Mission Multiverse

by Rebecca Caprara

  Ming listened carefully. “I knew there was something bigger afoot, but I never imagined it was so sinister.”

  “Our families need us now more than ever.” Tessa longed to see Zoey and her parents. To make sure they were safe. “Our world is on the brink of collapse.”

  “At the hands of some extra evil dudes,” Lewis added.

  “And it’s up to us to save it,” Isaiah said.

  Ming shook his head forlornly. “I wish I could do more to help, but I’ve never successfully crossed back into Dim14.”

  “That’s okay,” Isaiah said, resting a hand on his uncle’s shoulder. “One step at a time. Right now, we just need to get back to Station Liminus.”

  “The place you just escaped from? You want to go back there? So soon?” Ming scratched his head.

  Isaiah nodded. “We have to get back to the Station and stop Shro before he convinces the council to compactify Earth.”

  “And simultaneously unleashes a super virus intended to wipe out half the multiverse and enslave the rest.” Maeve stood up, feeling energized. “We can’t just sit around on this beach. We have to do something!”

  Ming looked at the kids, marveling at their bravery, determination, and leadership. “Even if you stop the vote, how do you plan to return to Earth?” he asked.

  “My dad’s at NASA now with Tessa’s mom and sister, working to repair the collider,” Dev said. “Hopefully it will be ready soon. But first, we need to interrupt the council’s meeting.”

  Ming rose to his feet. “In that case, I may be able to help.”

  “ Really, Uncle Ming?” Isaiah said hopefully.

  Ming smiled, squinting into the sun. “I know my way around the Station pretty well. Most portals connect through Gate Hall, but not all of them. We’ll need to sneak you in through a back door of sorts.”

  Lewis hopped up. “Okay, we’re listening …”

  “We must move quickly. This way.” Ming walked to the water’s edge and dove into the ocean.

  “Where are you going?” Isaiah called over the crashing waves. “We need to go to the Station, not go for a swim!”

  “There is a portal at the edge of the reef,” Ming said, treading water and waving them toward the horizon. “It materializes briefly at sunset.”

  Lewis looked up at the sky, turning from blue to bright orange and pink. “Which is basically now. Let’s move, people!”

  “There better not be sharks or stinging jellyfish on this planet,” Tessa mumbled, dipping a toe into the salty surf.

  One by one, they swam out to the reef. It was teeming with fish and sea turtles. If they weren’t in such a rush to save the multiverse, Maeve would have enjoyed snorkeling around for a while.

  “There! Do you see those rays of dancing light coming up from a crack in the coral?” Ming said as they got closer to the portal. “That’s where you need to go. There’s a large rock blocking the entry; I’ll dive down and push it aside, holding the portal open as long as I can. Once you’re right above the opening, take a deep breath of air and dive straight down. Don’t stop until you cross the Threshold. You’ll feel a magnetic pull and crushing pressure, but that’s normal.”

  “Oh, goody,” Lewis said. Maeve splashed him playfully. He splashed her back.

  “What about you?” Isaiah asked his uncle, worry creasing his brow.

  Ming shook his head dismissively. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll make sure everyone finds their way through the portal, then I’ll follow.” In reality, Ming knew he couldn’t handle another Transfer. His last trip to the Station had drained him more than he’d let on. He wagered he had just enough strength left in him to hold the portal open for the kids, though not a whole lot more. But he knew if he told his nephew this, Isaiah would insist on staying behind with him on L’oress. There was too much at stake; Ming couldn’t let that happen. The Conroy Cadets were Earth’s only hope.

  “One thing to keep in mind,” Ming said as they gathered together above the reef. “You’ll enter the Station through the plumbing valves on the nineteenth floor. You may be a little soggy upon arrival, but it’s better than coming through Gate Hall with a pack of hungry space wolves ready to devour you.”

  “Very true,” Dev agreed.

  “What do you say? Ready?” Ming asked.

  “Ready as we’ll ever be,” Tessa replied.

