The Way Home

"We are not so different after all, no?"

He felt his face warm. There was nothing similar between him and the woman who sat next to him. She was a criminal dressed in an elegant black dress. Her men killed an old woman, that did nothing but give him a place to stay just after he got robbed of everything he owned, then kidnapped him here.

"Now, don't give me that look like you disagree. You're the criminal who stole the machine for interdimensional travel," she said, giving him a judging smile. "People from your world must've lost their shit looking for an intern who stole their expensive tech,"

"You believe my story?"

"People already live and breed on Mars and Ganymede, kid. What you said about coming from another universe is not that mind-blowing,"

The only mind who got blown was his. He had just been in this world for three days. Sure the people were not as hospitable, but he had seen steampunk-like technology that turned out was powered mainly by nuclear energy. Big holographic billboard screens, magnetic trams, strange but old-fashioned clothing, and weird tasting foods. Somehow it caught him off guard knowing that space travel was much more accomplished here.

"You have the technology travel between worlds too?"

"Not yet. But, I'm sure not long until we do with what tech we have, don't you think?"

From what he had seen, he agreed. The founder of the company he worked at, Voch Alden, was the evidence that it's viable to be done in thirty years with the just technology they had.

"So, what now?" he asked, glancing at the strange-looking gun that the guard held. "Are you gonna kill me, too? Like Leona?"

"Ugh, get over it. That old woman was working with the same people who robbed your machine,"

"Your people killed her in cold blood!"

He felt a heavy blow to the side of his head. The guard hit him with the grip of his gun.

"Watch your word, boy," hissed the guard.

"There's no need for that, Rocky," she said. Her raspy and calm voice reassured that she was the one who rules things around here. "He is my guest, and we must treat him with respect,"

The pain was still throbbing in his head, but it felt good seeing the guard get scolded like that.

"Forgive us. Old habit," she said with a friendly smile. "I don't get a lot of guests these past few years,"

She stood up and walked towards a small table with different bottles and glasses. "People who got your machine, the old woman agent 'trying' to trap you. They're same people who would die to see me in prison as if they have nothing else to worry about. The glory government of Federation of Nations,"

"That's all countries and colonies on other planets," she winked as if the name didn't explain itself. "I got a little bit of history with them,"

"What do you want from me?" he asked again, was not interested in her 'history.'

A dark liquid was poured carefully into three small glasses. The sound of it against the glass filled the room for a moment.

"I think that's clear, no? I'm a simple person, steal for money and nice things. Now, here you are, the living proof of another universe, who was also an underpaid intern. I'm sure there is a lot of potential profit in this situation,"

"You're gonna sell me to the government?"

She chuckled as she raised two glasses and walked towards him. She gave him the first, then the second to the guard, Rocky. The smell and taste of the drink almost like whiskey, except the strong weird pungent coming out of it.