A.R.: Beyond the Universe

“You saw me? At the controls of something like that?” Dale asks Alex.

“You were definitely there. When Sara and Kate helped, we had the other three Travelers. One of them could man the controls of the Collector and use it as a weapon against the Void,” Alex responds. “But they’re gone now. If I am going to continue fighting the Void as I saw in my dream, I’ll need some help. The barrier can stop it, even hurt it. The Collector, however, that’s a different matter. It is a weapon and a transport. We had long suspected its existence, but until now, it was just myth. We had no idea it was a defensive weapon. The type of power generated by it is definitely harmful to the Void.”

“What makes you think I can operate such a machine? Didn’t you say it was made by the ones who created the defense grid and the Complex?” Dale asks him.

“True. I suspect I chose you because you’re the only one who can understand the logic the original builders used. You’ve been able to translate most of the language of the original builders of the Complex. They are the same ones who built and used the Collector. You’re the most likely candidate to operate a machine they used,” Alex tells him.

“That’s what I get for opening my big mouth and trying to show off a little,” Dale says. “Just what do I need to do to learn about this Collector? Any manuals or specs that I can look at?”

“Not that I know of. My first set of dreams turned out to be harbingers of things to come. I’m betting this one will be too. The feeling I had when I woke up this morning was just as strong as when I had the original Void dreams,” Alex answers. “I’m thinking I’ll need to get you up there and see what you can and cannot do. I have a few ideas that we can try. If I am correct, we’ll need to assemble a small army of technicians and engineers up there to help you run it. But you’re the one I’d like to have at the controls. Sara, you agree?”

“You know how I feel about Dale. His abilities to decipher ancient text and then use what he learns are unmatched at the Complex. I’m all for it” she tells him.

“I got to admit running something like that would look pretty neat on a resume. What do you think? ‘Head of operations and control of an ancient alien spacecraft designed to collect energy from distant galaxies and defeat alien super monsters.’”

“Very good, but not quite true about the distant galaxies part,” Alex corrects him.

“Wait a minute. You said it collected energy from other spaces. What other spaces are there other than other galaxies?” Kate asks.

“I am a Traveler. I go from reality to reality trying to stop the Void if possible. When I refer to a reality, I mean everything in that space. Your space is not limited to this one galaxy. The space we are in now includes billions of galaxies.”

“Billions?” Sara asks.

“At least. I’ve never counted, but it always seems to be pretty consistent,” Alex tells them.

“Then, Alex,” Sara asks him, “what are these other spaces that you are talking about?”

“I am probably using the wrong term what I say ‘space.’ You, Kate, Dale and everything else in all the universes in this space exist in the one space, just the one. Outside this space or reality are an infinite number of spaces or realities, equally as large, complex, and as full of life, stars, and galaxies as this one. I seem to recall reading a paper once where someone speculated on the existence of these other spaces. They called them alternate realities, or AR’s.”

“Yeah, I seem to remember reading something about it,” Sara says. “Their theory is that every time you make a choice, you create an alternate reality. For instance, if you’re walking down the street and see a dime on the sidewalk and you choose to pick it up, that’s one reality. But in another reality, you decided not to pick it up. In this reality, when you bent over to pick up the dime, you did not notice a person coming toward you. They bump into you, dropping what they are carrying. You help pick up their stuff. You notice the person is an old friend, or maybe someone that you’d end up caring about. In the other reality, you did not pick up the dime, so maybe you did not notice that person coming toward you. But maybe in noticing the dime, you did not see the car headed in your direction. The consequences of every action are virtually endless.”

“That’s sort of correct,” Alex tells them. “The other realities are not created by your actions; the other realities already exist, in infinite numbers. I think there are similarities to this reality in many of them. In one, Sara might be six inches shorter and have red hair. Maybe Kate might not have a sister in another. Perhaps Germany won World War II in a different one. All it takes is for one person to make a choice or something in nature happens, and the two realities will continue to get more and more diverse as time goes by.”

