The Way Home

The Way Home vr.2

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

He felt his face warm as he frowned. There was nothing similar between him and that woman sitting next to him. She was dressed in an elegant black dress, like a diva out of 1920s movie. But all he knew about her, was that she was a criminal. She got her men killed an innocent old woman who did nothing but give him a place to stay. The only person kind enough to helped him just after he got robbed of everything he owned.

She got the poor woman killed, then kidnapped him here.

"Now, don't give me that look like you disagree. You're the one 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 said it as if 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,"

His jaw tightened. 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 everywhere he look. Big holographic billboard screens, magnetic trams, strange but old-fashioned clothing, and weird tasting foods, all produced by the efficient and safe use of small modular reactors with minimal radioactive waste. He already understand that this place is a whole another world that where he was from. Yet, somehow it caught him off guard knowing that space travel was much more accomplished here.

"You have the technology to travel between worlds too?" he asked.

"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 used to worked at, Voch Alden, was the evidence that opening another dimension is viable to be done in thirty years with the just technology they had. Scientist from this world must've nearly achieve it too with all the advancement.

"So, what now?" he asked, glancing at the glint of light on the strange-looking gun that the guard held towards him. "Are you gonna kill me, too? Like you did to Leona?"

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

"You don't now that, and 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.

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

Rocky scowled, protesting in silence. 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. "You see, people who got your machine, the old woman agent who was '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,"

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

"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,"