PART ONE: DISCOVERY
Chapter 1: The Genius
The pen stopped moving.
Ruckus Howling set down his physics exam after exactly fifteen minutes, gathered his papers, and walked to the front of the lecture hall. Every head turned to watch him. The clock on the wall read 9:15 a.m. The exam was scheduled to end at 11:00 a.m.
The lecturer took the papers, glanced at the equations, and smiled despite himself. "That's a quick one."
"Yeah," Ruckus said simply, and walked out.
He was handsome in an understated way—simple clothing, an intellectual look that came naturally rather than being cultivated. At twenty-two, he'd already exhausted most of what the university's physics department could teach him. The problem wasn't that the material was difficult. The problem was that nothing challenged him anymore.
Outside, he mounted his bicycle and rode through the tree-lined campus streets, heading to the five-story apartment he shared with his roommate Jerry. The bird's-eye view of his journey showed a young man moving through the world with practiced efficiency, already half-asleep to the routine of his genius.
His apartment was sparse—a couch, a TV, the bare necessities. Ruckus tossed his bag aside, grabbed a soda from the freezer, and collapsed onto the couch. The television flickered to life, showing some mindless afternoon programming. Within minutes, he was asleep.
When Jerry Matthew walked in at 11:15, he found Ruckus exactly where he'd expected—unconscious on the couch, an empty soda bottle in his hand.
"You did it in fifteen minutes," Jerry said, his voice carrying a mix of admiration and exasperation.
Jerry was nearly obese, perpetually cynical, and completely ordinary in a way that Ruckus found both comforting and frustrating. Where Ruckus burned through problems with laser focus, Jerry struggled through them with determination and borrowed notes.
Ruckus opened his eyes halfway. "It's easy."
"That's the most difficult physics paper this semester. You're amazing."
Ruckus's face darkened. He took his soda and walked to the window, staring out at the campus below. "That's the problem with me. I'm too good. I just want to do something different."
"Like what?"
"I don't know. This world is just the same to me. I wish I could go to another dimension and do something."
Jerry laughed, pulling out his own soda from the freezer. "Well, that's a good one. A really first-class joke from a brilliant guy like you." He took a long sip. "You know what? I think your real problem is that you don't make use of your genius. You don't use it as an opportunity to grab what's around you. You know what I'm going to say here?"
Ruckus shook his head.
"Your social life! Girls! Women! That's what I mean. You just have to open up. You can't stay in your room every time you finish classes. You have to go out there and meet somebody. And your trademark is you're the most brilliant guy in our faculty. Did you know that Meg Nelson, the prettiest girl in our class, has her eye on you? And Joy Smith, the millionaire's daughter who approached you that day, remember? They all want you because you're the smartest, the one with the brain. Use it, man!"
Ruckus turned from the window. "Well, thanks a lot for the advice. I'm really looking forward to it."
He walked into his bedroom and closed the door, leaving Jerry shaking his head at yet another failed attempt to inject some normalcy into his roommate's life.
What Jerry didn't know—what Ruckus himself didn't yet know—was that his wish for something different was about to be granted in the most terrifying way possible.
Chapter 2: The Contact
The university park was Ruckus's refuge when the apartment walls felt too close. He sat on a bench near the pond, watching the afternoon light play on the water. Beside him, an unkempt man threw seeds to the ducks—tall, pale, with wild hair that suggested he'd forgotten to look in a mirror for several days.
"Do this often?" Ruckus asked.
The man stopped throwing, turning with a surprised expression. "Yeah."
"How does it feel?"
The man considered this seriously. "Satisfying. Here, try it."
He handed Ruckus some seeds. Ruckus threw them into the pond, watching the ducks scramble. A smile crept across his face. "Wow! This is good. Nice!"
"Now you get it! What are you majoring in?"
"Quantum Physics."
"How is it?"
"Same old repeating theories."
The man nodded thoughtfully. "Well, it may save our lives." He stood, brushing seeds from his hands. "All right, I have to go now. I have a class at 5 p.m."
"What about the duck food?"
"Finish it. I bet you'll come again and do the same thing." He extended his hand. "By the way, my name is Samuel Matheson. What's yours?"
"Ruckus Howling."
"Nice to meet you, Ruckus. Okay, bye!"
As Professor Matheson walked away, Ruckus continued throwing seeds, but his mind was elsewhere. What does he mean by Quantum Physics can save our lives?
The question would haunt him for days.
Chapter 3: The Discovery
Three days later, while paying for groceries downtown, Ruckus spotted Professor Matheson crossing the street. The professor moved quickly, glancing around nervously, and disappeared into the Hope Spiritual Center.
Ruckus followed.
Inside, the center was cool and dim, lit by tall stained-glass windows. Hemen Welch, the preacher—a tall, elderly man with spectacles—looked up from his reading as Ruckus approached.
"Can I help you, my son?"
"I'm looking for a man who just walked in here a few minutes ago."
The preacher's face remained placid. "I saw no one."
"But I saw him coming in just now. A man about six feet tall, wearing a brown coat."
"I'm sorry. I've been sitting on this stage all afternoon. If anybody came in, I'd be the first to see him. You can look around if you want. This center is open to anyone, my son."
Something about the preacher's tone bothered Ruckus. Too smooth, too practiced. "Are you sure?"
"Are you in trouble, my son? This center can definitely help you. We give counseling and advice services, especially for young men like you who may have some problems. You know, this time of age."
"No, no. I have no problem. I'm all right."
"Are you sure? We can talk."
"Yes, it's true. No problem. I'm okay." Ruckus backed toward the door. "Sorry if I've disturbed you."