“And your people, these Travelers, are in every reality?” Kate asks Alex.

“Not sure, but I suspect we’re in a lot of them. Problems occur when the Void begins to invade a space, a reality, and we Travelers have for some unknown reason not awakened or are not there at all. Maybe a giant asteroid destroys the planet that one of us was meant to be on; maybe there was a war that wiped out everyone on that planet. The possibilities of the same things happening in two similar realities are practically zero. If you were to visit every reality all at the same time, it is a very good bet you will find that no two will ever be alike. With no Travelers in that reality to stop it, the Void cancels out an entire reality and moves on to the next one.”

“And all those realities are out there? Why hasn’t anyone here ever seen them or have any knowledge of them?” Sara asks.

“Because,” Alex tells them, “as inhabitants of this reality, you’re not supposed to know about them. You’re not supposed to interact with each other. However, believe it or not, you do all the time, and without you even knowing it. And we’ve never been able to figure out how or why it happens.”

“Like what?” Dale asks.

“More ways than you ever thought possible. For instance, for centuries people have sworn they saw a ghost. Yet no one has ever been able to prove it. Anyone want to guess what they really saw?” Alex asks them.

Sara, Kate, and Dale displayed blank stares.

“Scientists have long known that the mind is capable of many things. We all have two parts to our mind: the conscious and the subconscious. The conscious mind controls what we do by choice; the subconscious mind controls the things that are automatic, the basic instincts.”

“OK, so what’s that got to do with seeing ghosts?” Dale asks.

“Ready for this one?” Alex asks them. “When someone sees a ghost, they are not actually seeing a ghost of a dead person. Of course, I guess it’s possible, but there is another answer. Their subconscious mind has, without their knowledge, accessed an alternate reality; they are seeing it with their mind only. What they are ‘seeing’ is someone or something that is actually in another reality. That’s why the image is never very clear. When the connection linking the realities is broken for whatever reason, the ‘ghost’ goes away, it vanishes, leaving no trail or evidence, just a memory. It can’t leave anything because it was never really here.”

“You mean, for centuries, when all these people saw what they thought was a ghost, it was really them seeing something in an alternate reality?”

“More like remembering what they saw there, but yes. That is the proverbial tip of the iceberg for everyday occurrences linked with an AR.”

“OK. You got my interest. Let’s hear more,” Kate asks.

“Alright,” Alex says. “Here’s some of the list.

“Some people prefer certain colors, such as blue, green, red, or even black. Others can’t stand certain colors. Probably when they were either very young or even when they were still in their mother’s womb, their subconscious minds accessed another reality. Certain realities have predominately main colors to them. Maybe the sky there is red or green instead of blue. Maybe the planet’s main colors are yellow. If they felt safe or comfortable there, then they associate that color as being safe or comfortable. If, however, they witness something very bad in that reality and that reality had a predominant color red, when they see red, they do not get a good feeling about red. They dislike it.

“For centuries, people have experienced Déjà vu, the feeling you’ve been someplace before when you know you haven’t. Perhaps you meet someone who you thought you knew from someplace, but it turns out you’ve never really met. That feeling comes from your subconscious accessing an AR when the AR is very similar to this one. You see a person, a room, or a place in the AR. When the link between realities is broken, you’re subconscious remembers what you saw. All you’re doing is remembering what your subconscious tells you to remember. You don’t even know it.

“Here’s another. People have sworn they have seen the future. What they saw in their vision or dream was their subconscious accessing a reality and they are remembering what the subconscious allows them to. They see a more advanced culture in the AR than what we have here, and they assume they have seen the future. It’s the same for past-life regression. They see a culture that is younger than we are, not as advanced. They assume they are seeing past events of this world. They are really remembering what they saw in an AR.

“Anyone want to guess where food cravings come from?” Alex asks them.

“Now wait a minute,” Dale says. “Are you saying food cravings come from an AR?”

