Randy Heim looked behind him. He held out his hand to Professor Brown. Professor Brown was busy climbing up the hilly cliff below him.
"Professor!" Randy yelled.
Professor Brown looked up. He grabbed the hand willingly. Randy pulled, bringing Professor Brown up to his level.
"You okay?" Randy asked.
"I'm fine," Brown said. "The lad-lad-girls?"
Randy looked down. He could see Katherine Rye climbing up. Below her was Melissa Clark. She paused to look down.
They were right behind them. Their fur was all dirty. Their hands were long-nailed. Their dark hair was scruffy. Randy could be only describe them as cavemen.
One of them grabbed Melissa's leg. She stiffened. Then she kicked the arm away.
Randy looked up to see Brown climb up tot the top of the cliff. He followed Brown up. His hands touched the hard edge. His elbows touched it, allowing him to pull himself up.
Brown laid on the ground. His arms were wrapped around his stomach. His face was wrinkled up.
"Professor?" Randy asked.
"Stomach...hurts," Brown grunted out.
Randy kneeled down beside brown and touched his head. He pulled the hand away to reveal sweat.
"Is he okay?"
Randy turned away from Brown. Kat looked at Brown with concern.
"I don't know," Randy said.
A growl got Randy's attention. He turned to look at the bushes in front of him. A set of yellow eyes looked back.
"Okay," Melissa said, climbing over the edge, "what was that?"
"I don't-" Randy said, turning to look at Melissa.
They hopped up into the air like bats. The cavemen flew over Randy's head. Before he could react, the cavemen had them surrounded.
"Is there a plan?" Kat asked.
Melissa balled up her fist. "We fight...assuming you come off of your non-violent pedestal."
"You know I can't," Kat said.
"Well, I guess I fight," Melissa said.
Randy heard a beep from his pocket. He smiled.
"Maybe not," Randy said.
Randy shot out of the vortex. His hands hit rough concrete. He looked around to see he was on a sidewalk in San Francisco. He noticed a few eyes stare at him. He ignored them and turned toward the vortex.
A whir sounded as Professor Brown and Kat shot out of it. The shot past Randy and landed in the street. Kat managed to stand up. She reached down at Professor Brown.
Another whir sounded off. Melissa shot out of the vortex. She landed next to Randy. Her eyes narrowed on Randy.
"Well, wasn't that fun?" Melissa said sarcastically.
A beep got his attention. Randy knew what it was and looked back at the street. A van was bearing down on Kat and Professor Brown. The Professor was still recovering.
"Professor!" Randy yelled as he shot up and ran for the street.
A red beam stopped him in his tracks. The beam nailed the van's engine, causing it to explode. What shocked Randy was that the beam came from a bystander's eyes. He stopped the beams and ran over to Kat.
"Are you okay?" he asked Kat and Professor Brown.
"We-" Kat started.
Lightning shot from the van, hitting the bystander. He flew into the sidewalk. Meanwhile, the driver emerge from his van. His arms crackled with lighting.
"What you do that for?" the driver snapped.
The bystander glared. "You almost killed these people." His eyes lit up. The red beams shot out.
"Uh..." Randy managed as he watched the driver deflect the beams with lightning.
"I think we should be running," Melissa said.
"Yeah," Randy agreed.
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 13: EVOLUTIONARY CURVE
Melissa looked out the window. She pointed again.
"There's another one," Melissa said.
Kat leaned closer to her to look. Randy also stared at the flying man that shot past the window.
"That makes...seven?" Kat said.
"Yeah," Randy said.
Kat stared at him. A blank look was on her face. Randy stared back out of the window. He should have known Kat would not talk to him due to Richard's death.
"Yeah, Kat," Melissa said, staring over at Randy. "Egghead, why don't you check on Professor Brown?"
Randy frowned. Egghead. That was Richard's nickname for him. Since he rescued Melissa, Randy has been the source of her anger. He wished she would remember their love, but thanks to the foundation, it wasn't happening.
"I think I will," Randy said as he left the window to their room at the Dominion.
Randy stared at the bathroom door. Ever since Professor Brown discovered he was dying, he had taken up staying in the bathroom for long periods of time. He approached the door and knocked.
"Professor," Randy said.
"It's open," Brown's voice answered from the other side.
Randy opened the bathroom door. Brown stood in front of the mirror, wiping his face with a towel. Randy closed the door and managed a smile.
"What are you doing?" Randy asked. "We're counting the flying people and you're missing all the fun."
Brown continued wiping his cheeks. "I was...shaving. Never know when it might get to the point where I...can't."
Randy walked over to the toilet. The seat was down so he sat down. His eyes focused on Professor Brown.
"You think too much," Randy said.
Brown frowned. "And you, Mr. Heim, do not think enough."
"I think this world is full of possibilities," Randy said.
