My name is Trent Steele, I'm an inventor and a bit of an adventurer. The two, of course, do not go well together, but the
latter was rather forced on me, or maybe it was destined since birth. I mean, when you name your kid Trent Steele
you have to understand that their only two career choices are adventurer or porno star. I don't think anyone can just
proclaim themselves an adventurer, it's something that just happens. So it was with me.
It started in my girlfriends appartment as we talked over some Chinese take out.
"You're building that damned dimensional portal again, aren't you, Trent?" She asked accusingly.
"There's a long and short answer to any question like that." I replied evasively. I could see the first traces of that
annoyed and scolding look coming over her face now.
"What's the short answer?" She asked in a tone that would not suffer through the long answer.
"Yes."
"I see." She said, before continuing. "And what was the long answer?"
"Well, when you really consider the umm... the philosophical implications, and of course there are many, you have to admit
to the fact that man's intellect is clearly part of a higher power. And that since this higher power controls destiny to an
arguable degree, it could easily be said that I have as much part in the building of the machine as a car does in where it's
going!" I said, resplendant in my twisting of the fabric of logic to clothe my desires. Celia didn't seem as convinced.
"It could also be said that you have no idea what you're doing and this is going to get you and me both into a lot of trouble."
"Yes, that COULD be said, if one absolutely wanted to be negative. This machine has great possibilities. It could lead
to a better understanding of the universe and what's more it will make us both rich." I said, still enthusiastic for my project.
"Oh there's a great idea! Meddling with science for profit never turns out badly for anyone does it?" She cried sarcasticly.
By now we had stopped eating, the food no longer as pleasant as a meal shared between two companions who are getting along
properly.
"Oh those are movies, and books, and a few laboratory accidents. This will be different. My theory states that any world
that exists for long must have soem sort of stabilizing force, and therefore evil realities or other such chaotic dimensions
can't exist. We stand a much better chance of traveling to a world similiar to our own but more advanced.
She finally exploded. "Then why build the damned thing in the first place!?"
I took up my chopsticks, never one to be dissuaded for long, and after taking a bit of lo mein I replied cooly. "Because
I can."
On to chapter 2
