Sliders: Earth 214

6.6 | Déja Vù

Conrad Bennish sat in what had once been his classroom, staring at his inactive timer. It had to work! He'd been planning this for months, but there was no more time left.

Salvation arrived in the form of a vortex just outside the door. Bennish's eyes opened wide. This was his chance.




The Sliders touched down inside the University of California at Berkeley and took a bemused look around.

ARTURO
Well, considering that this might be our final slide in San Francisco, I'm glad I'll get to spend it on my old teaching grounds. The place is still beautiful, on each and every world.

Quinn didn't care. He hadn't enjoyed his time at the school. For him, it held nothing but bad memories.

The gateway swirled to zero... but not before a denizen of this world had spotted it.

BENNISH
Whoa!

QUINN
Bennish. How do we explain this one?

BENNISH
No need to explain. You are sliders, right?

ARTURO
Yes, Mr. Bennish, we are.

Bennish noticed the timer in Wade's hand.

BENNISH
You think you could help me fix my timer?

QUINN
I'm sure that can be arranged. What do you need us to do?

BENNISH
Hold tight.

Bennish ran back into the classroom and grabbed the timer. Although he had asked for help, Bennish seemed to be working alone. Five minutes later, Bennish emerged from the room.

BENNISH
Sorry, fellas, I had some work to do.

Quinn was reluctant to help Bennish, but went ahead and did it.

ARTURO
This is extraordinary! Mr. Bennish, your timer is almost identical to our own.

Arturo looked down at the timer on the table to make sure it was still there.

QUINN
Yeah! I'm impressed. At least one of your doubles got it right.

Quinn laughed, and Bennish joined in... albeit with a jaded undertone.

Wade didn't like this situation. Remmy had gained some knowledge of the timer over the years, so she was the only one left in the dark. She had no idea what they were talking about. She tried to stay content.

ARTURO
Well, Mr. Bennish, that should just about do it. It's amazing how similar our timers are.

BENNISH
Well, great minds think alike, right, Professor?

ARTURO
Some things never change. Do they Mr. Mallory?

Quinn smiled. They were done, and he was glad to get out of there. This place made him nervous, for some reason.

Outside, Quinn caught sight of a sign for a garage sale.

QUINN
Hey, look at that! They misspelled "garage".

The sign clearly read "garege."

ARTURO
Its simply a typo, Mr. Mallory. Now, shall we venture on to the City of Angels?

QUINN
No. I don't like this place. It seems too strange. Let's leave ASAP.

WADE
I agree. A world where Bennish created the timer can't be too good.

REMBRANDT
Plus... this city's getting to me, again. I don't think I've said good-bye to her yet.

ARTURO
So, we're staying.




The six hour limit approached, and the group was ready to leave. Quinn opened the vortex, but his face turned cold.

REMBRANDT
What is it, Q-Ball?

QUINN
It didn't beep. It always beeps.

WADE
Well, we can't sit around worrying about that. We have to go!

The four sliders jumped into the vortex. Inside, all Quinn could think about was the timer. What if something really had gone wrong? He wasn't ready to slide blind.

The vortex opened on the other side. All the sliders landed, and rushed to Quinn.

QUINN
NO!

The timer was counting down from 24 minutes.

QUINN
We reset it. I can't believe it. We reset it.

ARTURO
The coordinates?

QUINN
Gone.

REMBRANDT
Oh, man! This isn't happening. What do we do?

QUINN
We Slide. It's that simple. There's nothing else to do.

They walked down the street, frantically hoping this wasn't the Seer's world. Their focus quickly changed, though.

QUINN
Look at that.

It was a sign. The same sign with the word "garage" misspelled.

ARTURO
It's nothing Mr. Mallory. We all know how just parallel these parallel worlds can be.

QUINN
Think of the odds, professor. That the same family could make the exact flyer on the same day with the same mistake on two consecutive worlds. When we could just as easily have hit Rampaging Dinosaur World, or Everyone-Has-Three-Arms World.

ARTURO
As unlikely as it sounds, Mr. Mallory, it's entirely possible. Now, it appears we have a bigger problem.

The timer counted down to zero, and the vortex opened. The sliders, once again, dove into the gate.

This time, they were only allotted 12 minutes.

QUINN
12 minutes. Not only can we not get to LA, but we don't even have enough time to get some food or some rest. Its only been one slide, and I'm already tired of this!

Quinn was frustrated. He felt as if he was at the end of the road. This journey had once held so much promise. Now, there was nothing left. His perfected timer had been lessened to nothing.

