to the target specified by the Cross Agents, who keep an extensive and comprehensive schedule of which Celler is to Cross, and to where.

Just before their Cross, the specified Celler is sprayed with a chemical formula which is tuned and electrostatically charged with their assigned frequency of resonance, which allows them to be receptive to changes (addition of third-dimension properties) as they travel through the Resonance Conduit. The formula also includes a fragrance, chosen at the discretion of the Celler, and is absorbed into their pores for the duration of the Cross.

"Heh," chuckled William. "I guess that answers the question about vanilla perspiration." He continued reading.

The Incantation
The words that are read at the time of the Cross, sounding like some mystical "incantation," are actually analyzed and compiled by computer, and formulated into a sequence which, when read aloud with all other conditions met, produce a frequency sequence that activates the vial to open the "resonance pathway" between Celler and Flesher environments. Any modification whatsoever to the Incantation including omission or addition of words or spoken sounds will disrupt the frequency sequence, and the vial will not be actvated.

Excerpts of The Rules flashed back to William's mind--
"Read EXACTLY what is on the scroll, from beginning to end - don't leave out anything."
"Speak NOTHING ELSE aloud but what is on the scroll."

The Mirror
The mirror, when activated by the vial, acts as the final "doorway" into the Flesher environment. The silver contained in the mirror completes the transformation to the Flesher environment, through a chemical reaction. The residual radiation from the Resonance Conduit has been known to make the edges of the mirror appear to "melt" as the Celler emerges through it. This residual radiation dissipates quickly after completion of the Cross, and is not known to cause adverse effects in Fleshers.

The Candle
The candle serves no real purpose in relation to the Cross, but is used in helping to present the "mysterious" atmosphere of the Cross, and, being coated with the specific Celler's chosen fragrance, has been reported to assist with initial acceptance immediately after the Cross, by aquainting the Flesher with the presence of the fragrance.

The Vial
The Vial is one of the crucial components to complete the Cross. It is shaped like a small vial, but is actually a crystal, tuned to the resonance frequency assigned to a specific Celler. Once activated by the words of the Incantation, the crystal is activated, vibrating at the specified frequency of resonance, acting as a catalyst to complete the resonance pathway for the Celler to complete the Cross. The frequency also causes the crystal to become very bright.

There's what made the vial light up, thought William.

When activated, the crystal is designed to split, opening the specific Resonance Conduit Pathway, through which the Celler Crosses. This pathway remains open for the duration of the Cross, until the crystal is once again joined, closing the pathway.

The cap on the vial, he thought. William read a bit more - then stopped, his eyes burning into the last paragraph of the report, reading it over and over;

In the event that either half of the split crystal should become damaged or destroyed, the crystal will become inert; the Conduit pathway will not close, as would be thought, but will then become what is termed a "Self-Sustaining Termination"; that particular Cross will become permanent and irrevocable; the Celler would remain in the Flesher environment, permanently retaining their third-dimension properties. The SST was explained by the Cross Agents in their initial presentation; but as of this writing, this event is not known to have ever occured, as information on how to bring about an SST is not freely offered to a Flesher, for obvious reasons.

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William wondered if this paragraph was included by mistake - or willingly offered to him.

He was still reading when Kim entered the room with two large plates. Each held a delectable golden omelette, folded over a filling of cheese, diced ham and green onions. The eggs were flanked with two slices of toast, which were buttered and sprinkled with a mix of sugar and cinnamon. "Breakfast in bed," she smiled, sliding his plate in front of him and setting her own down. She turned for the kitchen again, stopping in the doorway. "Do you take anything in your tea?" she asked.

"One spoonful of sugar," he replied. Kim rushed back to the kitchen and returned with two large mugs, handing one to William and setting the other on the headboard. She took up her plate and sat on the bed, waiting for his critique.

William cut into the fluffy offering, and took a bite. The eggs were nearly as wispy as air, allowing the other tastes to frolic in his mouth. "Mmm mmm mmm," he remarked. "I think along with throwing out my other alarm, I'll fire my other cook. This is just heavenly, Kim. My compliments to the Master Breakfast Chef."

Kim perked with a wide smile. Upon hearing his approval, she eagerly dug into her omelette, her own accolade of appreciative moans providing the room with a light and, for William, welcome breakfast music.

"I used a little secret in the eggs," said Kim.

"Oh?"

"I was looking through the fridge for ideas, and found some ice cream in the freezer. I used that instead of milk. You like?"

Of course. Vanilla ice cream. French vanilla at that.

