New Home

“What’s your address sir,” the lady with glasses that resemble ones from VR said to Luke.

“Twenty-two hundred Clear Dr.” Luke said.

“Alright, you’re all clear,” the lady said.

Luke’s girlfriend Jesse comes to pick him up from outside of the office building.

“You get your benefits? Jesse asked.

“Yes, they should go through,” Luke said, giving her a kiss.

“Why is everything different here?” Luke thought.

“So, do you want to get something to eat?  I know we made that spaghetti last night, but I know you like different kinds of food,” Jesse said.

“You know, I was in that program for months.  Am I even good enough to eat over here?” Luke asked.

“Of course you are, haven’t we been over this?” Jesse asked, looking over at Luke quickly.

“It’s so different here,” Luke said.

“Oh, I know, but you’ll get used to it.  Remember what we talked about.  You just take it one day at a time.  The rest will sort itself out,” Jesse said, putting her right hand on Luke’s knee.

Luke always found the people on this side snobbish.  Besides Jesse, he hadn’t connected with anyone over here.

They are both sitting outside of a vegan restaurant.

“How’s your vegan wrap?”  Jesse asked Luke.

“It’s fine,” Luke said with mayonnaise on the side of his mouth.

“Can we talk about back home?” Luke asked Jesse after wiping the mayonnaise from his mouth.

“Why?” she asked while still eating.

“Because, I want to go back,” Luke said.

“Why would you want to do that?” Jesse  asked with food almost spilling from her mouth, putting her hand underneath her mouth.

“I’m not talking permanently, just to visit,” Luke said.

“I don’t know what your obsession is with that place,” Jesse said.  “I mean, I know you grew up there, but look how much you’ve been through in the last couple months.”

“I have ties there.  Whatever happened with that explosion, I was rushed out on my way home to visit my folks.  My family, well they didn’t take heed that it could get that bad.  I kept telling them, the influences around were not that good.  They didn’t take my advice, and they stayed in that neighborhood!” Luke said.

“I know they always thought you were crazy reading all those books.  What were they, physics or something?!” Jesse asked.

“Yes, I studied physics and culinary,” Luke responded.

“So, you think you can put your culinary judgment on that sandwich,” Jesse asked.

“No, this sandwich is pretty good,” Luke responded.

Luke and Jesse arrive at her apartment, where Luke has been living for the past month.

“So, you want something sweet?” Jesse asked Luke.

“Yea, you know I had some cereal this morning, and that was sweet enough.  I know I got a sugar rush,” Luke said.  “I don’t understand why their 7 Elevens don’t stay open all night over here!”  

“Well, everybody has an abundance of food, so it’s not really necessary,” Jesse said.  “Turn the TV on.”

“Power On,” comes from the robotic voice out the 70 inch flat screen hanging on the wall.

“Turn on the fireplace,” she said and the fireplace came on.

Luke looked at her and asked “Y'all really do take your technology seriously here, don’t ya?”

“We’ve just always grown up with it,” she said.  “What do you want, comedy or drama?”

“I’m in the mood for Sci-Fi,” he responded.

“You and Sci-Fi.  What is it our food is grown with?” she asked.

“Quantum technology,” he responded.

“Quantum technology, real fancy words,” she said, smiling and hugging Luke, giving him a kiss while he slightly ignored her.

“So, did your father invest in that?” Luke asked.

Jesse immediately turned away from Luke and asked “Why do you always do that?”

“What?” Luke asked while eating a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

“You act like my dad is some type of billionaire Bill Gates who just hoards all the money,” Jesse said.

“Doesn’t he work for one of the companies responsible for getting me out?” Luke asked.

“He does contract work, he just does contract work for them,” Jesse said, rolling her eyes.

They both sit on the couch while Jesse scrolls through a list of movies and TV shows.

She turns to Luke trying to get his attention and said “Look, I know you blame that company for what happened to your old neighborhood.  You think they caused the problem and were there to fix it.”

“Like gentrification,” Luke said.

“Ok, how about we talk about something else,” Jesse said.

“Do my benefits come with a place like this?” Luke asked.

“No, but your benefits don’t come with a woman like this,” Jesse said leaning over kissing Luke on the lips.   

“So, I still want to go tomorrow,” Luke said. 

Jesse gets off of him.

“You know you have to go through a toll?” she asked.

“Yes, can you take me?” he asked.

“Ok, nuts are what the movies would call what you want to do.  I’m not going to attempt to warn you anymore!”

“Thank You,” Luke said.

Luke falls asleep.

