The rain continued to pour down on Randy Heim's hood. As he pulled his hood closer over his head, Randy pulled the timer out of his wet pockets.
  "How...long?"
  Randy grabbed on to the branch in front of him. He stared at the black man barely keeping up with him. He looked up at Randy, his brown eyes narrowed.
  "Not long," Professor," Randy answered.
  A figure moved behind Professor Brown. She looked from beyond her hood, her long blonde hair wet. She glared.
  "Ye could be quick aboot it," Katherine Rye said.
  Another figure bumped into her. Randy's eyes fell on Melissa Clark. Her head was turned behind them. She studied the watery ground they just took an hour to cross to get to this above land ground.
  "I think there's something in the water," Melissa said.
  "Aye," Kat agreed. "More reason to be slidn' out of here."
  Randy looked at the timer. "It's-"
  Suddenly, something jumped out of the water.

  The vortex opened quickly. Randy fell out just as fast. A whir sounded from the vortex, revealing Professor Brown shooting out of it. Kat came out next.
  The vortex gave off a loud whir as Melissa fell out of the vortex. Randy noticed a long branch in her hand. Along with her was it.
  It was the shape of an alligator. However, it had black scales. Its tail had an end that formed a fork. As it opened its jaws to eat Melissa, Randy saw two sets of long narrow teeth.
  Melissa's eyes narrowed on it. Then she swung the branch at its head. The monster's head shot to the left. Then it fell to the ground of the alley, unconscious.
  "Effici-effici-good," Brown said.
  Melissa stood up and held the branch to her shoulder like it was a baseball bat. She turned and looked at Randy.
  "Never a victim," Melissa said coldly. "Ever again." She headed out of the alleyway.
  Randy watched Brown and Kat follow her. He stared back at the monster. He headed out of the alley. As he did, Randy wondered if he would ever have his Melissa back again.
  Randy walked out of the alleyway entrance...and into a large crowd of people. They were around him like water. He noticed the signs: 'QUESTION AUTHORITY' 'WHERE IS OUR SPEECH?' 'WAS IT SO WRONG?' He wondered what world they had slid into.
  Randy pushed through the crowd. He saw a wet figure. He reached it and touched her shoulder. Melissa turned around and glared.
  "Don't touch me," Melissa said coldly.
  "I-" Randy started.
  That was when the guns went off.

I FOUND THE GATEWAY! I FOUND A WAY TO TRAVEL BETWEEN WORLDS. WHERE IT'S THE SAME TIME, SAME PLACE, DIFFERENT DIMENSION. FOR TWO YEARS, MY FRIENDS AND I SEARCHED FOR HOME. OUR ENEMIES ARE CLOSING IN...NOW THE QUESTION IS...DO WE GO HOME?

SLIDERS: ALTERNATE SPIN-SEASON 3
EPISODE 12: THE SOUL OF AN ARTIST


  Kat ducked her head as the gunfire went off. Screams rang out. She was pushed from the back. People ran past her as more shots rang out.
  Kat shot her head back and forth. The panicking people. The gunshots. The chaos. It was too much.
  "Hey! Watch out!"
  Kat was pushed to the ground. She threw her hands up to protect her face. She closed her eyes to not see this violence.
  "Get up!"
  Kat felt a hand grab her arm and pull her up. She opened her eyes. A red-haired girl stood in front of her.
  "Let's go!" the red-haired girl said.
  "My friends-" Kat started.
  "No time!" the girl said. "Move!"
  Kat ran down the street with the other people. She hoped the others were okay.

  Randy turned the corner on the street. The protesters were right behind him. He watched them continued won the street. He turned around in time to see Melissa turn the corner.
  "We slide into the most interesting places," Melissa commented. She looked after the protesters. "Where's the Professor? Kat?"
  "I don't know," Randy said. "I lost them in the crowd."
  "I know the feeling," Melissa said icily.
  Randy frowned. "What do you-"
  "Are you crazy?"
  Randy looked past Melissa. A man about his age glared at them. He had short cropped black hair and a goatee. He wore a buttoned-down white shirt with rolled-up sleeves and black pants.
  "I'm happy to see you here," the guy said, "but you need to get out of here. Come on."
  The guy ran past Melissa. She was right behind him. Randy followed her.

