Читать книгу A Crossed Reality - Gerald Pruett - Страница 7

Chapter One

At Harvard University on Tuesday, October 5, 2010, 10:05 A.M., Professor Blumberg, a science instructor, was returning graded assignments.

Randy Miller, a twenty-one-year-old student in the class, was the tenth one to get his research paper back, and when he glanced at the front cover of his paper he saw a large red ‘F’ across the front page of his work. He couldn’t help but to let out an audible groan for his initial protest.

Randy was half Mexican from his father’s side. He was of an average height and weight. His mother Phyllis had never married Randy’s father and he had disappeared from Phyllis’ life just after he found out that she was pregnant with Randy.

Once Prof. Blumberg handed back the last assignment, he walked up to the head of the class. He stood in front of his desk, and as he panned the room of where his students were sitting, he asked, “Okay, does anyone have any questions of the grade he or she received?” Randy’s hand quickly shot up. “Mr. Miller, I had a feeling that you would be the first to raise your hand. Mr. Miller, your paper is a joke and I will not entertain joke papers, so your grade stands.”

Randy abruptly stood up and uttered, “Prof. Blumberg, I must protest. I have scientific facts to back up my paper.”

“Mr. Miller, science fiction is not facts.”

“There’s nothing in my paper that’s science fiction,” Randy insisted.

Alexander (Alex) O’Brien, another twenty-one-year-old student and a childhood friend of Randy’s watched the exchange of words with great interest. He had short red hair and green eyes. He stood taller than Randy by only an inch, but weighed a few pounds less.

“Okay, Mr. Miller,” Prof. Blumberg said. Randy sat back down. “Let’s get your fellow students involved in this. Everyone, Mr. Miller’s paper was on the alternate reality theory. In his paper, not only does he agree with the alternate reality theory, but he also states that more realities are spawning each day. In his paper he states that with each crossroad event that a person comes to in his or her life that event will spawn more realities. How many realities will depend on how many possible outcomes there are to each crossroad event. According to Randy, four possible outcomes means that four realities will be spawn. He had even claimed that he has come up with a way to identify different realities from each other with the Alpha realities being the same or similar to ours while the Beta through Omega realities being completely different. Correct me if I’m wrong, Mr. Miller, but our reality is known by you as being Alpha followed by seven zeros.”

Randy stood again before answering, “Actually there should be a decimal point between each of the seven digits and it is an address of a particular reality. Each home reality would share the same home address. It’s only to us in this reality that another reality address would be different. When a person would travel into another reality, the address of the two realities would be flipped so that person would have to use the same address that was originally used in the initial jump to get back.” He flipped to a certain page of his papers. “Here are the examples I gave for my address system.” He slowly panned the page for his fellow students to see.

The students who were sitting next to him were able to make out the following:

A crossroad event is a pivotal moment to where the future of a person or a group of people is determined by the outcome of the event. There are two types of crossroad events.

Type 1: is where a person’s life changes by the person’s own choosing. (A person can receive a unique set of circumstances by making a choice to a multiple-choice scenario.)

Type 2: is where a person’s life changes that wasn’t of the person’s own choosing.

An example of a type1 crossroad event:

Tony has been presented with three possible choices after coming to a six-foot fence with a narrow hole in it.

1. Tony goes around the fence and nothing bad happens.

2. Tony tries to climb over the fence rather than going around it or squeezing through the hole and falls and breaks an arm. Later at the hospital he meets his future wife Michelle. (Giving that each of Tony’s future crossroad events led to marriage)

3. Tony goes through the hole in the fence and gets cut by a rusty metal object and eventually develops tetanus. (Giving that the crossroad event led Tony into thinking that he didn’t need a tetanus shot at the time.)

An example of a type2 crossroad event:

1. Tony’s flight was delayed an hour. While waiting he met his future wife Liz.(Giving that each of Tony’s future crossroad events led to marriage)

2. Tony’s flight was on time and he had never met Liz.

Examples of the reality address system .

(# )is any number from 0 to 9; (#>0) is any number from 1 to 9. 0 being no magnitude and 9 being the maximum magnitude.

(Greek alphabet) #.#.#.#.#.#.#

Reality home address is Alpha 0.0.0.0.0.0.0

The reality address Alpha 0.0.0.0.0.0.(#>0) almost completely identical to the reality home address. The differences would most likely be missed.

