The elevator door slid open. Melissa Clark and Richard Hall got out of the elevator and headed for their room in the Dominion.
"Maybe they cooled down by now," Melissa commented.
"Doubt it," Richard said. "I really don't want them to."
Melissa corked an eyebrow. "Oh, really?"
"Don't look at me that way," Richard said. "What I'm saying is that competition can be healthy. At least they both want to get us home."
"But they could work together on this, Richard. What they're doing is petty."
Richard turned the knob on their door. "Well, why don't you talk to-"
Melissa looked pass Richard. The sight that met her caught her breath.
Randy Heim was holding on to the couch. Brown was nowhere in sight. What was in sight was a giant blue wormhole.
"Oh my-" Melissa started.
The wormhole vanished in a flash. Melissa covered her eyes. When she uncovered them, Melissa saw that Brown stood where the wormhole had been. He looked down at Randy with a smile.
"So tell me," Brown asked. "Are you impressed?"
"Just about ready?"
Randy Heim looked up from his calculations on the desk. Melissa stood in the door. Her face revealed her concern.
"Yeah," Randy answered. "I was just running a few ideas through my head."
"Have you been getting any rest at all?" Melissa asked. "Look at you."
Before Randy could protest, Melissa was already on he other side. She brushed his hair away from his forehead. She looked at him with a smile.
"Sometimes you can get so obsessed over things," Melissa commented.
"I'm not the obsessed one here," Randy said. "That's Brown. Let's go."
Melissa frowned. "You're not helping."
"Hey! I tried! Brown just bit my hand off. From now on...I don't care."
"You don't believe that. We got to stick together. You know that."
"Are you two ready?" Brown asked as he walked into the room.
Randy looked at Brown. This was a man who he had idolized. Now all he could do was resist the urge to hit him.
"Yeah," Randy said. "We're ready. Let's see what you got."
"What I got is our coordinates to get home," Brown said.
"We'll see."
"Are you two going to fight or are we going?" Melissa cut in.
The vortex opened into the room. Randy fell out of it first. His face landed in something soft. He jumped up to realize that they were clothes.
A whir came from the vortex Randy moved away to avoid getting landed on. Brown fell out of it. He landed on his feet. He looked over at Randy and smiled.
"Having problems, Mr. Heim?" Brown smirked.
Randy could see the look of triumph cross Brown's face. He stood up again.
"No," Randy said, "but I think you're about to."
The whir sounded off again. Richard flew right at Brown. He landed next to him. Brown continued to smirk.
"You were saying?" Brown asked.
Melissa fell out of it last. The vortex closed behind leaving just silence. Randy felt like it was a tomb.
"Could someone find a light?" Richard asked.
Suddenly, the light came on. Randy could make out the room now. He felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Melissa's brown eyes.
"Randy..." Melissa started.
"I know," Randy said. "It's my room. We might actually be home."
WHAT IF YOU DISCOVERED NEW WORLDS WITHOUT LEAVING EARTH? YOU'RE THE SAME PERSON AND IT'S THE SAME YEAR, BUT EVERYTHING ELSE IS DIFFERENT? MY FRIENDS AND I FOUND A WAY! NOW WE'RE TRYING TO FIND THE WAY HOME!
SLIDERS: ALTERNATE SPIN-SEASON 2
EPISODE 5: A MATTER OF LOYALTY
"Let me get this straight: we might actually be home," Richard said as the sliders sat in Golden Gate Park. "What are we waiting for?" He pointed at Melissa. "Isn't there family you want to see?" He looked at Brown. "Isn't there some kind of unfinished business you have?"
"I don't think it's a good idea yet," Randy said. "Yes we slid back to my room, but where was my machine?"
"Don't look at me," Richard said. "I didn't steal it...remember?"
"So what do we do?" Melissa asked.
"I for one am going to the library to research this world," Brown said as he got up. "if this is really home, the proof will be there."
Melissa also stood up. "I think I'm going to follow Richard's advice. It's been over a year since I saw my mother. I would love to see her."
"I'll go with you!" Richard volunteered.
"No!" Randy cut in.
"It's not like I have anyone looking for me," Richard said. "I can do what I want."
"We should meet at the Dominion at seven," Brown said. "Just in case."
Melissa and Richard nodded. Randy saw their mutual nod and felt sick to his stomach. Melissa and he haven't even been broken up for very long, and Richard was already moving in.
