Author’s notes: This story is written for a challenge called Same Day, Different Stuff. The object of the challenge is to have a common event happen across two or more universes on the same day. In two universes, we will be stepping into the past and the other two into the future, when compared to the currently posted stories. I decided it would be fun to also add in a pair of stories that occur in the same (alternate) reality. You don’t need to be familiar with any or all of my universes to be able to follow what’s going on here, however. The full challenge requirements (and the ways I’ve applied them) are listed at the end.
It would be helpful to have read Stopgap Jim and its sequel, Double Bind. In case you haven’t (or as a refresher) the basic outline is as follows: Jim discovered that an alternate reality existed, where the Bob-Whites had super-powers. According to Jim and Brian in the alternate reality, only the male Bob-Whites had powers and the female Bob-Whites knew nothing about them. They were wrong, on both counts. Unfortunately, both Jim and Brian in the alternate reality have suffered a loss of common sense. A year later, all of the regular Bob-Whites visited the alternate reality when the alternate Brian tried to destroy both worlds. At the end of the story, the worlds are saved, Brian has lost his power but he and Jim began regaining their common sense, it is found that now people from both realities can make a portal to the other and that the Bob-Whites think there has been no leak of powers into the regular world. Right at the end, however, is a hint that they are mistaken.
6 July, 2008
“Wake up!”
Mart opened his eyes and looked around for the source of the voice. Seeing nothing, he closed them again, turned over and muttered, “Go away, Trixie.”
An unseen hand shook his shoulder.
“What is it?” he snapped, sitting up and bumping heads with her.
“Ouch!”
“It’s your own fault for being invisible,” he told her, rubbing his head.
In the year since all the Bob-Whites first visited the alternate reality together, they had discovered that some powers had leaked through after all – though not the same powers that they expected. Each Bob-White except Brian had a power that someone else had in the other reality. The alternate Brian had lost his powers and none had been transferred to the regular one. Trixie’s power here happened to be invisibility.
“Well, I can’t exactly be visible,” she answered, still in a low voice. “What if someone saw me?”
“They wouldn’t accidentally head-butt you.”
She made a disgruntled noise. “Probably. But they might wonder what I’m doing here when I’m also feeding the chickens.”
A chill ran through Mart as he thought through the implications of this. “Then, you’re not actually my sister Trixie; you’re the other Mart’s sister Trixie. Why are you here? And why are you talking to me?”
Just as they picked up their alternate’s power when in their reality, the alternates picked up theirs when in the regular reality.
“I meant to talk to me, okay, only I was too late, so you’ll have to do.” She breathed a sigh. “We have a problem. A big problem.”
“How big?” he wondered.
“Experimental Reality Displacement Device big,” she answered. “Brian thinks that some power from the second device was transferred to another object. And that Bobby has broken said object and hidden the pieces. And with Honey’s father’s aunt visiting… let’s just say that we’re having trouble getting the pieces back.”
“And if you don’t get them back?” he prompted.
“Brian’s not sure. But this time, our powers are getting stronger instead of weaker and we’re having trouble controlling them.”
Mart swore under his breath. “What do you want us to do? You do realise that Honey’s father’s aunt is visiting here, too.”
She groaned. “Is she? I was afraid of that.” Her voice hardened. “Call an emergency meeting in the clubhouse and I’ll meet you there and explain to everyone at once. We have a plan and hopefully it won’t take more than an hour to execute.”
“Okay. I’ll get onto it.”
“Thanks, Mart. I’ll head up to the clubhouse now. You couldn’t bring me some breakfast by any chance?”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
Less than an hour passed before the regular Bob-Whites began arriving for the meeting. Alternate Trixie greeted each of them and had explained the situation four times by the time the last one – Honey – entered the building.
“Sorry. Aunt Vera insisted that I stay at the breakfast table until after both my parents had left it,” she explained. “Mother left early just so that I could leave, I think.”
“It’s okay, Honey,” alternate Trixie answered. “Your aunt is actually most of the reason why I’m even here.”
She went on to explain the situation all over again.
“So, what’s the plan?” Mart asked, a little impatiently. “What are you expecting us to do?”
Alternate Trixie looked around at the other Bob-Whites. “I’d like you all to come through to my reality and find the four missing pieces. We have an idea of where each piece is, but the way things are, we just can’t seem to get to them. And I need to warn you – it’s getting really hard to act normal. Poor Honey’s had to say she has a migraine and lie down. The noise is just killing her.”
“We have less practice with your abilities,” Di pointed out. “I don’t know that we’re going to be much help.”
“That’s part of why you have to be quick,” alternate Trixie explained. “Get in. Find the piece. Bring it to me in the clubhouse. Get out.”
She laid a paper on the table. “This is how we think you should do it. Three pairs and one single person. Four different portals. We’ve picked out the best location for you to arrive, based on where you’re going. Except Jim – we thought it would be better for you to arrive somewhere private, since you probably won’t be able to become visible.”
Regular Trixie frowned. “You want me to partner with Brian? Why?”
“Because he’s the most vulnerable,” her double answered. “And you’ll have my ability to know what your enemy – in this case, Aunt Vera – is doing.”
Regular Trixie nodded. “Okay. And we’re arriving into the clubhouse and looking for something near the lake. What, exactly, are we looking for?”
“Part of a brooch,” alternate Trixie answered. “An ugly, old thing. Five stones of different colours – though, not actual stones; they’re probably just glass or something. We’ve got this purple one from the middle, but the other four are missing, along with their settings.”
“Oh! I know it,” regular Trixie answered. “It belonged to some great-aunt or something of ours.”
“And how are the rest of us supposed to know it?” Jim wanted to know.
Alternate Trixie laid another paper on the table. “Diana – I mean, my world’s Diana – drew this for you. We’re not sure where the breaks are, but we’re pretty sure there’s one stone in each piece.”
They each took a turn to study the drawing.
“Mart and I,” Honey noted, “leaving from Crabapple Farm and searching the back yard there. Jim, from his own room to Ten Acres. Di and Dan from the stables, to search the stables.”
“So, is that clear?” alternate Trixie asked them. “You’ll go to those places, in those pairs, get a part of the brooch from somewhere nearby and bring it to me in the clubhouse in my reality.”
Seven heads nodded.
“Great.” Alternate Trixie smiled. “See you soon!”
The others bade her farewell and, forming a portal in the storage area, she disappeared. The portal winked out of existence the moment she was gone.
Continue to part two.
Notes are at the end.
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