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Colin gets separated from his friends, thus leading to his Season Five travels

Heavy breathing.

That is what I remember,heavy breathing.

And the sound of gunshots.

It was dark,the only lights coming from street lamps. We were in small

town on the Pacific Coast north of Monterrey,California. A couple of

people were shooting at us. My brother and I,armed with nine-millimeter

Beretta pistols,were fiuring at our pursuers to cover for Remmy as he

waited for the timer to count to zero.

Our feet knocked against the cobblestoned streets of the town. I heard

my brother shout,"Go!" Then it opened.

A siwrling vortex appeared. It There was a bright,white light in the

center. The air arround the vortex shimmered like the air in the Mojave

Desert at high noon in July. With shots being fired at us,we leaped

straight in. Soon we were on a journey to the unknown.

We left that world,that universe,and were flying through a tunnel of

light. In the past year,I have never ceased to be amazed at traveling

thorugh this tunnel of lights my brother Quinn calls a wormhole. I could

see Quinn and Remmy flying through the tunel,along with our other

companion Maggie. Then,I saw something I never expected to see.

I saw another traveler,flying through the tunnel in the opposite direction.

For I second,I wondered if someone at the other side saw it open and

decided to jump through. In any event,we would have to go back to the

world we just left to find him. Hopefully,the guys who had been pursuing

us just minutes ago would not be there when we returned.

Then I saw that he was on a collision course with me. I saw him

briefly,a man with dark hair. That was it. He collided with me,and for a

moment,I weas flying out of control. I wondered if I would end up back

where I started.

I felt myself hit the ground. I figured I must have reached the end of

the wormhole. I wondered if I had slid back to the world I just left.

Suddenly,the dark ground below me was illuminted. I looked back to see

where the light was coming from,and I saw a hugfe trcuk heading at me at

about fifty-five miles per hour. I quickly got out of the way before the

truck could flatten me. Afdter I saw the truck pass by me,I looked around

at my surroundings. Having been sliding for a year,that has become a

reflex.

I was standing on a long suspension bridge. At least I did not slide

back to that world I just left. I looked around for the others. I did not

see them in sight. I wondered if they had been hit by the bridge traffic.

I noticed there was little traffic on the bridge at this time of the

night. I climed over a railing to the pedestrian walkway and looked down.

I saw dark,murky water below. There was nothing on the surface except

a buoy and a boat apparenbtly used by the harbor patrol. I wondered if

Quinn,Remmy,and Maggie fell into the water.

"Quinn!" I shouted. "Remmy! Maggie!" I shouted their names many

times,but there was no response.

Now here was a sityuation for me. Not only did I lose my friends,Remmy

was holding the timer when we slid. If the sliding window passed,the timer

would be useless for twenty-nine years,as my brother told me.

I looked down the bridge,and can see the lights of a city.

"Only one thing to do,Colin," I said to myself. I walked along the

bridge,towards the city in the distance.

As it turned out,it was a long,thirty minute walk. As I walked towards

the city,hundreds of thoughts flooded my mind. I wondered who that guy was

that traveled through the wormhole. Was he someone who just happened to be

walking across this bridge when he accidentally stepped in? And where are

Quinn,Remmy,and Maggie? Did they fall into the water? If so,the harbor

patrol would see them and pick them up. Falling from that height,they

would get hurt. It would not have done me any good just to stand on the

bridge. But first thing is first. I had to reach that city and find out

where I am.

As I approached the city,I can see it had skyscrapers. I landed near a

major city,so that was fortunate for me. After minutes of walking,I could

see the tollbooth where people would pay to drive across this bridge. I

ran towards the end of the bridge. The pedestrian walkway of the bridge

ended in a stairwell,and I went down to the city below.

The neighborhood I was in looked like an industrial area. There were a

bunch of warehouses. It was very dark,and the lighting was poor. I figured

this must be the harbor area. I walked dwon the streets to get to the

downtown area of the city.

I made it to a street lined with shops. Some of the shops had bright

neon lights. I went to read the signs.

And I found out I could not read them. Ity was not in English at all. I

recognized the writing as Arabic. I wondered if this was an Arab

neighborhood. then I saw that all the street signs were in Arabic. There

were no English signs. None at all. I ran to a phone booth. I recognized

the numerals on the numeric keypad,as numerals are the same in Arabic and

English. In fact,it was the Arabs who invented the numeral system that I

use. But when I looked at the cover of the phone book,it was written in

Arabic. And all the listings were also in Arabic.

I went out of the phone booth,and saw a convenience store. Although

the sign was in Arabic,I could tell it was a convenience store from the

fact that I can see various items inside,and the store is well-lit. So I

went inside.

Inside the store,I saw a Chinese guy manning the counter.

"Excuse me," I asked. "I am a little lost. Could you tell me where I am?"

The guy said some unfamilar words. It was either in Arabic or Chinese.

I could understand from the context that he was saying he did not

understand me. It was not a new situation to me;I slid into worlds where

the dominant language in California was a language other than English. I

looked at a counter and saw what appeared to be maps. I unfolded the map.

Even if I could not read the words,the street layout would tell me where I

am.

As it turned out,I was in San Francisco,California. I had entered this

world,this dimension,right on top of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.

In my travels,my companions and I always slide to a specific area in

California. We can land as far north as San Francisco or as far south as

Los Angeles. I had slid to San Francisco many times and am familar with

the street layout. So I put the map back onto the rack and I went out into

the dark street. As I left,I heard the Chinese guy mumble something.

The building looked the same as it did in other worlds,although the

sign was in Arabic. The lobby was still open,consistent with the

assumption that this building is a hotel. When I walked inside,the lobby

looked just like the lobby of the Dominion Hotel. I saw the recption

desk,and a rack filled with brochures,which I figured was printed in

Arabic.

Whenever my friends and I slide into the Bay Area,we go to the Dominion

Hotel on Van Ness Avenue. This was our meeting point in San Francisco. If

we happened to get separated after the slide,we would go straight to the

meeting point.

I went to the counter and spoke with the receptionist.

"Excuse me," I said. "Did anyone come into this hotel?"

The man said something,which I figured was that he did not understand

my question.

"Could you please help me? I'm looking for my friends."

It was no use,the poor guy just didn't understand. In my travels,I had

learned to speak other languages just to be prepared in case we landed in

a world where the predominant language in California wasn't English. But

none of us learned to speak Arabic. With no way to speak their language,I

coiuld not ask for my friends or even get a room. Not that I could get a

room even if I was fluent in Arabic,because all my money was printed in

English. and I know I can't just sleep on the couch in the lobby,although

it was mighty tempting.

