A/N: Yay, another chapter complete! After awhile, I realized that I can't worry so much about keeping consistent with canon, that I really should just have fun with this and not focus so much on getting things "right." That's kind of the joy of fanfiction is creating these alternate realities. My goal in writing is to both entertain others and have fun doing it. It can be hard to find time, balancing work and family, but I do my best.
Anyways, new chapter's finished, so I'm going to try this "Five Nights at Freddy's" game again. I have no idea what I'm doing.
"When I was driving once I saw this painted on a bridge: 'I don't want the world, I just want your half'" – They Might Be Giants, "Ana Ng"
As soon as the elevator landed, the group spilled out onto the floor, like salmon collapsing out of a fisherman's net on the deck of the ship. Everyone began staggering to their feet.
"Ugh, Soos," Wendy said, "When was the last time you bathed?"
"Hey, I'm clean," Soos said, "I took a bath two days ago."
Once everyone had collected themselves from the fall, Mabel had to clear something between the original Mystery Twins.
"So let me get this straight," Mabel began, "Which one of you is which Stan again?"
"Your parents named both of you Stan?" Pacifica asked, genuinely perplexed.
"Pops wasn't the most creative person in the world," Gruncle Stan said, "He thought he was going to have one kid, but then he had two..."
"I'm Stanford," the six-fingered man interjected in order to stay on subject, "He's Stanley, the ass who decided to take my name."
"It was to protect the mystery of the house!" Stanley exclaimed, "I couldn't have the police come and try to explain to them why this was a missing person's case. Plus I kept the roof up with touristy stuff."
"Wait, I thought you said it was the other way around," Mabel responded.
"Well, what do you expect," Stanley said, "Our show went on a mid season hiatus, so fanfiction writers are struggling to keep their facts straight."
"To simplify things," Stanford said, "Go ahead and call me Ford and him Stan; that's how others were able to differentiate us when we were kids."
"And guys," Dipper interrupted, "I'm sorry for overreacting. I'm just tired of being lied to, and last night seemed to be the straw that broke the camel's back. But more than anything right now...Gruncle Ford...I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS? SO MANY THINGS I WISH I COULD SAY!"
"All in good time, nephew," Ford said, "We have more pressing matters to address."
"Yeah, like some floating zombie kid with the talking Dorito trying to kill us," Robbie said, "If he's this all powerful being, can't he just teleport down here and kill us?"
"A fair question, young man," For responded, "But I think he needs a physical body in order to fully interact with this world. He's not all powerful, but otherworldly and impossible to predict."
"Then he could be coming down the elevator any minute," Pacifica said, "Isn't there some way to stop it?"
"I'll cut the power if you show me where it is," Wendy said.
"Good thinking, ladies," Ford said, pointing to the circuit breaker to which Wendy and Pacifica ran, "In the meantime, we need to start dismantling the portal."
"I'm all for it," Dipper began, "but do you feel any reservations about having to get rid of it?"
"Yeah," Mabel chimed in, "Wasn't that your life's work? Not to mention Gruncle Stan worked so hard to piece it back together."
"As hard as I worked to create it," Ford said, "I realize now the folly of having opened the floodgate to these monstrosities. While man will continue to innovate, he was not meant to go too far beyond his boundaries. I should have destroyed it the day McGucket came back from the portal. As a scientist, I wonder when we will be ready for the latest innovation. Who will take the first step as our species makes new advancements? All I know is that this was not one I should have made..."
"Ah, enough with the philosophy lecture," Stan said, "Let's get down to business in tearing this thing to shreds."
After Wendy and Pacifica flipped the elevator power switch and dragged a cabinet in front of the elevator doors, the group headed into the next room. Ford handed everyone tools, but it seems Stan had a different idea, in which case he brought out dynamite.
"It's reckless and dangerous," Stan said, "But also easy and fun! Just...stand back after it's lit, kids."
"Is that really necessary?" Ford responded, "Reckless and dangerous are not the type of things I would want from a tool in such close quarters."
"Yeah," Stan said, moping, "you're probably right." With that, the kids set to work. Each one scrambling up to dismantle a certain part or hand each other a tool. It was wonderful getting so see such camaraderie, especially among new friends. Any hostility from either Robbie or Pacifica was now gone, and the refreshing feeling drifted through the air for it. They were now people, each working to the common goal of something that could end their species.
Stan tapped Ford on the back. He had pulled up some chairs and set them in front of the glass of the observation room. In his hands was a bottle of vintage reserve Jameson and two glasses.
"Let the kids have their fun," Stan said, "You and I need a chance to relax and catch up."
"You're trying to keep the roof up," Ford said, "and yet you buy some expensive whiskey?"
"I was saving it for when we saw each other again," Stan responded. Ford had no reply. He simply sat down and let Stan pour a glass for him. He thought about it and realized how exhausted he was. He looked at Stan's pinup girl calendar on the wall in the observation room; it read "July 17th, 2012." This was a new world, one of which had left him behind 30 years ago. He wondered if humans had invented flying cars or if there was any real practicality to such an invention.
"You're really not going to thank me?" Stan asked, taking a sip. Ford looked down into the golden liquid and swished it around before taking a drink. He was quiet for another moment before replying.
