Chapter Text
I’m super fucking pissed. I’m as pissed as a black hole is dense. I spent fucking weeks working on my thesis and this fat ass of a balding Dean has found it unacceptable? What a fucking joke.
“I’m sorry but what part of this is ‘unacceptable’?” I say, barely restraining myself in forced politeness. The corners of my “smile” are already twitching. When he looks up at me, there’s a glint of condescension in the Dean’s eyes.
“As I said before, Na-“
Feeling quite annoyed, I interrupt him. “I thought I told you to call me Schuyler. This is literally about the fifth time I had to correct you. I don’t go by my first name. Don’t make me repeat myself another time.” By the time I’m done talking, my voice is raised. Why isn’t this complete moron understanding anything? I’m beginning to think he’s being difficult on purpose.
With the smugness radiating off him like a foul stank, I wouldn’t be surprised.
“The fact is; this paper is full of conspiracy and science fiction. This is an esteemed school. And this?!” The Dean gestures expressively at the numerous papers thrown haphazardly across his desk. “This is an utter embarrassment!”
Taking a second to gather himself, the Dean’s voice lowers with derision. “Do you have any idea what the people will say if this trash gets published? They will treat us like we’re living in bunkers and wearing tinfoil hats. I know you are considered ‘gifted’ but-” He lets the word hang there, sneering down at me. What a cock sucker. No wonder why his wife left him and took the kids last year.
Remember Schuyler. Patience is a virtue.
“But what?” I demand, anger flushing my skin deeply. “Everything in there is a possibility. I did the calculations and everything. It just needs an immense power source that’s currently unavailable! I explained that with perfect clarity in my actual fucking paper but I guess you can’t fucking see anything with your ego in the way!”
“Now you listen here, I don’t care about your thesis. I’m ordering you to write another, Nat-“
My eyes go red and next thing I know, my fist has already connected with his nose.
Wow, a nose can bleed a lot…
-And that's how I got expelled.
Apparently what I did is ‘illegal’ and needs to be ‘punished’. I don’t fucking care at this rate. I have no one to be disappointed in me. Not anymore. But still, they’re wrong. My thesis isn’t bullshit, and I’ll prove it.
Who cares if I had to steal my experiment from the lab at the college? I’ll be long gone before they catch a whiff of any wrong doings.
I carry the massive metal contraption filled with way too many wires and buttons on the back of an old and chipped red truck. Honestly, she should be in a junkyard by now. She’s only still working because of my affection and a lot of luck.
“Wow, nothing sweats me out like science and crime,” I say aloud, stretching my arms after unloading the contraption. Giving myself a moment to gather my bearings, I unceremoniously throw my small luggage onto the passenger seat. Then I’m piling into the car and buckling up for the long drive on the road towards home.
I’d been living in dormitories because it was easier for my studies. But I have land that I brought dirt cheap right before college. Just a small patch of rocky land deep in the forest a couple miles away. Home sweet home is a ramshackle shack. Ain’t homely but it’s mine.
The insides aren’t elegant in many ways either. Basic bathroom that luckily has its own room. An inflatable mattress in a corner filled with quilts and a sleeping bed. The pillows are lackluster at best and lumpy at worst. Not to mention the mountain of stuffed animals thrown every which way on the mattress. Sleep comes eventually, but it’s never particularly pleasant.
I have a small kitchenette with a heat plate and a microwave and a rarely used fridge. It only has the basics for sustenance but has way too many boxes of ramen and energy bars stacked in the cupboards. Someone would probably freak if they knew my diet.
But okay, look, I never have time to cook. I’m busy being a hot sexy genius, obviously. Just be glad I don’t order fast food everyday. Even I have my limits. But it’s not the interior I’m gonna worry about now.
Slowly, with great care, I carry my metal contraption into what is the closest thing I have to a backyard. The machine is twice as tall as I am, and is shaped like something akin to a miniature radio tower with wires of numerous colors that all trail downwards to the bottom. They kinda look like rubbery inorganic vines. Like technology growing to overtake nature.
Pretty much, the contraption looks like an alcohol fueled, drug inspired art project.
I step my way over the insane amount of trailing wires and extension cords connected to my handmade generators. On the way I absolutely don’t trip and land face first -I did no such thing, nope- and I finally make it over to my makeshift control panel.
All I have to do is press the green button.
“Here it goes!” I exclaim and slam the button, As I do, a devious smirk curls over my lips. I did the numbers, I ran the calculations. I spent way too many nights sleepless for this. It has to work.
It lights up and glows, steadily getting hotter and hotter.
“OH SHIT THAT’S FUCKING SPARKING!” I panic, before slapping my own cheek to focus. “No no, get yourself together Schuyler. It’s okay. It’s not science that revolutionizes the future without some explosions.”
I get closer to try to fix the fireworks of my contraption. When everything slows and goes white and silent and warm.
“OH FUCK WHAT IS THA-“ I scream before a immese shock hailing from my contraption slammed me against the wall of shack. Eyes are swimming. Damn must have gotten a concussion. An annoying beeping noise is persistent. Where is it hailing from? I search around with a thrumming head. That needs to be checked soon. Wait……..the phone I connected to the tower is hailing someone? IT ACTUALLY WORKED? Or did I hail a nearby radio station? There needed to be another tower to even start communication. This was just a test. Forget the concussion. It’s science time. I grab the device.
[H….hel…hello….read me….]
[Hello? Dammit is this thing working?
Can anyone read me?]
Well.
I’ll be damned.
“Suck it Dean! I JUST ESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH ANOTHER UNIVERSE! I was right as I always am!” A joyous laugh rips itself from my chest, and I lean back against the wall for a moment before responding.
[I read you! I read you!]