by Richard Lori
Fuller awoke in a fit of coughing. As he lay with his back in the thick mire of a mud puddle, he had inhaled a river of the rainwater beating down on his face. Once the fit subsided, he sat up to look around but was unable to see much with the fog of rain and darkness surrounding him.
With a flash of lightning, he realized he was in Sue’s driveway again and could see the house through the rain. Consumed with fatigue, he stood after several slippery attempts and forced his weary body towards the house. When he reached the porch steps, he stumbled up them and then to the door. Opening the screen, he tried to turn the doorknob but found it locked. He pushed the doorbell with his leaden finger. Fuller leaned against the doorframe to keep from falling over, water tickling his nose as it rolled from his drenched hair. The porch light snapped on, but the warmth of its glow was lost in the icy squall.
The door opened to the most welcome sight he could hope for. “Sue!” he cried. “I can’t tell you how glad…” He broke off his words when two things struck him. First, she looked like she did not know who he was. Second, her hair and makeup were different from any way he had ever seen her wear them.
She asked, “I’m sorry, do we know each other?”
His heart fell when he realized he was not in his Sue’s universe, but another. He wondered if he was back in his own universe and had lost his Sue forever. There was an easy way to find out.
“I’m sorry, it’s been quite a few years, and I’m sure you don’t remember me. I went to Lincoln High School. You were a freshman when I was a senior.”
“Oh, okay. I’m sorry I don’t remember you.” He could tell his lie had worked when the puzzled look left her face.
“There’s no reason you should. It surprised me when you answered the door.”
She looked him up and down. “You look like you’re hurt. Are you all right?”
“Not really. That’s why I’m here. I ran my car into a ditch just up the road. My cell phone is dead, and I was wondering if I could use your phone.”
“Oh you poor thing. No wonder you’re all banged up. Yeah, come in,” she said, opening the door wide.
Fuller hobbled in and said as she closed the door, “I’m a mess. I don’t want to track mud all over your house.”
“That’s very considerate of you. I can get my cordless from the kitchen if you want to wait here?”
“That’s fine, thank you.”
Sue rushed back with the phone. “Here you go.”
“Thanks,” he said, taking it from her. “I’m going to call home first, but do you have a phone book? I’ll need to call a tow truck.”
“Sure, I’ll get it,” she said, going to the living room.
As Fuller punched in his home phone number, he could hear Sue talking to someone in the living room. He was about to move closer so he could hear what was said when the ringing in his ear stopped and a voice bellowed, “Hello?”
“Hi, Rita. It’s John.”
“John, where the hell are you? How long does it take you to go to the damn store?” Rita’s heated voice blared from the receiver. That confirmed it; he was back in his own universe.
“I had some problems getting there, and my car’s in a ditch,” he answered in a calm voice.
“A ditch! What do you mean a ditch?” The timbre of her voice rose. “There’s no ditches between here and the store.”
“I know that, but I drove past my turn and got lost,” he said, his voice still composed.
“Got lost? How the hell can you get lost going to a store you’ve been to a million times? Sometimes I swear you have shit for brains!”
Fuller’s breath quickened and his face reddened as though the pressure of blood surging into it were being pumped twice as hard. He had taken this type of abuse from her for years and would take no more. He was not the same person he had been and would no longer stand for such disrespect. He was about to let loose his wrath on Rita when he saw Sue coming back with the phone book. When he saw the smile on her magnificent face, the anger melted away. Although this was not the Sue he loved, she was close enough that he would have to love her too.
As Sue’s glow sank in, the realization came that Rita was no longer of any significance to him. In fact, the more he thought about it, the more he realized how ridiculous Rita was. He began to laugh at her.
“Damn it, John! What the hell are you laughing like a jackass for?” Rita yelled at him.
He snorted, “You know something, Rita? You don’t mean anything to me anymore.” He hung up the phone and laughed that much harder.
As Sue stopped next to him, she said, “Well, I’m glad to see with all the bad that’s happened to you tonight you can still laugh.”
“I suppose, ooh…” Fuller felt woozy. The effort of laughing had only added to the exhaustion he felt. As the humor left his face, he put his hand on the wall to steady himself. “I’m afraid I’m a bit dizzy.”
A towering man appeared in the living room doorway and said, “Why don’t you come and sit down for a while? Sue told me you wrecked your car, and you don’t look too good young man.”
