Author : Roger Dale Trexler
Peterson peered out through the energy bubble surrounding him and surveyed the place he had arrived in. It was strange, this place, totally unlike his own dimension. The light was different. It cast a halo of yellow around everything, and it took his eyes a moment to adjust. When they did, he saw the scientists looking in on him. They were human, like he was. It was yet another surprise of many surprises.
He listened as the scientists talked.
“I don’t understand it,” said Professor Furia. “This man….” He turned and pointed at the man behind the glass “…should not be here.”
Professor Simpson nodded and walked to the glass case. “Have we finally opened the portal into another dimension?” he asked.
Furia replied, “I think so.”
Then, he turned and regarded Peterson.
Their experiment had been virtually fruitless till now. They had sent several short ionic bursts into a radioactive isotope. A strange reaction had occurred; but, beyond that….nothing.
Till now.
After a particularly powerful burst into the isotope, Peterson appeared in the isolation chamber. Everyone was dumbfounded. Little did they know that Peterson had been working in his dimension to fix the mess they made. Each time they exploded an isotope, they opened a breach in his universe. Their latest experiment had opened a slit wide enough for Peterson to come through, and he did. He surrounded himself with a stasis barrier to hold in his own anti-matter and stepped into the opening.
Now, he peered at the scientists causing all the destruction. Furia and Simpson did not understand that they had breached an anti-matter universe from within a matter universe. They did not see the disintegration of planets, the screaming of millions as they sizzled out of existence.
“He shouldn’t be here,” Furia said. Then, he pursed his chin to his face. “You don’t think….?”
Simpson nodded. He turned to Peterson. “Do you understand me?” he asked.
Peterson nodded back.
“How is that possible?” asked Furia. Then, he saw the small device attached to Peterson’s chest. He pointed at it. “Is that thing translating for you?”
Peterson nodded again.
“Amazing!” Simpson said. “We don’t have anything like it over here.”
The two matter scientists looked at each other. Their only thought was that, if they could get that device, they would be able to fund their research with it for the rest of their lives.
“Why are you here?” asked Furia.
For a moment, Peterson did not answer. Then, he said: “To stop you.”
“Stop us?” asked Simpson.
“Yes. What you’re doing is destroying my universe.”
“We didn’t mean to,” said Furia. “We just need to know.”
“Know what?” asked Peterson. “That there are other universes?”
“Yes.”
“Well, there are….and you’re destroying one.”
He touched something in his palm.
“What’s that?” asked Furia.
“I’m sorry,” Peterson said. “But I have to seal the breach. Forgive me.”
He looked the two scientists in the eyes as he flicked the switch that broke the stasis barrier between the matter and anti-matter universes.
As the three scientists sizzled, then imploded, the breach between the universes was sealed, and both universes were safe again….for awhile.
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