ARTURO
I don't believe it!

Quinn wasn't listening, but Wade and Rembrandt joined Arturo, who was staring at a telephone pole.

ARTURO
There may be merit to your claim.

Quinn looked up, and was alarmed. On the pole was the same sign. The same misspelled sign for a garage sale.

WADE
This is scaring me.

QUINN
Wait! Maybe this is the same world.

REMBRANDT
Wait, Q-Ball. How can this be the same Earth?

QUINN
I don't know, but I have to take this thing apart and find out.

ARTURO
And what happens if it's merely a coincidence? We could well be trapped here for twenty-nine years.

QUINN
So what do you suggest we do? Slide again?

ARTURO
Well, I believe that could be the best course of action.

QUINN
I can't believe this!

Remmy was holding the timer and began to get nervous.

REMBRANDT
Guys. If we're going to leave, we better do it soon because, well, here we go.

Rembrandt opened the vortex, and stood in place. Quinn looked over at the Professor. Quinn was alone in this, his own frustration leading to impatience. One more time, he thought.

The four sliders jumped in. On the other side, Quinn emerged, and quickly ran off. There was something he had to check.

Wade and Arturo looked on, while Remmy looked at the timer. It read 3 minutes.

REMBRANDT
Q-Ball better hurry, because we've only got a couple minutes here.

Arturo looked worried. The sliders rushed after Quinn. He was there. At the same pole. The same misspelled sign.

QUINN
Still a coincidence?

Rembrandt looked down and watched the numbers count down. He didn't ask what to do, he just watched. When it reached zero, something odd happened.

REMBRANDT
Hey, guys. Is this supposed to happen?

The timer reset to 2 minutes.

QUINN
We have to look at it.

Quinn rushed back to the school, to the same classroom Bennish was in earlier.

ARTURO
It's remarkable! This timer has the same structure, the same design, and most of the same parts, but it lacks the most important piece that allows for interdimensional travel.

WADE
What does that mean?

ARTURO
This can't take us to parallel Earths. It's lacking components, and requires more power.

REMBRANDT
Hold on. We slid before. What happened then?

ARTURO
Think of the vortex as a river. The normal timer allows us to cross the river, but this one merely shoves us out a little ways and lets the current pull us back to the same side where we started. It's a teleportation device, more or less. It probably has a small "sliding" radius, which explains why we landed near the same point every time.

WADE
So what do we do? Fix this timer?

QUINN
That would be our last choice. We have to find our own.

REMBRANDT
Our timer?

ARTURO
Yes, Mr. Brown. Mr. Bennish replaced our timer with his own. Now, he will think that the timer has to open the gate when it reaches zero, so we have about a day and a half to find him.

WADE
Where do we look?

QUINN
I'm going to stay here and work on this piece of junk, while the Professor checks around the campus. Bennish just might have stayed here. You guys search the city. Ask around. Even try going to the police. Bennish just might be wanted.

Arturo looked around the campus. Maybe he could find someone that could help.

MAN
Professor Arturo?

ARTURO
Yes, my good man.

MAN
You don't remember me, Professor?

ARTURO
Sorry. I'm not feeling too well. Tell me again.

MAN
I'm Charles Burke, your student.

ARTURO
Yes, of course. My apologies. Could you do me a favor?

CHARLES
Anything, Professor.

ARTURO
Where does Conrad Bennish live?




Remmy and Wade walked along the streets. They had asked around, but nobody knew who Bennish was. They even tried going to Quinn's house, but it was vacant. They had one last option. The police.

On the way to the police station, Wade and Remmy passed an electronics store. Wade stopped, as if something bothered her. She ran inside.

REMBRANDT
Wade! We don't have time for this!

Rembrandt ran inside and found Wade, watching a television. On it was Bennish, with "wanted" under his name, along with a number.

REMBRANDT
You're good, girl!

Wade felt satisfied. She hadn't contributed very much on the trip to this point, and was relieved to get a chance at carrying her weight.




Charles took Arturo to a small home. Parked outside was a large van, not suspicious enough to attract attention.

Arturo knocked on the door, and it swung open to reveal Bennish.

And his .45 caliber handgun.




Wade was on the phone with the FBI. It seemed Bennish had been charged with a double murder, and the FBI had just obtained the needed warrant. They were already sending a van over to Bennish's house.

FBI AGENT
Mr. Brown, Ms. Welles. Thank you for helping us. Now what did you say Bennish would do?