  Kat's eyes widened as she walked into the Student Union. It was fairly packed with various students. She even recognized some people from earlier.
  The red-haired girl led her over to some people at a table. Three people sat them. One of them was a spiky blond-haired guy who glared at them.
  "Is everyone okay?" the red-haired girl asked.
  "No thanks to you, Tess," the blond-haired guy snapped. "I knew it was a bad idea to mix our belief of non-violence with Ethan's need for speech."
  "Ethan's ideas are sound, Wes," Tess said. "Do you think the government is just going to let us start a colony without interfering?" She pulled Kat closer. "There were new people protesting. This is good."
  Wes leaned back in his chair. His eyes narrowed on Tess and Kat.
  "Phil was shot," Wes said.
  Kat saw the color leave Tess's face. She released Kat's hand and brought her hands to her mouth.
  "No," Tess gasped. "Is he-"
  "We don't know yet," Wes said as he stood up. "We're about to go and see."
  "Great," Tess said. "Maybe-"
  "You're not invited," Wes said.
  "But-"
  "Later."
  Wes walked off with the people at the table. Kat watched him and turned to look at Tess. She was in tears.
  "Phil a special friend tae ye?" Kat asked.
  Tess wiped her tears away. "Yeah...we've been through a lot."
  "I'm sure yuir friend just needs time to cool down. Then he'll feel fine," Kat said, attempting to be nice.
  Tess looked down at the ground.
  "Maybe," Tess said. She looked up again. "I'm sorry. Where are my manners? I'm Tess."
  "Nice to meet ye," Kat said. "My name is Kat."
  "Kat," Tess said, repeating the name. "Nice accent."
  "Thank ye."
  "We're going to have to work on it," Tess said matter-of-factly. "The last thing we need are the thinkers getting ahold of you."
  Kat frowned. "The thinkers?"
  "It's a long story," Tess said. "We need to go. Come on."

  Ethan threw open the door to his apartment. He gestured for Randy and Melissa to enter. Randy did as he wanted. The lights came on, allowing Randy to see his apartment.
  Paintings. They hanged all over the walls in the living room. Some were in abstract form. Others were in some form that was like black chalk. A few pictures were nude pictures. One picture was a portrait of someone.
  "So...you're an artist?" Melissa asked, staring at the pictures.
  Ethan turned back to look at her. He frowned. "Yeah. He didn't tell you?"
  Randy saw Melissa throw him a look. "No."
  Ethan just shrugged it off. "It figures." He looked at Randy. "Still...it's nice to see you out. I thought short of the apocalypse you focused on your creations."
  Randy felt a smile on his face. "Well...it was something I...believed in."
  Ethan smiled. "I like that."
  "I hate to interrupt Melissa said, taking off her raincoat, "but do you have a shower? Maybe a bath?"
  "Uh...yeah," Ethan said blushing "Let me be a host and get it started."
  Ethan left without another word, heading for a door at the back of the living room. Randy turned look at Melissa. She had dropped her raincoat and was staring at the portrait.
  "You could have been nicer," Randy said.
  "It's obvious he knows your double," Melissa said, not bothering to turn around. "I'm using that to my advantage."
  Randy walked over to the portrait. He stared at Melissa. Her face was nothing like the Melissa he knew. She would be staring at this picture in fascination. This Melissa only had a stone face.
  "Better be careful," Randy said. "You're sounding like Richard."
  Melissa frowned. "And this would be a bad thing?"
  "I didn't mean-" Randy started.
  "What did you mean?" Melissa snapped.
  "I-" Randy started. Then he stopped. "Look. I'm happy you're here."
  Melissa stared at Randy. Her eyes were ice.
  "I'm with the Professor," Melissa said. "I would rather be home."
  "You know-"
  Melissa glared. "I know. The Foundation. I understand. Never said I liked it."
  Melissa headed for the other side of the living room. Randy stared after her.
  "When are you going to let me in?" Randy asked.
  Melissa turned and grinned. "Were you ever in?"
  "That's not fair!"
  "Life never is."
  "Does this have to do with your comment earlier?" Randy asked. "I didn't want to leave you behind."
  "You hesitated, remember?" Melissa snapped. "You hesitated and Stone got me! He-"
  "Everything okay in here?"
  Randy turned to look at Ethan. He stood in the doorway with a quizzical look on his face.
  "Fine," Melissa said, smiling.
  "Are you sure?" Ethan asked. "Because you two were going at it like a-"
  "We're not a couple," Melissa said. "We never were." She headed for Ethan. "Where's your bathroom?"
  Randy didn't hear what Ethan said to her. Her words were like darts into a bow. How cold she say that? How could she not remember them?
  Their getting together. The berets. The time where they realized there was something there...falling over each other on that world where Melissa's double was President. The one night they truly came together...on that future world they found Quinn Mallory on and fought Logan St. Clair.
  A hand on his shoulder snapped Randy out of the memory.
  "You okay?" Ethan asked beside him.
  "Uh...yeah," Randy manged. "Just...remembering."
  "Good," Ethan said. "You two can stay here tonight. I don't want you two getting picked up."
  "Thanks, Ethan," Randy said.
  "You can make it up to me by coming to class tomorrow."
  Randy frowned. "Class?"

