Invisible Threads

by Michael Hyslip

  I only had a few moments to exploit the chaos, so I stepped into the maze of cubicles toward the remaining soldiers, dropped to the floor, and fired directly down the hallway. I emptied the rest of the magazine, swapped, and fired again. I could hear a few screams, so I quickly crawled back to Janet as gunfire was returned. I had no idea how many were out there, but surely more were on their way. As I crossed the office threshold, one bullet ripped through the back of my right thigh, almost through the same spot I’d been shot previously by Matroni. Another hammered through the back of my right shoulder. My shoulder blade shattered, and I tried picking up my gun with my left hand, but it kept slipping through my hands. Blood was pounding in my ears, and all I could think of was keeping Janet alive. I pushed with my left arm and leg to the corner where she lay as soldiers leapfrogged into closer contact with this final room.

  I finally got around the heavy table, trying to grab her in my arms and shield her with my body. Her eyes were barely opened and her face blank from the drugs they’d used to keep her under. I kissed her forehead as tears streamed my face.

  “Janet, I am sorry…”

  I turned my head and saw a soldier step into the room. His rifle was at the ready, and he immediately tracked toward me. I screamed and hunched over her as protection when the most horrible pain ruptured through my body, making the gunshot feel like a paper cut. Everything went black, but I remained conscious as the pain spiraled out into visible threads of red, purple, and blue—all colliding in a spinning, painful mess.

  I gritted my teeth while hanging onto my and Janet’s lives. I watched the room rearrange itself as the table I’d pushed over faded away and a “new” one faded into place along a wall. I was hallucinating and couldn’t tell what was real; suddenly, the colors of pain faded along with my screams. The last thing I saw was soldiers entering the room, but they also looked different and didn’t seem like they were going to kill me. Unconsciousness took me and hid their shocked faces.

  Chapter 23

  Upon awakening, I seemed to be in a hospital room or some sort of medical facility with a number of needles in my arms. Padded restraints were across my arms and legs, as well as an incredible amount of bandaging around my chest where the bullet had ripped through my shoulder blade. It hurt, but I was fairly numb from whatever was being pumped into my veins.

  A tall commanding figure with a general’s insignia walked into my room, accompanied by a doctor who made some notes on a chart and asked if I wanted some ice for my throat. I nodded and he placed a few shivers of ice in my mouth, which I greedily swallowed.

  He said, “Well, it seems you’ve survived, though in quite the unbelievable manner, according to your friend. She has been slightly cooperative in debriefing us, and perhaps you can talk to her later if that can speed things along.”

  “Janet…?” I croaked.

  “Indeed, and an extraordinary woman.”

  “How did I get here? I thought we were dead. Shot.”

  “Oh, you were. Get some rest, we’ll talk later, Captain.”

  Captain? What’s going on here…?

  The doctor fiddled with one of the IV lines, and I started to protest, but sank back into blessed sleep.

  Perhaps hours, or maybe a few days later, I broke back into the conscious world. I was still restrained, but the same general entered a few minutes later. He must have been on an alert and wasted no time getting here. The same doctor also accompanied him as they entered the room.

  “Hello, Sam. Or at least that’s what I’m supposed to call you.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “I am General Griers, and I’m told you don’t know me. I need to know everything you remember, leaving out no details.” The doctor removed a few of the IV lines, both with blood in them, which had been attached to what looked like a dialysis machine. He taped some gauze over the entry points and removed the restraints.

  I nodded, not really having a choice. If they wanted me dead, I’d be dead. They had Janet—or at least wanted me to believe they did—but I wanted to trust this man, even though I didn’t know why. He seemed familiar, but how could that be? I knew I needed to be cautious, and I still had no idea where I was or how I got here.

  “I feel like I should trust you, but I don’t know why…” I said as I motioned to my head as much as the IVs allowed motion.

  “I should hope so, since I was your CO,” he replied, looking as if he wanted to say more, but was also guarded.

  I was tired of hiding and having no answers, so I recounted everything I could, including the shielding. The general didn’t flinch, but simply listened and nodded from time to time. When I finished, I looked at my hands as I massaged them and tried shielding to prove my point. Nothing happened.

  “Well, Sam, you can talk to Janet soon,” the general said. “Thank you for being so cooperative, and she can fill in some of your gaps. We needed to be sure about your experiences and information. We will debrief in more detail moving forward.”

  “Okay,” was all I could say as the two men left the room.

  I took a long drink of water to rest my throat after so much talking. About an hour later Janet walked into the room. Her arms showed partially healed bruises, and I could see one across her neck. She wore a green T-shirt with “Army” across the front and some jeans. I could only stare, still shocked that we had survived our ordeal. An attempt to get to my feet was rather painful, but she motioned for me to stay put. She appeared to be embarrassed and possibly nervous as she approached my medical bed. She didn’t speak, but just set her hands on the sides of my head. Tears rolled down her face as she closed her eyes and rested her forehead against mine.

  “I’m okay, really, Janet, but what about you?”

  After a forced smile, she weakly said, “I’m sorry, but this is so overwhelming.”

