CHAPTER 6

  "Down in a hole and I dont know if I can be saved...

  ...look at me now, a man who wont let himself be."

  -A.I.C

  ...

  "I'll meet you down there."

  Carl did as before, backing all the way up to the wall, then running full speed and swan diving through the rift. Once again he was sailing through the air, high above the metal planet. His heart in his throat and his eyes closed, he stayed in that pocket of weightlessness for only a moment. That moment felt good though. Gravity wrapped its unforgiving talons around him and began to drag him down. He fired his thrusters and course corrected. He hovered in the air near the rift, it was a barely visible shimmer. Matt was supposed to wait ten seconds then come through. He saw Matt's foot first, then the rest of him followed, flailing and falling.

  "Hit the button Matt!"

  He caught a glimpse of Matt as he fell, pure terror on his face.

  "Dammit!"

  He swooped down and grabbed the flailing man by the leg. He slowly lowered the two of them to the ground.

  "Are you ok?"

  Matt's face was red and sweaty, his eyes wild.

  "I...I tripped coming through. Thank you."

  "Yeah, no problem. Next time, dont panic. Remember, Royles said there's an emergency chute in case something like that happens...use it."

  Matt nodded at him, his chest still heaving from the fear.

  "I'll give you a minute to get yourself together, then we should get moving."

  Matt didn't take long and the two of them were headed to the nearby "village". As they approached they could see the man, still standing in the same spot, braiding the same saplings together. Matt ran ahead to the man.

  "Pardon me sir. Sir? Hello?"

  He reached out to touch his shoulder, but there was no shoulder. His hand went through the man.

  "Hes not real. So, its not a time loop, its a hologram on a loop."

  Carl watched as Matt smiled at him and waved his hand through the hologram.

  "Ok. Why though?"

  Matt shrugged.

  "I dunno, lets keep exploring. Are these the huts with the electrical boxes?"

  "Yep."

  Matt went inside one and Carl followed.

  Matt was running his hand along the box.

  "No visible seams, if its an electrical box like we know of, then it would open somehow."

  They left the hut.

  "Well...which way do we go?"

  Carl pointed back the way they came.

  "I flew that way for close to a half hour and found nothing..."

  He turned and pointed the opposite way.

  "...I say we go that way."

  Matt nodded and the two of them started off. They walked in silence for a bit. Matt stopped every now and then to check for radiation or airborne contaminants. He clipped some of the grass and dropped it into a glass vial with a rubber stopper. Everything still looked the same but Matt was getting tired fast.

  "Whoo. I thought I was in better shape than this."

  "Its alright bud, we can rest a minute."

  "Carl?"

  "Yeah Nano."

  "I'm detecting an increase in gravity. This may be why Doctor Skagerty is tiring."

  "Well, wouldn't it affect me as well?"

  "Normally, yes. You have superstrength though, it will take a great deal more to tire you out."

  "Did you catch that Matt?"

  "Yeah, this is interesting...fluctuating gravity."

  "You stay here and I'll see if I can scout ahead real quick."

  Matt nodded and carl flew up into the air. It wasnt long before he too was feeling the gravity.

  "Carl, I cannot keep you aloft much longer."

  Carl landed and now he really felt it, his legs shook as he tried to walk forward. The gravity pulled him to his knees.

  "I do not think it is wise to continue in this direction."

  "Ahhh shit. Fine."

  He tried to stand but again was pulled to the ground. He crawled back the way he came, the gravity slowly loosening its grip on him until he was able to stand again.

  "Are we far enough from it to fly again?"

  "Yes Carl."

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  He shot straight up and looked out over the area. What was the point? There was nothing over there either. He turned and flew back to Matt.

  "The gravity is wicked that way. I could barely stand."

  "Curioser and curioser. I'd like a sample of the metal, can you scratch the surface?"

  "I can try."

  He popped a blade out and sliced through the grass covering to the metal. He dragged the blade across the metal, hard. There was a tiny sliver of metal on the tip of his blade. Carl held it up and Matt knocked it into a small glass vial.

  "I think we should go back."

  Carl nodded and helped Matt up.

