Across The Multi-verse

by I Ogunbase

  "So this... 'hell' thing is a subjective belief of yours?"

  I nod, wiping my head clean of the sweat that has formed on it. I take another sip from the glass cup on the table and return my gaze to the panel. Questioner Judy gets up to her feet and looks around the room in a sweeping gaze before speaking.

  "The questioners will convene for 15 minutes behind the Sound Glass. You may leave to return when we are done with our deliberation," she says before looking down towards the lady seating underneath them, "Raise the glass."

  The lady presses a button I can't see but the next sounds are familiar. A slit on the floor in front of me hisses as it opens up. From it, a semi-transparent glass wall begins to rise up slowly until it completely obscures the questioners from everyone's view. It also eliminates any sound from the other side.

  I sigh and glance around, taking in my surroundings and everyone just sits there. Small talk breaks out directly behind me between journalists and I use the reprieve to sort out my thoughts.

  The idea of spending the rest of my adult life behind bars is not an attractive venture unless, of course, they allow me to continue some form of research into my thesis and the topics surrounding it. They could, obviously, be stubborn about it and bar me from using or reading anything that might be important in framing the conversation around it.

  I grumble at the idea of being mentally stunted due to the misconception that I am preaching genocidal teachings. A hiss sound draws me attention as well as the attention of those behind me to the glass barrier sinking back into the slit.

  It hasn't even been fifteen minutes yet. I guess this is it for me. I'm sorry, Anna, the thoughts burrow their way into my mind and I inhale deeply.

  The questioners are all focused on me but I focus my attention on the questioner in the middle.

  "We've had a quick discussion in regards to your predicament and we all have come to a conclusion," she says looking at me intently before pausing and I shiver.

  She glances at her colleagues before getting to her feet. Questioner Mara sighs and rolls her eyes before standing too along with the rest of the panel and they all intone together.

  "You have been questioned for crimes against humanity. And we have found you without crime. We instead charge you with negligence, for failing to carry out the needed work to prove your claims. Our sentencing henceforth goes. You are hereby tasked to determine the truth of the situation at hand..."

  The truth at hand? What is that supposed to mean? I raise a brow briefly before locking eyes with the mysterious Questioner who shakes his head so imperceptibly I almost miss it.

  "...You must prove your thesis beyond quantifiable doubt..."

  I mean, I can try but I'll need the resources to even get somewhere useful, I think to myself nodding with some relief.

  "... without assistance from any outside party or colleague. It must be your own work..."

  That's the catch, isn't it?

  "And lastly, you must look into the disappearance of your colleague, Anna Dryar, if you believe it is for this reason that she is now missing. That is our verdict. You are dismissed."

  The last addition to their sentencing catches me off guard. Anna's disappearance had been suspicious, to say the least but my assumption was that the police would handle it. I am not equipped for such a job. I am simple bio-etherealist. My skills lay in reading copious amount of books and writing verbose documents covering said books. Investigation is far out from all of these.

  The questioners bow slightly to the room before exiting and I'm left to my own devices.

  ~

  Super-Secrets

  ~

  The sounds of my teeth crushing some M&Ms made all their heads swivel towards me but I didn't stop or pause. I continued chewing, grabbing a handful every couple seconds and chucking into my mouth. There was sweat glistening on all their heads and I knew why. They thought I didn't and they probably thought their colleagues were as oblivious as they are. But I knew.

  I've always known. Especially when they react so ineptly whenever something like this happens in the office.

  "Is someone going to put out the fire?" I said eventually and they all seemed to jump from my voice.

  Mary walked briskly to the small kitchen in the office to get a bowl of water, while Martin half-jogged towards where the extinguisher was. Keisha and Tim stood in place, their gaze going from the burning trashcan to me and back again.

  Mary returned first, flicking the bowl of water towards the fire. I don't move my eyes from her though. Her eyes glistened even as the water hit the object. The fire died out almost instantly, and the rest of the water splashed around the trashcan and the floor.

  I turn my gaze immediately to Tim who clenched his fist almost reactively as he danced away from the splashes of water. The wet rug seemed to dry up.

  "Oh wow! I wonder how the trashcan caught fire like that!" Keisha exclaimed, her voice rising higher than it usually was. In the manner that, as I noticed, implied that she was trying to hide a lie.

  "It was unexpected really. Thanks for the water, Mary," Tim replied, wiping his sweat away.

  Well, that was the action he did but Tim was never one to sweat. Ever. If anything, the day the man sweats, would be the day we all spontaneously burst into flames.

  I crunched on some more M&Ms as I watched.

  Tim was nervous though. He shook slightly whenever he was and he was trembling now. He tried to hide it out by resting a hand on the wall but his other hand shook slightly. Honestly, if anyone else was paying attention, you'd think he was in trouble.

  I mean, he could be if everyone else stopped worrying about their damn selves and actually paid attention to the world outside their minds. I shrugged slightly, grunting in the process.

  "It was nothing really," Mary said sweetly, her eyes still on the trashcan. She licked her lips and ran her hand through her hair. Now, she was sweating, though I couldn't understand why. But, it didn't take much to get her to sweat. You could frighten her with a jump-scare and she'd get wet.

