Chapter 12

"Rebecca, you've been as quiet as a mouse since you got back from your date. You and Robert didn't have a fight, did you?"

"Huh?"

"I've been watching you. You try to study, but then you pick up and just stare at those $5 bills of yours. Are you having trouble with money? Maybe I can help... "

"What? Oh! Oh no Susan. I'm fine with money. These are crisp $5 bills. I was idly admiring the workmanship... And Robert and I didn't fight. We had... an amazing time. We've gotten to know each other very well. I haven't told anyone else, but Robert and I love each other. Ha! I can see the shocked look on your face! Trust me, we're not moving too fast for each other... Sometimes love wants to grow at its own pace, and this is one of those times. We're both very comfortable with how our love is growing... Ah, forgive me! I haven't been much company for you tonight. Been thinking of a lot of things..."

"Hey, no problem. Finding a new boyfriend causes me to think a lot too... We both have early morning classes tomorrow. Want to sack out early tonight?"

"Yeah, I guess I do. Thanks."

Rebecca showered and was soon lying in her bed. The lights were out, and her roommate was already drifting off to sleep. But Rebecca's mind was fully awake, still in awe of her incredible experiences. She then felt the soft touch of a mental carrier wave on her mind.

"Hi Robert! This is so neat! Much better than my cell phone!"

"Hi Becky. I hope you had a nice evening. Millie has settled down perfectly into my apartment here. She's still acting as if she's in dog heaven... Becky, are you up for a lesson on the labyrinth's capabilities?"

"Well, I have to get up in, let's see, it's 9:15 pm now. My clock is set for 5:30 am. We're still going jogging, right? Will this take long?"

"It's difficult to answer that question directly. Let me assure you though you'll get plenty of time to sleep before tomorrow's class."

"What a cryptic answer! Okay, I trust you Robert. What should I do?"

"I'm going to hold your mind with my mind, and carry both of us to the battle-board. Just relax and accept me as I hug your mind..."

An instant later Rebecca found herself standing on an empty plain extending in all directions as far as the eye could see. The surface she was standing on was a dark gray, with pale yellow lines running about two meters apart in both directions, turning the entire plain into one huge grid. The sky overhead was a uniform light blue. The air temperature was comfortable, and the floor felt soft under her bare feet. She noted with surprise she was wearing a white robe, tied loosely with a golden rope. Robert was similarly dressed, and standing a few meters away.

"Hi!"

"Hi back Robert. Are we in the labyrinth now?"

"Yes. But don't think of the labyrinth as having a specific spatial location. It's a diffuse structure. Think of it as an entanglement resonance, a great big one! This part of the new labyrinth is my very first creation. I call it the battle-board because it looks a little like a chessboard. It's also a jumping off spot to my second creation. Remember, you can pull the plug on being here anytime you want. Just think-block and your consciousness will be back instantly at Wolman. Time here by the way is running 60 times faster than Earth time. Each minute here is one second of Earth time."

"Wow! Can I get here by myself? Could I bring a book and catch up on some reading? This would be a great place to study! I could get an hour of studying done with just one minute of Earth time passing!"

"Yes to both your questions. But it gets even better. First though, let me enter your mind and transfer the ability to get here by yourself. I don't have the faintest idea how to describe this in words. I'll have to show you directly mind to mind... Done! Got it?"

"I think so."

"Test it out. Pull the plug, get back to Wolman. Then see if you can get back here by yourself."

"Okay!" Rebecca twisted her mind and opened her eyes, seeing Susan sleeping across the dark dorm room. "Okay, here goes! Here's one small thought for Becky, one giant leap for Becky's mind!" Rebecca was standing on the battle-board next to Robert. "I did it! And look, I'm wearing my pajamas now, just as I am in Wolman."