Maggie stood completely still, completely hidden in the dark shadows of the alleyway, as she silently watched the figures slowly walk by. They quickly looked from left to right, trying to find what they were searching for, trying to find the location of the Sliders. She waited until their voices finally trailed off into the distance, before carefully looking ahead, and continuing her run back to the abandoned church. Her grip tightened around the strap of the bag that she carried, and hurried to pick up the pace. It was not long before she made it back, squeezing herself into the half open door, and then turning to help close it back shut.
�You ok?� Asked Mallory.
She sighed, nodding her head. �I managed to slip past their patrols without incident, but more are more are joining the search.� She turned her gaze to the others.�We can�t stay here forever. Sooner or later they are going to find us.�
�So what did you get?�
Maggie led Mallory to the front of the church and emptied the contents of her bag onto the altar. As she finally noticed the movement out of the corner of her eyes, Diana looked up from her work, and walked over to them. Analysing the contents, she quickly ignored the food, pushing them to one side, and concentrated on the electrical equipment. She finally picked up a few pieces of electronics and then went back to work.
With a worried expression on her features, Maggie turned to Mallory. �How�s Diana been?�
�She�s been working really hard��
�But?�
Mallory shook his head. �She�s given up a couple of times. I know that she can do this, she�s smart. But she doubts herself, doesn�t think that she will be able to get us out of here�� Sighing audibly, he went over and started talking to Mrs Mallory.
Maggie continued to watch Diana as her expression turned from being focused to worry to frustration. �I ... I can�t do this!� She pleaded, tossing the equipment to one side. �I just can�t do this!�
�Come on Diana.� Maggie urged her. �You can do this.�
�I�ve never had to build a timer from scratch before! And even if I could, this equipment is too unsuitable.�
�Ok, just tell me what you need, and I�ll and find it.�
Diana closed her eyes for a moment, letting the emotions subside, before looking back up. �I'm sorry Maggie. I ... I just need a break I guess.�
Maggie placed a reassuring hand around her shoulders. �We believe in you Diana. You can do this. We�ll get you what you need, and together we will get out of this place � and find Remmy.�
At the sound of the loud shout that suddenly erupted from behind them, the group quickly turned, seeing the large wooden door vibrate as a force banged hard against it. Before the Sliders had a chance to make a run for it, the door suddenly gave way, opening up wide to reveal Claire, who was grinning triumphantly, followed by her guards that quickly surrounded them.
There was no where to turn to. They were trapped...
What if you could slide into a thousand different worlds?
Where it�s the same year
And you�re the same person
But everything else is different
And what if you can�t find your way home�
Starring: Cleavent Derricks as Rembrandt Brown
Kari Wuhrer as Maggie Beckett
Robert Floyd as Mallory
And Tembi Locke as Diana Davis
� Sliders!
Calen soon emerged from out of a side room, and brought with him another slide. �How�s it looking Daniel?�
�There is definitely a strange bacterial anomaly in the composition of his bloodstream.� He looked up and placed in the other slide. �Now, let�s just hope that this works.�
�What's on the other slide?� Asked Rembrandt.
�Kromagg blood.� Answered Daniel, turning to look back into the scope. He slowly sucked up the blood off Rembrandt�s slide and added it to the Kromaggs. A moment of pure silence descended onto all as they awaited the news. �� Uh � amazing!�
�What is it?� Asked Calen in hope.
�Take a look for yourself.�
Calen stepped forward to peer into the microscope, gasping in awe as he witnessed Rembrandt�s blood cells attack the Kromagg�s, until only Remmy�s remained. He quickly looked up, a large smile forming on his lips, and a look of hope shimmering in his eyes. �This is it! This is the answers that we've been waiting for! The way to finally defeat the Kromaggs!�
A loud echoing cheer rang through the group, as they turned to hug one another, and murmuring with anticipation.