A hotel employee walked up to me and asked me somthing. He was dressed

in Arbaic-style clothing,with baggy red pants and a white shirt.

"I'm looking for my friends," I said. "They told me they would meet

here. I can't speak Arabic."

I sae the employeee talk with the guy at the counter. They were

conversing in Arabic about me. I wondered if they would call the police.

The bar was closed,and there was nowhere else to go.

So I left. I walked along Van Ness Avenue,or whatever name they called

it on this world. There were some cars parked aslong the curbn,and I saw

tracks for the cable cars. After a long walk thorughn the streets of San

Francisco,I ended up at Golden Gate Park.

And I claimed a park bench. Here I was separated from my friends,with

money that was useless,and without a way to slide to the next world. As I

lay down on the wooden bench,I thought about the events that got me here.

The whole thing started when I was born. My name is Colin Mallory,and I

was the firstborn of Michael and Elizabeth Mallory. Two years after my

birth,my mother gave birth to Quinn. The events that were transpiring at

the time was what led me to this bench.

On my home world,there were these people called kromaggs,who are a

different species of people. The humans and the kromaggs were fighting a

war in the 1970's. The humans on my world had developed sliding

technology,and my parents sent me asnd Quinn to live with their respective

duplicate parents on other worlds.

I grew up in El Segundo,California,in the country known as the United

States of America. On my wordls,technolgy such as

cars,airplanes,spaceships,current electricity,and of course,sliding

technology was not invented. The fastest means of travel was by train.

Soon after I was born,my foster parents died. I lived there for

twenty-seven years,not knowing my true heritage.

Until my brother Quinn came. After I spoke with Quinn and his

companions Rembrandt Brown and Maggie Beckett,I learned my brother's

story.

Quinn grew up in a world more advanced in technology than my own. He

had thought he was born there. He lived in the city of San

Francisco,California,in the United States of America. He briefly explained

the history of his world,noting events such as the American Revolution and

the Second World War. On my world,America did not become an independent

country until 1888,and it was through peaceful means. And there was no

Second World War nor an atomic bomb. On Quinn's world,the U.S. President

was Bill Clinton and the governor of California was Pete Wilson. On my

world,the U.S. President was Pat Buchanan and the governor of California

was John van de Kamp.

In 1994,Quinn had invented a machine to research anti-gravity. He

opened a mysterious portal. After studying it,he went through and found a

paralell dimesnsion where red means go and Elvis Presley is still alive.

(No one named Elvis gained fame in my world,and on Quinn's world,Elvis

died of a drug overdose. I remmbered a time when we landed on a world

where Elvis Presley was on a comeback tour,and Quinn and I got jobs as

ushers in the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. Remmy,whose duplicate was

also a famous singer,got to perform live on stage with Elvis,but that is a

different story for a different time.)

Quinn and two companions,Wade Wells and Maximilian Arturo,slid with

Quinn the second time. Remmy accidentally drove through as he was driving

to sing the national anthem at the World Series. The timer malfuntioned

and they did not get back to Quinn's home world,which herefafter shall be

called Earth Prime.

The four of them had many adventures in the years they were sliding.

They repeatedly ran into the same people,including alternate versions of

themselves. In 1997,they ran into Captain Maggie Beckett of the United

States Marine Corps. Maximilian Arturo was shot and killed soon

afterward,so I never got to meet the original professor,althiough I

encountered his duplicates in other worlds.

After six months of sliding,Wade and Remmy made it back home,but Quinn

and Maggie missed them. They had another timer,and after three months,they

made it back to Earth Prime. Anyone who reads this would think the journey

is over. But it had just begun.

The kromaggs,who had fought a war with humans on my world of

birth,began conquering parallel worlds. Because my birth world's

technology was considerably advanced compared to most other worlds,the

kromaggs were successful. They had conquered Earth Prime in 1997,occupying

its major cities. Quinn and Maggie finally found Remmy,who told them two

horrible things. First,Wade was sent to a breeder camp on another world.

Second,this was home. Remmy had checked this world's history as well as

his personal history,and they were consistent with Earth Prime.

However,antoher revelation occurred. Quinn's mother Elizabeth Mallory gave

Quinn a microdot where he heard a message from his birth parents. Quinn

learned the truth of his heritage,and he,Maggie,and Remmy started sliding

again insearch of me and a weapon that was used to defeat the kromaggs on

their home world. After seven months of sliding,they finally found me,and

I chose to go along for the ride.

Now I am here on this park bench. I am transcribing this from a journal

I bought at Borders Bookstore soon after I started sliding. I looked up to

the night sky,wondering if I would find a way back to my friends,and a way

back to my home world.
The rays of the morning sun woke me up. I did not see anyone elese in

the park except for some bums and a jogger. I got up,and decided to walk

back to the Dominion Hotel.

I went inside the lobby,and I saw a different guy than the one I saw

last night. the recongized him as Gomez Calhoun,the manager of the hotel.

He is a fat man with light brown hair.

"Excuse me,I am looking for a few friends of mine," I said to him.

He utterred something,but it is clear he did not understand English. It

was then that I noticed something.

A No-Smoking sign,with the familiar icon of a cigarette inside a circle

with a slahs bar. I saw it was written in several different languages.

Including Spanish. "NO FUMAR" it was written. Then it struck me. San

Francisco is a major port city. Many immigrants live in San Francisco. I

know that Chinese and Spanish are also spoken here. Maybe English is as

well.

A woman in a pink waitress's uniform walks up to me. She says,in

English,"Hello. How may I help you?"

"You speak English," I said to her. I looked at her. She is a bit

shorter than me,with reddish-brown hair.

"Only a little," she replied. "I'm not good."

"The name is Mallory," I said. "Colin Mallory. I want to see if Quinn

Mallory,Rembrandt Brown,or Maggie Beckett checked in here." I spoke

slowly,so she would understand.

The waitress speaks with Calhoun,who checks the computer. She comes

back to me and says,"No,they are not here."

"Well,I am leaving them a message. Do you have a notepad?"

"Notepad?"

"A paper."

The waitress goes to the desk and gets a piece of paper. I write down

this message.

"I was here at the Dominion. I don't have any currency for this world.

I will be here at the lobby during the day hours-Colin."

"Give this to Quinn Mallory,Rembrandt Brown,or Maggie Beckett," I said

to her. "Give this message to them if they ask for me."

"Okay," she replied. "I tell you my name. Wells. Wade Wells."

