''Man, are you seeing what I'm seeing?''
''There's a medusa hovering over a building…''
That's right. A huge jellyfish was hovering over a residential building that was visible through the window. It was just… there.
''Weirdest thing…''
Saklas spoke.
''I must call onto you to return to hall nineteen. I have much to explain.''
And he went, and they followed him. Hubert and myself stayed, looking through the window. Giant jellyfish was still there.
Hubert turned around, and stopped one kid that was passing through the hallway.
''Hey kid, look through that window, what do you see?!''
Kid looked through the window, and then back at Hubert's greasy appearance again.
''A building…''
''Nothing else?!''
Kid looked once more, walked around Hubert, and continued on his way. Hubert then blocked the path of one girl that was approaching.
''Hey, can you tell me what do you see outside of that window?!''
''Is this some prank? Am I being filmed?''
''No, just tell me what do you see.''
She shrugged her shoulders.
''A building… the city, what?''
Hubert stood there, bewildered, with his hands on his hips.
''What's going on guys?''
Hubert shaked his head.
''I don't know.''
''Let's go hear what that fucker has to say.''
Chapter thirteen
Jellyfishes and electromagnetic pulses
I listed the kid's comics rapidly to see what else is inside, and, maybe, out there. I asked the kid is that jellyfish from the comic. Kid said that nothing like that is inside the comic, there's only dinosaurs and monsters.
Monsters?! I saw an illustration of anatomy of something that looked like a dog's head on human body with hoofs for feet. There's not enough time to go through all of this.
The old man spoke. He asked everybody to just sit down, and he will explain everything. He said that what we saw outside, is a life form from the other dimension. From the dimension that is just one layer above ours. He asked everybody do we know what that means. No one said anything. Two guys, the skinny guy, and the bearded guy, bumped in, and sat down.
The old man said it means that we are all in the fourth dimension now, in a reality adjacent to ours, and that is the reason why we are able to see in the next dimension. We are a part of that dimension now. He used his energy on us to push us into it. He himself is a multi dimensional being. He exist on multiple levels of reality. Someone asked how is something like that possible. He said that it is virtually impossible for someone from the lowest world, our world, to cross into higher realities, without the boost from someone who has done it before, or without the involvement of entities from above. He said that he is not the first human to cross into other realms, and that there are several 'big names' who had done so in the past. If we think about it, we could probably easily identify them.
Someone yelled: ''Elvis!''
''Elvis is dead.''
''Peter Pan!''
The multi dimensional old man replied agitatedly that Peter Pan is a literary character, and that we must take this very seriously. There is a reason why he propelled us into this. That if we just give a deeper thought to this, it will all start to make sense. It made no sense to me at all, but I wanted to hear his story until the end. Kid Lee, sitting next to me, listen to all of this with most focused attention.
And then he said it. Listen.
''Some time after seven p.m. tonight, an invisible EM puls is going to hit our planet, wiping out all life from the first fifty-two dimensions. A natural disaster of unimaginable proportions. Yet, one that can be prevented. Neutralized. By you. That is why you are here. You have to save the world.''
He scared kid Lee. And not only him, I would say. They're all ears. All except bearded guy and his skinny friend. They keep whispering to each other. The elf guy is sitting in the front row.
The old man went on about how we must neutralize the EM puls from the outer space by using the energy that we will accumulate in the higher realms. By taking it from other forms of life. The amount of energy the individual accumulates is apparently what moves you through the realms. Life is divided in three hundred sixty five realms based on the quantity of energy that flows through its inhabitants.
He said that his hands are burning hot as a consequence of accelerated processes of his body's metabolism, his heart beat rate is much higher, and he emits more heat than normal humans. The same thing will happen to us when we start ascending to higher dimensions, we will begin to change, physically and mentally. He said that level by level, dimension by dimension, things that we know from our world will begin to lose their existence in the realms that he has only heard stories of. Last two things that will disappear are gravity and time.
Dimension in which we are now, I guess second of three hundred sixty five, is the hardest one to cross. It contains only plant and simple animal life, with minimal amounts of energy to harvest. The only things that contain enough energy to boost us into the next level are those jellyfishes. They hover over large electric structures, from which they draw their energy.
Someone asked how do we destroy the medusas and harvest their energy.