The reality address Alpha 0.0.0.0.0.(#>0).# is less identical to the reality home address. The differences might or might not be missed.

The reality address Alpha 0.0.0.0.(#>0).#.# is even less identical to the home address. The differences would be subtle, but apparent.

The reality address Alpha 0.0.0.(#>0).#.#.#. Half of the events in the world are no longer identical to the reality home address. The difference would easily be seen.

The reality address Alpha 0.0.(#>0).#.#.#.#. More than half of the events in the world are no longer identical to the reality home address.

The reality address Alpha 0.(#>0).#.#.#.#.#. Hardly any events in the world are identical to the reality home address.

The reality address Alpha (#>0).#.#.#.#.#.#. None of the events in the world are identical to the reality home address.

The Beta addresses are the closest addresses to the Alpha addresses while the Omega addresses are the furthest away.

Each home reality would share the same reality home address. It’s only to the AR Traveler (Alternate Reality Traveler) that another reality address would be different. When the AR Traveler would travel into another reality, the addresses of the two realities would be flipped so the AR Traveler would have to use the same address that was originally used in the initial jump to get back; however, the addresses will start deviating from each other if the AR Traveler would remain in the alternate reality for more than twenty-four hours.

Beta through Omega addresses are where the realities of Earth had gone in an entirely different evolutionary path.

As Randy was showing the page, Prof. Blumberg said in a sarcastic tone, “Thank you, Mr. Miller, for sharing that.” Prof. Blumberg looked over the class. “Besides me, who else in this room feels that the alternate reality theory is a joke and it should remain in the science fiction stories?”

Twenty-five of the forty students raised their hands. Doug, Alex’s fraternal twin brother and roommate, was also in the class and had raised his hand.

Doug had short brown hair and blue eyes. He was the same height and build as Alex. Although Doug and Alex weren’t identical, they looked very much alike in the face. Everyone who met them for the first time knew that Alex and Doug were brothers without being told.

Alex was among the fifteen students who didn’t raise their hands. A friendly debate broke out, and during the debate, Alex and ten others switched sides.

Prof. Blumberg allowed the debate to go on for a short time before stopping it. Once he had reclaimed order within the classroom, he said, “Mr. Miller, as you can see most of your peers agree with me that your paper sounds like science fiction nonsense and therefore, the grade I’ve given you stands.”

While enraged Randy stood quickly and hastily gathered his things. As he was storming towards the door he uttered out, “Then I will prove it to you. I will prove it to all of you.” Everyone just watched as Randy furiously left the room.

Saturday, October 9, 1:45 P.M., Alex was parking his car in front of Randy’s rented house when he saw Amanda, Randy’s girlfriend, near a cab. Amanda was watching the cab driver as he loaded her suitcases.

After Alex parked his car he walked over to Amanda and asked, “Are you going on a trip?”

Amanda looked at Alex before saying angrily, “I’m going to the airport. I’m going home to stay.”

Alex shot Amanda a shock look while asking in a disbelieving tone, “You’re quitting Harvard?”

“Alex, I’m only attending Harvard because of Randy and I broke up with him.”

“You broke up with Randy?” Alex shockingly asked. “Why?”

Amanda took a deep breath to calm herself before saying, “Alex, since Tuesday, Randy has shut me out of his life. He’s completely obsessed with that alternate reality theory of his.”

“Amanda, before you leave in a haste, let me go in the house and talk to Randy.”

“Don’t bother. He’s not even home. He’s at the electronic store buying things.”

“That’s good, isn’t it? I mean he has his mind focused on something else; something other than that theory of his.”

“Alex, Randy had a breakthrough this morning on his theory. So he believes anyway. He now believes that he can create a device that can open a wormhole into other realities. He is now at the store buying the things that he needs to create the device. As he was leaving I told him that I wasn’t going to be here when he got back. His words were, ‘You’ll return when you see my name in the paper after winning the Nobel Prize.’ Alex, I’m done. I can’t handle this.”

The cab driver stepped up and asked, “Are you ready, ma’am?”

Amanda faced the cab driver before saying, “I’m ready.” She turned back towards Alex. “Goodbye, Alex. You are a good friend.” Within seconds Amanda got into the cab and closed the door.

Alex watched as the cab driver got into the driver’s side of the cab and drove away. Alex then waited for fifteen minutes for Randy to return. When he didn’t return Alex got into his car and drove away.