"Wade?" I asked. "Do you know Quinn?"

"I do not know Quinn," Wade replied.

"Is there a bookstore where they sell books written in English?" I asked.

"Books? English?" asks Wade. "Little England."

"Where is it?" I asked. "Point it to me on a map."

Wade takes me to the hotel gift sop. There are various items for

sale,from mugs and T-shirts. Wade takes a map of San Francisco,unfolds

it,and points to an area. I can see she is pointing to Lombard Street,just

a few blocks west of Van Ness Avenue.

"Thank you," I said.

"You're welcome," she replied. With that,I left the hotel to look for

an English bookstore.

As it turned out,Little England was an English neighborhood in San

Francisco. The store signs were written in English. I found a small

bookstore called Westminster Books.

I went in,and an employee said hi to me in English. I went to a shelf

marked "HISTORY",and I read about the history of this world. Every time we

slid,we checked out the history of the world we were in.

On this world,the Arabs colonized North America in 1367 (all datyes are

in the English calendar,the Arabs use a different calendar.). They quickly

spread west towards the Rockies. In 1689,they fought a war with Spain and

gained California and the territories west of the Rockies.

Soon afterward,there was a war for independence. The viceroys

governing the American colonies declared independence in 1692,and drove

out the armed forces of the Ottoman Empire,which were weakened by the war

with Spain. By 1700,the United Emirates of America established itself as

an independent country.

History went on in a similar fashion to the American history of Earth

Prime. Africans were imported as slaves. There were waves of immigration

from Europe and Asia. There was even a civil war becuase of the division

over slavery. In the end,the antislave southern emirates won and the emirs

who led the northeastern emirates to secede were publicly beheaded. (On

Earth Prime,the South supported slavery and lost the war.)

Currently,the United Emirates of America has a federal system. Each of

the fifty emirates are ruled by an emir who heads the emirate government.

The federal government was headed by a sultan,who,rules from a palace in

the Federal District of Saladin,which was named after the first Sultan.

The United Emirates cover a wide area,encompassing all of North America

north of the Mexican border.

I had always loved reading. I began reading even more since I started

sliding. My favorite part of sliding is reading the alternate histories of

parallel worlds. In most cases,I would go to the public library,but this

time I had to go to the bookstore on account that I can't read Arabic. All

I know is that somehow,I had to make money.

As it turned out,there was a job available. At the Dominion Hotel. I

had asked Wade if there were positions available for me,and she told me

Calhoun was hiring. It was,afdter all,the summer,and the hotel would be

busy.

"Calhoun only needs temporary workers," she said. "Business comes and

goes by the year. And temporary help can be paid below the table."

"You mean under the table," I said. "I just want room and baord and

some money."

As it turned out,Gomez Calhoun was very happy to hear about it. He said

some Arabic phrases. Wade told me that he is happy to have a worker for

the upcoming season,. As for the room,he did not mind. Wade told me I can

stay in the room at least until all reservations are filled.

"Wade," I said. "Did anyone come looking for me?"

"No," she replied. She left and went back to work. I looked at Wade. I

wondered how syurpirsed she would be to know the truth about me,and about

the part where one of her duplicates was sent to a breeder camp.

So I went to work. My job was cleaning the rooms and stuff with vacuum

cleaners and ammonia and other stuff. Calhoun would just write the room

number down and I would go clean it. I was assigned one of the cheap,lower

level rooms,which I kept tidy myself. Every morning,the hotel served a

free continental breakfast,with pastries and cereal. At lunch and dinner,I

was entitled to a small serving of food. I had never tasted Arabic food

before,and it was delicious. I would also greet the hotel guests. Most of

them did not understand English,but they understood I was greeting them.

At night,I would go to bed. sometimesd I would watch TV and tune it to the

Spanish channel,since I understand Spanish. At the end of each week,I was

paid in cash. Wade told me the currency was dinars. I still held on to my

three hundred dollars;I might need it someday.

One day,Wade told me that the hotel was totally booked and I had to

vacate my room while it was reserved. It appeared not a single room will

be available for me for at least four days.

"You can stay with me," she said. So that's what I did.

Her apartment was small. It had a living room,a bathroom,and two

bedrooms. She introduced me to her roommate,Stephanie Bowman,a

blond-haired lady who appeared to be about Wade's age.

"You can sleep on this," she said,pointing to the couch. I lied down.

As I closed my eyes,I can hear Wade and Stephanie talking in Arabic. I

could tell they were talking about me.

The next day,I went back to the Dominion to work again. I had some

spending money,and I decided to ask Wade something.

"Would you like to go out tonight?" I asked.

"Yes," she replied.

So that's what we did.

We went to a fish and chips place in the Little England neighborhood of

San Francisco. I did not make enoguh money to take her to a fancier

restaurant,so I took her here and ordered fish and chips. We sat down on a

table. There were stains on it. The place was not crowded,there was only

one other man sitting at the far side of the place.

"Mallory," said Wade. "Stephanie knew a Mallory."

"Quinn?" I asked.

"Yes," she replied. "They went to the university. Both of them."

"That was him," I said. "He's my brother. Dud you know him well?"

"No," she replied. "I was not close. Ask Stephanie."

"Does Stephanie speak English?"

"No,she doesn't. She chose Chinese."

"Oh. Tell me about yourself Wade. About what you want to do."

"I was born in San Francisco. Attended Northshore College. Major

Poetry. I studied English for three years. I am not good at it. I want to

write."

"an author?"

"Yes. I want to write English and Arabic."

"Maybe you will learn to speak English better."

"Maybe you learn Arabic," she said,smiling.

"I might have to. I need to see someone at the university where Quinn

and Stephanie attended."

"A girl?"

"No,a professor. I am not sure if he is still there. His name is

Maximilian Arturo."

"We will do that on the day off."Gomez Calhoun agreed to give us the day off on Friday. In return for a

night shift. Wade and I traveled along the cable cars of the city,and we

reached the university where my brother attended school. It was a

large,beautiful campus. I saw many students on their prayer mats praying.

It seems most of the population is Muslim. Wade looked into a directory to

find Professor Maximilian Arturo.

"He's here,Colin," she said. "What if he don't speak English?"

"He immigrated from England," I answered. "He should speak English

better than you."

So we went to Arturo's office and waited for him. As it turned out,he

was returning from a lecture. With his Arabic-style clothing,he looked

like the guy from the Indiana Jones movie I saw about a year ago.

"Excuse me,Professor,I need your help," I said.