"Really?"
"People who can fly. Shoot beams of light or electricity," Randy said. "Obviously, the world took some kind of evolutionary leap."
Brown walked over to the bathroom door and leaned on it. "From cavemen to evolved men. Hmmm...perhaps."
"Yeah," Randy said. "Different body makeup. Different body system."
"What are you getting at?" Brown asked.
Randy smiled. "Maybe we can find a cure. Maybe you can live."
Kat found herself giggling. Melissa and she had decided to take a stroll through Golden Gate Park. From the moment they made it there, Kat had seen all kinds of people using some form of power. At the moment, she sat on a bench watching a juggler entertaining kids under a tree. He was leaned up against it with a grin on his face. He grinned because he used no hands to juggle the apples. He used the power of his mind.
"Well, he's just a regular Jean Grey."
Kat looked away from the juggler in time to see Melissa sit by her. She leaned back and smiled.
"Jean Grey?" Kat said, frowning.
"X-Men character," Melissa said. "Richard really used to like that comic book. Quirks of being a frat guy."
"Richard was in a frat?"
"Aye."
Kat glared at Melissa. "I don't think I like your tone."
"Don't you mean...I dinna think I like yuir tone?'" Melissa said with a smirk.
"Your point, Melissa?"
"I just can't believe you have changed so completely," Melissa said.
"I could say the same of you," Kat said.
"You don't know me," Melissa snapped.
"I could say the same of you to me as well," Kat shot back.
"I know this little 'non-violence' stunt will not work out," Melissa replied.
"Why is that?"
"I've been sliding for a few years now," Melissa said, leaning forward on the bench. "Yeah, you try to solve things without fighting, but it ends in gunfire."
Kat leaned forward on the bench. "Perhaps ye all...you all are very sloppy."
"Trust me, grasshopper," Melissa said, staring at Kat with sadness in her eyes. "Your position will end badly."
Grasshopper. Richard had called her that once. Back when she first started sliding.
"You miss him, huh? Richard?"
"Aye."
"I'm sorry."
"I'm not mad at ye."
Melissa stared at the juggler. "You're mad at Randy."
"Yes."
"Join the club. I'm happy he saved me, but-he didn't have to sacrifice Richard. And now with the Foundation MIA, he could at least be helping others. All he wants to do is slide."
Kat stared at the juggler again. "I've noticed."
"Well, if he isn't going to focus on us or the Foundation," Melissa said, "Then maybe we should."
Kat looked at Melissa again. Melissa looked at her and smiled.
"Do you feel up to a little fun?" Melissa asked.
Kat looked down at her feet. then she realized that she did. She was acting like her shy little self again. If she was going to be stronger...to stand up for herself, she had to be out there.
"Aye," Kat said. "I would love a little fun."
"Your friend is ready to see you, Mr. Heim."
Randy stood up and smiled. "Thank you. Which room?"
"401."
Randy headed down the hospital hall. He found the door on his left and walked in.
Brown sat up in his bed. There was a melancholy look on his face as he stared out the window. Randy shut the door and headed for the door.
Brown seem to sense that someone was in the room with him. He turned to look at Randy.
"I do not think this is a good idea, Mr. Heim," Brown said. "This is a world that we know nothing about."
Randy sat down in the chair next to Brown. He managed a smile.
"I think it's worth it," Randy said. "You're not going to die."
"Oh, ye of little faith," Brown said sarcastically.
"Don't be like that."
"How would you like me to be?" Brown snapped.
"Fine," Randy replied. "Well. I'm not going to lose you like I lost Richard."
Brown looked away from Randy and back out of the window. "And we shouldn't have lost him. We should have been honest with him at least. Now...he's dead and I'm soon to follow."
"Enough with the self-pity!" Randy snapped. "You're not going to die!"
"How do you know?" Brown snapped back.
"Because I'm next!" Randy yelled.
"What?" Brown said, frowning.
Randy nodded. "Yeah. I'm going to die. Cassandra predicted that I would never make it home. I was to die before I made it."
"And you're going to believe some nut?" Brown asked.
"Her prophecies for Kat, Richard, and Tonious came to pass. Tonious died. According to Richard, Cassandra said that someone would come back to claim Kat...Daniel did. She said Richard...anyway I'm next."
"Nonsense!" Brown said.
"A lot of people trusted her," Randy said. "I have to take stock in that." He stood up. "I'm going to get us home. Melissa's right. I really need to focus more and I'm starting with helping you."
Brown kept his eyes on the window.
"I think I'm beyond help," Brown said.
"Perhaps."
Brown's eyes widened. Randy felt his own eyes do the same. He turned toward the door to see who the speaker was.
A black woman stood in the door dressed in a black dress and a lab coat. Her hair was in braids tied into a ponytail. Randy had only seen her once, but he recognized Dru, a friend of Brown's on one world. Two guards stood behind her as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"I would like to test that theory," Dru said.
