SLIDERS: THE WAY IT WAS AND THE WAY IT SHOULD BE
part three--SEPARATION ANXIETY
"It happened just the way we told you, Wade," Quinn said, "And we should try to get Maggie and the others either here or we go there. We have to tell them whether or not the virus works. AND that we not only found the exact spot of Rembrandt but...but the added bonus of Wade being alive and well!"
"We thought you were dead Wade." Remmie told her.
"I know. I don't want to hear the details again, it's too horrible." Wade shivered, "Some other me is dead. And...just like you, Professor.. I believe them, Rembrandt"
Rembrandt nodded, "I guess I do too, Wade but I just don't get it, you mean that Professor that was traveling with us from all that time long ago, wasn't...wasn't our Professor, Professor?"
"That's right, my boy," Arturo said.
"But he was so...so...honorable. I mean he saved Quinn and he...well, for all intents and purposes he was you."
"Find it hard to believe?" Arturo said, "That he did such bad things before sliding with you three?"
"Well, yeah," Rem said, "Frankly yes!"
"I guess he had a change of heart along the way. I mean I did travel with you a long time before having that fight with him. You slid. He slid with you after nearly beating me to a damned...oh sorry, darned pulp. It's not really that he was coward. He just wanted things his way. As for why he didn't originally slide I don't know...but I wouldn't call it cowardice. I...HE...didn't slide. Turns out he was right. It was a dangerous thing. And sliding just out of curiosity is just...well, it's damned near irresponsible, that's what it is!"
Quinn looked downcast. Wade and Rem looked at Arturo, who turned, "Oh dear God, I didn't mean that for you, Mister Mallory...not at all," He patted Quinn on the back.
"That's alright, Professor," Quinn said, "Thing is, in the end, he saved my life from that bastard Rickman. As for why he never told us.....well, he was dying anyway."
"Yes, so he was, you told me," Arturo said, "I guess he realized what kind of people he was traveling with and he knew he couldn't do you people the harm he might have otherwise done. I imagine he even began to like you all, quite a lot." He put his hands on the lapels of his jacket.
"Yes, and we him," Wade smiled and winced.
"And this ...." Arturo looked at the baby and made faces at it.
"It doesn't bother you that he's part Kromagg?"
"My dear, no, not really. I'm too old for prejudice and I've seen too much on my travels sliding and otherwise to hold prejudice any place in my heart..."
"Good, cause he's mine," Wade announced.
"Long story. The short of it is..." Rem said, "Wade was given artificial insemination and in an experiment was the first to have a baby Kromagg that was half human and half Kro."
Wade continued as Quinn started to say something. "...the father was...well, after he saw the baby, the father was kind. He stopped the other Kromaggs from ....from using me and he helped me and the baby escape."
"Name?" Quinn said, stunned. He managed to squeak out, "Of baby?"
"Art."
"After me?" The Professor kissed both baby and Wade. The baby giggled.
"Yes, who else?" Wade said, "I wasn't going to name him the Professor."
"What's the...I mean what's the situation here now?" Quinn looked around, "There doesn't seem to be anyone about?"
Conrad spoke up, "The Kromaggs are either gone or fleeing for the lives."
"So it does work?" Quinn made a fist, "When I saw the baby...."
"Alive?" Wade said, "It's allright, you can say it, Quinn. He's immune."
Quinn hugged her, "That's marvelous! And...and! We can free other Earths too."
"We'd better get back. Mallory, Diana, and especially Maggie are ver worried about you, Mr. Brown," Arturo said.
Rem stopped them from using their timer, "Hold on, hold on, a sec, how'd they get you apart?"
"Dr. Geiger." Quinn smiled.
"WHAT?" Rem yelled. "WHAT?"
"A different Geiger from a different Earth. A good Geiger." Quinn said. He smiled.
"I guess I never will get used to that here could be different personalities in the same...hey, let's go, okay?" Rem said. "I want to let the others know we are okay."
"Okay," Quinn said, "I've realigned this."