"I'm heading back to my room," Randy announced. "Maybe Ben will know what's going on when he gets in."
Melissa walked up the front stairs to her mother's house. She looked down at her hands and found them shaking. She and her mother had been really close before she vanished. Surely that wouldn't have changed since she left...right?
"Nervous, huh?" Richard asked.
Melissa nodded. "It's been a year. I don't know how she'll react when I tell her where I've been. How do you think your parents will react?"
"Don't know. Don't care."
"Hard life?"
"More like seven degrees of hell."
They made it to the door finally. Melissa's finger started to touch the doorbell. Suddenly, she stopped.
"I can't do this," Melissa said. "What if this isn't home at all. This will be for nothing."
"Will you feel better by seeing your mom?" Richard asked.
"Yes," Melissa answered.
"Then you can do it."
Melissa looked at Richard. "Someone might actually think you're nice."
She rang the doorbell. At first, there was nothing. Then Melissa heard movement inside the house. Someone peeked outside the curtain. Melissa saw the someone's eye widened in surprise. The door flew open and there stood Veronica Clark.
Veronica Clark looked older than Melissa remembered. She thought it might be because her mother had been up worrying about where Melissa was. Even now, Veronica hesitated at the door.
"Mom?" Melissa managed.
"Melissa?" Veronica managed as well. She slowly looked over Melissa. "Is...is it really you?"
"Yes," Melissa answered. "It's really me. I know that I've been..."
Melissa never finished the sentence. Veronica grabbed her in a big hug. She looked in her mother's face and saw tears falling from her eyes.
"A year," Veronica sobbed. "I remember the FBI coming by and telling me. I remember hoping that you would call or something. I'm so glad you're home!"
Melissa felt the tears forming in her own eyes. "I'm glad, too."
"Where have you been?" Veronica asked.
Melissa looked at Richard. He just shrugged his shoulders. She looked at her mother.
"Mom...it's a long story."
Randy sat at the Dominion bar and waited. He had waited in his room for a while. Ben never showed up at all. During that time he took the time to look over the room. What things were his were still where he left it. Except for his machine...
Where could his machine have been taken since he was here last? Randy had tried to think of a few ideas, but nothing was concrete.
"I always knew you were a drunk."
Randy turned around to see Richard standing behind him.
"Where's Melissa?" Randy asked.
"She's still hanging with her mom," Richard said.
"She knew we had to meet tonight."
"Don't be hard on her. She hasn't seen her mom in a year. Sorry you can't do the same."
Randy frowned. "Shut up."
"What's wrong, Egghead? Don't have Melissa to leech off of now? Ooh...poor baby."
"Can't you hear at all?"
"Oh, I can hear. I just don't care."
Richard sat next to Randy and smiled. "I promised you that you would lose everything. Ironically it's on our homeworld. I love it."
Randy narrowed his eyes. "The same world where something happened to Laura Carmichael. What is it that you have to hide?"
The smile left Richard's face. "What are you talking about?"
"I remember what Mr. Stone said about you," Randy continued. "It was obvious you have a link with our world's Laura since you got on the one on that world."
"I think you're talking a lot of crap," Richard said.
"I think I'm close to finding out what you're hiding," Randy said. "Your attempting to steal my machine and Laura Carmichael are connected, aren't they?"
"Shut up!" Richard snapped. "You don't know what you're talking about."
"Back off, Egghead."
"Or what, THIEF!"
"I hope that I'm interrupting. The last thing I need to worry about is you two fighting."
Randy turned away from Richard to find Brown was behind them. He smiled.
"It's nothing," Randy replied. "It's just us relating. Did you find something?"
"Yes," Brown said. "I've found out...that I got us home."
"A little over a year ago, we vanished," Brown said. "The police searched for a year and tried to work on Randy's machine. They couldn't figure it out so they planned to turn your equipment over to the FBI."
"Planned?" Randy asked.
"Someone...stole it a few days before the FBI got a hold of it a few months ago. Then some more people vanished." Brown continued. He looked at Richard. "One of them was Nicole Harris."
"What?" Richard said. "Why?"
"Judging by what I know, she was probably looking for you," Brown replied. "So was Ben Loveland and Bufford."
Randy nearly fell out of his stool. "What? Ben and Bufford slid after us. That means they're...out there."
