Chapter Five

No one was quite sure what to think or say on the ride to the portal. It wouldn't be their first time encountering such a phenomenon, but it was more distressing this time than any of the past times it had happened. And it didn't take long for Téa to make a determined announcement.

"I'm going too!" she declared, to no one's real surprise. "We might end up talking to the Kaiba in that world, and I want to try to help him!"

"I don't think anything will help him except getting Mokuba back," Joey frowned. He was leaning forward, his arms crossed on the top of the seat in front of him. Despite his understandable anxiety at the thought of the lost souls, right now he was grim and serious.

Duke nodded. "And we don't know yet if we're going to be able to do that."

"I'm still going," Téa insisted.

"We should probably really know more about this world before any of us end up there," Duke said. "We have no idea what we're going to walk into."

Kalin gave a heavy sigh. "The explosion split Domino City into two pieces," he said, to further gasps and cries. "The portal will come out in the ruined area, which is called Satellite. Until just recently, there was discrimination against anyone who was from Satellite. They weren't allowed to come to New Domino City or to own Duel Monsters cards." A fist was starting to unconsciously clench at his side. "They were even branded and tracked."

Mokuba gasped in horror. "That's what the mark is on your face?! I thought it was a tattoo!"

Kalin shook his head. "I got this when I was sent to The Facility, their totalitarian prison."

Marik's eyes narrowed. This was something he could understand all too sadly well, given the Ishtar family's abominable ritual through the ages. He could still feel the hot knife cutting into his back, carving each hieroglyph and pictograph.

"That is abominable," Lector proclaimed. Anger was rising in his voice. He never took kindly to injustice.

Seto snarled. "And I just sat back and let all of this happen?!"

"Maybe if you had still cared about Domino City, you could have done something about it," Kalin said. A tinge of bitterness had slipped into his voice. "You never come out anymore."

"But it's because he lost me," Mokuba said softly. "I'd feel the same if I lost Seto."

"Why were those people banned from owning cards?!" Seto demanded. "There's no point to that! It's outrageous!"

"I've never known why," Kalin admitted. "I only know that Satellites have never been treated fairly. They're finally trying to connect the two parts of the city, so maybe hopefully that cruelty is ending now. But individual people's prejudices won't fade so easily. It could be decades before there isn't a lingering stigma about the Satellite." He leaned forward. "Stop here."

The chauffeur of Lector's limousine stopped in some surprise near the grounds of the KaibaCorp building. "Here?"

Kalin opened the door and got out. "The portal is hidden in the bushes."

Everyone followed.

"But you said the portal comes out in the ruined area," Téa said. "Does that mean . . . ?!"

"All of this is gone in my world," Kalin said brusquely. "The reactor was right near here." He looked back over his shoulder. "You're all going to see a lot of strange and upsetting things, especially when this is the Domino City you know. Are you sure you still want to come with me?"

"I'm coming," Seto insisted.

"So am I," Mokuba declared.

"Ordinarily you wouldn't want Mokuba to come along on something like this, Kaiba," Joey remarked.

Seto grunted. "We've never had 'something like this' before, Wheeler. And you can bet I don't want him to get too close to that gateway to the Underworld or whatever."

Kalin led the way to the bushes in question near the edge of the grounds. "It's over here," he announced. "I'll go through first and make sure it's safe. There's still a lot of riffraff that hangs out there." He climbed through a ripple in space before anyone could protest.

"Hey, wait!" Nesbitt was quickly over to the spot and peering through the opening. He went stiff.

"That bad, huh?" Crump frowned.

Nesbitt shook his head and backed up. "I . . . don't recognize it at all," he rasped. "It's horrible. . . ."

Lector was chilled. Nesbitt's usual reaction when upset was to blow up. Becoming utterly shaken like this was not something Lector expected to see from him. He gripped Nesbitt's shoulder.

Joey ran over to look through next. But just as he started to lean through, Kalin came back and they nearly clanked heads. Joey yelped, falling backwards to the ground.

Kalin just gave him a deadpan look. "It's safe," he announced. "Come on, whoever's going to go."

Yugi took a deep breath. "Well, this is it. . . ." He looked up at his friends. "We have to be strong and do this, guys. . . ."

Atem gave an encouraging nod. "Let's go."