He left, but instead of going home, he crossed the street to a small restaurant with a window view of the center's entrance. He ordered coffee and waited.
Two hours later, Professor Matheson emerged, looked carefully in both directions, and hurried away.
Ruckus smiled. The preacher had lied. But why?
That evening, in the university library, Ruckus searched the card catalog for anything written by Samuel Matheson. He found several academic papers, but one title jumped out: "The Existence of the Second Dimension."
Ruckus pulled the paper from the stacks and devoured it. The professor's theory was radical—he proposed that multiple dimensions existed simultaneously, occupying the same space but vibrating at different frequencies. More incredibly, he suggested that doorways between dimensions could be opened using specific quantum resonance patterns.
The mainstream physics community had dismissed it as pseudoscience. But Ruckus recognized something in the mathematics, something elegant and possibly true.
He slipped the papers into his jacket and checked them out, already planning his next move.
Chapter 4: The Portal
Back at the apartment, Ruckus spread the papers across his desk. Jerry wandered in with his perpetual soda.
"What's all this about?"
"Traveling into other dimensions."
Jerry leaned over, squinting at the equations. "Is this real?"
"If it's not real, why would he write it?"
"Who's the writer?"
"Professor Samuel Matheson."
Jerry's eyes widened. "Samuel Matheson? That maniac?"
"You know him?"
"Everybody in the faculty knows him for his weird theories. He wants everyone to believe in his stupid theories, especially this other dimension thing. And he'll be teaching us next semester. Oh man!"
"But he seemed all right. I met him yesterday in the park. We talked."
Jerry shook his head. "Just because someone seems normal at first doesn't mean they'll stay that way. People say he became like that after his wife died."
"His wife died?"
"Yeah, in a freak accident. He couldn't take it, and that's why he went crazy and created these fake theories."
"I don't think he's as crazy as his theories suggest."
"You're saying that because you want it to be true. I know you want to be in another dimension. That's why you'll defend this man and his theories. Come on, Ruckus! Don't be so blind in achieving something that isn't real just because you're bored!"
Ruckus stared at his friend, saying nothing.
Jerry softened. "Okay, okay. I'm saying this as a friend. You need to change your perspective a little. I know you're the smartest in the class, but smart people need social lives too. If you put yourself in a nutshell, you'll start to think and act differently. The proof is now. Look at you. You've already started it. The other dimension. Ninety percent of people in this world don't believe it, and only the professor and you believe it. Come on, man! Be logical!"
"Well, I still want to see the man."
Jerry grabbed his jacket. "Okay. But don't tell me later I didn't warn you. You just sit there and read the article while I go out and have fun with Darlene."
"Darlene? I thought last week was Angelina."
"That was last week. This week is a different girl."
"You better be careful with those girls."
"Ruckus, please don't advise me on my sex life. You don't even have one!"
The door slammed behind Jerry, leaving Ruckus alone with the professor's papers and a growing certainty that his boring life was about to become very complicated.
Chapter 5: Into the Third Dimension
For the next week, Ruckus shadowed Professor Matheson. He learned the professor's routine—lectures in the morning, time in his office, and every evening, a visit to the Spiritual Center.
Finally, Ruckus made his move.
He arrived at the center early, slipping in through a side door and hiding behind one of the tall columns. The center was a classic building with high ceilings, hundreds of black seats, and red curtains behind the stage. Sunlight filtered through tinted windows, creating a cathedral-like atmosphere.
Professor Matheson arrived right on schedule. The preacher met him.
"How are things today?" the professor asked.
"All right."
"What about the kid? Did he come again to find me?"
"I don't think so. I think that day was the last."
"I hope so."
The professor disappeared through a small door behind the red curtain. The preacher left through the main entrance. Alone, Ruckus crept forward.
Behind the curtain was a small room with two doors and, in the center, two metal poles standing five feet apart. They hummed with barely audible energy.
The professor emerged from one door carrying an old book. He sat, studied a page, then stood and walked between the poles.
He vanished.
Ruckus's breath caught. His mind raced through possibilities—hologram? Trap door? But no, the floor was solid concrete, and the professor had simply... disappeared.
A moment later, the professor reappeared between the poles, stepping back into the room as if he'd never left.
Ruckus stepped out from behind the closet where he'd hidden.
"What are you doing here?" The professor's hand moved immediately to a drawer, pulling out a gun and aiming it at Ruckus's chest.
"What is this?" Ruckus gestured at the poles, his voice steady despite the weapon.
The professor said nothing, his finger on the trigger.
"You've done it," Ruckus continued. "You've been to that dimension. Why didn't you prove this to them?"
"Who are you working with?"
"I'm not working with anybody."
"Who sent you here?"
"Nobody sent me here!"
"So why did you come?"
The professor's finger tightened on the trigger. Ruckus took a step back, hands raised.
"I swear I came at my own will. I saw you coming here yesterday. I asked the preacher about you, and he said you weren't around. I didn't believe him, so I waited outside. Then you came out. I felt curious why he would lie. A preacher shouldn't lie."
The professor lowered the gun slowly, sinking into his chair. He looked suddenly exhausted, older than his years.
"How much do you know about my work?"
Ruckus sat carefully. "I read your journal. Maybe this place has something to do with it."
"So what do you think?"
"You've done it. I presume."
"It's much more than that."
"What do you mean?"
The professor sighed deeply. "Listen. This will be a long lecture. This isn't another theory that can be proven in a lab."
"Well, I'm used to it."
"Okay." The professor leaned forward. "The world we're living in now is called the First Dimension. The dimension we can touch, feel, and taste. The gravity, the air. But there is a second world called the Second Dimension."