"So's Nicole," Richard said. He glared at Randy. "This is all your fault! If you haven't built that machine-"
"Me?" Randy said. "We know the truth. You set this in motion. I think-"
"Enough!" Brown cut them off. "I, for one, am glad to be home. So is Melissa it seems. As such, I'm leaving tonight."
"What?" Randy said in shock. "What about my machine? What about Nicole, Ben, and Bufford?"
"That is stuff that can wait until I return," Brown replied. "Maybe I'll care or not. It's not my concern."
"Seeing Debra, huh?" Richard asked.
Randy saw the look on Brown's face. He knew the truth.
"You selfish-" Randy started.
"I've cleaned up your screwup," Brown said. "We're finally home! Nothing else matters." He turned to Richard. "You take care of yourself."
"Always have," Richard said. "Take care."
Randy watched Brown leave the Dominion. He ignored Randy completely.
"You lose, Egghead," Richard said. "How does it feel?"
Randy stared at Richard. Richard looked back at him with a smirk on his face.
"You forget...when we come back," Randy said, "you get arrested for attempted theft. I think I'll go call the police right now."
"Go ahead. Brown isn't going to back you up. Melissa will be POed at you, too."
Randy stopped moving off of the stool. Richard laughed.
"Why did you stop, Egghead?" Richard challenged. "There's nothing stopping you...except the truth." Richard walked in front of Randy. "It would be your word against mine. You have no proof."
"You son of-"
"I think I'm going to go see Melissa," Richard said.
"Stay away from her or-"
"Or what?"
Richard started to leave. Randy wished he could wrap his hands around Richard's neck. He wished he could knock the grin right off of his face.
He grinned. He knew what he could do.
"In other news, there was a body found in the river. This John Doe..."
There was a knock on the door. Melissa turned away from the television and headed for the door. She opened it and smiled.
"How did the meeting go?" Melissa asked.
"Great," Richard answered. "Brown decided we should keep a low profile until he gets back from seeing Debra though."
"Works for me," Melissa said as she let Richard in.
"No way!" Richard said. "You could get famous off this."
Melissa laughed. "Same old Richard."
"Come on! Tell me you don't want to go on a talk show. Come on!"
Melissa tried to contain herself. The look on Richard's face was too much. She laughed again.
"Okay...a little," Melissa admitted.
Richard grinned. "Then why don't we do it?"
Debra King headed for her door. She knew that no one would be at her door at this hour unless it was important. Hopefully, her mother had not died.
She opened the door. It was the last person that she expected to see. The man who stood before her was a man who she wanted to see again. For a time, they had been married. They had been in love. Had been.
"Darnell," Debra said aloud.
"Debra," Darnell said.
"Been a long time."
"I've been...out of country."
"So I've heard."
"It changed me."
Debra corked an eyebrow. "Really?"
"Though I been gone for a VERY long time, my only thought...my only hope...was that I could get back to you. I wanted to tell you how wrong I was to ignore you when we were married. I want to make it up to you."
"Make it up to me, Darnell?" Debra said. "I'm your ex-wife, not some pet! There's nothing you can say-"
His lips on hers caused her to shut up. She had wanted this since she found out about his disappearance. She hoped that he would show up.
She gave herself over to the reality.
Richard grinned to himself as he headed back to the Dominion. He had a great time with Melissa. He also knew that she would help him make them stars.
He turned a corner. He bumped into someone.
"Sorry," Richard said.
"You should be," the woman replied.
"I apologized," Richard shot back. He headed away from her.
The next instant, Richard heard something move behind him. He turned around to find a bat swinging at his head.
Randy opened the door to his dorm room. It felt funny that he could still call it his when he hadn't been living in the room for over a year. He pushed the thought away.
A figure stood in the room. Randy turned on the light. As the light brightened up the room, Randy saw the figure more clearly.
"Melissa?" Randy said in surprise. "How did you get in?"
"I convinced the guy at the desk to let me in," Melissa explained. "I wanted to see what was up."
"I know what you mean," Randy said as he shut the door. "I can't believe that Ben and the others...I can't believe that Brown just wants us to sit around and wait."
"I guess he knows what's best," Melissa commented.
Randy sat down at his desk. "I doubt that."
"So what are your plans then?"
Randy just shook his head. "I don't know. There are a few things I want to look into."
