Richard Hall continued to wash dishes. He hated it. He hated getting a job. He
hated his boss. Most of all, he hated Randy Heim.
"Hey, stranger."
Richard turned and smiled. "Are you suppose to be waitressing down the street?"
Melissa grinned. "Well, you-know-who called and said it's ready. I'm suppose to
gather everyone up and we meet in the park. I know Brown's going to miss
teaching at the university."
"I'm not going to miss my job," Richard said.
"That's because your boss is--"
"What's going on here?"
Richard frowned at Bufford. He hated Bufford as much as he hated Randy. The
others didn't know why, and Richard was not telling.
"What's going on, Bufford," Richard aid, "is I'm quitting."
"That was two weeks in the making," Melissa comment as they left.
"I know," Richard replied.
WHAT IF YOU DISCOVERED NEW WORLDS? WHAT IF YOU COULD FIND THESE WORLDS WITHOUT
LEAVING EARTH? YOU'RE THE SAME PERSON AND IT'S THE SAME YEAR, BUT EVERYTHING
AROUND YOU IS DIFFERENT? I FOUND A WAY TO TRAVEL TO PARALLEL WORLDS!!!
SLIDERS: ALTERNATE SPIN
EPISODE 8-CHAOSBRINGER
(first part)
'Two weeks,' Randy Heim wrote in his journal. 'I can't believe we been in one
place for two weeks. Melissa had been left on one world, and I had to risk
frying the timer fried, and we been stuck here.
This used to be fun. We slid to new and exciting worlds. Since...Clone
World...things have gotten darker in worlds and in all of us. Professor is
envious and resentful. Melissa is...distant. Richard hates my guts again.
I have been working on fixing the timer for two weeks with little sleep. Every
failure to create a dimensional gateway has brought me closer to finding the
problems and correcting them. On the good side, I now keep a journal so that IF
something should happen to us...we won't be forgotten. Also the journal helps me
keep my sanity here. Oh. Did I mention I got that goatee I always wanted. Ben,
my roommate back home, would be proud.
This test has to work. After the last test, no one is really talking to me. If
this fails...'
"Well, Mr. Heim," Professor Brown said as he approached with Melissa and Richard,
"this had better be worth it."
Randy closed his journal and got off the park bench. "It will be."
"Funny thing, Egghead. I think you said that about the last test," Richard said.
"Give him a chance, Richard," Melissa said.
Randy looked at Melissa. Her expression revealed nothing. He put his journal in
his shirt.
"Okay," Randy said as he aimed the new timer at the Lincoln statue nearby, "here
we go!"
Randy pushed the button on the timer. He looked toward the Lincoln statue.
Nothing happened.
"Oh, great!" Richard complained. "I quit for nothing."
Randy shook the timer and pushed the button on it again. This time the statue
started to dissolve into a simmering circle of blue light.
"Ladies first," Randy said to Melissa.
"Smarts before beauty," Melissa said to Professor Brown.
"Recklessness before caution," Brown said to Richard.
"Whatever," Richard said. He ran for the vortex and jumped into it.
"Well, it didn't explode," Melissa said. She ran for the vortex and jumped in.
A familiar whir sounded off.
"Good show, Mr. Heim," Brown commented before he jumped into the vortex.
Randy smiled. After two weeks, they were finally sliding again.
The vortex opened. One after another, figures fell from it. The vortex closed
again. Melissa was the first to comment.
"We slid onto campus!" Melissa said. "This is as close as we gotten to Randy's
room. Maybe, we're home."
"Don't count on it," Richard said. "Last time this happened we got mixed up in
an assassination attempt."
"Give it a chance," Randy said.
"Why? You've already screwed up!"
"And you haven't, Mr. Thief!"
"You son of a--"
"Guys!" Melissa cut in. "We don't have time for this."
"Melissa is right," Brown said. "I suggest we explore our surroundings and see
if this is home."
"Hi! Ben and Randy aren't in right now. If you want to leave a message--"
Randy hanged up the phone. He looked at Melissa.
"It looks like my double and I were roomies, too," Randy said.
"Maybe there isn't a double because we're home," Melissa suggested.
"I hope so," Randy said. "that way...I won't have to deal with Richard anymore."