''By hitting them with electromagnetic impulses, radio waves, or even, maybe, strong photon radiation. Basically, you posses no such weaponry. That is why it is so hard to leave the second realm. But, you mustn't surrender. You don't have a choice. Once you cross into the third realm, energy will begin to appear to you in many different forms to harvest it. But, firstly, you must overcome this second level.''
''How?!''
''I will uncover one energy source to you, located within the premises of Pine Cone Center, which when harvested, hopefully, will be sufficient for you to shoot an electric discharge into the medusa, destroy it, and harvest its energy. But, unfortunately, only one of you will be awarded with this gift. There is not enough for all. The rest of you will have to find your own way.''
Silence. Shock. My turn to speak.
''How many levels did you go through, old man?''
''I never made it pass the level thirteen.''
''For your entire life, and you expect us to go through, how many, within a day?''
''It is an achievable task. Of course, not for all of you. Most of you will fail.''
The elf jumped on his feet.
''Then we can't lose any more time. Take us to the energy source!''
Old man opened the door and they all swarmed out. Me and kid Lee stayed the last. I took his box of comics.
''I don't think we'll be coming back in here, Lee.''
Then I saw. One more person was sitting inside. High in the stands. A guy with a tennis cap. Old man spoke to him.
''Mr. Holodnik, there's no point for you to just sit there.''
He got up, and went out. A tall guy. Taller than me. Holodnik. His name ringed a bell. Took me a second to remember. Ezequiel Holodnik. I've heard of you.
Chapter fourteen
Nintendo
''High five for that Peter Pan thing!''
Jove threw a high five.
''Shit, dawg, I was being serious. Why were ya'll laughin'? When he said that in the past there was famous people from other dimensions, first thing that hit my mind was Peter Pan.''
He got me cracking again.
''It makes as much sense as the rest of his story. Gravity and time, having no effect… Wait a second… Peter flies and he never grows up! I connected the dots perfectly!''
''Bwahahaha… You'll make me piss my pants!''
''Cleit's not laughin'. Cleit don't think it's funny. What you think 'bout all this, dawg?''
''What I think? I think this is the first time that I've seen some seriously plain insane shit, and it didn't come out of my bong.''
''Seriously insane shit.''
''Flying mushrooms that mu
st be stomped, collecting energy to go to the next level, you know what that reminds me of? Nintendo. Only thing that's missing is princess Peach.
''It's not a mushroom, it's a medusa.''
''Whatever, man.''
''Isaac won't believe us when we tell him what he missed.''
''Isaac is probably havin' a huge tattooed dick up his ass right now.''
When Jove said that, Cleit bursted into laughter so suddenly that he sprayed a rain cloud of spit, on the guy in the yellow shirt that was walking in front of us. Need I mention that Jove and I laughed like crazy while Cleit was apologizing to the guy.
''I'm so sorry man, let me wipe your shirt with a napkin…''
''It's okay, just leave it, it's okay'', dude escaped as far as he could from us.
Cleit turned toward Jove and me.
''Bwahahahaha…''
Chapter fifteen
Sayonara, bitches
Wow. I don't believe my eyes. Abraxas brought us to the yard in front of Pine Cone Center, and right in front of us stands a giant, tree-sized tulip. Yes, the flower. Just giant. It has its petals wide open, and it is slightly waving under influence of some wind that none of us feels.
''It's beautiful'', said one girl.
Yes, it is. It's such an honor to be able to glare at this sight. Thanks to Mr. Usmanov, we are able to see this wonder. We are on the next level of reality. I get goosebumps when I just think of that, I'm so excited, I… Those three wackos that spat on me are laughing again. They pay no heed to beauty, or danger. They won't get very far. Their happiness is a fool's happiness, happiness of short age. But, I will succeed, I will not give up, nor give in. I must succeed, fate of our world is at stake.
Only the strong survive.
Good thing I brought my camera, I must take a couple of pictures of this wonderful tulip. What?! Free memory space twenty-three percent?! I forgot to transfer pictures to the computer. Shit. I have so many dimensions to cross and see. Oooh. My weekend with Axelle in Glendale has to go. I'm sorry. We'll just have to keep it in our fondest memories without looking at the pictures, my dear.
'DELETE?' Yes.
'ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO DELETE THIS FILE? CANNOT BE UNDONE' Yes, yes, just delete, don't put salt on my wound.
Isn't Axelle beautiful? My French queen. My Mary Antoinette. Je t'aime, mon caniche.
Delete. Delete. Delete…
Free memory space fifty-six percent. What's this? Pictures from Axelle's and her dad's hunting trip? Axelle's dad is a passionate huntsman. They go hunting together. Shooting helpless animals. Awful. Horrible.
'DELETE?' Yes, with great pleasure.
Free memory space one hundred percent. Okay, I'm ready. But, what will I do if it comes to killing something to take its energy for crossing into the next level? I can't just do something like that. It's simply wrong. I can ask Axelle to do it. No, I don't think this dimension crossing stuff works that way.
I gave up even before I started. No! No surrender! Only the strong cross the finish line.
This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I can't blow it. I have the opportunity to see things that even the most adventurous travellers didn't even dream of. People that have seen stuff like North Pole, Mount Everest, Mariana Trench, will all envy me for my voyages. According to the comic there are dinosaurs in the next dimension! Imagine! Dinosaurs!
Usmanov speaks. Listen.
''This is the energy source I promised you. This tulip. You simply need to put your hand on the flower stalk, and its energy will transfer onto you. I repeat, only one of you must do this. Tulip's energy is sufficient only for one person. And once one of you does this…''
He started walking backwards, away from the Pine Cone Center, while staring in the sky above. He signaled us with his hands to follow him. So we did, and…
''Oh, my god…'', there's a giant jellyfish levitating over Pine Cone Center, just like the one we saw through the window. From up close, that thing is enormous.
''Once one of you does this, he must shoot the energy charge from his hand toward the medusa, destroy it, and ascend. That is all I can do for you. Good luck to you all.''
''How do we shoot the energy charge?'', asked the elf guy.
''It will come to you as a natural reflex, once you start possessing some energy in your hands. I leave you now to resolve the situation amongst yourselves'', said Usmanov and went inside.
''Okay'', said the elf: ''We have to choose one among ourselves, one that has the best chances of success.''
''That is bullshit, man. Abraxas is playin' you all for fools'' , said the ungrateful greasy haired, bearded guy.
''You don't have to be a part of this if you don't want to.''
''I'm staying to see what will you do.''
The elf continued: ''You all read the comic, you saw what kind of dangers are awaiting. Let's face it, most of you are not up for this game. You know that's true, be honest with yourselves.
I nominate myself. I have years of experience in competitive archery, I have my weapon with me, and I have best odds at surviving. Does anyone disagree?''
No one said anything. I guess he's right. But, still I wish it was me. He whispered something to his girl, and started walking confidently toward the tulip. But then, the guy that was standing there with the box of comics in his hands, dropped the box on the floor, and jumped in front of the elf. The guy with blood on his shirt and cuts on his neck.
''I disagree'', he said: ''You thought you can stick your fingers deep in this just because they're all bunch of pussies.''
What?!
''Well, what nominates you?'', said the elf angrily: ''What skill increases your chances of success?''
''Nothing. And none'', replied the guy: ''I simply won't allow you to touch the tulip. If you disagree, we can solve it with fists.''
Despicable person. You can see spite all over his face.
''This is ridiculous!'', cried the elf.
''Go solve your anger issues somewhere else you jerk'', shouted the girl in the plaid shirt, and suddenly most of us started rooting for the elf. Only the greasy guy and his friend stood aside, and another guy, sat alone on a cinder block. He held a tennis cap in his hands, his face kinda resembles that of Mark Hamill. Mark Hamill's face, like, after the car crash, not Mark Hamill's face from the first 'Star Wars'. He just stared at us with some lost look in his eyes.
One of the three wackos that spat me yelled: ''Let the elf go in his natural habitat!'', to which they laughed.
''You see'', said the elf: ''Everybody's against you. Move.''
''C'mon elfie, throw the first punch'', said the nutcase.
''You're embarrassing yourself'', said the elf: ''Just go away. Nobody wants you here.''
''You think that the fact that your girlfriend paid twenty grands to a plastic surgeon to turn you into a sick fetish gives you some powers, boy?''
Maniacs in The Fourth Dimension Page 4