"Yes, it's mentioned in your journal."
"Good. Another aspect I didn't write about is the life beings in it."
"You mean there are living beings in that dimension?"
"Yes."
"You mean you've seen them?"
"Well, quite often. But I can avoid them seeing me."
"How?"
"Well, there's another world called the Third Dimension. That's where I came out just now."
"You mean you can see them, but they can't see you?"
"Yes. I can even see people in the First Dimension, and they can't see me either. Can you absorb all this?"
Ruckus's mind was already racing ahead, connecting theories, imagining applications. "Well, there's only one way to know, and that's to go in."
The professor studied him. "What makes you think I'll allow you to do that? I don't think you're ready. I could have shot you just now and hidden your body inside the other dimension, but I'm not a murderer. And I know your type. A curious guy, an explorer, always wanting to know—character traits of a future scientist. Just like me. It would be a waste to kill you. But yet I feel it's a mistake for you to have discovered this."
"Why? I don't see this as a mistake."
"You're not ready for it. Nobody is ready for this. Not even the whole world."
"Ready for what?"
The professor shook his head. "For what's there on the other side. The life beings."
"What are they doing?"
"You won't like it."
"Stop riddling me. If you want me to believe it, you better bring me in."
The professor stood, looking at the poles, then back at Ruckus. "If you really want to go, you can. But with one condition. Whatever you see in the dimension, whatever you hear from me, is not to be discussed under any circumstances once you leave this center after coming back from the Third Dimension. It may save your life and mine too."
"Fair enough."
"I'm warning you now. Once you enter this Third Dimension and come back to the real world, it's not going to be the same again. It will become your nightmare. Are you willing to live with it?"
Ruckus thought of his empty apartment, his meaningless exams, his overwhelming boredom with existence. "Sure. I have my own nightmares. Shall we go now?"
They walked through the poles together. When they stepped out, they appeared to be in the same room—but something felt different. The air seemed thicker, colors slightly more vivid.
"We're still here," Ruckus said. "We're going nowhere."
"Yes, we're here again, but in the Third Dimension."
They walked to the center's main hall where Preacher Welch sat reading. He didn't look up as they passed directly in front of him.
"He can't see us. But we can see him." The professor led Ruckus to the entrance door. "We're about to leave the Quadrant. The center is a Quadrant—it blocks the life beings, or what we call Aliens, from entering. When we pass this door, there will be three Aliens waiting for us. One for me, one for you, and one for the preacher."
Ruckus's skepticism began to crack. "What?"
"You'll see."
They stepped through the door.
Three figures stood on the steps—humanoid but clearly not human. Green skin, no visible genitals, bald heads with curved ears and noses. Red eyes that seemed to burn with internal fire. They were taller than humans, with elongated limbs that looked wrong, like they'd been stretched on a rack.
The aliens tried to move toward the center's entrance, but an invisible force field stopped them.
Ruckus turned, looking out at the street beyond.
From a bird's-eye view, the entire world was covered in these creatures. One beside every person. Every human walked with their own personal demon.
"This is mine," the professor said, pointing to one of the waiting aliens. "This is for the preacher, and that's yours. They can't see us. We can see them. They follow us wherever we go."
Ruckus approached his alien carefully. It stared through him, unseeing, but somehow tracking his movements.
They walked into the street. Every person had an alien companion. People walking. People in restaurants. Drivers in cars. Young, old, rich, poor—everyone had one.
"They move faster than humans," the professor explained. "Like a flash of light. Maybe they're made from fire. Light moves faster than sound. In a flash, they can walk from one point to another in a second."
"What are they trying to do to us?"
"Trying to persuade us to follow them. When we lose hope in something, they wait to come in. But along the way, they try to assist us toward destruction by adding negative feelings to our minds."
"Like what?"
"Frustration, depression, tension. For example, losing someone we love."
"And then?"
"And then when you've lost your faith—when you don't have anything to hold onto anymore, like God or anything—he, I mean your accompanying alien, will appear and you can see him clearly. By that time, he owns you."
"How do you know this?"
"The preacher. At one point, his friend told him about it, but by then it was too late. His friend committed suicide. But one thing for sure—they can't touch us as long as we believe in something. Something to lean on."
"What do you believe in? God?"
The professor's smile was grim. "I believe in destroying them."
Ruckus spotted Jerry walking toward the library. No alien followed him.
"Hey, that's my roommate. Why is there no alien with him?"
"Maybe his alien has finally done it. Something bad will happen to him that he doesn't know about yet. By that time, the alien will go in and finish his job."
"I have to warn him!"
The professor grabbed Ruckus's arm firmly. "Remember what I told you? You can't talk about this outside this dimension. The aliens will know about us."
"But he's my roommate, my friend."
"Let's move on." The professor pulled him forward. "I'll show you something that may lead us to something that can not only save your friend but all of humanity."
As they walked away, Ruckus looked back once at Jerry, memorizing his face, wondering if this would be the last time he saw his friend alive.
PART TWO: THE REVELATION
Chapter 6: The Deployment Station
The cemetery sprawled across several acres on the edge of town, old headstones marking graves dating back centuries. In the First Dimension, it was peaceful—grass and flowers, the occasional mourner paying respects.
In the Third Dimension, it was Hell's loading dock.
Hundreds of aliens swarmed the grounds. They worked with mechanical efficiency, using beams of light from their hands to dig up freshly buried corpses, replace them with artificial skeletons, and seal the graves back to perfect condition. Each alien then merged with a human corpse, the body becoming part of their form.
"What is this place?" Ruckus whispered, though no one could hear them.
"A cemetery. What else?"
"No, what I mean is, what are they doing?"
