Into the Interdimensional Vortex with Gideon and Professor Owens

The hot sun of the desert world swelled over Gideon’s head as he dragged his dusty feet through the sand. The day was long, and the heat only seemed to grow stronger by the hour. He kept his eyes on his grandfather, who walked with a steady pace despite the blistering heat.

“We should take a break,” Gideon said, wiping the sweat from his brow.

“Not yet,” his grandfather replied.

Gideon nodded, and continued walking. The two had been walking for hours now, and hadn’t stopped once since they had left their ship, which sat on the other side of the dune.

The ship itself was a marvel, and a wonder to behold. It was a large white disc that floated a few meters above the sand, glowing with an eerie blue light.

Professor Arnold Owens had told him to call him Grandpa, and that they were going on a journey together. He said they would be visiting many worlds, and that they would meet many people along the way. He said they would be learning things, and finding new things to learn. But he didn’t say how long this journey would last, or how far it would go.

He couldn’t really remember how long he had known his Grandpa. He knew he had been gone for a while. It must have been at least two years, he figured. But he didn’t know where he had been. Only that he had been gone, and then one day he returned. And then they were off for this journey.

“This is our first stop, boy,” Grandpa said, as they finally reached the top of the dune.

Gideon looked down the other side of the dune and could see the ship. It was still a ways off, but he had to squint and shield his eyes from the glare of the sun.

“It’s so hot,” Gideon said. “Can we please stop?”

His Grandpa turned to him and smiled. “Soon. There’s something I want to show you.”

Gideon nodded and followed his Grandpa as he walked toward the edge of the dune. They stopped, and Grandpa pointed to the horizon.

“What do you see?” Grandpa asked.

Gideon placed his hand over his brow, and stared out into the distance. He saw the sand, and then the horizon, and the blue sky. And then he saw it. A small green dot rising from the sand. It was so far away that he could barely make out its shape, but he knew what it was.

“A door,” he said.

“Yes, boy. A door.”

They stared at it for a while, neither saying anything. Gideon had seen the doors before. They always seemed to appear in places like this. Alone on a planet, with no one around. They came in all shapes and sizes. Some were tall and narrow. Others where short and wide.

“I’ve never seen that kind before,” Gideon said, pointing at the small green dot. “What is it?”

“That’s a good question,” Grandpa said, turning to him. “And one I’d like to find out.”

Gideon followed his Grandpa as he began walking forward again. He stayed close to his side, as they made their way down the other side of the dune. They crossed over to the ship and climbed the ladder up to the door.

Gideon stood a few steps behind his Grandpa as he approached the door. He watched as he placed his hand on it, and smiled. He could hear the soft hum of electricity from inside the door, as it slowly lowered itself to the ground. His Grandpa stepped inside, and Gideon followed.

The door closed behind them as they stood in a small, dark room. Gideon could barely make out his Grandpa’s figure, standing at the other end of the room. He walked forward, and the lights slowly started to turn on.

Gideon could see the room now, and it looked very similar to the others he had seen before. It was small, with a table to his right, and a chair to his left. The walls were plain and white, and there were small lights above them.

“Wonderful,” Grandpa said, smiling. “Let us see where this leads us.”

He walked to the back of the room, and placed his hand on another panel. It lit up, and a set of numbers appeared on the screen. He tapped a few of the buttons, and then pressed enter. He waited for a moment, and then the screen went blank again.

“Interesting,” he said, rubbing his chin. “It appears that someone else has already been here.”

Gideon didn’t know exactly what that meant, but he wasn’t going to ask. He watched as his Grandpa walked back toward him, and then he smiled.

“Let’s go, boy. We’ll find out who was here soon enough.”

Gideon nodded, and followed his Grandpa out of the room. The door lowered again, and they walked out into the hot sun. Gideon shielded his eyes from the glare, and then followed his Grandpa, who walked toward the green door.

“Maybe it’s a new place to visit,” Gideon said.

“That’s possible,” Grandpa replied, as he approached the door.