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It Just Didn't Happen

I won't lose my grant.

By Om Prakash John GilmorePublished 3 years ago 9 min read
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Traveling in Deep Waters

It Just Didn't Happen

John W. Gilmore

“He tried it again, did he?”

“Yes. He did, Bruce. Luckily the fall wasn't so far this time and the packed snow broke his fall. I can't understand him at all. He thought he could jump off a building like in the Carlos Castaneda story and go into another dimension.”

“The only thing he seems to be is demented, and that doesn't mean changing dimensions,” Bruce said with a smirk.

“I wouldn't go that far. I mean, if you saw your mother torn apart by dogs, wouldn't you be a bit disturbed?” Tim asked.

“He told you that story. His mother is fine. He's talking about his mother in the other dimension. He said that is what made him jump from one dimension from the other, the sheer shock. This was therapy for him. And guess what? The other him, the one we all knew, just happened to switch places with him at the same time.” Bruce shook his head. “I feel sorry for the guy. He just lost it.”

“But what if he is telling the truth? What if there are people who can jump from one dimension to the other?”

“I would know, they wouldn't tell us, and I wouldn't care.”

“Care about what?” Glenda asked, entering the room carrying her usual over-sized cup of cappuccino. “Or is this your so-called man talk again?” She grinned and pulled out her seat. She put down her cup, sat at her desk and began to rearrange things.

They were in a very small cabin, with no windows. It was a very dreary, little room that couldn't be brightened up no matter how they tried. They added pictures and it was still gloomy. When the brought in extra lights it was unbearable. They glared and bounce off of the hard metal was enough to blind you. Glenda often wondered what would happen if the cruise ship they were on sank. She could imagine drowning in this little box so far below deck you couldn't possibly get out. Why had she taken this job? She had three degrees in the social sciences and here she was on a psychological research team exploring the effects of employee life on a cruise ship.

“We are talking about Jake,” Tim said. “He got injured again, only slightly this time, and is coming back aboard next stop. He tried to jump dimensions again by jumping off of a building in Alaska.”

“Well if he jumps from one high enough it just might work,” She said with a grin. Bruce began to laugh. Tim began to smile.

“I still feel sorry for the guy,” he said.

“Don't get me wrong. He's a nice guy and I feel sorry for him too,” Glenda said, “But really Tim? Jumping dimensions? Come on.” Tim shrugged. What did he know? Anything was possible nowadays. They just didn't know what was really going on.

After few short days they picked up Jake. He had been taken to San Francisco on another cruise ship and dropped there to rendezvous with his own ship. He looked good. He didn't seem to be injured at all. In fact, he looked in better shape than before. He looked stronger and more athletic.

“What happened?” Bruce asked. “I heard that you were injured.”

“Who me? I feel fine.”

“Weren't you in the hospital or something?”

“No, not me. That was the other me. He jumped out the window and we changed places.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Glenda asked.

“It wasn't me who got injured. Your Jake did. I'm a different Jake. Don't you know we've exchanged places 15 or 20 times?” Her jaw dropped.

“Oh. I guess they were all keeping it secret from you. That's interesting. In my dimension we all know about jumping. It's not a big deal.” Bruce's eyes narrowed.

“You're kidding, Right?” He asked.

“No joke, Bruce. That is your name right, Bruce?”

“You know full well what my name is, Jake. Don't pull that crap on me, again.”

“Again! Has he said something like this before?” Glenda asked.

“A few times.”

“Why didn't you tell us? He may have been dangerous!”

“I thought he was just kidding.”

“I really find that problematic. He could have endangered all of us! He is becoming a full blown schizophrenic,” she said glaring at him.

“Well first of all,” Jake said, “I am not even a partial schizophrenic. And secondly, I've never liked you anyway so I don't care what you think!”

“Whoa. That really doesn't sound like our Jake,” Tim said.

“It's probably another personality,” Glenda said.

Bruce stood up. “I'm going to talk to the Captain. This has gotten really ridiculous.”

“You do that! And you better start sleeping with your eyes open,” Jake replied.

“You threatening me, Jake.” He jumped up and got in Jake's face.