Calen quickly turned to Daniel. �How fast can you synthesise this thing?�
�Well from the looks of things it is very fast acting. The transition from liquid to gas state would take no time at all. We could make this thing airborne. From then on it should absorb itself into the atmosphere permanently. Though I will need to study it, for proper analysis, I theorise that it could take as little as a week to circulate around the entire planet's atmosphere.�
Calen's smile grew broader as he turned to pat Remmy on the shoulder. �Thank you � we all owe you our lives.�
Rembrandt returned the smile. �It wasn�t me. You�d need to thank those you created the virus on another earth.� At its mention, his thoughts suddenly returned to his friends. In the back of his mind he knew that they were somehow ok, and hoped that they stayed that way.
�Either way you brought it here and we�ll be forever thankful!� He turned, gazing at the others. �Well what are you all waiting for? Let's get this virus up and running!"...
�She�s never going to let us go.�
Maggie paced up and down the length of the room that they were locked in. It was big, luxurious, and had everything that they wanted � because they would not be leaving any time soon. Outside, the shouts and screams of fans was almost deafening. They waved banners, and screamed at even a faint glimpse of the Sliders at the window, their faith would keep them there all through the rest of the day, and even through the night.
�This is ridiculous!� Stated Maggie, beginning to get impatient. �Is she just going to keep us locked up in here forever?! She must know that we are not going to co-operate in her plan in any way!�
Diana and Mrs Mallory were sitting down on the couch, resting, whislt Mallory was attempting to pick the lock of the door with some tools he had found in the room. But so far, he was not getting any luck.
�Calm down Maggie.� He said smiling. �At least we have all the food and stuff that we could want.�
She shot a dark look in his direction. �Of course, she can�t exactly starve the most important people on the entire planet!�
As Maggie's words slowly sunk in, Mallory suddenly stood up. �That's brilliant! And it gives me an idea.� He made his way over to the window, listening as the screams immediately increased. �What if we got one of them to help us? I�m sure they would do anything to please us, I mean, they think we are like Gods. We could tell them everything about Claire holding us against our will!�
Maggie finally smiled. �It could work...� She turned to the nearby table, and began writing down a message onto a piece of paper. Passing the note to Mallory, he let it slip out of the small gap that the window would only open to, watching as it slowly floated down to the ground.
The message finally came to a stop by the feet of a small little girl, who quickly bent down to pick it up, her eyes widening as she read the contents. Gasping in shock, she turned to her mother, who then quickly passed it down the crowd, making sure that it circulated amongst them. Soon the screams died down into a uproar of chants and demands as they began to shout: �Free the Sliders! Free the Sliders!�
Hearing the new commotion that was going on outside, Claire came out of the building, flanked by two of her bodyguards. �What is the meaning of this? The Sliders are free, they are happy to stay here for a very long time��
�They are being held against their will!� A middle aged man shouted out.
�You are keeping them from the right path!� Another continued.
�Please, I assure you�� Claire started, but it was already too late, the damage had been done. Without another word, the crowd began to push back the barriers that held them at bay, and advanced towards the building. Additional security quickly arrived onto the scene, but there was no holding back the crowd, and they quickly broke through.
�Yes!� Maggie and Mallory high-fived.
It was not long before footsteps drifted up from the corridor outside, and the sound of a key was fitted into the lock. The door finally swung open to reveal several men and women.
Mallory turned to the others before putting on a mock serious tone. �We will never forget this.� He said slowly, holding onto the shoulders of a pretty young woman, and sealing his words with a quick kiss to her cheek. Maggie rolled her eyes into the air as she pushed him along, and the woman screamed, almost fainting from happiness. Diana and Mrs Mallory quickly followed close behind.
The group made it to the front atrium, and watched as Claire was still struggling with the crowd. Turning, they slipped out of the back entrance, where a group of their rescuers led them down a side alley, until they were finally out of sight.
�Thank you.� Maggie said after catching her breath.
�What now?� Asked Mallory. �We still need to rebuild the timer.�
�We can do better than that.� They turned to the man who spoke. �Claire still holds a lot of Kromagg technology kept from the war��
�Like the device that capped the wormhole?� Inquired Diana.
He nodded. �There is still a chance that she has a Kromagg sliding device locked up.�
�Then lead on.� Smiled Maggie...
