The Watch – Part 159:

I arrived back in my home world about an hour before the meteorites were due to strike. I was standing in my living room. I picked this place since I knew that we wouldn’t be here so I didn’t have to worry about bumping into me. It was hard to fathom that, at this very minute, four enormous rocks were hurtling through space, hell-bent on destroying that blue object in front of them, not knowing, not caring who or what is living there. Of course they wouldn’t, they’re inanimate objects.

As soon as I stood outside, I could hear the faint sounds coming from the concert. The band was playing their song, the audience were dancing and singing along, having fun. We were there, Amy, Tom and I, and we don’t know what’s about to happen. I still can’t believe how they were able to arrive completely undetected by everyone, especially the scientists that dedicate their entire lives to researching and studying and predicting how meteorites work and when the next one is due to pass by, maybe even hit us. I know that scientists can get it wrong every now and again considering they did fail to successfully predict when a meteorite would come close back in 2014, if not hit us, around 2034, but then just narrowly missed us not long after, so it is understandable that they don’t see everything coming; but completely missing four enormous rocks racing towards us, that is what is making me think that something, or someone might be behind it. If not, then those scientists have some explaining to do.

I looked up at the sky and saw that sun was still covering them as they get ready for their grand entrance. I wouldn’t be surprised if they were just passing the moon, which means I need to get moving, and fast.

Leaving my home behind, stepping outside, kicked myself off from the ground and hovering in the air for a couple of seconds as I made sure that the necessary breathing equipment was tied on tight enough so that it wouldn’t fall off during my battle with the meteorites. Once satisfied that everything was in order, I pushed myself upwards, flying high above the houses and entering the clouds. Today was a nice, sunny, warm day so there wasn’t that much cloud coverage, so I was out the other end in a matter of seconds, although I was a bit drenched. Maybe I should have gone round the clouds instead. Well, it’s too late now.

Continuing upwards, I saw a 747 jet fly past. I couldn’t help but think what would be going through the passengers’ minds if they saw a man flying past their window. As I neared the edge of the world, I thought about how I haven’t really been keeping up on how much news coverage I’ve gained. There has been so much happening, I completely forgot that there were people writing about me on forums, talking about me on networks, possibly trying to find me, wanting to talk to me, interview me, and discuss things with me. I wasn’t sure where I was going with that thought process, but considering I am going to stop four huge meteorites from slamming into the Earth, I can understand why those thoughts have popped into my head.

However, all those thoughts were suddenly and instantly drowned out when the Earth’s atmosphere just ended. The last time I was up this high above the world, there were many rockets hurtling towards the ground with the same goal as the meteorites, the destruction of the world itself. Feeling a strong sense of déjà vu, I looked upwards and saw as clear as day, the four massive rocks. Each one trying to beat the other one to the ground. Each one, bigger than the other. Each one, a gigantic monster. There’s no sound in space, but if there were, these four beasts would be roaring with victory; a great rumble would echo right across the solar system just before the biggest explosion in Earth’s history, and the last.

By now, the meteorites would be caught up in the Earth’s gravitational pull, so they would be just falling at maximum velocity. The bigger they are, the harder and faster they would hit. I pushed myself towards the rocks. The nearer I flew, the size of them four took me by surprise. The biggest one of the four could easily be compared as Pluto, and the smallest would be half the size.

If it weren’t for the situation I’m in, I would say that this was incredible, epic, the most amazing picture I’ve ever seen. But I can’t get lost in my own thoughts. I have a mission to do. I stare at the four rocks to formulate a plan… four… four rocks… one of me…

‘Oh, how could I be so stupid,’ I told myself in my head. ‘How could I have been so stupid? There’s four of them. One of me. I have to be in four places at once…’

I’ve never been in more than one place this way before. I mean, when I was battling the robots, I kept on travelling through time to the past, giving off the impression that I was in multiple places at once. I can do that again, but that would mean coming in contact with me, and if I’m not mistaken, before I travel in time to be in four places at once, I need to meet my three past-selves first. Do I have time to do that? No, that’s not the question. Do I have time to wait for me to show up? I can wait, and then the meteorites can slam into the Earth, if only I can actually… be… An idea popped into my head. What if I actually was in four places at once. Or, in other words, what if I duplicated myself. Can I do that? The watch allows me to do anything… that’s not an answer I’m looking for, though, is it?

