By: Aeridus

Big.

The multiverse is very big.

We only feel small because most of us have not tapped into that universal consciousness. There are a few of us that can fully comprehend the complexity of the multiverse, but not without drawbacks. Some of us few are merely labeled as people with overactive imaginations, and they cannot prove to themselves otherwise. Others go over the edge and become completely insane, unable to bear the full burden of all of existence in their fragile minds. And then there are people like me. People who can not only see the true vastness of reality, but can also travel through it all to gain the collective knowledge of all sapient beings.

I used to think I was the only one with this ability, but mostly I just regarded it as a curiosity. I did not have the wherewithal to put some of the more useful information into motion, and unfortunately I did not have the artistic ability of my siblings. I didn’t even have much control over where I would go on my travels. So, my attempts to convey the few ideas I learned on my travels often proved fruitless. But one day, all of that changed...

* * *

I woke up one Tuesday morning after a particularly invigorating out-of-body visit to New Zealand where I happened to see their progress at creating a truly fair political system in another dimension. I was startled to find a letter addressed to me underneath my pillow, with no recollection of who could have left it there during my sleep. “Dear Jinx,” it read. “You might not know us, but we here at OMNI know you quite well. Please do not be alarmed by our method of reaching you; this was the only way we could ensure that this letter would not be intercepted. We are a secret group of individuals with powers like yours, who wish to improve the universe we happen to inhabit. If you would like to know more, please travel to the Dimension of H.G. Wells and look for an Eloi holding onto a green envelope. This envelope contains our top-secret location, which is too dangerous to even mention in this hand-delivered letter to you.”

Intrigued, but curious as to how I would find the specified universe, I hurried up and got dressed. After a small but healthy breakfast of fried eggs and toast, I drove to my job at the library where I work as a page. I couldn’t contain my curiosity and kept a close eye on all the books I shelved, wondering if I could find some information on the mysterious OMNI group or perhaps whether there really were others like me. All I saw were the usual New Age books on herbal spells and sensational books on unexplained paranormal occurrences. I had always had a mild interest in these kinds of books, but in my travels I had seen far more paranormal activity than just a few books could hold. One book did catch my eye, however: a small, dusty book behind the shelves called Spirit Travel For Neophytes written by someone with the pseudonym Omni Cent. I had only ever heard of near-death out of body experiences before, which I didn’t doubt the validity of due to my own unusual journeys, but the author’s name caught my eye and the title seemed to imply that I wasn’t the only one who could actually control where my spirit went when I was subconscious.

On my break, I hurriedly leafed through the book but was disappointed to find only the words “Open your eyes.” on the first page, with the rest of the pages being blank. I also noticed that there were no library stickers affixed to the book, but I figured it was a donated book that got shelved in the wrong place. Thinking I had a damaged copy, I looked around online to see if I could find a new copy of the book, but no records of it existed anywhere. For the time being I decided to stash the book away with my stuff to look at later, and spent the rest of my break attempting to look up OMNI with no luck.

Exhausted after another long day of hauling books around and dodging kids, I plopped down on the couch and flipped through the television channels, the strange events of the day relegated to the back of my mind. However, I couldn’t get that one sentence out of my head: “Open your eyes.” Well, my eyes were already open weren’t they? I glanced around the room, wondering if there was something that I was missing, something that I could perceive if I just tried hard enough. All I saw was our slightly crowded living room, and the glow of the TV as it blared yet another commercial for Puppy Chow. I shut my eyes in frustration and opened them again, getting the usual hallucinatory lines from squeezing one’s eyes too tight. I tried looking at those lines in vain wondering if that’s what I was supposed to be paying attention to, but still with no moment of clarity. I gave up and took a short nap before supper.

During my nap, I had a startlingly vivid dream, though it was not like my usual random journeys through the multiverse. Instead, my deceased grandmother appeared before me, wearing that same tattered nightgown we used to see her wear during breakfast.

“Nana?” I asked in a trembling voice. “Is that really you?”