Fuller’s eyes widened, almost to the point of pain, as he drew in a huge breath. It could not be! But it was! “Dr. Manders!”
The elder man’s eyebrow rose. “I’m afraid you have the better of me. Have we met before?”
“No, sir, we haven’t, but it’s an honor,” Fuller jerked out his hand and the physicist shook it with authority.
“I don’t know how much of an honor it can be to meet me,” he chuckled, “but it is a pleasure to meet you… I’m sorry I didn’t catch your name.”
“John Fuller, sir.”
“Drop the ‘sir’ nonsense, John.” He said with a smile, “My friends call me ‘Manny.’ Why don’t you come in the living room and have a seat. I can’t have you keeling over in my front hall.”
“Okay. I better take my shoes off though, so I don’t track mud everywhere.” He leaned against the wall and started to remove them.
“Sue, why don’t you get our guest one of the side chairs from the dining room to sit in?” he said, turning to the living room. “You can throw my blanket over it so it doesn’t get all muddy.”
“Sure, Dad,” replied Sue, rushing past him.
Fuller finished removing his shoes and followed. He waited for Sue to get the chair then plopped into it, glad to be off his feet.
“Would you like a cup of hot tea, John?” Sue asked. “I was just heating up the water.
“A cup of your vanilla chai would be great,” he replied.
Her eyebrows knitting together, she said, “As a matter of fact, I do have vanilla chai. I just bought it today to try out. I’ll get you a cup.” She turned to her father. “You want one too, Dad?”
“Sure, that sounds good, sweetheart,” he said, reaching over from his chair. He gave her hand a quick squeeze and smiled.
As Sue left the room, Manny asked, “So do you live in the city, John?”
“Yes, sir, I do. On the north side by Maple and 23rd.”
“Like I said, son, just call me ‘Manny,’” he said with a smile. “That’s a nice area over there. One of the guys I work with lives around there. Ryan Daniels. You know him?”
“No, sir, I mean Manny, I don’t,” Fuller was having a hard time in not revering the man. Sue had talked about him so much and with such veneration that it was difficult not to show him the utmost respect. However, there was an acceptance to his manner, the way he smiled and his gentle voice, that also put Fuller at ease. He could see where Sue got her personality from because she always put him at ease too.
Manny’s brow furrowed. “John, I know you said we never met, but you seem to know me or have heard about me at least. Do we maybe have a mutual acquaintance?”
Fuller tensed at the question, not sure how to respond. “In a way,” he replied. His mind raced to come up with an explanation. “I’ve hear
d about some of your work.”
“Oh, I see,” he said, nodding. “What line of work are you in then?”
“I’m a computer programmer.”
“Ahhh, computers,” Manny chuckled. “Those wonderfully frustrating devices. I have a real love-hate relationship with them you know. I love what they can do, but they seem to hate me for some reason.”
Fuller laughed. “I know what you mean. I feel the same way sometimes.”
“So how is it that a computer programmer would be familiar with my work? Is physics a hobby of yours?”
“Uhhh…” is all that Fuller could manage.
Thankfully, Sue chose that moment to walk back into the room with the tea. She said, “Here’s the chai,” as she handed one of the cups to Fuller.
“Thank you, Sue,” he said, meaning that in more than one way.
“You’re welcome, John. Dad?” she said, handing the second cup to her father. When he took the cup, she went to the couch and sat.
Manny brought the mug to his lips and blew across the hot liquid. He took a careful sip then said, “Sue, John was just telling me how he knows me.” He turned to Fuller and asked again, “So is physics a hobby of yours then?”
“Dad, I heard you trying to grill John from the kitchen.” She turned to Fuller. “Just ignore him. He’s usually very nice, but when he gets in a mood, he can be impossible.”
“Well, I’m just curious about how he knows of me. When a man becomes famous, he likes to know for what.”
“Don’t you mean ‘infamous,’ Dad? I’m sure you’re known for your renowned interrogation practices.” She looked back to Fuller. “Careful, John. He’ll be going to the basement any second now to get his rubber hose.”
Her father laughed. “Okay, Sue. I get your point. I’m sorry, John, I didn’t mean to come off like the Gestapo.”
When his laughter subsided, Fuller felt at ease again. He took a sip of the warm chai and considered Dr. Manders’ line of questioning. If he told them that he knew of them through a parallel universe Sue, would they believe it? If anyone in the world would, it would have to be them.