"Come here often?"
Kat stared at the man sitting next to her at the bar. He flashed her a smile, showing perfectly white teeth. His blond hair was slicked back and she could see his smooth chest from the half-opened long sleeved buttoned-down shirt he had on. She managed a smile.
"Just passin' through," Kat said over the loud music.
"I can tell," the man said into her ear. "Nice accent."
"Working on losing it," Kat said.
"Now why do a silly thing like that?" the man asked. "It makes you cute, Miss..."
"Kat," Kat said, "and thank ye, Mr..."
"Scott," the man said, holding out a hand that Kat reached out and shook. "So is this fun or what?"
"It's...different," Kat replied.
Kat had come to the bar with Melissa to the bar an hour ago. In that time, Melissa had made herself at home, chatting up guys, dancing, drinking. Now she was on the dance floor with a guy on each side of her. Kat had been dancing for a while, but it made her think of Kitty, the first duplicate of herself she met on this trip through the multiverse. She died trying to save Kat. Was it right for her to be having fun?
"I saw you dancing earlier," Scott said. "You look great."
"Thanks," Kat said. "It's a work in progress."
"Really?" Scott asked. "It looked ready to me."
Kat looked away from Scott. Her face felt warm.
"Again," Kat said, "thanks."
"Do you want to go get some coffee?" Scott asked. "I would love to learn more about accent and your self-project."
"Uh..." Kat started.
She did not know what to say. Thanks to Richard, She had come out of her shell more than she had on her Earth. She was still new to being hit on. Was this right?
A figure pushed in between Scott and Kat. She turned to face Kat, revealing it was Melissa. She smiled at Kat.
"What are you doing?" Melissa demanded. "No sitting at the bar! Get on your feet."
"I-" Kat started.
"No!" Melissa cut her off. "No arguing."
Before Kat could protest, Melissa's hands were on her arms. She pulled at Kat, leading her to the dance floor. They made it to the center where Melissa turned to, showing off a mischievous smile.
"He was cute," Melissa commented.
"What?" Kat said over the music.
"The guy who was flirting with you at the bar. You go, girl!"
"He asked me out for coffee," Kat said.
"Are you going to go?" Melissa asked, hopping to the music.
"I do not know," Kat said, starting to feel the music. "He was cute."
Melissa laughed. Kat did as well. It was nice to laugh again given the last two weeks.
A hand grabbed Melissa's left shoulder. It turned her away from Kat. Kat recognized the man as one of the guys who was just dancing with Melissa. His eyes narrowed on Kat.
"What's going on, Lis?" the guy demanded. "One minute you're dancing with me and Tim. The next...you're with this lesbo."
"Lesbo?" Kat muttered.
"Katherine isn't a lesbian," Melissa said. "She's my...friend, Jono."
"With hair like that?" Jono demanded.
Kat found her hand reaching to her short blond hair. She knew it was radical...especially how her world was.
Melissa snatched her shoulder away from Jono. She grabbed Kat's hand.
"Kat, we're gone," Melissa declared. Her eyes fixed on Jono. "And you? You can't say anything about hair. Have you seen how awful those blond highlights in your hair are?"
Jono glared at Melissa. Melissa glared at Jono. Kat saw a spiky-haired guy with glasses and a plaid shirt walk up behind Jono.
"What's going on, Jono?" the guy asked.
"Girls trying to skip out on us, Tim," Jono said. "Turns out to be be lesbians."
"No way!" Tim said.
"No one's a lesbian," Melissa said. "Though I'm wondering if someone's gay."
"You little-" Jono started.
"Is there a problem?"
Kat turned behind her. Scott stood there. His arms were over his chest. His face was blank.
"None of your business," Jono said.
"When you're harassing two lovely women, it is my business," Scott said firmly.
"Back away, man," Tim said.
"Or what?" Scott challenged.
Kat stared at Jono and Tim. They stared at each other for a second. Then Tim turned into a black tar. Electricity sparked off of him. Jono's hands had gone glowing red. He aimed and fired at them as Tim lunged forward.
Scott grabbed Kat and Melissa. In a flash, everything went dark around Kat. Then Kat could make out her surroundings. They were outside the bar again.
Scott released Kat and Melissa. "You two okay?"
"Yeah," Kat said.
"Great," Melissa said. "What are you?"
"I can teleport," Scott explained. "I'm sure you two could have taken care of yourself with your powers, but...I never could stand a damsel in distress. And those guys..."
"We thank you," Kat said. "Who knows what would have happened if you have not?"
"Well, what now?" Melissa asked.
Kat stared at Scott. He smiled.
"Well, I know of this coffee shop up the street..." Scott hinted.