“Correct.”

“OK, genius. Let’s hear this one,” Dale challenges him.

“Sure. You’re suddenly hungry for a steak dinner or a piece of candy. It’s late at night and, without any warning, you want a snack. When you get the food craving, your subconscious has accessed an AR. In that AR, you are witnessing someone eating that particular food. When the link between AR’s is broken, you’re left with remembering what you saw being eaten in the AR, i.e. food craving.

“A person’s subconscious can unknowingly access an AR anytime of the day. It doesn’t matter if they are awake or asleep. That’s what makes it so confusing,” Alex tells them.

“Anyone want to take a guess about the unexplained monsters that have been seen throughout human history?” Alex asks.

“You’re kidding. AR’s?”

“Yep. The subconscious has seen something in an AR that they did not understand. In their mind, they really saw it. In reality, they are remembering a scene from an AR. In that reality, that thing exists. In this one, it doesn’t.

“Anyone here ever lost track of something? You put the keys on the dresser, but you find them in the kitchen. Has that ever happened to any of you?” Alex asks.

“Yeah, we all have. Probably most of the people on earth have done it,” Kate says.

“What’s happening is that you’re remembering what your subconscious saw in an AR. In the AR, you see yourself putting the keys on the dresser. But in this reality, you left the keys in the kitchen. Your subconscious is overriding the memories of what you did in this reality with what saw in the AR.

“We’ve all had dreams that seem so real or vivid. When you have such a dream, you are not dreaming it; you’re experiencing memories from an AR. You’re subconscious is just remembering what you saw there. That’s why it’s so vivid and different feeling.

“Anyone want to guess where the flashes of genius come from? Where do you think Mozart first heard the music he wrote? Where did Da Vinci or Einstein get the inspirations for their inventions, art, music, or theories? Where did the principles for higher math come from? Their subconscious minds had unknowingly accessed an AR where the music, math, art, or machine already existed. They must have been very gifted at remembering the details of what they remembered seeing in the AR.

“Ever wonder why gamblers are so sure that their bet will win?” Alex asks them.

“I know,” Kate says. “Their subconscious has accessed an alternate reality where their horse really did win. They just don’t know it was a subconscious memory from an AR.”

“Correct. And this is just the short list of things linked to connections with AR’s. Most of what we refer to as the unknown can be traced back to an individual’s subconscious unknowingly accessing an alternate reality,” Alex tells them.

The other three are stunned, thinking about what Alex has just said.

“So,” asks Sara, “why are you telling us this now?”

“Because we were successful in stopping the Void from entering this reality,” Alex answers.

“And that means what?” Dale asks.

“It means that it has moved on to another reality and we have yet to stop the Void from destroying other realities. We have already stopped it in this one – it’s left this one and will never come back. The only way you can be at the controls of the Collector and for us to stop it again is to be in an alternate reality. And for that to happen, I’ll need you to go with me. I’ll need your help along with the Collector to stop it again. What happened out there with the barrier, the Collector, and the Void was a first for any of us. I had never seen a Collector, much less used one. Sara and Kate used a form of energy that I did not know even existed. So, does the Collector. With such a successful combination working, I’d say that all we can do now is improve on it,” Alex explains.

“But, Alex,” Sara responds, “out there, you had the other three Travelers. They could do things like using suns and black holes as weapons. There were four Travelers; now there is only one: you. Can you do all that by yourself?”

“No,” Alex tells her. “I know things are already happening that usually do not. Normally, when I help in stopping the Void in a reality, things get blurry for me, and then I wake up in another reality and try to stop the Void all over again. That has not happened here. Something has interfered with the normal sequence of events. But I cannot just sit here in this reality, pretending that my job is done. From what I saw out there, I know that the Void has grown in strength since I last encountered it. The problem is that I do not know how much time has passed since my previous encounter. I do know that I now have two very powerful weapons I can use: The Collector and you two.” He looks at Sara and Kate.