  Ming paused, exhaling a long breath. “You kids are going to change the world, I know it,” he said. “Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. And remember, there’s always more to the story.” He turned to Isaiah and smiled warmly. “See you on the other side, kid.” He took a deep breath and disappeared beneath the waves.

  Isaiah watched him go. “See you on the other side, Uncle Ming.”

  One by one, the cadets dove down, kicking and swimming toward the light.

  70

  EARTH

  The room smelled of burning rubber and barbequed steak.

  “Did it work?” Zoey asked, fanning the fumes away. Her safety goggles had flown straight off her face, landing several feet behind.

  “It’s too soon to say,” Dr. Khatri said, popping his head up, looking around the quantum collider lab. The Syntropitron was heavy in his hands, the tip of its barrel sparking with flecks of bright light. He set it down carefully and stepped around the overturned storage unit he’d used as a makeshift barricade.

  “Look!” Professor McGillum said, touching the wall. The previously charred and melted panels were restored to a smooth, pristine white.

  Mayor Hawthorne moved beside her daughter protectively. “Are you okay?” she asked.

  “Yeah, I’m fine, Mom. You?”

  “I’m all right.” She kissed the top of Zoey’s head.

  An orange laser beam cut through the smoke and steam. Beep! Beep!

  They all jumped back.

  There was a fizzle, a pop. A long hiss.

  The air cleared, revealing a glittering cylindrical structure in the center of the room. An array of glowing buttons adorned a curved console. A screen blinked to life.

  A soothing AI voice announced, “System: Activated.”

  71

  STATION LIMINUS

  “Order! Order!” Ignatia rapped the ruby gavel on the onyx table.

  The council was in a state of turmoil. An emergency session had been called and delegates and constituents yelled between the aisles. Accusations flew back and forth; tempers flared.

  “I said ORDER!” Ignatia’s powerful voice reverberated off the faceted walls. She swept her arms wide, her indigo robes undulating dramatically.

  Hidden behind a row of seats in the very back of the meeting chamber, the children crouched down lower, waiting for the right moment. Isaiah tried to focus, but he was distraught. His uncle hadn’t arrived as planned and Isaiah’s heart felt heavy. He worried something had gone wrong with the portal. He held on to hope that his uncle would come soon, but there was no time to waste.

  “We will now hear General

  Shro’s case in favor of compactification,” Ignatia declared. Shro moved to the central podium, his broad back straining against his jacket. He regarded the delegates and bowed graciously before them. “My esteemed peers, as you know, the Earthlings caused unprecedented damage and upheaval during their short stay on Station Liminus. Despite our warm hospitality and our best efforts to work with them, they were resistant, defiant, and disrespectful of our culture and policies. Their own delegate, Mr. Salvido Finto, never even returned to the Station on his planet’s behalf. He chose instead to leave the fate of his dimension in the hands of a bunch of raucous children.”

  Several constituents heckled and hollered insults from the crowd.

  “I know,” Shro cooed, stoking the embers of hate glowing in the eyes of the audience. “Earth did not send their best and brightest. They sent frauds. Thieves! Liars! Criminals whose very presence threatens the sanctity of our great multiverse!”

  A wave of discontent rolled through the meeting chamber.

/>   “Order!” Ignatia hollered. “Order!”

  Shro’s wiry muscles rippled beneath his leather jacket. He waited for the crowd to settle.

  “Instead of embracing our generous offers of collaboration, the lowly Earthlings destroyed Station property, unleashing mayhem, and”—he paused for effect—”caused serious injury to one of our top staff members.”

  The audience gasped. Some shook their fists and claws with fury. Beaks clacked, snouts grunted crossly.

  “Excuse me? If I may interject?” Duna approached the podium. Shro shot them an icy glare, but Ignatia nodded acquiescently.

  Duna produced a sheet of pixel paper. They held it up for all to see. “To follow up on General Shro’s last statement, I received word that Lino, the creature keeper whose arm was bitten by a crark during this morning’s unfortunate animal breach, has successfully regrown his maimed limb.”

  Shro scowled.

  Duna continued. “As a reminder, Lino is a member of the Echinus race, capable of sophisticated appendage regeneration, much like starfish and harp lizards.”