  Brown made it to the Dominion finally. He dotted into the lobby before another of the red cars shot by. He saw Gomez Calhoun manning the desk as usually. He approached the room.
  "Good day," Brown began. "I would greatly appreciate it if I might acq-acq-"
  Gomez frowned at him. "What, pal?"
  "Do you have a room?" Brown asked in defeat.
  "Sorry, pal," Gomez said. "The Dominion closed its doors to the public back in '98. Would you like to join the Thinker party? They now own the building...or are you already part of the group?"
  "Does the members have rooms?" Brown asked.
  "For out-of-town guests."
  "Then I'm part of the group," Brown said. "Who's head of it?"
  "Robert Bufford."
  Brown must have gone white because Calhoun frowned.
  "Are you-" Gomez started.
  "Fine," Brown snapped. "Just give me a room."

  "Really? That's good. I can't thank you enough, Lyssa. We'll talk tomorrow."
  Kat watched Tess hang up the phone. She finished drying off her hair as Tess sat across from her on the couch.
  "Is yuir friend okay?" Kat asked.
  "Yes," Tess said, looking down at her hands. "Barely. Wes told the others not to tell me anything. He wanted me to really hurt. I just don't..." Tess looked up and managed a smile. "He's wrong though. There were so many new people out for the rally. Like you. I think I even saw Randy Heim's out. He never comes out."
  "What a shame," Kat said sarcastically.
  "The point is...we are stronger together than apart," Tess said. "I believe in non-violence. A group of us would like to start a colony."
  "That's great," Kat said.
  "Yeah," Tess agreed. "However...our government sucks. After that thing with gay marriage, they kept going. Taking this right away. Taking that liberty away. God, we can't even assemble or be out after 8. This has to stop.
  "We want to do that first if we want a colony. We have to be active..which is why I agreed with Ethan-"
  Kat frowned. "Ethan?"
  "He's our campus rebel," Tess explained. "he is a brilliant artist. He uses his art to protest and he thought up the rally."
  "Sounds quite...nice," Kat commented.
  "Yeah...he wants diversity," Tess said, sitting up on the couch. "He wants it on a campus where if you stand out...you could be arrested. You're new, right?"
  "Aye," Kat said.
  "Yes."
  "Pardon?"
  "The answer is yes," Tess said. "We have to work on that accent. If we don't...you could be in major trouble. Are you in?"
  Kat frowned. She wanted her to change her accent. It was something that was a part of her. Still she needed a place to hide until the slide. And she did like Tess and what she stood for. Without Richard...she could use some people who believe in non-violence.
  "Aye...I mean...yes," Kat said.

  Randy stared at the lump of clay. It had been his occupation for ten minutes.
  He looked away from it. Quickly several of the other art students went back to working on their clay. He frowned and wondered what it was about his double that got that reaction.
  "I still cannot believe it!"
  Randy turned around. Professor Hensley stared back at him. Through his glasses, his brown eyes stared at him like some pre-teen seeing an N'Sync concert.
  "Professor Hensley," Randy said.
  "I am sorry for interrupting your concentration Mr. Heim," Professor Hensley said. "It is just that I have not seen you since the start of the term. I am happy to see you out and about. Hopefully the other students will gain some of your motivation."
  Randy smiled. "Thanks."
  Hensley hopped off in joy. Randy turned back to his clay. Several students stopping staring and went back to their work. It reminded him of that Flashfire world.
  "Having artist block?"
  Ethan stood beside Randy. He managed a smile.
  "Yeah...kinda," Randy said.
  "Can I give you an idea?" Ethan asked.
  "Uh...sure."
  Ethan vanished from Randy's sight. A few seconds later, arms appeared under his own. They grabbed his own arms.
  "Now touch the clay," Ethan instructed.
  Randy did as he was told . He grabbed onto the clay's side. As he did, one of Ethan's arm released his arm. His fingers pressed a button that was under the circular disk the clay was on. The disk started to slowly spin. Randy started to pull his arms away, but Ethan grabbed them.
  "Stay with the clay," Ethan whispered in his ear. "Feel its edge. Its smoothness. See it in your mind. Don't be afraid. Just...blend it."
  Randy listened to Ethan's words. He allowed his hands to feel the smoothness of the clay. He could feel eyes on him though and he felt himself getting self-conscious.
  "Close your eyes," Ethan continued. "Ignore the stares. Just focus on the clay. Focus on its soul Focus."
  Focus. The word lingered in Randy's mind as he kept his eyes closed. The clay felt like water in his hands. It even curve like how a river down a mountain would be.
  Ethan's hands continued to hold Randy's hands. He was still behind Randy in fact. It felt a little weird to him, but he felt safe.
  "Okay," Ethan's voice was in his ear again. "Open your eyes."
  Randy opened his eyes. A grin came to his face. He pushed the button under the desk, stopping the clay.
  Actually, it was a sculpture now. It could have been a vase with its wide bottom and narrow top. However, the top was full.
  Randy looked around the room. The students were whispering among themselves. Professor Hensley walked up to the sculpture and smiled.
  "No inside at all," Hensley commented. "Is it another of your statements, Mr. Heim?"
  Randy stared at the other students. They had stopped working completely. They stared at the conversation with interest.
  Randy looked back at Professor Hensley. He held his head up high.
  "Yes," Randy said. "Yes, it is."