"They're sending all the newly dead bodies away."
"Where?"
"I still don't know."
They moved deeper into the cemetery. The professor checked his watch. "It all happens at dawn. Five more minutes."
When dawn broke, the aliens formed a precise line, each carrying its human corpse. A brilliant flash of light descended from the sky—a beam that pulled them upward, sucking the aliens and their cargo into the heavens.
A moment later, another flash descended, depositing a fresh batch of aliens onto the ground. They scattered immediately, heading toward the city to find their assigned humans.
"They do it every day," the professor said. "They're committed to their work."
"Where are they going?"
"That's the big question. Maybe they have ships up there. Which I want to find out." He turned to Ruckus. "Now, let's go back."
Back in the First Dimension, they sat in the professor's room behind the center's stage. The professor poured drinks into two cups, handing one to Ruckus.
"Well, how was the tour? Ready to face the real world?"
Ruckus's hand trembled as he sipped. "I feel like throwing up."
"Ruckus, this thing is very dangerous. They're destroying our world, and we're among the few people who know about it. If I go to the military, things will get much worse. I'd like to ask you to join me to fight them."
"I don't know."
"I'm not going to force you, but for the meantime, I don't think you can live in the real world anymore."
"I want to go home."
"Where? They're everywhere. I was like you when I first saw them. I stayed in this center for a week, afraid to go out, but at last I had to face reality. I can't go anywhere. The only thing I can do is find a way to fight them back. Just think about it."
The professor walked Ruckus to the center's main door.
"Remember what I told you. Don't speak, talk, or discuss this with anyone, even with me, once you leave this door. The only place you can talk about it is in this center. Good luck."
"Good night."
Ruckus stepped outside. The empty street suddenly felt menacing. He looked over his shoulder—nothing visible, but he knew it was there. His alien. Watching. Waiting.
He walked faster. Then ran.
In the Second Dimension, his alien kept pace easily, a predatory smile on its inhuman face.
Chapter 7: The Decision
Jerry was reading a magazine when Ruckus burst through the apartment door, pale and sweating.
"Hi, Ruckus. Where have you been? You were supposed to be at the six o'clock class."
Ruckus stared at him, seeing the empty space where an alien should be.
"Oh, yes, of course. You don't have to be in that class. You're too smart for it." Jerry noticed Ruckus's expression. "What's wrong with you? You look like you've just seen a ghost!"
"I'm sorry. I just feel tired."
Ruckus lay on his bed and put the pillow over his face. In the Second Dimension, his alien sat beside him, whispering suggestions he couldn't consciously hear but that wormed their way into his thoughts nonetheless.
That night, Ruckus dreamed.
Chapter 8: The Nightmare
The memory came as it always did—vivid, terrible, inescapable.
Ruckus was twelve again, standing in his bedroom. His younger brother Raymond, nine years old, stood before him with that frightened look he always got when Ruckus was angry.
"Where's my red ball?"
"I don't know."
"You're lying. You better bring it back to me, or I'll tell Mother about the broken vase."
Raymond's face went pale. "Please don't tell Mom."
"So get it!"
Raymond walked toward the corridor, out to where the ball had rolled onto the garage roof's edge. Ruckus watched from the window as his little brother carefully climbed out, reached for the ball with trembling hands—
The slip seemed to happen in slow motion. Raymond's foot finding no purchase. His arms windmilling. The sickening thud of his small body hitting the concrete driveway.
Ruckus ran outside. Blood poured from Raymond's nose. His eyes stared at nothing.
"No!"
Ruckus woke with a gasp. Jerry was shaking him.
"Ruckus! Wake up. You're going to be late."
Ruckus looked around frantically. His sneakers were still on. He'd never changed after coming home.
"Ruckus, today's the day. The new Quantum Physics topic is being introduced. The project for this semester. The debate on the existence of other dimensions? Remember?"
"Yeah, you go ahead first. I'll try to be there on time."
"I bet you will. Dr. Agnes has her eye on you. You've missed so many classes, and I'm the one who has to give all the excuses as a roommate. Well, see you! And don't forget to lock the door like you missed last time!"
After Jerry left, Ruckus went to the bathroom mirror. For just a moment, in his peripheral vision, he saw it—a green figure standing beside him.
In the Second Dimension, his alien leaned close to his ear.
"What's wrong with you? Are you feeling down? I know a way to release the tension. You haven't done it in quite some time."
The alien gestured toward Ruckus's groin.
"Jerry has some sweet, horny magazines in his room. It will assist you with your pleasure."
Ruckus gripped the sink, forcing himself to breathe. "No, no. I'm late."
"Well, suit yourself. I just want to entertain you."
Ruckus splashed cold water on his face and left for class, trying to ignore the weight of invisible eyes following his every move.
The lecture hall door opened slowly. Dr. Agnes, a blonde woman in her late thirties, spotted Ruckus immediately as he slipped into the back row.
"Well, finally, Mr. Ruckus, you managed to be here today. Congratulations. Where have you been? We all missed you."
Half the class laughed.
Dr. Agnes continued, "Okay, class. Before I ask which topic you should choose, let me explain the consequences you'll face if you choose the wrong topic. Of course, I'm referring to those who prefer the pro aspects. It will be very difficult to prove because no scientific or logical explanation has been found or discovered, meaning it's very hard to get good points. But since this is a free country, you have the right to choose. Well, let's not waste time. Who doesn't believe in the existence of other dimensions?"
Every student raised their hand except Ruckus and one female student.
"And who believes in it?"
Sarah, a quiet girl who usually sat in the front, raised her hand. The class laughed.