  “I’m just glad you’re alive; they wanted me to think you’d been killed! Are you hurt? Are you okay?”

  “It’s the most afraid I’ve ever been, believe me,” she said, her voice catching in memory. “But if you can wait a moment, I think I can explain some of the missing pieces. I’m not hurt, physically at least; I am as okay as possible for now.”

  “I’ve missed you,” I replied, setting my hands over hers.

  Chapter 24

  After a few moments she opened her eyes and began to speak. “I’ll try to explain, but I’m still at a loss too. The bottom line is that, as insane as this sounds, we’re in another universe. ‘Parallel world’ as it was described to me…and your home.”

  “Uhhhh….” Was about all I could get out.

  “Bryson is here, captured.”

  “Okay, I’m not even sure how to respond,” I replied.

  “From what little they’ve told me, the machine made of rings was opening gateways to other parallel worlds, and that is how you made it to, well, my world, I suppose. There was an explosion on this side, and they thought you had been incinerated along with Bryson because no bodies were found. Their techs were able to piece together enough info to see what the machine had been doing, and later they’d started detecting the same electromagnetic patterns centered around a specific place. From what Bryson has been willing to say, you found me where he was retesting his equipment in my world. Meanwhile, in this world—your original world—the Army was monitoring the situation and waiting when Bryson suddenly reappeared here. He was immediately tasered and confined,” she said, smiling faintly.

  “You mean he didn’t travel back here by the machine, right?” I replied, confused.

  “Apparently, once he found out how your original nanobots were behaving, he incorporated some of that knowledge into reprogramming his own nanobots. I don’t fully understand it, but whatever data he gathered during your questioning enabled him to replicate your actions. He’s refused to go into more details.”

  “I…. don’t think I got here through that machine, either, but I was shot and losing consciousness. Trying to protect you. And how did you get here with me
when you have no nanobots? And…a parallel universe? How’s that even possible?”

  “I’m glad you found me when you did. However, I was in a drug-induced haze and don’t remember a thing. You’ve been unconscious for some time, which is when the Army on this side filled me in—and I saw ‘myself,’ or at least the Janet in this universe. They wouldn’t let me actually talk to her, but it was enough for me to realize that the parallel-universe thing is true. As for how I got here, I understand you were holding onto me when we arrived. Or traveled? Zippity bopped across worlds? I don’t think there’s a term for it yet.”

  I breathed out, trying to make sense of this news. “Perpendicular dimensional traversal. That’s what Bryson had in his notes, if this is what he was referring to. I suppose that the ability to shield things outside of myself carried over to taking you with me. I only wanted to keep you safe more than anything else. Speaking of nanobots, I can’t shield.”

  “I think they filtered them out and did the same to Bryson, as well. It sounds like they knew he had some, again from whatever research went on before you ended up in my world. They’ve kept him sedated while removing his nanobots. I suppose you’re right about how you shielded my arms before, so maybe we were transported together in the same way. I mean, it’s not like we’re experts here.”

  “Well, okay then. There’s only one other question,” I said as I looked at her. “Why are you still standing there, when you could be laying here beside me?” I laughed as I pulled her onto the bed with my good arm, and she laughed and snuggled against me with tears tracking down her cheek. I could feel her shaking a bit. I felt my eyes water, knowing she was safe, then felt guilty that Marcy would never know what happened. I stared at the ceiling, struggling with what she’d just told me about other universes, but I trusted her.

  I didn’t seem to be healing quickly, either, in addition to my inability to shield. The nanobots must definitely be gone, or at least enough to matter. I couldn’t focus enough to think much further, especially with the drugs to diminish the pain from surgery. My gunshot injuries throbbed, along with my shoulder reconstruction.

  “I thought I lost you, Janet. Matroni had sent me your picture, toying with me. I tried to track you down.”

  She looked up to my eyes, her own tearful and quivering. “Sam…”

  “Seriously, I even found where he’d kept you. But your sweater was…and there was blood everywhere,” I choked out.

  She closed her eyes tightly, and I wished I hadn’t said anything. Seeing her in pain was horrible, but then she opened her eyes and said, “I had been there, and they’d hit me enough to rile you up before they sent you my picture. But one of them had a knife in his belt. I pulled it and stabbed him a few times before they got it away from me; the blood was his. After changing clothes, I was passed to Bryson, who never touched me, but that sociopath scared me more than Matroni. I started asking him questions, and he didn’t even bother to tell me to be quiet. He just had guards hold me down and sedated me through an IV.”

  She glanced at me briefly and held the gaze as she saw my smile. “Jan, I am pretty proud of you. That picture did scare the crap out of me, and I hunted Matroni after that.”

  “Hunted?”

  “I killed him and would’ve done the same to Bryson, but he vanished right in front of me. Also, Marcy helped me after I’d eliminated Matroni. I told her everything about my ability and how I’d lost you, which was the only way she didn’t finish the job after I showed up half dead at her door. To be fair, she did hit me pretty hard when she watched me shield the first time.” She laughed at that, and then sadness followed.

  “She’ll never know what happened to either of us, will she?”

