“But not in a thick concrete cellar. What if we’ve sealed ourselves in?”
“That’s where my analogy falls down. We’ll find out soon enough, I think. But I’m sure I’m onto something.”
He looked at her with bright eyes. “And anyway, believe it or not, I can back up my theory. I can’t look up any references in this world, but I seem to remember in one of my, ah more lengthy pieces on good old Grandpa Rosen, he suggested any wormhole would have a resonant frequency. Like a guitar string tensioned between two points has a natural note—that’s its resonant frequency. So a wormhole is like that string stretched between the two universes.”
She felt the cogs moving in her head. “So, we, or I, only created one type of guitar string between our worlds? With only one note?”
“Yes. More or less, except we’re probably talking about a whole chord of notes. And those are the notes we’ve blocked, or sealed. A bit like pressing mute.”
“Okay. I’m a bit lost though. Are you saying if we tried to make a portal that wasn’t at that same resonance, it would work?” She felt her head starting to swim.
“Yes! That’s exactly it!”
“So what’s it got to do with the mesh-thingy?”
His face fell. “That’s our problem. We have to make a diffuser; block out all the types of energy we used before, and only let through the stuff we haven’t.”
“By the look on your face, you don’t know how to do that.”
“Making the diffuser will be experimental. We’ll have to try lots of different techniques. And I’m relying on the return of your expert painting hand for that. It’s gonna be very finicky work. But at least this time we won’t need to do it in the sky.” His brow creased. “No, I think between you and me, we can do that part, even if it won’t be easy. I think the hard part will be trying to paint a portal through a diffuser. It will be like trying to make a shadow puppet show through thick fog.”
She looked down at her hand and moved her wrist around again. “Then I’d better get started practising.”
Over the next three weeks, she and Nathan made frequent visits to a deserted clearing well beyond the forest. Sarina’s energy was returning to full strength and she was happy to feel her wrist moving as normal, though it wasn’t yet at full strength, not by any means.
They had finished a long session experimenting with fine-tuning the colours of the diffraction grating, as Nathan called it, to see if it made any difference to the energy they used on the other side, and were sitting on the grass chatting, when a noise from the forest made them both twist around. Paolo walked out, followed by Lucio.
“Told you!” Lucio grinned at his big brother.
Paolo sat opposite them and looked at Nathan, then Sarina. “You are preparing to leave.” It wasn’t a question.
Sarina nodded. “We’re only testing something, and if it works, then you would be the first to know, but yes, we are preparing to leave.”
He pursed his lips and nodded slowly. “I would do the same. When I was transported to your world before, it was all I could think of. Getting back home. You have become part of our family now, so perhaps many would be puzzled, but ...”
“What?”
“I know you can be happy here. But there are lives that continue in your world and, by your absence, are less than they could be. So I understand. Lucio told me where you were because he wanted us to help you.”
Lucio grinned. “I watched you. You need the funny low feeling. I want to help.”
Sarina and Nathan looked at each other and shrugged.
“What do you mean, Lucio, the ‘funny low feeling’?” Sarina said.
The boy’s face screwed up as he tried to think of a way to explain. “I show you. You point with the light again.”
Sarina glanced at Nathan, who shrugged again and nodded, and she held out her arm and focused on constructing the fine shimmering structure of the diffraction field. She settled on the indigo hue they both thought seemed just ... right.
Lucio clambered around to her other side and pushed Nathan out of the way. He tentatively held out his arm, then gently rested his hand over hers where she sat, and then concentrated on her other hand painting.
Her chest infused with a deep, humming vibration. As if she was lying on top of a tumble-dryer. An energy, or glow spread out from the vibration and extended down both arms. It reached her hand and imbued it with more life. She gasped, then used the increased energy to speed up painting the fine mesh shape hovering a couple of metres in front of their faces.
“Nathan,” she whispered, “place your hands lightly on my shoulders. Paolo too. Focus like we did before.”