"I suppose I should," he finally said, "I never would have returned if you hadn't rebuilt this abomination. But after the kids travel back to California in August, this place is going back into my hands. No more of this tourist trap nonsense. It undercuts real science and preternatural study."
"Seriously?" Stan asked angrily, "After the 30 years of success that I put into this place, you're going to tell me to just stop? No, I'm keeping the shack the way it is. There's no reason you can't do your sciency stuff down here while I give suckers, er, I mean, tourists a fun time."
"Stan," For continued, "This could be dangerous. We'd be putting the tourists at risk."
"You already put the whole town at risk with your portal!" Stan said and paused, letting it sink in, "What difference does it make where you do your experiments? At what cost does your work entail? Distancing yourself from your family and risking the town with portals to Heaven, Hell, and everywhere in between?"
There was another long pause. Ford finished his drink and looked over at Stan. And with an air of zen in his demeanor, he spoke.
"I don't think I need to tell you what you already know about me. As sea turtles know instinctively to crawl to the ocean, so am I drawn to scientific discovery. It's not an easy path. It has alienated me from many of the people in my life, from finding romance, from seeking wealth, and all at the cost of my personal safety. But isn't this what we as a species are meant to do: to make new discoveries about our universe and how it could possibly interact with others? Nothing about the human race is static. That's why we have to keep pressing onward. And there is nothing that you or anyone else can say to keep me from continuing my work, so long as I learn from my mistakes and take new precautions."
"Look," Stan responded, "all I'm saying is that you don't have to keep me or anyone else at arms length anymore. Look at the next generation, literally right in front of us. They're clearly having fun working on one of your projects. Just be careful with what you do all while staying transparent with us. I can already tell Dipper is going to look up to you quite a bit; I can see a lot of you in him, and that's both a good thing and a bad thing."
Ford watched the kids as they disassembled the portal. He noticed the smile on his great nephew's face; he was clearly enjoying working on this, studying each part as he removed it. Pacifica occasionally walked over to Dipper and poked him, breaking his concentration. Not that he minded, as he laughed and poked her back before continuing his work.
"Ha," Ford laughed, "And he does have a lot of friends around him. I'm sure that kid's gonna be alright. That blonde one seems pretty taken with him; since when have smart kids been popular with the girls? You and I had so many problems in that area." The two of them laughed together.
"The world is changing," Stan said, "Some for the better, some for the worse."
Just then, Ford noticed something floating through the air within the center ring of the portal.
"Okay, this side's ready to pull apart," Robbie shouted from the top of the portal.
"Got it, dude," Soos said, and with Mabel and Wendy's help, they began pulling the ring apart.
"WAIT!" Ford shouted and lunged forward, pulling a small round glass container from is jacket. He jumped through the ring, grabbing the floating object within the container, pressed a button on the device, sealing it within. "Thank God you didn't pull those apart just then. We could have had a major disaster on our hands."
"What is it, Gruncle Ford," Dipper asked inquisitively.
"This is an interdemensional rift. As I was fearing, this is the residual of reopening the portal. This thing is highly volatile, and...oh, I wish I could have kept this one a secret. Bottom line: it's extremely dangerous." Dipper was certainly fascinated by it, but Pacifica and Mabel butted past him and gazed into it.
"It's gorgeous," Pacifica said, "I wish I could get one of our seamstresses to turn it into a broach or something."
"Me too!" Mabel exclaimed, "Why do all the pretties things have to be the most fragile."
"Indeed," For continued, "I encountered one of these once on one of my travels to Beach City in the Delmarva Peninsula. I remember it had something to do with rare gems, but that's all I can remember about it beyond that it did quite a bit of damage. The best thing that we can do is try and keep it out of the wrong hands."
"Wrong hands, huh!" came a shout from the observation room. The glass shattered, causing Stan to scramble away from it. Out floated Bill with his zombified Gideon. "I'll be taking that." With that, Bill lifted one of his arms, and the container with the rift floated towards him, allowing him to reach out and grab it. "Thanks, Pines. This might come in handy later."
"We've dismantled the gateway, Bill," Dipper said, "There's no way you're opening the gates to your nightmare worlds."
"Ha," Bill laughed mockingly, "You thought that hunk of junk was what I was talking about upstairs. Oh no, I've got bigger plans than that for all of you."
"What is it about this world that you want, Bill?" Ford asked, "Of all the worlds in the multiverse, you have to terrorize this one."
"That's the keyword, terrorize," Bill said, "You think I really want to just take over this world? This is just a speck of dirt within a much vaster cosmos. What I really enjoy is destroying everyone's lives in the process. Just the very feeling of uplifting them from the certainty and comfort of their existence and destroying their hopes and dreams gives me a satisfaction like you wouldn't believe. And now, come and join me in my world." He then psychically lifted Gideon's arms and shot forth bright yellow missiles into the air. They landed on the ground, causing it to rumble and then burst forth from underneath all those within the room.
Everyone's terrified screams echoed through the chamber, down through the darkness below. Pacifica felt as if she could fall forever, still not seeing the bottom below. Suddenly, there was a sharp pain straight to her forehead, and the world around her grew silent.