by Peter Ponzo
It was a weary journey back to Seedly. Although the paraglider had fuel cells, they weren't meant to last. I walked the last few miles to Seedly. When I reached town I saw the destruction caused by the most recent bomb. That would not happen again for some time!
Chapter Four
For almost a month there had been no weekly announcements. Life continued almost normally. However, bank accounts did not receive their weekly salary increments. Also, any attempt to communicate with the Overlords via an allpad was fruitless. They didn't respond. Citizens gathered daily to appeal to the Overlords...to no avail.
Soon, the rioting began. Not in Seedly, but elsewhere. Although communication systems were mostly inoperative, there was still random radio broadcasts. They told of ugly battles between citizens in Cordon Province, then Daddon. Many were starving, unable to pay for their food or accommodations. Eventually, the discontent reached Seedly.
It was now very clear. I had not just destroyed the Overlord missile quarters, I had destroyed the Overlords. They were machines, computers, artificial intelligence, automatons. We had been manipulated, controlled, guided–by robots. Should I be pleased?
Then, miraculously, after almost a year, an Overlord announcement:
Listen well, citizens of all the provinces of Panoramica. We have been engaged in a great battle, but the enemy has been defeated. Let us rejoice. There will be no more bombs, no more deadly attacks. They are vanquished. Tonight, in every province, we shall celebrate. All bank accounts will be replenished, lottery tickets will now free for the week, supplies of beer are now being shipped to your location. Celebrate!
I fell back into my chair. No more bombs. The missile silo had been destroyed, but the robots had repaired themselves. I went to the window. I heard the singing and I was happy:
Hail to Overlord,
Our saviour and friend.
He makes us whole,
From birth to end.
He keeps us safe,
Our saviour and friend.
Chapter One
"We should try it," I said, for the third time. "It could be fun, exciting, different."
Henry wasn't convinced. "TWH isn't even a reputable company," he grunted. "Jesus, Tom, have you looked at their stock price? Dropping like a rock. Terrible financials. They're losing money and..."
"What the hell does that matter?' I said, almost shouting. "All those that took the holiday make rave comments, five-star ratings."
Henry took a last sip of whiskey then got up to leave. I watched him pull his sweater off the rack. "We'll talk later," he said. "Let's think of another holiday, okay?" Then he left. Although he had demolished several glasses of alcohol, he'd have no difficulty getting home. He lived in the same apartment, just a floor below.
I was disappointed. Henry was usually up for any adventurous holiday. I couldn't understand his reluctance to take a Trans World Holiday. TWH had been offering these trips to parallel universes for almost seven years. It was costly and only lasted a week, but the reviews were very positive. In fact, most clients were delighted with the experience. Although many called TWH the Tame Worm Hole, that didn't deter many from paying the big bucks for the week holiday on some parallel world. Each year the number of available parallel worlds increased. This year there were seventeen. I had examined them all and had a best choice, when Henry finally agreed–and he would agree, eventually.
Many worlds in these parallel universes were similar to our world. I was told that these were the "nearest" parallels, whatever that meant. Many sounded like Earth of the past. Even the names that TWH gave suggested that these parallels were, indeed, "old Earth. Names like Elizabethan World and Old Rome and Pharoah Land. The small print, in the TWH pamphlets, said that you could buy one holiday and, if it were unsatisfactory, you could ask to be transferred to another parallel. I wasn't sure how this was accomplished. The wording suggested that every adventurer a communication device to stay in contact with TWH. If you were in some sort of ancient Greece, how could you communicate with TWH of the 21st century? I'm technologically illiterate, so those questions never really bothered me. The fact that TWH could send you to a world in some parallel universe was enough to convince me that they could do anything.