  “No, I don’t think she will.” I replied. “We both thought you’d been killed, and I really wish we could let her know the truth. I don’t know how we managed to cross into this world, but without those nanobots, I think we’re stuck here, unless the Army figures out how to make the machine work. That’s assuming they’d let even us near it.”

  She sighed. “I’m not sure how I feel about being here other than the fact it’s with you. I’m not sure they’d let me run around if there’s a duplicate ‘me’ here. I can’t imagine this place is anything but absolute top secret, so I’m guessing we’re going to be here for a while.”

  “Janet, where you go, I go. I don’t remember anyone here, not really, other than tiny pieces from my dreams. If we have to stay here, then so be it; I’m sure my recovery is going to slow. In the meantime, maybe we can get some answers.”

  I closed my eyes to rest, caring far less about answers than Janet being alive.

  Chapter 25

  On the fifth day, the familiar face of General Griers entered my room with the same doctor, but something was different about him this time. He was still reserved, and I suppose a general has to keep his secrets, but agitation seemed to pull at him.

  “Hello, General. I hope you can answer some questions, and perhaps I can help you as well.”

  “Let’s hope so.” He nodded in my direction and asked, “Do you remember anything else?”

  “About myself, no, and I’m still wrapping my head around what Janet told me. If I am from here, then what about my family? Who am I, and how did I get involved in all this?”

  “It is true, and I can’t tell you much other than you were, indeed, part of the team tasked with stopping Bryson. You already know this from your memories. And you now know what his project entailed, but I must caution you that only a few people at this facility know about that project, and it needs to stay that way. As for your family you were single, no children, but I’m not at liberty to discuss any further details and ask you to trust me for a little longer. I hope we can talk more about it soon. As for Bryson, he’s in our custody, and we have cleaned the nanobots from you both as much as possible. However, he is refusing to speak without you present after he learned you were here. We have no idea what he will say or how it might affect you. Are you up to it?”

  I could understand the Army’s reluctance, because if I had known secrets previously, my memory loss and experiences in the parallel Earth might not make me the same person who had been trusted before I left. Did I still have top secret clearance, or would I need to be treated as a soldier returning from enemy torture? What secrets may have been revealed? Although, seeing Bryson locked up may help me remember more, so I nodded.

  Griers continued, “Very well, the doctor can help you get a shower and dressed, and we’ll begin in an hour. As you know from Janet, we were expecting Bryson to come back to this world due to the fact that our sensors had been picking up the signals his machine created from her world. We were most certainly not expecting the two of you to come after him, but, thankfully, personnel were still here.” Nodding to the doctor, he left the room.

  The doctor looked at me and continued, “From what Griers has told me, the explosion during the raid you took part in here caused the machine to move you between the worlds. You were probably exposed to nanobots during the firefight, and they were activated by the extreme adrenaline in your body. Apparently, Bryson thinks the shift between universes was pulled into their programming when it happened, but he’s refusing to elaborate. Now that the nanobots have been filtered out of you, your healing is slower, and I’ll help as much as I can with therapy. And a shower.” He smiled warmly and genuinely seemed to care.

  “Sure thing, Doc. Say, can I also get some more food? I think I’m finally getting my appetite back, and I’m sure that will help me heal.”

  He gave me a short salute in acknowledgement and then helped me to the shower after wrapping my shoulder with plastic. Before the hour was over, I was refreshed and feeling much more like myself.

  An aide came to deliver us to an interrogation room, where Bryson was handcuffed to the table and his feet bound to a ring on the floor. The long, mirrored glass at the back meant we were being observed.

  “I don’t remember thanking you, Sam, for help
ing to push my technology further,” Bryson said dryly.

  “What were you trying to do in the first place?” I asked, hoping to prod things along.

  Bryson smirked as if his chains weren’t there. “I’ve been questioned nonstop, but I wanted you to be here. We never really got to talk much.” He continued, “I was researching teleportation, but it turned out much better than I’d hoped. Imagine never having to worry about running out of oil? We could just take it from elsewhere—say another Earth. Or simply destabilize the Middle East by pulling their oil directly here. Or mine asteroids without ever leaving the planet. The same could be true of energy in any form. The nanobots were secondary, something I’d hoped to inject into targets of my choosing that would give me control over key people. Money and power run the world…or worlds, rather.

  “But, surprisingly, the nanobots proved to be the key to the entire project. Yours were from the last batch before I left here and probably the only ones left. Most of my tests had proved them unstable, but that batch was the first to resolve the stability issues. I noticed that during its initial ‘boot-up’ phase, though, they sometimes had side effects if activated before they were ready—even getting stuck in a mode related to their host’s stimuli. Usually this happened due to heightened stress.

  “Imagine a shot of adrenaline in a situation that forced you to run as fast as possible, and the nanobots sometimes became stuck when utilizing themselves only for speed. I only detected what was in you after we’d met at the construction site, which led me to fully understand your capabilities when I looked through the diagnostics. You weren’t becoming invisible as much as switching dimensions, which accounted for your ‘flashbacks.’ I reverse engineered what was happening to you and created an updated batch for myself that allowed me to escape back here without the machine. Not that it did me much good.”