“Get out.  Get out,” is what Luke hears from an old lady’s voice.

He walks through the plume smoke of his old neighborhood.  He was just visiting when something terrible happened.  It was like a big explosion.  People don’t know where it came from, but it was between his old neighborhood and where he is now.

He sees army personnel taking people out.

“Boom, boom,” is what Luke hears.

“Babe, babe,” is what Luke hears as he is awoken from his very vivid dream.  “It’s almost time to go, so get ready.”

“So, once you go through this toll, I’m turning around and going to work,” Jesse said. 

“Oh yea, you’ve never been over here,” Luke said.

“Yea, and I don’t plan to stay,” Jesse said.

“You ever wonder why some people get out of these bad situations and some have to stay,” Luke turns to Jesse and asks.

“No, not in this world.  Most know the consequences of what they are doing” she responded.

Luke and Jesse look at each other as they drive more down the highway.

They arrive at the toll.

“Ok, how long are you visiting for?” the toll booth operator asked.

Luke leans over and says “Just a few hours, just me.”

Luke gives him the right amount of cash.

“Sir, take the recommended iodine pill,” the toll booth operator said.

Luke does that and they drive off.  They get in front of the entrance to the city where Luke’s neighborhood is.

“Ok.  You know the deal, I can’t go any further,” Jesse said.

Luke leans over to give her a kiss and she turns the other way.

“Oh, so you’re not going to give me a kiss?” Luke asked.

“You’ll get one later on,” Jesse said.

Luke unlocks his seatbelt, gets out the car and waves to her as she drives off.  He walks toward the entrance and gives the 2 military guards his ticket.

As he walks, there is a noticeable grey tinge to this place.  He looks over to see the 7 Eleven still open, but not presentable.  The radiation levels died down months ago, but they still make you take iodine pills before coming over here.  Some say this was the worst thing to happen since Chernobyl.  Funny thing is Luke’s birthday is on the same day, April 26, but a few years later.  

He continues to walk through with a backpack full of snacks and water.

“Excuse me, any change,” a man says carrying a cup pass Luke.

A couple people are running past and some are fighting.  Luke is looking at the hanging power lines, empty businesses, and unkempt houses and yards.  He feels a wave of consciousness come over him as he gets to his old neighborhood.  He wasn’t living here when the incident happened, but at a friend’s house close to where he just came from.

“Hi, sweetie,” Luke hears as he looks up and vision clears and he sees Maybelle.

She is a sweet old black lady that Luke used to talk to a lot.  She is sweeping.

“How have you been,” Maybelle asked.  “Long time, no see.”

“I’ve been on the other side for months,” Luke said.

“Well, good for you!” Maybelle said.

Luke looks at her grey hair and sweet smile with old style glasses on and says “Wow, you look the same.”

“Yea, but it's been a hard time, child,” Maybelle said.

As she was talking, Luke felt a sense of nostalgia fall upon him.  Just like that, he felt like a child again.  Not immature, just that sense of wonder to have someone open up to him.

“So, my son went and yea,” Maybelle said as Luke came out of his daydream.  “Are you enjoying your life on the other side?”

“Yes, I am,” Luke said.

“Ok baby, well you enjoy the rest of your day here,” Maybelle said and then smiled and waved.

Luke leaves Maybelle and walks on the other side of the street.  He sees someone raking leaves with a t- shirt on.  It is abnormally warm for fall.

“How are you doing, young man?” The guy said to Luke.

“Alright,” Luke said.

“You from around her?!” the guy asked.

“No, I haven’t been around in some months,” Luke said.

“Well, don’t think you’re missing out on something just because you grew up here.  I did too, but I didn’t heed a warning, much like those people who know there’s a tornado coming and decide just to ride it out.  I say if you have a better opportunity on the other side, go for it.  What’s the point of you staying here for other people and you all suffer?”  The man asked.

Luke said “Right,” and shook his head up and down.

“You got any family?” the man asked.

“Yea, a sister and some friends here and there, but my parents,”. Luke said as his voice weakened.

“It’s ok brother.  Sometimes we find out who we really are by going through challenges.  Those who tell you to do this and that when you’re young really don’t know if it’s best.  They can’t prevent you from going through challenges in the process of becoming the true you.  It’s plenty of copycats on both sides, don’t be one of them,” the man said, continuing to sweep.

Luke looks around at most of the buildings that are uninhabited.  Then, sirens go off.  Luke looked at the man.  

Companies built big metallic structures to protect most of the buildings, but some were still exposed.

The man said, “Well,” and went back into the house.