“I know the Void, whatever it is, has to be stopped. There is a line of thinking among Travelers: if the Void cancels out enough realities, the rest will automatically cease to be. But I cannot do this by myself. Failure is a given if that happens. It has always takes four Travelers to stop the Void from entering a reality. I know of realities where the Void was successful in canceling it out because there were only three Travelers in that reality, not four. I think, no, I know, that the four of us sitting here can make a difference out there. But get this one straight: if we go out there to try and stop it, there are no guarantees that any of us will ever come back.

“If I am correct, when we go to a reality that the Void is attacking, there will be the Travelers in that reality we can help. We will not be trying to do this on our own.”

There is a long silence in the group. This is not like asking someone out for breakfast or a date. This is not asking for help making a conduit connection or moving a couch. This is a major, life-altering event, and a very dangerous one. But it is also a chance for adventure, to see unknown places and to make a difference.

“I know this is something very unexpected. I also know this is something extremely dangerous. None of you are expected to come. I can go and find realities that can use my help. But if I had you along with me, the chances of making a difference are very real. I do not expect an answer from any of you anytime soon. But I will have to leave before very long. I can already feel other realities out there that are under attack,” Alex tells them.

He sits there wondering what each person is thinking. Will they stay or come with him?

“Alex, if you think, even for one moment, that I would let you go anywhere without me to do something like that, you are seriously, seriously mistaken.” Alex sees a look of determination on her face that he had seen once before. Then Sara looks at Kate.

“Well, you in?” she asks her sister.

“One thing’s for sure; you might be the control, but without me, you got nothing. Count me in,” Kate tells her and Alex. Alex sees a similar look of determination on Kate’s face.

Dale joins in the discussion. “Hey, you’re not taking my girl out there without me. And besides, it ought to be a lot of fun driving something as big as a planet. I only have two questions. Anyone know if you need a driver’s license to operate that thing and how do you parallel park it?” There was a snide grin on his face.

Alex should have known Dale would do something like trying to add some humor to the situation. It seems to have worked. Sara grins and shakes her head back and forth. She surprises Dale with a hug and a kiss. Kate then slaps her sister on the shoulder and warns her that she has her own man. Kate winks at Sara, turns, and gives Dale a very long kiss. Alex sighs and does his best to grin. He knows that this will be dangerous. He has no idea how to teach Dale or any human how to operate the Collector. It seemed to be operated by thought control, which is something humans do not have the ability to do yet. Eventually they will, if they don’t kill each other first. This poses a problem that will have to be worked out.

“OK, fearless leader, what’s next?” Dale asks.

“First things first. None of you have to come, but I am glad that you are. I will do whatever it takes to protect you. I have to get Dale up to the Collector, so he can check it out. He’ll need time to see what it is, how it works, and how it can be operated. Sara and Kate, you two need to get your things in order. Sara will need to get someone to take charge of the Complex. Kate, you have a business to tend to. I’ll need to do some research.”

Alex thanks everyone again. He and Sara head back to their place, leaving Dale and Kate each heading in their own directions to prepare.

Once Alex and Sara get home, MacGuyver greets them at the door where he has been waiting. Normally, he would curl up in his room and take a long morning nap, but with Alex and Sara both leaving without eating, he knew something was different. This being the case, he did not leave the front door until they got back.

“Alex, what about MacGuyver? How long will we be gone? I don’t want to leave him any more than you do,” she tells Alex.

“No idea, probably for a very long time. As for MacGuyver, we’ll take him with us. The Collector is, by any account, huge. The entire population of earth could live in it. He can live there with us. We can set up a place for us just like the one we have here. As for someone to watch him while we’re busy, I’ve already checked with Lilly and her parents. Her parents are coming with us. They’ve already said that it’s OK for Lilly to come as official pet sitter. They were a little hesitant at first, but Lilly just about jumped through the ceiling when I asked. She really wants to go.”

