Chapter 1- A Strange New World

Winter, a new beginning for the Underworld, a season that would change everything forever. Dan, a scientist, had been experimenting on a mysterious Gate in the Underworld. When his close friend Denida had first discovered the structure, following the war with the Dark Angels, Dan didn’t think much of it. “It’s just some ancient construction,” he had said. Who would’ve thought it was made of an unknown alloy? Dan now smiled down at all the chemicals he had used to try to stain the material to identify it. None of them even reacted with it, but it’s cold, like metal. He eyed the towering, two-story Gate. There’s something special about it; I just know it.

Today, after his logbook’s twentieth recorded try, Dan flipped a switch, and the Gate lit up. Dan danced in excitement while his assistants laughed. I can’t wait to call Denida! He eyed the myriad power cords connected to the Gate with a chuckle. Three near electrocutions, and one downed power grid… He laughed. – but now, it’s finally perfect.

***

Denida stopped at the door of Dynasty, his mansion, as his cell phone vibrated.

“Denida?” Dan asked as Denida picked up the phone. “I made progress!”

“How so?” Denida glanced at his watch.

“I made a new discovery. You’ll want to see this.”

Last time he called me about the Gate, it was to tell me that he found a way to connect it to a power source. Denida rolled his eyes. An hour later, they still had no idea how to turn it on.

“It’s important this time; I swear,” Dan spoke with that voice he only used when he was begging on his hands and knees, usually for additional funding.

Sounds like it’s worth checking out this time. Denida bit his lip and sighed heavily. “Alright, I’ll stop by before I head into the office.” Denida hung up the phone, his heart beating a little faster with excitement. Maybe it’s something cool about the alloy. Dan told me it could have some amazing potential as an energy source.

Denida pocketed his phone, ready to hurry off, but Nina sat at the dining room table with slumped shoulders.

“Nina?” Denida sat down beside her.

She faced him with a furrowed brow.

Denida’s heart sank. This must be serious; Nina’s always in control.

“Daniel,” she replied shortly, her bitter tone betraying a bit of frustration.

“What’s wrong? Where is he?”

Denida wanted to brush him off, but if Dan really had made a breakthrough with the Gate, it was too tempting to pass up.

“I don’t know, Denny. He’s always running around, up to no good.” Nina sighed and peered down at her tea. “This morning, he tried sneaking into the military headquarters and the Colonel called me to send the butler to pick him up.”

Denida’s jaw tensed. Not good. “I will have a word with him after work. Dan insisted he has something imperative to show me now, before I head to headquarters. I must tend to that, now.” Denida kissed Nina goodbye. The grounds are huge, and Daniel knows every hiding place around Dynasty. Denida grunted. I’ll talk to him tonight.

***

Dan has something to show Dad? Daniel stood just outside of the room where his parents were talking, his back pressed up against the wall. Dad always tells Mom about Dan’s secret lab and some old Gate the height of the stables! I wonder if that’s what he wants to show Dad…

Daniel sniffed. It does sounds interesting. Why should my dad have all the fun, again? He slowly tiptoed past the door, as his parents’ conversation continued.

Outside, he spotted his dad’s car in front of Dynasty. He peeked around to make sure he was alone and ran over to the vehicle. He opened the trunk, smiling upon finding it unlocked. He climbed in and held the lid down, making sure it didn’t click shut. Maybe I can finally go on an adventure like the ones Dad always describes!

He heard countless stories about Dan, his dad’s scientist friend, who had a secret lab and some ancient Gate. Daniel’s dad would always talk about that Gate when he didn’t think Daniel was around.

Denida approached the car within a few minutes. This is going to be so cool! Daniel trembled with excitement. His dad quickly set the car in drive. Daniel covered his mouth to suppress his giggles. They drove for so long that Daniel almost regretted hiding in the trunk. His elbows were becoming sore and red from the bumps in the road. Maybe they weren’t going anywhere interesting after all. That’d be such a bummer. The car finally halted briefly, drove a short distance farther, then stopped again. This time, the engine stopped humming. His dad stepped out and the vibration of his door slamming shut rattled the car. Daniel could hear his dad’s muffled voice. He’s talking to someone. What are they saying?

Finally, two distinct sets of footsteps crunched away on the asphalt parking lot. Daniel climbed out of the trunk just in time to see his dad disappear into the building next to the car. Daniel ran toward it and jiggled the doorhandle, but it responded with unwavering resistance. Probably for the best. Daniel crossed his arms, rethinking his efforts. He would’ve most certainly been caught if he had used the common entrance. Daniel sighed. Maybe I missed the chance to explore this- He noticed a small window he could fit through, a short distance from the door.

When Daniel climbed through the window, he crouched and listened. Staying low to the ground, he followed his father’s voice around the corner, and saw his dad talking to Dan.

“It’s powered up, I see.”

Yes.” Dan nodded excitedly. “We can finally see what’s on the other side, but I’m not sure if it’s safe.” Dan scratched his head. “I mean, it’s been on for half an hour, and nothing’s come through, but we have no idea what’s on the other side.”

