Across the Multiverse
Jumping between universes was not as wonderful as Oscar had thought it would be. Oh, he saw many wonderful places and beautiful things, met a good number of interesting people, saw plenty of worlds he would love to live in, but he couldn’t slow down long enough to appreciate them. Always, there was that dark shadow not far behind, the threat that kept him moving from one earth to the next, running as far and as fast as he possibly could.
And no matter how many universes Oscar saw, they still didn’t make up for the one he had lost.
Not that he could worry about that now. Oscar had just come to a new universe, one that was more beautiful than any he had yet seen. Not that it was terribly different from his own earth, but it was brighter, the colors were more vibrant, and the people all seemed to be a lot happier than any that he had ever seen. And that beauty lulled him into a false sense of security, made him believe that he was safe, that he could settle here, maybe find this universe’s Spoonette and see if she was more receptive to his advances than his own had been, or seek out Wayne and try to make it all up to him…
No. None of that. Just a place to rest a while before moving on. He had to keep moving, had to keep jumping universes so that Vyce couldn’t find him. Not that Oscar considered himself much of a threat, but he had fought Vyce with everything he had back on Earth-982. And lost. Horribly. But he did inflict a bit of damage on the conqueror of galaxies, and a bit of damage was enough to send the two on a chase across the multiverse that had so far led to several small battles that had destroyed a number of cities and left Oscar injured and frightened more often than not, but somehow, he always managed to escape the fate that had befallen his poor brother…
Oscar shook himself. Maybe he could stay here a little longer than usual. After all, this world was so peaceful that surely Vyce wouldn’t want to taint its purity. Maybe he could settle down, stop running. Live out the rest of his life as a refugee in a beautiful world.
Yes, that would be nice, wouldn’t it? Peace, quiet, sunshine…
The first explosion was heard around midnight. Oscar was immediately awake and looking for his goggles and interdimensional jumping device. He was used to this by now. He should have known better than to think that he was safe somewhere just because it seemed pretty. He needed to go somewhere, anywhere else, before Vyce discovered he was here, before Vyce killed him in the same merciless way that he had killed Wayne.
But just as Oscar found the device that would send him to safety, another explosion took out the wall behind him and everything went black.
*
“So you are the champion.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about!”
“It matters not.”
“Oscar! The raygun!”
“It’s broken!”
“There is no use in fighting. The most you can hope for is a quick death.”
Green eyes found him, staring from behind the spirals.
“Protect her.”
“I will, Wayne.”
A sudden move, a flash of light, and Vyce fell.
“Insolent boy. I’ll deal with you next.”
“Go, Oscar.”
The sound of falling brick and Wayne’s screams were the last thing he heard as he fled.
*
Oscar woke with a start. He had been dreaming, he was still safe…
No. Not safe. It was cold and dark and his goggles were gone and Oscar knew he wasn’t safe at all.
He took stock of his surroundings. Not much, it turned out. A cell with a bed in one corner and a chamber pot in the other. No light, no blankets on the bed, nothing. Oscar whimpered slightly, wishing that Vyce had just killed him quickly like Wayne, but clearly… clearly he wasn’t going to get off so easy.
The noise alerted a guard standing just outside the door-a solid iron door with a small barred window in the top. The guard was humanoid in shape, though Oscar couldn’t be sure what world he came from. The guard glanced in before rolling his eyes and pulling out a radio communicator. “Prisoner is awake,” he said in a bored tone. “Awaiting your orders.”
“I will be down shortly,” Vyce’s voice cackled over the radio. “Punish him as you see fit until then.”
The door was unlocked and Oscar pressed himself into the corner of the bed, unsure of what was to follow, but fearful nonetheless.
Of course it didn’t matter. The guard grabbed Oscar by the coat and yanked him off the bed, threw him to the ground, and began to kick him hard in all the places he could reach. Oscar whimpered, curling into himself, trying to protect his vital areas, but the blows continued, never slowing, only seeming to gain intensity with every one.
Oscar didn’t bother to scream. He knew this was only the beginning, that whatever this guard could come up with was nowhere near as bad as whatever Vyce had in mind, that he would die horribly, alone and in pain, that he would see Wayne again soon…
“Enough.”