I lifted my arm up, looking at the watch sitting idle on my wrist. If I am to duplicate myself, I need to know where to look to select the right options. How do I do that? I don’t know.

‘Interface, I need your help,’ I shouted at the watch in desperation. He appeared in front of me, not noticing or caring that he was floating through space.

‘Hello, Sebastian, how may I be of assistance?’ he said calmly. He’s a computer program, he doesn’t feel anything and so cannot process the fact that there are four huge rocks hurtling towards Earth right now.

‘Instead of searching for it, could you just split me up into four duplicates of me?’ I asked, panicky, otherwise I would have worded that sentence much better.

‘Certainly,’ he said before asking, ‘would you like your doubles to have the same powers as you?’ They can have the same powers as me? Wait, they can have the same powers as me. Yes…

‘That would be helpful, yes,’ I unintentionally snapped as the situation was growing more and more dire with each passing moment. Interface, being an A.I. nodded without acknowledging my mood and gave me the powers that I needed.

It was the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen. Three of me slowly faded into existence, complete with the same clothes, and powers. The only thing they didn’t have was, understandably, the watch.

‘Woah,’ I said, struggling to comprehend that there were four of me now. I momentarily lost myself in studying my three other selves. They are identical looking to me, and they were just floating in mid-space, probably waiting for me to give them some commands. Snapping out of my trance like state of wonder, I focused on the four meteorites in front of me, now so much closer.

‘Ready?’ I said to my three selves. They nodded. This was so weird.

I knew I wanted to push them out of the way, but in what direction, I wasn’t sure. Preferably any direction except towards Earth would do. Now I’m at arm’s length away, the biggest meteorites, and the other three were so, so much bigger. It’s strange not to feel powerless in front of these. I guess the adrenaline coursing through my body was keeping my confidence high.

My hands touched its cold, rough surface. With every ounce of my body, I started to push in the opposite direction. Nothing happened. I was now falling with the rocks, getting ever closer to the world beneath me. If I don’t make any difference, I would be crushed beneath them. I didn’t want to take my hands off the meteorite since I had a good grip. All I needed was more strength to combat the strong gravitational pull.

‘Interface, increase my strength,’ I demanded.

‘Certainly, Sebastian, by how much,’ he said in my head.

‘Just keep increasing until we’ve stopped this rock in its tracks,’ I said. Oh, right, I have three copies of me as well. ‘And can you increase the strength of my three copies as well, please,’ I said through gritted teeth as I pushed as hard as I could.

‘I can,’ he said simply. ‘Increasing strength.’ Instantly, I could feel my body getting stronger. Every muscle receiving power beyond anything they have ever had before. I pushed with everything that I had. I could feel myself slowing down, which meant the rock was slowing down as well. I looked over at my other three-selves and saw that they were level with me, meaning they were successfully slowing down, also. Then, without warning, I was the one with all the control over what direction these rocks move in. I was in charge, pushing it away from the world.

‘That’s enough,’ I said, and my strength stopped increasing. I continued pushing until the rock was far enough away for me to fling them in the opposite direction. They soared off into the distance, disappointed that it hadn’t taken down their enemy.

The world was saved. Whether or not anyone or everyone saw what happened, I will probably know as soon as I get back on the ground. But I couldn’t go home just yet. I needed to go and get my friends.

‘Thanks, er… me,’ I said to my other three-selves. They all nodded in unison, not talking. ‘You can take them away now,’ I said to Interface and they faded away as quickly as they faded in. I then searched through my history until I found the Parallel Universe that Amy and Tom were still in, and hit the button to send me there.

***

Appearing out of the Void, landing on the solid grass, I looked around, expecting to see my best friend and girlfriend, but instead they were nowhere to be seen. What?

‘We are in the same parallel universe, aren’t we?’ I asked Interface.

‘Yes,’ he said.

‘Then where are they?’

TO BE CONTINUED…

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)