  Brown stared at himself in the mirror. It had started to become a daily routine. It started since he found out about he nanotechs. His awareness of it only increased after Mr. Hall died.
  Brown placed his hands on both sides of the sink. A few weeks ago, he lost the use of one of his arms. What would be next?
  Would he die next?
  A knock on the door got his attention. He came out of the bathroom and headed for his front door. He opened it.
  Melissa stormed into the hotel room. Brown frowned. There was a time when Miss Clark would have hugged him after being separated after a slide. He preferred the old Melissa.
  "It's good to see you here," Melissa said.
  Brown shut the door. "Miss Clark. Good to see you care."
  "I came here, didn't I?" Melissa said. She looked around the room. "And look at you. Gomez told me about the Thinker party. You have it made until the slide."
  "Have you seen the others?" Brown asked.
  "I haven't seen Kat," Melissa said. "However Randy is enjoying his double's life."
  "Really? I would think he would know better given the last few weeks. We do not need any more enemies."
  "We might be a little late for that," Melissa said. "He's with Ethan."
  "Ethan?"
  Melissa sat down on the couch. "Yeah. The local rebel. A lot of liberties got stripped away on this world. He wants them back."
  Brown put his arms over his chest. "Which of course puts him in direct conflict with the estab-estab-bad guys?"
  "Problems, Professor?" Melissa asked.
  "Doesn't matter," Brown said, sitting down in a chair. "Happy you care, though."
  Melissa stood up. "We originals gotta stick together. Richard would want that...at least."
  "Mr. Hall...changed a lot after we escaped you know."
  Melissa's eyes narrowed on Brown. "Don't tell me he forgave Randy?"
  "They actually became friends."
  Melissa laughed bitterly. "I find that hard to believe."
  "Let's just say...Randy became the outcast a lot after your disappearance."
  "He deserved it."
  "His focus was on finding the woman he loved. On finding you."
  Melissa frowned even more. "I'm going to find Kat."
  "Miss Clark-" Brown started, shooting out of his seat.
  "No, Professor," Melissa said, spinning around at the door. "I don't want to talk about it. We should stay focused. Maybe you should research the Heims and Mallorys of this world. See if they had contact with the Foundation. I'll look for Kat."
  Melissa turned back to the door and opened it. She gasped. Brown looked pat her to see a figure in the door. He looked like a short politician Brown recognized Bufford.
  "Professor Brown," Brown said, smiling, "it is an honor to meet you. I can't wait to bring you up to speed."
  Dear Lord, Brown thought.

  Tess knocked on the door. As she waited, Kat looked down at her clothes. She wore a short-sleeved yellow shirt that ended at her midriff along with a yellow short skirt. Tess wore a red one. She was not used to showing so much skin.
  The door opened, revealing a frowning Wes.
  "What do you want?" Wes demanded.
  "Has the meeting started?" Tess asked with a smile. "Because-"
  "You're not invited," Wes stated.
  "You can't do that," Tess said. "I believe in non-violence like you."
  "Explain Phil then," Wes said.
  Tess looked down at the ground "I said I was sorry about that." She looked up. "We had to go th rough that though. If we are going to-"
  "Good-bye now," Wes said, starting to shut the door.
  "No!" Kat yelled.
  Wes paused. His eyes narrowed on Kat.
  "Who are you?" Wes asked. "I never did get your name on account of my friend getting shot."
  "'Tis nae Tess's--it's not her fault!" Kat snapped. "We all make mistakes. Her beliefs are just. If you would only listen to her...but no. Ye-I mean-YOU want to hurt her. Kinda petty to me when you should focus on how to get what you want."
  Wes put his hands on his chest. "Oh, really, Miss Revolutionary. What would you suggest?"
  "Use things to your advantage," Kat said. "You want somethin'. This Ethan wants something You have a common enemy. You can find a way to work together."
  "Yeah," Tess said, standing beside Kat. "Strength in numbers."
  "Yeah...good way to get us shot," Wes commented.
  Kat's eyes narrowed. "How about this? You let Ethan's group do the violence while ye act in the shadows to support him. We all win."
  "Is that an accent?" Wes asked.
  "Are you listening, Wes?" Tess asked. "Kat has a point. Now let's discuss this inside before a thinker walks by."
  Wes moved back from the door. Tess hoped into the house. Kat was right behind her. Wes's eyes were on her. She wondered if she did the right thing.

