Cindy stepped into the beacon and, for an instant, hung between two realities, the alien lab she’d just left, and a star-filled void spiraling into itself. Stars twisted around her in impossible patterns. Then a sudden pull yanked her forward, faster than anything she had ever felt. Starlight surged toward her until it swallowed everything.
Then—nothing.
When awareness returned, she stood in a realm of pure light. No floor, no walls, no sky—only illumination stretching infinitely in every direction, holding her weight without form. As her vision focused, she saw Bob and Nancy in the distance. Still groggy from the transport, she headed toward them.
Bob turned with a welcoming smile as she approached. “Welcome to cracker-box palace, we’ve been expecting you. Didn’t know if you’d make it, but I figured you’d try.”
“I couldn’t let you two just vanish in thin air.”
“Mom, Dad…look,” Nancy said, her voice tight.
A figure faded into view ahead of them and stepped closer. He looked almost human, but different, like the frozen people in the suspended city.
“Finally, you’re here.” the man said, with a faint hint of relief. “Bringing you required significant effort… more than I anticipated.” His voice softened. “But your here now, and that’s what really matters.”
Nancy asked, “What happened to your world?”
The man nodded slightly, as if bracing himself. “It began as a temporal experiment. I stepped outside my own timeline. When I returned… the universe I knew was static. Frozen.”
“Because of that beacon.” Cindy concluded.
“Seemed like it. That was my first conclusion. Later analysis disproved that hypothesis. The experiment did’nt cause the collapse, it only removed me from it. I survived by accident.”
“Removed you how?” Bob asked.
“Traveling through time is against the universal laws of nature, so to do so, one has to enter a different reality. A place outside that universe. Then you can re-enter the universe in the time period of your choosing. This is where we are now, a realm outside that universe which we both came. I was here when the anomaly occurred, thus, I was unaffected.”
Nancy spoke up, curious. “So what was this anomoly that caused your world to freeze?”
“Ah! Good question. ” He paused, “My universe was nullified by changes in the timeline that prevented its creation. But because it had previously existed, it didn’t disappear or continue. It remains suspended, neither existing nor erased. A contradiction frozen in place. I have been outside all realities ever since. Only allowed to enter briefly, then I phase in and out, which requires my return.”
Nancy swallowed. “How long have you been here?”
“By your measurement… thousands of eons.” The slightest weariness entered his words. “Far longer than I anyone would wish.”
Cindy asked, “And you need us for…?”
He turned to Bob. “I need this man. He possesses a rare trait: the ability to enter alternate timelines not as himself, but as a variant of himself native to that world. This allows access I cannot achieve.” A trace of admiration touched his tone. “No one else across the known realities has exhibited this ability.”
Bob snorted. “I’m just a dim-witted alchoholic with more bad habits than I can keep track of…how am I supposed to fix the multiverse? I can barely fix myself!”
The man hosted a slight grin. “Your flaws are acknowledged. But combined with my abilities, in this realm, your unique identity can restore structural stability to countless realities.”
“So you’re saying, all this would’ve happened even without the beacon?” Cindy asked.
“Yes,” he said gently. “The event was inevitable.”
“Wait a minute. The Creators said, stopping, or killing Bob before he created all those multiverses, would make all those realities just vanish. Your saying because they already existed, they would just freeze in time.”
“I would have concluded the same. But the reality is what you saw. I don’t have a full grasp of the variables that would cause such a result, but…as you would say…” A slight grin crossed his expression, “The proof is in the pudding.”
“Wait! You were going to kill dad?” Nancy said with a look of betrayal.
“No, that was the Creators plan, I just had to make them believe that I was going along with them.” Cindy said defensively.
Before anything else could be said, another figure materialized. This one was taller, radiating energy like a controlled star. His presence was exact, absolute, emotionless…cold in its perfection.
He addressed The Other, “You predicted you could avoid detection. Your prediction was incorrect.”
The Other did not flinch. “Evasion was not the goal. Simply a Delay. I was successful.” A subtle edge of defiance colored his words.
Cindy whispered, “Bob… that’s one of the Creators.”
“And you.” The Creator turned toward Cindy, “You thought you could deceive us? A rediculous notion.”
“That was the plan.” Cindy said in defiance.
“So…” Bob gulped, “You planning to kill me, now?”
The Creator spoke without hesitation, his tone…void: “Elimination of your presence restores integrity to all that exists. Termination is not desired, but it is the optimal solution. We avoid such interactions if possible.”
“That’s not what we saw at the cabin,” Bob muttered.
“The agents involved deviated from instruction. Their response was unsanctioned.” The Creator answered. No apology. No judgment.
Cindy asked, “So who’s gonna show up next, The Institute?”
“No,” the Creator said. “They lack the capability to access this domain. Only he…” He indicated The Other. “…possesses that functionality.”
The Other stepped forward. “Your assumption that Bob’s death is required is flawed.”
The Creator turned his gaze on him. “If an alternative exists, please provide the information. An evaluation will follow.”
The Other’s voice carried a faint emotion held carefully in check. “I possess knowledge beyond your observational range.”
The Creator paused, “Unexpected. Your domain became detectable only upon your divergence. I would be interested in an explanation.”
“I’ve witnessed events that change the variables you’ve considered. You see, your kind created my world…and yet, we existed before you. ”
“A paradox.” the Creator replied.
The Other’s voice deepened with something approaching gravity.
“If we are to cooperate, this paradox will be resolved. And the resolution begins with an unimaginable truth.”
AND NOW YOU KNOW!!!
Continue to the Next Issue on 12/05/25!
Or, Start from the Beginning (Part 1)
Song in my head:
COMING NEXT: Answers!
