The following story is back to my beginning in Sci-fi. I have no idea how long it will be. Or if there may be more chapters. I just have no idea. It began at 3am and was an odd half-woke dream. Now you are forced to read and hopefully enjoy my twisted mind.
All humans and creatures are over 18 years of age. All humans and creatures are figments of my mind and are not meant to represent any creatures that walk our earth. If one does, please send me an email.
What to do with Treasure?
"We are still computing the ramifications of your actions...You are an asshole."
"We want our device back and we want it now...Asshole" The alien concluded.
"Well, I am assuming that there are no 'men in black' or they would be here already. So,
I am going to simply state something simple you will understand." Drew paused for effect.
"Not no, but fuck no."
Drew commented with a bit more vitriol than was necessary.
The alien's reaction was what Drew expected, honking, antenna waiving and arm waiving. Drew kept one finger touching the device, which was enough to keep it open once the device was activated.
There was a lot of scattered data emanating from the other side of the device's open portal. Drew just waited for the calm after the storm. When things started to settle, he spoke up.
"Or we can come to an agreement. I get to explore the two timelines I have been to, and you can see how well my bull-in-a-China-shop routine works out. Or I can play all I want, visit infinite timelines, and see how much damage I cause," Drew paused to take a deep breath,
"And damage your...what did you call them 'experiments'?" Drew paused and looked into the odd eyes of the alien.
"What do you say?"
"You are an asshole," responded the alien.
***
Drew sat on his porch with his cup full of Earl Grey, teapot steaming and his jar of local honey waiting on cup two. He sipped and looked at the white device laying on his barista table. He spun the white slab on top of the chess board he had painted on the glass tabletop.
The sun was just coming up and it was fun to watch the awakening of dawn. Birds flying off for food. The first of the butterflies and moths being attracted to the butterfly garden by the porch. Their colorful wings catching the morning light and solar warmth.
'What to do?' he thought to himself. He had options, but the very concept of playing with an alien device and screwing up his life in other timelines was horrifying. But was he screwing it up? He could always run back to his timeline, where he sat now.
"Let's see," he thought to himself, "This timeline is where, I just in the process of retiring, I do not have a life partner nor an FWB."
He paused in his own thoughts. He finished his first cup and took time to do his ritual of honey and a new pour.
"I do have a dog, but she is a neurotic and broken." He took a sip, "I will retire from my career of forty plus years and do more volunteer work plus go work for one of the huge 'Box" stores to provide a bit of cash for my art?"
"Or I can go play with Michelle or the other two aliens?" one more sip, "Was that his alien? Or one of her sister aliens?" Drew thought to himself.
He flipped the device on its 'back' and placed his fingers at the textured junctures (for some type of fingers or digits). The hologram ignited.
It was blank for a moment, there did not seem to be anyone on station.
"Hello? Hello? Is anyone there?" he stated openly.
He paused for a moment and was about to call out again when his alien appeared.
"What do you want?" 'she' stated.
"Well good morning to you too," Drew commented back.
"Before I go on 'walk-about,' I thought I would have you answer some questions. Or I can just go explore and see what happens." Drew paused and could see the alien become agitated and her antenna started to twitch.
"You saw how my wandering worked yesterday. Shall I give it a go and start strolling?"
The alien head drooped, and she looked down. Her antenna sagged and there was little movement.
"Ask questions. I will answer in what I can." There was a pause, 'You are still such an asshole, destroying so much work..."
Drew leaned back and kept one finger on the side of the device to keep it open. He sipped his warm earl grey and paused.
"Ok, first question. How did I allegedly knock up Michelle when I had a vasectomy twenty years ago?"
"The you in that timeline never had a vasectomy and so you were as potent as you were at the age 14 when you first jacked off." The alien responded with no hint of emotion.
Drew just rolled back in his chair and his mind bounced from one possibility to another. He wondered if Michelle had banged her firefighter after they were together. "Would she make him the father of 'their' child? Did her firefighter even know she was banging her 'landlord" for rent money?
His mind flipped back to the present situation.
"OK then..."
"If I read my sci-fi and watch YouTube stories about multiple universes, there are infinite timelines and variations. Is that correct?"
The alien shook and seemed to make an incredibly soft sob. "Yes and no," she stated not looking up.