Although there were over a dozen similar parallels, there were two that held worlds quite different from ours. One seemed like a world of jungles, with strange creatures that lived in the canopy, a world of water where solid ground was nonexistent and towering plants rose from a watery base. That would certainly be fascinating, but it was not my best choice. After extensive study of TWH literature, I chose the most recently added parallel. It's been available for just over a year and the reviews were fantastic. A world of dinosaurs, like earth of a hundred million years ago. It was like time travel, not to a time in our past, but to a time in a parallel that seemed to mimic our past. I then spent some time studying the dinosaurs of the Cretaceous. Alamosaurus, Centrosaurus, so many Saurus's.
After much thought, I figured I could talk Henry into travel to some Earth-like world. One of those "nearest" parallel universes, maybe Earth at the dawn of enlightenment, Renaissance. We could spend a day or two wandering 14th century Italy–then switch to Cretaceous. At the end of that period, the dinosaurs died. We could watch it happen. The period lasted millions of years, according to the literature, but we might ask to be there at the end. I'm sure Henry would be fascinated. I know I would.
Chapter Two
"We could try something like Renaissance," I said. "It'd be charming, don't you think?"
Henry had come over for our weekly whiskey night. Normally we just talk, watch some football or basketball game on TV, nibble on potato chips and discuss world events. For some reason, he always brought an old sweater, even though he never used it. He just hung it on the rack then started in drinking.
"Tom, how do you know it isn't dangerous," Henry said. "If we're accosted by some nut, could we go to the police? How would we explain our presence?"
I knew that subject would come up, so I had phoned TWH to inquire. They described the procedure.
"According to TWH," I said, "we just punch a button on a communication device and they whisk us back here, safe and sound. They're always in touch with us, wherever we are. If they can send us to a parallel, then they can surely bring us back, right? After all, they do that automatically an the end of our holiday week. Henry, I promise you an exciting adventure!"
Henry took a long quaff of whiskey. I could tell that he was becoming more amenable to the idea.
"Renaissance, eh?" he mumbled. "Yes, that'd be fun. Watch Michelangelo create that David statue. Watch da Vinci painting his Mona Lisa. Okay, let's do it!"
Now I had him. After Michelangelo and da Vinci, we'd switch to Cretaceous.
We both arrived at TWH headquarters together. It was just out of town, a huge, windowless concrete block building on several acres of land. We had obtained our tickets to the Renaissance holiday, paid and printed, before we left home, so the receptionist lead us to the appropriate room. There were about a dozen people there, all talking. I was getting quite excited. After a short time, a fellow walked in, climbed onto a small stage and everyone stopped talking.
"Welcome to Trans World Holidays,. My name is Jason Glibb," he said. "You have all chosen Renaissance and that is a very good choice. As you probably know, these parallel universes have been theorized for over a century, however, only in the last thirty years have their existence been confirmed and only twelve years ago was our Research Lab able to penetrate the boundary between our universe and the nearest parallel."
The speaker paused. There was a low murmur which ceased as soon as he continued.
"That first transit to a near parallel was quite surprising. It was a universe with a Milky Way, a solar system much like ours and a planet much like Earth. When we succeeded in focussing on that planet, we found our entry point to be very similar to a 17th century Ming Dynasty of China. I might mention that our entry point cannot b
e predetermined. Managing a transit is so fraught with complexities that we just accept the entry point presented to us. Since you have all chosen renaissance, you'll be pleased to learn that the entry point is a city very much like 15th century Florence. For this parallel, after much cogitation, we chose the name Renaissance."
The speaker chuckled. The audience, not appreciating the humour, was silent. The speaker continued.
"As I have mentioned, these parallels are similar, but not identical. You will not run into Michelangelo or Donatello or Botticelli. However, you will find Cartollini and Spezzo, artists of equal distinction."
Henry leaned over and was about to say something. I knew he was disappointed: no Michelangelo, no da Vinci". I put my finger to my lips. I wanted to listen to the speaker.
".. and you will all receive a communication device, called a comdev. It has just two buttons called Home and Switch. If you punch the Home button, you will return here, to TWH headquarters, in the receiving room. You would only do that if you were frightened or sick or bored or otherwise wishing to end your adventure. However, I suspect that no one will use that button."