"It seems like you two are at each other's throats. Ever since you saved me and
fried the timer."
"Yeah. God, if we could return to more worlds."
Melissa grinned. "Who knows? Maybe you'll find a way to travel back to worlds
without frying the timer."
"Maybe."
"God, look at your hair!"
Melissa pushed the hair out of Randy's eyes.
"You went throught all the trouble to grow a goatee and you're hiding your face,"
Melissa said, trying to hide her smile.
"I'm surprised you noticed," Randy said.
"Chaosbringer!"
Randy and Melissa turned to see a man approaching them. He looked angry as he
walked toward them.
"Isn't that Charlie Denny?" Randy asked.
"Yeah, our President," Melissa whispered.
Charlie grabbed Randy by his throat.
"You bastard!" Charlie yelled. "You don't realize what you've done!"
"Where does he get off ragging on me!" Richard shrieked.
"Shh!" Brown said. "I'm reading the paper."
"I can tell," Richard said. "You didn't even notice your contraction."
"I will do better next time," Brown commented.
"So what's the verdict, Proper?" Richard asked. "Are we home?"
"Granted we have not been home for months...it would seem like we have made it
home. I cannot find any alternate history in this newspaper at all. I--"
"And another thing," Richard cut Brown off. "We wouldn't be here if he wasn't an
Egghead!"
"Mr. Hall," Brown said, "I know there is no love lost between you and Mr. Heim,
but your ranting is growing tedious."
"I should have just stayed on Anya's world."
"Maybe you should have."
"Well since I didn't, I'm going to see if I can at least enjoy myself. Live a
little!"
"Of course."
"And I'm going to find you a chick."
"Well, I...WHAT?"
"Let go of him!" Melissa screamed.
Randy elbowed Charlie in the ribs. He fell to the ground.
"Chaosbringer!"
Melissa turned to see a group of people heading toward them. A group of ANGRY
people.
"It's all his fault!" yelled one.
"Get him!"
"Make 'im pay!"
"Run!" Melissa yelled.
Randy and Melissa headed down the courtyard. Melissa turned to look behind
them. The mob was still after them.
They turned a corner.
"There's my dorm!" Randy said.
"Let's go!" Melissa said.
They ran through the dorm doors. The mob ran pass the dorm without even looking
in. Randy sighed with relief as the noise lessened.
"They're gone," Melissa said. "I guess we can assume we're not home. What did
you do on this world anyway?"
Randy shook his head. "I have no idea." He looked around the lobby. "I think
we better head for my room. We're getting stares."
Melissa looked around at the people staring at them.
"I agree," Melissa said.
"I am not listening to your outrageous suggestion, Mr. Hall," Professor Brown
said as he and Richard headed down the courtyard.
"Why?" Richard said. "When was the last time you been with a woman?"
"Well...uh..."
"Exactly. Whether this is home or not, we're going to a bar."
"I disagree," Brwon replied. "I--"
"Professor Brown, there you are!"
Brown turned around. Heading toward him was someone that he loathed. Granted he
liked his students who followed his every word. However, he hated a suck up.
"Hello, Mr. Bufford," Brown managed.
"I was starting to worry that you had just ignored me again," Bufford said as he
walked up to the two of them. "Surely you believe me when I say that Smith, the
late Randall Heim, and I had started a new experiment that is now bearing fruit."
Richard just rolled his eyes. No matter what world they were on, Bufford was an
annoying jerk.
"Of course, Mr. Bufford," Brown replied. "Lead the way."
"The key still works," Randy said as he unlocked the door to his room.
He walked into the room with Melissa. He looked around and gasped at the
familiarity. All his equipment and gizmos were on one side of the room. Ben's
stuff were in the same places as on his Earth.
"It's like our Earth," Melissa said as if she could read his thoughts. "Yet it
isn't."
Suddenly, the bathroom door flew open and a figure ran out with a rifle in hand.
"Listen, bastard! There is no chaos--" the figure started. He stopped and
looked Randy over. "Randy?"
"Ben?" Randy said. He looked at Ben. Yet he wasn't Ben. He had long purple
hair. Randy could barely make out Ben's eyes under the hippie glasses.
