by Mara Amberly
James was so tired that he had trouble focusing his mind. Sleep was reluctant to come, but eventually he dozed off into a restless slumber where pointless dreams taunted his mind and disturbed his thoughts. More restful sleep must have followed, because James felt better when he awakened. He looked around the room, reminded of what had happened. It wasn’t a dream, even though it seemed like it should’ve been one. He’d slept fully-clothed and figured he should try taking a bath or maybe a shower later. After rising from the bed, James pulled back the curtains and gazed out at the morning sky. It looked similar to the one back home, and that made him wonder if the same sun was shining down on his own world. If it was, then what else might be the same between here and there? Could I already exist in this world in another form? Could Lauren or Evan?
He opened the window and heard the birds singing outside. It was a familiar sound and could’ve been his home city on almost any day. Moving to the bedroom door, he opened it and looked up and down the hall. It was quiet and he thought it likely Nessa and Katy were still asleep. James quietly walked to the bathroom. He grinned, recalling Nessa’s advice, and went to the toilet, then washed his hands in the sink. She hadn’t explained the sink, but it obviously worked like a scaled down version of the bath. The ladies hadn’t stirred even after the sound of the toilet flushing, so James made his way downstairs and looked around the living room. It appeared even richer by the light of day. He shook his head in wonder, because the ladies didn’t seem to appreciate what they had here; then out of the corner of his eye, James spied movement.
It was a grey animal and it was in the house. It had short ears set atop its head, and a long slinky body, with a tail that swished through the air as it regarded him. Its eyes were strange; circular with elongated pupils almost human in appearance.
“Oh my goodness, what are you?” he asked it. It looked like a cross between a small dog and a badger or maybe a rabbit, and he had no doubt it might make a fine meal. It had a red collar around its neck, which suggested the animal was a pet. It probably belonged to Katy, so he reasoned he’d better leave it alone.
“Today’s your lucky day, my friend,” he said with some amusement.
Almost as if it understood him, the animal made a throaty yowl and walked toward him, its tail swishing to and fro in the air. It obviously anticipated no danger from him, because it walked right up to him and started rubbing its head and body on his ankles.
“It’s alright, you don’t need to do that,” he said uncomfortably. It looked up at him, yowling again, and he wondered if this was some kind of trained behaviour. If it was like most other animals, then it was probably looking for food, but he honestly didn’t know what kind of food an animal like this would eat. He played it safe and left it to its own devices. It obviously knew what it was doing in here.
“I see you’ve met Spotness.” He recognised the voice as Nessa’s; she was on the stairs. She sounded a bit sleepy and she was wearing her pyjamas.
James was glad he’d realised it was a pet. “Indeed. What is it? A Spotness?”
Nessa grinned and walked the rest of the way down the stairs. “It’s his name, of course. He’s Katy’s cat.” The thought only dawned on her now that the animals on his world might be different.
“So this is a cat?” he asked, unsure.
When she nodded, he studied the animal further.
“Fascinating. It’s friendly and extremely trusting. I could’ve been anything but he started rubbing himself on my ankles.” James looked vaguely confused.
“It’s their way of showing affection. It means he likes you. Usually they do it when they want attention or food.”
James nodded. He’d guessed as much. “So he lives in here?”
Nessa smiled, nodding. “It’s his house too. He has a thing... like a furry house that he sleeps in under the stairs and he just walks around the place. Don’t let him out – Katy tries to keep him indoors,” she said. It was something James couldn’t have known without being told.
“I’ll be careful then that Spotness stays inside. I wonder why we don’t have them on our world.” He watched Spotness as the cat wandered back to the lounge.
Spotness looked like he owned the place, which to his mind, he probably did. It seemed he’d decided that food wasn’t on offer so he was no longer interested in being as social as he had been.
“I don’t know. All of the worlds are a bit different. I’m not sure if they all started the same and went off in different directions or if they’re just completely separate places. It’s possible something might have happened far in the past to the cat’s ancestors, so cats as we know them never developed there. That’s kind of sad, actually,” Nessa said. “They’re nice companions to have. They’re less noisy and lower maintenance than dogs.”
It gave James a thought but it only added fuel to his sense of helplessness. “If... when I go back, perhaps I could take one back for my son.” That required his ability to get back and also catching or buying one of these creatures, but if Katy had managed it, then he was sure he could too.
“That brings a thought to mind. Do you have money from back home – your home I mean?” she asked.
James pulled a handful of notes and coins out of his pocket and held them out to her.
Nessa took one of the notes and two of the coins and examined them closely. They looked somewhat like the money from her world, only there were pictures of the King. Nessa did a double-take when she recognised his face or rather, one very much like it. “That’s amazing – the resemblance. There’s an actor and comedian here who looks just like your King. I wonder if they’re the same person on different worlds.”
James seemed wary and even hesitant to discuss the subject. “It’s safer not to talk about the King. I know we’re here but there are laws against treason and it’s possible to land yourself in hot water discussing the King improperly. This is interesting, though. It’s something we could perhaps look into – whether there are duplicates of us all, but I would like to try returning home before we spend time on anything else.”