"And hey, be careful and don't be gone too long," Crump worried. From his expression, he was considering going over too, even though the group was already getting too big.

"We'll keep in touch if we can," Nesbitt gruffly said, holding up his phone. In the past, they had been able to call across dimensions, but only if those they were calling were still in the correct dimension.

"We might only be gone a few minutes, if all we do is talk to Dr. Fudo," Lector said.

"And that's if you can get him to come out," Tristan said.

"We'll be waiting here," Gansley said.

Finally Yugi took the plunge and went through the portal with Kalin, his eyes tightly squeezed shut. When he dared to open them again, he wished he hadn't. "No!" he cried in horror.

The devastation stretched as far as he could see. There were no buildings, only piles of rubble and refuse almost as tall. Up ahead was a huge pit in the ground. Everything was covered in snow, but even the pure whiteness couldn't disguise or soften the blow of what they saw.

"What the heck?!" Joey screamed as he came through next. "This can't be Domino City! It looks like a warzone over here!"

"I told you it wasn't a pretty sight," Kalin said.

The others swiftly climbed through as well. Atem froze in horror. "I thought it was bad enough to see Egypt in ruins," he said. "But to see this is just as bad, if not worse. And to know Yugi was lost here . . . !"

Yugi went over to him. "I'm not lost now," he said firmly. "And we won't let this happen in our world."

Seto was having a similar reaction. He could only stare at the nothingness in mounting anguish. Mokuba had been lost here, and it was his, Seto's fault. . . . Even if it really wasn't, he would never not be able to feel that it was. "Mokuba," he rasped.

Mokuba came up next to him, his eyes filled with horror and heartbreak. "Seto . . ." He threw his arms around Seto's waist and Seto clutched him.

The portal rippled one more time and Marik grimly stepped through. "I know I probably shouldn't be here, but I wanted to come for Mokuba," he said quietly. He gazed at the destruction, his stomach twisting. "It looks like I need to be."

"Oh Marik . . ." Mokuba went over to his friend. "I don't even know what to say. . . ."

Marik drew him close. "What can be said? There are no words."

Mokuba sobbed.

Téa and Lector were also stricken. "We have to stop this from happening," Téa exclaimed. "Even if our dimensions are the same, how could it be right to just let something like this happen if we have a chance to stop it?!" She clenched a fist. "I think Ishizu's right. Kalin wouldn't have ended up back with us if this wasn't supposed to be stopped!"

"And then if our dimensions are indeed different, it will still happen in Kalin's world," Lector said with a heavy heart. "I can't stand to think of any versions of us going through this. And for any Mokuba to be lost. . . ."

Kalin was looking towards the pit. "Maybe you should go over there without me," he said. "After what I did to Yusei, Dr. Fudo won't want anything to do with me. He might not talk to you if I'm there."

"If he's been hangin' out here, would he even know?" Joey frowned.

"This was where those using the dark force of the Dark Signers gathered," Kalin said. "He would have heard everything in our meetings."

Joey cringed. "Oh boy."

Seto was already marching towards the pit. "Hello? Is anyone here?" Ordinarily he would feel ridiculous, to say the least. But not now, after everything they had experienced. And this was for Mokuba. Anything done for Mokuba would never make him feel ridiculous.

It was a surprise when an ethereal figure immediately began to materialize. Mokuba gasped and jumped back. "Mr. Kaiba?!" the ghost exclaimed.

Seto straightened. He definitely recognized his intern's distinctive looks, even though here he was older. "Fudo. . . ."

The spectre's attention was already drifting to the child standing near Seto. "Mokuba Kaiba," he gasped. "But . . . no, you're a child again. . . . That can't be right." He looked up with a start of realization. "Time travel. . . ."

"You think fast," Seto grunted. "We may have time-traveled, or we may be from another dimension altogether. In any case, I'm here to find out if there's any chance a dimensional rift opened up and swallowed some of the people, including Mokuba."

". . . I don't know," Dr. Fudo admitted. "Everything was absolute chaos when the reactor exploded. I have stayed on because I blamed myself for what happened. I should have done more to stop it. I knew the project was too unstable and potentially dangerous! But when I tried to bring my concerns to the table, I was swiftly replaced and the project went on." Bitterness and anger filled his voice.

