The Fabric Of Reality

by Benjamin Kelly

  Gil grinned at her. “Yes, let’s do just that. I’d love nothing better than to get to know you. So, you haven’t noticed a Transuniversal Locater Beacon lying around your village anywhere?”

  “I’ve read all the technical information available in our library, but I don’t recall anything of the sort.”

  “Never mind, it’s not important. I’m probably just picking up random energy fluctuations.”

  Alesia squeezed his hand and sighed. The thick layer between them made their physical contact only mildly satisfying, like holding hands while wearing mittens. “I know you can’t fix it where I can see you better, but can you do anything so I can feel you like you’re actually real?”

  “Just as I can’t make it where you can pass through, I also can’t lessen the density of what separates us. Honestly, I didn’t even know it had a physical property that would allow us to feel it until I met you.”

  Alesia huffed loudly. Too many strange things had happened. She couldn’t believe she was standing there, talking to a man from a different Reality for no reason. This had to be the key to her salvation. She only needed to unlock the secret of what was keeping them apart and together they could save each other. “You keep using absolutes. You said we couldn’t touch, but we are, so how can you be completely certain of anything?”

  “You’re correct, of course. This junction point is behaving in a manner inconsistent with every previous observation, so my absolutes are only guesses. I’ll try to keep that in mind.”

  “What caused you to be detained while your friends escaped?”

  “A well-placed shot by our enemy. Most everyone had gone through, but the Barrier that protects this fortress was in imminent danger of collapse. We only needed a few more moments, so I went to make the necessary repairs. Unfortunately, the damage was fairly extensive. I had to manually shore up the Barrier while they escaped. By the time I finished the repairs, the Doorway had closed.”

  Alesia clasped both his hands and held them tightly. “You’re a hero. You sacrificed yourself so the others could escape.”

  “Nonsense. I was the only one left with the technical skills to make the repairs. I did what had to be done, that’s all.”

  “I’ve suddenly realized that I’m quite famished. Would you sit with me here in the corridor and have a meal?”

  Gil gave her a sly grin. “Are you asking me for a dinner date?”

  “What is that?”

  “Dinner?”

  “I know what dinner is. What is a date?”

  Gil gazed thoughtfully at her for a moment. “Oh, well—it’s an excuse for two people to spend time together.”

  “Yes, in that case I’m asking for a date.”

  “I’ll leave my Locater so the Window will remain visible and meet you back here in a few moments. Oh, in the interest of not propagating inaccurate absolutes, would you prefer that I call it ‘the junction point previously classified as a Window which could now be almost anything’?” Gil grinned broadly at her.

  Alesia rolled her eyes but returned his grin. “Don’t be daft.”

  He shrugged and backed away. “Sorry, that was a poor attempt at humor.”

  “If you want to eat, bring your dinner. I’ll get mine.”

  ***

  Gill strolled quickly down the corridor toward the kitchen, whistling the tune of some ancient song about bluebirds and sunshine. The name was floating around in his head somewhere, but he couldn’t find it. A high-pitched screech overpowered the noise-canceling system and ended with an electrical sizzle. The loud warble of a fire alarm sounded as the faint smell of smoke wafted into the kitchen. Gil poked his head into the corridor. Ghostly gray wisps curled in the air as they spilled from the control room door. You people are getting on my last nerve. He rushed back into the kitchen and flipped open a cupboard. It was stacked from top to bottom with field rations. He grabbed a pack and bottle of water from the refrigerator and hurried back to meet Alesia.

  When he rounded the corner, Gil stopped dead in his tracks. The fog in the Window had thinned to the point of near transparency. Alesia’s long brown hair flowed down past her shoulders, framing her flawless face. Her big, dark eyes perfectly contrasted her smooth, pale skin. Bright red pigment adorned her full, pouty lips, lips that Gil suddenly desired to kiss almost more than he desired to continue living. The thin gray dress she wore clung tightly to her supple curves and was cut low enough to show a fair amount of cleavage. Everything about her appearance indicated that she was a sophisticated modern woman.

