The silence of the alleyway was shattered by the sudden distortion of the space just above the ground. The molecules twist and shift until a small point of light expands into a brilliant blue vortex that opens several feet wide and several feet high. Out the portal comes flying the form of the Professor as he lands with a hard crash against a nearby trash can. Directly following him is Maria as she lands almost directly on top of him. A few seconds later, Jason breaks through the wormhole with his hands hitting the ground first and sending him into a flip, which has him landing straight on his bottom. The vortex closes leaving the three travelers in their first alternate dimension.
The Professor groans as he rubs his back in response to his hard landing "Damn, I'd forgotten about those hail Mary fly throughs. Are you alright Miss Chavez?"
"I think so, but I can't believe he did this to me!" shouts Maria.
Jason plops up from his fall, a childish glee on his face as he hoots a shout of approval "Whooo! Damn whata rush, that was great!"
Maria goes and starts to pummel her cousin with light but swift blows from her open palms "What were you thinking, how the hell could you do this to me!"
"Oh come on, what did you expect me to do, leave you there? They were going to throw you in prison, there wasn't a choice!" says Jason.
"Alright now lets not argue. What's done is done, the Colonel is right, there was very little choice in the matter. I suggest we focus on our present surroundings, this is a whole new world. Welcome to Sliding my dear young ones." says Arturo.
"My career, my friends…I'll never see them again!" shouts Maria.
"We haven't the time to dwell on that now Miss Chavez. The important thing is were all safe and unharmed, for the present anyway." says Arturo.
"He's right, so instead of throwing a fit, try showing some gratitude." says Jason.
"Oh shut up…" snaps Maria.
"Alright, enough the both of you. I refuse to sit by and watch two grown minds act like a bunch of squabbling children. I suggest we best get acclimated to where ever we are. According to the Timer, we've got a little under four days here.
The trio begin to walk out of the alley and into the open street. This alternate San Francisco didn't at all resemble the one they had just come from. The streets, the signs, the traffic…all were unfamiliar. Than the Professor spots something that makes his eyes widen.
"Good heavens, is that the Washington Monument, here in San Francisco?" he stammers.
"Check out those fields, the Capitol Building and yup…the White House over there." says Jason.
"It seems that in this universe, California rather than Washington D.C. is the nation's Capitol, incredible."
Maria entertains an exasperated expression on her face "How is that possible? If the first pioneers settled on the east coast, wouldn't it be logical that they would establish their capitol on the place where they first settled, as in our world?"
"Ahh but you forget my dear Miss Chavez, different universes, different historical timelines and outcomes. Obviously here, the west rather than the east coast was settled first. Or perhaps even the directional placing of the continents might be different. East might be west and west east, anything is possible." says the Professor.
Jason spots a large crowd assembled in front a window, obviously transfixed on several television screens "Hey guys, check that out. What do you suppose all the fuss is about?"
"I don't know, but I will tell you something of vital importance that I've learned on my inter-dimensional travels. Never get involved with the locals, consider that your first lesson on proper Sliding, eh." says Arturo.
"Oh come on Professor, what could be the harm in checking it out?" asks Jason as he walks over towards the crowd and pushes his way through to see one of the television monitors.
Arturo shakes his head "Famous last words."
Meanwhile across the street a brown car is parked near a curb and two men wearing sunglasses watch the whole of the street intently as if waiting for something. The man in the driver's seat, a Caucasian male, clean shaven taps his companion sitting in the passenger's seat.
"Hey check this out. The tall tanned skin guy in the crowd over there. If I didn't know better I'd say…" says the man.
The man in the passenger's seat holds a pair of binoculars to his eyes and zooms in on Jason "What in the hell? It can't be, he's way to young."
"I'm telling you that's him, it's gotta be. He's wearing make up or something, trying not to be recognized, call it in." says the other man.
As the crowd watch the television screens, the scene is of a large press conference in the White House. The cameras are focused on the Presidential podium.
"Hey what gives, somebody gonna make a speech or something?" asks Jason as he taps another man on the shoulder.
"Yea the President's gonna address the nation, something to do with the building tension between the U.S. and Canada. Who knows, he might even declare war on the maple leaf eatin bastards." says the man.
Jason smirks "A war with Canada, are you serious?"
"Yea crazy huh, but the way their muggin us about Alaska, the oil shortage and everything, they deserve whatever they get. But I guess we'll find out when the President comes on." says the man.
Jason turns his attention back to the television screen and mumbles to himself "Let's see what shmuck they elected on this world."
"Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the United States…" says the announcer.
Out walks a tall, regal and handsome older man in his mid fifties. He has gray hair, but well styled, bright hazel eyes and a well trimmed goatee. His skin is nicely golden tan and he is wearing a sharp black suit, with a black tie adorned with gray stripes. On his lapel is a glistening pin of the American flag. The president faces the crowd.
"President Jason Miguel Chavez to answer questions…" says the announcer.
For several moments Jason just stares in stunned silence at what he has just seen, He squints, than rubs his eyes to make sure they are not playing tricks on him. He takes several shallow breathes and shakes his head in disbelief "Holy shit, it's me."
Both the Professor and Maria stand at the back of the crowd with their mouths hanging open and both look at each other, obviously sharing in their companion's disbelief.
"Good Lord…" says the Professor. He tries to fight his way through the crowd to reach Jason and shouts over the din of the people. "Colonel, I suggest we make a hasty exit!"
Jason looks back, his expression one of disbelieving euphoria "Professor, it's me! I'm President of the United States!"
Back across the street the two men sitting inside the brown car are watching Jason's every movement. The man in the passenger's seat talks intently on his cell phone.
"Boss I'm telling you, it's him, it's the President! Out in plain sight, wearing some kind of age make up or something. What do you want us to do?"
"Take the shot!" says the voice on the other end.
"But what about the other people, he's in a huge crowd?" says the man in the passenger's seat.
"If it's him than take the shot, you'll never get another opportunity like this, do it!" says the voice as it hangs up.
The two men just look at one another and the man in the passenger's seat swiftly turns around and grabs a high powered sniper style rifle from the back seat. The man in the driver's seat grabs the gun and quickly brings it to his lap and sticks a tiny bit of the barrel out the car window. His telescopic sight aimed right at Jason. His finger pulls back on the trigger and the bullet fires out, muffled by a silencer.
At the last second another bystander inadvertently places himself in the path of the oncoming projectile and is struck down by the bullet. He falls into the crowd as onlookers stare in horror. Another shot rings out, this one shattering a pane of glass nearby. Frightened people scatter in all directions, frantic about this unseen attack.
"Jason my boy, take cover!" shouts the Professor as he grabs Maria and ducks behind a parked car.
"We haven't been here fives minuets and someone's already shooting at us!" shouts Maria.
Jason hits the ground and covers his head with his arms, waiting for more bullets to come wizzing by "Oh I don't know if I'm gonna like this Sliding thing!"
The gunman pounds the steering wheel in frustration at missing his target and hastily drives off in a hurry. The brown car with the two men in it soon turn off the road and disappear.