  Randy came out of the bathroom. He frowned at Ethan's couch. There was a long sleeved shirt with slacks on it that wasn't there when he got in the shower.
  A voice got his attention to the left. Ethan stood next to the window. He talked into his phone as if Randy wasn't even there.
  "Yeah, the exhibit should be a real eye opener," Ethan said. "It should get to the heart of the matter...and with exposure...everything will take off...they have no idea, but if they get wind of it...I understand. We'll talk later. Take care."
  Ethan hanged up the phone and turned to look at Randy. He smiled.
  "So how do you like the clothes?" Ethan asked.
  "Very...dressy," Randy said.
  "Well, I know you got rid of yours at the start of the term," Ethan explained as he threw the phone on the couch. "You're going to need it tonight at Java."
  Randy frowned. "Java?"
  "Yeah," Ethan replied. "I called a meeting to go over some loose ends for my exhibit tomorrow." He touched the end of the couch. "I would really like it if you were there."
  Randy smiled. "Thanks. It's good to be wanted."
  Ethan looked down at the couch. His fingers tapped the top of it as he walked toward Randy.
  "I'm still surprised," Ethan said, not looking at Randy. "You did your picture at the start of the semester in protest, shocking everyone. Inspiring other artists like me. Then you vanished."
  Ethan stood in front of Randy. He looked up. His brown eyes pierced into Randy's brown eyes. Suddenly, Randy felt naked.
  "Everything I am. Everything I became. My very soul. It changed because of you," Ethan said. "I'm happy to see you back. Real happy."
  Randy managed a smile. "Thanks, Ethan. I-"
  Ethan moved forward. His left hand wrapped around Randy's waist. His right hand grabbed the back of his head. His face dotting forward, his lips connecting to Randy's.
  Randy's eyes widened in shock. Ethan's eyes were closed. After a moment, Ethan pulled back, placing his right hand around Randy's waist. A smile crept up on Ethan's face.
  "By the way," Ethan said, "I love the goatee. I never though you would go that far."
  "Am I interrupting?"
  Randy turned to the door. Melissa stood in the door. Her arms were over her chest. Her face was blank.
  "Melissa," Randy started, pushing Ethan's arms away. "I didn't hear you come in."
  "Obviously," Melissa said dryly.
  "This-" Randy continued.
  "It's fine," Melissa said as she shut the door. "It's not like we're a couple. And you're a man."
  Randy frowned. "Meaning?"
  "Have you heard from Kat?" Melissa asked.
  "No," Randy said. "Look. We're heading out. Maybe she'll be there. Come along."
  "Yeah," Ethan added. "We could use one more."
  Melissa grinned slyly. "I bet. Okay. I'm in."
  Randy looked at Ethan. Ethan's eyes were focused on him. He grabbed the clothes off the couch.
  "I'll go change," Randy said, heading for the bathroom.
  "Take your time," Melissa called after him.
  Randy shut the bathroom door. Then he sunk down to the floor of the bathroom. His mind was racing. What was going on here?

  "You're quiet."
  Kat looked away from the red Bug speeding past the dorm. Tess came out of the bathroom completely. She sat on the bed across from Kat.
  "I am just thinking," Kat replied.
  "Yeah," Tess agreed. "I wish I could have gone to the meeting with Wes. Ethan...seeing him...it's a rush."
  Kat grinned. "Fancy him, do ye?"
  Tess frowned. "I told you about that accent. If we go out tomorrow, you have to have it gone."
  "Saints preserve us!" Kat exclaimed, throwing her arms up in the air. "This never ends."
  "I know," Tess said. "Hopefully, Ethan's idea will work." She smiled. "As if you don't have a honey. What's his name?"
  Kat felt her eyes water. She looked over at Tess. Her eyes frowned.
  "I'm sorry," Tess said. "Did I say something wrong?"
  "Richard," Kat said. "He...he just died."
  Kat looked down at the ground. The image of Richard dying at Mr. Stone's hands brought the tears to Kat' s eyes. She thought of the missed opportunities they had.
  A hand on Kat's shoulder brought her back to reality. She looked up into Tess's green eyes. The tears kept flowing.
  "I'm sorry," Tess said. "I didn't mean to bring up any memories."
  Kat wiped her tears away. "'Tis all right. Ye dinnae--You did not know."
  "How did he--?"
  "Killed. Violence," Kat replied. "This is why I believe in your cause. There has to be another way." She looked away from Tess. "Perhaps if I had worked harder...."
  Tess hugged Kat. "Maybe we should all have worked better."
  Kat smiled. "Thanks for putting up with me."
  "For a friend," Tess said, "I can. Now...let's work on that accent."
  Kat kept the smile on her face. It felt good . For the first time since she began this journey, Kat felt like she had a friend.