The smile left his face when a thought struck him. Sue’s father was not dead in this universe. Was it possible the timeline here was progressing at a different rate than in the universe where he had been? Any day now, would Phil electrocute the scientist? Alternatively, would events here be different and Manny live? Deep in his heart, Fuller felt this would not be the case.
He glanced at Sue and could still see the joyful twinkle in her eye and the smirk on her lips from her sarcastic remark. Would the greatest anguish of her life replace the delight she felt now being in the presence of the father she worshipped? Could the agony be prevented? It was within his power to do so. A simple warning from him would spare this young woman, who was the twin of the Sue he loved. The compulsion was too great to withstand. He had to warn them.
He swallowed hard. “No, Dr. Manders, you’re right in questioning how I would know of you. There is no logical reason why I would have ever heard of you. There is, however, a very good reason, which I’ll explain to you now. Even at the expense of making you think I’m crazy.
*****
When Fuller fell silent, he looked at them to gauge their reactions. Sue stared at him with a blank expression, thoughts of his obvious insanity running through her mind he surmised. When he turned to her father to see his response, the physicist said, “Young man, that is the most fantastic story I’ve ever heard. But since I’m not one to make snap judgments, tell me why I should believe it.”
“Dr. Manders, I don’t know if I expect you to believe me. If I had heard something like this a few months ago, I know I wouldn’t have. All I ask is that you consider what I’ve said and to use it as a warning if things like I’ve described should start to happen.”
“I see,” said Manny, his brow rising.
Fuller turned to Sue as his eyes moistened. “Sue, I know you must think I’m a raving maniac at this point, but I’m saying all of this for you. There’s a version of you somewhere in a universe I’ll never get back to that I love more than I ever thought possible. If there’s any way I can keep you from going through what she has, I’m going to try my damnedest to do it—no matter what.”
Fuller could see by the look in those most perfect eyes that his words had affected her. He was not sure in what way though. Before she could respond, the doorbell rang. At first, Sue did not react but continued to gaze into Fuller’s eyes. He felt as though she were trying to read the truth there. The chime rang again and broke her meditation.
Manny said, “Sue?”
She glanced at her father. “I’ll get it.” She rose and went to the door.
Manny said, “John, I’m not sure what to make of you or your wild story.”
Fuller said nothing, taking a deep breath. Even though he had been sitting, he felt more worn out now than when he had come in. He was at a loss for what to do. Even though he had felt compelled to warn them of the possible danger, he knew now he had lost them. They thought he was crazy and would want nothing more to do with him.
His head eased back and forth when he realized he would once again live the life he had left behind. He marveled that when he first shifted, he wanted nothing more than to return here. Now that his original wish was fulfilled, he wanted nothing more than to leave again.
He would never be able to go back to Rita and her constant abuse, nor could he go back to the job he had used as an escape. He no longer wanted that life and despised the man who had lived it. What saddened him the most, however, was that his only link to the woman he loved were these people and the house he sat in. Now he had spoiled any chance of keeping even that connection alive.
As the overpowering burden of his fate weighed down upon him, Fuller heard Sue answer the door. “Hello, may I help you?”
The distant voice at the door asked, “Yes, I’m looking for John Fuller. Is he here?”
“Yes, he is, come in.”
Fuller grimaced as he stood to see who it was. He almost fell back in the chair when the sight of Jen struck him as hard as any punch he had endured.
“Jen? My God!” Unable to contain himself, he ran to her, almost falling.
“Oh, John! I thought we may never find you,” cried Jen as she hugged him.
Fuller could barely breathe from her powerful embrace. Air was only secondary though as the love he felt from her was more important. He grappled her tight and tears began to flow from his eyes. Complete exhaustion having overtaken him, he was powerless to hold them back.
“Oh, Jen, even if I have to be stuck here, at least I’ll have you with me.”
Jen released him. “You’re not stuck here. We’ve made arrangements to bring you back.”
“Bring me back?” Fuller said, his knees buckling. Jen supported his weight and kept him from falling.
“Sit him in the chair,” said Manny.
Jen did so and kneeled down beside him. When she turned to look at who had spoken, she shot off the floor, her eyes bulging. “Dr. Manders!” She turned back to Fuller and blared out, “John, that’s Dr. Manders!”
“Yeah, I know.”
Manny shook his head as he looked at Sue. “Everyone seems to know me.” He looked back at Jen. “And who are you, young lady, that you know me?”