"Quinn, this is Earth. Our Earth. Your Earth."
"I know," Quinn said, "Colin is not my brother. He's some other Quinn's brother. The Mom that told me that he was my brother and that I was adopted was...wrong. She was from a very close alternate Earth. She didn't know she was not telling us the right information."
"You and Col, not..." Rem said, "This just gets stranger and stranger..."
"Right now, though, Geiger and the Seer are working with Diana and the Professor's design to try to get Colin unstuck."
"Is that even possible?" Rem said.
"Where I'm involved anything is possible, Mr. Brown," Arturo laughed, "We should go though, before they go and get everything wrong without my help. Although I have to admit that Dr Geiger and the Seer were able to locate the real me, know it was not the real Arturo that died on Maggie's home world...."
"Oh you're calling her Maggie now, are you?" Quinn smiled and winked at Wade and Rembrandt.
"I'll wait here," Wade said, "I'll meet you back in town?"
"Yes," Quinn said and kissed her, "Wade, it...it's good to see you. I'm so glad you are alright." He hugged her.
"Not too tight," Wade said, worried the baby was between them. They laughed and parted.
"We'll give you a lift," Pavel said, "I have my taxi."
Wade giggled, "Just like old times."
"Not exactly," Pavel said, "This time I won't charge you."
"Wade," Quinn took her aside, "Wade. Just know that I..."
"I know."
"I have to tell you that I'm committed to stopping the Kromaggs wherever they are."
"And I'm with you. But this baby has to be raised."
"By the way, no one must know he is immune," Conrad said, "It will just give the Kromaggs more ideas."
"I think when he's old enough, we can get him some kind of surgery to make him look more...human," Diggs said.
"We?" Wade looked at him.
"Time to go!" Quinn shot the timer and a vortex opened up, "Well la! With all these minds working on the timers now, they work so much better! See you soon!" The vortex was noisier than usual and the wind it created was worse than any Wade had ever seen.
"I'll be back," Remmie said and turned, "I always wanted to say that." He jumped in.
Quinn motioned for Arturo and the chubby man jumped up and the swirl caught him in it. Quinn winked, turned, and followed him into the vortex. The vortex closed and the quiet of the empty farmland took over.
"Next stop, San Francisco," Pavel took Wade's hand and with his other motioned past some old wilted looking haystacks, "Cab is this way."
The other end of the vortex opened up. Remmie came out first, then Arturo. They landed gently this time, on their feet. But in the room, someone was screaming. Someone who existed in many different places at once. It was driving him mad, sensing all the existences at the same time but in different places. Colin saw a Colin in the Egyptian Earth in the clothes of a slave, in a gambling town, in a western world, in a Mediaeval Earth, a giant planet where he became the plaything of a giant woman who thought of him as a damaged toy. Make no mistake: he was damaged. Living out the sights and sounds and sensory input of all these lives at one time. He could barely think straight. Colin trained himself to put these thoughts into small chambers of his mind to try to keep sane. Borderline sane. He screamed. The machine Geiger was at with the Seer and Diana was humming loudly and opening up hundreds of vortexes. The Colins in the vortexes were coming apart. Colin held his head. Colins held their heads. Maggie was watching from the door. Quinn came through the vortex that Remmie and Arturo just came out of. But as the other vortexes picked up power, Quinn came out much faster. "QUINNNNN!"
Quinn tumbled out and the vortexes in front of him seemed to converge into one giant hole. Quinn headed straight for it, unable to stop his velocity. He kept moving across the room, feet off the floor, sliding. "Sliding!"
"No shit!" Mallory snapped as he moved from the far end of the room, around the vortexes and to the door with Maggie. "What can we do?"
"We can't make a move or it will..."
Quinn headed for the one hole now and something came out. A shadow. A blue shadow. It turned into Colin and the hole closed up and Colin was thrust into Quinn and they both collided with each other but still stood up. The vortexes were all gone now. Colin was in Quinn's arms, "Quinn. It's me. It's you. You. You you. You are my brother. Bro, I'm back..."