They had to tell the police. Who knows how long it takes for the police to find a criminal on this world. The truth would help them get the timer back faster.

REMBRANDT
He took our timer. It's a machine that transports us between alternate dimensions.

FBI AGENT
And it works?

REMBRANDT
All too well.

FBI AGENT
This is classified, but I think it's safe to tell you. Our government has been working on a way to travel to parallel dimensions. Could you help us?

REMBRANDT
I'm sure Quinn and the Professor would love to help. But we don't have a lot of time.

FBI AGENT
Don't worry, Mr. Brown. We've been planning this for weeks.




Inside Bennish's house, Arturo was trying to reason with the newly minted fugitive.

ARTURO
Mr. Bennish, you cannot do this. Turn yourself in, and you will be granted a reduced sentence.

BENNISH
Not when I have this baby. I'm going to travel the multiverse until I find my place.

Bennish started to fiddle with the timer.

ARTURO
How did you get yourself in this mess, anyway?

BENNISH
Well... Quinn and I actually did build a working timer. He traveled to an alternate Earth, and back. We were going to split the credit, but he wanted to "donate" the science. I tried to steal the prototype, and he got cautious. He must have taken a couple of pieces out, without my knowing it. I was just going to steal it, but I ended up killing Quinn and his dad. Now, all I want is to leave.




In the FBI van, Remmy decided to call Quinn. He didn't like being separated like this. He was worried. But he used a clever cover story, insisting that Quinn could help the FBI with their technology now.




Arturo looked at the timer in Bennish's hand.

ARTURO
You know you can't stall for a whole day.

BENNISH
Oh, Professor. I don't intend on doing that, dude. I am simply going to open the vortex early. I don't care if I slide blind. I'm just waiting for the right time.

Arturo was worried, this was the most unstable Bennish he had met.

Quinn showed up to the van, just when the FBI was preparing to rush into the house.

QUINN
Okay, what do you need me to do?

FBI AGENT
Mr. Mallory, thanks for your help. This technology could save our world. The press doesn't know this, but our resources are almost out. Gas is almost $5 a gallon. We're covering, saying that there's a huge dispute in the Middle East, but it won't last long.

Quinn shifted, hoping he wasn't unleashing another Logan St. Claire on the multiverse.

QUINN
Just be sure you ask first, and have something to trade. I've seen a good share of worlds where interdimensional commerce has caused problems. Now, I've been working on this.

Quinn pulled out Bennish's timer.

QUINN
I wrote this on the way over, and I'll work as long as I can here. You may have all you need here if I leave.

Just then, the door opened to show Bennish holding Arturo hostage at gunpoint.

BENNISH
Haha! Look at this. I, Conrad Bennish, have conquered sliding. Watch!

Bennish opened the vortex, paused a moment to revel at the beauty of it, and jumped inside.

ARTURO
Quinn, Ms. Welles, Mr. Brown! Come on, come on!

Arturo jumped into the vortex. Remmy and Wade ran and jumped inside. Quinn, still in the van, tossed the timer to the agent.

QUINN
Good luck! Sorry I can't help, but I have a plane to catch.

FBI AGENT
What about Bennish?

Quinn stood at the mouth of the vortex. He thought for a second.

QUINN
I'll see what I can do.

He jumped into the vortex, and it closed seconds later.




On the next world, Bennish sailed straight into the ground, knocking the gun and timer from his hand. Arturo was next out, and landed squarely on Bennish. Remmy flew over both of them, right next to the gun and timer. Wade and Quinn followed.

Remmy picked up the gun, and walked to pick up the timer.

BENNISH
Oh my gosh, man! Get off me!

Arturo stepped off of Bennish's back and stood next to Rembrandt.

REMBRANDT
All right, Bennish. It's over!

WADE
That was a close one.

BENNISH
What a wild ride! Well, at least its over.

QUINN
I don't think so, Bennish. You still have one more trip.

ARTURO
Quinn, what do you mean?

WADE
Yeah, we aren't taking him with us. Are we?

QUINN
Yes. We're taking him back to his world. Where he belongs.

ARTURO
You realize that this will cost us several hours.

QUINN
Yes, Professor, but it's the right thing to do.




The vortex opened on Bennish's world, right where they had left.

Quinn began to walk away.

WADE
Where are you going, Quinn?

QUINN
I've got a couple things to do. I'll see you at the hotel in, say, six hours?

Quinn smiled, and walked away.

The others grabbed Bennish and took him to the police. Then, they walked to the hotel. It was time for them to get some rest.



Back to Earth 214