  “Good, you’re still here. I have a minor crisis to deal with, but I’ll be back as soon as possible. I’m sorry for ruining our first date.” He took one step toward her, and the air between them shimmered with foggy white mist. “Damn.”

  Alesia groaned loudly. “It cleared away a moment after you left. Was that noise I heard an attack?”

  “Yes. Unfortunately, I have a small fire in the control room.”

  Alesia’s eyes widened. “Why are you here talking? Go put it out! I’ll wait for your return.”

  He started away, then turned back. “No jumping to your death while I’m gone. Promise?”

  “I promise, now go!” She flipped her hands at him as if shooing a fly.

  Gil hurried to the control room. Black smoke was pouring out of one electrical grid circuit box and collecting in a thick layer at the ceiling. One of the two supercomputers had gone dark. Fortunately, not the one controlling the Barrier Sphere. He yanked a fire extinguisher from the wall and emptied it into the panel of flaming plastic.

  The Barrier control display was lit up with flashing red blocks indicating that several Emitters had failed as a result of the last big hit. As much as he wanted to go eat with Alesia, if he didn’t fix the problem immediately, he’d be dead before they finished their meal. Gil rushed to the Barrier Emitter Housing Facility. A blast of heat nearly put him on the ground when he opened the door. The cooling fans had stopped operating. Apparently, they were wired into the damaged part of the grid. The backup generator had kicked on, but obviously there was a problem inline keeping the power from going where it was needed.

  Okay, think. Main power is out, backup is on, why aren’t the fans working? The fire melted the wiring insulation. It must have caused a short circuit. Gil flipped open the cover of the breaker panel. The main breaker had kicked off. He ran to the tool box and grabbed a large pair of cable cutters, then severed the main power lines coming into the box. Please work. I have someone very special waiting for me, and I don’t have time to keep screwing around! He snapped the main breaker into the on position, and the cooling fans came to life. It took him five minutes to sprint to the banks of failed components. In the time he had spent repairing the cooling system, several more Emitters had failed. The stress from constant bombardment was destroying the entire system, a few components at a time. He jerked the useless parts out and inserted fresh ones as quickly as possible.

  ***

  Gil appeared in front of Alesia, huffing loudly, bent over with his hands on his knees. “I’m back,” he panted.

  Alesia gazed curiously at him. “Is everything all right? You’re out of breath.”

  He tapped the center of his chest with his fist. “Nothing like a brisk jog to get the old heart pumping.”

  “Gil, I have a feeling you have more important things to do than sit with me.”

  “Nonsense—” he paused, still puffing hard—”our date is the most important thing in the world, at the moment.” Gil sat on the floor facing her. He tore open a flexible package and dumped the steaming contents onto a plate.

  “It’s all right, Gil, I know your situation is deteriorating. Go tend your machines and don’t worry about me.”

  He spread out the food on his plate with a fork. “Alesia, there is nothing I can do to any of my equipment that will significantly benefit either of us. Have you not eaten yet? You didn’t have to wait on me.”

  She grinned and shrugged. “I assumed it was c
ustomary to eat together on a dinner date.”

  “It is but—do you not have a drink? It’s difficult for me to see through the fog.”

  “I didn’t plan that far ahead.”

  Gil raked his fingers down the foggy barrier between them. “Do you care to try an experiment?”

  “Okay.”

  He twisted the top from his bottle of water and handed it to her. “I don’t expect this to work, but try to take a drink.”

  Alesia put the bottle to her lips and turned it up. Water flowed from the bottle, down a ribbon of fog, and onto the floor in Gil’s Reality. She handed it back to him.

  Gil took the water and frowned. “Well, it was worth a shot. I had been considering that it may be porous. I suppose my initial speculation about EM radiation only translating and not actually passing through is correct. Sound waves are most likely transferred in a similar way, and of course anything containing mass is blocked.”

  “It’s all right. There’s a stream in the forest if my thirst gets too unbearable.” Alesia untied the towel containing her food and spread it on the floor.

  Gil glanced down as she arranged her meal. “Oh, God, is that a fresh tomato and carrots?”

