Chapter 6: Mirror, Mirror
LIBBY: (gaping) CINDY! It’s…YOU!
**Cindy stands motionless before a mirror image of herself. Her eyes trail over the fiery emerald eyes, fair skin, and blonde hair that she knows so well, but she can barely believe what she is seeing. It’s like looking in the mirror, only the image on the other side is older and more beautiful. Her reflection gazes down at her, and a crafty smile twists her lips**
AURORA: (smirking) Surprised to see me?
CINDY: You’re…you’re ME.
JIMMY: NO WAY! Cindy? Cindy, is that really you?
AURORA: Wow, I haven’t been called by that name in a while. But yes, it’s me. Only my name isn’t Cindy anymore. It’s Aurora.
CINDY: (still astonished) Aurora…that’s my middle name…
AURORA: No kidding. Where else do you think I got it from?
SHEEN: Youch! She is smokin’. (to Cindy) Hey Cindy, I had no idea that you’d turn out like that. You wanna hang out some time?
CINDY: Back off you little freak! Besides, she’s not really me…
AURORA: Au contraire. I AM you…well, in a manner of speaking. I’m ten years older and apparently also from a different universe. By the way, I’m very curious to find out how all of you got here.
**She gives a cruel laugh**
AURORA: Let me guess Neutron, did another one of your experiments go awry?
**Jimmy stands frozen beneath her intense stare, unable to respond**
AURORA: Hah. I figured as much.
**She fixes her eyes on him and gives a dangerous smile. His mouth drops open a bit, and for a moment he seems utterly exposed, stripped of all defenses as her venom green eyes bore into his. Luckily for him, Jimmy is spared from further scrutiny because at that exact moment, Carl collapses**
APRIL: (gasping) Aurora, this is awful! These kids are dehydrated and probably half dead from heat stroke and here we are, standing around in the middle of the desert when we have a ship right over there.
AURORA: Well, let’s get a move on then. I’m sick of this stupid planet anyway.
**April secures her weapon in a holster around her waist, and then stoops down, grabs Carl, and effortlessly slings him over her shoulder. Aurora turns heal and they proceed towards the ship. Jimmy, Sheen, Cindy, and Libby follow close behind them, gazing at the two women in silent awe**
LIBBY: (whispering) Wow, Cindy. Your future self is amazin’! Did you check out her outfit and those guns? Talk about space age!
CINDY: Tell me about it. And did you see the way she stared Neutron down like that? I’ve never seen him so scared in his life.
**They giggle quietly**
CINDY: I can’t help wondering, though. How on earth did she wind up here, with April the Gorlock of all people? And what the heck were they talking about earlier? It sounded pretty heavy. I mean, if there is a war or something going on, I would think that we’d be the last people who’d be able to help.
LIBBY: Seriously, girl…that is, except Jimmy. I’m sure he’d be able to help.
CINDY: That’s what I was thinking too, but now I’m not so sure. They didn’t look at all happy to see him. I mean, didn’t you see the way April practically flipped out when he touched her? Besides, if they really wanted Jimmy’s help, why didn’t they just ask the Jimmy in this universe?
LIBBY: Hmm. Good point.
**The girls’ conversation is cut short when they arrive at the ship. Aurora walks up the rampway and waits impatiently by the door. A computerized voice speaks**
COMPUTER: Identify yourself.
AURORA: It’s me, you stupid piece of machinery!
COMPUTER: Identity confirmed. Welcome back, Aurora.
**The doors slide open, and she breezes past them. April follows behind her, and the kids cautiously toddle in behind. They enter a dark corridor, and there is a jolt as the ship presumably lifts of the ground and flies upward**
AURORA: Lights!
**Instantly, a chain of bluish lights flickers to life. Like dominoes, the light tumbles down the corridor and illuminates a strange, shining blue door. April rests a still unconscious Carl on the floor, and then Aurora and April walk together to the door and place their hands on the two panels on either side of the wall. Sheen rushes forward and crams his way between them**
SHEEN: Wow, this is cooler than cool!
AURORA: Don't touch the door, stupid! If you do...
**With an enormous grin plastered on his face, Sheen lays a single finger on the surface. There is a crackle of electricity and a flash of light, and Sheen is sent rocketing backwards. He slams into Libby, and they both fly backward and roll across the floor until they come to a stop at the end of the corridor. Libby coughs and tries to force air back into her lungs, then turns frantically to Sheen. All the while, Goddard is barking like crazy**
LIBBY: (shaking him) Sheen! Sheen! Are you OK! Speak to me!
**He sits up, eyes wide**
SHEEN: (still crackling with energy) Man that was cool! Let's do it again!
LIBBY: Ugh! Sheen!
AURORA: (from across the corridor) What, do you have a death wish or something?! That shock could have killed you!
**Libby helps him to his feet, and they wobble back to the others**
JIMMY: (shaking his head) Sheen, what have I told you about touching unfamiliar things?
SHEEN: I couldn't help it! It was…so...so SHINY!
APRIL: Aurora warned you not to touch the door. You should have listened.
CINDY: Oh please, it's not his fault…for once. What do you expect? When you have a booby-trapped door on your ship, someone's bound to get hurt!
APRIL: That's the idea. We can't just have anyone coming in and out of here. Security is our number one concern.
JIMMY: Why?
AURORA: (whirling around) To keep out people like YOU, Ok!?
**Her voice cracks, and for a moment her green eyes are tainted with shades of bitter sorrow. She glares at him through tear-brimmed eyes, and her entire body seems to bristle with controlled rage. But only for a moment. As rapidly as the outburst began, Aurora composes herself and her expression relaxes**
AURORA: (taking a deep breath) Now let's get on with this. April? Ready?
APRIL: On your signal.
**The women place their hands on the panels again**
APRIL AND AURORA: (in unison) Open.