Again the speaker paused, expecting some laughter. Nothing, so he continued. "The other button, called Switch, will present the names of all seventeen parallels: Athens, Cretaceous, Elizabethan World, Ming Dynasty, Old Rome, Pharaoh Land... in alphabetical order. If you choose Renaissance, nothing will happen. You're already there, right?"
He paused. Not even a single chuckle.
"If you select some other parallel, you will be returned to Home and immediately transferred to the entry point of your selected world. You will hardly notice the transit. I should also mention that you will be given coins appropriate for the Renaissance. Don't spend it all in one place. You won't get any more. Now, before I continue, are there any questions?"
Someone in the back yelled out: "What if I get sick?"
"You press Home and we will move you to General Hospital, just up the street from TWH headquarters."
"I need my pills. Will there be drug stores?"
"Drug stores? In 15th century Italy? No, you must bring your medication with you."
"What if I lose my communication gadget?"
"Aah, if you lose your comdev you will stay in Renaissance until week's end. Then we pull you back."
There was several minutes of silence, then the speaker continued.
"Since the transit is slightly stressful, you will be given a physical this evening. If you pass the physical, you will be given a room for the night. Two to a room, so please choose partners. Tomorrow morning you will be given clothes appropriate for the parallel you have chosen, in your case it's Renaissance which, for the women, means simple dresses and for the men, a simple shirt and frock. Now, if there are no more questions, please follow me."
Henry and I rose to follow the speaker. Henry looked unhappy.
"You said I'd see da Vinci and Michelangelo," he grumbled.
"I never said that. I said it was like our 15th century Renaissance. You wouldn't expect an identical parallel universe, would you?"
"Yes, I would!"
I hoped that, once we were walking the streets of old almost-Florence, he'd be happy. He'd watch Spaghettini, or whatever his name was. Maybe he'd see a Lasagna sculpting an almost-David statue or a Pepperoni painting an almost-Sistine-Chapel ceiling. He'd be happy, I was sure.
The physical was pretty straightforward: blood pressure, heart rate, some walking on a treadmill, urine and stool samples. Then we went to our room. It had a small washroom with toilet and sink. A couple of cots, a table and two chairs and a small TV. After some chatting, we fell asleep. Tomorrow would be bizarre, I was sure.
Chapter Three
When our morning call came, I was already awake. Henry rolled out of bed and grunted.
"C'mon Henry. Get washed, put on your Renaissance clothes and let's get going. Today is going to be great fun!" Henry grunted again.
By 8 am we were all gathered in the Renaissance Room. It was weird. It looked like a costume party. Henry actually looked ridiculous. His clothes were much too large and hung like drapery from his slim frame. By 8:15 our speaker, Jason Glibb, arrived and asked us to sit in a chair. Then several guys showed up, pushing a curious collection of equipment which they used to encase each of us. They were like metallic, body-sized shells, just large enough to house an individual. Each shell was then connected via heavy cables to receptacles in the wall. It was slightly stuffy inside, but I was so excited anyway that I could hardly breathe.
It was almost 9 o'clock when Jason announced that we were now ready for transit. He asked each of us to sit still, close our eyes, breathe deeply and hold our breath. I kept my eyes open, just a crack. I wanted to see and feel the transit as it happened. There was a humming sound, a shaking, then I could see a reddish flashing which quickly turned to green then blue. Then everything went black and I could smell something like a spice, maybe oregano. I felt slightly nauseous and my heart starting pumping like crazy. It became chilly...then a bright light, the shaking stopped and the shell had vanished. I was standing in a field of plants that looked like lettuce. Henry was on the ground beside me.
"Henry, are you okay?"
"I wasn't ready," he said, angrily. "I wasn't ready for the transit. I feel sick and dizzy."
"Yeah, me too. I think that's normal. However I feel okay now, don't you?"