The boys came around and placed their hands. Now all four were joined in creating something the likes of which none of them had seen before.
“It’s beautiful,” she breathed.
The indigo mesh had taken on a holographic appearance, with flashes and rivers of iridescent indigo and purple seams coursing through its latticework.
“Go on. Try it now,” Nathan said, his voice tense.
She said nothing, but flexed her hand back so the palm faced the mesh; took a deep breath, then exhaled as a deep orange jet of crackling plasma left her palm and entered the lattice. She closed her eyes. Now the trick would be to paint something from their world on the other side, but without being able to see what she was painting.
But this time, Lucio’s ‘low feeling’ had given her a sixth sense. She didn’t need to see what she was painting. She could feel it. She laughed gently, and quickly finished the test. She opened her eyes and craned around at Nathan. “Ready?”
“Not to go now, no!” He looked wide-eyed.
“No, not to go. To see if we made a new portal.”
He twisted his mouth. “Guess it’s now or never.” She nodded and turned back. With a sudden sweep of her arm, she pushed the diffraction mesh away. They all drew a sharp intake of breath together. There in front of them, was a perfect portal, inside of which was a perfect image of the lab’s café.
Peering out at them was Lena. Without warning, it winked out, and they all breathed again.
“Well that answers that question then, doesn’t it?” Nathan grinned. “I reckon we can go home. We just have to work out how to keep that thing open a bit longer.”
“What would happen if it winked out like that while we were going through it?”
He squinted at her. “You don’t really want to know the answer to that, do you?” She shook her head.
Lucio jumped up and beamed. “I told Paolo I could help!”
Paolo lifted his hands from Sarina’s shoulders. “I think we should return to the township and let the two Elders make their announcement.”
“Elders? ... Oh!” Sarina blushed.
Through the trail back, Nathan chatted away, happy his hypothesis had born a result. So far. “But I think without Lucio, we might have struggled to get that different frequency. Did it feel any different?”
She nodded as they walked. “Yes. Like I was using a different part of me to paint with. Same energy, but a different sense or something.”
He clapped his hands. “I knew it! ‘Energy Resonance in Practical Wormhole Applications’, I can see it now.” He spread his hands up and across in the air front of him.
She smiled at him. “And you’re welcome to it.” She could feel the tightness in her chest though. Nathan would have a scholarship to go back to, no doubt, what with all his experimentation, but she would go back to an art competition long over, and any chance of an invitation to art school well and truly done and dusted.
“Why are you looking so glum?” He looked at her, puzzled. “Don’t you want to go home?”
“Oh. Yes. I was thinking about art school.”
His face fell. “Ah. Well, after everything you’ve been through, the bloomin’ Queen should give you a job in the palace, I reckon.”
She laughed. “If I’m not in a gaol cell somewhere, helping police with their e
nquiries into terrorist activities!” They emerged from the trail and into the sunny gardens surrounding the township. No matter how friendly the township was, home was beckoning her, whatever was in store for them.
In the end, the farewells took longer than the actual departure.
They had set up an area in the main square, where the market stalls were normally, but today the bunting and flags were especially arranged in tribute for the newly crowned, and shortly to exit, Elders.
Nathan whispered to her. “I hope it works, after all this effort!” She smiled. All morning they had hugged, kissed, and shaken hands with what seemed like every single townsperson. Now, they stood in a circle with their arms over each other’s shoulders. Andreas, Tomas, Paolo, Eva, Lucio, Rocco, Nathan and Sarina.
Eva spoke. “Andreas asked me to speak on all our behalf.” She smiled, and her eyes said more than her mouth. “This way, we will not delay you further. We have come to know you both as friends, and as family. Your courage, wisdom and generosity have left an indelible mark on our lives, and for that, we thank you. You will remain in our hearts and dreams forever.” The others all nodded.
