The Fabric Of Reality by Benjamin Kelly

it had a physical property that would allow us to feel it until I met you.”
    Alesia huffed loudly. Too many strange things had happened. She couldn’t believe she was standing there, talking to a man from a different Reality for no reason. This had to be the key to her salvation. She only needed to unlock the secret of what was keeping them apart and together they could save each other. “You keep using absolutes. You said we couldn’t touch, but we are, so how can you be completely certain of anything?”
    “You’re correct, of course. This junction point is behaving in a manner inconsistent with every previous observation, so my absolutes are only guesses. I’ll try to keep that in mind.”
    “What caused you to be detained while your friends escaped?”
    “A well-placed shot by our enemy. Most everyone had gone through, but the Barrier that protects this fortress was in imminent danger of collapse. We only needed a few more moments, so I went to make the necessary repairs. Unfortunately, the damage was fairly extensive. I had to manually shore up the Barrier while they escaped. By the time I finished the repairs, the Doorway had closed.”
    Alesia clasped both his hands and held them tightly. “You’re a hero. You sacrificed yourself so the others could escape.”
    “Nonsense. I was the only one left with the technical skills to make the repairs. I did what had to be done, that’s all.”
    “I’ve suddenly realized that I’m quite famished. Would you sit with me here in the corridor and have a meal?”
    Gil gave her a sly grin. “Are you asking me for a dinner date?”
    “What is that?”
    “Dinner?”
    “I know what dinner is. What is a date?”
    Gil gazed thoughtfully at her for a moment. “Oh, well—it’s an excuse for two people to spend time together.”
    “Yes, in that case I’m asking for a date.”
    “I’ll leave my Locater so the Window will remain visible and meet you back here in a few moments. Oh, in the interest of not propagating inaccurate absolutes, would you prefer that I call it ‘the junction point previously classified as a Window which could now be almost anything’?” Gil grinned broadly at her.
    Alesia rolled her eyes but returned his grin. “Don’t be daft.”
    He shrugged and backed away. “Sorry, that was a poor attempt at humor.”
    “If you want to eat, bring your dinner. I’ll get mine.”
    ***
    Gill strolled quickly down the corridor toward the kitchen, whistling the tune of some ancient song about bluebirds and sunshine. The name was floating around in his head somewhere, but he couldn’t find it. A high-pitched screech overpowered the noise-canceling system and ended with an electrical sizzle. The loud warble of a fire alarm sounded as the faint smell of smoke wafted into the kitchen. Gil poked his head into the corridor. Ghostly gray wisps curled in the air as they spilled from the control room door. You people are getting on my last nerve. He rushed back into the kitchen and flipped open a cupboard. It was stacked from top to bottom with field rations. He grabbed a pack and bottle of water from the refrigerator and hurried back to meet Alesia.
    When he rounded the corner, Gil stopped dead in his tracks. The fog in the Window had thinned to the point of near transparency. Alesia’s long brown hair flowed down past her shoulders, framing her flawless face. Her big, dark eyes perfectly contrasted her smooth, pale skin. Bright red pigment adorned her full, pouty lips, lips that Gil suddenly desired to kiss almost more than he desired to continue living. The thin gray dress she wore clung tightly to her supple curves and was cut low enough to show a fair amount of cleavage. Everything about her appearance indicated that she was a sophisticated modern woman.
    “Good, you’re still here. I have a minor crisis to deal with, but I’ll be back as soon as possible. I’m sorry for ruining our first date.” He took one step toward her, and the air between them