Nessa handed James back his coins. “I’d suggest you hang on to these for now. We can take a stroll in the garden after breakfast and I can try opening a gateway using a similar flower to the one I used yesterday.”
James looked confused by Nessa’s explanation. “I’m not sure I understand. What do flowers have to do with it?”
Nessa hesitated, knowing her explanation was going to sound strange. She hoped James would believe her, but then why wouldn’t he? “Scents help create the gateways. Well, that’s not it exactly. Scents trigger a frame of mind or a feeling, which helps me connect to an associated dimension. I don’t know what other factors might influence which one I connect with, other than my mood.”
James looked puzzled by that, then just a bit amused. “I suppose I’d better not fart then.”
Nessa laughed. “Oh James, that’s terrible. Gods, no, don’t do that.”
He burst out laughing, which made him feel better because it was a reminder that he could find his sense of humour at the most difficult of times.
“So anyway, where was I? Right – the flowers. The one I found yesterday reminded me of Derin Valley in the summertime, and that’s how I found my way to your world. It came from a plant that had other flowers, so we could try a different one. I think in order for this to work, I need to reach for the same place I did yesterday: the Derin Valley that I knew. Not Loretta or your family, or with the aim of correcting my errors – which I’m sorry for, by the way. If I’m clear in my intention to reach the Derin Valley, it should take me to it... at least on some world.”
James was ready to go. “I don’t care about food first or anything else. I want to try this, Nessa. Can we please?”
Nessa nodded, but she had a few things she needed to do first. “I need to let Katy know that we’ll be gone for a while. That and I’m starving after yesterday, so I could really use some more food. I ate yesterday morning before
opening the portal, so I should follow the same routine today. I also don’t want my hunger to distract me when I want to get this right, you know?”
Nessa’s explanation helped James’s patience, but he was still in a hurry to go.
“I need to get dressed too,” she said. “Why don’t you take a seat and I’ll cook us some breakfast after that. Do you like bacon and eggs?”
At least it was a question he could answer knowledgeably. “Yes I do.”
He wondered after what animal the eggs would come from, if they were from birds at all. It occurred to him that it might be why they were keeping Spotness in the house. As for the bacon, if it tasted anywhere near as good as the bacon on his home world, he could overlook the animal of origin.
Nessa went upstairs and closed the bedroom door behind her. She couldn’t comfortably wear her blue dress from the day before because it was still dirty and in the laundry, but she chose another one of a similar colour from her wardrobe. The neckline was different, but it was also more comfortable and she knew it wouldn’t distract her while creating the portal. She washed her face, brushed her teeth, and brushed her hair before dressing. She looked much tidier and more ready for the day when she made her way back downstairs. James still wore the same clothes, but they were cleaner than her clothes from the day before because he hadn’t spent time in the dungeon. His hair was somewhat messy though and he had the beginnings of stubble on his chin. She hadn’t given him a comb to use, but Nessa easily could’ve done that. She would’ve, but it didn’t seem like something that would be all that important to him right now.
A quick breakfast followed with toast, eggs and bacon, fried just as Nessa liked to make them. It wasn’t the healthiest breakfast out there, but it tasted good and it was what she’d had the day before.
Katy was awakened by the smell of cooking food and made her way downstairs. She joined them at the table while Nessa was serving up breakfast.
Nessa had cooked extra, just so she’d have enough for Katy too. “Good morning,” she said with a smile, as she set out a plate in front of Katy. Breakfast was enjoyable, and they ate it fairly quickly. Part of the reason was that James ate hurriedly, even though he tried not to.
Nessa finished her piece of toast and washed it down with some freshly-made coffee. “James and I are going to go into town for a while.” She glanced at him when she said it. Nessa was lying, of course, but she didn’t say which town (and technically it was a city). She just let Katy assume it was the one she knew.
James clarified as best he could under the circumstances. “I need to try and get in touch with my family,” he said, speaking the truth.
“It’s not as easy as picking up the phone,” Nessa explained, though she didn’t say why. “I thought we might walk in but we could take my car.” Nessa took a sip of coffee and noticed Katy’s uncertain glance.
“We’ll be fine,” she said reassuringly. As she knew Katy might, her aunt tried to brush away any hint of concern.
“I’m certain you will be, Nessa, and James too. I’ve got some work to do today, so I probably won’t be free until three or four. You know where to find me. If you need to reach me for any reason, just give me a call.”
Nessa was truly grateful to have her aunt. Katy was kind, generous and looked out for her. She could be protective and she meddled more than Nessa might’ve liked, but for the most part, Nessa found her easy to live with. “I will do.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
Pandora's Home Dimension;
Terania Settlement, Alverron – 9:03 p.m.
Pandora was winning. Kailen was the recognised expert on games of chance because they’d been ‘his thing’ for so long, but today was not his lucky day. He scowled at his cards in disgust and abandoned his hand.
