Paraworld Zero (43 page)

    “A paratransmitter only goes one way, but a paratransceiver goes both
ways.”

    Mayor Gordon looked curiously at the control panel and asked, “So is it true
this thing will take you to another dimension?”

    “It sure will,” Tonya said. “Where do you think I came from?”

    “And it runs on magic?”

    “Electro-magical energy—the same stuff the machine is powered by.”

    “Fascinating. So how does it work?”

    Using the hover chair the specialist had given to her, Tonya zoomed over to
the computer monitor and fidgeted with the keyboard. “Everything is in ancient Pudo. Simon, get
over here.”

    Simon walked casually towards her.

    “Hurry up before I turn into a lizard or something,” she chided.

    They scrolled through several hundred images of paraworlds, but Tonya didn’t
recognize any of them. All of the paraworlds she knew by heart were missing from the
database.

    “This is getting really frustrating,” she growled. “These coordinates are all
messed up.”

    “How’s that?” asked Thorn.

    “A couple hundred years ago, the High King standardized all of the
coordinates so that this very thing wouldn’t happen anymore. This machine uses a different set of
coordinates that I’m not familiar with.”

    “So do we just need to pick one, then?” Simon asked.

    “I hope not,” Tonya moaned. “Knowing my luck, we’ll probably find our way to
another dead planet.”

    “What’s a dead planet?” Thorn asked.

    “Well, Pudo was a dead planet until today. A dead planet is a paraworld that
doesn’t have any E.M. waves. Of course, no one has actually proven the existence of dead planets.
Any guesses why?”

    “Because if you did find a dead planet, you wouldn’t be able to report it to
anyone. Without E.M. waves, you’d be stuck,” Mayor Gordon answered her question.

    “See, you’re catching on. I’ll tell you one thing… General Banton was a
clever guy. He left the generator running so that all of the E.M. energy on the planet would be
sucked up. When he killed the king and exterminated his own people, no one could call for help
and no one could leave. And because they were cut off from the kingdom, even the Guardians of the
Crown couldn’t save them.”

    Dr. Troodle shook his head. “I can’t believe someone could do such a
thing.”

    “You’d be surprised what a little power can do to someone,” Tonya
responded.

    “No,” Thornapple said, contemplating the inner battle he had struggled with
when the fate of the planet was in his hands. “I don’t think I would be surprised.”

    “Bingo!” Tonya exclaimed as a white planet appeared on the view screen. “I
recognize this one. I’ve seen my dad go there on business trips before.”

    “So are you sure you’ll be safe there?” asked Dr. Troodle.

    Tonya laughed and said, “My dad is one of the wealthiest men in the
paraverse. He practically invented the mobile paratransmitter. Anyone who’s anyone would jump at
the chance to help me get home.”

    “So this is it,” Thorn said. “I can’t believe this is really
happening.”

    Dr. Troodle frowned and said, “I just don’t know how we’re going to tell your
mother.”

    “Tell me what?” Mrs. Troodle said from behind.

    Everyone turned to see the doctor’s wife enter the room—followed by Grog,
Little Har, and his father, who now sported a pair of crutches.

    “Mom!” Thorn said in shock. “You sure got here fast. I didn’t think—”

    The young Pud stopped in midsentence when he saw the beautiful girl who had
just entered the room. His mouth hung open upon seeing Gwin’s lovely face.

    “Tell me what,
Honey?
” Mrs. Troodle prodded again sternly.

    “Well, uh,” Dr. Troodle stammered for the words. “We were thinking… it’s
going to take years to rebuild the city… and, uh… the schools will most likely be shut down for
months… and… well, you know how important it is that Thornapple continue with his education…
and—”

    “I’m going with Simon and Tonya,” Thorn blurted out.

    “
What?
”

    “Tonya’s school is one of the best in the paraverse—”

    “The what?”

    “Mom, it’s just a really good school. I might not even get accepted, but if I
do, I think I’d really excel. And it’s not like it’s on the other side of the world or anything.
Tonya says it’s not far from here.”

    “Not far from here?”

    “Well, it’s in a different parallel world. But once you got there, the school
wouldn’t be very far from here.”

    “Absolutely not! I won’t have you trolloping around with these aliens.” She
turned to her husband. “Honey, help me out with this.”

    “No,” Dr. Troodle replied with conviction in his voice. He wasn’t accustomed
to standing up to his wife. “Recently, I’ve learned to see things in a different way. Though they
may be strange at times, I think Simon and Tonya are the best friends Thornapple could have.
Besides, I want our son to be able to magnify his talents. He can’t do that here.”

    Mrs. Troodle’s eyes grew big, and she puffed up her chest. “So, you want to
send our son away to some strange land we know nothing about?”

    Thorn chimed in, “Mom, I’m not leaving for good. I can come back to visit at
any time.”

    “Really, Mrs. Troodle,” Tonya explained, “parallel travel is pretty safe and
fast. It would only take a few minutes for Thorn to come back to Pudo.”

    Dr. Troodle asked, “Are you sure he’d be able to find his way back? You did
say this world has been forgotten for a thousand years.”

    “Oh, believe me,” Tonya said, laughing. “One of the High Kings was murdered
on this planet—the Imperial Council will definitely have the coordinates to this
paraworld.”

    “And… who’s going to pay for all this?” Mrs. Troodle demanded. She was
desperately trying to find a reason for her son to stay.

    Tonya answered immediately, “Your family has been so good to me. I’m sure my
father would be happy to pay for Thorn’s schooling.”

    “Well,” Mrs. Troodle said quietly. Her eyes became watery, and she started to
sniff. “I guess the decision has already been made.” She walked up to Thorn and gave him a hug.
“You’re just growing up so fast. I’m having a hard time letting go.”