"Mr. Ruckus, our physics best student, you're neutral here. You haven't chosen your topic yet."
"I don't know, Madam."
"Mr. Ruckus, you must have an answer. Or maybe you have proof?"
"Well, what I mean is that one day there will be technology to prove it."
"So you mean it exists just because you believe that one day it will be proven?"
Ruckus remained silent, aware of eyes watching him.
"Well, then I'll leave it to you to think about it for the time being. Miss Sarah, what is your basis?"
Sarah stood nervously. "Our dreams. Sometimes in our dreams we can do what we cannot do in the real world. We can fly, we can do... anything."
"So what you're saying is that dreams are proof of another dimension? Miss Sarah, a dream is a dream. A dream is only a trick of our minds. It proves nothing. Unless you may ask our most honored Mr. Ruckus here to try to prove it to you, if he can. My point, dear students, is there's no such thing as another dimension. This is reality. Unless you want lower marks, then go ahead. I'm not going to stop you. Okay, everybody can leave now except Mr. Ruckus. I want to see you in my room."
Students filed out. Jerry approached Ruckus at the back.
"I warned you, you know. You're dead meat."
"You're the one I should be warning. I have to talk to you about something. Let's go to the Spiritual Center after this."
Ruckus grabbed Jerry's hand. Jerry pulled away.
"Why must I go there? People who go there are people who are sick. Like you and the professor."
"I beg you to go there for just a few hours. There I can explain everything."
"About what? Why can't you explain it here? Oh man! You're really sick. I think the professor got to you. You better go see Dr. Agnes, and maybe she can recommend you to a psychiatrist before it's too late. I don't want to live in an apartment with a crazy roommate."
Jerry shook his head and left.
Dr. Agnes's office was cramped with books and papers, the desk cluttered with ungraded assignments. She was writing when Ruckus knocked.
"Come in. Have a seat."
Ruckus sat across from her.
"So, what do you think?"
"About what, Madam?"
"The Dimension Theory."
Ruckus looked down.
"I believe in it. The First, the Second, and the Third Dimension."
Ruckus's head snapped up. "You believe in it? But in class—"
"They're not ready for it. How's the professor?"
"He's okay. He's doing something."
"Doing what?"
"I can't tell you here."
Dr. Agnes stood and walked around her room. "Don't worry. I've been with him for such a long time. I knew about his wife. We were so close. He told me about everything. The dimensions. His work. I started to fall in love with him. Tried to replace his deceased wife in his heart. But he's so possessed with this dimension thing, thinking maybe one day he might see his wife again in any dimension. That's when I knew the only love he has is for his wife. Not me."
She turned to face Ruckus, and he saw tears in her eyes.
"And that's why it really pisses me off when I see one of my best students being with him and becoming as crazy as he is!"
"But you said you believe in the dimension?"
"Once! But after knowing his true love, I'm not interested in it anymore."
"You shouldn't let your emotions deny the truth!"
"What truth? I've tried year after year to win his heart, but he's using me for sex, and don't try to question my professional thinking. I decide on theories that should be explored. Remember, I am a Physics Doctor here, and you're just a college student."
Tears streamed down her face.
"I'm advising you not to see him anymore and concentrate on your studies, especially your attendance. Don't think you're so smart that you don't need to attend classes. And don't blame Jerry. He's only concerned about your well-being."
Ruckus stood. "Are you doing this because of me, or because you want revenge on the professor?"
Dr. Agnes walked to the window, her back to him. "That's all. Dismissed."
As Ruckus left, in the Second Dimension, Dr. Agnes's alien and Ruckus's alien met in the hallway.
"What are they talking about?" Ruckus's alien asked.
"The dimensions. The forbidden area they should not know about. I managed to focus my subject away from exploring more by playing with her frustration in love. Now she hates the professor and has forgotten about it. You better report to our superior and focus more on what your subject is trying to do. He might be dangerous."
"Right away."
In a flash, both aliens vanished.
Chapter 9: Jerry's Fall
At the university clinic, Jerry sat among other patients in the waiting area. Kane Stone, a tall, skinny classmate, walked in.
"Are you sick also?"
"I don't know. The doctor just called me here to tell me the result of my blood test. You?"
"Well, I'm not sure. I just feel sick."
A nurse emerged from the doctor's office. "Mr. Jerry. Please come in."
Jerry entered the small examination room. The doctor, a middle-aged man with spectacles, laid Jerry's file on the table.
"So, what's the result?" Jerry asked.
"As I mentioned earlier, we tested your blood when you were admitted for a fever last month. By accident, we found that your red blood cells are contaminated."
"With what? Too much sugar?"
"Your sugar level is all right."
"If not sugar, then it's alcohol."
"It's not alcohol."
"So what is it?"
"Beta Virus 21."
"Beta Virus 21. What is that?"
"Beta Virus 21 is an agent for Rake Disease."
Jerry's face went pale. "Rake Disease! You're kidding me."
"I'm not kidding you. A disease that can only be transferred through sexual intercourse with multiple partners."
"How much... how bad is it?"
"Seventy-five percent contaminated. You'll only feel sick once it passes eighty percent, and before it reaches that level, you must be admitted."
"Admitted to an anti-contamination area. I've heard about it. Once you go in, you never come back."
"It's a standard procedure. We'll try our best to cure you."
"I can't go there. I have my studies to finish, I have my friends, my family."
"I'm sorry this is happening to you. I'll give you some time to pick up your things, and then you must come back here."
"And if not? You guys will come and get me by force?"
"Let's do this as simply as we can."
Jerry walked out of the doctor's office in a daze.
In the waiting room, Kane looked up. "Is it that bad?"
