Separate Worlds part I

The headache that comes with the transfer is the worst part but the rest is no picnic either. One moment John Gray is here the next he's some place new, always someplace new. It's the effect of the transfer, not that he had any real choice. Do your time or participate in the MDDM experiment (Multidimensional Direct Acceleration Matrix) was the choice, no real choice at all.

With a flash of blinding light John and tremor of pain John falls to his knees and dry heaves. It must be the sadomasochistic side of me but I don't want to die today, he thinks slowly getting to his feet to take stock of the verdant pine forest and a small weather beaten cabin

"Daddy, Daddy your back," clamors the musical voice of a little girl as she sprints from around the end of the cabin, her ginger locks flying everywhere. "Look what I found down by the pond..." she starts to say holding up a small bullfrog before exploding into tears as she almost vaults headlong into John. "Your not my Daddy."

"I..." starts John instinctively reaching out to comfort the little girl and her waterworks continued.

"They took him. They took my Daddy and... He said he'd come back," she pleaded looking at him with big brown eyes.

"Who, took him? What's... Why are you in the woods?Do you live here?" he said using the sleeve of his shirt to brush away her tears.

"The 'scienterists'. They came yesterday and said they needed my Daddy to stay to work but he said no and said we were going on vacation here instead, cause of the Asteroid coming," replied the girl.

"Asteroid? Is your Daddy a scientist?"

"I don't know but he works with the telescopes and he said the Asteroid was gonna come." she replied.

"Did he say when?" he queried her.

"Today, see" she replied pointing up at the sky where even in the daylight a distinct blur of light dominated the sky.

"Oh boy," he gulped.