"What about your parents?"
Randy frowned. "What about them? Every time I try to track them, something goes..."
Randy paused. He knocked himself in the forehead. Of course! He was finally home now. The day that the four of them had slid, he was to meet with an inspector about his search for Randy's parents. He could now find out.
Randy ran over and hugged Melissa. She pushed him away.
"Okay, what did I do?" Melissa asked.
"You're just real intelligent," Randy replied. He looked into her eyes for a second. "I've always known that." He leaned in closer.
"Randy..." Melissa said as she headed for the door.
"I know. I know," Randy said. "We broke up, but...I miss you."
Melissa looked back at Randy. "It's never...going to be the same so forget it." She left without another word.
Randy just stared after her. He wished that he hadn't did that . She was already over him. probably more into Richard than him.
Randy felt his face wrinkle up. If he could figure out the reason behind Richard's attempted theft, maybe he could keep Richard away from her. Randy realized how petty that sounded, but what should he do?
He looked over at the phone. He picked it up and started dialing. Maybe Melissa was right. He should focus on finding himself after all.
Brown looked up into the sky. The sun had shined many days before over Golden Gate Park. For over a year, he had still saw it. It just wasn't the same as if he was home.
Home. It felt so new in his head. He had did it though. He, Darnell Brown, had found a way to get four people who were lost in parallel universes back to their own. He had beat out a young fool to do it.
"What are you grinning about?" Debra asked beside him.
Brown looked at Debra. "Oh? I was thinking about my travels."
"Yeah. Your travels," Debra muttered. "It still sounds so...far-fetched." She looked at Brown. "I know you wouldn't lie to me though."
Brown kissed Debra. He pulled away and looked at her. "Never!"
"So what..." Debra started.
Someone ran by and bumped into the two of them. Debra looked taken aback. Brown, on the other hand, noticed her purse was gone. He turned and ran after the guy. He grabbed him quickly and pitted him to a tree.
"I don't know who you are," Brown snapped, "but you picked the wrong woman to steal a purse from!" He tightened his fingers around the guy's neck. "On the bright side, I get to see if that death technique I learned works!"
"Darnell?"
Brown turned to look at Debra. She looked at him in shock. Quickly, her face gave way to something he had never saw on her face: fear.
"Darnell," Debra said slowly, "I'm okay. You can let him go."
"But-" Brown started.
"DARNELL...look at him. He's just a boy."
Brown stared at the guy...the boy. He stared back at Brown like a man in a crossfire. Brown looked at his hand and the grip it had on the boy's neck. It was a death grip. Brown had never did anything like that before. He was a peaceful man.
Brown released the boy. "Get out of here."
The boy ran pass Brown without another word.
Brown turned back to Debra. He held his arms out to hug her. Debra headed pass him.
"Take me home," Debra said flatly.
Brown felt like he had been shot. He searched Debra's face, but she refused to look him in the eye.
"Very well," Brown said sadly.
Randy sat outside the coffeehouse. He looked at his watch. The inspector was an hour late. Enough was enough.
Randy dialed the number as soon as he got to the payphone. It rang once. Then it rang again.
"Hello?" a woman's voice said.
"Hi, this is Randy Heim," Randy said. "I called late last night. Is Duncan Neilson still there?"
There was a pause.
"Hello?" Randy asked.
"He's dead," the woman said.
"What?" Randy managed. "I just talked to him-"
"I know and I'm very sorry. I think he killed himself...police are still trying to figure it out."
Randy didn't register anything else the woman said. For worlds now, he had been trying to find time to figure out who his parents were. He never knew and he needed the piece of mind...to find who he was. Every world he tried on had been a failure.
"Sir?" the woman said.
"Uh...yeah," Randy managed.
"Duncan and I have worked together for a number of years now so if I can help you with your problem...Duncan hated leaving cases unfinished, you see..."
Randy grinned. "I would like that."
"And still no information on the John Doe found-"
A knock sounded through the house. Melissa headed for it seriously annoyed. Her mother was at work so Melissa decided to stay in.
"What?" Melissa said as she opened the door. She stopped.
Richard limped in slowly. He glared at Melissa. "Could you give me a hand?"
"Sorry," Melissa managed. She helped Richard to the couch. "What happened?"
"What happened was that I got mugged," Richard said. "Lousy timing if you ask me."