The Gate’s flickering lights and sparkling sheen looked so inviting that Daniel couldn’t help but sneak forward.

Daniel could see his dad and Dan, through the Gate. They rippled as if he were viewing them through water.

Enough hiding! Daniel clenched his fists, ready let his dad know he had tagged along. Maybe I can help somehow. Daniel jumped up and ran to his dad, taking the shortest route, which led right through the Gate. His Dad became increasingly clearer as he approached the Gate, but as soon as he ran through, a bright silvery light engulfed his vision.

***

“Dad!” a voice rang from across the room.

Denida turned to the Gate, just in time to see Daniel run into its portal. What’s Daniel doing here? The Gate buzzed loudly, and Daniel vanished.

“Daniel!” Denida shouted.

The Gate fell silent, and its lights dimmed. Denida’s heart sank, as cold terror filled him from the inside out. The shock of seeing Daniel vanish froze him in place, leaving him itchy all over with anxiety. Dan’s team ran to the Gate and tried to power it back on, but despite their best efforts, the Gate remained dark and quiet, like a massive monster that consumed its fill just before hibernation.

Denida opened his mouth, and the only words he could think of tumbled out. “We need…” He knew deep down what he wanted to say, but he couldn’t finish his sentence. His jaw clenched in defiance.

The tense atmosphere in the lab birthed an air of discomfort and silence. Nina had arrived in no time, following a call from Denida. If looks could kill, both Denida and Dan would have been dead on the floor.

The assistants kept nervously peeking over at Nina’s face, in between failed attempts to restore power to the Gate.

Nina bared her teeth, appearing even more furious than Denida, despite the rage in his eyes. “How could you let this happen?” Nina pointed at Dan. “This is your lab. And you!” She whipped around to Denida. “- you were so eager to play with your new toy that you couldn’t even check to make sure that your son was safe!”

“Look.” Dan raised his hands to fend off Nina. “I’ve got a device that should be able to control the Gate from the other side.” He handed Nina the device. It was about the size of a cell phone and had the same mysterious alloy as the Gate at its center.

“Why can’t you control it from this end?” Nina’s fingers curled into claws. “You should never have had it on, especially without a contingency plan.”

“The controller isn’t technically ready, yet.” Dan backed away from Nina. “We found it with the Gate, but haven’t had much time to test it.” He trembled, as though still prepared to retreat.

“Who knows where Daniel is now, or with whom. He is just twelve years old, a child!” Tears prickled Nina’s eyes, so she turned away and wiped her face on her sleeve.

“I will get him back; I promise.” Denida hugged Nina to try and calm her worries, but it did little to ease his own concerns.

Nina turned back and nodded. The couple gazed deep into each other’s eyes, as they held a deep conversation without words.

“This is purely experimental. We don’t know what’s on the other side, or if you can even get back through from the other side.” Dan stepped in between them and the Gate.

Denida frowned, ignoring him. Of course, it’s risky, but Daniel’s my son. What am I supposed to do, forget about him? The mental image of Daniel cold and scared pierced Denida’s mind and his body began to shake with concern.

The Gate buzzed, and all the lights flickered back on.

“It’s back!” a lab assistant yelled.

“Showtime.” Denida darted over to the Gate.

“I think we should send troops, too, just in case there are demons or militant forces on the other side.” Dan ran in front of Denida.

Denida paused midstride, listening to Dan, only to shake his head.

“No, we don’t have time to prepare the troops for a mission.” He hugged and kissed Nina tenderly. “I will bring Daniel back. You’ll see.” He smiled at her and took the controller from Nina.

“Wait.” Dan pointed to the controller. “That device is sensitive, so don’t touch it, unless you intend to use it. It has a cooldown period in between uses, so it’s important you don’t use it by accident.”

Denida paused, imagining being stuck in an unknown area with a faulty controller. “Dan, maybe you should call the Colonel,” Denida admitted. “I’ll be going on this adventure alone but having our colonel’s advice on standby could be helpful.” He smiled in Nin’s direction. “Watch over her, Dan.” Denida strode through the Gate. As soon as he vanished, it powered down, like it had after Daniel used it.

Denida found himself in a forested area on the other side of the Gate. He had almost expected to find green aliens chasing Daniel through a wasteland, but the aliens were a figment of his imagination, and the ground was so covered in leaves that it was impossible to see his son’s footsteps. Where could he be? The smartest decision would’ve been to stay right here. Denida scratched his head. Maybe he did stay a while, but gave up on waiting, after several hours passed. Denida decided to search the area. Have I been here before? This forest feels familiar. “Daniel!” he hollered repeatedly as he marched through the dense forest. “Where are you, Son?”

Denida stood still to collect his thoughts and realized that he could hear the distinct “whoosh” of cars passing by. He walked in the direction of the sound until he discovered a road. Maybe he approached the road to seek help?

When Denida reached the road, he stopped dead in his tracks. He saw a familiar symbol on a building across the highway.