"You speak English," he said. "Well,normally,I ask for an

appointment,but I will hear you out,since you speak my native language."

"I am Colin Mallory," I said. "Quinn Mallory's brother."

"I remember him," he said. "Are you asking about him?"

"Well,yes and no," I said.

"For your information,he is working in a research institute in New Syria."

"Where is that?"

"Back east,you geographically-impaired twit! God,this country's

education system must be rotting if our young people can't find New Syria

on a map!"

That sounded like the Professor Arturo Quinn told me about.

"Listen,do you know anything about sliding?" I asked.

"Sliding?" asked the professor with a hint of annoyance. "Why shoudl a

professor of ontology and cosmology woory about such a trivial thing as

sliding down a slide in a playground. Yiou want to know about sliding,ask

a child!"

"What I meant was interdimensional travel. Traveling across time,as

opposed to back and forth. do you know anything about other dimensions of

time?"

"Well,yes. It is one of the subjects I teach."

He explained what my brother Quinn had explained many times. Time is

not one dimension,but many dimensions. The uncertainty principle causes

these parallel times to evolve differently. However,events in each these

parallel universes influence the probability distributions of events in

nearby universes. That is why many parallel and seemingly-independent

dimensions are similar in their histories.

The professor also said that matter and enrgy are normally confined to

a single dimension,just like electrons are confined to orbitals around the

atomic nucleus. However,it is possible to cause matter to jump out of the

dimension and end up in another dimension,just as electrons can be removed

from their orbitals.

"It was very nice to have this discussion," he said.

"There is a reason," I said. "I am from another dimension."

"What?"

I told him about how I was borbn on a parallel earth,how I was sent to

another world to grow up,and how my brother found me and took me to other

worlds.

"Sliding. Kromaggs," he said. "If you weren;t interested in my theories.

I'd call you a kook. Still,I would not know where your friends are. I am

sorry,lad."

"It's okay," I said.

"Let me give you my number,Mister Mallory," said Arturo. He gave me a

card with a telephone number. So Wade and I left.

The rest of the day,we went on a tour of the city. I was bored,since

everything looked the same except for the Arabic writing. At sundown,we

went back to the hotel. Calhoun told me,through Wade as interpreter,that a

room is available for me. I worked hard that night,cleaning the vacant

rooms and washing linens. After my shift was over,I went to my room. I

said goodbye to Wade.

I lied down and turbned on the television. I saw nothing but snow. I

kept flipping the channels,and there was stiull nothing but snow. I

wondered what was causing the interference. Anyway,I decided to read the

English newspaper. There were news about Enbgland as well as the English

community of San Francisco. There was an article about the Sultan. I fell

asleep,with the newspaper i my hand.I dreamt I was floating in sea of colored lights. Images appeared everywhere. I tried to move,but there was nothing to push against.

"Quinn!" I shouted. "Rembrandt! Maggie!" No answer. I just floated

there is the nothingness.

Suddenly,I was awakened by a scream. I loked up and saw Wade

Wells,dressed in a maid's uniform.

"Wade," I said. "Good morning."

"What the hell are you doing here?" she asked.

"Am I in the wrong room?"

"Yes you are in the wrong room. This is supposed to be vacant."

"Did Mister Calhoun forget to mark this room as occupied."

"Who are you?"

"You know me. Colin Mallory. I work here. I started just a few weeks ago."

"Well,I do not know any Colin Mallory," she said. "Get out before I

call the police."

"Your English is better."

"Of course it is. This is America,pal."

I immediately ran outside the room,down the hallway to the elevator. I pressed the button fgor the lobby and seconds later,I was at the lobby. I rushed out,bearly running into a guest. I looked out on the scene of Van

Ness Avenue,with the cars driving down thre streets and a streetcar

running down the track.

that is when I noticed. The store signs were in English. The sign above the hotel read "DOMINION HOTEL" The advertising billboards on the cable cars are also in English. So were the street signs. No trace of Arabic

writing was anywhere in the area.

There is no way anyone can change all the signs into English overnight.

The only explanation was I slid while I slept.

But then,where are Quinn,Rembrandt,and Maggie? If they found just in time for the slide,they would have taken me to the lobby and woken me up.

I looked into the lobby. I can see Gomez Calhoun speaking to Wade. In English. This was a deep mystery for me.

After standing in front of the Dominion,I pout myself together and did

the usual. First,I went to the phonbe to look for any alternates in the

phone book.

The names of my parents,Michael and Elizabeth Mallory,were listed. there is no spearate listing for Quinn. No listing for Rembrandt Brown. I already knew that Wade existed in this world,from my encoubnter in the

hotel. I boarded a cable car on Van Ness Avenue and went to my next destination. The San Francisco Public Library.

I went inside the public library. It was huge,with hundreds of shelves and thousands of books. I went to a computer terminal to access the directory. I searched for the subject "American History" and found 1456 entries. I went upstairs and I searched through the shelves looking for the call number of the book. I took out a book published in 1997. It was a book written in the format of a college textbook.

Early American history was uninteresting. There was an American Revolution just like on Earth Prime. there was a list of U.S. Presidents

and a listing of historical events like the expansion westward,but nothing standing out.

It was the Recent American History that stood out. IN 1941,the United States of America declared war on Japan after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The National Socialist Republic of Germany delcared war on the United States. Quinn told me about that,and in Earth Prime's history,Japan and Germany was defeated.

But this was different. The Germans repelled the 1944 invasion of Normandy during thre Second World War. Adolf Hitler,the Fuhrer of

Germany,focused his land forces on Russia,and Russia fell to the Nazis. The war continued for one year. Then on August 6,1945,the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima,Japan. Germany,in response,loaded two V-2 rockets with atomic bombs and destroyed New York City and Boston. With Japan and Great Britain withdrawing from the war,it was between the United States and Nazi Germany. There were a few sea battles,but the U.S. failed to liberate France. In 1947,the U.S. and Germany signed a truce which

ended the war. Both countries concentrated on building up their military forces for the day when the war would erupt between the two superpowers. Both superpowers were involved in conflicts in the Middle East and South

America. They both established space programs,with Germany clearly in the

lead. On April 20,1966-Adolf Hitler's seventy-seventh birthday-a German astronaut landed on the moon and planted the swastika flag on the ground. Hitler used this event as an example of Aryan superiority.

Now that I have had a rough overview of the world, I set out to find my brother's duplicate on this world. Since he is not listed in San Francisco, maybe I could find him on the Internet.