Randy paced along the floor of the lab. He stared over at Dru. She was busy over a microscope at a table. Brown sat next to her in a wheelchair.
Randy looked at the door. Two guards stood in the door. There was no way to escape.
"Hmmm..." Dru muttered.
"Find something, Doctor?" Brown asked.
Dru looked away from the microscope. She looked at Brown.
"Yes, Mr. Brown," Dru replied. "After using Mr. Heim's blood as a counterpoint, I see that you are one of a kind. These...nanotechs are new. How did you acquire them into your bloodstream?"
"We were backtracking in Europe," Randy cut in. "Maybe you got it then, Professor. It surely wasn't in your system when we landed in today."
Brown nodded. "Very true, Mr. Heim."
Dru looked at Randy. "How come you do not have it?"
Randy crossed his arms over his chest. "Who's to say I won't? Maybe it is a recessive gene entirely."
Dru stood up. She put a hand on her hip. "Then gentlemen...we have a problem. You see...homo sapiens...which your genetic structure shows origins from...are extinct on this planet. All people here have the genetic makeup of homo superius...allowing some ability. Telepahty. Laser beams from the eyes. Metamorphic. How you have no ability...is a mystery. Add on the face Mr. Brown has some kind of nanotechnology spring out of his cells and the hypothesis is...perhaps you are signs of either a deevolutionary leap or...worse for you...signs of an evolutionary leap. If the latter...God help you. In either case, you must stay here for the night."
"What?" Randy asked. "Are you serious?"
"I cannot have you running off now, can I?" Dru asked.
"You need not worry," Brown said. "We want to get to the bottom of this."
Dru headed for the door. "I know you do. You can never be sure though."
Randy looked over at Brown. He stared back in concern.
Kat sipped her coffee. Across from her, Scott smiled at her. His hands were around his cup of coffee.
"So...tell me about this 'work-in-progress,'" Scott said. "You weren't always this lovely?"
Kat smiled. "No. Where I come from...women are subject to do as they're told...follow their fathers. Over the last few months, I've seen a whole new world before me. A world that allows me a lot of choices. I'm takin' them now."
"So truly working...changing constantly," Scott said. "I'm impressed. So...truly doing it alone?"
"Aye," Kat replied. "I'm just passing through town with a few friends."
"On to?"
"I do not know. We're spontaneous like that."
"I saw that in your friend Lis," Scott commented.
"Well, she has been through an ordeal," Kat said. "She just wants to live a little. I can relate."
Scott frowned. "Bad experience?"
Kat sipped her coffee again. She did not know what to say. After a moment, Kat looked back at Scott.
"Tell me about yourself," Kat said.
"What's there to tell?" Scott said with a laugh. "Okay. Seriously...not going through self-discovery, but life is good. I just moved to San Francisco a few months ago. And..."
Kat glanced over Scott's shoulder. There was a television set in the corner of the coffeeshop. It hanged from the wall. A few people stared up at it and whispered.
Kat looked at the screen. Pictures of Randy and Professor Brown were on the news. The label: EVOLUTIONARY LEAP OR DISEASE was under their names.
"Saints perserve," Kat muttered.
Scott frowned. "Is everything okay?"
Kat shot up. "Everything-I'm sorry. I have to go."
Kat ran for the door before Scott could say anything. She had to get back to the Dominion and wake Melissa. They had to do something.
"You know what I miss?"
Randy stopped looking up at the ceiling. He looked across the room at Professor Brown. He was lying on a bunk across from Randy. He still looked at the ceiling.
"What do you miss, Professor?" Randy asked.
"Home," Brown said. "I miss the daily grind of eager students, term papers, teacher meetings. In hindsight, it was so more less...complicated. I even miss sparring with Professor Franks."
"I can't say the same for Bufford," Randy commented.
Brown laughed. "No one can say that about Bufford."
Randy sat up in his bed. He stared over at the Professor. He must have sensed the eyesight because Brown turned his head. His eyes looked like an elderly man who had seen too much in his time.
"I do not...I don't want to die...Randy," Brown whispered.
Randy felt his shoulders sag. This was not what he wanted for his college professor. He had no idea he would get this way. For the first time, he thought about taking the risk and taking Brown home.
Randy looked down at his hands. They had balled up into fists. He hated this. This helplessness. He wished that this could be like one of his inventions. He could go in and tinkle with it. Then bang! It was fixed.
He smiled. Why couldn't it be?
"What are you smiling at?" Brown asked.
"Nothing," Randy said, standing up.
"I know nothing," Brown said. "That's not it."
Randy stared at the door of their cell. How many over the last few years have they been in? Haven't he always found a way out of them? He kneeled down in front of the lock. He tilted his head to the left and stared. It looked quite simple.
"Mr. Heim?" Brown said. It sounded too distant for him.
