Episode 5: Cleanup on the Aisle 5

Hello everyone!

Sorry about not posting yesterday. As some of you know, I have began studying to become an occupational therapist and my school started this week. You can say it has been hectic. But here is another Marek story.

Hugo Marek watched the tear from a safe distance. It was bigger than the readings had told. If he hadn’t halted the cruisers going through the area, there would be more significant trouble than a mixed schedule and few bucks lost. The thing in front of his shuttle could swallow anything, making the passengers lost in time and space. Nothing was as it should be.

He once again glanced into a reference image and reading what the are should look like, and to say things were off would be putting it mildly.

“Jules, can you interpret the readings?” he asked.

“Yes, Hugo. Would you like me to read you the jumbled connections between time and space?” the AI asked.

“No need to. I can already see it. That time has shifted seven points into the future, and space has moved into another dimension, bring their readings with them,” he said.

“Then how can I help?” the AI asked.

“Just wondering aloud. Any idea what might cause that thing?” Hugo mumbled more to himself than to Jules.

“Would you want me to speculate on from the data and current theories?”

“No need to. I know the theories.” One was that the universe was running out of time. That the barriers between dimensions were thinning. But that was only a niche explanation because no one really wanted to believe in it. There would be nothing they could do. Just bandage the areas and hope for a few more generations to survive until everything collapsed. Another theory was that humans were making the tears to come up with the new technologies they knew nothing about. Quantum this and quantum that. And what about the after the fact as they tampered with the universe with their cruising ships and the rest of the lot? Could they shift the time and space around or wear down the routes which were the most-traveled? Had they built poorly made engines? Another not generally supported theory even when the evidence pointed towards it. The tears seemed to happen on the busiest routes.

But Hugo had to admit, that could be only a coincidence. Of course, they noticed the tears better at the points with heavy traffic. Holy space cows only knew what was out there on the outskirts of the human population, where only a few dared to venture.

Maybe he should have taken the risk and become a space cowboy and go where the softies didn’t want to go and discover what was beyond there. Thus far, humanity hadn’t found a single new alien race. Not at least an intelligent one. Only natural fauna and flora.

“Jules, start the repair program. We need to move the are back to the present time. Let’s see if that already fixes the dimensional leak,” Hugo said.

“Shall I do the calculations or?” the AI asked.

“No, show me the scale, and I will do it.”

Thank you for reading! Have a lovely day ❤