Jessica was surprised by what was hanging in her room when she awoke. On the door hung a sleek black gown, with golden waves painted across it and diamond detailing. It was the most regal thing she had ever seen. She walked downstairs to check in, and in the main room was a beauty salon set up with a hairstylist, a manicurist, and a massage therapist. When Jessica hesitated on the stairs, Tony peered around the corner and said, “Hurry up, you’re next.”
Before Jessica knew what hit her, she stood in front of a full-length mirror, not recognizing herself. Her hair was intricately braided and put up, with a single large ruby as the centerpiece, perfectly embedded.
Jessica walked out to the patio area to see Ori, Evelyn, Jordan, Tony, and Vau sitting. When she stepped out, everyone stood to greet her. They were all elegantly dressed in tailored attire, clearly designed to highlight each of their beautifully unique physiques. Jessica noticed shimmers of sapphire and emerald shining from little adornments. The effect was magical.
In unison, they all gave a single nod of approval. “You look majestic,” Professor Raziel said, joining them outside.
“I feel like we’re about to go to the Met Gala, not a science fair.” Jessica laughed.
“Tradition.” Evelyn smiled. “Dreamy outfits and sensible shoes.” She motioned down to her flats with a little wink.
“It’s incredible,” Jessica said appreciatively. “Thank you all, by the way. I know I still have more to remember, but having you all show me behind the scenes, it’s been unforgettable. Well, let’s hope.”
Ori smiled in return. “Just remember that no matter what, the universe is always on your side.”
Jordan interrupted the silence. “This is a beautiful moment, but it’s time to go.”
Something felt a little like high school as they walked together, all dressed up, down the path and into the forest. Surrounded by thick old-growth trees, they stopped. Jessica watched as they all lifted their wrists, fingers on the outer rings of their timepieces.
“Alright, who’s coordinating?” Jordan asked.
“Let me get this one,” Tony said as he walked over to Jessica. He got right next to her, so she had a good view of his skeleton watch. Tony pointed to a dial he was adjusting to 7.83. “This shows where you’re anchored. Your version of Planet Earth, on average, resonates at 7.83 hertz. Sometimes it’s different, but then that’s when there’s overlap with other realities or there’s multidimensional interference, blah blah blah. For now, let’s keep it simple. So if I’m your escort, we’d set this at 7.83.”
Tony placed his thumb and index finger on the largest ring around the face of the watch. “This bezel, the big one, you tune this to where you want to go.” He twisted it and said, “Where is it again?”
“President John C. Lewis High School,” Vau said.
“No,” Tony said, “I mean…”
“It’s at six one nine,” Ori said.
“All right,” Tony whispered, focusing as he adjusted the large dial on his watch until the second sub-dial lit up and flashed “6.19 hz.” “Okay,” Tony continued. “Now you have to clear—”
“Wait,” Vau interjected. “I just remembered it’s my turn. Why does Tony get to do it?”
“Because I designed it,” Tony said.
“Fine, but I’m going to show her around Match Day,” Vau said.
Jessica saw Evelyn shake her head, while Jordan rolled her eyes, and Ori laughed.
“Just hear me out,” Vau said. “This will be the first time she’ll see Match Day. She’s like a recruit, and I’m up.”
Tony looked at Evelyn, who said, “Well, he’s not wrong.”
Tony scoffed and stepped back. Vau strutted up triumphantly. He held his wrist up to Jessica so she could see his clouded watch face and dials. “Now, grab my arm.” Vau pressed the circular 6.19 hz on his watch, and Jessica felt a burst of air all around her. “Take a deep breath, imagine Match Day, and we’ll travel through time and across the multiverse. Relax and enjoy the ride.” Vau patted Jessica’s arm reassuringly. He closed his eyes, inhaled deeply, and Jessica was surrounded by white clouds. She couldn’t see anything else, even her hand when she tried to put it in front of her face. Jessica felt like she was floating in the ocean and parachuting through the air simultaneously. Aside from the gust of wind, the only thing she could feel was the steadiness of Vau’s arm.
A few moments later, they were strolling through a park, walking as if they’d never missed a step. She could see Vau now, and he said, “Once you find your watch, you’ll be able to see everything.” My watch? Jessica’s thought stopped short as she stared ahead. What she saw had to be an illusion. Their destination looked like a city enclosed in a glass dome, elevated in the sky. “Is that a city-sized snow globe?” Jessica asked, half-jokingly.
“Something like that,” Vau said.
The city appeared to hover over a thick rainforest. As they got closer, Jessica saw that a golden pyramid was rising out of the treetops, making contact with the bottom of the dome. The city appeared to be balanced on the pyramid’s point. Jessica followed Vau and the team as they stepped into a glass box. It was like an all-glass gondola lift, but it wasn’t connected to any cables. Once they were all in, the unmanned container elevated off the ground and flew directly toward the elevated city. If Jessica didn’t see the ground passing below them, she wouldn’t have thought they were moving.