**There is a hiss of air, and the doors slide open**
SHEEN: Aww, that's it? I was at least expecting "Open Sesame" or something a little more creative. I mean c'mon! Anyone can say "open!" Some high-tech security system.
APRIL: (eyes blazing) Think before you speak, boy. The door is voice sensitive...it only opens to the combined sound of our voices.
AURORA: You really know how to rub people the wrong way, don't you Sheen? I suggest you keep your mouth shut, because April and I aren't exactly the most patient people you'll ever meet. Now can it and follow me.
**April re-shoulders Carl, and the women enter into a dark, narrow passageway beyond the door. Jimmy, Cindy, Libby, and Sheen trail close behind, rendered mute by the strangeness of the whole situation and the commanding presence of these two powerful women. Ahead, the passage branches into two separate hallways; the one on the left seemingly identical to the one on the right**
AURORA: April, take fat boy to the sick bay while I show the rest to the cockpit.
APRIL: Don't you think it would be wiser to show the children to the kitchen? They look dangerously dehydrated and they are probably half starved.
AURORA: Fine, April. I'll show them to the cockpit, THEN to the kitchen. Now go!
APRIL: Jimmy, would it be all right if Goddard came with Carl and me? I think your friend would be less frightened if he woke up to a familiar face.
JIMMY: Sure...I guess.
**April heads off to the right with Goddard and Carl, and Aurora motions for the other kids to follow her down the left passage. After a short walk, they come to another door, and this one automatically slides open as they approach**
AURORA: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome aboard The Desperado…
**She motions for them to go ahead, and one by one they enter. What awaits them inside is more like a luxury apartment than a cockpit. The large, high-ceilinged room is lined with panels glittering with multicolor buttons, and two padded chairs rest behind the largest set of consoles. In front of the two chairs, a transparent, window-like portal arches up from the floor and tapers to a gentle bend at the summit of the room. Beyond its glassy curves, a carpet of stars shimmers soothingly in the void of space**
SHEEN: (smiling broadly) Wow! This is the third coolest thing I've ever seen, right after that 47 hour Ultralord marathon I watched, and the time I spied on Libby in the bathroom!
LIBBY: WHAT??? You disgustin' little freak!
**She dives at him, and he gives a screech and runs away, then flings himself behind one of the chairs**
SHEEN: (cowering) I was kidding! I was kidding!
**She grabs him by the shirt and whacks him over the head**
SHEEN: Ow! Ouch! Ah! Jeez, watch the ear, will ya? (leaning closer) Hey…sniff sniff…Mmmm…you smell good! What is that scent? Sniff…sniff...I gotta get me some of that! Oh, and would you do me a favor and hold me a little closer when you're hitting me? I'm trying to count your beauty marks.
LIBBY: (chasing him under the control panel) UHH!!! You're gonna regret sayin' that! Get back here!
**Cindy, Jimmy, and Aurora do their best to ignore them, and begin talking quietly by the entrance**
CINDY: So...are we in space?
AURORA: Yes. We're currently in orbit around the planet below. Hopefully we'll leave soon…that is assuming that April gets her butt in gear. I wanted to leave 2 days ago, but she insisted that she needed to do some target practice with her new weapon, blah blah blah.
JIMMY: You know, it's a good thing she did. Otherwise, you never would've found us.
CINDY: It's so weird to think about...in this whole vast universe, we were on the exact same planet at the exact same time. It seems almost impossible.
AURORA: It IS impossible, by all rights.
JIMMY: She's right. Statistically, the chances of our meeting were so unlikely that it doesn't even make any sense.
**Libby stops beating Sheen long enough to speak**
LIBBY: Do you think it's fate?
AURORA: (scornfully) Fate? Puh-leeze. I stopped believing in that years ago. Irony, maybe, but not fate.
JIMMY: Or quantum entanglement...it can happen, you know. According to the multiverse theory, there are an infinite number of universes stemming from each choice a person makes in his or her lifetime. Our universes are exactly the same…but somewhere along the line, ONE of us made a choice that changed things forever. If we can figure out what that choice was, what that one crucial event was, then we'll be one step closer to understanding all of this.
**Aurora meets his gaze, hatred mingling with deep regret**
AURORA: I already know what that choice was.
LIBBY: Really? What?
AURORA: (no reply)
LIBBY: Aurora? Did you hear me?
AURORA: (no reply)
CINDY: Um, hello! She asked you a question! Aren't you going to answer?
AURORA: Hey, who's hungry? What do you say we head to the kitchen and get some food, huh?
JIMMY: Quit changing the subject! I want some answers right now, or we're not going to help you with whatever it is that you need help with. It's MY turn to ask the questions! Now, what are you two involved in? What's all this talk about war and calamities?
CINDY: Ya, and how did YOU end up with APRIL? Last time I checked, she and I weren't exactly tight. And how the heck did the two of you get a ship and end up on some deserted planet?
JIMMY: Where are the rest of our alternate future selves?
LIBBY: And why did April freak when Jimmy touched her?
SHEEN: And do you have any really big space guns? I wanna blast something really bad!
AURORA: All right! All right! Back off, people! I know you guys must be practically dying from confusion. I promise, I'll answer all of your questions very soon. I want to wait for Carl and April to get back from the sick bay before I start my explanations. Now, in the meantime, what do you say we get you something to eat and drink? I don't want anyone else fainting, thank you very much.
CINDY: Well let's get on with it, then. And can we speed things up a bit? I'm gonna go nuts if I don't get some questions answered pretty soon.
AURORA: Deal with it. The greatest questions in my life have never been answered, but somehow, I've managed to keep going.
**Libby throws Cindy a look, and Jimmy stares at Aurora, a sort of confused expression on his face**
AURORA: Let's go.
