1ST GEAR | VIDEO

[gearshifting]

[Richie is excited but nervous, unsure what to expect from this new world and all of the people in it. But mostly excited. He’s never gotten to dimension hop before! And people say that Virgil gets all the fun. Not that it doesn't completely suck that all of his tech is back home. Couldn't they have brought him when he was in costume? Of course not that would be too easy.

So he’s putting his best foot forward and trying to look as cheery as possible—while also trying to get as much data from the network as he can.]

Yo, man, this place is off the chain, but I’m pretty sure my mom is against me traveling out of town on my own, let alone to an alternate universe. I hope I get a note to take home that says “We apologize for taking your son on an interdimensional field trip without prior permission. Next time make sure to pack a lunch.” [He holds out his hand a bit like he’s reading something on it but then turns his eyes back to the screen.]

I’m sure the Justice League would have been all over this. Saving universes is their thing. Me? I have a math final to study for. But I’m here, so who else is a world-hopping newbie? I can’t be the only one around.

Comments

[khajidont]

Most people do. And hey, if you got any questions, I can probably answer 'em; I've bee n here for, uh... a long time now.

I'm Jaime, by the way.

[gearshifting]

Thanks. I'm Richie. At this point "everything" is the question. Haise gave me the run down about the Soviets still kicking around giving the US a headache, and a couple links to follow, but it can't be all that simple.

Why not bring people who already have powers instead of people who don't? Who came up with this idea?

[khajidont]

Nobody did. The people in charge don't actually have control over who the Porter brings in, or who it ports out, otherwise we wouldn't really be in this mess in the first place. Whoever comes and leaves? That's up to the Porter.

[gearshifting]

So the Porter is some kind of smart computer that thinks for itself?

[Oh great. Is this Brainiac all over again? He's more than done with computers making his choices for him instead of the other way around.]

[khajidont]

Uh... pretty much? I mean, that's what we've figured out, anyway, unless it's going off of some old, old programming.

[gearshifting]

How do we know anything about it? Does it talk to anyone?

[khajidont]

No. But...

[Jaime sighs, because this is complicated, and way, way above his paygrade.]

Okay, this is gonna sound crazy. Basically before imPorts were brought into this world, a couple years ago, they were in another one. When they were there, the Porter that brought them in was sentient, apparently? But then that universe was destroyed, and people came here instead.

So people figure that the Porter's still sentient?

[gearshifting]

[Richie is staring. Just staring. Then he laughs out loud.]

You're right. That sounds crazy as all get out. Not the craziest thing I've ever heard, but pretty sure it's up there. We get kidnapped by a super computer that dumps universes when they go bad.

[khajidont]

I guess so, yeah. But I don't think that'll happen to this universe... or at least I hope not. [He offers Richie a little smile.] There are some people who don't like imPorts around here, don't get me wrong, but most of them are good people. I hope you'll like it here, as much as you can like a place that you never wanted to be in the first place.

[gearshifting]

I'll be trying. I'm sure I can waste a couple weeks at the arcade to keep myself busy. [Look at the positivity here. A couple weeks? That's some optimism.]

They don't have us on a curfew or anything right?

[khajidont]

Nah, nothing like that. All of the laws here are probably like the ones you got back home, so long as your rules are, you know, normal. Stay away from punching people and stealing and, like, embezzlement and stuff and you're golden.

[gearshifting]

"Normal" for us means 10 o'clock curfew but hanging out until midnight anyway. [You know, like teenagers do.]

So I guess as long as that's not a factor, I'm good. No problems here, bro. Generally speaking. The problem is going to be staying busy. What do the cool kids do around here to stay hoppin'?

[khajidont]

Uh... well, I don't think any of us actually call ourselves cool kids, and I can't say I've ever done much hopping.

[Your slang, buddy! Where's it from!]

You should check out whatever you liked doing back home, honestly. You'll like the arcades; they've got a ton of VR here. Wayyyyy better than anything I got at home. And, uh... hoverboards are pretty cool? I already gave mine away, though.

[gearshifting]

Dude, that was a joke. [Who would ever actually call themselves "the cool kids"?]

But you had me at hoverboard. Do they really hover or is it more of a air propulsion thing? What are the specs?