Rembrandt stared out of the mist-covered window, silently watching as the rain fell outside. It had been three days since he had arrived back on his world, and the Resistance HQ had been teaming with a hub of activity. Work on synthesising the virus was being done 24 hours a day, and they almost had enough to start dispersing into the atmosphere.
At times like this, when he was all alone, his thoughts returned to his friends. He missed them a lot. And even though he was home, it just did not feel that way anymore, not without them. Thoughts also turned to the friends that were lost. Quinn, Wade, Colin � they just had to be a way of getting them back, and he would not be able to be at peace with himself, until they were...
�I can�t believe we have had to wait this long.� Moaned Mallory.
�They needed the time to get the access codes to the lab.� Diana replied. �Word of what Claire has done has spread. Even some of her own agents have turned against her.�
�Which is better for us.� Smiled Maggie, she looked up ahead and finally saw a man give them the signal. �Look, he�s here. Let�s go.�
Maggie, Mallory, Diana, and Mrs Mallory, quickly made their way over to one of the man, who was a guard working in the labs, and together they made their way over to the back entrance. The guard inputted a set of codes into the keypad, and the door soon opened.
�What about the alarms?� Asked Mallory.
�They�ve been disabled.� Replied the guard. �Follow me.�
Making their way down many corridors, the group took several lefts and rights, until they finally reached a door with Claire�s name on it. The guard took out a silver key from his pocket and unlocked the door, allowing them access. The room inside looked like an ordinary office, there was a desk in the corner with a computer on it, a bookcase lined against the wall, and another door was on the other wall. He quickly made his way towards the side door, which was large and silver, before picking up his cell phone.
After speaking to the other person on the end of the line, he inputted the code that was relayed to him. The lock soon released, and the door opened up wide. The group quickly made their way inside, and had a good look around. The lab was small but wide, humming computers lining the sides of the wall, and several objects were in glass containers in the centre of the room.
Finally spotting something of interest, Mallory walked over to a table, picking up and studying the strange material in his hands. �... It�s part of a Kromagg glider.�
�Guys, I found it!� Diana suddenly cried out.
The group rushed over to where she stood, seeing the glass container with the trans-dimensional facilitator inside of it. Mallory passed the Kromagg piece to Maggie, and she used it to shatter the glass that it was contained in. Reaching inside, she then passed it over to Diana. �Think you can make it work?�
Diana took a moment to sit down at the table, and began to study it carefully. The device was small and compact, a dark silver colour, with an LCD display at the top of the timer, a keypad directly underneath it, and four grooves were on the left side of it, allowing easier grip with fingers. Diana pressed what looked like the power button, and it suddenly flashed to life.
�She has notes...� They turned to glance over at Mrs Mallory who had been looking through some of the files. �... And they are on the timer. She seems to have worked out what most of the controls and symbals mean.�
�Does it have a tracking device?� Asked Maggie suddenly.
Diana skimmed over the notes, finally smiling. �It does! Which means we should be able to pick up the photon trail of the vortex that Rembrandt went through and follow him!� Using the notes and her own experience as a guide, Diana began to press a few of the buttons on the timer. �There, I think it's locked onto it."
"You think?" Asked Mallory.
Diana slowly shook her head. "I'll need more time to look over it and make sure but ... for now we can slide at any time..."
Diana suddenly fell silent, as the group turned as the door swung open wide, and they witnessed Claire striding into the office with two armed police officers. �Breaking and entering is a very serious crime.� She said, smugly.
�Don't move and put your hands up on your heads!� One of the officers demanded, raising a handgun.
The Sliders stopped in their tracks, unsure of what they could do. But in the blink of an eye, Mrs Mallory suddenly ran forward, knocking hard into one of the officers, and causing Claire and the other one to fall down with her. �Go!� She shouted.
�I�m not leaving you here!� Mallory countered.
Seeing their chance, Diana quickly pressed a button on the Kromagg timer, and a stream of pure energy flowed out, and into the area of space directly in front of it. The vortex slowly formed into a large silvery blue circle, creating a wind which blew the pieces of paper around the room. Diana then turned to the others, seeing the nod from Maggie to jump in, a flash of light signalling her entry into the vortex.
