Gravity Rises (S3)

AI: Part Nine

Dipper, Candy, and Greyson went down the stairs to the living room. Caleb and Yingtai were sitting on two chairs from the kitchen, leaving the couch open for the three friends. Dipper didn't like how Candy's parents were between him and the door. "Can you guys, um, move the chairs over?" he asked. "So — so there's a clear path to the door?"

Yingtai and Caleb glanced at each other, then did as Dipper asked. "I hope things don't get to where you feel you have to escape," Caleb said.

Dipper sat on the couch with his friends and looked at Caleb. Like Andrew, he had tan skin, but his hair was dusty brown rather than blond, and he was a bit stockier, and his horns curved upwards more than Andrew's did. Dipper wondered what Andrew would say if he were here. Should Dipper have gone to him first and gotten a message to relay to Caleb?

Too late. He took a deep breath. "Thanks," he said. "Um, hi, Caleb."

"Hello," Caleb said warily. "My brother told me a bit about you."

"Cool," Dipper said. "I saw him on Wednesday."

Caleb turned his head to Yingtai, and she whispered, "Three days ago."

Caleb nodded. "And what. . . did he say?" he asked, though from his tone he was afraid to find out.

"He didn't ask me to tell you anything specific," Dipper said. "He just, um, told me the story of what you did. And Enoch said it was good that Candy was with her dad now," he added, glancing at Candy.

"Who's Enoch?" she asked.

"Your cousin," Caleb said softly. "Was he okay?"

"They were all fine physically," Dipper said, "but they were really hurt by what you did."

Caleb nodded, like he'd expected this. At least he seemed to realize some of the consequences of his actions.

"I have cousins?" Candy said. "Wow. Too bad I can't meet them because of these stupid rifts. Which Dipper says are your fault, Dad."

Caleb raised his hands. "I had no idea about the rifts."

"But you don't mind them, 'cause they keep me trapped here," Candy muttered.

"Candy, that's not fair," Yingtai said sharply. "We're not trying to trap you."

"Then why do you want to stick me in another dimension?" Candy demanded. "What about my friends? What about the sun and the wind and the trees? Do you even know what Bill's dimension looks like?"

"No," Caleb admitted, "but Cipher made it sound like it has palaces and—"

"Wrong," Candy snapped. "It's empty. It's cold and barren. Right, Dipper?"

Dipper nodded. "One of the other Symbols was trapped in Bill's dimension for thirty years. He went into some kind of coma and survived, but he says there was nothing but 'bright blackness.' He just floated there for thirty years until we opened our portal and brought him back."

"That must not have been Cipher's dimension," Yingtai said.

"It definitely was. He said he himself programmed the portal with Bill's help."

"A dimension is a big place," Caleb said. "That could've just been outer space, and Cipher's planet with its palaces was nearby."

"He saw nothing. Anywhere." Dipper could feel his frustration rising. "Are you not even going to consider that you're wrong?"

"Good cop, Dipper," Greyson muttered.

Right. Dipper shut his mouth and let Candy do her thing. "I believe Dipper," she said. "And I don't like the idea of moving, no matter what! I like this house, in this town, on planet Earth, in my own universe!"