Voynich Shift - Season One (COMPLETED)

Leonis, 1:1, 2:9 - USAOL Part Five

"Discuss? Like what, Keyword?" Parker inquired. With no one or nothing to look at, his eyes just scanned over the white cabinets and dark countertops of the small kitchen.

"Why exactly you are here...in our plane of existence."

Parker suddenly realized something. This Keyword thing, maybe it was the reason for his Grandfather's apparently frequent trips to this world. "Do you know something? Did you know my grandfather?"

"Yes. We know everything, Parker, including the danger that follows that device in your pocket. The inter-reality shifting device your grandfather called a Horologium."

"Technically, it's not really as dangerous as much as it..."

"That will be enough, Parker Raymond. Please listen and do not interrupt, your life as well as everyone on this planet in this Multiverse may depend on how you answer our questions. Time is of the essence. Will you comply?"

Parker nodded in affirmation. "Yes, I will." Gauging from the tone of the thing's voice, Parker understood fully this Keyword thing could easily wipe out any sort of 'threat' it deemed a problem, just as simply as it could create one thing from something else...exactly what it did with the world's nukes. However, if it could hurt a human, then one man would be nothing to contend with.

"...never once did we detect a trace of us in the Horologium when your grandfather shifted in and out of our reality. This time we did and we were deceased."

"What does all of that mean?" Parker wondered. "Us...we...deceased?"

"After processing us, we have determined your Horologium is too dangerous to exist. When we had our first meaningful discussion with your grandfather during his initial shift into this plane of existence, we examined his Horologium and found it to be quite safe. However, initial examination of the device you have in your possession verifies that although this is the same 'Horo' as you call it...something is different. Why would it have us inside of its housing this time? Where has this device been that would have a version of us?"

Parker nervously raised a hand. "So, you want me to speak now, right?"

"Yes."

"Okay. First, I am seriously confused. I have never encountered anything like you before, Keyword, in any of the places I've been so far. Maybe, it happened during one of my grandfather's shifts?"

"Not likely. The last results from our deceased indicate two things: One, our deceased's origin reality was hostile as evidenced by its memories. Two, the final bits of information obtained from us before we became inactive were recent and recorded a..."

"Recorded a what?" Parker inquired.

"Please wait, Parker Raymond. We have just detected several copies of your Horologium device now present in our plane of existence. We feared this might happen..."

Parker stood up with his hands in front of him and shouted, "What is going on, Keyword? Tell me!"

James appeared from around the corner, still in his work clothes sans shoes. "Bro, who are you talking to?"

"Parker, there are five men approaching this location. None of them appeared to be armed, but they are all equipped with Horologiums identical to yours in every way and some of them have deceased copies of us in their housings."

Parker turned to look at James. An expression of concern was written all over his face. "Keyword, where are those men?"

"Keyword!?!!" James exclaimed. "What men?"

Parker raised a finger to silence him. "Keyword, can you stop them?"

"I cannot interfere directly with a human being without permission, no matter how terrible they are. Until I can gauge their intent, there is nothing I can do to intervene, either. Those are the rules. Maybe you should speak with them?"

"Damn it," Parker muttered under his breath and turned to walk toward the door. "I just don't think this a good idea. Just in case, I give you permission to interfere all you want with me, Keyword!"

"Acknowledged."

Banging on the wooden front door followed by the words, "Police, open up! Come out Parker Raymond we know you're in there!" were all that Parker needed to know that these men were not up to any good.

"Okay, that's a problem. We all know they are not the police! James, where's the back door?"

James pointed behind him. "Down the hall, to the right, then down the stairs."

"Thanks! By the way, you should hide," Parker added.

"Hide?"

Parker heard a dog begin barking followed by the shouts of the old lady from downstairs. Within seconds, the yelping and the yelling abruptly went silent.

More banging. "Police! Open up!"

"Screw that! I'm going with you! I'm not staying here to find out what these guys want. They might torture me or something if they find me!"

"There is no way out, Parker and James. There are two men at the front door, one downstairs, and two at the rear of the house. They do appear to mean you harm for Mrs. Wildman and her dog are now deceased."

Parker put his hand on James' shoulder. "I'm sorry I got you involved with this."

Suddenly, Parker felt Horo begin to buzz in his pants pocket as an electric energy tingled in the very air around him. He looked out of the window. There was no full moon. "What the hell?"

"We are coming in Parker Raymond!"