  I chuckled at the thought.

  Martin returned back with the extinguisher, looking dishevelled. His eyes darted around quickly and I saw the panic rising in his mind even before he spoke.

  "What happened to the fire?" he asked.

  "Mary handled it. She put it out. Strange fire, wasn't it?" Keisha replied. Her voice was still high and she was teetering on her toes. Part of me wanted to walk right up to her and rest a hand on her shoulders before she lifted off the ground. I couldn't let her destroy the fun.

  "Ah yes... Thanks, Mary," Martin replied. his breathing fast and somewhat shallow.

  It was then Mary looked up from the trashcan and blushed, instinctively moving away from the group. I allowed myself a small smile as I threw some more chocolate flavoured nuts into my mouth.

  "It was nothing really. Nothing at all. I will head back to work now," she said and turning immediately. The rest all nodded profusely and hurried back to their cubicle.

  I could see why Tim and Keisha would have been nervous about the burning trashcan but Mary's and Martin's reactions were a joy to see. Then again, all five of them have started fires before so maybe they thought that was the case again. Not that it made that much difference to me, to be honest.

  I got to see them nervous again on a dreary Monday. That made all the difference to me.

  With them gone, I smiled wider and hooted quietly to myself. If they really paid attention to the outside world, outside their private thoughts, then maybe, they wouldn't have panicked as much.

  After all, this is the first time none of them have started an issue with their powers. The lit cigarette in the trashcan was an inspired idea, to be honest, one that came to me at a surprising moment of clarity.

  It is always nice to watch them squirm every now and then. It's the only thing that made the office fun these days.

  ---

  ~

  Invulnerable

  ~

  I
double check the mini-fridge is stocked up with food, like I always do at moments like these. Not to say it's not ever full, but it's a habit I haven't quite broken from and I don't think I'll ever break from it. It is essential, you see. My phone blips and the back-light comes on. Another message.

  Another "See you next week.".

  Another well-wisher buying into the lie that I'm holidaying in Barbados. It's not particularly a hard lie to sell, but I sold it like I always did. I tell everyone I'm spending a week off from fighting crime.

  Better to keep everyone in the dark, than to let my enemies know that I'm extremely vulnerable for a single hour of the year. That's the kind of secret that can kill a man. And with the amount of criminals I've put in the locker and behind bars, this is always going to be for the best.

  Then again, the lie is not a complete one. When I'm done, I do plan to holiday in Barbados. It would help with the deception especially when everyone starts to ask for pictures and videos of my holiday.

  A sigh escapes me as I double check the fridge once more. It's an anxiety thing, I know. But I have to be sure. I have to be certain. I check the cupboard above the mini-fridge and go through it. Small bottles of pills, of medicine, bandages, injections and a gun.

  In the event that the pain gets too much, you know.

  Not that it has ever gotten that much, but staring at it, I can feel the back of my mind itching furiously. It has been one heck of a year. Major Madness broke out and almost levelled downtown. Sultry raised an army to face me, and if not for the team, that would have gone south. I might have killed someone. And then, Rage.

  I can't believe I have an arch-nemesis.

  And I can't believe how much we fought this year.

  Somehow, he found a way to fight longer in our last battle. I remember the fight like it was yesterday. The punches, the buildings we totalled. The collateral damage itself almost put me under if not for the government and very obvious recordings of me trying to keep Rage away from destroying everything. I still don't think he has ever hit me as hard as he did. Damn near knocked me out for good. The scariest part is, I felt pain.

  We fought, and fought, and fought... and he made me grimace from the pain. And I know he knew that he was getting to me because of the stupid sly smile he gave me. And just before I could put him down, he escaped. Like he wanted to. Like he couldn't let himself fall knowing he could finally hurt me. It was and still is a chilling thought to have.

  In a few minutes, my receptors will dampen all the way to zero and everything my powers have been holding back, I'll have to feel for one solid hour. That's one heck of a Kryptonite.

  I shiver and hug myself briefly. In the history of me getting my powers and being a hero, I have never felt pain outside the hour. Never. And yet, this new super-villain made me feel it. He made me dread it. I shiver once more before shaking it off. I was safe. I am safe. The hour will arrive and I will scream like a new born baby in the maternity ward but I'll survive it. And then, I will deal with Rage.

  I survey the room again. The small, square shaped panic room located several levels below my house. I figure my scream would be muffled enough. I locked the metal door to the room and secure the key behind all the crap in the cupboard. Best to keep it safe really. Seconds now. Mere seconds.

  Checking my watch, I follow the countdown from thirty.

  Twenty-nine...

  Twenty-eight...

  Twenty-seven...

  I hear a loud bang on the door. Something I've never heard before. As I get to my feet, the metal door blasts open and Rage walks in with his minions. Hesitation leaves me as I speed towards him.

  My fist connects with his face and he smashes into the wall outside the room. His minion moves to shoot me with a photon blast, but I dodge. My hand wraps around the gun and I crush it, before throwing the minion towards Rage who was beginning to get to his feet. He swats the minion away to the side nonchalantly and grins at me.