Seto stiffened. "I did that? Or this other me did it?!" He clenched a shaking fist. "Then it wasn't your fault, Fudo. It was mine."

"Maybe so, but I am still not at rest," Dr. Fudo said. "I can't help you with what you seek."

"If you're really not at rest, then do something about it!" Seto boomed. "Help us figure out if anyone could have survived!"

"The only survivor I know of other than you is Rex Goodwin," Dr. Fudo said, "but he has perished now too." He frowned, pausing as he really considered the problem. "If a dimensional rift opened up, it must have closed almost immediately. There might be some traces of it in the atmosphere still. Maybe magical objects could reveal it."

Seto was more focused on the man's other words. "I was here when everything blew up?!"

"Well, not 'here,' but at the KaibaCorp building nearby," Dr. Fudo said. "You were going to duel Yugi Muto."

Mokuba gasped. "Then that's why Yugi was here. . . ."

"So why weren't me and Tristan and Téa here?!" Joey demanded. "We'd come to cheer Yug on!"

"Maybe you hadn't arrived yet," Dr. Fudo said. "I don't know."

"So the Bakuras arrived first, and then the explosion happened before anyone else could get here?" Téa gasped. "How horrible. . . ."

Nesbitt stepped forward. "If magic objects could reveal any possible rifts in space, we should focus on that right now," he said gruffly.

Lector nodded. "I agree," he said. Trying to push back his horrified feelings, he held out his amethyst ring. Nesbitt clinked his citrine ring against his.

Atem's Infinity Puzzle began to glow. "Please, reveal to us if there is any possible hope of a dimensional rift," he implored it.

All three objects briefly glowed, but then went out.

Mokuba looked down in sorrow. "I guess it was too much of a long-shot. . . ."

"After 17 years, any traces of the rift could have faded," Marik said. "We shouldn't give up yet. I wonder if getting the other rings and Yami Bakura would change anything. . . ."

"You can try, but I doubt anything will be revealed," Dr. Fudo said.

"And you said Mokuba isn't a child in this world," Seto said. "Just how far in the future are we?!"

"Mokuba was 23 when he was lost," Dr. Fudo said.

"Then, if that was 17 years before what the time is now . . ." Téa did some quick math in her head. "It's only been 30 years from our time?!"

Yugi's stomach turned. "We just have to stop this," he said sadly. "We can't let Domino City look like this in 30 years!"

"Well, right now we have to think about whether there's any way to get Mokuba and you and the others back," Seto retorted. "If this is another dimension, preventing it in ours won't stop it from happening here!"

"Sir, is there anything else we can do?" Lector asked Dr. Fudo. "Maybe someone who might know more? Perhaps a scientist experimenting with alternate dimensions?"

Dr. Fudo pondered. "You could see if Rebecca Hawkins is around," he suggested. "If anyone would go into such research, it would be her."

Lector gave a slight bow. "Thank you."

"Hey," Mokuba spoke up. "The way you're talking, you haven't even seen me or Yugi or the Bakuras among the lost souls, have you?" He looked pointedly at Dr. Fudo.

"No, I haven't," Dr. Fudo said. "But that doesn't necessarily mean what you're hoping it might. All of you could have gone on to the afterlife instead of remaining here as restless spirits."

Yugi looked down. "That's true. Well, I think what we're going to do is get the other magic item holders and see if any dimensional traces will respond to all of them. If that doesn't work, we'll go find Rebecca."

"Good luck," Dr. Fudo said. He paused. "But how did all of you get here anyway? How did you know anything of this world or time before you found me?"

Kalin stiffened. He had remained behind, hidden in the shadows for fear of what his presence would do to this mission. But now that Dr. Fudo had told all he could, Kalin didn't see fit to lie about being there any longer. He stepped out. "I ended up in their world and I told them," he said.

Dr. Fudo looked to him, eyes flashing. "You!" He clenched his fists. "After all you did to Yusei when he was innocent of your accusations . . . !" The air began to pulsate with outrage. Suddenly it felt like the restless spirits were starting to gather in response to Dr. Fudo's anger. Terrified, Mokuba clung to Seto.

Lector stepped protectively in front of Kalin. "No one blames Mr. Kessler more than he does himself," he said.

Kalin walked out from behind Lector. "That's right. And if you want me, I'll give myself up to you right now." He knelt on one knee before Dr. Fudo and bowed his head.