Denida knelt behind a bush, staring at the insignia. He eyed the building for any clues that would justify the symbol’s existence. What is it doing here? I designed it myself after the war with the Dark Angels. He was sure he’d never seen it before the moment he drew it for Dan, yet this building proudly boasted the emblem.

A troop of soldiers marched around the building, clearly on patrol. The symbol decorated their uniforms, but other than that, their gray getups only confused Denida more. Where am I? He sauntered down the slope, trying not to draw the soldiers’ attention to his presence. He circled the building, scoping it out. Having seen nothing significant, he approached a soldier, who seemed to be on a smoke break. The soldier leaned up against the front wall of the building. Maybe he can tell me about this building.

“Hey.” Denida pointed to the building. “Tall building, here. I really like the insignia engraved above the door.”

“Get out of here, bum. This is a military installation.” The soldier pushed Denida.

Military installation? Denida backed away. Very interesting, seeing as the soldiers are wearing a gear with the symbol decorating it. As he turned to leave, he noticed movement out of the corner of his eye, which caused him to halt.

The door had opened and Denida could see a ring of soldiers inside, with Daniel standing in the middle.

“I said move it!” The soldier yelled at Denida.

Denida’s jaw trembled. I can’t leave without Daniel, but if I try to fight this guy, the rest of the soldiers will attack me. “That’s my boy in there, but why?”

The soldier’s eyes followed Denida’s finger to the building and the soldiers inside.

“Well?” Denida trembled with impatience.

The soldier pushed him into the building.

“This guy says he’s the boy’s dad,” the soldier announced.

“Oh? This kid said he’s the president’s son. This is the guy he was referring to?” Another soldier snickered.

The rest of the soldiers laughed.

Denida looked at the unfamiliar soldiers, still with a sinking sensation in his chest. They have the UW symbol here, but they don’t know who we are?

A decorated sergeant stepped into the room, commanding attention. “From what I’ve heard, this boy claims he’s our colonel’s son, and the man says he’s the kid’s dad. Something’s wrong, here.” The sergeant raised his gun, taking aim at Denida.

“I just want to take my son and leave.” Denida raised his hands in surrender.

“We could just kill you here, instead.” The clicks of arms sounded as the rest of the soldiers cocked their guns. Before the situation escalated, another man ran over from behind the troop.

“Stop! The colonel wants to see both prisoners.” The colonel? It can’t be our colonel, can it? Come to think of it, that would explain the UW symbol’s prevalence here. Denida nodded in acquiescence, relief hastening his stride, on his way to their colonel.

The soldiers led Denida and Daniel up endless stairs to the top floor of the building. Each landing they passed had guards patrolling each door onto their respective floors. How strange… Denida bit his lip. The military presence sure seemed prevalent, and he really hoped they were taking him to see his own colonel. At least then, he’d be able to get some answers about this strange place.

When they reached the leader’s office, two the guards frisked both Denida and Daniel with a pat down. After turning to one another, the guards nodded and knocked on the grand, mahogany door behind them.

“Enter!” a voice called from within.

The guards opened the door, so Denida and Daniel could step inside, then closed it behind them with a loud bang.

The man at the desk resembled Denida’s colonel, right down to his stern smile. Is it really you?

“I am this world’s colonel, and the president of this underworld.”

Denida’s mouth hung agape. This man looked and sounded so much like his friend, but how did he become the president, here?

“What the…” I’m in a different underworld?

“You claim to be President Denida’s son?” the colonel asked.

Daniel’s eyes were as wide as Denida’s, as he glanced over at his dad.

Whoever this man is, he isn’t the colonel I know. Or, perhaps this is what my world would’ve been like if I had never become president? But that couldn’t be the case, given the prominence of the UW emblem in this world.

Denida stepped over to the desk and leaned against it. He drew in a deep breath. “How is it possible that you don’t know me?”

The colonel stared into Denida’s eyes as if he could hear Denida’s heart thumping in his chest. After a moment, he chuckled and leaned back in his chair. “Guards!”

Several men stormed into the room.

“I’m sorry, Mister, but I’ve never seen you before.” The colonel gestured for his troops to act. “They’re crazy. Get them out of my sight and remove them from the compound.”

Before Denida could object, the guards had grabbed him and Daniel and escorted them out of the building. How can this be? Denida knew his colonel very well, especially following their shared history fighting against the Dark Angels. Is that colonel in the office just a doppelgänger of my colonel? It seemed like the only explanation for the lack of recognition.

“I want to go home,” Daniel whispered.

They ventured through the forest, heading back to the Gate. One thing seemed evident; they had to leave this strange place, wherever they were.

Denida peeked down at his son and a tinge of annoyance drew Denida’s lips into a snarl. If only his son hadn’t followed him to the lab, if only he hadn’t gone through the Gate, none of this would be happening. But that wasn’t important anymore. Denida managed to find his son. As they approached the Gate, Denida froze. Somebody’s here! He pulled Daniel down with him, just in time to hide.