“But though this departure may signify an end of your time with us; it is surely a new beginning for your return. We hope you find your world as you wish it to be, that you are able to pick up your lives, and use this experience to enrich every aspect of them.”
She looked around at her people, then back at Sarina and Nathan. “Though we may never see you again in person, may we all keep each other close in our hearts, and remember vividly the entanglement of our worlds. Thank you, and may you travel safely.”
Sarina wiped away a tear and smiled at Eva. “Thank you for your wise words, as always. We will miss you all. Always.”
She glanced at Nathan, but he shook his head. “Can’t speak. Sorry.”
She looked over at the crowd, standing a respectable distance away. “Then it’s time.”
After Lucio’s first time helping her back in the forest, they had practiced over and over together, and then Lucio had a brilliant idea. Shouldn’t his mother lend her energy too?
Eva’s help was the missing link to the stability of the portal. Sarina wasn’t certain those on the other side knew it was opening; but judging by their reactions, she suspected not. Only on that first occasion, when they’d seen Lena peering through, had there been any sign that the new portal was visible back in their own world. She wondered if it was because of the new resonance. Seeing Lena had given them both hope that their world had survived. Unless it was just an apparition taunting them. She shivered.
Then again, maybe it wasn’t visible back in their own world, because it didn’t work, and they would end up dumped into outer space or something. She drew in a deep breath. Time to be positive.
The five of them walked to the area marked out for them, and set up as they always did: Sarina in front, Nathan and Paolo behind, and Lucio and Eva on her left.
They were well-practiced, and it took little time to weave the diffraction web, as she now thought of it. She paid no attention to the oohs and aahs from the crowd behind watching the glittering mesh evolve, instead closing her eyes, and reaching out to feel the painting she was to make behind it.
Slowly and carefully, she created the image, now more vivid than ever, and feeling it to be real.
They agreed it would be safest to move as quickly as possible though the opening and, feeling the tightness in her stomach, she opened her eyes, glanced back at Nathan and nodded. He nodded back. They were ready.
She looked forward at the glittering and shimmering mesh suspended in the air in front of them A short run, a small jump, and they would be through.
She held up her palm and waved the mesh away, barely noticing it disperse into vapour then vanish. Without any hesitation, she sprinted to the opening. She heard Nathan hot on her heels, and she steeled herself for the jump—
—then it was over, and she tumbled onto the floor of the lab’s café and crashed into a chair, knocking it over.
Nathan landed beside her and managed to put out a hand to stop him sending a table flying.
“Whoa!” He looked at her and grinned. “You in one piece?”
She nodded, but checked herself over anyway. Yep, everything where it was supposed to be.
The café was deserted and she wondered what time it was. A regular tapping noise was coming down the corridor, and they glanced at each other. Nathan shrugged.
Agent Blanchard hobbled around the corner using a cane. He stopped momentarily, then gave them a huge smile. “Do you know how much paperwork you just created? He turned his head and yelled down the corridor. “Hey Professor! You want to see what made that noise? Better come quick, I’ve got ’em pinned down!” He winked at the two of them, now scrambling back to their feet.
They heard the sound of running feet, and the Professor raced around the corner—and stopped dead. His eyes crinkled and his mouth broke out into a wide smile. He ran up to them and looked them up and down. “How? ... What happened? ... Are you okay? I think I need to sit down.” He pulled out a chair and sat heavily. “My, my.” He couldn’t stop looking at them both and smiling. He tilted his head to one side. “You are both substantially taller than I remember. Amazing. Let me catch my breath, then we need to talk. Before we get ambushed by kids when they hear you are back. And you must tell me how you managed to portal-travel when it shouldn’t be possible.”
They moved across to the lounge chairs and sat. Sarina surveyed the room. It looked like it always had. “Professor? What happened to the rem-drain and the nightmares?” She wanted to ask if the world was safe to live out her days, but thought better of it.