  "How you feeling?"

  "Like I ran a marathon. My legs will be sore tomorrow!"

  "Carl Maitland you are outside the designated transit area. State your business."

  Carl and Matt whirled around. Carls helmet snapped shut and a blaster formed on his arm. Before them was a pale bald man in a white cloak of sorts, he hovered in the air.

  "You...are not the Carl Maitland I know."

  Carl lowered the blaster and opened his helmet.

  "You know me...or a version of me?"

  "I do."

  "Are we friends?"

  "No."

  "Do you intend to harm me or my partner?"

  "No."

  "Uh, may I ask a question?"

  "Is that not what you are doing?"

  "Yes...uh, sorry. What is this place?"

  "This is transdimensional hub 865"

  Matt stepped forward.

  "Excuse me. Hi, I'm Matt Skagerty. Do you mean this is a gateway to my world?"

  "This is a gateway to many worlds."

  "There are other rifts?"

  "There are three thousand seven hundred and seventy six gateways in this hub."

  "Whoa."

  Carl raised a finger.

  "Pardon me, but the other Carl. Where is he from?"

  "Earth."

  "Ok, but like, I'm from Earth too. How many Earths can there be?"

  "Billions."

  "So what do we call you?"

  "I am custodian 447."

  Matt smiled and stuck out his hand.

  "Ok 447 nice to meet you."

  447 looked at his hand, but did not move. Carl stepped in front of Matt, pushing his hand down.

  "How do we use this hub? I was...forcefully removed from my dimension. I would like to go back."

  "What is your dimensional designation?"

  "Well fuck...I dont know."

  "Then I am unable to assist you further."

  The man faded from existence.

  "Wait! WAIT!"

  The man was gone. Carl and Matt looked at each other.

  "Well that was interesting...not the most conversational fella, huh?"

  Carl sneered.

  "Yeah, not very helpful at all. How the fuck am I supposed to know my dimensions fucking designation?!"

  Matt looked alarmed at Carls sudden anger, but said nothing.

  "Ah, fuck it. C'mon lets get back to Royles, he'll wanna hear about this."

  They headed back to the rift, their rift, a rift that was apparently one of many.

  They arrived in the dead of night, Hicks was there to pick them up again. Matt knocked on the window and the snoozing Hicks, jerked awake and spilled his coffee all over his pants.

  "Up and at 'em sunshine!"

  Matt said as he peered in at the half awake and coffee covered agent.

  Carl got in the back seat and Matt rode shotgun. The trip was a quiet one.

  The next day in the conference room Carl sat at the end of the table. His hands in his lap, his gaze on a random spot on the wall. Since leaving the rift he had not spoken. The others came in and took their seats, most in good spirits. Penny brought everyone coffee, Carl just nodded when she set a cup in front of him. Their eyes met for a moment and she smiled at him. The corners of his mouth turned up, but it wasnt genuine and she knew it.

  Matt took the reigns on the debrief of course. He laid out his findings, his theories, and what happened. He concluded with the meeting of Custodian 447.

  "...three thousand seven hundred something different rifts. The whole place is an interdimensional hub."

  Royles, who had been standing in the doorway sipping coffee and listening stepped to the front of the room.

  "This hub changes everything we know. We know from Mr. Maitland here that there are other dimensions out there. This, however, gives us an idea of scale. This shifts our objective to finding out whether its a threat to our world or not."

  "Your world." Carl mumbled.

  The room went silent.

  Royles was staring holes through Carl who was staring at the floor.

  "If you have something to say Mr. Maitland, then speak up."

  Carl looked up, his eyes a little watery, his jaw clenched.

  "I'm sorry. I just need some air."

  He got up and walked out into the hallway. Behind him Royles voice.

  "My office, now."

  Carl followed Royles to his office and closed the door behind him.

  "Are you ok? If you need some time off..."

  "I just..."

  Tears rolled down his face and he collapsed in the chair in front of Royles desk. He wiped his face.

  "I'm sorry. I miss my wife and my son."

  He snuffled and took a breath.