Ben put the rifle down and sighed in frustration. "God, Heim! All the trouble
we went through to fake your death and you go and not only come back here, but
you grow back the goatee! When did you go stupid!"
Randy and Melissa looked at each other in confusion.
"And yet no word on the unexplained disappearance of several students from the
campus of--"
"Chad, what have I told you about watching television. Turn it off."
Chad Owens turned toward Dr. Donald Smith. The doctor was looking at him in
annoyance.
"I want to go out, Dr. Smith," Chad said.
"Now, Chad, you signed a contract," Smith said. "You no longer need to concern
yourself with the world outside. You're part of a new...breed now. Not many
people do genetic...alternation."
"Alternation?" Chad said. "Since you mixed...my body with the body of...that
thing that came throught the protal...I'm still the same."
"I disagree. Your mental capacity has increased since your body was introduced
to new cells. You're becoming more than you are."
Chad looked at Dr. Smith through his cell. "And the thing? It--"
"It is none of your concern, Chad," Dr. Smith cut him off.
"But it escaped."
"Don't worry about it."
The door opened. Chad looked pass Dr. Smith's shoulder. Three figures headed
toward them. He recognized the slimy Dr. Bufford. However, he didn't know the
two others. Judging by the black man's manners and remembering a few of
Bufford's conversation, Chad figured this was Professor Brown.
"Well, I do not know what to make of this, Mr. Bufford," the black man said.
"One boy in a cell. He looks no different at all."
"But he is, Professor Brown," Bufford said. "Dr. Smith, could you get Chad...I
mean, the subject, to do something."
Chad saw Dr. Smith's eyes widened.
"What?" Dr. Smith said. "But--"
"Dr. Smith, I am in charge of this project," Bufford said. "Do it."
Chad looked at the Professor and the figure. He could sense their
uncomfortableness with this whole thing.
"Chad, listen to me," Dr. Smith said. "I need you to move this cup to where you
are."
"Dr. Smith, you know I can't do--" Chad started.
"Please, Chad."
Chad looked down at the floor. "I'll try."
He looked at the cup in Dr. Smith's hand. He focused in on the cup. He saw it.
He saw how high it was. His eyes narrowed in on it.
The cup lifted up out of Dr. Smith's hand. It moved with a mind of its own.
"Float it, Chad."
Chad's concentration broke. The cup fell to the floor. Its pieces went all over
the place.
Chad looked at the other people in the room. Dr. Smith just shook his head and
the disappointment could be seen in his eyes. Professor Brown's eyes...his
face...showed nothing. Chad's stare finally settled on Bufford's face. His eyes
betrayed his anger.
"Well, that was...intriguing," Brown said. "I think I will...consult with my
friend here and we will talk to you tomorrow."
"I'll walk you out," Dr. Smith said.
"So will I," Bufford said as everyone headed for the door. "It was a pleasure
having..."
Chad lost track of the conversation. He was looking at the various pieces of the
cup on the floor. They looked scambled across the floor.
Chad remembered the anger in Bufford's eyes. He knew that he would be punished
for his failure today. That just made him feel stupid for signing that
contract. It made HIM angry.
Pieces of the cup started to float in the air. Suddenly they moved with
lightning quickness. They connected piece by piece until the cup was finally
back together.
Chad just sighed in defeat. He knew he would have to escape. Bufford would
surely want to 'ampify' the experiment. Chad didn't think he could do any more
'ampify.'
"So Randy invented sliding here, too?" Melissa asked Ben as they sat in Randy's
room.
"Yeah," Ben replied. "He, Smith, and Bufford were working on some government
projects. They're the brains here, you know. From what Randy told me, he was
attempting to slide in peoples' doubles and use their DNA or cells to help them.
Bufford...and the government...had other ideas."
"What ideas?" Melissa asked.
Before Ben could answer, the bathroom door opened. Melissa turned and tried not
to laugh.
"I do not like this," Randy said.
"Okay, 'Professor,'" Melissa said and laughed.
Randy's hair was spiked and blond with blue highlights. He wore a shirt saying
'Peace and Love in the '90s: Why Not?' The goatee was gone.
"Ha! Ha!" Randy exclaimed.