"We got to get you to the hospital," Melissa announced.
"No!" Richard barked. "I'll be fine...I just need some rest."
Melissa looked Richard over. "Fine. We'll play it your way."
The phone rang. Melissa picked it up.
"Hello?" Melissa said.
"Hi, Melissa. It's Randy."
"What's going on?"
"I'm heading out to check out some information. I needed to see if you're meet me at my room?"
"Yeah. Sure," Melissa said.
"I'm also sorry about last night," Randy said.
Melissa frowned. "Last night?"
"Yeah," Randy continued. "I shouldn't have put you in that position."
"Last night? What-" Melissa started. Before she could finish, there was a click on the other line. "Hold on one second." She clicked the line over. "Hello?"
"Hey, girlfriend! Mom called last night and told me. Welcome back!!!"
Melissa didn't even feel it slip out of her hand. Maybe...there was no maybe. The phone became a hot coal. Melissa felt a figure behind her. She turned to see Richard.
"What's wrong?" Richard asked.
"That...that was my sister," Melissa said.
"So?"
"Are you brain dead?" Melissa shot back. "She's dead! This isn't our world."
Richard grinned. "Exactly."
Melissa saw movement to her left. It aimed at her face and hit her. She saw spots as she hit the floor. She looked up to see Richard looking down at her.
"I don't know how you escape from the warehouse," Richard said, "but you're going to regret it."
Brown got out of the taxi. He looked at the house with fear.
Debra was scared of him. He looked down at the roses in his hand and hoped that maybe they could persuade her to think differently. He would never hurt her.
He made it to the door. He knocked on it.
"Darnell!"
It was Debra. Just as quickly as she had yelled, someone silenced her.
Brown kicked the door in. It fell to the side. He didn't care though. All he was concerned about was Debra.
He found her in the living room. She was leaning against the counter. Her side was covered in blood. As Brown approached her, Debra backed away.
"Honey, what happened?" Brown asked.
"Stay away from me!" Debra barked. "If you come near me, I'll call the police!"
"It's okay," Brown said.
"No, it's not!" Debra shot back. "You're not the Darnell I fell for. He was kind and sweet and didn't use contractions! He doesn't attack people! He doesn't attack me!"
"What?" Brown could not believe what she said. "I didn't-"
"Get out!" Debra barked.
"You're hurt," Brown managed.
Debra screamed. Brown tried to calm her down, but she would not stop.
"Hello?"
Brown heard the footsteps coming. He ran through the kitchen and was out the door before anyone saw him. He ran back around to the porch and hid in the bushes.
Several of the neighbors had gathered around the front. A man was carrying Debra out and leading her to a car nearby. Brown watched as a car drove off.
He knew she would go to the hospital. He just had to meet her there and...
He sensed a movement behind him. He moved as fast as he could. A bat came down right where he had been.
Brown got to his feet quickly. He confronted his enemy. His eyes widened. "Oh my..."
"Surprising, isn't it?" Darnell Brown said to Brown.
Richard opened his eyes slowly. His head was still spinning. All he could see was darkness.
As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he realized he was in a room full of boxes. There was a figure knocked out near him. He could not make them out.
"Hey!" Richard said out loud.
The figure started to move a little. Richard tried to move toward the figure. He found his hands were tied behind him.
"Hey!" Richard said again. "Wake up!"
The figure turned around and opened her eyes. Richard watched as she opened her eyes.
"Melissa?"
"Where..." Melissa started to say. Then she stopped. "Oh."
"Are you tied up, too?" Richard asked.
"Yeah," Melissa said. "Guess it's up to Randy now."
"Or Brown," Richard said.
"No," Brown finally said.
"It is like a reflection in the mirror, is it not?" Brown's double said. He smirked. "Except I would NEVER get dreadlocks. Are you some wild man on your world?"
"I was...on someone else's world," Brown said as he stared at his double. His double looked how he used to look when he started to slide. "I'm home now."
His double corked an eyebrow. "You really think that, do you?"
Brown stared at him. "Yes. My friends and I have been trying for some time now. I finally figured out a way a few days ago."
Brown's double laughed. "Well, aren't you special?" His smile left. "I hate to shatter your illusions, but you are not 'home' as you call it. You are just on a clever copy of your own world."