Jerry stopped, turned his head toward Kane, then continued walking without a word.
At the elevator, the doors opened. Jerry got in, followed by another man.
"Which floor?" the man asked.
Jerry looked at the buttons. "Tenth floor."
The man pressed ten—the top floor. When they arrived, Jerry stepped out and headed for the rooftop access.
On the clinic rooftop, Jerry walked to the edge. Ten stories down, the parking lot stretched out like a gray canvas. Images flooded his mind:
His parents: "We're proud of you. You're our first child to enter this prestigious university. You are our hope."
His friends: "Hi, Jerry. Nice to meet you... Let's have some drinks after this..."
The women he'd slept with: "Oh yeah... you're good... Oh, Jerry..."
His own voice, giving advice to Ruckus: "Your social life! Girls! Women! That's what I mean. You just have to open up..."
The images shifted, darkened:
His parents: "What have you done? We spent thousands to put you here, and this is what we get? You were supposed to study, not play with women!"
His friends: "Jerry, we're sorry, we can't see you anymore... please don't call us."
The women: "How many times did I tell you to wear protection? But you wouldn't listen. And this is what you get."
Ruckus: "Yes! Girls! Women! Now look what happened to the person who was advising me? Ha! Ha! Ha!"
In the Second Dimension, Jerry's alien appeared beside him.
"Well, that's it. Life is really unfair. Your studies, your family, your future—all gone. If I were you, I'd just put an end to all of this."
The alien looked down at the parking lot far below, then back at Jerry.
"Down there is the only way you can get out of all this mess. Nobody can help you now. Just do it."
Jerry climbed onto the ledge. For a moment, he teetered there, the wind pulling at his clothes.
Then he jumped.
The alien turned its back and laughed. In a flash, it followed Jerry down.
Jerry's body froze on impact, blood pooling beneath his head. Pedestrians crowded around, shouting for help. Jerry's mouth still moved slightly.
The alien knelt beside the dying body and inhaled deeply, drawing Jerry's soul into itself. Jerry's mouth stopped moving.
In a flash, the alien vanished, leaving only a corpse and traumatized witnesses.
"Somebody call an ambulance!" a man shouted.
But it was already too late.
Chapter 10: Joining the Fight
Ruckus was sitting on the couch when the phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Is this Jerry Matthews's roommate?"
"Yes..."
"I'm from the Security Department. I have bad news. Jerry was involved in an accident. He died one hour ago. His body is now in the hospital contamination unit. His parents will collect his body this afternoon."
Ruckus set the phone down slowly. He closed his eyes and covered his face with his hands.
At the university hospital, Jerry's body lay on an autopsy table under a glass chamber. A medical officer stood nearby as Ruckus entered the room.
"Can I help you?"
Ruckus didn't answer immediately.
"Are you his relative?"
"No. I'm his roommate."
"Okay. You can look, but don't touch anything."
The officer left. Ruckus picked up the medical report:
BODY: JERRY MATTHEWS
AGE: 19 YEARS OLD
CAUSE OF DEATH: HEAD TRAUMA. LOSS OF 90% OF BLOOD
BLOOD: 80% CONTAMINATED WITH BETA VIRUS 21
DISEASE: RAKE DISEASE
STATUS: RED ZONE
Ruckus dropped the report. "I'm sorry, Jerry. I was too late."
In the Second Dimension, Ruckus's alien and Jerry's alien met beside the body.
"What do you suggest?" Jerry's alien asked.
"Scare him off."
"I've got an idea."
Jerry's alien merged with Jerry's corpse.
Ruckus looked at his friend's damaged face, half-crushed from the fall. He looked at Jerry's closed eyes.
The eyes opened.
"See you in hell!" Jerry's corpse rasped.
The eyes closed again.
Ruckus ran from the room, his alien following close behind, feeding on his terror.
Ruckus burst into Professor Matheson's lecture hall. The professor stopped mid-sentence and came out into the corridor.
"I need to see you at the center right now."
"Calm down, calm down. Okay. Be there at 2:30."
From down the corridor, Dr. Agnes watched them talking. When the professor returned to his lecture, she intercepted him outside.
"I want you to stop seeing Ruckus Howling."
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about other people's futures."
"I'm just consulting him about a theory."
"Yes. Your theory. For your own benefit. Just like what you did to me. I want you to leave him alone. He's my student and my responsibility. If not, I'll report this matter to the Dean."
"On what count? Sexual harassment?"
"On your madness!"
"All right! Go ahead and make my day!"
The professor walked away, leaving Dr. Agnes trembling with anger and unshed tears.
That afternoon, at the Spiritual Center, Ruckus sat with the professor and Preacher Welch around a small table.
"I keep dreaming," Ruckus said.
"Dreaming of what?"
"It happened a long time ago. When I was a kid, I had a brother. He died in an accident. I asked him to do something he didn't like. It comes back in my dreams. Again and again. And now I can see the alien in the dream too. I can't stand it."
The preacher leaned forward. "That is your point of weakness. The feeling of guilt, even though you didn't cause it directly. That's where they try to come in. To destroy your life, to make you join them. You'd better stay here."
"Yes," the professor added. "With only one condition. Join me."
"I'm not ready for this. This is blackmail!"
"This isn't blackmail. This is your life. You have no choice anymore."
The professor left them alone. The preacher placed a gentle hand on Ruckus's shoulder.
"You can stay here. Just get some sleep."
Ruckus nodded, too exhausted to argue.
That night, Ruckus stood in the portal room. An alien emerged from between the two poles—but it was the professor.
"My God, how did you do that?"
The professor held up his wrist, showing a complex device. "With this. This device can merge us into the Second Dimension with an alien camouflage. We can even speak their language using ours."