“Yes, Jinx, though I can only talk for a short time. I have something important to tell you.”

“Oh, Nana, I missed you so much. Please stay a little longer.”

“I wish I could, dear Jinx, but I only have enough strength for a few minutes. Please be quiet and listen.”

“Okay.”

“The women in our family are gifted with a special power, which you may already know of by now. But only one person in every other generation is able to wield this power. I was the only one of my siblings to spirit travel, as are you, as was my grandmother. But if you wish to be able to control this power, you must remember this: look between the lines. Reality itself is but an illusion, shaped only by the interactions created within itself. And a warning: I have heard of this OMNI group who has contacted you, and they indeed have good intentions. But one of them is a spy, a traitor. Always remember: nothing is as it seems!”

“I’ll be careful, Nana. But could you tell me who the spy is?”

“I know not their name, just that someone in OMNI has a dark aura about them, and that they will use any means to get their way. And now I must go. I love you Jinx, make your nana proud!”

“...I will. I love you too!”

A bit overwhelmed by what I heard in my dream, I tried once more to “open my eyes,” keeping in mind what Nana had told me. At first, I still couldn’t see anything special, but then I started looking between the physical objects that I considered to be reality. Lo and behold, there were tenuous blue fibers connecting those objects, very faint but definitely there. I wondered to myself if this was how gravity worked, for something had to hold each reality together. Then, while I watched, the blue tendrils seemed to take on a far more complex shape, a web of interconnectedness that somehow told me what something was meant to be and how it related to other objects. Perhaps I could use this to find my way to the location in the letter?

Later that night, I tossed and turned while trying to sleep, anxious to put my new skill to use but worried about what would happen. Eventually I managed to drift off, and I found myself at the Crossroads of the Multiverse. This was an all-too-familiar place for me, but usually I just picked a random direction and my spirit would warp to the alternate reality in that direction. This time, though, I took my time to examine where I was more closely. I looked around with my new sight and I saw a vast, intricate blue web pointing to every universe imaginable and then some, and I was actually able to sense what kind of universe each strand of the web was like. It still took me some time, however, to find the right general area to search in, but thankfully time stands still at the Crossroads. I felt I was in the right direction when I saw the essence of the travels of Tom Sawyer in one thread, and after a few Charles Dickens universes and a couple rather gory Edgar Allen Poe universes, I found the delightfully eccentric universe of the collected works of H.G. Wells. I grabbed hold of that strand and followed it to its logical conclusion.

* * *

After a few planet hops, I found the planet that the Time Machine novel was based on. However, I was still in the “present day” part of the novel, as it were, with many Brits in top hats milling about a foggy London. It was a little hard to track down the time traveler, however, because they were not mentioned by name in the book. I proceeded to buy some newspapers to see if they made note of any eccentric people, but unfortunately they all listed humdrum news of the day. About the most exciting headline I found was, “Kitten saved by noble hero from factory fire”. I spent the next few hours enjoying the sights and sampling some of London’s culinary delights, and paid close attention to what passersby were saying. Finally, I overheard a couple of mutton-chopped young gentlemen joking about a friend of theirs who had claimed to invent a wonderful machine.

“I wonder what it is this time,” jeered the red-headed gentleman. “An electronic mousetrap made with a teapot and a roll of twine?”

“No, no, surely he’s come up with a way to communicate with pets!” His brown-haired friend chortled. “Really, does he think he have a money-maker this time? His last invention was a flop. Who needs a machine that does calculations for them when a perfectly good pencil and paper will do?”

“Oh, hush, we should at least give him the benefit of the doubt. Besides, his cooking skills are to die for. I could use a good spot of tea and cookies.”

“True, old chap. Might as well humor him. Who knows, maybe he really will come through this time.”