"And why do you assume that? For all you know...this is my world and YOU are on the wrong world."
Brown's double grinned at him. "I do not know what happened to you out there, but I love the fact that we think alike. I would be theorizing in my head as well..if I did not know the truth. I guess I will have to educate you...before I have to kill you."
Randy held the paper in his hand. He saw the names in front of him.
Brian and Teresa Heim. His parents. They were the people who raised him. They were the people who raised his brother Jared. They gave him up.
Randy frowned. Why did they give him up? Did they give Jared up? He had to know the truth.
He looked at the other paper he had in his hand. It was a newspaper clipping. He had stopped by the library after meeting Duncan's secretary. He needed to research and found what he was looking for.
He entered his room. The first thing he noticed was that the television was on. Since he didn't leave it on, Randy threw the door open. Melissa laid on his bed watching the television. He sighed and walked into the room.
"You had me scared for a moment," Randy said.
"Sorry," Melissa said. "I couldn't stay home so I came here." She pulled out his journal. "I also got an eyeful. I didn't know you thought of me that way."
"Yeah, I do," Randy managed. "Well, I think of the real Melissa as that. Who are you?"
"I'm Melissa...your Melissa."
"I think you're wrong," Randy said as he stared at her. "Were you here last night?"
"No," Melissa replied.
Randy searched her face. She seem to be sincere. "What did we talk about on the phone earlier?"
"Well...stuff," Melissa replied. "What we were going to do since we got home."
"Wrong! We didn't have time to talk because I had to look for things," Randy said. He narrowed his eyes. "If you've hurt Melissa..."
"The Professor has this theory," Melissa said as she stood up. "He calls it his Theory of Others. At some point, a choice was made that altered how we related to you. I think that what altered everything was Daniel Carter."
Randy knew the name. Daniel was a guy he had encountered on his first slide. Daniel lost his family because of Randy's actions.
"I read the journal," Melissa said as she gestured to Randy's journal. "Our encounters with him went down differently. Our Randy decided to get motivated and tried to get us home as soon as possible." She smiled. "We found that we liked it out there."
"I'm lucky for you," Randy said. "All we could find was death and unstability."
"What about fun and adventure?" Melissa asked.
"We had it at first," Randy admitted. "Now we just want to go home. We have."
Melissa shook her head. "No, you haven't."
"Why do you say that?"
"Your Melissa 's sister died," Melissa said. "She is alive and well here."
"No."
"Would you like to call her? I have her number?"
Randy didn't reply. The things that this Melissa said. In theory, it was possible. It meant that they were not home though.
"So is that why you were here last night?" Randy asked. "To research us?"
Melissa frowned. "I wasn't here last night."
"Melissa wasn't either. So who was it?"
"Good question. However...I have other matters to deal with."
Melissa lifted one of her sleeves and pulled out a gun. "Sadly, you know too much."
"Wait!" Randy begged. "You don't have to do this."
"Actually, I do. You see...when we first got here, our Randy thought this was home and wanted to tell the world about sliding. We didn't agree with him so we...made him disappear. We want to keep sliding. If people find out...well, they would take our timer away. We just can't have that.
"Good-bye, Randy," Melissa said as she aimed at him.
Melissa woke up to a slap in her face. The figure was about to do it again.
"Hey!" Melissa hissed.
"Sshh!" the figure barked. "You're not the only person in here."
Melissa could make out the voice. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she saw the person who was now untying her. She grinned.
"How did you find me, Logan?" Melissa asked.
"I have my ways," Logan replied. "We got to go."
"But Melissa-" Melissa started.
"We'll still tracking them," Logan said. "You'll get your chance."
Melissa grinned. "Good."
As they headed for the door, Melissa paused.
"What about that other group that's tracking them?" Melissa asked.
Even in the darkness, Melissa could see the grin crossing her face.
"Oh...they're dealt with," Logan replied.
"I find your theory very intriguing," Brown said to his double.
"Of course, it is intriguing, you idiot!" Darnell said. "I created it."
Darnell aimed his bat. "While this has been...fun, I have other commitments so I have to kill you now."
"Surely you don't have to do this," Brown said. "You could let me go."
Darnell stared at Brown for a second. Then he started to laugh. Brown saw his chance and lunged at him.
The bat felt like steel against his face. Brown fell back onto the ground. Darnell stood over him with a smirk.