  Noisy chatter erupted down the aisle. The kids, still hidden, breathed a sigh of relief, grateful not to have dismemberment weighing on their consciences.

  “Very good. Thank you for sharing that important update,” Ignatia said. “General Shro, please proceed with your closing statements.”

  “It would be my pleasure,” he replied. “As you may know, our sentries apprehended the Earthlings, but alas, they escaped.” The crowd gasped. “Yes, unfortunately it’s true. They are currently on the run, somewhere beyond Station Liminus.” He shrugged. “Who knows? They may be hiding out in one of your dimensions, plotting terrible acts of violence … or worse.”

  The audience pulsed with ire, discord, and fear.

  Shro shouted, “Mark my words: I will not rest until I find the Earthling fugitives, even if it means traveling to the ends of the multiverse.” Shro raised a fist in the air. The audience roared. “Justice must be served. Dim14 will pay for its misdeeds!”

  “Yes, well, that will require a vote, General Shro,” Ignatia said, trying to regain control of the meeting.

  “A vote, then,” Shro said, riding the surge in support from angry council members and constituents. “I move to halt all aid and compactify Earth at once!”

  “Compactify Earth! Compactify Earth!” Quirg chanted on cue.

  Dev’s skin felt hot, his insides roiling with anger as the chant grew louder. Maeve closed her eyes briefly and tried to get into character, envisioning herself as a warrior about to venture into battle. Tessa bit her lip and sent a text message to Zoey, telling her how much she missed her. Isaiah glanced over his shoulder, hoping Ming would appear. Lewis peeked under the seat and picked up a pack of vellwaffers that must have fallen off a catering cart. He unpeeled the wrapper and took a bite. Maeve heard the rustling sound and opened her eyes. She shot him a look.

  What? he mouthed. Some people stress eat, okay? Don’t judge. Maeve rolled her eyes before turning her attention back to the council.

  “Compactify Earth!” Xol shouted.

  Ignatia put her hands up to silence the chant, which was catching on like wildfire.

  Duna returned to the podium, pushing back against the swell of ill will. “Stop! All of you. We cannot act so brashly. Shro, you misrepresent and diminish the Earthlings. We were never able to explore the potential of their abilities. We must give them another chance.”

  “How can we give them another chance? They fled!” Shro cackled. “They are fugitives, cowards, wanted criminals! They are—”

  “We’re right here!” Dev shouted, standing up, chin high, shoulders back.

  Shro’s jaw tightened, his stony eyes narrowed. “You have quite a knack for making dramatic exits and entrances.”

  “That’s because we’re performers,” Maeve said, popping up at Dev’s side, flanked by Tessa, Lewis, and Isaiah. “And this is our grand finale. Aten-hut!” she called.

  Duna gave them a relieved look, smiling weakly. They had been searching for the cadets everywhere, to no avail.

  “Guards! Seize them!” Shro barked, but Ignatia raised her hand, overriding his orders.

  “No. I want to hear what they have to say for themselves.” She studied the Earthlings, her horns shifting between colors. “You may approach the podium.”

  The five cadets marched, heads held high, sneakers and boots squelching with sea water, dripping down the illuminated aisle.

  72

  STATION LIMINUS

  “We’re telling the truth,” Maeve said after they had made their case.

  “Lies! Ludicrous, outlandish lies!” Shro’s voice was full of gravel and grit. “They insult us with their falsehoods and fabrications! Let us not be swayed by these delinquent Earthlings.”

  “We can prove it,” Dev said intrepidly.

  Duna cocked their head to the side. Ignatia leaned forward expectantly. “Can you really?”

  “Show them,” Maeve said to Tessa.

  Tessa stepped forward. She pulled up her right sleeve, exposing her eChron watch. She tapped a button. An audio recording filled the air.

  Shro’s voice echoed throughout the chamber. His confession in Gate Hall, his devious plot, was laid bare for all to hear.

  The other council members turned, eyeing him suspiciously, the air in the room shifting. His carmine face paled as he realized his plans were crumbling.