Their conversation surely related to the time traveler I sought! I tailed behind them at a good distance and followed them to a modest house with a small but soot-covered workshop. Inside the workshop, I caught a glimpse of what looked like a sleigh with lights covering it. After making sure my spirit was transparent, I floated into the house and watched them converse, sneaking away a cookie when they weren’t paying attention. I took a bite and realized they certainly weren’t kidding about his cooking; if he chose to change his career to a baker he’d make money hand over fist! I licked the last few crumbs off of my chin and noticed that they were heading to the workshop, so I quickly followed.

In the workshop, the Time Traveler (who I found out was named Tim Trave, ironically enough) dramatically removed the dropcloth from the strange sleigh I glimpsed earlier, revealing an array of blinking lights and a complicated dashboard. I hurriedly jumped into the time machine, and anxiously waited for Tim to finish his speech on how he would change today by finding out what the future might hold. Finally, he hopped in and started flicking switches before pressing a giant button that said "Coca Cola". Clearly, this man believed strongly in being frugal and using the cheapest items on hand. Little did he know how errant this would cause the time machine to be. As soon as he pressed the button, one of the parts got jostled out of place and instead of jumping forward 100 years like he hoped, we jumped hundreds of thousands of years, racing through time with all the urgency of a Greyhound chasing after a rabbit. I glanced around me, amazed by the beauty of the time tunnel we were in, realizing that the book clearly did not do this part of the story justice. Time moved so fast that the events outside of the time machine appeared to move backwards, for we only caught glimpses of erratic moments in time and space with no clear continuity. With a loud beep and a puff of smoke, the time machine stopped. I carefully stepped out of the machine, my spirit still a bit shaken up by the amount of time that we travelled. I left Tim to do his own exploring as I sought out the item I needed: the green envelope which would grant me admission into the secret lair of OMNI.

I looked around the pleasant meadow, and smiled ruefully as I watched the Eloi play with each other, forever innocent as to their fate. I tried unsuccessfully to communicate with them; they simply smiled at me and attempted to braid my hair. Shrugging them off, I continued through the field looking for any Eloi that were holding something, but it wasn't until dusk that I found an Eloi sitting quietly under a tree with a green envelope and flipping it over repeatedly with a puzzled face. I quickly walked up to her, when suddenly the sun finally set and a Morlock stepped out of a nearby cave to grab her for his next meal! Horrified, I turned myself invisible again and floated behind, keeping a close eye on the envelope I needed, firmly held in the Eloi's grasp. In a panic, I grabbed a nearby rock and threw it at a loose boulder in the ceiling, trapping the Morlock. I then quickly became visible in front of them, making myself as big and glowy as possible, which effectively caused the Morlock to crap his pants while the Eloi froze in surprise. I then knocked out the Morlock with another well-placed rock to the head, and freed the poor Eloi. Grateful, she gave me the only item of value in her possession, the special envelope I was looking for. I quickly tore it open and read the contents:

"Dear Jinx,

We here at OMNI congratulate you for learning how to control your powers and find specific information. Hopefully the Morlocks didn't give you too much trouble. Our secret base is under the kosher pork sandwich stand on 7th Avenue in Boston. Bring your wits, a pencil, and a pad of paper. There will be a small set of locked doors that can be opened by solving the puzzle on each door. We meet every night at 8pm to discuss our findings, so come when you can. Good luck, and happy travels.

Signed,
Yorick"

Finally, I could leave this troubled universe. I sought out the green thread that led back to my body and grabbed hold, making the usual journey back to my flat in Boston just in time to see a gorgeous sunrise. At least I wouldn't have to travel far to get to the hideout. I got ready for the long day, and headed out.