"Uh, Col, I have something to tell you."
To be continued...
"It happened just the way we told you, Wade," Quinn said, "And we should try to get Maggie and the others either here or we go there. We have to tell them whether or not the virus works. AND that we not only found the exact spot of Rembrandt but...but the added bonus of Wade being alive and well!"
"We thought you were dead Wade." Remmie told her.
"I know. I don't want to hear the details again, it's too horrible." Wade shivered, "Some other me is dead. And...just like you, Professor.. I believe them, Rembrandt"
Rembrandt nodded, "I guess I do too, Wade but I just don't get it, you mean that Professor that was traveling with us from all that time long ago, wasn't...wasn't our Professor, Professor?"
"That's right, my boy," Arturo said.
"But he was so...so...honorable. I mean he saved Quinn and he...well, for all intents and purposes he was you."
"Find it hard to believe?" Arturo said, "That he did such bad things before sliding with you three?"
"Well, yeah," Rem said, "Frankly yes!"
"I guess he had a change of heart along the way. I mean I did travel with you a long time before having that fight with him. You slid. He slid with you after nearly beating me to a damned...oh sorry, darned pulp. It's not really that he was coward. He just wanted things his way. As for why he didn't originally slide I don't know...but I wouldn't call it cowardice. I...HE...didn't slide. Turns out he was right. It was a dangerous thing. And sliding just out of curiosity is just...well, it's damned near irresponsible, that's what it is!"
Quinn looked downcast. Wade and Rem looked at Arturo, who turned, "Oh dear God, I didn't mean that for you, Mister Mallory...not at all," He patted Quinn on the back.
"That's alright, Professor," Quinn said, "Thing is, in the end, he saved my life from that bastard Rickman. As for why he never told us.....well, he was dying anyway."
"Yes, so he was, you told me," Arturo said, "I guess he realized what kind of people he was traveling with and he knew he couldn't do you people the harm he might have otherwise done. I imagine he even began to like you all, quite a lot." He put his hands on the lapels of his jacket.
"Yes, and we him," Wade smiled and winced.
"And this ...." Arturo looked at the baby and made faces at it.
"It doesn't bother you that he's part Kromagg?"
"My dear, no, not really. I'm too old for prejudice and I've seen too much on my travels sliding and otherwise to hold prejudice any place in my heart..."
"Good, cause he's mine," Wade announced.
"Long story. The short of it is..." Rem said, "Wade was given artificial insemination and in an experiment was the first to have a baby Kromagg that was half human and half Kro."
Wade continued as Quinn started to say something. "...the father was...well, after he saw the baby, the father was kind. He stopped the other Kromaggs from ....from using me and he helped me and the baby escape."
"Name?" Quinn said, stunned. He managed to squeak out, "Of baby?"
"Art."
"After me?" The Professor kissed both baby and Wade. The baby giggled.
"Yes, who else?" Wade said, "I wasn't going to name him the Professor."
"What's the...I mean what's the situation here now?" Quinn looked around, "There doesn't seem to be anyone about?"
Conrad spoke up, "The Kromaggs are either gone or fleeing for the lives."
"So it does work?" Quinn made a fist, "When I saw the baby...."
"Alive?" Wade said, "It's allright, you can say it, Quinn. He's immune."
Quinn hugged her, "That's marvelous! And...and! We can free other Earths too."
"We'd better get back. Mallory, Diana, and especially Maggie are ver worried about you, Mr. Brown," Arturo said.
Rem stopped them from using their timer, "Hold on, hold on, a sec, how'd they get you apart?"
"Dr. Geiger." Quinn smiled.
"WHAT?" Rem yelled. "WHAT?"
"A different Geiger from a different Earth. A good Geiger." Quinn said. He smiled.
"I guess I never will get used to that here could be different personalities in the same...hey, let's go, okay?" Rem said. "I want to let the others know we are okay."
"Okay," Quinn said, "I've realigned this."
"Quinn, this is Earth. Our Earth. Your Earth."