Randy reached into his pocket. He pulled out a safety pin. He smiled at the thought that they did not think to take it away. He started to work on the lock.
"Heim, I don't think that is..." started Brown.
CLICK!
The cell door swung open. Randy smiled at Brown.
"Let's go," Randy said.
Randy turned around in time to see William Franks standing in front of him. He had two guards behind him. A smile was on his face.
"Did you think we could not have you watched, off-shot?" Franks asked.
"How-" Randy started.
"If you had any powers at all, you might know I had telepathy," Franks said. "To think our fate might be linked to yours. Disgusting."
A guard shut the door in Randy's face. The other guard held up his hand. A laser shot from it, melting the lock in place. Randy stared at Franks in shock.
"You're not going anywhere," Franks said. "Well...until the state teleporter arrives."
And just like that, Franks and the guards vanished. The hallway replaced them.
Kat stormed into Melissa's room. She threw on the light, ignoring the grunt from the bed. She sat on the bed next to Melissa.
"What's going on?" Melissa asked.
"Randy and the Professor," Kat replied. "They're in trouble. We need to rescue them."
Melissa sat up. "Great. As if we don't have enough trouble."
"I am sure they did not go out lookin' for it," Kat said. "Now get dressed."
Kat headed back into the living room. As she waited for Melissa, Kat had all kinds of thoughts run through her head. This obviously had to do with their not having powers. Since the whole world appear to be full of people with powers, how would they rescue Randy and Professor Brown? Could they? How would they go about it?
"Do you have a plan?"
Kat turned to look at Melissa. She was finishing putting on a vest over a white t-shirt. She frowned at Kat.
"Nope," Kat said.
"Well, that's rich," Melissa said. "Are you trying to get us killed?"
"Do you have a plan?" Kat challenged.
"As a matter of fact, yes, I do," Melissa said. "Have the guts to fight?"
Kat looked down at her feet. "You know the answer to that."
Melissa nodded. "Yes. Looks like I'm an army of one."
"We're going to save them," Kat said.
Melissa laughed as she headed to the door. She stopped there and turned to face Kat.
"Not if you're not willing to fight," Melissa said.
"Surely we can find a way to get them out without violence," Kat protested.
"You do that," Melissa said as she grabbed the doorknob. "Meanwhile, I'll actually do something about it."
Melissa threw open the door. She gasped in surprise. William Franks stood in the door. He smirked.
"Ladies," he said.
Brown sat up in the bed. The examination had been over for five minutes now. However, he just sat there wondering. In fact, he was hoping.
"Well, you took a while."
Brown turned around in the bed. Dru entered the room. A pad was in her hands and she seem very occupied with it.
"Meaning?" Brown asked.
Dru looked up. "Sitting on that table when we're done."
"I was thinking."
Dru corked an eyebrow. "About?"
"Why do you want to know, Doctor?"
Dru walked over to the table, putting the pad down. She stood in front of Brown. Her hands held his face in them. Her eyes studied him.
"Because you fascinate me, Darnell Brown," Dru answered. "What you are. What the nanotechs represent to us. What your presence represents to our people."
Brown grabbed Dru's hands. Her eyes were like students who were too eager to impress him at the university. However, they had something else to them. It was something that reminded him of another Dru on another world. He pushed her away.
"I am not an experiment!" Brown snapped. "What I am...is dying. These precious little nano-nano-things are killing me. They're not responsible for some evo-evo-new species. They kill."
"The stuttering? A by-product of your deteriorating condition?" Dru asked.
"Yes," Brown replied. "So far body parts have also...stopped working."
Dru frowned. "Then I guess you're not going to like what I have to say."
Brown felt his face frown. "Meaning?"
Dru put a hand on Brown's shoulder. He flinched in surprise. He knew this wasn't the other Dru, but she still had a penchant for straight shooting.
"At the rate the nanotechs are going," Dru said, "even if we had a cure...which we do not..you are too far gone. A month and a half to two months at best."
Brown felt like he had been punched. A month and a half? There was too much to do and all he had was a month and a half.
"That's not all," Dru said, cutting into Brown's thoughts.
Brown glared. "Please tell me there is not more."
"Afraid so, Darnell Brown," Dru said. "You are an endangered species. Your nanotechs are something our science has never seen. It breaks down the body at all levels...slowly. And...you are homo sapien...something missing here for a while...ignoring the common rumors. A homo sapien with a virus with no cure. You could be contagious. It could mutate. I am sure Franks is asking for your extermination as we speak."
Brown grinned in spite of himself. Knowing Franks in every dimension he had been in, Brown knew Dru was not far off. Franks probably was.
"Franks went to go get any other friends you might have rounded up to start a quarantine," Dru said.
Brown stared at her. "You don't have to worry. I am not contagious."
Dru grinned. "I only have your word for that."
Brown touched the hand on his shoulder. This time, Dru flinched.