***

After another usual day at work, I wandered over to the "kosher" pork sandwich stand as requested. I ordered one while I was there, seeing as it was supper time, and the cook was mildly surprised that he had a customer. Good food, though, it certainly made my mouth water. As I was finishing the last bite I noticed a message on the wrapper: "Press the blue button on the back of the stand the same number of times as the seventh prime number." I then tore up the wrapper jsut to be safe and tossed it in the garbage can, wiped my hands, and started searching. Indeed, there was a tiny blue button all the way at the bottom of the wooden wall of the stand, so I recalled the prime numbers in my head: two, three, five, seven, eleven, thirteen, seventeen. I pushed the button firmly seventeen times in a row, and the ground below me lowered into a dimly lit underground chamber. As I stepped off of the concrete platform, it lifted back up with a loud clang, and left me alone in the room. I glanced around and saw a digital display on one wall, with this riddle: “What walks on four legs at dawn, two at noon, and three at dusk?” I chuckled and typed in "man", the answer to the oldest riddle in the book. The display blinked red at me, and I stepped back in surprise, for I was sure I had it right. The answer came up: "A limping monkey. While walking through the forest, he saw a hunter and started running on two legs, after which he was shot in one leg and started limping along on a leg and two arms. Try another riddle." I chuckled and resolved to think along a less obvious route for the next try. A new riddle flashed up on the screen: "A major pile up in Route 7 resulted in the deaths of the truck driver, five women, ten men, and two children. how many survivors were buried?" Again, the answer was obvious to me as I had seen this kind of riddle, but I thought it over once more. Technically, the survivors of the accident were going to get buried one day when they finally did die anyway. So I typed in "All of them." I heard a congratulatory noise from the machine as it flashed green in acceptance, and the door finally opened. Relieved, I stepped through the door into a colored room.

The door slammed shut behind me, and when I looked around I couldn't see any doors at all, just a series of colored squares on the floor, walls, and ceiling. The room suddenly felt like it was being lowered, and then it stopped, after which all 54 squares lit up. I was a little confused at first as to what the puzzle was supposed to be, until I noticed that there were exactly 6 colors. I was inside a Rubik's Cube! I felt momentarily claustrophobic and struggled to remember my days in high school when I could solve it in two minutes. This was a bit different, though, because it was effectively inside out and I was a little unsure how to move it. I walked around inside the cube and started pacing along one of the walls, and it started moving! It looked like all I had to do was walk in the correct direction to align the colors, so I took a deep breath and a sip out of my water bottle. This was going to be quite the exercise, physically and mentally. I started tracing my steps carefully so I wouldn't lose my place. Thankfully, it only took a few strides to solve the bottom layer of the cube, so I took a short break and got ready for the middle layer. A half-mile jog later, I got those in place and noticed that the top layer was almost correct except for one corner. I panicked for a few seconds and idly picked at the wall, and the squares turned out to be giant stickers, just like the original cube! I figured since this was an impossible cube anyway, the system wouldn't mind if I cheated a little, so I very slowly walked over to the remaining corner and started peeling off the three stickers. I then placed them in the appropriate spots as evenly as I could, and waited. I got very worried when almost a minute passed and nothing happened. Finally, the room started moving back up, signaling that I had completed the puzzle, and I breathed a huge sigh. Two of the squares slid away and revealed a door to the next chamber, which I eagerly entered.

I reeled back as an awful stench assaulted my senses. I was tempted to go back to the previous room, but the door had already closed. I found myself in a room that could best be described as a pigsty, and it looked very much like my sister's bedroom after weeks of neglect. I frantically started searching through the room, hoping that if I could find the source of the smell I would be able to gain my freedom. After a few minutes of tossing random stuffed animals around, I was no closer to finding the object of my search, so I struggled to hold back the urge to retch and attempted to fine-tune my sense of smell. Thankfully, I was starting to get used to the smell, and my nose regained a sense of direction. I held up my shirt over my nose to dampen the smell a bit and carefully sniffed around, seeking the cause, and eventually traced it to a tiny, moldy, Cabbage Patch Doll filled with rotting meat. Disgusted, I picked it up and was about to throw it when I noticed that it was attached to a long string in the floor, which triggered the door to open. I gratefully leapt through the door and it slammed shut, leaving that hideous odor behind me. I looked around in awe as I found myself in a beautiful underground garden, with artificial sunlight streaming from above. A large Native American man approached me with a smile on his face, so I smiled back.

"Greetings, Jinx. My name is Bluebird. Welcome to OMNI. I apologize for any undue hardships you might have had to endure to come here."

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