"It made the eggs very light," he said. "The cream just makes them melt in my mouth. Kim, I love--"

A small bit of food caught in his throat, causing him to cough suddenly.

Kim stopped, dropping her fork and looking at him, mostly out of concern, partly from her attention being frozen by his last words. "Are you okay?" she asked.

William cleared his throat. "Yeah," he said hoarsely, reaching for his tea. "Something must have gone down the wrong way," he said, sipping. "I love this. You have such a way with eggs."

"Try the toast," asked Kim, perking immediately back into a smile.

He obliged. "Cinnamon sugar toast. My mom used to make this for me when I was a kid," he said, taking another bite.

"It's my favorite toast."

William then noticed that Kim had yet to touch her toast, and was barely one-quarter of the way through her omelette. "This is great," he asked. "You're not eating?"

Kim looked down at her plate. "Oh," she replied with a sheepish grin. "Hehe, I'm sorry. I guess I was busy watching you enjoy yours. I'm glad you like my cooking...and thank you for letting me cook for you."

"Kim," started William, cutting another bite from his omelette, "I'm sorry. I should have told you by now that you're welcome to do anything you wish here." He brought the fork to his mouth. "Mi casa es su casa," he said, and took his bite.

"What?" she asked, puzzled. "I...don't know much Spanish."

William swallowed the last of his omelette and smiled. "Oh. I said 'My house is your house'." He held his gaze a few seconds before picking up his toast.

Just too way cool, Kim thought. She was smiling nearly too much to eat as she dug into the rest of her meal. Her mind was filling with the events of the past couple of days - and how anything good that has happened has nearly always had William connected with it in some way--

--she heard a loud crack echo from the back of her mind.

:::inside fast ball. Guardia swings and crushes this one into deep left center! The outfielder is chasing it back to the fence--:::

Even though William had a substantial head start, they finished their breakfast at nearly the same time. William set down his plate and picked up his tea, patting his stomach lightly. "I think I'll eat here again," he said. "The food is excellent--" Kim picked up both plates. "--and the service is first-rate."

Kim smiled even wider, stacking one plate onto the other. "I'm glad you liked it," she said, starting for the kitchen.

"I can help with the dishes--" said William, starting to rise from the bed.

"Nonononono," Kim interrupted. "I'm just going to put these in the sink for now. You stay right there." She returned quickly. "You have a bit of time before your reports start coming in," she said, taking the backgammon set from the desk and setting it on the bed, "and that means I have a bit of time to trash you some more - Ever So Not Backgammon Boy," the last breaking up into a giggle.

William laughed too - then paraphrased a line that was originally said by Bonnie in one of the episodes, his voice teasing in a feminine pitch. "Go ahead - be little Miss Smug Mug...but I will be backgammon captain."

Kim laughed out loud at this, and reached over, mussing his hair. "C'mon...lose - I mean play," she said through her laughter.

The games went about as she predicted, with her emerging victorious again. Around noon, Kim fixed them both a delicious salad, with a host of vegetables and Caesar dressing. When William telnetted into work to begin the reports, Kim washed and dried the dishes, and started on laundry, finding the compact washer-dryer combo in a small space across from the hall closet...even hanging up his clothes as they finished. When he sent off the reports, William accepted David's offer in his email. He then stood and looked out the window. The snow had accumulated to over half a foot and was continuing to fall. He took comfort in the fact that he wouldn't have to trudge through that in the morning.

William walked into the living room, where Kim was polishing the glass top of the coffee table with a dampened cloth. She then sat on the couch, slowly wiping the small Bound Dreams mirror.

"Have you looked outside?" he asked. "It's snowing like crazy."

"Yeah," she said. "I've looked out once or twice...but mostly I've been a little busy."

"You've been awfully busy today," he remarked, then joked, "If it were anyone else, I'd think you were doing all this to butter me up, trying to apologize or ask for something."

Kim looked up at him. "I hope I haven't done anything that I have to apologize for," she said. "And I couldn't ask for anything more. You've done way more than I ever thought or expected you would do. I'm just doing what I can to thank you for everything you have done." She then rose and hugged him. "I feel more welcome here than I ever could have imagined. Thank you again, William. Like I said before...you rock."

William returned her embrace. "Thank you, Kim," he replied. "And you rock, too."

William also thanked Angelica. Whether cross agent...or scientist...or whatever she was - At that moment, it didn't matter. What mattered was not what Angelica was - but what she did. What mattered at that moment was the gift Angelica had presented him with - the gift that now had her arms around him, enclosing him in her warmth.

4:45 PM.
to be continued....