  Ignatia closed her eyes and inhaled, processing the weight of the information. When she opened her eyes again, her violet irises were bright and determined.

  “Guards!” she commanded. “Arrest General Shro. He is hereby stripped of all titles. He will remain in custody until a full trial can be arranged.” She turned to address him directly. “You will be held accountable for your betrayal and manipulations. The Multiverse Allied Council will uncover the Empyrean One’s identity and stop the malicious plans you set in motion before it is too late.”

  “Never!” Shro strained against the guards, kicking and thrashing. “This is not the end! This is only the beginning! The Empyrean One will not stand for this! Dimension8 will rise again! We will prevail. We will—” The guards zapped him with their stunclubs. Shro crumpled to the floor. They heaved him up, snapped electromagnetic shackles to his wrists and ankles, and hauled him out of the room.

  “What about the vote?” Xol asked, addressing Secretary Leapkeene. “The fate of Earth must be decided.”

  The chamber doors flew open. A majestic woman entered, a crown of gilded narwhal tusks and limpets circled her head. A sweeping pearlescent carapace rose from her back, curving gracefully to frame her face and shoulders. She wore liquid turquoise silks that moved like ocean waves, with white frills cresting and curling at her ankles and wrists. A small child with wide, glacial blue eyes and a smaller carapace stood beside her.

  “Virri!” Tessa cried out.

  The child gave a shy wave and smiled.

  The rest of the council immediately bowed graciously.

  “Your Highness,” Ignatia said with deep reverence. “We have been eagerly awaiting your return.”

  “As have I,” replied Eryna, Queen of Klapproth.

  “Your speech! It has been restored!” Ignatia held a hand to her throat. “We thought the silvox virus rendered you silent indefinitely. What a relief to hear your voice. It is needed now more than ever. Our alliance is in a state of great unrest.”

  “I am aware.”

  “You are? But how … ?”

  “The plague that struck Klapproth was engineered by General Shro’s biological warfare operative. Upon realizing that I had uncovered some of his more nefarious plans, he plunged my innocent planet into total silence and disabled all of our communication devices. Then he issued a multiverse-wide interdiction rife with inaccuracies and scare tactics, cutting us off from all our allies.”

  The Klapprothi queen gestured to the door. A teenage girl in a shabby maroon jumpsuit with a shock of white hair appeared
. She bowed to the queen and council.

  “Thanks to Kor, the resourceful Ebvarienne trader, I was able to circumvent the interdiction and transport my daughter, Virri, onto the Station clandestinely.”

  “That’s a fancy way to say smuggled, right?” Lewis asked. Maeve nodded.

  Eryna continued. “Working with Duna and the Earthlings, Virri was able to reactivate our dimension’s triskaidecagon and transmit information back to me on Klapproth using the Earthlings’ musical sound waves.” She regarded the children with kind, serene eyes. “Once our communication channels were restored, Duna contacted their allies on Mertanya to bring me here today.” She smiled gratefully at Duna, Kor, and the cadets. “If it weren’t for them, I would not be here with you today.”

  “Is all of this true?” Ignatia asked in astonishment.

  They nodded.

  Eryna took her seat at the massive thirteen-sided onyx table. “I will gladly cast my vote in favor of assisting planet Earth of Dimension14. We must do whatever we can to halt Shro’s latest pathogen before it infects us all.”

  “What about the others?” Dev asked. “Shro wasn’t working alone. Dr. Scopes? The Empyrean One? They’re still out there.”

  Ignatia’s voice was firm. “We will identify each and every operative associated with this dark plan and deliver justice.”

  Quirg squirmed in his seat. Sweat dripped down his doughy face. “I confess!” he cried miserably, flopping onto the table with a damp squish. “Please! Forgive me! I was coerced, against my will and good judgment.” He wailed. “Shro threatened to destroy my dimension if I disobeyed him. I have young Quomions at home. You know I would do anything to keep my thirty-nine children and fifteen wives happy and safe. I am sorry, so sorry!” He sobbed, racked with guilt and regret. “Punish me, but do not harm my families.” He slid off his chair in a miserable heap.