There were several computers in the library for Internet access. A sign read that access is allowed for thirty minutes per user. I went to , which exists on this world. After that I got a phone listing for Quinn Mallory. He lived in Long Beach, and his number was (562) 433-6985.

So now I have to get to Long Beach. I went to another room in the library, which had a bunch of maps. I looked at a map of California.

It looked like I was in for a four hundred mile journey south. Walking was not an option, and the money I earned from cleaning the hotel was not useful on this world.

Minutes later, I was standing on the onramp of U.S. 101, sticking my thumb out for a ride. A Peterbilt truck stopped and the driver called out.

"I'm heading south," I said.

"Take you as far down as Salinas," said the driver. "Remember this. I have a gun, so no funny business."

I hopped into the cab and we headed south on the 101.It took a good seven hours to hitchhike all the way to Long Beach, using five trucks. It was already dark by the time I got there. But here I am, in the Port of Long Beach.

The port was a huge place. Most of the vehicles here are trucks. I saw some rail; cars parked on railroad sidings. There were several ships docked, some attended with cranes. Even at this hour, I could see some longshoremen working on one of the cargo ships.

It was time for me to find a telephone. I reached a GTE public telephone. I looked up Quinn. He was still there. Hopefully, this duplicate of my brother was still at home. I dialed 0 for the operator.

"How may I direct your call?' asked the operator.

"562-433-6985," I said. "Tell him it is Colin."

I heard the phone ring, and then a female voice answered. "Colin, is that you?"

"Yes, it's me," I said to her. "Is Quinn there?"

"He's working late. So, where are you?"

"The Port of Long Beach."

"What, did you desert?"

I wonder what she meant by that. "It's important that I talk to him."

"Could you pick me up?"

"Tell me where in the port you are."

So I waited in the port. And waited. And waited. I hoped that the police did not pick me up for loitering. Finally, someone shone a flashlight at me.

"Colin!" shouted the woman.

I immeditely got into the car, a Toyota Tercel. Soon we were driving along a street called Ocean Boulevard. I could see we were in the downtown area. There were a lot of tall buldings, like the Wells Fargo building and the Courtyard by Marriott.I looked at the driver of the car. She was in her mid-twenties, with blond had a tattoo on her forehead. I also notiuced that she was pregnant.

"Tell me what you are doing here," said the woman.

"I'm just visiting," I said. "I'm on a journey."

"Did you tell your unit about this?"

"My unit?" I asked. "What are you talking about?"

"You know, your Marine unit. You may be my husband's brother, but..."

"You're married to Quinn?" I asked.

"You were at the wedding. How could you forge?. Let me say this. If you are deserting the Marines, I'm not going to hide you. You can spend the night. But if the Marines come looking for you, I'm gonna turn you in."

I sat down and looked out the window at this new world. I had encountered married duplicates of myself, not to mention Quinn.

After a few minutes, the woman parked the car in the garage of her home. Quinn's home.

The next day was a day full of surprises. It started out typical. I had

some Fruity Pebbles for breakfast,plus Webber's wheat bread and Minute

Maid orange juice. Quinn was dressed in a suit and tie,ready for work.

There was a knock on the door,and Quinn opened it.

I saw a raven-haired woman in a Marine dress uniform standing at the

door. I recognized her as Maggie Beckett.

"Maggie!" I said. "You're here! Where's Quinn and Remmy?"

"Do I know you?" she asked me. She turned to Quinn and said,"Mallory,if

this is one of your tricks." I had never heard Maggie call Quinn by his

last name.

"It's no trick,Major," replied my brother. "This man is from another

dimension of time. Look at his forearm."

I showed Maggie my forearm. She rubbed her finger against my forearm.

"No makeup," she said. "No scar. That means there was no bar code in

the first place."

"What is your name?" she asked.

"Colin Mallory," I replied. "I am Quinn's brother-or a counterpart thereof."

"Okay,Colin Mallory," she said to me. "You're coming with us." She led

me to a green Chevrolet sedan. Two MP's accompanied me. I saw Quinn get

inside a blue Ford Mustang. On the doors of the Chevrolet was

written,"U.S. MARINES FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY" I sat inside the back seat.

Maggie started the car and we drove westbound on Second Street. After

passing through a bunch of shops and taverns and restaurants,she turned

left on Livingston Drive,and proceeded west on Ocean Boulevard. I can see

the Pacific Ocean on my left side,and houses on my right. After a few

minutes,we reached the downtown area,where there were tall buildings,lots

of cars,buses,and people. Then we crossed a long bridge,which Maggie said

was the Gerald Desmond Bridge. At the other side of the bridge,ther sedan

continued along Ocean Boulevard. I can see we are in a harbor area. She

stopped at a traffic light and turned right. We approached the gate of a

military base. A sign on the fence read,"U.S. MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE

TERMINAL ISLAND." The MP let the car through,and Maggie parked in a

parking lot.

"Get out," she said. I complied. I looked around. It was a small

base,with a dozen buildings or so. There were military vehicles parked in

the parking lot. She took me to one of the buildings,which was the

security building. First,she had be fingerprinted. Then we walked through

a hallway,passing some Marines. We then went inside a small room with a

table and two chairs. The only light in the room came from a small lamp

above.

"Sit down,Mallory," she said. "If that is who you really are. I am

going to ask you a few questions. Where were you born?"

"I am not sure," I replied. "I was never told where I was born. I know

it is on another dimension,and my parents brought me to another dimension

to grow up."

"Why did they do that?" she asked.

I explained everything. About the war between the humans and kromaggs.

My life in El Segundo. My meeting with Quinn Mallory,Maggie Beckett,and

Rembrandt Brown. I told her how the kromaggs conquered Rembrandt's home

world,the world where Quinn started his journey. I told her how I joined

them in their search for my true home world,where my father invented a

weapon that drove the kromaggs from my home world and can be used to

liberate Rembrandt's home world. About how I got separated from my friends

and my brother.

After that,she asked,"Are you a member of the Nazi Party or any Nazi

sympathizer group?"

"No," I replied.

"You will stay here," she said. And then she left.

After an hour,she went back to confront me again. "We did a background

check on you,Mister Mallory. It seems there is an actual Colin Mallory.

Staff Sergeant Colin Mallory,of the United States Marine Corps,33rd

Tactical Aircraft Wing. He is stationed in the Marine Corps Air Station in

El Toro,currently under deployment to Egypt. We checked with his

commander. He is in Egypt. So,the question is, WHO ARE YOU?"