Dr. Fudo stared at him for a long moment. Slowly the overwhelming feelings of anger faded. "No," he said. "There's been enough hatred and revenge enacted on these grounds already. Rex Goodwin sacrificed himself to revive you and the other Dark Signers. If you have truly changed, you deserve that second chance. And I won't break Yusei's heart further by cutting that short." He turned away. "Get up and keep helping these people."

Stunned, Kalin slowly got to his feet. Lector smiled, laying a hand on his shoulder. "Thank you, Sir," he said.

Dr. Fudo just shook his head and didn't turn back. "I wish all of you luck in your endeavors," he said. He faded back into the pit and the light surrounding it and him dissolved into the darkness.

Nesbitt drew a shaking breath. "I'll go get the others," he said. Without waiting for a response from anyone, he walked back to the portal and looked through it.

"Nesbitt?" Gansley frowned.

"You look terrible," Crump exclaimed. "What's going on over there?!"

"It's a complete mess," Nesbitt said. "But we need the other magic users to see if we can find traces of a dimensional rift in the air. If that doesn't work, we're going to look for Rebecca Hawkins."

Gansley nodded. "Very well." He stepped through without further questions and Crump and Johnson trailed after him. Yami Bakura brought up the rear, passing Oreo to Bakura before crossing through the doorway in space.

"Are all of you okay?" Serenity asked in concern. "Maybe we should all come over."

"You shouldn't have to see this," Nesbitt gruffly told her.

"It really is a mess!" Crump exclaimed in horror. "I don't recognize anything!"

"Not all of Satellite looks like this," Kalin told him. "Some is still recognizable. This is the worst part. No one lives here except criminals on the run from the law. And even some of them can't take it."

"Well, let's get on with what we're supposed to do," Yami Bakura growled.

All of the magic users called upon the power of their items. But just as before, they only glowed for mere moments before going out again.

"This is a no-go," Yugi sighed. "I guess we'd better find Rebecca. I wonder when she moved here. . . ."

"She's probably over the bridge in New Domino City," Kalin said.

"You know a lot about this place," Nesbitt said, frowning at him. "Do you know anything about her?"

"Not much," Kalin said. He hesitated, then added, "She was married to Yugi, though. That's probably why she would be conducting research into alternate dimensions, if she is."

Yugi went absolutely red. "She . . . um, okay. . . . I . . ." He shook his head.

"Man, that's a weird picture," Joey frowned. "I know she's nuts about you, Pal, but I thought it was just a kid's crush or something."

Téa's hands were on her hips. "She'd better have matured since then!" she declared.

"I haven't ever seen much of New Domino City," Kalin said, "except The Facility and a few random things after I . . . died and was reborn as a Dark Signer. I probably won't be much help to you over there."

"Maybe not, but you know more about this time than any of us do," Seto said. "You'd better stay with us, like Fudo said."

"I don't like the thought of goin' back after we've seen all this," Crump said uneasily as he glanced around the destroyed area. "Maybe we should all stay."

"As I said, all of you are alive in this time," Kalin pointed out. "And some of the rest of this group is as well. What if you run into your counterparts from here?"

Crump gave an awkward laugh. "I guess that could get pretty sticky, couldn't it." He rubbed the back of his neck. "But wouldn't it be just as sticky if Lector met himself as it would be if I or Gansley or Johnson met ourselves?"

"The smaller the group, the less likely it might happen," Kalin said. "But it's up to you; it's not my decision."

"There weren't many problems when it happened in that other dimension," Yugi said slowly, "but who knows if things would be the same here, considering all they've gone through. . . ."

"I'm not going to wait for you to figure it out," Seto said flatly. "I'm going."

"It's not like any of us can just wander around here without Kalin!" Mokuba exclaimed. "This isn't our Domino City. We won't have any idea where to go!"

Seto knew that, of course, but he hoped to spur the rest of the group to action.

"Okay," Yugi said then. "Everyone coming with us, just come. Let's not stay around figuring out who's going to come."

That sounded logical, and everyone else trooped after Yugi. Téa turned to cast a last look at the haunting sight, but quickly looked away again. They were going to fix this. That was the only thing that could be.

But even if they did, she knew she would never get this horrible sight out of her mind.