Tuesday, October 19, at 11:10 A.M., Alex rang Randy’s doorbell. He waited for Randy to answer for only a short time before knocking hard. After a few more seconds of waiting he reared back and as he was about ready to pound, Randy opened the door. Randy didn’t look at Alex when the door opened, but stood in the doorway while writing in a notebook. Randy was ten days unshaven and his hair was a mess.

“Randy, you’ve been absent from school for two weeks,” Alex pointed out. When Randy didn’t respond Alex tapped Randy’s notebook. “Hey!”

Randy looked at Alex before saying, “I’m glad you came by.” Randy then walked away from the door while not paying attention as to if Alex was going to follow. “There is something I want to show you.”

“Randy, I just came by to give you a warning from Prof. Blumberg,” Alex said as he did follow.

Randy faced Alex before saying, “I’m not concerned about his empty threats.”

“Randy, I don’t think he’s threatening. He’s tired of your absentees and your joke science papers that you are emailing him as your assignments.”

“Those papers I send him aren’t jokes. I’m very serious about those papers.” Randy gestured into the direction of his makeshift lab as he continued to say, “In fact, come with me. I want to show you a breakthrough I had.”

“As long as it is not on your alternate reality theory I will see your breakthrough.”

“Alternate reality is real and I can prove it within a day or two.”

Alex gave Randy a curious look while questioning, “What do you mean you can prove it?”

“If you come with me I will show you what I mean.”

“Randy, we’ve been friends since the first grade so I’m saying this as a good friend. You need to come back to reality before it is too late. Now you are the best science student Harvard has seen in a long time, and if it wasn’t for those papers you are sending Prof. Blumberg even he would see that, but as it is, you are about ready to be expelled.”

“Alex, come with me and I will show you what I learned.”

“No, I won’t,” Alex said while taking a stand. “Prof. Blumberg is right. Traveling into another reality is nothing more than a science fiction writer’s imagination. A person can not travel into a different reality like in that TV show.”

“You’re wrong and I will prove it.”

“Randy, you need to see someone about this obsession of yours. I see now why Amanda dumped you.”

“Amanda just didn’t understand why this was important to me.”

“She’s not the only one. Now I’m going back to Harvard and I suggest you do the same before you are no longer a student there.”

“In a day or two I will prove to you that alternate reality is not just a science fiction story.”

Alex shook his head in frustration before turning towards the door and walking out.

Randy walked back into his makeshift lab. The lab had a dry erase board with an equation written on it. Not too far from the dry erase board was a workbench with pieces of a remote spread about. He sat down at the workbench, placed the notebook to where he could see it, picked up a small resister and soldered it to the main portion to the remote.

Thursday, October 21, at 12:35 P.M., Randy knocked on Alex and Doug’s dormitory door.

Doug opened the door and when he saw Randy standing there with a remote in his hand he said, “So you didn’t fall off the edge of the universe as the rumors have been saying.”

“Very funny,” Randy said before holding up his remote, almost at eye level. “I did it, and I want to show Alex. Where is he?”

“He is at the library.”

“Thanks. I’ll see you later.”

When Randy went to leave, Doug uttered while stepping into the hallway, “Wait! I’m going with you.”

In the library, Alex and four others, Kenny Johnson, Brandy Harrison, Cindy Hartford and Benjamin Bell were sitting at a table not too far from the exit.

Randy and Doug saw Alex and the others as they entered. As Randy and Doug stepped up, Alex faced Randy and said, “Wow, your record in solitude is fifteen days.”

“Alex, I did it,” Randy said as he again held up the remote. Everyone at the table gave Randy a confused look. “I haven’t tested it yet, but I didn’t want to test it without a witness.”

Alex shook his head while saying, “Test it right here and now. And when it fails, I want you to drop this obsession with AR traveling.”

“It won’t fail,” Randy said before pointing his remote towards an open area and pressing the button.

At first nothing happened, but then all of a sudden an intense feeling as though their bodies were being ripped apart came over Randy, Doug, Alex and Alex’s study group. Within seconds everyone blacked out from the pain.

In the reality Alpha 0.0.0.1.0.0.0, at the library, Kenny, Brandy and Cindy were together at the same table, but on the opposite side of the library. They were faced down, passed out on their books. The librarian walked up to the table and as he shook them awake, he said, “Hey, wake up. You three can’t sleep here.”

