Parker lifted the steaming mug to his nose and sniffed. He closed his eyes enjoying the aroma of the dark liquid. "Wow, that's the stuff! Thanks James."
The man nodded and took a seat across from Parker at the small café table. "You're welcome." He sat his own cup of coffee down in front of him.
"Listen, James, you have to promise not to laugh, alright?"
"Is it that bad?" James asked blowing over the top of his mug.
Parker nodded. "Depends on how you want to look at, but to me, this is very serious and very real."
"Alright, I promise. So, go on, spill it."
Parker grinned and proceeded to tell James an altered version of the story, one leaving Horo out of the details.
"...so, how do you guys travel between these, erm, Multiverses?"
"The full moon."
"And what, you guys just...?"
"We shift."
"You shift? Just like that?" James asked, snapping his fingers in front of his face.
"Yeah," Parker said matter-of-factly and took another sip of his coffee. "Man, this is good!"
James stared out of the window at the moon. He looked at Parker and then tilted his head toward the celestial object. "Using the power of that...damn that's cool."
Parker nodded. "We're like werewolves that don't turn into werewolves but travel to other dimensions."
"Sounds pretty Canadian to me, you know? I heard that's pretty common up there."
Parked laughed. "Dude, what is your deal with Canadians?"
James shrugged. "Montreal's where my parents are from, originally. My jokes are more of a habit now. I started saying stuff like that to get under my dad's skin when I was teenager and then it just kind of stuck. I really don't have anything against 'em. Well, that band Glass Tiger...I draw the line at them...oh yeah, and Bryan Adams. That dude. They're fair game as far as I am concerned."
"I like Bryan Adams," Parker said with a grin.
"You would."
"What if I told you he became the Prime Minister of Canada?"
James sat up. "For real?"
"Nah, I'm just kidding. But you know who did?."
"Richard Simmons."
"Bingo! And he's not even Canadian..."
James began nodding. "I can see that. After Reagan was elected in the States, I knew it wouldn't be too far gone to imagine something like that."
"I'm joking."
James grinned. "So, was I. But now? Now, I know when you're lying and when you're not."
"Then you know I'm telling you the truth." Parker finished off his coffee and set his mug down. "So, tell me about Keyword. What's the deal with that thing?"
Lacing his fingers together in front of him, James developed a very serious expression. "Keyword? It's less of a 'thing' and more of a 'they'."
Parker sat back in his chair and crossed his arms. "Go on, I have to hear this."
"Back in 1991, that's when we first heard the voices. I was still in school..."
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YOU ARE READING
Voynich Shift - Season One (COMPLETED)
Science FictionParker Raymond recently inherited his estranged grandfather's large plantation home in Savannah, Georgia. The Spanish Moss hanging from the estate's large oaks, its massive gardens, and a near endless bank account were, in the end, not what captured...