It Also Sets, Chapter 1

Date: 07/11/2000
From: ThomasMalthus

Slider General's Warning: Reading this story without reading "Azure as the Sun Rises" can be hazardous to your continued existence in this dimension. Also, you may find out what world David Peckinpah's sick twisted mind thinks it would be funny to stick you on. Remember, he was the one who wanted Wade on rape camp world for no reason.

P.S. It's okay to read this without having read "Azure". Really. I was just kidding. Please?

She ran. As the wind that was not actually wind whipped around her, she gazed longingly at lights ahead that had the slightest possibility of being a way out. Or it could be just another mindgame they were playing with her. Her legs ached mercilessly and her lungs threatened to collapse if she kept up this frantic pace much longer. But she had no choice.

The area around her was small, and reminded the young woman of nothing more than an old subway tunnel or perhaps a very clean (they were also very methodic and clinical about everything) sewer. Places of escape were lethally rare. That was their intention, of course.

She heard the almost psychedelic pounding rhythms behind her. Though she had scarcely thought it possible, she increased her pace. As the thing gained ground, the woman spotted something on the ground, it was still very dark and she couldn't make out what it was for certain. Nonetheless, she seamlessly reached down for it and flung it back at her most recent pursuer. A howl of agony proved that it was the right thing to do. She pushed herself onward. A few hundred yards ahead was where the mysterious light seemed to be eminating from. As she moved her extremely unwilling body closer to her chance at salvation, she heard it again behind her. It now began to hiss and whine rapidly. At last, she reached her destination.

It wasn't much, really. A small duct where supplies were sometimes transported. Desperate, she crammed herself deep within the small hole and hoped that its grasp wouldn't be able to reach very far. And that no shipment of supplies would come soon.

"It'll move on," she whispered, confident the thing couldn't understand her. "It has to. It just has to."

***

The turbulent vortex erupted on a dismal scene. A flat gray box that extended far beyond the range of human vision was illuminated by the swirling blue maw held nothing but a few puddles of murky lifeless water and stale, recycled air. The uncaring wormhole nonetheless deposited Quinn Mallory and Professor Maximilian Arturo there, and then resealed itself, oblivious to their fate.

"What in the world is going on here, Mr. Mallory?" the Professor bellowed, at the time not caring about how little he really knew about this particular version of Quinn Mallory.

"I don't know. This is all pretty new to me, too, Professor." Quinn replied. Standing and getting their bearings, the twosome took a look around. Deciding their surroundings were too depressing to discuss at the moment, they moved back to other issues that were still pressing.

"The timer's still reading twenty-four hours and some change. It didn't bring us here." Quinn pocketed the timer in what would become second nature to the brilliant young slider in future times.

"I suppose that just leads us to the question: then who, or what, did? And that would merit some investigation, wouldn't you say?" the Professor queried, not really expecting this Quinn Mallory to disagree.

Quinn barely nodded his assent. He had already began scanning the perimeter with his eyes, as they had not had advance warning to grab any lab equipment from the last world, for information about their new location. The Professor continued to speak.

"If we're to survive on this world, we'll have to find other people. We'll need food, possibly some weapons if this is a hostile environment and," he said with a wrinkled nose and a quick glance at some of the small water deposits surrounding them, "hopefully better water than this."

"What kind of a world is this?" Quinn asked. It was a question that had lingered in the back of Professor Arturo's mind as well. His sliding skills had atrophied some in the four years that he had been doing purely theoretical work on Azure Gate Bridge world, but this world made any he had visited seem like a tropical paradise.

Arturo looked grim. "We have to face facts, Quinn. We have no inkling of exactly where we are. It's possible we're not on Earth at all." Quinn turned quickly to face him and began to speak, but the Professor cut him off. "Yes, we've obviously crossed into a parallel dimension, but without knowing the exact parameters of the sliding machine that transported us here, we could have just as soon landed on the Moon as in San Francisco."

"I hadn't thought of that," Quinn admitted soberly. The pair then agreed on a direction in which to explore, but not before the younger physicist decided to leave a marker, a small piece of cloth from his tattered jeans, so that they could find their way back. Hansel and Gretel would have approved.

"The other Quinn said he would guide me to the ones I'm supposed to save," Mallory began wistfully as they walked down the dimly lit tunnels. "I suppose I shouldn't have expected immediate results, but it would have been nice if I could have at least met up with one of them by now."

"Oh, but you have, Mr. Mallory," the Professor replied. As Quinn gazed at him strangely, they were interrupted by the muffled sounds of conflict a few yards away. Turning a corner, they were horrified to see a disheveled-looking man with a gun pointed at a small child and a woman who was quite obviously ill. The man tightened his gaze and leveled the weapon at its intended victims. Quinn and Arturo could only marvel at what happened next.

End Chapter One.

Feedback, please!

ThomasMalthus

Well.....

Date: 07/11/2000
From: SouthernSlider

I'm ready for more. Definitely. And I did read 'Azure as the Sun Rises', so I'm safe.

SS

Awesome.

Date: 07/11/2000
From: DoctorQuinn

It's not possible to describe it with a better word. Brilliant writing, and an intriguing introduction that will make you keep coming back.

The good doctor

Marvelous work and About time . . .

Date: 07/11/2000
From: Chaser9

we got to see this! I've been waiting for this since Azure ended! YES!!!!!

Keep it coming TM can't wait for more.

--Chaser9

Glad to see you've continued this thread

Date: 07/11/2000
From: EustiSlider

8^)

--Eusti

Good job

Date: 07/12/2000
From: nole9

This was my first chance to to read the work that I have heard so much about. It lived up to all the hype. Thanks. Keep it up.

Warning: Full on val speak follows

Date: 07/12/2000
From: sleepingtiger

You rock!!! This is by far the most totally radical work you've done yet. I'm way stoked to see the contiuation of this righteous group. Like, totally thanks for making my streak a little brighter dude.

tigre

Thanks to all! More to come! nim

Date: 07/12/2000
From: ThomasMalthus

Nim, nim, the people of nim. Live in a post that nobody reads. They are as white as the polar snows and they all are so tiny that nobody knows that they're nim, nim, the people of nim and they live in a post that nobody reads.

ThomasMalthus

Original URL http://bboard.scifi.com/bboard/browse.cgi/1/5/545/22041
Nominated by DMD