  "Put yourself in my shoes, what if someone jerked you out of your reality and threw you into another. I make jokes to cope..."

  He looked Royles in the eyes now.

  "...I'm running out of jokes. I just want to go home."

  Royles studied the man in front of him.

  "You're right. I've been conducting this investigation as if its business as usual when the focus should be getting you home."

  He stood and walked around the desk and put his hand on Carls shoulder.

  "That won't happen again."

  "Thank you."

  "Are you hungry?"

  Carl looked up.

  "What?"

  "Food, Carl, do you want some?"

  Carl gave him a weak smile.

  "Yeah, that'd be nice."

  "Good. I'll order some food and we can discuss how to find your worlds rift."

  "That 447 guy said theres billions of earths, my worlds rift may not even be there."

  "You can't start thinking like that Carl."

  "Yeah, I guess."

  "C'mon."

  They left the office and went back to the conference room where Matt was running theories by Andy.

  Royles had ordered deli sandwiches and they talked for hours about how to move forward. Carl was now laying on the couch in his office his arm hanging off the side, a soda can on the floor. Royles stayed true to his word and directed them to make Carls return home their main priority. It was hard for Carl not to feel a little hopelessness though. Billions of worlds. His was a needle in the proverbial haystack. He wondered what Chloe and Robbie were doing right now. Was Chloe looking for him? Did she think he was dead somewhere? He took another swig of soda. How was he supposed to feel right now? He wasnt sure whether he wanted to cry or punch something. His frustration was simmering just below the surface, he was afraid he might explode on someone. He couldnt be that guy anymore. If another version of him, 26, could handle things calmly and confidently, then so could he. He hit the back of the couch lightly with his fist. Easier said than done.

  There was a knock on the door.

  "Its open."

  Penny poked her head in.

  "Can we talk?"

  "Sure."

  He swung his legs off the couch and sat up. Penny sat on the end of the couch.

  "I read your file. Most of the office drones upstairs just see a guy that threw a man through somebody's roof. I see a man that has a lot of inner turmoil and maybe he needs someone to talk to. It doesn't have to be about the rift, sometimes talking about mundane things can help."

  "Are you a psychologist?"

  "I took some psych classes in college, but this is just one human to another."

  "I can't imagine you know how I feel."

  "Well, No, I dont know how you feel exactly, but sadness is universal my friend."

  Carl looked at her and she smiled at him. He studied her face, she was pretty, a thin jagged scar ran down the side of her temple.

  "Tell me about that scar next to your eye."

  Penny looked down at the floor and swallowed, Carl knew immediately that he had touched a nerve.

  "I'm sorry, if you dont..."

  She looked at him, took a breath, and let it out.

  "Eight years ago I was deployed, called up by my country to go fight people I dont know, in a country i wasnt familiar with, for reasons I dont care about. For three years I survived, killing men and women for my country. When I finally got to go home, my home was gone. My husband had sold the house and moved in with another woman. When I found him and confronted him, it turned violent. He beat me so badly that I had to spend almost a month in the hospital. He went to prison, and I healed...but it doesn't hurt any less. Before deployment, we had made plans, we had talked about having a baby. Anyways..."

  She was fidgeting with her hands.

  "...I know what its like to have everything taken away from you."

  She smiled, he saw the tears in her eyes, he put his hand on hers.

  "I'm sorry you went through that. He sounds like an asshole that took you for granted."

  She laughed, it was a little forced, but mostly genuine.

  "I'm supposed to be comforting you!"

  Carl squeezed her hand.

  "You are."

  Their eyes met and they hugged.

  "I really don't want you to think I have any kind of ulterior motives here."

  Carl smiled.

  "I don't. You know I'm married. You have beautiful kind eyes though, very comforting."

  She blushed.

  "Thanks. I should probably go before I conveniently forget you're married."

  They both laughed. She got up and opened the door.

  "Penny?"

  "Yeah?"

  "Thank you, this really did help."

  "Good. Get some sleep, we've got a busy day tomorrow."

  She gave him a wink and shut the door.

  Carl laid back down on the couch. It may not be his world, but he was starting to like the people here.