  Randy walked out of the coffeehouse. The meeting between Ethan and the other leader...Wes...had gone well.
  Randy frowned. Ethan. He did not know what he thought of Ethan kissing him. He was not gay.
  "Not with your boyfriend, I see."
  Randy turned around. Melissa came out of the coffeehouse. Her arms covered the front of her black turtleneck. Her short black hair fell over her eyes as they narrowed on him.
  "He's not my boyfriend," Randy said.
  Melissa smirked. "Could have fooled me."
  "What is your problem?" Randy demanded.
  "As if you care."
  "Of course, I care," Randy said. "Everything I did was for you." He reached for her. "Why can't you-"
  Melissa knocked his hand away. "Don't touch me!"
  Randy grabbed Melissa by the shoulders.
  "Why?" Randy demanded. "What are you afraid of? What?"
  "Is everything okay?"
  Randy looked up to see Ethan standing in the door He moved out of the way of customers leaving. His eyes betrayed concerned.
  Melissa moved away from Randy. He looked at her. She smiled at Ethan.
  "It's nothing," Melissa said.
  Randy looked at Ethan. Ethan looked at him. His face studied Randy's. He was so busy that he did not notice Wes and the blonde behind him until Wes put his hand on his shoulder. Ethan turned and smiled.
  "So...tomorrow?" Wes asked.
  Ethan nodded. "Yes."
  "I will send agents," Wes said. "And I will get the job done," Ethan replied.
  "Come on, Lyssa," Wes said. "We better leave before the Thinkers come out."
  Wes and Lyssa headed down the street. Randy frowned. They moved very quickly.
  "That's my cue," Melissa said backing down the other way. "I need to check on Darnell. Make sure he's okay." She smiled at Randy. "You lovebirds have fun."
  "We-" Randy started. He stopped. Melissa was already heading down the street.
  A hand touched Randy's shoulder. He moved away from the hand. He looked at Ethan.
  "Ethan, stop," Randy said.
  "What?" Ethan asked. He looked apart from Randy to look at passerbys. "Let's walk."
  Randy walked alongside Ethan. He put his hands in his pockets. His eyes looked at the ground.
  "You never change," Ethan said. "You still get moody."
  Randy looked up. Ethan grinned at him. He felt pains in his stomach.
  "Ethan...I'm not gay," Randy said.
  Ethan frowned. "Randy...I...is this about Melissa? Do you...like her?"
  "Yes."
  "Then that makes you bisexual."
  Randy stopped in front of an alley. "No, Ethan. I'm not."
  Ethan's eyes narrowed on Randy. "Then, what's going on?"
  "I told you," Randy said. "I-"
  "Bull!" Ethan snapped.
  "Why is that bull?" Randy snapped back. "You trust me, right?"
  Ethan sighed in frustration. "Because you're the one who brought me out of the closet! If this is a game...then I don't know what to think. What I am."
  "Uh..." Randy said. No words came out though. Another gay double.
  A flash to the right got Randy's attention. He turned to see what it was. He noticed that no one was on the street.
  Ethan grabbed Randy's arm. He pulled him into the alley.
  "Come on," Ethan said. "It's after curfew."
  "Meaning?" Randy asked.
  "Run," Ethan said as he dotted down the alley.
  Randy saw the red car appear at the end of the street. He ran into the alley after Ethan.

  Kat entered the bathroom. Tess had already left for her classes. That left Kat to hang out about the apartment.
  Kat stared into the mirror. It was funny in a way. On the outside she still looked the same. Over the last few months, she had lost her father, her world, and the guy she might...maybe...love. She definitely felt different inside. Outside, she still looked like the little girl who waited for her father to get done with his experiments.
  Kat saw the pair of scissors on the sink. She picked them up and stared back at herself.
  She was alone now. There was no one to stand up for her now. It was time she did it for herself.