  “Yes. What are you eating?”

  “Five-year-old field rations. Roast beef with gravy and potatoes, at least that’s what the package says. It tastes like rubber and mush coated with goo.”

  Alesia giggled in spite of herself. “Well, if we can ever figure out how to get you into my Reality, I’ll cook you a proper meal with all fresh ingredients.”

  He held his face in his hands for a moment as if trying to regain his composure. “I can’t even tell you how much I’d like that. Is there no way for you to get out of marrying that man from your village, short of suicide?”

  Alesia shook her head.

  “What sort of society forces a woman to marry a man she doesn’t love?” Gil stabbed a slice of roast beef with his fork and shoved it into his mouth.

  “Baron Volga purchased my debt. If I return home, I’ll have to marry him. The only way he will release me is if I bear him a son.”

  Gil tensed visibly as his expression soured. “You owe money, and he wants to make you pay with blood?”

  The outrage in his voice came through louder than his words. Clearly such things weren’t normal in his society. “It’s perfectly legal. I owed the orphanage where I was raised for my childhood care. When I came of age, my mistress demanded payment in full, as she does from all the girls she raises. I had no way to get the money, so she sold my debt to the baron.” Gil stopped eating and gazed at her. Even through the mist, she could see the hurt in his eyes. “I’m a criminal, Gil. Running away from the baron is the same as stealing from him. I stole the oil lamp and a rope from two very good people. I needed those things to help me escape. I feel terribly guilty, but I couldn’t see an alternative that I could live with.” She picked up a carrot and took a big bite.

  “Alesia, that’s the most unjust system I’ve ever heard of. Children should not have to pay for their own upbringing. Your people sound like barbarians. You must have had a horrible existence. I’m glad you ran away, even if you had become a thief to do so.”

  “I was never mistreated as a child. The mistress was strict, but all the orphans were clothed and well fed. We were never concerned that we wouldn’t have a place to sleep or a roof over our heads.”

  “I lived in a Utopian society until I turned seventeen and the Brotherhood decided to destroy it for everyone. But, I don’t want to think about that now. My past is irrelevant, and my future is grim. All I have is the present, and I couldn’t be happier that you’re here to share it with me.”

  Alesia leaped into his lap and threw her arms around his neck. “I think that’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.” She stretched her arms out, grasping at the foggy barrier separating them. “If I could get hold of this, I’d rip it open!”

  Gil chuckled humorlessly. “I’d gladly help you. If there were any way for me to slip through, I would, but I suppose I’m destined to say here and meet my fate. You know, it won’t be so bad. The Brotherhood thinks they’re battling thousands of people. Imagine the look on their faces when they finally get through and discover that one man has been holding off their best forces for more than a year.”

  She wrapped her arms back around him and squeezed him tightly again. “That’s awful. I don’t even want to consider that you’ll still be there when they get through. Perhaps there is another way for you to escape. Legends speak of people entering the castle and never coming out, but they are not here. One of the village elders told me that at least some of the legends are true. This intersection of Realities that exists here could provide a logical explanation for the disappearances if there were a way to step from one to another without your machine. We should have a look around. Maybe we can spot an open junction between my Reality and yours.”

  Gil cradled her in his arms and stroked her hair. “The Doorways of which I spoke were accessible only with mechanical assistance. Even then they were extremely difficult to locate. I seriously doubt anyone could accidentally step through. I searched this castle with our best detection equipment, and this Window is the only connection to your Reality that I found. On the other hand, just because there’s not an open junction from there to here, doesn’t mean there’s not one from your Reality to somewhere else. Even if I cannot escape, perhaps you could.”

  She raised her nose to his neck and inhaled, but nothing of his scent penetrated into her Reality. The pressure between their bodies, shallow glimpses through the fog, and conversation were all they could share. She slipped out of his lap and gazed into his eyes. “We should search together. You insinuated that I could be causing the interference in this Window. If that’s the case, is it possible that I could also cause interference in an open junction point that would make it detectable with you device?”