  My breath catches and I glance at the watch.

  Twelve...

  Eleven...

  My eyes widen and I hear him laugh but he doesn't move. He remains outside the door, looking at me. The sound of my heartbeat deafens me as I mentally count the remaining seconds until vulnerability.

  I jump towards him, kneeing him in the chest and he smashes deeper into the opposing wall. I don't let him rest before my fists find his face, over and over again.

  He catches my hand before one of my punches can slam into his face and he grins before punching me back. The weight of the hit sends me careening back into the panic room. As I fall to the floor, I roll to a crouch and return my attention to him.

  Slowly, he unhinges himself from the hole in the wall and gets to his feet. I glance to my watch and then back at him.

  My eyes lock on his and then my mouth opens as a shrill cry escapes it. I fall to the floor as my body convulses and spasms in a degree of pain I have never endured before.

  My scream mixes with the laughter now coming from him and my heart fell.

  Everything hurt. Every sensation. Every thought, every slight movement, even the feeling of air on my skin is like sandpaper trying to scrape my skin off. It hurt to blink. It hurt scream but the scream came nonetheless.

  Usually, I scream and cry and eventually pass out around the thirteenth minute. That's the only way I manage to avoid touching the gun. Except, I feel I might pass out sooner. And then, I'll be at the complete mercy of my nemesis.

  ---

  ~

  Of Man And Machine

  ~

  Whatever London looked like before was now replaced with a dust land of heat and broken promises. I sat in the shade of a broken 'HSBC' building, hanging limply at a suspicious angle. It looked like it could fall at any minute. I wish I knew what that stood for, or what the building held but I have no idea. I was born after the fire. And I am all that's left.

  It has been 20 years since I last saw a living being and I curse my parents for this misfortune. I could have fought alongside them and died alongside them too but they felt I was too young to 'bloody my hands' as they call it. Fucking bullshit, that is. Now here I am, walking around, scavenging from beasts to see the next day.

  The war between the Humans and the Robots broke out long before I was a thought in my parents' life plans but in a flash of love and worry about being exterminated, I was conceived in their ill-attempt at making their last night memorable. I never got to know my dad. Only that he got killed by a Needle-Walker; Robots with a human-like torso but with quadrupedal legs, armed with a needle like spear.

  Speared right though the chest like a meat on a stick. At least, that is what Mama said. Right before she fed me pills and hid me in a hole underneath the haven we civilians were hiding out. I wasn't the only one then. It was only when we woke up that the plan had been evident in the making. Parents sacrificing themselves for a last hurrah to protect their offspring.

  We were mere hundreds when the war finished. However, with the robots gone, we were suddenly faced with their replacements. Mutated beasts took the lead and hunted us down. They were experiments the robots were working on before Humans led the suicide charge against them.

  They were let loose and we suffered for it. The monsters reminded some of us of the animals of old, the zoo creatures and beasts of the jungle. Some of us were fooled by how innocent they looked. Their foolishness killed them all.

  Now it's just me.

  I open my backpack and pull out some dried meat, sinking my teeth into it as I survey my surroundings. The sun is high in the sky, scorching the land dry with its heat. I pull out the bottle of water I have only to find that it's almost finished. I swear to myself before getting up to my feet. Before I can move, I hear the sound before I see it in the distance. A dust-storm.

  When I was younger, I used to hear that a dust-storm caused a visibility problem only and that it could be waited out in a tent. Now, a dust-storm has the added danger of a monster problem. Without fail, there were always
monsters in the storms. I unsheathe the makeshift weapon combination of a tuning fork and a machete by my side and grip it hard as I stare down the dust-storm. A part of me wishes to fight but I know it's stupid. I won't last long. So, I do the smart thing instead.

  I pick up the pace and start running. I stop and look back towards the 'HSBC' building and spot a broken window. A much better idea. I turn back and run towards that. Jumping through, I make my way around until I spot a staircase. I run upwards until I get to the highest I could get to. The rest of the stairs are messed up.

  The dust-storm is almost upon me now, I can see it through a gap in the building. I run around the floor until I find a room not locked. It is dark inside when I open the door but I don't dwell on it. I enter and shut the door almost immediately.

  I hear the storm outside now.

  Reaching into my backpack, I pull out a small light stick and unsheathe my weapon once more, taking care to not take my eyes off the door for too long. The monsters are much smarter than whatever they originally were made from. They knew the sound of the storm could mask their movements and they used it to their advantage.

  I hear a sudden sound and my body tenses up immediately. Something is in the room with me. Without waiting I turn and move backwards towards a corner in the room and raise my light stick up. And then I see it. Staring back at me with green LED eyes.

  And a dread, which I haven't felt in 20 years, fills me.

  This marks the end of Across the Multi-verse.

  Thanks for reading!

  Here's a sneak peek at another story, already out now!

  The Hierarchy, Book 1

  ALPHA

  ~

  Prologue

  ~

  The lady screamed mentally but made no sound. Instead, doing her best to move silently, she quickened her steps back to where she kept all her stuff. She knew her chances of escape were slim, but she couldn't sit around. She wanted to try. It was the only thing that made sense to her at the moment.