Before she could respond, Fuller said, “Dr. Manders, this is Jen. She’s the robot from the parallel universe I was telling you about.”
“What?” He began to shake his head. “Hell, son, now I know you’re crazy. That’s a woman if I ever saw one.”
“No, sir. Now I can prove I was telling you the truth,” declared Fuller, gaining some of his strength. “Jen, show him your battery compartment.”
She did as requested and pulled up her top. Manny’s eyes widened when he caught sight of her breasts
. “Damn it, girl! What the hell are you do… ing?”
His voice broke off when Jen exposed her electronics. Manny froze, but Sue came forward, her eyes bursting. “What the…” She examined Jen then turned to her father. “Dad, I knew it. He’s telling the truth.”
Fuller exclaimed, “You mean you believed me?”
An odd look came over Sue’s face. “Yeah, I did. You know too much about my dad, the project and me to be lying. Besides, there’s something about you that made me trust you.”
Manny dropped back in his chair. “I thought he was trying to trick us to get information. He knew a lot about the shifting project and us, but I thought it was some kind of trick. But this…” He pointed at Jen but could say no more.
Jen tore her eyes from Manny and kneeled down next to Fuller. She asked, “Are you feeling better now, John?”
He put a hand on her shoulder. “Yeah. Now that you’re here and I know I can get back to Sue.”
She looked at Dr. Manders for a second then back to Fuller. She said in a low voice, “Good. Because I’d like to talk to you about something. Sue’s outside and I’d like to give her a present after all she’s been through…”
*****
Sue paced back and forth along the front porch, the downpour slowing to a gentle shower. There was a peaceful thrumming as the drops hit the roof and the occasional soft rumble when far-off lightning flashes glowed in the sky. She looked at the wicker chair and thought of sitting but was too nervous from the lightning.
“Who am I kidding? It’s not the damn lightning,” she said.
As she flopped in the rattan seat, she admitted to herself that it was Fuller. It had been eight and a half months since he had disappeared, and now her fate rested on all the measurements they made and the calculations they performed. Would they be wrong and he was not here?
Once Jen had suggested he could still be living, she ran back to the machine with the others following. They pored over the logs to check the possibility he survived, and if so, where he may be. When the numbers showed the power levels well within the limits that a person could survive, Sue was elated. Then came the heartbreak. Given the field instabilities, there was no way to determine where he would end up or if he would ever come back. It was days before she gave up hope that he would just reappear.
Once optimism was lost and everyone gave in, Jen shifted back to her universe. She collected every scrap of data contained in the library computer that could help them solve the mystery. It was then that Sue gained a new respect for her.
When everyone else had given up, Jen refused to. If it had only been Sue who continued the search, Bechler and the other scientists in his lab would have talked her into forgetting about Fuller and made her move on with her life. However, with Jen’s unwavering certainty that they would find him, and both of them united in convincing the others, they had succeeded in gaining their help.
They started by studying the strange oscillations that Bechler had detected in the matter of Fuller’s body then progressed to the phenomenon that occurred when that unstable shift took place. If not for the vast amount of information brought back by Jen, they never would have stumbled upon the truth. It was possible not only to shift to an alternate universe but also to any time in its past or future, and any location within it. Once uncovered though, it became an even greater task to track down Fuller’s whereabouts.
Sue was tireless in her efforts. She spent every waking hour working on the problem and even dreamt up several ideas in her sleep. Despite her efforts though, she also knew she never would have made the slightest dent in the puzzle without Jen.
As hard as Sue worked, Jen worked that much harder. Without the need for sleep, she stayed with the problem twenty-four hours a day. While Sue slept, Jen was busy running additional experiments or crunching numbers with her internal processing unit. When the calculations grew so vast that even she could not handle them, she would go to the library computer and set the problem to it.
Sue stood again and started to pace across the porch floor. Jen was taking so long in there; it must mean the worst. If he was here like they had hoped, the two of them would have already emerged. Her stomach turned at the thought as a breeze from the rain-sweetened air caressed the curls of her hair.
As she continued her walk, she went over the two possibilities for Fuller that she and Jen had concluded. The first alternative chilled Sue when she thought of it. The matter in his body would never stabilize and he would forever shift from universe to universe. Time would have no meaning for him, and he would go in and out of one reality and then to the next; circling without end until the last of all the infinite universes ceased to exist.