“Just when did you talk to them? I thought you just had the dream. When did you talk to her parents?” she asks him.

“On my way back home from the park. That’s why I was gone for so long.”

“Any idea when we need to leave?” Sara asks him.

“That depends on Dale and how long it takes him to get up to speed on using and controlling the Collector. I’m thinking we’ve probably got a couple of months before we’re ready to head out.”

“Good. That’ll give me plenty of time to get things sorted and ready on this end. The Complex is a massive place. It’ll take me a while to get the right people in place to keep things going while I’m gone, or if we don’t come back at all. From the sounds of things, it’s a big place out there--the Collector and all those realities. And I must admit I am very curious what’s out there. Can you give me any clues as to what I might see?”

“Sorry, but no. Every reality is different; none are the same. The one thing consistent with them is that they will always be different. Some are very similar, with differences being so small that you’d swear you never left Earth. In other realities, Earth may not even exist. Maybe it never quite formed as a planet in the first place. In one reality, I saw something living in space that was half the size of the Collector, but it was too far away, and I was too busy to check it out. Who knows what we’ll find. All I can say is that I’ll have to wait and see, just like the rest of you will.”

“Alex?” Sara asks, “What if we want a family? What then? Can we raise a family out there? Should we? Should we put them in harms way if something should go wrong?”

“As for a family, again, we’ll just have to wait and see. I can see no reason why not. But keep in mind that with your altered genetics and mine, if we choose to have a child, I have no idea what he…”

“Or she,” interrupts Sara.

“Or she,” continues Alex, “will be like. They may have abilities far beyond what we have. As far as I know, no Traveler has ever reproduced. If one falls, another is chosen from a dying world to replace him, like I was. So, I have no idea what to expect. I suppose I could look at our DNA and try to anticipate something. Would you want me to do that?”

“No. I say we wing it and see what happens. Now, how soon do you want to get Dale up there? And just how are you going to get him there? He’s human. He can’t be out in space--no air or heat.”

“I’ve been thinking about that. I can add and combine altered DNA to complete a person’s change, like I did for you and Kate, but I can’t make the initial changes to DNA. When I need to get Dale or anyone else up there, I’ll travel to the Collector and bring them with me in a sealed room set up for that purpose. They’ll walk into the room and take a seat on a comfy couch. Before they can get comfortable, I’ll already have them there. I’ll need to get help in designing a way to get them from the room into the Collector. I’ll have to make a place for the room in the Collector, one that already has an agreeable atmosphere, humidity, and temperature. Come to think of it, I’ll have to make sure that the entire Collector can sustain humans. I think Dale and I need to get up there as soon as possible, starting today. The sooner we can get things going, the better.”

“Well, if you take him with you, don’t you dare let anything happen to him out there. If you do, Kate and her reserve energy supply will fry both of us,” warns Sara.

“I’ll see what I can do. I’m going to travel to the Collector first to see what’s there and if I can establish some type of atmosphere in it. As I recall, it has none inside it. I’ll be back as soon as I can get things running up there. You going to be OK here with MacGuyver?”

“Sure, I’ll call Lilly and have her watch him while I start making plans to find others to take my place. See you later. Oh, don’t forget, Dale informs me that you volunteered to make chili to take to their place this evening.”

“Rats. I forgot. OK, I’ll be back in a couple of hours. Later.”

He kisses Sara and then bends down to hug and pet the dog. “MacGuyver, I’m heading out for a while. You take care of Sara and Lilly, OK?” he tells the dog.

As usual, the dog gives an enthusiastic lick on Alex’s nose and a wag of his bushy tail.

Alex looks at Sara as she puts away the stuff left out on the counter from earlier. He is still having trouble believing he could be so lucky to have married a woman like that. She looks over at him and sees him beginning to glow brightly.

“I’ll be back soon. Don’t forget to check with the explosive scans,” he says as she watches him vanish.