"I told you," I said. "I am Colin Mallory. I am just from another

dimension. I was sliding-traveling through dimensions-with a duplicate of

you. and I know something about sliding. If the timer runs out and you

miss the wormhole,the timer does not work for 29.7 years."

Maggie once again left,leaving me inside the dimly-lit room.

After another hour,an MP enters the room.

"The general wants to see you," he said. So that's what I did.

The MP escorted me through the base to the office of Major General

Alexander Hunt. I looked around,seeing Marines going about doing work. I

also passed an officers club and a gymnasium. I went inside the main

building and I was led through the hallways. Soon,I was inside the office

of General Hunt. I saw a man in a Marine's uniform which I figured to be

General Hunt. He is lean,and had brown hair and a brown beard. He sat

behind an oak desk. There was a bookshelf on the side,and a soft carpet

covered the floor.

"So,you are the interdimensional traveler,Colin Mallory," he said.

"That's right," I replied.

"We ran your prints and they match those of Sergeant Colin Mallory who

is in Egypt. Let me see your arm."

I showed him my arm.

"No bar code. We know that Sergeant Mallory has a bar code. There is no

way the Nazis can change a man's prints and face. And even they are not

stupid enough to leave out a bar code. You are Colin Mallory,although you

are not the Colin Mallory who is a Marine sergeant."

"Sir,this man knows a lot about interdimensional travel," said

Maggie,who was in the room with the general.

"Let us show him what this base is really for. Even if he is a Nazi

spy,it is too late for the Nazis to catch up to us in this endeavor."

I was escorted down an elevator to the lower level. The hallways of the

lower level had concrete floors and concrete walls,and pipes ran overhead.

We went inside a room labeled "CONTROL". Entering,I saw Quinn with some

other technicains,all wearing white lab coats. They were working on

computer terminals inside the room.

"Colin," said Quinn. "General,are you sure you should show him this."

"We won't be showing him anything that the Nazis could use," replied

General Hunt. Hunt turned towards a black woman working with Quinn.

"Doctor Davis,is everything okay?" he asked.

"Everything's fine,General," replied Davis.

"Colin,this is Dr. Diana Davis,one of the techs here," said Quinn.

"Hi," said Dr. Davis.

"I forgot to aks you," said the general. "How did you end up here?"

"Well,I was sliding with my friends," I said. "Suddenly,I collided

withn someone traveling in the opposite direction."

"You ended up here?" asked Maggie.

"No,on a different world. A wordl where the dominant language in

California is Arabic. One day,as I was sleeping,I somehow slid here."

"Maybe your friedns found you and slid you through whiole you slept."

"But I did not find them when I arrived in this dimension."

"This is interesting," said Davis. "We might have to check you out."

I looked thorugh a window into the adjoining room. I can see various

electrical equipment. I figured this was the wormhole generator.

Suddenly,I saw a team of Marines enter the room.

"We are about o explore a new world," said Quinn. He typed on a

keyboard and clicked the button on a trackball. Suddenly,all of the meters

and gauges on the electrical equipment in the control room moved. I saw

the wormhole open on the other side.

It was green in color,with a white light in the center. After it was

oppen,the Marines went through. Then the vortex closed.

"What are they doing?" I asked.

"Exploring new worlds," said Maggie. "Learning about their histories.

That is what we do. We are explorers."

"They will be back in twelve hours," said Quinn.

I entered the home. It was quite small. The living room had the basic furniture-sofas and a coffee table. A Sony Trinitron television was standing next to the white plaster wall.

I took a closer look. On a small table along the wall I saw pictures. There was a wedding picture of Quinn and his wife. I also saw my duplicate's parents Michael and Elizabeth Mallory standing near Quinn, as well as Quinn's parents-in-law. Standing near the bride The date of the wedding was June 20,1995.

Quinn's wife went up to me and pulled a cigarette from a pack of Joe Camel

cigarettes.

"I don't smoke," I said. "It's bad for you."

"Maybe tobacco is,but this is marijuana," she replied. "It is perfectly

harmless. It won;t kill you. Besides,you never forsook an opportunity to

smoke a joint."

I held the joint in my hand,and Quinn's wife lit it for me. Soon ,I was puffing away on the joint. As I smoked,I noticed that my worries of

finding my friends were gradually slipping away. I have been to worlds where marijuana was sold over-the-counter,and it was great. Soon I was sitting on a reclining chair,just puffing away. I turned on the TV,and saw some talk show host on. His name was Geraldo.

I asked to see a wedding album. The wife obliged. I looked through it. I saw a picture of my duplicate, dressed in a tuxedo. I also saw that Quinn's wife is named Stephanie.

An hour later,Quinn came home. I did not notice it until he placed his hands on my shoiudlers.

"Quinn!" I shouted.

"Colin!" he shouted back. "Good to see you here,bro."

"Same to you."

"You on vacation?"

"I'll explain."

"I hope you didn't desert."

"Steph," Quinn said to his wife. He went over to her and kissed her.

"How was work,honey?" she asked.

"It was great," he replied. "I wish I could tell you what it's about." I smiled. Then for a second, I

remmebered this was NOT the Quinn Mallory I met at my adopted home world. This was not the Quinn I slid with the past year. The Quinn Mallory in this house may as well be a stranger to me.

"Colin," said Stephanie. "Would you like dinner?"

"Yes," I replied. "I would love dinner."

So that's what we did.

Stephanie served pork chops for dinner. Grilled pork chops. I dipped the pork chops into the KC Masterpiece barbecue sauce before eating them. I remembered that there were no pork chops anywhere in the last world I've been to.

"So Colin," said Quinn. "How are things going in Egypt?"

"Fine," I replied. "From what I can tell,there was no hostile activity

from Iraq." I was fortunate to read the Press-Telegram newspaper and Time

magazine.

"Still,we have to watch Saddam," said Quinn.

"I know." I looked at Stephanie. "So Stephanie,when are you due?"

"In four months," she replied.

After dinner was over,I said to Stephanie,"Quinn and I need to talk one-to-one. Brother-to-brother."

"Okay," replies Stephanie. Im went over to Quinn to talk to him.

"What?" he asked.

"It's about me," I replied. "Where I came from."

"You were born and raised in San Francisco just like me."

"No, I wasn't. I'm not from this timeline, in fact.."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you see, time has two dimensions. One is the future-past dimension. The other dimension is the history dimension. You see,events in each timeline proceed differently than events in neighboring

timelines."

"That is due to the uncertainty principle."

"Yes,that is it. Even with the uncertainty principle,events in one timeline affect the probability distributions of events in nearby

timelines. Ordinarily,particles are confined to one timeline. But if it can get enough energy,it can skip to another timeline."