The second alternative was that his matter would stabilize, and he would end up back in his own universe. There was no way to tell when or where in his universe this would be though. He could appear in the vacuum of space light years from Earth and billions of years in the past or future. Wherever and whenever it was, he would stay there, the matter being stable in his own universe.
Using Bechler’s scan of Fuller, they were able to determine his universe of origin. Jen theorized the most likely place he would return to it would be the time and location he left it from. Sue estimated the time by the memory of when he first appeared on her doorstep so many months before. As for location, it would be in the driveway of her parallel house. It had only been within the last hour that Jen returned from the library with the parameters to set the quantum shifter to bring the two of them here.
As Sue reached the far end of the porch, she heard a creak when the front door opened. She knelt behind a wicker chair in case it was this universe’s version of her. She had not wanted to shock the poor woman so that was why Jen had gone in alone.
When she saw it was Jen, she let out a breath of relief and stood. When the screen door shut, realization pounded like a hammer against her heart. Fuller was not with her. He was not here!
“Oh my God, Jen, now we’ll never find him!” Sue cried as tears rolled down her cheeks. She became woozy and thudded into one of the chairs.
Jen ran to her. “No, Sue, No! He’s here. He’s inside.” She knelt beside Sue and put a hand on her shoulder. “He’s here inside and he’s all right!”
“He is?” Sue exclaimed. “He’s here? He’s all right?”
“Yes, he’s fine,” said Jen, grinning. “He’s a little beaten up and tired out, but he’s fine otherwise.”
A warm feeling started in Sue’s heart and spread throughout her body. He was here! She grabbed Jen and hugged her. “Oh, Jen, we did it! We found him!”
The tears started again, this time in elation. The months they had labored had been worth it after all. She pulled away and gazed into Jen’s eyes. “There’s no way I could have found him without you. Thank you.”
“I can say the same thing. If you’d given up, I would have too. Besides, I love him too you know. Maybe not in the same way the two of you love each other, but he’s still very important to me. It took me a few months to sort out my feelings, but I have.”
Sue embraced her again. “I know.”
As they released each other, Sue wiped her eyes and looked towards the door. “By the way, why didn’t he come out with you? You said he was all right. He can walk, can’t he?”
“Oh sure. He’s fine, but he wanted you to come inside. That’s why I came out to get you.”
“I don’t know, Jen. I’m not sure that’s a good idea. I don’t want to upset the other me from this universe.”
“No, it’s okay,” said Jen. “He’s already told her about us. I had to open my battery compartment to prove I was a robot and that he was telling the truth about going to a parallel universe.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m positive.” Jen nodded and slipped Sue’s hand into her own. “Come in.” She helped Sue from the chair
and led her to the door.
When Sue entered, she could see the house was like her own. In fact, if she had not seen that the barn was different when they shifted here, she could not be sure this was not her own home. When she rounded the corner into the living room, she could see the mirror image of herself standing beside the chair she usually sat in. She said to her other self, “Hi.”
The other Sue shook her head. “This is so strange. Now I know you’re telling me the truth.”
As Sue continued around the corner, she could see who the other woman was talking to. It was Fuller. Her heart leaped when she saw him.
“John!” she yelled as she ran to him.
Fuller stood but almost fell over from the impact when she thrust herself at him. She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed as hard as she could, not wanting to let go. If it were possible, she would have wrapped her entire being around him and engulfed him in her love. Her life had been emptier than she could have ever imaged all these months. She knew it would be a long time before she would let him go anywhere without her; the fear of losing him again would be so great.
“God I missed you so much, Sue,” said Fuller in a shaky voice.
“I missed you too!” cried Sue, her tears flowing again. “I was afraid you wouldn’t be here, and that I’d never see you again.”
Fuller kissed her and her entire body became warm with pleasure. When he tried to end the kiss, she would not let him. She tightened her grip around his neck and pulled him back in. When breathless, she released him.
Fuller wiped his eyes and grinned at her. “Jen and I have a surprise for you.”
“What’s that?” she asked, wiping her own eyes.
“Look over there,” said Fuller, pointing to where the other Sue stood.
Sue was about to say she had already seen the other woman when her eye caught the motion of someone leaning forward in the chair. Her eyes shot down and her mind reeled from what she saw. Her head began to tingle, and the room seemed to darken but for the glowing vision she saw across the room.
“Daddy?”