“No. I'm promising you.” With a quick movement he somehow grabbed Bruce and twisted his arms up to the point of almost snapping them at the wrist. Tim stepped toward him and he shot a snapping kick up, while still holding Bruce's arm, just missing the tip of his nose. “Next time I won't pull my kick.” He twisted a little and Bruce cried out. “I'll snap his arm if you try something like that again too.” He shoved Bruce across the room into his desk. “Now sit down and let me tell you cave men something!”

Bruce got up and adjusted his clothing, gathering all the dignity that he could while doing so. He sat behind his desk.

“You have five minutes. Unless you kill me I'm going to that Captain.” Glenda walked around her desk and took a seat. Tim found a space along the wall and leaned there, keeping his eye on Jake. He had never seen him act like that, or even look like that. And where had he learned self defense moves like that? Not even self defense, offensive moves.

“I know that many of us have told you about the jumps and you haven't listened. I've heard about how slow people are in this dimension. It is just a shock to see how true it is. Let me tell you something. We learned to time travel and jump dimensions a long time ago in my world. We realized that time ran in circles like a mandala with one interacting with the next one, not like a ribbon, or in a straight line, but as wheels, and we learned to jump from wheel to wheel.”

When we discovered that, we found that we could jump to another dimension without damaging our own timeline. So we began to do it first for research and then for practical medical applications. We discovered that living a totally different life could reduce trauma and stress, and increase personal growth. Some of us regularly move from place to place to do that. So here I am. My guess is the one before me told you about some tragic story or something, and came here to allow himself to heal.”

We literally have to jump before our jump gate activates, so we will be moving at a fast enough speed for it to engage. So no. I am not hurt the way you think. I have been bullied, beaten, and abused in many wars by narrow minded people like you. In fact some of them were even your counterparts where I come from, so I don't like you. I hope you get that. One reason I came to this place was to try to make peace with you.”

They were silent. Jake looked around the room. His eyes lit on Tim. “There's something different about you. What is it?”

“I'm a vegetarian,” Tim said.

“No. I don't mean that. What are you?”

“I'm an extraterrestrial.” Bruce laughed and Glenda began to smile. Tim just looked at them.

“I'm not joking,” He said.”

“I don't believe in extraterrestrials,” Jake said. Glenda and Bruce began to laugh. Jake cut his eyes over to them and then grinned. “I'm sorry. I just can't believe this. All my jumps and I have never met an extraterrestrial.”

“I've never met an Earthling who was jumping dimensions. I've never heard of such a thing.”

“Well we have something in common.”

“Well why are we on a ship of narrow minded humans instead of traveling somewhere glamorous and glorious. I can take you to my planet through a wormhole and you'll see a lot more than you can here. And maybe you can teach me how to jump dimensions. I think I would love doing something like that.”

“Really? Can you do that? I mean, really take me to another planet?”

“Sure, if you are willing. We will be going to a planet in the Orion system. We sort of jump, but we jump through a wormhole.”

“What is this stupidity!” Glenda said. “I just can't take this anymore. I am a social scientist. I have three degrees. If any such thing existed I would know about it.”

“Chill Brenda. They might be dangerous,” Bruce said.

Tim nodded the side of his head toward Bruce. “See what I mean. You want to spend your time with the intellectually challenged, or get out of here. I've been trapped here for three years. Do you want that? My research is just about through. I can write my findings up at home. Earth really sucks too. This one does anyway.”

“I've heard that from many others,” Jake said. He looked at Glenda and Bruce. “And if this is the best it has to offer...” he looked at Tim, “let's jump through time and space.” Tim reached over with his right hand pulling up his left sleeve. There was a gray wristband there with two white buttons. He looked up at Jake and smiled. He hit the two buttons at the same time. There was a flash of bright white light and they were gone.

Bruce looked at Glenda. “What happened?” He asked.

“Nothing at all,” she said. “Because that was impossible.”

“I agree. Nothing happened out of the ordinary. They just walked out.”

“But how do you explain...?” He lifted a hand and shook his head.

“Let's get back to work,” he said. “I'll talk to the Captain this evening. I will not get my funding cut by telling them anything about space aliens and dimension jumpers.”

science fiction
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About the Creator

Om Prakash John Gilmore

John (Om Prakash) Gilmore, is a Retired Unitarian Universalist Minister, a Licensed Massage Therapist and Reiki Master Teacher, and a student and teacher of Tai-Chi, Qigong, and Nada Yoga. Om Prakash loves reading sci-fi and fantasy.

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