Cipher [A Gravity Falls Tale] #Wattys2016

Nineteen

Will stood in the presence of the dark form in front of him, stricken speechless. He had unconsciously noted that the world around him had faded to gray, and time itself had seemed to stop. He tried to back away from the mass, but he seemed to be frozen in his spot.

"Don't be afraid," came the voice of the one evidently called Alcor. "I mean you no harm." Its voice was deep and echoed.

"Y-you told me your name," stammered Will. "But what the heck are you?"

"Always curious," rumbled the form. "That's what I like about you. You see, Will, I am called the Watcher because I observe other dimensions. And I've had an eye on you for a while. Your passion to discover new worlds is exactly what people need to bring the multiverse together."

"Y-you want me to bring together different universes?" asked Will, uncertain. Was this all just some sort of hallucination caused by sleep deprivation? Or maybe he had conked out, and this was some weird dream.

"Not only that," answered the form. Alcor, Will reminded himself. "I want you to understand the power that can be achieved through inter-dimensional travel. You have certainly noticed by now that your society is not a perfect one. By introducing this power into your society, you have the chance to reform it. You can force it to change, to adapt, and face a better tomorrow."

"Uh..." Will struggled for words. "That, ah, sounds great and all, but why are you coming to me? What did I of all people do to get your attention?"

"Like I said, I've been keeping an eye on you. However, your device right there is what allowed me to contact you. I'm currently standing in another dimension."

"You mean to tell me I actually got that to work?" he gasped, throwing a glance to the machine.

"Yes, William, you did," Alcor replied. "You're brilliant, a fact everyone can see. You used that brilliance to reach across dimensions, through universes. That's how we're having this conversation. And you can use that brilliance to help people, like I've been saying. Through the powers of world's beyond your own, you can liberate your society."

"Liberate them?" questioned Will.

"Freedom, young William. You can free your fellow men, er, shapes, from the constraints of petty social orders and worldly viewpoints. You can break the constraints of closed minds by showing your world the powers higher than it."

"But... I'm just a triangle. We are at the bottom of society, if you haven't noticed. I got rejected from my dream school just because of 'petty social order.' Sure, I've got this job going for me now, but I don't know how long it'll last. I'm not in any sort of position to bring this kind of change."

"Not yet, at least," countered Alcor. Will's frustration dissipated, and he looked to the dark form, uncertain.

"What do you mean?"

"I can empower you. I can give you the tools you need to advance and bring on this much-needed change. Let me help you."

"How exactly would you do that?" demanded Will, though his curiosity was indeed piqued.

"The mind is one of the most powerful tools ever," explained Alcor. "Though science had made countless advances in countless worlds, few things have ever been discovered that outmatch the mind. And I can teach you how to harness yours to its full potential."

"I'm intrigued," the young triangle admitted. "How could you help me?"

"I can give you a code that will let me into your mind," Alcor said. "When you are ready for my teaching, use it." The world began to ripple and distort. Strange chanting echoed around Will.