Mallory turned to see the glowing vortex, before glancing back at the scene. �... Mum��
�I love you, Quinn. Both of you��
Placing her hand onto his shoulder, Maggie made him turn, and together they jumped into the howling vortex, disappearing in a flash of light. By the time that Claire and the officers had managed to get back up onto their feet, the vortex had begun to close, and with a final howl, it faded from sight.
Diana stood on the other end of the vortex, waiting in anticipation for her friends to appear. She looked around her and at the deserted city streets, the war that had taken place here, obvious. A flash of light suddenly emitted before her, and she turned to see Maggie and Mallory fall out from the vortex together. They hit the cold hard ground with a loud groan, before the vortex slowly closed. She quickly went over to help her friends.
�Are we? �� Maggie turned to her.
Diana nodded. �We managed to follow the photon trail. This is the Earth that Rembrandt slid into.�
Maggie nodded, before turning to comfort Mallory. �It�s better this way. Claire wouldn�t dare harm her. She�ll be ok.�
Mallory slowly nodded in understanding. He finally got up from off of the floor, and slowly looked around. �So, how are we going to find Remmy?�
�Well, ruling out the prospect that the Kromaggs have got him, I think I can remember the Resistance HQ from the last time that Quinn and I � when we were here.�
�Ok. We should check it out then.�
The three of them quickly left made their way out from the open, sticking to the dark shadows and side alleys. The longer they travelled, the better Maggie�s memory improved, and her steps soon became more confident. It was almost an hour later by the time they arrived at another deserted street, a row of old houses on either side.
�This is it.� Maggie smiled with confidence, pointing to the third house on the left."The heart of the Resistance..."
Calen and Rembrandt had been engrossed in deep conversation, when they suddenly looked up as the sound of footsteps came from upstairs. �Someone�s here��
�Could be Maggs.� Said Calen, turning to his team who quickly gathered their weapons, and aimed it at the door that led down into the basement. The tension grew thick, until it almost became unbearable, the door finally opening to reveal three unarmed figures.
�Don�t move!�
�Woah! Hold it, we�re human!� Shouted Maggie, putting her hands into the air.
Rembrandt smiled. �I know that voice anywhere! Maggie!�
�Remmy!� Maggie ran down the stairs, ignoring the guns that were still aimed at her body, and the two pulled each other into a tight hug.
�Girl I missed you.�
�Same here!�
�Don�t leave us out.� Laughed Mallory.
�Mallory, Diana�� Rembrandt rushed over and hugged the two. �But, how did you?�
Diana held up the new timer. �A gift from the Kromaggs.� She smiled, before turning serious. �The virus?�
He smiled once more. �We have just finished synthesising the last batch. The Kromaggs will be cleared from my world in a week.� The group smiled and laughed, happy to be together again. Rembrandt finally looked back at the timer. �Is it? ��
�No." Smiled Diana. "We�re not on a countdown. So we can leave whenever we want.�
Rembrandt then turned as Calen spoke. �Thank you, Remmy. You�ve brought hope to our world. Soon we will be able to clear out the Maggs, and will then have to start the task of rebuilding our world. And0 though I can see in your eyes that you want to stay and help, you've got people who need you more..." He turned to Maggie, Mallory, and Diana. �... And you need to bring this same hope to other infested worlds.�
Remmy slowly nodded and smiled, walking forward to shake hands with Calen. Mallory then stepped forward. �So where to now?�
�To find a way to bring this virus to all Kromagg conquered worlds, to find a way to separate our two Quinns, to search for the answers of what has happened to Wade, and if we will ever see Colin again.� Rembrandt sighed, turning. �We still have a lot to do.�
Diana smiled, shifting her gaze to browse through the co-ordinates that were stored in the timer. She then activated the gateway, and the vortex slowly opened. �Sounds good to me.�
�Me too.� Mallory started forward, the first to jump into the swirling vortex, and disappearing in a flash of light. Diana followed closely behind.
�Think we can do it?� Smiled Maggie, turning to her friend.
�We will, Maggie.� Rembrandt answered. Turning, the two jumped into the vortex hand in hand, and the wind slowly died down. �We will��
End.