Henry pushed himself to his feet, grunted and looked around. "This doesn't look like a city to me," he said.
"If we popped up in a city, we'd scare the everybody. So, instead, we're probably outside our almost-Florence."
Henry grunted again. That seemed his response to every unhappy event. We started walking to a nearby road, meeting several of our fellow travellers. It was perhaps a mile to town and it was a beautiful day with blue sky and fluffy white clouds. What a great start to our Renaissance adventure.
By the time we got to town our fellow travellers had dispersed. Henry and I stood in a small piazza with several statues and a tiny fountain. Henry tapped a fellow on the shoulder. "Where can I find da Vinci ... or any artist, for that matter?" The fellow stared at Henry, shook his head and walked away. He had no idea what Henry was saying.
"They don't speak English," I suggested. "Can you speak Italian?"
"Pasta and pizzeria," Henry said. "That's it."
"Okay, let's just walk about and see what we can see."
That's exactly what we did, for most of the day. I was getting hungry. I reached into my pocket and found some coins. Maybe we could find a place to eat, maybe something we'd recognize. I pointed to a nearby stall that was selling something that smelled delicious. "Let's eat," I said. Henry snorted. That's his response to happy events. The foodstuff looked like a circular piece of crusty bread, covered in a tomato sauce and cheese and fried in oil. Greasy, but tasty and when I held out handful of coins, the stall attendant took just two. Nice. Our coins would last a week.
Henry and I walked about until dark. There was a small Albergo that looked like it wouldn't be too expensive, so we went in, I pointed to Henry and myself, the owner knew exactly what we wanted, I held out some coins and he took five. The bed was hard as a rock and I got little sleep. I hoped that Henry would be disgusted and, more importantly, that he would be bored with this town and would be amenable to a Cretaceous transit. By late afternoon the following day, Henry was tired. He couldn't find a single artist or even well formed statuary. The churches had paintings, but they were poor quality. No Sistine Chapel here. Furthermore, everybody seemed rude. By the time we returned to our Albergo. Henry was ready to punch the Home button on his comdev.
First thing next morning we were sitting having a very spicy drink that tasted of cinnamon and cloves.
"How about another parallel?" I asked.
"Anything but this place."
"Can I choose the parallel?"
Henry grunted and nodded.
"Let me have your condev. I think you'll li
ke this one."
One nice thing about the communication devices: they were associated with a single individual. If I punch another parallel on Henry's comdev, it was Henry that got transferred. So I punched the Switch button, then, before Henry had a chance to complain, I punched Cretaceous. Then I did the same with mine. We were in for a big surprise!
Chapter Four
We stood on a hill overlooking a valley. Far below us a herd of rather large creatures roamed the grassland.
"Where the hell are we?" Henry grunted.
"Guess," I said with a chuckle.
Henry paused and looked carefully at the creatures below. "Damn you! dinosaur land! You brought us to dinosaur land! What do we eat here? where do we sleep? When do...when do we meet some T-rex?"
"Don't worry," I said. 'I talked to various people at TWH and they all assured me that they would be in constant contact. If they felt that we were in any danger, they would pull us back."
"How can they know if we're in danger? If I'm grabbed by a hungry dinosaur..."
"They'll know," I said. "They assured me of that."
"Okay, where do we eat?" Henry scanned the valley.
"Well, we won't find a McDonalds here," I said, perhaps sarcastically. "We'll hunt and live in a cave. It'll be an experience we won't forget. See that cliff over there. Can you see the caves? Let's head for the nearest one."
I started to trot down the hill toward the rocky cliff. Henry followed, grunting mightily.
We were less than a mile from the cliff when Henry started to shout.
"The T-rex, see 'im? He's heading our way. See 'im?"
I looked where he was pointing and saw this giant beast loping toward us. It was no T-rex, but it was huge. I tried to recall the names...maybe Utahraptor, Alioramus? It wasn't important. What was important was to reach the cave before the dinosaur and pray he was too large to get in.