"I am familiar with that theory. I had this professor back at the University of California who taught such things."

"The reason I am telling you this is because I am from another timeline,another world. I am not the brother you grew up with. I was born on another world. There was a war,and my parents sent me and your counterpart to grow up in different timelines. Later,your counterpart that is my brother invented a sliding machine which can allow him to visit

other timelines. He later found me,and we slid together to find our true home. But along the way,I got separated from them."

"No barcode," my brother's duplicate said.

"Bar code?" I asked.

"We have bar codes etched into our foreheads via laser when we're born," said Quinn. I could see a barcode etched into his forehead.

I went to the living room to check the wedding album. My duplicate also had a barcode etched on his forehead.

"Colin," said Quinn. "You can stay for the night."

So that's what I did.After I saw the Marines slide to another world,I was taken to a conference room where I met with senior military officers and research

staff. I recognized one of them as Professor Maximilian Arturo.

"Professor Arturo," I said to the heavy bearded man sitting down at the table.

"How did you know me?" he asked.

"I've met you before," I said. "Or rather,your counterpart on the last world I've been to."

"Well,I have not introfuced myself," said the professor. "I am Maximilian Arturo,chief researcher for the Terminal Island facility."

"I attended one of his classes when I was a student at the University of California," said Quinn. "Later,he and I applied for government funding to carry out our research,and it leads here. Now, Mr. Mallory, explain your story."

"On my home world,there was a war between two species of people," I answered. "Humans and kromaggs. My parents sent me to live with their duplicates on another world. My foster parents died when I was young. Last year,I met my blood brother. He was traveling with another version of Maggie Beckett and someone named Rembrandt Brown."

"Did you say Rembrandt Brown?" asked a young man wearing dreadlocks.

"Yeah,that was his name."

"I have all his records. He is a great singer! One of the best,man."

"What is your name?"

"Bennish. Conrad Bennish Junior."

"Back to my story,Mister Bennish. Quinn,that is the Quinn who was born on my home world,told me about my true heritage. He opened my foster mother's locket which had this microdot. When I wore it on my head,I received a message from my birth parents. They told me everything."

"what was the story of my counterpart?" asked Quinn.

"You," I said. "I mean he. He built a sliding machine in 1994. He,Professor Maximilian Arturo,Wade Wells,and Rembrandt slid. Along the way,they puicked up Maggie and lost the professor. Remmy and Wade later returned home,but left Quinn and Maggie behind. Quinn and Maggie made it back,only to find it had been conquered by the kromaggs two months before they got there."

"Kromaggs?" asked General Hunt.

"Yes,after they were driven off my home world,they started to conquer other dimensions," I said to him. "On my home world,sliding technology is much more advanced. They could not return home because of a slidecage which prevents wormholes from opening on their world."

"Any possibility the kromaggs might come here?"

"It is slim. Most worlds I have been to have never seen a kromagg."

"How advanced are their weaponry?"

"Manta ships. Energy weapons. They are pretty advanced."

"Well,we do not have manta ships,but we have a sliding machine and

energy weapons."

"That's good. I have been to worlds which have successfully repelled a kromagg invasion. Their technology was considerably more advanced than many worlds I have been to. I am not familar with the technology of this

world,though."

"This is great," said Maggie. "Not only do we have to deal with the Nazis in this dimension,we have to deal with kromaggs from another

dimension."

"It could be worse," I said to her. "You could be living in a world where the Nazis rule America. I have been to such a world,and it was a

living nightmare. Fiortunmately,I was only there for sixteen hours. Now,tell us about your slides."

"let me expalin this," said Quinn. "This project was started in the fall of 1995. We were researching anti-gravity,but opened this wormhole. This project was militarized and moved to the Terminal Island facility. There,with unlimited funds from the U.S. government,we managed to study the wormhole. We then sent probes through and bring them back. We developed a tracking systems for the wormholes. We sent animals through. Then,on October 20,1996, we sent a human through-the first human to slide from this dimension to another dimension."

"Was it you,Quinn?"

"No,it was then-Captain,now-Major Maggie Beckett."

"Beckett?"

"That is right," said Maggie. "I will go down in history as the first human from this world to slide to another world."

"Anyway,"said Quinn, "after preliminary tests,we decided to send more people through. We explored that world Major Beckett first slid to. We also explored other worlds. Today,we have mapped over one hundred fifty worlds."

"Wow. So what do you do?"

"We monitor them. Aside from our sliding technicians,we also have linguists and historians who visit these parallel worlds. They stay there for weeks or even months,studying the history of that world. They bring back books, newspapers, magazines,and computer software. Sometimes we acquire new technology which we send to the Pentagon. That is why they support this project;new technology acquired from more advanced worlds,siuch as your home world,will give us an edge against the Germans. And of course,there are some worlds we just like to visit for R&R. Instead of having to go to Las Vegas, we can just slide to another world and go to the Circus Circus Hotel and Casino located on the corner of Long Beach and Ocean. I've actually had my picture taken there. This project has given us a new perspective on ourselves,our history,and where we are going. This dwarfs the landing on the moon."

"This is interesating. Can you help me find my friends?" I asked.

"Well," said Quinn. "Do tyou know the coordinates for any weorlds they previously visited?"

"No."

"Okay,we have shown Mister Mallory here about our little secret," says General Hunt.

"I think I need to run some tests on him," said Doctor Davis.

"Tests?" asked Arturo.

"He told me he slid in his sleep."

"If it would help me find my friends,I would like to participate," I said.

So that's what I did.

Dr. Diana Davis took me to a lab. There was this big old machine which

resembled an X-ray machine.

"this device was used back when we sent probes through," said Davis.

"We studied their spectra. Over the years,we improved this device to study other things. Now,I will use this to collect data. It won't hurt,Mister Mallory."

"Okay," I said to her. "Fire away."

Davis went to a control panel and pushed some buttons. Another

technician stood by. I heard a humming sound,and I felt a dry,cold heat on

me. After a minute or so,the humming stopped.

"That's it," said Davis. "You may go."

We all left the lab. An MP escorted me to my new quarters,while Dr. Davis went in the direction of the lab.