"For what purpose?"
"To find out what's up there. We'll be deploying at 20:14 tomorrow."
"What do you mean, we? I'm not going anywhere!"
"I'm not going to let you stay here for free."
"What about the preacher?"
"He has to guard this place. And he's too old for this job."
"I am not going!"
"Well, suit yourself."
"You can't force me like what you did to Dr. Agnes!"
The professor's face hardened. "Oh yes, I nearly forgot to ask you about that. So, what did she tell you?"
"About you using her as a sex pet."
"Yeah. She's really mad at me."
"She said you're doing all this because of your wife and you love your wife more than her. You're not fair."
"Nobody decides whom I'm going to love. She's wrong. I do love her."
"But why did you dump her?"
"I didn't dump her! I'm doing this because I love her and for her own safety. She's not ready for this thing. She's weak and not strong enough to face this reality. Just like you. Now leave me alone. I have a lot of things to do."
"I'm sorry."
Ruckus left the room, but he knew he'd already made his decision. He couldn't go back to his normal life. Not after Jerry. Not after seeing what was really out there.
The next morning, the professor woke to find an alien sitting beside him. It transformed into Ruckus.
"Hold on, hey! It's me."
"Damn it. It's you."
"Nice device."
"It'll be even nicer if you put it into practice."
"I'm ready now."
The professor smiled. "Let's have some breakfast first."
PART THREE: THE MISSION
Chapter 11: The Book's Origin
In the portal room, Ruckus examined the setup with new eyes, seeing not just the physical poles but understanding the quantum mechanics that must be at work.
"How did you manage to do all this?"
The professor pulled out an ancient book, its pages yellowed and brittle. "From this book."
Ruckus flipped through it carefully. The text was written in an archaic script, with detailed diagrams of the portal and the dimension devices. Several pages had been torn out.
"There are some pages missing."
"Yes, but they were already torn when I first got it."
"From whom?"
"The preacher."
The professor's eyes grew distant, remembering.
FLASHBACK: Rise Mountain Resort
Professor Samuel Matheson and his wife Geena walked along the mountainside, a camera bag slung over Samuel's shoulder. Geena was beautiful, with dark hair and an easy smile that had first attracted him twenty-five years ago.
"Well, this place really brings back memories of where we first met," Geena said.
"Yeah, it was twenty-five years ago. The gathering of our graduation day. Joe, Sam, Michelle... it's still fresh in my mind. We were so young."
"They're all grandparents now. Unlike us."
Samuel stopped and hugged her. "What's important is that we're together."
Tears formed in Geena's eyes. "I'm sorry that I'm childless."
"It's okay. Sometimes things don't work out very well."
They held each other tightly, breathing in the mountain air.
"I tell you what," Samuel said. "Let's take some photos like we used to do. You first."
He pulled out his camera. "Okay. Try to move a bit more to the back. I want to get the valley in the shot."
Geena moved backward toward the cliff's edge, turning to make sure she wasn't too close.
"Move a little bit more backward. I want to get a good view."
Geena took another step. The ice at the cliff's edge cracked.
She lost her balance and fell twenty-five feet, her head striking a rock. She didn't move.
"GEENA... Oh! My God."
Samuel dropped his camera and scrambled down to her. Her body was cold, her heartbeat absent.
At the Spiritual Center, Preacher Hemen Welch sat writing when Samuel knocked.
"Come in."
"I want it to be as simple as possible," Samuel said, his voice hollow.
"I'll do what I can. I know it's very difficult for you."
The preacher walked Samuel to the door, his hand on the professor's shoulder.
At the cemetery, rain poured as a small crowd gathered around Geena's grave. One by one they left after paying respects. Only Samuel and the preacher remained.
"Leave her to rest. She won't come back," the preacher said gently.
He placed his hand on Samuel's shoulder. "Let's go."
But Samuel couldn't move, staring at the fresh earth covering his wife.
That night, Preacher Welch dreamed. A flash of light descended from his bedroom ceiling, growing brighter until a figure emerged. The man's face was obscured by the radiance, but in his hand was a thick, ancient book.
The figure handed it to the preacher, then transformed back into a fireball and disappeared through the ceiling.
When Hemen woke, the book sat on his reading table—old, leather-bound, real.
The dreams continued. Each night, the same figure appeared, but gradually the preacher could see more details of his face. Finally, one night, the figure's face became clear.
It was Professor Samuel Matheson.
At Rise Mountain, Samuel stood at the edge where Geena had fallen. He moved forward, ready to join her.
"Don't do it, Samuel," the preacher called from behind.
Samuel turned. "Give me a reason not to."
The preacher raised his hand, showing the ancient book. "I can't explain it, but this book is meant for you."
Samuel approached and took the book. He opened it carefully, his eyes widening as he recognized the script.
"It's an ancient scripture... ancient Briman language... these people vanished thousands of years ago. Where did you get this?"
"You won't believe me if I tell you. What is it all about?"
Samuel's hands trembled as he turned pages. "Traveling to another world."
And so began his obsession—not with suicide, but with the possibility of seeing Geena again in another dimension.
END FLASHBACK
"So you see," the professor said, bringing Ruckus back to the present, "this book gave me purpose. Whether Geena is somewhere in another dimension or not, I don't know. But what I do know is that these creatures are real, they're dangerous, and they need to be stopped."
Ruckus nodded slowly. "I'm ready. What do we do?"
"First," the professor said, strapping the dimension device onto Ruckus's wrist, "we need to learn what's powering their operation. And for that, we need to go to their ship."