  Melissa's arms wrapped around Randy's arm tighter. He fought the smile that was itching to form.
  "Don't get any idea," Melissa said as they walked into the Art Center.
  "Me?" Randy said.
  "Brown thought it would be a good idea if we stayed close," Melissa said.
  "And the arm wrap thing?" Randy asked.
  "Maybe we will have less trouble if people see that we're a couple," Melissa said. Her eyes narrowed. "We're not a couple."
  "We could be," Randy said, his eyes falling on Melissa.
  Melissa's face harden. "What would Ethan said?"
  Randy felt his own face harden. "You really do harp on that. Jealous?"
  "I'm just wondering if there's something you want to tell me."
  "I'm not gay," Randy said.
  "And yet you have doubles who are," Melissa replied as they passed through the entranceway. "So what does that say about you?"
  Randy looked to the left. There was a set of double doors with a sign next to them. He frowned.
  "Hmmm....'Soul of the Artist,'" Melissa said as she read the sign. "And what would that be?"
  "There you go again," Randy said. "What is your problem?"
  "No problem," Melissa said. "You just seem awfully distracted. Have you even bothered to look for Kat?"
  "No," Randy said. "Have you?"
  "No," Melissa said. She looked into the room in front of them. "We just really need to focus."
  Randy looked into the room. "Or not."
  It was a ballroom. Various pictures were on the walls. Five sculptures were in the room. Four of them lined around the main one in the center of the room. The main sculpture were extremely big and made up of handsome men. They were naked and bent in shapes that spelled out a word: liberty.
  Randy ignored the crowed staring at the sculpture. he moved closer to it, taking in the faces of the statues. They were him and Ethan.
  "Impressive," Melissa commented next to Randy.
  "I agree...luv."
  Randy looked past Melissa. She also turned to look at the speaker. He heard her gasp.
  Kat stood next to a red-haired girl. Her blond hair was cut to ear-length. She wore a yellow short-sleeved shirt that stopped at her mid-riff. The front of her shirt was open front with weird symbols on it. Her wrist was covered with bracelets. The only thing that was familiar on her was the long skirt she wore.
  "Now, Kat," the red-haired girl cautioned.
  "I know them, Tess," Kat said.
  "Well, look at the two of you," Melissa said. "You in the yellow. Her in red. You could be twins...except for the hair. What gives?"
  "It was time for something new," Kat replied.
  "As evident by the lack of accent," Melissa commented.
  "Well, it's all about blending in," Kat said. "Something you once knew about."
  "So...anyone seen the artist?" Randy asked.
  Hands covered his eyes. His back felt a warm form behind it. He moved away from it and turned around. Ethan smiled at him.
  "You rang?" Ethan said.
  Randy looked Ethan up and down. They were both wearing long-sleeved shirts with vest and stripped slacks. The only difference was Ethan wore a blue shirt while Randy wore white.
  "Well, Melissa said with a grin, "you in blue. Him in white. You could be a couple."
  Ethan smiled at Melissa. "Thank you, Melissa. I agree with that."
  "Ethan," Tess said. "We're here for our mutual friend."
  Ethan nodded. "Of course." He put his arm around Randy. "We're all here for the same thing...expression."
  Ethan moved away from Randy. He headed to the back of the room where there were double doors made of glass. Randy watched as all eyes fell on Ethan.
  "When the government denied gay marriage, I did nothing," Ethan said. "I didn't care because I was...alone. Then the Bills of Rights were taken...and I knew. Something had to be done. Art, thanks to people discovering the artwork of Tennyson, have been used again as a way to express th these needs again. Through art, I feel-"
  "Excuse me."
  Randy turned back toward the door. There stood several men in the doorway. They wore buttoned-down red shirts with red slacks. They parted to reveal Bufford.
  "Sorry to say it," Bufford said, "but this violates the governmental mandate. You are all under arrest."
  "Screw the mandate," Ethan replied. "Liberties have been taken and-"
  "Then take it out at the next Thinker meeting," Bufford said. "Oh, wait!" He pulled out a gun. "You insulted the government. That's punishable by death."
  The crowd started to panic. A few people ran for the glass double doors. The rest ran for Bufford and his thinkers. Randy saw fear cross his face. He ran for Bufford and tackled him.
  "Ethan, run!" Randy yelled.
  He turned to see if Ethan was listening over the den of heavy feet. He never saw the fist hit him in the face. He fell to the ground unconscious.

  Kat struggled against Tess's hands as she was pulled toward the double doors in the back of the room. Tess glared at her.
  "We have to go!" Tess snapped. "Wes needs to know what happened!"
  Kat snatched her hands away. "Agreed. Go and warn him. I will stay here. Stand up to them."
  "They will kill you for being here," Tess said.
  "If that is the price I have to pay," Kat said, "In order to stand up for non-violence, so be it. It is aboot time." She quickly hugged Tess. "Go! Keep the dream alive."
  Tess smiled for a second. Then she was gone.
  Kat turned back into the room. She saw Randy get punched by Bufford. The Thinkers were struggling with students. One of them tried to grab Melissa. He met the hell of Melissa's boot. As Melissa took down another Thinker, Kat wondered actually what Stone had put in Melissa's head.
  A few Thinkers made it past the sculpture. Two stopped in front of Kat. Before they could grab her, Kat held up her arms.
  "No need to force me to go," Kat said. "I bow down to your advantage. Shall we go?"