I was assigned an room one the base. It was underground. It had a bed and a radio. It even had its own bathroom. I lay down,asnd looked up. At least I had a place to call home. I wondered where my Quinn and my Maggie and my Rembrandt were. I read through an Entertainment Weekly magazine left inn the room. I read that Mariah Carey had her second child with husband Eddie Veder,and that Vanilla Ice was having a concert in Madison Square Garden in New York City. I also read a small article about this world's Rembrandt Brown buying a house in Miami Beach. I went to sleep. I wondered if I would wake up in the same world.I woke up,and I immediately went up to the office complex on the surface. So far,none of the Marines tried to stop me. My pass was still valid,or they did not know. I went to the office of Diana Davis and waited outside,hoping she wouild recognize me when she comes.

"Colin Mallory," she said to me when she arrived for work. "You're up."

"Just checking to make sure I am in the same world," I said. "What did you find?"

"Only some sort of energy radiating from your body," she said. "It is faint."

"I am radioactive?"

"I brought this geiger counter from the lab." She checked for radiation. "It is so faint I can not detect it with this; it's not sensitive enough. The radiation from your body is lower than that of the normal background radiation. I do not think it will pose a health hazard."

"I haven't had breakfast yet," I said.

"They are serving cereal and bread in the cafeteria," said Davis.

"Better go get it."

So I did.

Later, we were all assembled in the conference room. All of us, myself included,were dressed in suits and ties. Major Maggie Beckett and Major General Alexander Hunt were in their dress uniforms. Then the senator and his associates came.

The senator's name was Dan Lungren.

"Hello there,Senator," said General Hunt. "Welcome to the Terminal Island Marine Corps Logistics Base."

"Always a pleasure,General," replied Lungren. I took a look at the senator. He seemed to be a nice man. He had curly black hair,a big nose,and a big forehead. He had this rough,husky voice which made him seem even more genuine.

"Hello there,Senator Lungren," said Conrad Bennish,who was with us. "I voted for you last year. I really like your speeches"

"Excuse me,Senator," said Quinn. "I knew Mister Bennish for six years,and he is a pothead."

"Pothead?" asked the senator. "You should meet Governor Kubby. THERE'S a pothead for you."

"Senator Lungren,I am Maximilian Arturo," said the professor,"Chief researcher assigned to this project. It is always a pleasure to meet you."

"Well,let's get down to business," said Lungren. "Have you gathered any new technoloigies?"

"The engineering staff is studying the new technology right now," said Arturo.

"When can we implement this technology into our society?"

"In a few months. Probably by the beginning of next year. We are still exploring new worlds in search of new ideas."

"Senator," said General Hunt,"I would like you to meet Colin Mallory."

"Hello there,Mister Mallory," said the senator.

"Hello there,senator," I replied.

"Where are you from?"

"El Segundo."

"Nice place."

"Senator," said the general,"Mister Mallory hwere is from another dimension."

"Could you say that again?" asked Lungren.

"Colin Mallory here is friom another world. Look at his forehead

He took a close look at my forehead. "No bar code."

"We did match his fingerprints to a Staff Sergeant Colin Mallory

currently deployed to Egypt. Also,the DNA matches thast of Sergeant Mallory. Minus the barcode and subdermal chip,he is identical to the Colin Mallory native to this world."

"Okay," said Lungren. "Mister Mallory,tell me about yourself."

So I told him the story I told these people earlier. About my birth,my brother,the kromaggs,etc.

"Interesting story," he said.

"I was hoping these people can find my Quinn and my Maggie," I said to him.

"I am sure they will."

"Senator,if I can ask you a question."

"Go ahead."

"How much do you support this project?"

"Very much. When I first hear of it,I thought of it as a new endeavor for this country. You know how this country lagged behind Nazi Germany in the space program. I remember when Ludwig van Houten first stepped on the surface of the moon and planted a swastika banner on the ground. Hitler said that this marks the conquest of the heavens by the superior Aryan race. I was twenty-one when that happened,just a young man,younger than you are now. Like all Americans,I was devastated at the triumph of the Germans and the triumph of Hitler. When I found out about this,I supported this because we were studying the basic nature of reality and unlocking the secrets of God's universe. And now,with interdimensional travel,we are expanding our horizons. We are light years ahead of the Nazis in interdimensional travel. Besides exploring new worlds,it gives us new perspectives into our world,our history,and ourselves."

"That's good."

"Unfortunately,many on Capitol Hill do not share my forward-looking perspective. They want this to pay off. They want payoff in resources and technology. In Senate subcommittee hearings,there were talks of abolishing this project. They said it is better spent on weapons to use to prevent the spread of fascism. But they just don't understasnd how important this is. The Germans beat us in the space race;we sure as hell will not let them beat us in this race."

"You know,Senator,I've been to worlds where the Nazis were totally defeated in the Second World War."

"I have read of such worlds."

Senator Lungren left the conference room along with the others. I said to Arturo,"What was this space race about? I mean,I am new here,and I have not read much about it."

"The Germans beat us in every endeavor of space exploration," said the professor. "In 1953,they laucnhed the first satellite into orbit. We did not do so until 1955. In 1958,they sent the first man into orbit. We did not do so until 1961. In 1966,they sent a man to the moon. We did not do so until 1970. Every time the Germans made a milestone in space exploration,Hitler used this as proof his Aryan race is superior. Now we are ahead of the Nazis in one field of exploration."

"But why is it kept such a big secret?" I asked.

"National security," said Arturo. "Still, Dan Lungren does not want this project to be kept secret. He wants to unveil this publicly. He knows we found a world where sliding technology is public. Now let's go. I'm hungry."

So we went to eat lunch. We went to a cafeteria. I had some spaghetti,garlic bread,and a Coke. I sat with Quinn,Maggie,and Bennish. I remembered that the Maggie I had been sliding with for the past year was widowed.

"Are you married?" I asked her.

"Was married," she replied. "We were divorced in 1997. His name was Steven Jensen. He was a scientist."

"Was he involved in this project?"

"No,he wasn't."

Maggie just looked down and twirled the spaghetti noodles on her fork. I couild tell she still misses her ex-husband.

I loooked at Conrad Bennish. My brother told me a lot about him. Bennish was a classmate and friend of Quinn's. My brother never found out what happened to the Bennish of Earth Prime. He hoped that Bennish found the sliding machine in his basement and slid before the kromaggs took San Francisco.

"Are you married,Mister Bennish?" I asked.

"No way man," he replied. "I've had enough women to last me a lifetime. I'm not like Quinn here. He just had to get hitched,you know what I mean?"

"I've been to a world where I saw my counterpart get married."

"Did you get to kiss the bride?"

"Well,yes. Have you slid before?"

_________________

Самым большим доказательством существования разумной жизни во вселенной является тот факт, что с нами до сих пор никто не попытался связаться.