Although the apparition seemed to float from the chair as it stood, she realized it was not some wishful dream. It really was her father standing before her in the flesh.
“Daddy!”
As she rushed to him, the memory of a time long since passed flashed in her mind. She was that little girl again who ran to him every night when he came home. Once more, he was the man she worshipped above all others—her whole life, her whole world.
When she reached him, she threw her arms around him, half expecting he would fade from existence and in his place would be emptiness. When he remained and she could feel the solid rock of a man he had always been, she hugged him and cried out, “Daddy, you’re really here!”
At first, the old scientist seemed unsure of what to do and stood there with his arms hanging at his sides. Then the look on his face softened when the realization seemed to strike that the young woman holding him, although from a different universe, was still his daughter. His arms enveloped her as he returned the loving embrace. When he laid his head onto to hers and began stroking her glistening dark hair, he whispered to her, “Of course I am, sweetheart. I’ve been here the whole time.”
*****
Jen exploded in laughter when the blowtorch shot into Moe’s backside, flames blasting out between his open legs.
It was Fuller’s suggestion that she watch these old-time, short films. He had purchased them and said if she wanted to learn more about humor, she should start with the classic slapstick comedy teams. He assured her this was some of the funniest comedy ever created, and she had to agree. What she liked the most was that despite there being no audio of a laughing audience in the background, it was very apparent when something funny was happening.
As the plumbing misadventures continued onscreen, she heard the doorbell ring. A scowl replaced the smile on her face, knowing she would have to answer the door. Sue and Fuller were on the back patio, and they would not hear the chime. With reluctance, she paused the player and went to the door.
When she opened it, Humboldt smiled at her. “Hi, Jen. How are you today?”
“I’m fine, Director. Come in. I’ll get Sue for you.”
“Actually, I’d like to talk with you for a few minutes before you do that.” He motioned towards the porch chairs. “It’s such a nice day, why don’t we talk out here?”
The smile left Jen’s face for a moment as her eyes shifted towards the living room and then back to Humboldt. The comedy would have to wait for a while. She sighed. “Of course.”
They sat in rattan chairs facing the tree-lined yard, the flower-scented breeze caressing her face. She had chosen the seat at the southern end of the porch, which was in full sun. Although it could get quite hot this time of year, she enjoyed the feel of its pulsing rays on her skin. Her eyes adjusted to the shadowed light by Humboldt as she turned to look at him when he spoke.
“Well, Jen, as you know, I’ve asked several times about getting access to some of the technology from your universe.” Humboldt leaned forward in the chair and continued, “I know the first few times we talked about it you were busy trying to get John back and didn’t want to discuss it. Well, John’s back now, and I’m hoping that you’re ready to talk about it.” Humboldt held up the palm of his hand towards Jen. “Mind you, I’m not trying to be impatient here, but I would like to know if you’ve considered it yet.” He sat back in the chair, folding his arms and waiting for an answer.
Jen knew she had put this off long enough. Decisions like this had never been part of her original programming and so had been quite difficult. She had done the research needed to come to her conclusion some time ago but then hesitated in acting upon it. Although she had learned to deal with emotions better in the year since her body had been reactivated, finding a way to deal with this problem was not easy. She did not want to hurt someone she had grown to love and respect. She had put this off long enough though and thought the solution she had come up with was the right one.
“Yes, Director, I think I can give you an answer,” she said, sitting back and folding her arms to mirror his. “I’ve decided to give you the information necessary to construct inter-universal power units such as the ones we use in my universe.” A smile hinted at Humboldt’s lips while Jen continued, “However, I’ll only do so with conditions.”
Humboldt leaned forward, the smile having turned to a scowl. “What would the conditions be?”
She ignored his irritation. “The shifting project you have been working on must be terminated and the current machine disassembled. Further, you must not pursue this line of research or construct other machines in the future.”
Humboldt, his scowl deepening, asked, “Why do you want that?”
“We have already seen the corruption of one universe occur, and I feel the danger of this happening again is too great as long as the quantum shifter at Gladstone exists.”
“Come on now, Jen, just because some dishonest individuals within my organization took advantage of the situation doesn’t mean we should end the project. I can assure you, I’ve taken steps to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”
A suggestion of a smile crossed Jen’s lips when she unfolded her arms and relaxed into the chair. “Director, you and I both know that there were never any corrupt individuals, only agents following orders.”
Humboldt shifted in his chair. “What do you mean?”