    “Har come, too?” Little Har asked in his slow, drawn-out voice.

    “Now that’s where I draw the line,” Mrs. Troodle declared. “If Har was gone,
who would take care of the house? And who would do the cooking?”

    “You know, Sweetie,” Dr. Troodle said, putting his arm around his wife, “your
menabaws actually aren’t that bad. I’m sure we’d be okay… And about cleaning the house—we don’t
really have a house anymore.” He then said under his breath, “Besides, wouldn’t it be nice to
have someone to protect Thornapple?”

    Simon cringed as the memory of Mrs. Troodle’s appetizers flashed through his
mind. After all this time, he could still see the three-eyed squid blinking at him.

    Dr. Troodle continued in a loud voice, “Of course we’d have to ask Har’s
father first.”

    Harr smiled and said, “Little Har go. Travel to stars.”

    “Actually,” Thornapple said, “if you were to visit a star, you’d burn up.
Stars are made of burning gasses and—”

    Both Simon and Little Har burst into laughter.

    “What?” Thornapple asked. “Is it something I said?”

    During the discussion, Gwin had slowly made her way to Thornapple’s side. She
looked at him with her large, beautiful eyes and said in a sweet voice, “Well, I guess this is
goodbye.”

    “Yeah, but I’ll still see you again.”

    “I hope so. You know, Thorn, we never did have that last dance
together.”

    Smiling, Mayor Gordon turned to his assistant and commanded, “Nox, play
something slow for us.”

    The robot did as it was told.

    Thorn offered his hand to Gwin sheepishly. She took it, and they started to
dance.

    “Circles!” Gwin laughed, trying to imitate the mayor. “Circles! We’re doing
circles, everyone.”

    Dr. Troodle extended his hand to his wife. She wanted to stay mad at him but
couldn’t. Shaking her head, she took his hand and danced with him.

    “Well, Tonya,” Simon said, “care to dance?”

    “I thought you’d never ask.”

    The young woman got off the hover chair and held onto Simon. A worried look
appeared on the specialist’s face as he played with his portable keypad, but he said
nothing.

    Tonya kept tugging on her green tunic as they moved. It was the same outfit
she had worn when Simon had first met her. Except for some missing hair, she looked exactly as he
remembered her that day she appeared out of nowhere and saved him from Buz and Spike.

    “What’s wrong?” Simon asked.

    “I think this outfit has shrunk.”

    Simon chuckled. “No, I think you’ve grown.”

    “It just feels a little too tight, that’s all.”

    “Well, why did you wear it then?”

    “One, it’s fire retardant and the rest of my clothes burned with the house,
and two, I’m not about to be seen in public wearing those baby doll dresses.”

    They both laughed, but then Tonya suddenly winced in pain. She clutched her
stomach and doubled over.

    “Doctor!” Simon called.

    The specialist rushed over and ran some quick scans. “It’s getting worse,” he
said. “Stand back, Simon.”

    Simon rested Tonya on the ground, and the specialist swept her body with a
device. When he finished, Tonya sat up and moaned, “It still hurts a little.”

    “You’re nearing the threshold of our medical expertise. I don’t think I’ll be
able to stop the next mutation. You should leave now while you still can.”

    Simon helped Tonya to her feet and led her to the paratransceiver, where
Thornapple and Har were already standing. He typed in the coordinates of the white planet, and a
confirmation message appeared on the screen.

    “Just press that green button,” Simon said, squeezing in with the other
teenagers.

    “Goodbye,” Mrs. Troodle cried.

    “We love you, son,” said Dr. Troodle.

    Thorn tried in vain to hide his sniffling. “I love you, too.”

    Harr and Grog waved their goodbyes while Mayor Gordon pressed the green
button. The last thing the teenagers saw before they were engulfed in blue energy was Gwin…
winking.

    Surrounded by an electrical force field, the group was catapulted through
several tunnels of the vast parastream and then pushed into their destined portal. Before they
knew it, they were standing in total darkness.

    “Uh, Tonya,” Thorn asked nervously, “where are we?”

    A faint glow appeared at the tips of Tonya’s fingers, giving just enough
light for them to see.

    “Holy cow,” she whispered as she looked around the dark chamber. “This isn’t
good.”

Chapter 27
    

    

    Sparkling gems and gold trinkets filled the narrow room. Ancient artifacts
and statues lined the walls, and a great number of old books lay on the dusty floor.

    “Hello?” Thorn said loudly.

    “
Shhh!
” Tonya hissed. “What do you think you’re doing?”

    “Trying to see if anyone’s home.”

    “Oh, that’s
great
thinking from our genius Pud. Yeah, let’s just call attention to ourselves so we can
thank whoever owns this place for letting us use their secret paratransceiver. Maybe they’ll let
us take some of this gold as well.”

    “I see your point,” the little Pud said, looking down at his shoes.

    “Why did we end up in this treasure room in the first place?” Simon
asked.

    Tonya stepped off the round platform and answered, “My guess is that whoever
owns this place doesn’t realize someone else has the coordinates for their
paratransceiver.”

    “Or maybe they don’t even know about this room,” Simon suggested, after
wiping away the dust on the control panel with his finger.

    “I guess that’s possible.” Tonya messed with the control panel, but it
wouldn’t turn on. “Looks like it’s out of juice. Let’s get out of here.”

    She led her friends through a dark passageway until they came to a dead
end.

    “I think I hear voices coming from the other side,” Simon whispered.

    The young man put his ear to the wall, but the second he touched the cold
surface, he suddenly found himself on the other side. He looked around and realized he was in a
closet. The voices were much louder now.