"If it will make you feel better," Darnell said. "I would have did the same thing."
"Isn't that good to know?" Brown said sarcastically. He felt no guilt at throwing dirt into Darnell's face.
"Ahhh!" Darnell screamed. He started to swing his bat wildly.
Brown ducked and gave his double an upper cut. Darnell fell to the ground. He tried to jump back up, but Brown already had the bat. He held it at Darnell's neck and pushed down hard.
"Now, Darnell, we are going to have a little talk," Brown said. "If you want to live, you will answer my questions."
"The police finally have an ID on the John Doe that has been bugging them. It was a missing person Randall Heim..."
Melissa's eyes widened. "What? How was that pos-"
Randy reached for the nearest book and threw it at melissa's arm. She dropped the gun like it was hot water. Randy lunged for it. Melissa's foot connected with his face.
"Funny what you can learn in a world where self-defense is encouraged," Melissa said. She lunged for the gun.
Her face met Randy's fist. Randy grinned.
"Funny what you can do with common sense," Randy said.
He grabbed the gun and aimed.
"Where's Melissa?" Randy asked.
Melissa opened her eyes to blackness. As her eyes adjusted, Melissa could make out boxes. It reminded her of that mob world the four of them had been to before.
"Hey!"
Melissa turned to her right. Richard stared back at her.
"Okay, are you the real Richard?" Melissa asked.
"Of course I am!" Richard replied. "Who else would I be?"
"Oh, I don't...A DOUBLE!"
Melissa could see Richard glare. "I'm not a double."
"Prove it."
"I wanted us to go on a talk show. I don't think these guys want us to."
"Not good enough."
"I think Egghead's an idiot."
"Randy isn't an idiot!"
"Who got us here to begin with?"
"Okay, I believe you," Melissa said. "What now?"
A door opened near them. Melissa looked toward its light. Randy walked into the room.
"Randy!" Melissa shrieked.
As Richard and Melissa pushed Randy into the e room with his friends, Melissa's smile left her face.
"Thanks for looking out for me," Melissa saw her double said to Richard's double.
"Always," Richard's double said as he leaned in and kissed her double.
Melissa looked away from the sight. When she looked again, Richard's double smirked at her.
"See something you like?" he asked.
"No," Melissa replied. "I like geniuses."
Melissa saw Randy's face light up ot what she said. All he got was Melissa's double's hand upside his head.
"Don't get any idea, Brianiac," her double said. She stared at Melissa. "You were probably just a fling anyway. She prefers a real man."
"Like me!" Richard's double said happily.
"How dare you!" Melissa felt the words come out of her mouth. "You don't know me!"
"Uh...duh! I do!" her double said. "We think alike so it's a safe bet that we think Richard's hot."
"I think you've been sliding too much."
"Well, tell me, Ms. Different...why are you two not together?"
Melissa gave no answer. Her double frowned.
"You're pathetic," she said.
"Me? Pathetic?" Melissa said. "I'm not the one tying up people. What's wrong? Afraid of little pathetic me?"
Her double was on her in a second. The slap came fast. Melissa looked up into her double's eyes and glared.
"Is that the best you can do?" Melissa challenged.
"Melissa!" Randy cried out.
"Come on!" Melissa continued. "Our dead sister could hit better than that...when she was a kid."
"My sister isn't dead!" her double yelled.
"Uh...yes, she is," Richard's double said. "Remember?"
"Shut up!" Melissa's double said.
"I'm right, are I?" Melissa said. "On your REAL Earth, Sarah's dead, too. This isn't your world anymore than ours!"
"Shut up! Shut up or-"
"Or what?" Melissa challenged. "You hit like a girl. And by the way, isn't Richard suppose to be tied up?"
Melissa's double turned away for a second. That was all the time Melissa needed. Her rope came free from the hook behind her. Melissa's double turned back around to find her face meeting Melissa's fist.
"Melissa!" Richard's double cried out.
Randy jumped the double. They fell to the floor. The gun flew into a corner.
The double started to get back up.
"Oh, no you don't!" Randy said.
He started to bang the double's head into the floor. He knew it wasn't the real Richard. It still felt good though.
"That hurt!" Melissa's double said.
"That's because I don't hit like a girl," Melissa said with a smirk.
"Bitch!"
"Bring it on!"