“I’ve had access to your agency’s network for some time now. I’ve also accessed your personal computer and Agent McAndrews’ computer when he was still with us. I know everything.”
“And what is it you think you know?” he questioned with a blank face.
“I know that when Sue discovered parallel Earths, you pushed to have a larger machine constructed. Once completed, you bega
n a program of transporting agents to discover what the other universes contained. Since you knew that Sue and Dr. Manders would never go along with your exploitation of other universes, Dr. Philips assisted you without their knowledge.
“As the afterhours shifting increased, the electric usage increased. The cost became so high that you went over budget on the project. When you did this, the chairman of Gladstone Industries complained to you and threatened to shut down the whole project. You attempted to lobby Congress to increase your budget, but they in fact threatened to cut it back because they felt there was a lack of progress. You had promised them unlimited electric power for too long, and the only result they saw was more money spent. While you continued to lobby them, you came up with the idea of exploiting the universes to make money to support the project. This was never authorized by anyone but you, Director.
“The universe of the empire was the perfect discovery for you. In it, you found Placidia, someone who not only had the hunger for more power but the riches to back it up. Therefore, you sold him guns in return for gold. With the millions you transported back, you were able to buy the electricity you needed and bribe those necessary to keep things quiet.
“What you didn’t know then and still may be unaware of is that Phil Baxter wanted to get his piece of the pie too, so to speak. He was selling them other weapons, namely hand grenades. You didn’t trust Phil and knew something was going on but were never able to determine what. When Phil walked in on Dr. Manders and found out he was aware of the additional shifting, he murdered him and the agent from Vince’s universe. He had to be sure they couldn’t reveal anything about the extra shifts he was making for his own sales.
“After the murder of Dr. Manders, you brought McAndrews in to investigate Phil. At first, he was doing as you instructed. Once Phil showed him how much money was coming in from his unauthorized sales though, he decided to partner with Phil instead of reporting this back to you.”
Jen could see the muscles of Humboldt’s jaw tighten for a moment and then relax. She continued, “When you discovered my universe, it was all you had hoped to find and more. It was a society which was not only more advanced but with no people there to stop you from taking the information which would give you power greater than you had ever imagined. All you had to do was break into the library computer and the treasure was yours. What you didn’t count on, however, was that the computer was guarded by a robot as sophisticated as me that could transport back and break into your computer systems to discover your deception. You also never considered the possibility that there might be other universes such as Vince’s which might detect what you were doing and investigate as well.”
Humboldt was silent for a moment after she had finished but then said, “That’s quite an accusation, but you don’t have the evidence to prove any of it.”
“Actually, Director, I do. I’ve downloaded to myself and the library computer all documents I was able to access from your computers. It is very definitive and damaging evidence I might add.”
Humboldt’s eyes narrowed as he leaned forward and asserted, “Any documents you may have were illegally obtained. I could prosecute you for breaking into the DAP network.”
Jen chuckled. “Come now, Director. The last thing you want is to prosecute me and bring any of this into the open.” She sat forward. “I also would like to make you aware of something else, Director. I’ve given Vince and the government of his universe all the pertinent facts and evidence in this case as well. In fact, they suspected all along that you were part of the conspiracy. Once they made Dr. Manders aware of what was happening, he tried to dissuade them from believing you were involved. He was never able to sway Vince’s people; however, they were able to convince Dr. Manders not to say anything about their investigation to anyone, including you.”
Although Humboldt’s face had only hinted at emotion up to this point, she could now see his jaw tremor as he ground his teeth together. She continued, “While they suspected your involvement, what wasn’t known was if Congress and the President were authorizing these forays into alternate universes.
“There is another thing I would like to make you aware of, Director. If Vince’s government is not a deterrent, I programmed the library computer to erase its data if I don’t report to it weekly. So, if you have any ideas of my having an accident, you can forget about ever getting any technology from my universe.”
“That won’t happen,” said Humboldt, shaking his head. “It was never my intent to harm anyone. The only reason I did all this was to find technology to help protect us from our enemies and to get us away from using fossil fuels.” He continued, spitting out his words. “It’s the damn politicians that have gotten us into this mess, and I knew if I told them everything, they would find some excuse not to act. Those bastards are so afraid of their own shadows they’re paralyzed. I had to do it myself to protect us.”