  Randy's eyes flicked open. It was just in time as he grabbed the hand that was about to slap him again. Melissa looked at him.
  "Ethan," Randy managed.
  "Right here."
  Randy looked to his right. Two Thinkers had Ethan between them. They led them out of the Art building. Outside was a giant van. A few people struggled into it, but were knocked out. Bufford stood in the back with a smile.
  "To think you could upset our government with crude propaganda," Bufford said.
  "Propaganda?" Ethan spit out. "To want our basic rights is a crime?"
  "Please," Bufford replied. "This isn't really about speech. We normal people have that. What you want is an abomination."
  "Against what?" Ethan challenged. "An ideal created and manipulated by insecure men. As Tennyson said-"
  Bufford backhanded Ethan. "If I know my teachings well, Tennyson actually thought the role of the artist was as observer...because to interfere in the real world would lead the artist astray." He smirked. "It definitely did in your case. Take them to the yard. Let's see what Tennyson says about death for an artist."
  The Thinkers threw Ethan into the van. Kat got in of her own free will. Randy found that weird as he got in with Melissa. The van doors shut behind them.
  "Why didn't you run?" Randy asked.
  "Why should I?" Ethan shot back. "This was the first shot. When people find out about my death and why...others will rally to the cause...just like I did with you."
  "Oh...romantic," Melissa commented.
  "I think 'tis right," Kat added.
  "And there's that accent," Melissa said across from her.
  "'Tis a work in progress," Kat said as she sat next to Ethan. "Like this. I am sure a chance to escape will offer itself up."
  The van started and jerked forward. A window in the front on the wall opened, revealing a face Randy knew well. He smiled.
  "Professor Brown?" Randy exclaimed.
  "I had to help the cause somehow," Brown replied. "Hold on. This is going to get bumpy."

  The last of the prisoners got into the jeeps. The sped out of the clearing in the woods. Randy watched them go, but said nothing as he sat on the rock. It was a few minutes before the slide and he hoped nothing went wrong.
  "There's been sightings."
  Randy turned to look behind him. Ethan sat down next to him. His eyes watched the jeep leave, too.
  "Bufford got wind of our escape," Ethan explained. "He's on his way. We have to get moving."
  Randy nodded. "You should."
  "We should," Ethan corrected.
  Randy looked at Ethan. "I'm not going with you back to won. I have other priorities."
  Ethan looked back at Randy. "Then I'm coming with you."
  Randy laughed bitterly. "I don't think your followers would like that."
  Ethan looked down at his feet. "Yeah. I have you back though. I don't want to lose that."
  "Ethan-" Randy started.
  Ethan held up a hand to silence him. "I know. I thought when you came back...after everything with the university...you were giving us another shot. Giving me another shot."
  "They need you," Randy said.
  "I need you," Ethan said, staring into Randy's eyes.
  "Really?" Randy challenged. "You have followers. You moved on past...me. Go with it. Don't give up. Keep focused."
  Ethan got off the rock. "I was more focused when I was with you."
  Ethan headed away from the rock. Randy shot up and headed for him. There was one thing he had to do...for his double.
  "Ethan," Randy said.
  Ethan turned around. Randy grabbed him and kissed him. He took a moment and pulled back.
  "I...I'll be back someday," Randy said.
  Ethan smiled weakly. He touched his lips for a second. Then he was sin the last jeep. It sped off without a look back.
  Randy turned back to the rock. Kat and Melissa stood by it.
  "What was that about not being gay?" Melissa asked.
  "I thought it was something my double would do," Randy replied. "And I'm not gay."
  "How much time 'til the slide?" Kat asked.
  Randy pulled out the timer. "Less than a minute."
  "Good," Professor Brown said, coming out of the shadows. "Reports suggest that the Thinkers are about."
  "You still have contact," Kat said. "That is really convenient."
  "Yes, it is," Brown said, his eyes falling on Melissa. "Otherwise, I would not have known about Miss Clark tipping off the Thinkers."
  Randy frowned. "What?"
  Melissa crossed her arms over her chest. Her face revealed nothing. Randy did not know what to say. The timer beeped. Randy aimed it and watched as lightning shot from it, opening a blue vortex to his right.
  Kat frowned at Melissa. She said nothing, but jumped into the vortex. It whirred as she vanished.
  Brown looked back and forth between the two of them. He sighed sadly. Then he jumped into the vortex.
  "Why?" Randy demanded.
  "You were distracted," Melissa replied. "You need to focus. I won't hesitate to do it again."
  Before Randy could reply, Melissa vanished into the vortex.

THE-END


 

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