"I recall you trusting my word once," Brown said.
Dru frowned. She pulled her hand away from his shoulder.
"You speak to me as if we know each other," Dru commented.
Brown put his hands together. He stared at Dru, forming a blank face.
"Maybe I do," Brown said.
"Meaning?" Dru asked.
"You're an intellig-in-smart and pretty lady, Dru," Brown said. "I trust you can figure it out."
Dru put her hands on her hips for a second. Then she dotted forward and grabbed her pad. When she looked at Brown again, her eyes were full of fire.
"I would rather you stay alive," Dru said. "With time who knows what your nanotechs could be capable of. I think you could be useful in curing illness." Her eyes narrowed. "However, I will not have you attempting to influence me with impossibilities."
"Anything is-" Brown started.
"Enough!" Dru snapped. "Andrew!"
Suddenly, a tall man appeared next to Dru. Brown remembered the brown-haired man from before his examination. He was the local transporter.
"Take Mr. Brown back to his cell," Dru instructed.
Before Brown could protest, the man's hands were on him. The white room vanished replaced with his prison cell. Andrew released him and vanished again.
"Of all the nerve!" Brown said. "Mr. Heim-"
Brown paused. Heim sat in the middle of the floor. His eyes were blank as he stared at the cell door. Brown walked over to him and kneeled down.
"Heim?" Brown asked. He got no answer. "Heim!"
Randy tilted his head and continued staring at the cell door.
Brown frowned. When they first started sliding, Randy used to do this often. Going into trances. Seeing technology in terms of puzzles. It allowed him to figure out anything, but sometimes it put them in danger.
Brown got up and sat on his bed. He stared at Randy and wondered what was going on in his head. He also wondered if it was good or bad.
Kat stared out of the window. The world passed her by as the van jetted down the street. She stared over at Melissa. She sat between two of Franks' guards with her arms crossed. Kat did not know how she did it.
Kat went back to staring out of her window. The world continued to pass by. For a second, Kat considered punching out a guard. She shook her head though There had to be a way out of this without violence.
The van abruptly screeched to a halt. Kat threw down to the floor.
"What in the world-" started one of the guards next to Melissa.
He never finished the sentence. Melissa elbowed him in the jaw. She did the same to her other guard.
One of Kat's guards tired to lunge at Melissa. He tripped over Kat however and landed in Melissa's knee as it shot up.
Before the last guard could even react, Melissa lunged at him. He was out in seconds by way of her right hook. Kat stared at it all in shock.
Melissa looked down at her. "Are you coming?"
A scream cut through the air. Kat looked up at the front of the van. Of course, she could not see anything, but it did scare her.
"Uh...no," Kat said.
"Fine," Melissa said. "You can take on the guards when they wake up."
Kat shot up. "I am on my way."
Melissa threw open the van doors. Kat started to follow, but she stopped.
Franks was in the middle of the street. A pole was stuck through his head. His blood ran down over the street. Standing over him with his hand on the pole was Darnell Brown. this Darnell was bald with a tattoo of a bulleye's on his forehead. His brown trenchcoat blew in the wind as he reached for his pole.
"Good work, James," the double said to someone behind him. He snatched up the pole which Kat saw had spikes on the end. "The telepath never saw it coming."
"Saints perserve us," Kat whispered.
Brown frowned and started directly at her.
"Come with me if you wish to live," the double said.
Randy studied the cell doors. He knew not how long it was since he stared. All he knew was that the bars were only an obstacle. If he could think his way out of it, he and Brown could be free.
It was like an invention and its workings. Find the missing part and it will work. Franks would be a problem...no, an obstacle. He could solve his way through it.
Randy frowned for a second. He wished that it did not have to go this way. As soon as the thought occurred, Randy thought another thought and smiled. Melissa would be proud. He was focusing.
Kat looked over at Melissa as they stormed down the hall. Melissa's eyes were on Brown's double. He walked ahead of them, his eyes focused forward.
"We still have to save your friends," the double said.
"We have no idea where they are," Melissa said.
"I am sure of where they are," Brown's double said. "The van should get us through security. I just do not see how we will get through the rest."
"Can't you just use powers?" Melissa asked. "It's obvious some of your men have powers."
Kat only saw a glimmer of a smile etch Brown's face.
"Not all," the double said. "Only James and Brent. I do not even have those."
"But...earlier-" Kat managed, the image of the dead Franks coming to mind.
"Homo sapiens may be rare here, my dear," Brown's double said, turning to stare at Kat, "but we are not weak."
They reached the end of the hallway. It looked like they were in a warehouse of some sort. Boxes littered the floor everywhere. People walked about. Some were taking care of others' injuries. Others were loading up trucks.