Chapter 12: The Exchange
The cemetery at dawn was cold and misty. In the Third Dimension, Ruckus and the professor carried two bodies from the center's preservation room in wheelbarrows—the bodies of former preachers, kept according to ancient tradition.
They switched to the Second Dimension with their alien camouflage and hoisted the bodies onto their backs. Around them, hundreds of aliens lined up with their own human corpses, waiting for the exchange.
The cloud of light descended from the sky like a tornado made of pure energy. The aliens at the front of the line began to rise, pulled upward by the beam. They held onto each other's legs, creating a chain of beings and bodies thrust into the heavens.
The professor, Ruckus, and another alien stood at the back of the line. As they ascended past the middle point, they encountered a new batch of aliens diving down to Earth for deployment.
The sky began to turn orange—dawn approaching.
An alien behind them shouted in its guttural language, "Move faster!"
The alien tried to climb over Ruckus to pass him.
"Kick him away!" the professor commanded.
Ruckus kicked hard, catching the alien in the head. It lost its grip, fell away screaming, and burst into flames as the orange dawn light touched it, disintegrating in midair.
They passed through the orange zone safely and emerged into the blackness of space.
A massive transportation ship awaited them.
Chapter 13: Inside the Mothership
A crew member grabbed Ruckus's hand and pulled him into the transport ship. He sat heavily on a bench, still holding the human body, trying not to hyperventilate.
"Are you all right, trooper?" the crew member asked in the alien language.
Ruckus nodded, unable to trust his voice.
"Then go to your seat."
Ruckus stood shakily and sat beside the professor. Around them sat about ten other aliens with their human cargo. Ruckus stared at one too long.
"What are you looking at?" the alien snarled.
Ruckus quickly turned toward the window. Outside, he saw thousands of transport ships leaving Earth's orbit, all heading in the same direction.
Toward something enormous.
A voice crackled over the ship's speaker: "Landing in 15 contus."
Ruckus looked out again and gasped. The mothership was the size of a planet—a massive construct with cities visible on its surface, engines the size of mountains, and a superstructure that defied comprehension.
"My God," he whispered.
The transport ship entered a landing bay that could have held a hundred aircraft carriers. They disembarked and boarded an internal tram that carried them deeper into the ship.
As they traveled, Ruckus and the professor looked down on an alien city—thousands of buildings, roads, houses, all contained within the ship.
"It's a planet inside a ship," the professor murmured.
Chapter 14: The Horror Within
The tram arrived at the Human Pod Chamber. Ruckus, the professor, and the other aliens formed a line and laid their human bodies on the ground. Machines picked up each body and attached it to a pod on the combustion chamber wall.
Tubes were inserted into the mouths of the bodies. The souls that had been harvested were transferred back into the corpses, reanimating them.
The Cleaner's body jolted to life. "Where am I? What is this?"
The Mentor's body beside him screamed.
All along the massive chamber wall—stretching up and out of sight—millions of human beings hung in pods, their bodies used as biological batteries to power the ship. Whenever the engines needed more thrust, energy was literally sucked from their living flesh.
The humans screamed in agony.
Ruckus felt bile rise in his throat. "We can't do anything about it," the professor said quietly. "Not yet. Let's go find the engine room."
They walked deeper into the engineering section until they found it—a vast chamber with a massive crystal ball at its center, pulsing with energy. Millions of tubes connected it to the human pods and the combustion chamber.
Several aliens monitored the crystal, making minute adjustments.
"This is it," the professor whispered, pointing at the crystal. "This is where we need to place the bomb."
"Bomb? What bomb?"
"Nuclear."
"Where are we going to get a nuclear bomb?"
"With your help."
"Me?"
"Yes, you again."
"I don't believe this. You never told me about this."
"We had to check this place first. You have to go back to Earth. I've already set it up for you. All you have to do is break into the military complex, get past the security codes, and retrieve the nuclear device. I have the keys and codes in my drawer at the center."
"You're expecting me to do that?"
"Yes, in the Third Dimension. Remember, there are three capsules—take only one. Once you get it, bring it here. The rest, let me handle. For the meantime, I'll find an escape ship."
Ruckus shook his head in disbelief.
"When do you want me to go?"
"Next shift. But for the meantime, I want to check out this place more." The professor's voice softened. "I want to find my wife."
"And if we find her?"
"Then at least I'll know." He looked at Ruckus. "You might meet your brother too."
Chapter 15: The Database
They found the Human Database Level—millions of rooms, each with a number, each monitored by an alien tracking individual human subjects.
"My God," the professor breathed. "What a massive operation."
"Now I remember!" Ruckus said suddenly.
"Remember what?"
"This number. From my dream. The numbers on each door."
Ruckus traced the alien symbols in the dust on the floor.
"Level 12, Room 64," the professor translated. "That's what it means."
"That's my room. I need to know what really happened to my brother."
They found Level 12, waited for the monitoring alien to leave Room 64, then slipped inside.
The professor activated the console and reversed the timeline. The screen showed the day ten years ago when Raymond fell from the roof.
But this time, they saw the full picture.
In the Second Dimension, an alien stood beside young Raymond on the roof. As the boy reached for the ball, the alien placed its hand on his ankle—and pushed.
Raymond fell not because he slipped, but because he was murdered.
Ruckus stood frozen, watching the truth he'd carried guilt for all these years. It wasn't his fault. It had never been his fault.
But the aliens had made him believe it was, and that guilt had nearly destroyed him.
"Now you know," the professor said. "They've been manipulating us our entire lives. Every tragedy, every loss, every moment of weakness—they orchestrated it all."
"Then we stop them," Ruckus said, his voice cold. "Whatever it takes."