  “That’s an exceptionally brilliant idea. I told you our date was the most important thing in the world. Whether we find anything or not, the prospect of spending more time with a beautiful woman is very appealing, even if she is in another Reality.”

  Alesia dropped her gaze to the floor. “I am not beautiful, sir, but I am a woman.”

  Gil clasped her hand. “Nonsense. I saw you when the fog was clear. You’re extraordinarily beautiful on the outside. I barely know you, Alesia, but I can tell that you’re exceptionally beautiful inside.” He stood and helped her up. “Now hold tightly to my hand, and we’ll see if my Locater will allow us to maintain the connection between our Realities while we search for an open junction.”

  Alesia stopped and peered into a large room with a balcony that overlooked the forest. “Gil, I imagined this to be a grand ballroom. What do you think?”

  Gil glanced inside. “Yes, I suppose it could be a ballroom. I’m not detecting an open junction here.”

  She tugged him into the room with her. “You’re in a ballroom with a lady. The proper thing for a gentleman to do would be to ask her to dance.”

  Gil gazed wide-eyed at her. “Oh, no, I—I couldn’t.”

  “Come on, Gil. It’ll be fun to dance the night away.”

  “Curious. It’s only midday here.”

  Alesia rolled her eyes. “And what does that matter?”

  He grinned sheepishly. “It doesn’t.”

  “You called me beautiful. I thought you found me pleasing.”

  “I do, of course I find you pleasing, it’s just—” Gil sighed—”I never learned to dance.”

  “Oh, is that all? It’s not difficult. It would be better if we had a band, but I don’t suppose music is absolutely necessary.”

  “I can provide music. Let me see if I can do this with one hand.” Gil set his Junction Locater on the floor and took a small device from his belt. Loud screeching and booming accompanied by demonic-sounding vocals exploded from his device and reverberated off the walls.

  Alesia winced at the overpowering sound
. “Dear God, make it stop!”

  Gil’s device fell silent. “Oh, sorry. I suppose you’re not a fan of ancient death metal.”

  “You call that music?”

  Gil shrugged. “It gets my blood pumping.”

  “I was thinking of something slower and not so loud.”

  He nodded, staring at his device. “Right. How about some classical jazz?”

  She peered down at the little machine in his hand, wondering how something so tiny could produce such gut-wrenching noise. “I have no idea what that means, but if it’s less frightening, I’m willing to listen.” Alesia tightened her grip on his hand while he thumbed his device. She breathed a sigh of relief as the soothing sounds flowed over her. “Is that some sort of wind instrument?”

  “Yes. It’s called a saxophone.”

  She closed her eyes for a moment, soaking up mellow tune. “I believe this will do nicely. Put your other arm around my waist and come close. All you need to do is follow my lead and let the music move your feet, but be careful not to step on mine.”

  Gil continued gazing at the screen on his little device. “I suppose a classical orchestral piece would be more appropriate for this ballroom setting. I wasn’t thinking. Let me see what else I can find.”

  “Gil, the music is wonderful. Are you frightened to dance with me?”

  Gil shrugged nervously. “I don’t want to do it improperly.”

  “There’s a high probability that we’ll both be dead in a few days. What does it matter if you dance properly? This opportunity may never present itself again. All that’s important is that we enjoy this moment. Please, Gil, dance with me.”

  “Yes, yes, of course.” He gripped her fingers tightly and bowed. “My lady, may I have this dance?”

  Alesia curtsied and gave a single nod of her head. “It would be my pleasure, sir.”

  He slipped his arm around her waist, pulled her close, and they swayed to the music. The fact that Gil didn’t know how to dance couldn’t have been less important to Alesia. She had dreamed of a moment like this for so long she could hardly believe it was happening. She was in the arms of a tall, handsome man, dancing the hours away. She had been right all along. Someone was waiting for her in the castle. Even if he wasn’t the hero she had hoped would rescue her from her miserable life, he saved her in a way. He showed her kindness and compassion and gave her at least a little taste of what it must feel like to be loved. Held there in his arms, she found contentment within her soul that she never knew she could feel.