Chapter 32:
The trio sat on a park bench as Michael fiddled with the timer.
"What are you doing?" Rebecca asked.
"The timer is acting weird. The last two portals have been weaker, and I want to know why." Michael replied.
"Think it could be some sort of dimensional interference?" Rebecca asked.
"Could be. If I could just get a decent check of everything before we slide." Michael replied.
"Which reminds me, how long do we have?" Sam asked.
"Five minutes." Michael said.
"Good. As much as I like this tranquil world, I prefer the variety of the different worlds we visit." Sam said.
"So do I. But I'm more worried about the timer. It's relatively new so it should be working properly." Michael said.
"Whatever. It's probably nothing." Sam said.
Michael aimed the timer and the portal opened. Rebecca and Sam jumped through.
"Here goes nothing." Michael said, leaping into the portal.
As he slid through the portal, it fluxed and a lightning strike hit him. His vision faded and he felt himself drop out of the portal. He stood up and looked around.
"Ugh. That was a rough trip." Michael said as his vision faded back. He saw Sam and Rebecca, but something was off about them.
"I didn't feel any different than I usually do." Rebecca said.
"Scans indicate that this world is perfect for phase two." Sam said, putting a small device in his pocket.
"Phase what?" Michael asked.
"Phase two. Of our plans." Sam said.
"What plans?" Michael asked.
"That trip must have knocked you around more than we assumed." Rebecca said.
"I guess. Can we go somewhere to rest?" Michael asked.
"If you need to." Sam said. "Perhaps the Dominion Hotel on this Earth will be more to our liking."
"I hope so." Michael said. "You guys okay?"
"Why wouldn't we be?" Rebecca asked.
"You're just acting a bit weird..." Michael said.
"How much time do we have here?" Sam asked.
"Oh, we have..." Michael grabbed the timer out of his pocket, but it was slightly larger and more polished, with an evil vibe coming from it. "The hell?"
"How much time?" Sam asked again.
"Oh, uh. About a day." Michael replied.
"That should be sufficient time to scout this world out." Rebecca said.
"Indeed." Sam said.
"Yeah." Michael said.
The trio entered the hotel and Sam put down a wad of cash on the front desk. The man sitting at the desk looked up.
"We require a room." Sam said.
"Okay, let me see if we have an opening for you." the man said. Sam grabbed the man's collar.
"We. Require. A room." Sam growled.
"Uh, yes sir. Here's your key." the man said, handing Sam a key.
"Sam, did you have to be so rough?" Michael asked.
"I did what was necessary to secure a room. You've never had any issues with my use of force before." Sam responded, coldly.
Later, they sat in the room and Sam checked the device he had. Michael stared out the window.
"Why is everyone acting so weird?" he thought.
"I'm going out to scout this world out some more." Sam said.
"I'll go with you." Rebecca said.
"I will go alone." Sam said, coldly.
"No, I'm coming!" Rebecca said walking towards Sam.
"I said, I will go alone!" Sam shouted, pushing Rebecca back onto the bed and leaving the room.
Michael ran over to Rebecca and glared towards the door.
"What the hell was that?" Michael asked, putting his arm around her shoulder. She flinched.
"Sam... g-g-got pissy again. He's always like this when we think we have the right world." Rebecca replied.
"What is wrong with you? And Sam? Why are you guys acting so out of character?" Michael asked.
"I'm not sure what you mean." Rebecca said.
"Ever since we slid here, you guys have been acting very differently." Michael said.
"Perhaps your confusion is a result of the dimensional interference that we picked up before sliding." Rebecca said.
"Dimensional interference. That's why the timer was acting weird this morning. You suggested that!" Michael said.
"I did. Maybe that contributed to your odd behavior." Rebecca said.
"My odd behavior? I'm fine. It's you guys that are weird!" Michael said. "You guys are acting like dark reflections of your normal selves! Wait..."
"What?" Rebecca asked.
"Oh crap." Michael said.
"What's wrong?" Rebecca asked.
"Oh... Nothing. I'm going to go out and get some air." Michael said, running out of the room.
Michael ran out to the balcony near the stairs and started pacing.
"This is the mirror universe." Michael said. "I'm trapped in the mirror universe. No. Trapped with the mirror versions of Sam and Rebecca. How can I get back to my Sam and Rebecca?"
"Your Sam and Rebecca?" Mirror Rebecca asked. "What do you mean?"
"Uh..." Michael stammered. "Nothing."
"You're acting strange. Perhaps you aren't the Michael we intended to land here with." Mirror Rebecca said.
"No, I'm definitely the one you landed with." Michael said.
