Part I

Chapter One

A long time ago, in the ancient days of the living text that comprises this reality, lived three of the mightiest, greatest World Lords this reality has ever seen.

The first was 'All'. It was he who created the very Web of Narratology, along with the Hands of All and the Focalization Change of All, and much of the other theories we use to govern the general laws of narrative that form the basis of the very text of our reality.

The second was 'Drama', who learned to govern the laws of plot and character. The Coronet of Drama can use the minds and internal flaws of people in our reality to amplify and influence the very structure of the plot itself, creating echoes across the universe.

And the third, most mysterious Word Lord was known as 'Had Been'. He governed the laws of time and pacing. This far into the future, not much else is known about him.

…kcabogdluocyehtosrallocehtybmihdebbargdnadetnawehdroLdroWehtwasehsadewolsevaD…

…back and back…

The first thing that Seo noticed, during the first second she arrived in that reality, was that time had stopped.

For a whole 3 paragraphs.

It was as if the author was just so stuck on dwelling on that first second that the story wouldn't bother to continue onto the next. And time was frozen, lingering on—

"What does that mean, Part One?" Dave asked, peeling himself up off the floor.

Seo, relieved that the story had moved on from that one second, squinted upwards. "Part One, Chapter One," she muttered. It wasn't as if she could see the words, more that… she knew they were there. Like recalling a book after you'd read it a thousand times. "A universe based on text. On words. Our adventures here must be laid out like a book."

"I meant," David continued, "that starting something with the words 'Part One' usually implies there's a 'Part Two'."

This hadn't occurred to Seo, before.

"Which means we're not getting out of here any time soon," David continued.

"We knew that already," Seo muttered. Which was true, although she hadn't completely believed it until now.

There had to be some way out of this, didn't there?

Seo used to be able to manipulate dimensions just fine. No problem! But that had been back with her aunt, when there'd been two of them. Now that Aunt Dawn was gone…

"Maybe it's a blessing in disguise," David proposed. "A new start. A new chance for us."

"In a universe anathema to our own?" Seo shook her head, ducking down under the console. "I don't think so."

"I love you in any universe," said Dave. "I've always said I'd give up anything for you. This is your proof."

Seo looked up. "But I don't want that," she said. "I have a life back home. I have family. Friends. Obligations and favorite planets and favors I'm in the middle of carrying out for people. Those things are important to me, Dave. I'm not giving them up for you."

David looked down at the ground. Suddenly realizing all the things about his own universe that he wouldn't want to give up either.

"I guess you're right," he admitted.

Seo stood up. Began playing with the settings and readings on her console. Then shook her head. "It doesn't make sense," she muttered. "All these numbers, they're just… nonsense! I can't—!"

"Seo," Dave interrupted.

Seo looked up.

Then spotted what Dave had spotted.

Before, when Seo had glanced out the windows, she'd seen only the unending empty blackness of space. But now… after reading the numbers on the console… the view of those ships began to fade into existence. As if the nonsense Seo had read was giving them meaning and shape and form.

They were tall, glistening capsules, armed with spikes and a grappling hook. And they were circling her ship on every side, narrowing in on her, pinning Oliver in place.

Seo immediately launched herself at the controls to her ship, frantically trying to get away, but the materialization circuit was jammed, and Oliver's systems were still buzzing and whirring, working on overtime as he frantically tried to adapt to this new reality.

Seo smacked the machine, with an angry shout.

"Calm down," Dave urged her. "We don't even know who they are, yet. They might not be hostile, if we explain our position."

Seo looked up at him, her eyes narrow. "If someone showed up in the Earth Empire," she said, "who could destroy the Earth and all its colonies by simply saying the wrong words, or using the wrong spelling when they jot down a note — what would you do, Mr. Korjensky?"

David froze. "Ah."

"And as to who they are," said Seo, turning back to the controls, "I think it's pretty obvious. Look up at the top of the chapter."

Dave looked up. Squinted.

"A long time ago, in the ancient days that made up…" He read. Then stopped. "Word Lords."

"There's no point in including that kind of exposition at the beginning of the chapter if you're not going to use it," Seo agreed. She thunked Oliver again. "Oliver's still calibrating himself to this reality. We can't get away." She ducked down below the console. "Maybe if I—"

David held up a hand. Listened.

"Can you hear that?" he asked her.

"Hear…?" Seo poked her head out, then stopped. As the words began to flow through the air, at first as a whisper, then amplifying louder and louder.

"…trespass on a foreign universe incompatible with your own. Surrender, or we will use force."

"What…?" said Seo.

But that was when the grappling hook snatched onto their outer casing, seizing them in a vice-like grip. And another, from the other side.

David clung to the console, trying to keep his balance.

"I thought you said we could do the impossible and no one could stop us!" said David. "How could they be—?"

"I don't know!" said Seo. "It shouldn't make sense! If we're matter creatures in a universe of words, their weapons should just feel like a sharp insult when they hit. Not a grappling hook!"

"Perhaps they do have matter, here," said David. "Perhaps—"

"No," said Seo. "It should be like Mr. Nobody in our universe. Just like he can flout the laws of our universe, so we should be able to flout the laws of his. There shouldn't be any way that…"

They both fell silent, as — just beside them — a massive hole opened up in empty space. One of the ships surrounded them was dragged inside and swallowed up. The others began to zoom in the opposite direction, hauling Oliver behind them.

"A plot hole," Seo breathed.

Seo does manage to get her ship working, again, and she and Dave speed past the Word Lords, trying to outrun them. The Word Lords give chase, insisting that Dave and Seo are adverse elements in their universe, and must be caught and apprehended before they can collapse everything.

Then the Word Lords open fire.

Seo — in an evasive maneuver — slips sideways into a sort of pocket-universe inside of this universe's reality matrix, which messes up all navigational circuitry. It causes the Word Lords to lose them, for a few moments, and allow Seo and Dave to gain distance

But Oliver's systems can't cope with the sideways slip, either.

Oliver goes completely out of control, and Seo and Dave crash onto a planet.

…nagebsdrowehterehwgninnigebyrevehtotthgiryrotsehtpudnapudnapudepsevaD…

…and back and back…