There he was. The man who would end it, the man Oscar had offended. Oscar didn’t move, just lay on the floor whimpering.
“The champion’s brother. The man who tried to fight back. The coward who preferred to run away and leave his friends at my mercy. What now, little man? I have you and you will not escape again. So what now?”
Oscar didn’t answer. He couldn’t. Nothing he said could possibly save him now.
“Stand up, little man.”
Oscar didn’t move.
“I said stand.”
The guard grabbed Oscar’s collar and yanked him up. Oscar tried to look anywhere but at his captor. He stared at the ground, concentrating on anything else, trying not to show his distress…
“Follow me. And don’t even think of trying to resist.”
Vyce turned and strode out of the cell. The guard pushed Oscar roughly and he moved, his legs shaking from both the kicks and his own fear, the guard following close behind.
He could run. He could try to escape, to find an escape pod and leave, but he knew it was useless. Vyce’s army could catch him no matter where he went, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to go back to running across the multiverse. Maybe death would be better.
Vyce led him to a large room full of tools and instruments and bottles full of substances from foreign dimensions Oscar didn’t know of, but didn’t like the look of. Vyce gestured to the guard, who pushed Oscar forward until he hit a stainless steel table, which he was pushed onto, where the guard strapped him, facedown and helpless.
“Now, little man, you will learn what happens to those who oppose me.”
*
Seven days.
Seven days alternating between the table and the cell. Seven days when he had been beaten, burned, used as a test subject for various chemicals, tortured in almost every way imaginable. Seven days in which he had only been given enough water to sustain him. Seven days in which Oscar had screamed himself hoarse, and at the end of those seven days, he had forgotten everything but the pain.
But Vyce wasn’t done yet. On the eighth day he was dragged from his cell to the lab as usual. There had gotten to be a sort of schedule. Oscar would be brought to the lab and strapped down, and then Vyce would tell the guard what to do to him. But on the eighth day, Vyce sent the guard away. Oscar knew that could not mean anything good.
He could feel Vyce standing right behind him, could hear the low breathing get louder, and he tensed in anticipation of whatever Vyce was going to do.
Then there was the sound of cloth tearing as the lab coat and scrubs were ripped from Oscar’s body-not that they were much use, they had been practically ripped to shreds in the last seven days. A hand on his back, harsh and claiming, running down his spine until it reached between his legs and began to stroke, to force a reaction out of him. Oscar bit his lip, trying to ignore it, but Vyce wasn’t having any of it.
“You will submit to me, little man. You will obey me.”
“Never,” Oscar managed to gasp out.
The hand withdrew. Oscar had barely managed to sigh when there was pain, far greater pain than ever before as Vyce suddenly forced himself into the scientist, claiming him with rough thrusts. Oscar tried to scream, but he had screamed too much to make a sound. He had to settle for crying, the hot tears running down his cheeks, rough sobs coming from his throat.
He didn’t know how long it took, except that it was too long. When Vyce was finished, he called the guard and ordered the prisoner taken back to his cell.
*
That night, the guard opened the door to the cell and let in a girl who was carrying a plate of food. Oscar was curled up on the bed and didn’t even look up as she set the plate down on the floor beside him. He couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened, what Vyce had done to him, and the tears kept falling.
And who knew how long he would stay here? What Vyce would do next? How long Oscar could live like this, being broken down every day?
A soft hand fell on his shoulder and Oscar twisted around. The girl who had brought the food was kneeling beside him. She had short golden hair and beautiful green eyes and was very sad and yet very familiar, in spite of the scars running all over her lovely face…
Oscar sat up suddenly. “Spoonette?” he whispered.
She nodded with a quick glance at the guard outside, who didn’t seem at all interested in what they were doing. Assured of that, she looked back at Oscar and gently stroked his cheek. Oscar suddenly felt very awkward-Vyce had not given him new clothes after his attack, and while Oscar had long sense lost any sense of dignity, he was ashamed that Spoonette had found him like this.
“How… did he capture you?”