After waking up, Kenny looked around before asking, “What happen to Alex, Doug, Randy and Ben?”

Brandy had a confused expression on her face before asking, “How did we get at this table?”

In Ben’s hometown of Atlanta, Georgia, Ben woke up at a local tire and auto shop while wearing the shop’s uniform. Other workers and customers were standing over him while giving him a deeply concerned look.

Doug woke up in his dorm room with Richard Hawkins standing over him with a worried look on his face.

When Doug saw Richard hovering over him, he sat up and asked, “What happened?”

“Dude, you just collapsed to the floor for no apparent reason,” Richard answered.

Doug looked around without standing up and saw that he was in his dorm room. After refocusing on Richard he asked, “Okay, I’ve seen you around campus, but who are you and why are you in my dorm?”

Richard stared at Doug as if he had lost his mind before asking, “Did you hit your head when you fell, Dude?”

Doug thought about his condition for a moment before saying, “My head is killing me. Who are you though?”

“I’m Richard; your roommate,” he pointed out. “I think you better go and get checked out at the hospital.”

“You’re not my roommate,” Doug said with strong certainty in his tone.

“Yes, Dude, I am,” Richard corrected. “We have been roommates since our freshmen year.”

“My brother is my roommate.”

“What brother? You don’t have a brother.”

Doug said sarcastically, “My twin brother Alex. We have been roommates all our lives.”

“Now I know you hit your head when you fell if you’re thinking that Alex is your twin brother.”

“He is my twin brother,” Doug insisted.

“No, Dude; Alex is your twin sister.”

A shock expression flashed across Doug’s face while uttering, “What?!”

“Alex is your twin sister,” Richard repeated. “I know you can’t think of her as being hot, but come on; even you have to admit that she is a knockout. She stands five feet, five inches tall; she has the most gorgeous body with beautiful red hair that flows midway down her back. She has the most beautiful green eyes. She’s a snob though so she could really use a personality makeover.”

Doug thought for a second before blurting out, “Randy Miller, I’m going to kill you when I get my hands on you.”

“Who is Randy Miller?”

“Never mind,” Doug said as he shook his head. “Richard, you’re right, I think I did hit my head and I’m having memory lapses. So can you take me to my sister?”

“Sure, Dude,” Richard said before reaching his hand out to help Doug up.

Minutes later, Doug stood next to Richard as Richard knocked on a dorm door. Trudy Appleby opened the door and when she saw Doug, she said, “Thank God that you’re here, Doug. Alex fainted a moment ago and when she woke up she went hysterical. She acted shocked that she’s a woman.”

Richard gave Doug a perplexed look before asking, “Is there a twin thing going on between you and Alex?”

Doug looked at Richard as if he had lost his mind for a moment before shaking it off and facing Trudy again. “Where is Alex now?”

“She’s in her bedroom,” Trudy answered while gesturing. “She’s looking into her mirror and repeating, ‘I’m dreaming this. This is not happening.’ Doug, you need to go in there and talk to her.”

“I will,” Doug said before walking into the dorm.

In the common room there was a couch, a coffee table and an entertainment center. The entertainment center held a TV, a combination VCR and DVD player, and a small stereo system. There were two bedroom doors.

Doug stepped up to the closed door and knocked. “Alex, it’s me; Doug.”

Alex opened the door and said sternly, “You are not real. This is all a dream.”

Doug lustfully gawked at Alex for a moment. He then shook it off and whispered, “You’re not dreaming, Alex. We jumped into another reality.”

“We jumped?” Alex confusingly questioned just as the reality of the situation had hit her. “We jumped!”

Alex walked back into her room and looked into the mirror.

Inside Alex’s bedroom was a small wardrobe closet, a twin bed with a purse setting near the head of the bed, a dresser and a small desk with a chair pushed in. On top of the desk was a laptop computer. The mirror that Alex was looking into hung on the wall over Alex’s laptop.

Doug stepped into the bedroom and shut the door behind him.

As Alex looked at Doug’s reflection, she said, “I’m going to kill Randy Miller when I see him.”

Doug amusingly grinned while saying jokingly, “You know, I have to admit that this is a great look for you.”

Alex looked at Doug with a distasteful grin while uttering, “I’m glad you are enjoying this. Look at me. I’m a woman.”