"We're underground," Brown's double said. "Driven there by our brethren. They see us as evolutionary dead ends. Seeing...an alternate of myself with a strain of nanotechs in him probably doesn't help."
"You know-" Melissa started.
"Please," the double said calmly. "I did my thesis paper on the possibilities of interdimenisonal travel. Thought it was a dead concept. Nice to see it is possible."
The three of them made it over to the van they had been in earlier. James was there putting in rifles. Kat saw the weapons and flinched.
"Surely there must be a way to get in without violence," Kat said.
Brown's double glared at Kat. She also felt Melissa's eyes on her.
"There you go again," Melissa exclaimed.
"She does this often?" the double asked.
"Yes," Melissa said. "She just doesn't see-"
"Will ye shut up?" Kat snapped. "I have an idea." She smiled. "And it has a minimum of violence."
Brown opened the lab door. Dru was over a table, staring into a microscope. Every few seconds, she would jog something down in a notebook. Brown found himself grinning. It was weird that she was a double yet she still had a determination about her.
Brown shut the door with a big thud. Dru finally looked up. She grinned.
"It is good to see you are still walking," Dru commented.
Brown frowned. "Playing bully, are we?"
Dru turned her chair to face Brown. "No more than you, Darnell Brown." Her eyes narrowed on him. "Einstein-Rosen-Poloksky Bridge. I can assume you know of it."
"I know of some theories, yes," Brown replied.
"I would hope so," Dru said. "It was your college thesis topic. Or at least...your alternate's thesis topic."
"Whatever do you-"
"Don't play with me, Mr. Brown," Dru said. "Surely you are not going to act like you're from this world. The hints you dropped contradicts that."
Brown grinned. "Like I said...smart woman."
"How did you break through?" Dru asked.
Brown approached Dru. Her eyes were full of fascination. He stood over her.
"I will tell you how," Brown said, "if you help me and my friends escape."
"No," Dru said simply. "You'll tell me if you want a cure."
"You do not have a cure," Brown said.
Dru smirked. "Doesn't mean I haven't been working on it." She gestured to her microscope. "Seems like I'm getting pretty close. You want it, then spill."
Brown put a hand on the table. "Always straight-forward. The Dru I know wouldn't do this though."
Dru smirked again. "Not your Dru."
Brown put his hand on her hand. Dru flinched.
"You could be," Brown whispered, leaning in.
Dru shook her head. "Don't even."
Brown held on to her hand. "Why not? Have a boyfriend?"
"No...time," Dru stuttered.
"Nervous, Doctor?" Brown asked, close enough to kiss her.
"I..." Dru mumbled.
A shadow moved behind Dru. Brown saw it a second too late. He moved away in time to avoid Dru falling as a microscope hit her in the back of her head. He stared at her attacker and gasped.
"Heim?" Brown gasped. "How did-"
"-I get out of the cell?" Randy aid, tilting his head. "It was all simple. If Franks was manipulating perspective in the cell, it would stay fixed...like staying in a set place on one of those sci-fi show. However, time was still moving, judging by the clock. Earlier when we tried to escape, the clock had the same time. He was gone."
"I know," Brown said.
"You also seem to know how to get to her," Randy said.
"She has a natural curiosity," Brown remarked.
"And telling her about parallel worlds was the way to get it."
Brown frowned. "How long were you watching us?"
Randy crossed his arms over his chest.
"Long enough," Randy said. "No good ever comes of us revealing the truth?"
"So we should lie all the time?" Brown challenged. "She was not a threat."
"Yet," Randy replied simply.
"It was a tactic to get what I wanted," Brown said. "We did get into this to find me a cure."
Randy snatched up Dru's notebook. He smiled weakly at Brown.
"And now we have a start," Randy said.
Suddenly, alarms sounded through the air.
"I guess they realized we escaped," Randy said.
"Any ideas on how to get us out of here?" Brown asked.
The lab door shot open. Guards ran into the lab. Before Brown could react, they were surrounded. Guns were held leveled with his chest.
"Still waiting for ideas," Brown commented. He turned to look at Randy. His face looked blank like when he was in the cell earlier. "Mr. Heim?"
"Duck," Randy said simply.
Brown fell to the floor just in time as Randy lunged backward. His elbow connected with one guard's jaw, making him jerk. His gun went off shooting two of the guards.
Randy fell to the floor, swinging a let out to trip another guard. Brown looked to the door. More guards seem to have found them. Judging by their weaponless state, they had powers.
"What-" Brown started.
The air seem to shiver for a second. Then Melissa and some man stood in front of him. Brown blinked to be sure he wasn't dreaming. They stood in front of him still. Melissa held out her hand.
"Come on," Melissa said.
Brown grabbed her hand. He shot up quickly. The guards seem to be steaming the air with electricity. They were glowing. Before they could act, Brown vanished.
His view was replaced with the back of a van. A dark-haired man stood near a window against the front wall. Kat was by him.