She nodded again, her eyes bright with tears. Then she made a series of movements with her hands that Oscar barely understood.
“You lost your voice,” he whispered. It wasn’t really a question. They had probably tortured her, made her scream until she couldn’t make any noise at all.
She nodded and then reached into her pocket and pulled out an object Oscar knew all too well.
“Wayne’s goggles,” he muttered. “Where did you get them?”
She tried to tell him through a series of quick movements, but Oscar had no hope of really comprehending. But he could guess.
“You snuck into Vyce’s trophy room and stole them? Clever girl.”
She almost smiled at that. Oscar examined the goggles, knowing that Wayne had made some adjustments to them…
Yes. There they were. The Sonic function that could unlock any door. The hypnotizer that would take care of the guard… and Vyce if it had to. The laser beams that would be sufficient to knock out anything that tried to stop him. It wasn’t enough to defeat Vyce, but it would be enough to escape.
“Thank you,” Oscar whispered. She nodded and leaned forward, her lips brushing his ear as she whispered in a low ruin of a voice, “I’m sorry.”
She got up abruptly and left, the door locking behind her. Oscar stared for several minutes afterward, the goggles clutched in his hand.
*
It was simple. Wait until the lights throughout the ship had dimmed. Use the Sonic to unlock the door. Hit the guard with a laser beam. Take his clothes-black pants and a trenchcoat, good enough. Run.
Try to find her. To save her. Even without her voice, even with the scars, he loved her and he wanted to take her with him. Maybe now that they were the only two people left from their world…
Night vision. Try to see…
The ship was so large, Oscar quickly became lost. At least there had not been an alarm yet. He had time to search.
Another hallway with more cells. Oscar could tell these were different. The doors were mere bars instead of solid metal. Most were empty, but he pressed on. He had a feeling she was here…
There she was. Lying on a pile of rags, staring at the ceiling.
“Spoonette,” he whispered.
She looked up and almost smiled as Oscar used the lasers in the goggles to cut through the bars. He beckoned her to follow and she did, padding softly down the halls.
“Do you know where there’s an escape pod?”
She nodded and began to lead him through the winding hallways of the ship, never hesitating at any turn. How long had she been here, that Vyce had broken her enough to trust her to wander the ship enough to know? For her to be able to slip into the trophy room and steal Wayne’s goggles, but not long enough for her to be turned?
It didn’t matter. He had her back and he was going to take care of her, use SCIENCE! to restore her voice and rid her of the scars, maybe even to make her forget what had happened here. Maybe even to make himself forget…
And then the air was rent with a loud, piercing shriek and the flashing of red lights all around them. Spoonette’s eyes grew wide and she grabbed Oscar’s hand, pulling him along the corridor, into an elevator going up, down another hall…
There were guards rushing in from all sides. Oscar quickly turned his head, using the goggles to take down as many as he could, but they kept coming. Spoonette didn’t falter, just kept running, practically wrenching Oscar along until they reached a bay with an escape pod.
Oscar knew immediately that there was only room for one of them. “Go,” he said. “I’ll hold them off…”
She shook her head and pushed him into the pod, reaching over and pressing a button that instantly sealed him off from her. “Spoonette!” he yelled, but she was already at the panel in the side of the ship and hitting the button that opened the escape bay. The pod shuddered and then began to move on its own, just as the guards caught up. They grabbed Spoonette, and she didn’t try to fight. “Spoonette!” Oscar screamed as he was taken away from her.
*
Another universe. Another earth. Another day without her.
He put on the trench coat and the goggles and looked in the mirror. He made a ridiculous sight and he giggled manically. He had failed. He had broken his promise to Wayne, hadn’t been able to save her…
She had saved him. Taken him away from there, from the cruel tortures and violation…
No. She hadn’t saved him. Because he had lost his mind. He would never get her back and nothing short of an entire earth could replace her.
So he would take a world. Because Oscar Schlumper was no more. He had died on the ship, when Vyce had used him, when she had been taken.
Dr. Linksano cackled madly. “You cannot destroy me, Vyce!” he screamed to the heavens. “I will conquer worlds and you will not take them from me!