Doug said in a lustful tone, “Oh believe me, I definitely see that you’re a woman.”

Alex said sternly, “Stop that! And stop looking at me like that. Although, I’m not Alexander on this side of the twilight zone, we are still siblings… at least I think we are.”

“We’re still twins, but apparently in this reality you were born a girl. Mom must really like the name Alex for that to be your name in this reality.” Alex checked her pockets. She then looked around the room for a second. “What are you looking for?”

Alex pointed to a purse on the bed while saying, “That. Most likely that would be mine and I want to check to see what Alex is short for.” Alex walked over and took out a wallet from the purse. When Alex looked at her driver’s license Doug saw a disturbed expression on her face.

Doug moved closer while asking, “What is it?”

“My name is Alexandra Nicole Larson,” Alex said while standing there with a confused expression across her face. Doug went to pull out his wallet. “Am I married in this reality?”

Doug looked at his driver’s license before saying, “No; you’re not married. My name is Douglas Christopher Larson.” Alex saw an uncertain expression on Doug’s face as he looked at her. “Alex, we don’t live on Victoria Place anymore.”

Alex looked at her driver’s license before saying, “The street name on my driver’s license is Wild Deer Road. The city is still St. Louis.”

“That’s what I have too,” Doug said as he gazed at his license.

Alex went to put her license and wallet away while saying, “I don’t know why our last name is Larson or why we live on Wild Deer Road, but we need to be concentrating on a way to get back to our reality.”

Doug was putting his wallet away when he said, “I believe our first step on that is to find the one person who’s responsible for us being here.”

Alex crossed her arms while saying, “Randy Miller.”

“Exactly. We should check his house.” Doug motioned towards the door as he continued to say, “Ladies first.”

Without attempting to move, Alex said with a smirk, “You’re enjoying this way too much.”

“Okay, I’ll go first,” Doug said as he made a slight move towards the door.

“Well, before we leave, I want to check something,” Alex said before turning towards the dresser.

“What do you want to check?”

As Alex walked towards the dresser, she said, “Since mom keeps a diary, perhaps I would too.”

Alex pulled open the top drawer; searched it thoroughly and then closed it. As she was going onto the next drawer, Doug checked underneath the mattress.

Alex was opening the third drawer when Doug said, “You can stop looking. I found what you’re looking for.”

Alex faced Doug before asking, “How did you know to look underneath the mattress?”

Doug held out the diary for Alex to take and said, “That’s where mom keeps hers.”

As Alex took the diary, she asked, “You read mom’s diary?”

“No,” Doug quickly answered. “I just saw her placing it there one day.”

Alex glanced at the diary before questioning, “How come I get the feeling that you might’ve read my diary in this reality?”

Doug gave Alex a concern look before asking, “And you are becoming sensitive about the mere idea of the Doug of this reality reading your alternate’s diary?”

Alex thought for a moment before saying, “You’re right. This is not our reality and we shouldn’t get too focused on what the us of this reality did or didn’t do.” Alex put the diary in her purse and then put her purse over her shoulder. “Well, we better get going. I’ll read this diary on the way. Oh, you wouldn’t know my roommate’s name by any chance, would you?”

“I sure don’t,” Doug said while shaking his head. “I never even saw her in our reality.”

Alex gestured towards the door while saying, “Well, let’s go and maybe we can find out what her name is without appearing that we lost our memories.”

Trudy and Richard were having a casual conversation in the common room and they abruptly stopped talking when Alex and Doug stepped out of the bedroom.

Trudy faced Alex before asking, “So how are you feeling?”

“I’m good,” Alex said with an embarrass grin. “Well, Doug and I have something to do.”

“You’re leaving now?” Trudy quickly asked.

Alex gave Trudy a curious look while asking, “Is there a reason that I shouldn’t?”

“We have a class in ten minutes,” Trudy pointed out.

Alex asked in a tone as if to make a point, “I’m not failing this class… am I?”

Trudy, with a confused expression across her face, answered, “Well, I know you’re not failing. But what does that have to do anything?”

“Well, if I’m not failing then missing this one class won’t hurt my grade.” Trudy continued to give Alex a perplexed stare as Alex continued to say, “I’ll see you later.” Trudy was slightly baffled as she watched Alex and Doug leaving the dorm.