The sirens are reminiscent of when Luke originally left this place.  They come from people’s phones and large speakers on the side of the street.

Then, from out of these speaker’s that line the streets said “Warning, warning, get in the house or seek shelter.  We repeat, warning, get in the house or seek shelter.  We have detected anomalous energy that could be dangerous.  

Luke started to walk fast.  All of a sudden he saw a woman in the middle of the street with a car speeding fast.  Almost as if something else controlled his body, he ran and tackled the woman past the speeding car onto the other side of the street.  She thanked him.  Luke then got up and started to drink water and put on a mask he brought with him.  He looked for a bus that could take him to the entrance.  Then, all of a sudden a building exploded with smoke and fire.  This reminded him of how he got out months ago.

Four Months Earlier

Luke hears a big explosion on his way to visit family.  He calls them but no answer.  A big wave of energy that is seen in the sky starts rushing down and exploding different parts of the city.  Everybody runs the opposite way.  Luke runs the opposite way of where he was going.  Helicopters start flying above in all directions.  All of a sudden, a big wave of energy from the right hits the group and knocks them down.

Luke hears a high pitch frequency.  Then, he closes his eyes.  He wakes up in a quarantine area.  One of the doctors rushes over to calm him.

“What is going on, I heard a big explosion and then,” Luke said.

“Calm down, you’ve suffered a little bit of radiation damage, but you’ll be fine,” the doctor said, turning up one of the IV drips.

“But, what was that in the sky?” Luke asked.

“We don’t know.  Get some rest,” the doctor said.

A couple of days later while Luke is in the bed reading, a woman comes up.

“Greetings Luke, how are you,” she said, shaking his hand.  “My name is Jesse, and I’ll be your case worker from now on…”

Present 

A news broadcast plays in a car that's waiting behind a couple of cars and says “An explosion sets off in parts of the city as the military scrambles to evacuate people on the streets and find out what’s happening.  This comes months after the last huge explosions happened shortly after the discovery of a Parallel Universe next to ours.  This rocked all communities throughout the world.  A portal to the Parallel Universe was found right at the entrance to the city.  A conspiracy theorizes that a company from the other side was responsible for opening this portal to this side.  This could have caused the massive energy spikes that destroyed many lives and infrastructure in the form of electromagnetic radiation.  It was found that the amount of energy it would have taken to open the portal would definitely have caused the destruction that took place months ago and is taking place…”

The transmission is cut off in an array of static.  Luke’s heart started to beat fast with his body getting heated.  His face wrinkled up and pressure was in his head.  He kept walking, seeing people run around in a panic.  Then, all of a sudden, he sees a bus up ahead.  He goes up to it not expecting much.  

“Hey, I can take you to the entrance,” the bus driver said.

Luke looked at him with an almost puzzled look then shook his head and got inside.  A couple more people got inside, and then the bus started going.  Luke felt a relief come over his head.  The space just before the entrance to the other side was considered the safest.  As the other side was an exact duplicate of this city, there was a space just before going into the city over there as well.  Luke made it to the entrance.  He stood in a line on his way to cross over.  He showed the military his ID showing he was a citizen of the other universe.  When he got over there, to his surprise he saw Jesse’s parked car with her standing outside.  He rushed over to her.

Luke looked directly at her and around his eyes started intensifying with tears dropping.

“I’m sorry.  I had to see, it’s just been tough with my parents gone,” Luke said.

Luke lost his parents due to the explosion on the other side months ago, and found no trace of them on this side or of himself.

“It’s ok,” Jesse said.  She hugs Luke tight. 

“I know it hasn’t been easy for you transitioning over here, but you have me.  I know you don’t have any family or friends over here, but you can, you will get through it,” Jesse said.

They both get in the car and drive off.

“You want to stop and get something,” Jesse asked Luke.

The news from the other universe was broadcasted on this side, as well as news from this universe was broadcasted on the other side.

Luke and Jesse arrive at the store.

“Hey, did you hear about what went on on the other side,” a guy that was going in the 7 Eleven before Luke asked.

“Not only did I hear about it, I survived it, for the 2nd time!!” Luke said.

“So, you are looking to make a new start on this side,” the guy asked.

“Yea, I only have a major in physics,” Luke said walking away.

“Physics,” the guy said.

Luke turned around and shook his head up and down.

The man pulled out a card and handed it to Luke and said “Call me sometime.  I run a company, and we’re looking for physics majors.  We’re researching how to stop those fluctuations that cause the electromagnetic disruption on the other side.”

Luke looked down at the card and smiled, shaking his head.

“I will,” he said.

The End