"I know," Quinn said, "Colin is not my brother. He's some other Quinn's brother. The Mom that told me that he was my brother and that I was adopted was...wrong. She was from a very close alternate Earth. She didn't know she was not telling us the right information."
"You and Col, not..." Rem said, "This just gets stranger and stranger..."
"Right now, though, Geiger and the Seer are working with Diana and the Professor's design to try to get Colin unstuck."
"Is that even possible?" Rem said.
"Where I'm involved anything is possible, Mr. Brown," Arturo laughed, "We should go though, before they go and get everything wrong without my help. Although I have to admit that Dr Geiger and the Seer were able to locate the real me, know it was not the real Arturo that died on Maggie's home world...."
"Oh you're calling her Maggie now, are you?" Quinn smiled and winked at Wade and Rembrandt.
"I'll wait here," Wade said, "I'll meet you back in town?"
"Yes," Quinn said and kissed her, "Wade, it...it's good to see you. I'm so glad you are alright." He hugged her.
"Not too tight," Wade said, worried the baby was between them. They laughed and parted.
"We'll give you a lift," Pavel said, "I have my taxi."
Wade giggled, "Just like old times."
"Not exactly," Pavel said, "This time I won't charge you."
"Wade," Quinn took her aside, "Wade. Just know that I..."
"I know."
"I have to tell you that I'm committed to stopping the Kromaggs wherever they are."
"And I'm with you. But this baby has to be raised."
"By the way, no one must know he is immune," Conrad said, "It will just give the Kromaggs more ideas."
"I think when he's old enough, we can get him some kind of surgery to make him look more...human," Diggs said.
"We?" Wade looked at him.
"Time to go!" Quinn shot the timer and a vortex opened up, "Well la! With all these minds working on the timers now, they work so much better! See you soon!" The vortex was noisier than usual and the wind it created was worse than any Wade had ever seen.
"I'll be back," Remmie said and turned, "I always wanted to say that." He jumped in.
Quinn motioned for Arturo and the chubby man jumped up and the swirl caught him in it. Quinn winked, turned, and followed him into the vortex. The vortex closed and the quiet of the empty farmland took over.
"Next stop, San Francisco," Pavel took Wade's hand and with his other motioned past some old wilted looking haystacks, "Cab is this way."
The other end of the vortex opened up. Remmie came out first, then Arturo. They landed gently this time, on their feet. But in the room, someone was screaming. Someone who existed in many different places at once. It was driving him mad, sensing all the existences at the same time but in different places. Colin saw a Colin in the Egyptian Earth in the clothes of a slave, in a gambling town, in a western world, in a Mediaeval Earth, a giant planet where he became the plaything of a giant woman who thought of him as a damaged toy. Make no mistake: he was damaged. Living out the sights and sounds and sensory input of all these lives at one time. He could barely think straight. Colin trained himself to put these thoughts into small chambers of his mind to try to keep sane. Borderline sane. He screamed. The machine Geiger was at with the Seer and Diana was humming loudly and opening up hundreds of vortexes. The Colins in the vortexes were coming apart. Colin held his head. Colins held their heads. Maggie was watching from the door. Quinn came through the vortex that Remmie and Arturo just came out of. But as the other vortexes picked up power, Quinn came out much faster. "QUINNNNN!"
Quinn tumbled out and the vortexes in front of him seemed to converge into one giant hole. Quinn headed straight for it, unable to stop his velocity. He kept moving across the room, feet off the floor, sliding. "Sliding!"
"No shit!" Mallory snapped as he moved from the far end of the room, around the vortexes and to the door with Maggie. "What can we do?"
"We can't make a move or it will..."
Quinn headed for the one hole now and something came out. A shadow. A blue shadow. It turned into Colin and the hole closed up and Colin was thrust into Quinn and they both collided with each other but still stood up. The vortexes were all gone now. Colin was in Quinn's arms, "Quinn. It's me. It's you. You. You you. You are my brother. Bro, I'm back..."
"Uh, Col, I have something to tell you."
To be continued...