11: Alternate Worlds

When you get to the end of all the light you know
and it’s time to step into the darkness of the unknown,
faith is knowing that one of two things shall happen:
either you will be given something solid to stand on,
or you will be taught how to fly.

Edward Teller

Stepping out of the portal, Peg was ready this time, remaining still despite her momentum carrying her forward.

“Traveler!” several creatures shouted.

Two of the natives rushed after her, grasping her arms and drawing her back. The last time, only one seemed interested or even acknowledged her presence. Glancing around as they rotated her, she noticed there were a lot more than before.

“Why the extra attention?”

“After you go, those here everyone tell. While no get distracted while directing, those not wait, see if return.”

Peg studied the speaker and the others moving towards her, noticing one hurrying for the gate she entered through. “No! Don’t,” she yelled, causing every head to raise, even those diverting souls. “Let me.” When he turned, staring at her, she removed her new toy, lifting and opening, before closing it and turning to those holding her. “If you don’t mind. I haven’t gotten the hang of weightlessness yet.” Still not understanding how these creatures smiled, Peg was convinced it was one. As they propelled her forward, she continued with her original thought.

“It takes significant time traveling from my world to yours. How long has everyone been waiting?” The creature drew her head back. “Twelve ticheelos.”

Having no clue what those were, she smiled in triumph. “That long? How you know I return?”

“Visitors always do,” she assured her. “Always visit alternate world, despite knowing what happen.”

“You have me there,” she conceded as they moved her to where she’d begun. Extending her device, she clumsily swept her gate closed. When she started twirling and they reached out to steady her, she—slowly—raised her hand, stopping them. “No. I do my own work.” It was difficult cleaning up. She not only spun in place, but slowly drifted backwards, however, they didn’t interfere. When she finished—almost—they waited until she nodded—upside down. Pulling their heads back, they stepped in.

“Thanks. Harder than looks.”

“Not hard when not stupid,” she quipped. She wasn’t sure why she decided the one was female. Despite their not wearing clothing, there were no apparent sex organs, as they were supposedly buried under their feathers. Even as somewhat ethereal beings, they possessed both feathers and fur, a decidedly odd combination, though dissimilar to their earthly counterparts.

“I’ll remember that. Spin me around, ... please?”

When they did, she nodded. “Thank you, everyone.” She paused, considering her circumstances, and continued telepathically without uttering a sound. “As expected, I come to go where you cannot. I know not what I face, but ... I need to do this.”

“That why we respect Visitors,” the female bird-angel said. “They like us. They work, no matter what. They no stop. No walk away. They go, knowing it hurt, and ... they return.”

“Pardon me, but ... what’s your name?” The creature’s head nearly went into convulsions at her question. “What did I say?”

“Our names ... are private. We no speak them. Not here, not anywhere. Only tell those closest.”

“Oh ... that’s fascinating. I’m Peg. I hope you don’t mind my asking, but I wondered why no one would tell me. Now that I understand. I won’t do it again.”

The creature considered her. “It Trrilkr,” she admitted in a low voice, her beak unmoving, just as Peg’s lips weren’t.

“It’s good to know you. I hope we can be friends.” Peg hesitated. “Are hugs allowed?”

Trrilkr paused. “This time, maybe.”

Grinning, Peg slowly wrapped her arms around her, holding her tight for a couple moments, careful not to ruffle her feathers, then pulled back. “I respect your being honest.”

Trrilkr’s head tilted forward and to the left. “If I may...” she faltered again, unsure how to proceed. “Why you go?”

“That’s simple enough, and you deserve to know. I have to learn what happened to someone who died because of me. I need to identify who’s responsible, and ensure they stand trial. Whatever happens, I can’t live with myself without setting things right.”

“What if ... you not find? What if ... no one suffer?”

“Plenty have suffered. One involved was my father, who wanted to hurt me. This isn’t about me, though. This is to keep it from happening to others, and stop at least one more person hurting as much as my friend did.”

Despite the vastly different social norms between them, the Separators nodded, seemingly grasping her concepts without requiring a protracted explanation.

Trrilkr sat still, as Peg noticed those standing nearby had drawn closer, no one saying a thing. Trrilkr then wrapped her long arms around Peg, drawing her in and holding her. She counted two full seconds, before she drew back.

“We go?”

“Yes, Trrilkr. We go. I’m ready to see what horrible thing will happen to me ... I’m prepared.”

__________
Unsure what to expect, Peg entered the Travelers-only gate to the mysterious alternate worlds. The trip to this land of the dead took considerable time—both perceived and actual. She couldn’t imagine traveling to a world in another dimension being any faster.

Instead, it was utterly different. Rather than taking a step and appearing on the other side, her vision faded. Checking her hand—her fingers freely moving in real time proving the transition took considerably longer—she found her eyesight clear but the gate itself fading with her in it. After a few moments, a new scene formed around her, as if a complicated game world was being rendered on the fly, gradually gaining details.

She noted she was in a hospital room with someone small lying in a bed connected by flexible tubes to various devices. There didn’t appear to be any doctors or nurses, just the unconscious patient. As the world materialized, she noticed it was a young girl, her eyes widening when she realized it was her. Stepping closer and glancing at herself, she looked similar, but was extremely pale, thin and emancipated. When she waved her hand over her face, she didn’t respond. Realizing it didn’t mean anything as she couldn’t interact with this world, she touched her, but her hand passed through her skin. Pulling back, she held her hand near her unconscious face, as she’d done with the orbs. Doing so, she detected a minor bulge in her energy towards her hand, but received no sense of who she was, or what she’d once been like.