Be that as it may, this bar was just an ordinary, nondescript bar at one side of the Hotel's Common Room, and Jim and Rick were relaxing at it, somewhat bored, hoping for a diversion. The situation at the other end of the bar, where Demonica was having an argument with various other Heavy Hitters, looked promising, but before it could claim their full attention, a more intriguing diversion occured. A few stools over from them, a middle-aged man in a big coat appeared.
"Cute," remarked Rick. "Most characters walk in from their episodes. This is the first time I've ever seen anyone magically appear back here."
"My Uncle Sid can," Jim remarked. "You know -- the self-appointed 'Keeper of the Backstage' who holds court over in what he calls Backstage Central?"
"Oh yeah, I remember. You said he's in charge of the clueless -- those who get shelved back here rather than finding the place on their own. Like you, before he brought you here?"
Jim nodded. "I still find it hard to believe there are 'more aware' versions of me who visit here regularly," he said.
Rick expelled a breath, exasperated. "You've listened to your uncle too much," he said. "How many times do I have to tell you? There's just one version of you, just like there's just one version of me. We go from episode to episode, absorb the back story, act our our part, and come back here for the next call. When we have to be a different age or appearance we check in at Central Casting and they fix us up. It's a lot to keep straight, but we manage okay. Jesus, what's wrong with your memory?"
"Nothing, as far as I know. You know, I've been asking around, and not half the people here seem as 'aware' as you. The way I figure, some versions of us just have the memories of all versions, for some reason, so they just think there's one of each character."
Rick frowned. "Well," he said, "I have heard of two or more of some characters appearing in the same episode at once, though it's never happened to me personally. I always figured it was done with extras through Central Casting, or some sort of fiddling with personal timelines."
"Ha!" cried Jim. "I knew it! I've heard of that same thing happening to you, and yet you don't remember it! See? It proves my point! Characters are split into more than one version by the end of episode choices!"
"Or," said Rick, "it could just be that what you've heard of happens to me in my future. That would explain why I don't remember it just as well, and the apparent doubling could still be accounted for by time travel. Or, maybe all the 'Rick-doubling' you've heard of was done by extras -- maybe I was on call elsewhere at the time!"
"We're obviously no closer to solving this," Jim muttered.
"Excuse me?" said the man who had appeared on the barstool.
They looked at him. "Oh yeah," Rick said. "You. The diversion. We were hoping for one, and then you happened, and then we got diverted, somehow..."
"Uncle Sid!" cried Jim.
The newcomer looked startled for a moment, then seemed to rally. "Exactly," he said. "I couldn't help but overhear your debate, and I think maybe you two can help me."
"Why?" sniffed Rick. "You're Mister 'Hey! I know reality better than you do!' -- right? The guy who's deluded my poor buddy, here? And now you have the nerve to show up here asking favors?"
Uncle Sid smiled sheepishly. "Well," he said, "I am and am not the guy you refer to. I definitely am Jim's Uncle Sid, though we've never met in my reality -- I did see him with another 'me' just before coming here, though --" He turned to Jim. "That was you, wasn't it?"
Jim shrugged. "Give me some circumstances," he said. "I sure don't remember encountering two of you before.
"You would only have seen my counterpart rather than myself, because I I was invisible at the time. I turned visible again here to try to get some answers. The funny thing was, when you first appeared, you were two people, too. Identical copies of the same persion, rather. You even talked in unison. My own counterpart merged you into one, put you in the charge of a cat-headed servant, and then sent you elsewhere. This was one of the places he suggested you go."
Jim boggled somewhat, and shook his head. "Nope. That sure wasn't me. Must've been another version. Or two, I guess..."
"Two into one?" Rick muttered. "Could even Central Casting do that?"
Sid grinned again. "I sure wouldn't know. I'm new here, myself. But my own personal experience does seem to jibe with reality as Jim describes it rather than as you do."
"Well, neither of you seem to know a lot about this place," Rick sulked.
"Exactly. But I'd sure like to find out. You boys between you seem to have a general handle on it, even if it doesn't jibe in all respects. Me, I'm a scientist, and I've always been interested in the nature of reality. Thought I disrupted it irreperably, too, several decades back. I've been living with that guilt ever since. Now I've got the feeling that was just a sort of cover story for what's really going on. Anything you two can do to enlighten me further would be most appreciated."
Jim and Rick looked at each other. "Wellll...."
Just then all hell seemed to break loose at the other end of the bar. The argument of Demonica and her adversaries seemed to have gone beyond words. Half the light fixtures in the Common Room spontaneously exploded, and most of the ceiling was blown away.
"Shit!" Jim cried. "Let's get out of here!"
Rick seemed less concerned. "You can, if you want. I think it's just starting to get interesting."
Jim cast wildly about, looking for some place to hide.
"Any door will take you out to an episode," Rick reminded him. "I told you about this, remember? Just concentrate on the shimmer and make it happen."
"Thanks!" Jim said, and ran for the nearest exit. The air seemed to shimmer as he passed through it, and he vanished.
"Of course," Rick observed as he finished up his drink, "that door does go out to one of the Pokewoman threads, as I recall. Wonder how he'll fit in there? Oh well -- not my concern.
Tue Mar 13 17:16:02 2001
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