“I suppose you believe that to some degree, Director, but I’ve studied human history and know better. There are many examples of men who sought personal power that justified their actions because it was for the betterment of their country, empire or humankind in general. Millions have died or been maimed in wars for such noble purposes. When looked at through the lens of objectivity with the passing of time though, it can be distilled down to the simple act of feeding a power-hungry individual or group.”
“All right, Jen, all right. What is it you want from me?”
“As I said, I would like the shifting project to be ended and all further research on it by your government ceased.”
“All right. I’ll do it, but it’ll crush Sue you know. How will I explain all this to her?” said Humboldt, seeming genuine in his concern for Sue.
“That’s simple. Since I’ll be providing the technology to you, you’ll tell her the government feels there is no more need for further research in this area and will stop the funding. Since we have a research lab in the barn with the equipment Vince shifted over, I’ll convince her that she and I can continue the work there. Further, since I expect to receive a license fee for every inter-universal power unit produced, I’ll provide whatever funding we need to continue.”
Humboldt scowled again. “A license fee?”
“Yes, Director. I think the least I can expect from you and your government is a patent on the unit which would allow me to license the technology.”
“Yes, yes, very well. I’ll make sure to get that pushed through for you,” he said, seeming to resign himself to the fact that Jen held all the cards in this game.
“Since I’ll be releasing other technology to you in the future, I expect to have a similar arrangement for other devices as well.”
“All right. Anything else?”
“No, I think that covers everything for now.”
Humboldt’s face dropped as he stared at the floor of the porch. He asked in a low voice, “I have one question: does Sue know anything about what you just told me?”
“No, Director. I’ve told her none of this. I don’t intend for her to ever know of your involvement.”
Humboldt sank back in the chair and let out a deep breath. “Thank you.” After a moment, his brows knitted and he asked, “Why not?”
“Despite the fact that it was your plan that got Dr. Manders killed, I know you didn’t have anything to do with his murder directly. From what I’ve gathered, he and Sue are the closest thing to a family you have. While you may deceive them, I don’t think you’d ever intentionally harm them. Beyond that, all this has hurt Sue enough. I don’t want to put her though the pain of finding out your part in her father’s death. You see, Director, she not only worshipped her father but does you as well.”
She could see his eyes moisten when he said, “Nobody ever gave a damn about me except Manny. I loved him like he was my brother, and Sue like she’s my own daughter. I never meant to hurt either of them.”
“No, but you were willing to put Sue in
harm’s way.”
“If I’d known that Sue had a machine here and was going to transport to the other universes, I would have stopped her.”
“I don’t mean that. I’m talking about you sending McAndrews here to kidnap Sue so you could get rid of him.”
“I don’t know what you mean,” he asserted, shifting in his chair again.
“Why won’t you just be honest with me, Director? I know you sent McAndrews and crew here under the premise of eliminating all of us so you could come charging in and kill them. You knew you only had two options to cover yourself once Sue told you what she had exposed. You could eliminate Sue, John and me so that you and McAndrews could continue shifting to my universe and hack into the library computer. Your second option was to eliminate McAndrews and company, pin everything on them and talk me into giving you the information.
“Since you were unwilling to kill Sue, you had to get rid of McAndrews. Once out of the way, it gave you the ability to pin all the blame for shifting the weapons on him and Phil.” Humboldt was about to say something, but Jen cut in, “Before you deny this, Director, Vince found out you were involved the day of the raid on the barn. When Phil came back to the barn after going into the house to look for me, McAndrews said, and I quote, ‘Where’s the robot?’”
“How did McAndrews know I was a robot? Everybody who’s ever seen me is convinced I’m human. The only people who knew my true nature were John, Sue and Vince. Once Sue came to see you, you knew as well. Since none of us told McAndrews, that leaves only you, Director.”
Humboldt looked down again. “I didn’t want it to get as far as it did. We were supposed to get to McAndrews when he was still coming up to the house. I couldn’t get my tactical team here fast enough.” He looked at Jen and pleaded, “You have to believe me. I didn’t want to cut it that close. How could I? Sue might have been hurt or killed.”
Jen stared at him for a moment, assessing his words. “I believe you, Director. Like I said before, I don’t think you would harm Sue on purpose, but I also know you’ll never risk her life like that again.”
Jen’s eyes narrowed as she said in a low voice, “I am like you in one respect, Director. John and Sue are the only family I have too, and I’ll do whatever it takes to protect them.”
EPILOGUE