He nodded. “Of course. You want to know if it was worth coming back.” His face lit up and the broad smile returned. “I’m very happy to say that is completely behind us. Whatever it was you two did, it worked. But there’ll be plenty of time to debrief all that; let’s make sure you are rested first. Oh—I’m sorry, I’m forgetting. Would you like something to eat or drink?”
“Thought you’d never ask,” Nathan said.
As it turned out, Agent Blanchard was right; they had created a lot of paperwork. Mostly for him. The matter of their parents had been a cause for quite some discussion, especially with what Agent Blanchard suggested they say. Or not say, more correctly. He was deep in thought. “Publicly you have both been listed as missing persons. Once the rem-problems died down, we were able to persuade the police to drop any pursuit of Miss Metcalfe, and of course, the mysterious bomb people had reported Miss Metcalfe was supposed to be carrying couldn’t be found anywhere by the police, despite their endless searches. We did spend some considerable time with your parents, in the short time before you managed to solve the rem issues, and after. As far as they know, you both performed a great service to the world, but we were unable to reveal your whereabouts, in order to protect your safety. We worked hard to assure them that we had taken great care of you and looked after your future. As you can imagine, they were angry at first, then just sad.”
“Wow.” Sarina managed to stem the rising distress she felt from the sudden image of her distraught mother, collapsing in tears at the news. “It was a big mess we made, wasn’t it?”
“Not as big as the one we were facing—the one you fixed for us, Miss.”
Nathan frowned. “When you said the police couldn’t find some bomb Sarina had”—he flicked a puzzled look at her, and she shrugged—“what on earth was going on back here?”
“She was carrying the collider bundled in sacking, and the police had issued a terror alert, so naturally, people saw it and put two and two together to make—”
“The wrong conclusion.” Nathan finished the Professor’s sentence. “So what did you do with the collider then? Is it destroyed now?”
The Professor looked startled. “We were hoping you could answer the same question. You see, the collider disappeared the exact moment you sent that energy pulse through it.”
Nathan and Sarina whipped around to look at each other with wide eyes.
The Professor stared at them both. “Are you telling me you don’t have it and you don’t know where it is?”
Sarina looked at the him. “Yes. I mean, no, we don’t have it and we don’t know where it is.”
A long silence ensued.
Agent Blanchard broke it. “Professor, if I may? ... We should look at it like this. Our world has been freed of the threat, and no sign of its return, no rem-spikes, no nothing. I assume the other world is okay”—he glanced at the other two, who both nodded—“so the conclusion we must draw is that the device was indeed destroyed.”
The Professor pressed his lips together and nodded slowly. “Yes. You’re right. Then our first priority is deciding what your story will be and how we announce your return.” He smiled. “And of course, making a smooth entry back into normal life, with our help.”
They heard a shriek of delight from the corridor and Lena raced around the corner and beamed. “I knew you would get back!” She pouted. “I saw you once, but you wouldn’t talk to me. I told Daddy, but he said it was probably just a dream.” She ran over to Sarina and jumped on her lap. “Are you bigger?” She peered down at Sarina’s arms and legs.
She laughed. “Maybe.”
The long conversation took them well into what turned out to be late afternoon on a Saturday, and when Sarina asked, the Professor told her the next week would also be the last week of term at school. “Then I’d like to go back, as soon as possible. I’ve had it with all this science and travelling between worlds.” She sighed. “I’d just like to be in a normal art class, doing normal things. Is that possible?”
The Professor and Agent Blanchard were both nodding, and stood. “Let’s get you both home, armed with a suitable story,” the muscular scientist said.
The reunion with her mother was predictably both tearful and joyous. “Sarina!” Her mother pulled her in tight and sobbed incessantly. As did Sarina. Eventually they released each other, and laughed at their sodden clothes.
The Dreamer Chronicles Trilogy Boxed Set Vol I - III: A Sci-Fi Parallel Universe Adventure (The Dreamer Chronicles - Science Fiction For Kids And Adults) Page 64