"James, they are in," Kat said.
"Darnell, mission's done!" James yelled.
The van started to move. Brown guessed the van was in disguise. He also wondered who Darnell was.
Kat stared at Scott. He did not look at anyone. He was sitting in a corner of the van. His head was down.
"Thank you, Scott," Kat said.
Scott stirred at the mention of his name. He stared at Kat. She felt her breath catch in her throat. There was anger in his eyes.
"Thank you?" Scott spit out. "Oh...I don't think I can accept your thanks. I know you need a favor and wanted to help friends, but...they are diseased...less than us."
"No, they are not," Kat said. "My friends are human...same as you or me. Powers or no powers."
"Everyone has power of some kind," Scott said.
"Not everyone. Right, Kat?"
Kat stared over at Melissa. She grinned at Kat. Kat glared at her. She wished Melissa would stay out of this--
"What is she talking about?"
Kat looked back at Scott. His face was etched with confusion. Finally, his eyes narrowed on Kat.
"You're one of them, aren't you?" Scott accused.
Kat realized that the van had gotten quiet. She looked around to see everyone looking uncomfortable. Well, Melissa was not uncomfortable. She watched with intense interest.
"Are you?" Scott demanded.
"I'm human," Kat said.
Scott's face darkened. "I don't want to see you again."
Before Kat could react, Scott vanished without a word. Kat looked down at her feet. She did not want to sue Scott in that way. It was the safest way to get the others out.
"We're here!" the driver announced.
Kat stared up for a second. Melissa stared back at her and smirked.
Randy jumped out of the van. He immediately had the wind hit in his face. He thought they would be in a secret warehouse, not out in the open near a cliff. He turned to look at Brown.
James was right behind Brown. While Brown took in his surroundings, James pulled out a syringe. Before Randy could yell, James shot it into Brown's neck. Brown yelled as James yanked the syringe back out.
"Professor!" Randy yelled as he ran to the falling Professor.
"Good job, James."
Randy looked up from the fallen Professor. His eyes met the eyes of Darnell Brown. The sight of the double caused Randy's eyes to narrow.
"We have exactly what we need," the double announced.
Kat jumped out of the van. Her eyes betrayed shock.
"What do you mean?" Kat demanded.
"The nanotechs," Randy said, looking at Kat. "There is no cure so if they are in the bloodstream they can kill a person."
Brown's double smiled. "Exactly. Smart man."
Randy ignored Brown on the ground and stood up. He glared at the double.
"Of course you must know I'm looking for a cure for my friend," Randy said. "I might even be close...so we have to die."
The double's smile grew wider as he reached into his trenchcoat and pulled out a knife. "Right again."
"What?" Kat shrieked. "Ye dinna need to. We are from-"
"Kat!" Randy snapped.
"And you sound strong-willed," the double said. "So I can assume you will fight."
Randy heard a beeping from his pocket. He stared at it. Then he looked at Brown's double.
"You're right," Randy said.
A scream got Randy's attention. He turned to see Melissa drive a knife into James's back. He fell to the ground.
Randy did not have enough time to react. He heard movement and turned around in time to see Brown lunge at him. He dived to his left. The double fell to the ground to the right of him.
Randy reached into his pocket. He pulled out the timer and aimed for the van. Lightning shot from the timer as a vortex formed next to the van. Kat ran for it quickly and jumped in, vanishing with a whir.
Randy headed for the vortex. A hand grabbed his leg. It was Brown's double. He aimed the knife now.
Suddenly, a leg kicked the double in the face. He fell back unconscious. Randy looked up at Melissa.
"You...saved me," Randy said.
"I needed help carrying Brown," Melissa said. "Come on."
Randy fell out of the vortex with Professor Brown and Melissa. The vortex closed behind them. Randy looked at Melissa.
"You okay?" Randy asked.
"Fine," Melissa said.
"Professor," Randy said.
Professor Brown opened his eyes.
"My neck hurts," Brown announced.
"You have a day," Randy said, looking at the timer. "Maybe it will get better."
"I doubt it," Brown said. He struggled to look around. "Where is...Miss...Kat?"
Randy looked around. He saw they were at the edge of a cliff again. Kat was standing with a blonde girl. Kat looked really worried.
"Don't do it," Kat urged.
"I have to, dear," the girl said. "It is time."
"Don't!" Randy yelled, shooting up.
The girl rolled her eyes. "God, you two must really be on the second level. I have moved beyond this realm. It is time."
"No!" Randy yelled.
Before Randy could stop her, the girl rose into the air. Her body glowed. Suddenly, a light blinded Randy. He blinked his eyes quickly. The girl was all yellow. She floated into the air. It was then that Randy saw a ring of light in the air. She vanished into it.
"Oh," Randy muttered.
THE-END
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