"You've been nothing but nice to me. That's odd enough, you also haven't made a pass at me since the last world, another out of character moment." Mirror Rebecca said. "I deduce that you are in fact, a double of our Michael."
"Is your version of me as twisted as Sam?" Michael asked.
"Worse. That's how I knew you were lying. But I will say that the reason Sam hasn't said anything is because he's been vying for your position as leader, so if you went soft, he could claim control for himself." Mirror Rebecca said.
"And he thinks the vortex just knocked me around and messed with my head?" Michael asked.
"Yeah."
"Tell me. What is this Phase Two crap?"
"Michael and Sam are looking for a world to subjugate. They, left their world using sliding technology that they intended to use to subjugate their own world, which frequently scouted other worlds and captured people to use as workers. I was one of those people. The Empire got wind of their plans and they were chased off their world. They allowed me to come with them, saying they'd bring me home, but of course, they lied to me. After a while they decided that they'd just take over another world, and we've found viable ones, but the timer never lets us stay long enough to scout. So we catalog viable worlds and one day we'll return to some of them to check out further."
"And when they do that, what happens to you?"
"I'll just take the timer and try to find my world."
"What kind of life is that? And who knows how long it'll be until they finally subjugate a world?"
"It's all I have to hold onto. The hope of finding home."
"I have more hope. I figure this timer is very similar to my own. Just a different case. If that's so I can tell you how to use it, how to break it and use it against those two."
"Why would you do that?"
"Because. In my opinion, sliding is supposed to be used to make the universe better. Not worse. And those two don't deserve to have control over it."
"Teach me how to use it."
"Gladly."
Later, they sat in the room, Michael teaching Mirror Rebecca how to use the timer, as the door burst open and Mirror Sam stomped into the room.
"Another decent world. Very similar to the last two viable worlds." Mirror Sam said.
"Very good, add it to the list." Michael said.
"I see you're feeling better." Mirror Sam said.
"Better than you think." Michael said. "And I've noticed you've been taking liberties. That I have not permitted you to take."
"I am only trying to advance our cause, my old friend."
"Advance the cause without taking liberties."
"I will. I'm sorry."
"Good." Michael laughed. "Anyway, I'd like to go out and scout this place for myself."
"I'll go with you." Mirror Sam said.
"I'd prefer to go with Ms. Collins, if that's alright with you." Michael said.
"Her? But she's just a," Mirror Sam said, getting cut off by Michael.
"Is there an issue, Mr. Evans?" Michael asked.
"No, sir." Mirror Sam said. Michael and Mirror Rebecca walked out of the room.
The two walked down the street near the Dominion Hotel.
"Tell me more about your travels!" Mirror Rebecca said.
"Well, there was that world where New York was where San Francisco was. Your double saved my Sam from a mugger. Oh and the world where Rebecca and I swapped bodies." Michael started.
"Swapped bodies?"
"Yeah. Long story."
"Your trips sound fun. Ours usually aren't. They'll probably go back that way after you leave, even if I can operate the timer."
"That's why I wanted you to come. I want to talk to you about something."
"What is it?"
"I noticed that despite Sam being twisted, you are a woman of integrity in both your world and my Rebecca's world. You can change your fate."
"That doesn't matter, once your double is returned, he'll take the timer back."
"How long can those two brutes go around talking about subjugating worlds before they are detained or killed on one of those worlds?"
"It's nearly happened quite a few times."
"And it's a waste, of the timer, and of you! You are capable of so much more! You can bring hope to the worlds that their universe have subjugated!"
"But subjugation is all I know. I haven't seen my homeworld in more than a year! I just need to wait until I can escape them!"
"You can do better than that, better than escape, use them to your own advantage."
"What about Sam and my Michael?"
"Forget them! Once I tell you about the usage of the timer and how to break it beyond repair in one fell swoop, they'll be putty in your hands."
"I don't know..."
"A wise man once said, in every revolution, there's one man or woman with a vision. I submit to you, a chance to change that. With one simple device."
"I'll consider it."
"That's all I ask."
The next day, they stood again in the park as Michael aimed the timer at the ground.
"Are we ready?" Michael asked.
"Yes." Mirror Sam said.
"Uh huh." Mirror Rebecca said.
The vortex opened and the three jumped through, lightning striking again and Michael's vision faded once again. He felt himself drop out of the portal and looked around, seeing the timer on the ground, his timer, not the Mirror Timer. He saw Sam and Rebecca stand up. His Sam and Rebecca.
"Oh thank god I'm back!" Michael said. "You guys will not believe the day I've had."
Rebecca and Sam looked at eachother and laughed.
"Try me." Rebecca said.
"I see we've both had interesting days." Michael said. "Trade stories over lunch?"
"Sure!" Sam said.
Part ½.
To Be Continued...