The double ran at Melissa. Melissa swung at her, but the double ducked her swing. Before Melissa could recover, she got a fist in the chest.
"Ah!" Melissa screamed.
"Who's weak now?" her double said with a smirk. "I should have kill you when you were first here."
"Your mistake, you bad copy!"
Melissa's let went up and kicked her double in the stomach.. She fell over.
"Gee, I do not think I missed anything."
Melissa turned away to look at the door. Brown stood in the door with a gun.
"It's a good thing that I got here," Brown said as he walked in. "We don't have much time. The police are on their way." He frowned. "Heim....you can stop that now."
Melissa looked at Randy. He was still banging Richard's double's head against the floor. He stopped and blushed.
"Sorry," Randy said. "I was in the moment."
"I bet you was," Richard said. "Now could someone untie me?"
"We're here!"
Ben Loveland got out of the taxi. He glared at Bufford. "Come on! You have the tracker! Track!"
"Who's paying for this ride?" the cab driver asked.
"He is, sir," Nicole said as she gestured to Rembrandt Brown.
"Got them!" Bufford exclaimed. "They're in one of these buildings!"
"That narrows it down," Ben muttered.
"Come on!" Nicole said. "We got to find them."
Bufford started off at a run. Ben and the others were right behind him.
"She's dead," Randy whispered into Richard's ear.
"What?" Richard said.
"Laura," Randy whispered as he untied him. "I bet you had something to do with it, too."
"Wrong world, Egghead."
"Not going to work, Thief. I will get to the bottom of this."
Randy finished with the ropes on Richard's hands. He left him on the floor. He was sure that Richard was glaring at him. He let him.
"So let me get this straight...they're not doubles?" Melissa asked.
"Hard as it is to believe...they are us," Brown said. "Same memories. Same experiences right up to a certain point."
"Daniel Carter's the certain point," Randy said as he walked over. "Melissa's...whatever she is...told me."
"Try...Melissa's other," Brown said.
"So where's yours?" Melissa asked. "Or Randy's for that matter?"
"We'll discuss this on the next world," Brown said. "It's time I believe."
Randy smiled. It was nice to see that Brown had stopped by the dorm and got the timer.
"On the good side, at least Ben and the others aren't missing," Melissa said.
Randy smiled. It was true. He would be beside himself if something had happened to more people for real.
The vortex opened up in front of Richard. He quickly jumped into the vortex. Melissa was right behind him. Randy was about to jump in when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"I'm...I apologize!" Brown yelled out.
Randy didn't know how to respond.
Brown smiled. "Maybe we should try...to get us home...together. Think about it!"
Brown jumped into the vortex and vanished.
Randy ran after him and jumped into the vortex. As he traveled down it, it occurred to him that he never found out about that other Melissa. Who was she?
The vortex opened. A moment pass before Melissa came flying out of it. She got to her feet quickly and moved away from the vortex.
A whir came from the vortex as Logan St. Clair landed. She hit the ground hard. The vortex closed behind her.
"God, I hate those landings," Logan said.
"The landings wouldn't be so rough if we had stayed on that doctor's world," Melissa replied.
"I still need Randy's group!" Logan said.
"Sure doesn't look like it to me. Looks like they got away again."
"Oh, shut up!"
"Don't tell me to shut up!"
Logan walked pass Melissa.
"Don't forget who got you out of that prison, crazy lady," Melissa said.
Logan turned to face her. "I don't think I like your tone. Maybe I should have left you with those doubles."
Melissa laughed. "And mess up your chances with that Quincy guy? No way!"
"Quinn!" Logan barked. "His name is Quinn Mallory."
Melissa rolled her eyes. "Whatever. How much longer?"
Melissa looked down the cliff they were on. It looked over a green valley. SHe couldn't make out any houses though.
"A couple of minutes," Logan said. "I hope they get a clue. I hate this piggyback riding."
"I doubt they-" Melissa started. She stopped as she sat the figure in the sky. It was closing in on them. "What's that?"
"What?" Logan said.
To Melissa, it looked like a jet. As it got closer, it looked less like a jet and more like a spaceship. It was shaped like a manta.
"Uh..." Melissa started.
Then it opened fire on the two sliders.
THE-END
Giveing credit where credit's due: The concept of others was thought up by Chaser9 over at the Conspiracy Theories website. I hope I did it some justice with this story.
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