Failing Upward

Chapter 31 (part 2): Black Hole Sun

"Black hole?"

"That's how you do it."

"What?"

"Somehow you create a fifth-dimensional black hole through space, which takes you into the another universe."

I closed my eyes to think.

"That doesn't make sense. I don't know a hell of a lot about black holes, but I thought they pretty much devoured and crushed everything that enters."

"Not micro holes. They're unstable when they're that small; they collapse quickly. Theorists such as your uncle hypothesized that these mini black holes could be portals into other dimensions.The physicist Hawking wrote about it, and your uncle has spent much of his life researching just this. He and Hawking believe mini black holes could be artificially created and used as portholes to other dimensions. Lestrade posited this happened in the past with others such as yourself. Now, you're proof that it's no theory."

"Does Moriarty know this?"

"He must."

Thoughts flashed through my head.

"And he thinks the serum from me will get him this?"

"No, from what John told us, he tried and was unsuccessful. He was thorough. Used the serum made from your blood. He did complete transfusions. Used the sand. The sex. Nothing."

I felt dizzy recalling my time in the lab at Moriarty's mercy. I couldn't begin to imagine the horror my counterpart must have gone through alone with no one, nothing to stop Moriarty. Sherlock read the terror in my eyes.

"I don't know if I could have made a decision like that," I said, "to go back to a world where Moriarty still walked."

But even as I said it, I knew I would have taken the same chance to get back to my Sherlock.

"I was torn," Sherlock confessed. "At first I was adamant he return, but the more I learned of his story, the more I realized it wasn't up to me. I didn't want to send him back," he said, "but I didn't want to leave you there. I knew you would try to come back. It was hideous, John! We talked about it for days and days, then the night before the concert, we never went to bed and stayed up talking, going over pros and cons. In the end, I knew the decision wasn't mine to make. He argued he'd be fine. He kept assuring me all would be right."

"I hope that's true for him."

"You should know at first I thought his need to go back was selfish."

I twisted around, thinking on what Sherlock told me.

"But he was not," Sherlock said. "He was you, after all. He was selfless. He wanted to go back to the Sherlock he loved, so much so, he was willing to risk going back to a world where Moriarty ran unfettered."

"I wonder if Moriarty will ever stop trying."

"He will never stop, John. As long as Moriarty thinks he can get what he wants from you, he would continue to try. He should never be free."

"I wonder if there's a way. I made him feel when I touched him. He believed I could transfer other powers."

"Yes, your counterpart said as much, that it was chemical."

"I did it. In the lab, when I gouged Moriarty's eyes. He screamed. I hurt him. If that's true, then..." I reached over and pinched Sherlock's nipple as hard as I could.

He yelped.

"You felt that!" I said.

"Of course I felt that!"