"Don't worry," Melissa said. "The goatee will grown back. It's the hair you
should worry about."
"I think he looks kewl," Ben commented.
"So where do we go?" Melissa asked.
"We head out and find Richard and the Professor," Randy said.
"Well, I think that worked out well," Dr. Smith said.
"I was starting to think he wouldn't show up," Bufford said.
"Could you blame him?" Dr. Smith asked. "First, Randall died. Then
our...subject escaped and we're doing--"
"It is a shame about Randall," Bufford cut him off. "However,
the...subject...will be found. Until then, we should focus on Owens. He's the
first of our subjects whom cells seem to interact successfully with our main
subject..."
"Who has escaped," Dr. Smith added. "The feds won't be pleased."
"They might be if we start Owens on Phase Two," Bufford said.
Dr. Smith's eyes widened. "What? It's too soon--"
Bufford's eyes flashed. "Do you have a problem?"
"Yes. Chad is not ready for Phase Two."
"The time for mothering is over. He signed a contract. He's the property of the
government now."
"This has nothing to do with the government!" Dr. Smith snapped. "You're still
trying to one-up Randy in Professor Brown's eyes."
"Sounds like you're gone soft on Owens," Bufford said.
"Don't change the subject! You still hate the fact that Randall was Brown's
favorite."
Bufford looked back at Smith as they reached the door to the lab. Smith saw the
hate in his eyes.
"Randall liked to bring that up as well," Bufford said. "He's dead. I would
hate to see something happen to you." He smiled. "Now let's talk to Owens."
Bufford opened the door. Smith followed him in and wondered what Bufford meant.
He paused.
Chad's cell was open. However, he wasn't in it.
"We'll take two more scotches," Richard said to the waitress.
"Sure," the waitress said and left.
"I wonder what the government would want with Bufford or that boy," Brown said.
"None of that tonight, Proper," Richard said. "Tonight, you score."
"No, I disagree," Brown protested. "This idea has no--"
"Face it, man," Richard said. "We'll not getting home any time soon. You're
divorced anyway. It's time to move on."
"I think you should--"
"Hey, you!" Richard yelled to the nearest woman. "Tell me...what do you think of
my friend?"
A blonde woman walked over and looked at Professor Brown. She turned his cheek
and smiled.
"Hmmm...very cute," the woman said. "Not my type, but cute."
"See?" Brown said to Richard. "I do not have a chance."
"Give him a chance," Richard said. "He might surprise you. He did me."
The woman looked at Richard. Then she looked at Brown. She finally sighed.
"I don't have any plans," the woman said. "I'm Kelly."
"Pleased to meet you," Brown said. "My name is Prof--"
Richard elbowed Brown before he could say more. He smiled at Kelly.
"What he meant to say was...his name's Darrell," Richard said. "How about you
two find a nice corner and see if you two have something in common?"
Richard smiled as the two of them found a table to sit at. He thought about
today. It felt nice to see a member of the group having some fun again.
"Where did your friend go?" the waitress asked when she came back with the
drinks.
"He's living," Richard said. "Finally."
"But I'm not interested in him," the girl said.
"Anne, you're such a liar," her friend said.
"Yeah, Anne," her other friend joined in as they headed to the dorm. "We saw the
look you get whenever Brad shows up."
"Nothing's going on, you two," Anne said. "You're paranoid."
"Hey! Crosswalk!" her friend announced.
"We gotta go," her other friend said. "Are you going to be okay?"
"Yeah, Tasha," Anne said. "You and Donna, be careful, too."
"See you later," Donna said.
"Sweet dreams," Tasha said. "Give our regards to Brad."
"And invite us to the wedding," Donna added.
"And the--" Tasha started.
"Stop it!" Anne said. "Go! I'll be fine."
Anne just shook her head as she watched her friends walk in the way of their
dorm. They were always trying to start something. Still, Brad was cute.
"Get your head out of the clouds," Anne said to herself.
She turned and ran right into him.
"I'm sorry," Anne said. "I--"
She stopped as he came into the light. IT was a he. She was sure of that. She
knew he wasn't human. His forehead gave him away.
"Oh my--"
It was the last words she said.
TO BE CONTINUED...