“How about we go do something else?” he asked. “I feel like everything’s going wrong today and it’s not just the cards. Maybe we could go out – have some dinner, listen to some music?”
Pandora was unimpressed. “I’m winning for once and you want to go? That isn’t cool, Kailen.”
He frowned. “Neither is your reason to stay.”
Pandora wasn’t sure what to make of that but she didn’t want to argue with him. She just wanted to spend her free time with him and enjoy it. “Okay, so cards it isn’t.”
Her comment only seemed to get his back up more, so she tried not to argue. “Dinner and a night out sound like great alternatives,” she said. Better than staying in and playing cards, even when I’m winning. “When do you want to go?”
Kailen was surprised she gave in so easily, because that didn’t normally happen. It seemed like Pandora was making an effort to keep the night positive and enjoyable, and he knew he’d almost wrecked that. He just wasn’t in the best mood.
“Right now is good, if you’re ready?” He had everything with him that he might need for a night out.
“I’ll just be a few minutes. Will you tidy up the card table while I get ready?”
Kailen nodded. “Sure.”
Pandora spent a few minutes preparing to leave, then took a long measuring glance in the mirror before returning to Kailen. He had the table neatly re-arranged for their next challenge, when she would likely lose horribly again. The truth was Pandora didn’t mind so much. She just enjoyed spending time with Kailen; at least when he was in a better mood than tonight. She found her bag and put on her shoes, and was soon ready to leave.
“Where do you want to go?” she asked.
The settlement wasn’t all that big but there were a range of restaurants.
“A restaurant that appeals to both of us, and then what do you say we take a walk through the market? We haven’t done that for a while and you never know what treasures you’ll find.”
Pandora smiled. “I like that idea. Let’s go.”
She and Kailen left her apartment, and Pandora carefully locked the door behind her. It was only a short walk to the restaurant they decided on, which served Kenassian food. The Kenassians were a race of people who had initially made up around a quarter of the population of Terania settlement. Most people now had partial Kenassian ancestry, including Pandora and Kailen. The restaurant had a simple dining room; its walls a similar white to those in Pandora’s apartment, though the windows were larger and they offered a view of the terraformed zone through the polymer dome.
She and Kailen were offered a table by the window. It was hard to see much of the terraformed area at night because it wasn’t lit, but Pandora could make out some details of plants and the distant peaks of the mountains against the cloudy sky. The atmosphere in the restaurant was a bit dark but also cosy; the seats were soft and with Kailen there, the company was good. They ordered their meals and relaxed, listening to the pleasant buzz of conversation and the soft tones of music playing in the background.
“I found out something today,” Kailen said with a curious smile.
Pandora wondered if it might relate to the rumours circulating around the settlement; and it reminded her of the secret she was now forced to keep from him.
“Does it have anything to do what we were talking about... the other night?”
Kailen would know what she meant. Even though she was intentionally vague, Pandora still kept her voice down. There were some subjects you didn’t discuss openly, at least in public – although some people probably did when rumours were spread.
“As it happens, it does.” Kailen’s voice had taken on a secretive quality, and Pandora could tell from the sparkle of mischief in his eyes that it must be something good.
“I’m listening,” she said, leaning closer with a smile.
“As you know, my Great Uncle Niall used to be a member of the council before he retired. He’s still in the loop, and he told me straight out that they’ve found signs of people living out there. Not just people visiting from another settlement, either. This means–”
Pandora was already opening her mind to the possibilities. “The outsiders survived?”
&n
bsp; He shrugged. “Someone did. It also means the environment has improved or those who were out there have found a way to live in the open. They might’ve become used to it. They weren’t below ground, either; they were living in the mountains and those areas are not terraformed. Scientists from Estakor Settlement found their camp, but they fled before the Scientists could talk to them. They weren’t wearing breathing apparatus or any protection from environmental toxins. Niall thinks that the outsiders have built up more of a tolerance to the environment, and because of it, they can thrive out there more easily than we can.”
Pandora’s eyes widened at that realisation. “I am an outsider, or at least I was. My parents were–”
She noticed the look in Kailen’s eyes of slight disagreement.
“Your mother was from Terania Settlement. She joined them but you’re from both worlds, you could say, Dora. Still, I wonder if you might have a greater tolerance for the environment because of your father. If my Great Uncle Niall is right and not making it up, then it could be possible. Even if we don’t have the ability to live out there yet, our descendants might be able to.”
“But we’re terraforming it, Kailen. Does this mean we won’t need to? What about them, living out there? Will they still be able to live outside when the world is changed?”
It was clear Kailen hadn’t realised what this meant in the grand scale of things. “Maybe they can adjust to it if they did before. Maybe there are areas of the mountains where the environment has reverted and won’t need terraforming. It could be anything.”
Pandora wasn’t sure what to think about it. They would need more information to draw accurate conclusions, and more than likely, that meant speaking with someone who could raise the subject with the council. “I wish this was something we could talk about easily and openly. I want to go out there, Kailen. I’ve wanted to for a very long time. It feels like where I belong; not cooped up here working in a lab all the time.”