People only age when they move - Part 2

The first part of this and the full prompt is here

I stood immobile, but my mind was racing as Ionis explained what would happen when we switched dimensions. I was grateful that it didn’t involve trekking out to some warehouse on the outskirts of town. It was actually incredibly underwhelming. I had watched all the old movies. Huge spinning, glowing machines, arcing plasma all over the place. That was how dimension jumping, or time travel or teleporting was done. I suppose that was a long time ago now. No-one made movies any more really, apart from the occasional vanity project. It took too long and the actors just got older and older. It made continuity a real bitch, and in the end, we just sort of stuck with the old ones. There were no new stories worth dying to tell anymore when all people did was sit and slowly expire. They had not stood still on Ionis version of Earth though. They had progressed. All we needed now was what looked like a small plastic wristwatch. We didn’t even need to charge it up or anything. Just enter the code he gave me and press the button on the side apparently.

I finished tapping in the code. “What is this code?”

“Kind of like co-ordinates? We jump to worlds at random, that’s all you can do at first, but once we have visited we can put down a kind of bookmark. So we can revisit. This is not a one-way trip.”, Ionis said. “Unless you want it to be. I’m sure our physics faculty would love to talk to you about how things work here. We’d be happy to have you.”

“You think I have nothing to keep me in my life?”

Ionis held up his hands, in the exaggerated, expressive way that typified his speech. It was especially jarring coming from a small child. “I meant no offence. It’s just hard for me. None of you here seems to have a connection to anything. The ones that find one, burn out so quickly when they figure out their purpose. It's heartbreaking. I think we can show you a better way. Are you ready?”

“Yes”, I said. “Is that all I need to do?”

“That’s it. Dimension skipping 101 is not a long course. On the count of the 3? 1. 2.” I know Ionis said 3. I heard him say it. That’s why I pressed the button. But as soon as I did so, all concept of numbers, of any need to quantify or order anything ever again flowed away from me like the stars and galaxies and then dimensions we sped through and past. I screwed my eyes shut in terror. I wasn’t aware I was screaming until Ionis coughed politely.

“Um”, he said. “We are here.”

My scream tailed off in the deafening silence around me. I opened my eyes and looked down. Then I looked up. And up a bit more, until I finally found the eyes of what appeared to be Ionis’s father. He was smiling sympathetically.

“I’m sorry Jason. I should have warned you. But it isn’t painful, and it doesn’t damage you. I was worried you would pull out. You actually can learn to enjoy it. It’s kind of beautiful, in a savage way once you are able to breathe into it and watch. Like a forest fire.”

“Ionis?”

“Yes. This is actually me. As I look in my world. If I’d stayed with you I’d have looked like this in a few short weeks. But just not for long.”

I said nothing. I did nothing. There was activity enough in the room without me adding to it. People swirled and twirled past each other. Talking and touching and moving like the poor doomed souls in the few dance performances we had on record. Only, there was no fear or worry. They were happy and relaxed. Joyful.

“Ionis, what is the matter with these people?”

“They are excited. To see you! It’s always a thrill when someone visits the council from outside our dimension.”

I fought the urge to move my head and follow them all rushing around. Ionis took my hand. My eyes met his.

“Jason. Just breathe. Relax. Movement is nothing to fear.”

“How do you know?” I asked. “What if I age quicker. What if I collapse to dust? HOW CAN YOU KNOW!” I shocked myself with a shout. It had been many years since I had been excited enough to scream and shout.

“Move aside Ionis, you lout.” A small round woman nudged Ionis aside and adjusted her equally round glasses as she smiled at me. “Hello! Jason is it? I’m Dr Retrelen, the CDO of this facility. It is an absolute pleasure to meet you! You should have no fear on that score. Visitors will always follow the physics of the dimension they are presently in. Mores the pity actually otherwise we would be able to run much more interesting experiments and not just have to rely on conversation to learn about other dimensions.”

“Ruth, slow down. He’s not used to pace like this”, Ionis interjected.

“I can speak for myself, thank you”, I said carefully. “I would like a little more than your word, Dr Retrelen.”

“Fair enough. I can understand why you would. We were shocked when we found your particular, um, peculiarity. So I can appreciate your concern. Wait here, I’ve got an idea.”

I laughed. No-one had told me to stay still in decades. It was not a common expression. Here they assumed that unless told otherwise I’d go and start running in circles like a dying chicken.

Ionis smiled as well. Other members of their team tried to come and say hello, but he warned them away. They grew impatient and started to drift away. Within a few short minutes, Dr Retrelen bustled back into the room and placed a cuff on my wrist.

“Oh I’m sorry”, she said. “I should have asked if it was OK, shouldn’t I? Naughty me!” She smacked her own wrist and gave me a small screen to hold. “This is an electron scan of the cells in your arm. You can see them here, living and moving and dying. On your world, if you were standing this still, your cell death rate would be close to zero.”

“What is it now?”, I asked.

She indicated a number in the top right of the screen. The digits flicked quickly by. My heart sped up. “Oh my God. I’m dying! Send me back! What’s the code for my world?” I fiddled with the wristwatch in panic.

Ionis and his calm voice interjected. “Look at the numbers now Jason.” I did as he asked. They were unchanged. I moved an arm experimentally. Nothing. I walked a step or two.

“They will never change here”, Ruth said.

The rush of freedom scared me, but the fear somehow made me elated. I threw my hands in the air, and I ran. Not for my life, but just for the simple joy of it. Tears running down my face I ran and I jumped and spun, and I screamed. Long and loud. Almost immediately I was out of breath. My heart pounded and I saw spots. I sank to my knees.

Ruth and Ionis rushed to my side. “I am dying”, I said simply.

“No, no. I promise you. You are just not used to cardio! You’ll get the hang of it!” Ionis said.

The boredom had left the spectators now. They were animated and happy. High fiving and recording my antics and themselves on their own screens. I puffed and coughed and tried to catch my breath. There was no way I could ever get used to that.

“You have questions for me, Dr Ruth?”, I asked.

“Oh yes, Jason. So many questions. You have no idea.”

“Can I ask you one first please?”

“Of course.”

“The code we entered to get here was 00012. Why is it not 00001?”

The excitement in the room disappeared like fire before a Freon system. No-one spoke for a moment. For them, it must have seemed like an eternity.

“I’m sorry if that was a difficult question”, I said. “Thinking carefully is all I am good at. It seemed like an important detail.”

“It is Jason”, Ionis said. “It is. Come let’s get you a drink and a seat while you cool down. I’ll try and explain.”