The Where in <strong>the</strong> Multiverse am I? Afterlife<strong>Not</strong>-Tim fin<strong>is</strong>hed signing <strong>the</strong> autograph and passed <strong>the</strong> dodgy Matirx DVD back to an ecstatic Taxon."<strong>Whoa</strong>," he said in awe.<strong>Not</strong>-Tim nodded towards <strong>the</strong> computer. "Now look <strong>the</strong>m up.""Huh? Oh. Yeah." Grinning, Taxon put <strong>the</strong> DVD aside and typed at <strong>the</strong> computer. Suddenly h<strong>is</strong> facefell. "Uh-oh."<strong>Not</strong>-Tim gave a start. "What happened?"Taxon shrugged. "The intranet <strong>is</strong> down. We've been having all sorts of problems since we switched toWindows V<strong>is</strong>ta... ah, <strong>the</strong>re we go. Okay." He glanced at <strong>the</strong> sheet of paper that not-Tim had handed tohim and typed in <strong>the</strong> first name. "Right," he said a short while later. "Jack Traven <strong>is</strong> kind of, um, a dog."<strong>Not</strong>-Tim choked on <strong>the</strong> oxygen in h<strong>is</strong> mouth. "What?""...Yep. Alex's dog, in fact.""What?""Hey, I'm not <strong>the</strong> one responsible. Don't worry, he's happy. Eating well, and he'll soon be fully toilettrained."<strong>Not</strong>-Tim put h<strong>is</strong> head in h<strong>is</strong> hands. "How's Alex?" he asked without looking up."He's a good master.""I mean after he died.""Oh. He's working at IBHA as an architect.""IBHA?""The Isolated Bubble of Hyperspace Afterlife. They're building a new recreational wing. Alex <strong>is</strong> helpingwith <strong>the</strong> design.""...Okay. What about Jjaks?"Taxon typed in h<strong>is</strong> name and hit <strong>the</strong> Enter key. "...Uh-oh," he said.<strong>Not</strong>-Tim looked up. "What? What happened to him?"Taxon blinked. "Huh? Oh... Nah. Windows just crashed. Hang on, I need to reboot <strong>the</strong> computer."<strong>Not</strong>-Tim returned h<strong>is</strong> head to h<strong>is</strong> hands.**Group A: Conor, John C, Johnny U, Paul, Nelson, Tod, Jesse, Kip, cornflakes guy+ Group E: Ludlow, Eric, Marlon, Rupert, Derek, Heaver, Jack not-TravenRupert leapt to h<strong>is</strong> feet in shock as Derek gave a shout."What was that?" Ludlow demanded, staring at <strong>the</strong> suddenly-vacated spot on <strong>the</strong> cave floor."Someone took Winston," Rupert said breathlessly. "Some old guy... appeared and grabbed him andvan<strong>is</strong>hed..."On <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r side of <strong>the</strong> fire, across <strong>the</strong> inv<strong>is</strong>ible line separating <strong>the</strong> two groups, Johnny Utah ra<strong>is</strong>ed aneyebrow, but it was dark and no one saw. Near him, <strong>the</strong> cornflakes guy was meanwhile staringmournfully at <strong>the</strong> f<strong>is</strong>h that Paul had kindly cooked for him. He wanted cornflakes. He didn't want f<strong>is</strong>h.":(," he vibed again."Are you eating that?" Jesse asked him.
The cornflakes guy looked at him.Jesse tugged experimentally at <strong>the</strong> f<strong>is</strong>h, met no res<strong>is</strong>tance, and took it for himself. "Thanks," he said.There was a fairly animated conversation going on in <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r group, cons<strong>is</strong>ting mostly of:"He was just sitting <strong>the</strong>re!""What d'you mean he van<strong>is</strong>hed?""I don't know! He just-""Are you sure he didn't just walk off?""YES!"From out of <strong>the</strong> darkness came <strong>the</strong> sound of footsteps and voices, and <strong>the</strong> sound of something beingdragged-Several figures emerged from <strong>the</strong> shadows with a dead but edible-looking alien creature and dumped itnear Ludlow and co. "Dinner," one said.O<strong>the</strong>rs glanced at <strong>the</strong> newcomers of Block F. "Who are <strong>the</strong>y?""Ask <strong>the</strong>m," Ludlow muttered."Someone kidnapped Winston and van<strong>is</strong>hed," Rupert reported.John Constantine got up. Curious eyes followed him as he went looking for Marlon and more f<strong>is</strong>h. Johnhalted and glared at <strong>the</strong>m. They stopped staring, and John continued on h<strong>is</strong> way to <strong>the</strong> pool.**Group C: Julian, Kevin, Griffin, Scott, RonThe lift doors opened on <strong>the</strong> top floor, and <strong>the</strong>y got out. The lobby door was hanging on its hinges.Griffin stepped over it into <strong>the</strong> stairwell; <strong>the</strong> door to <strong>the</strong> main corridor was in a similarly wrecked state.The corridor itself was littered with <strong>the</strong> bodies of dead guards, victims of vicious physical attacks. Thefive of <strong>the</strong>m moved past in uneasy silence, heading for <strong>the</strong> arrival room, still lighted, with someone still-"Hello."Kevin fell back in shock and crashed into an unhappy Scott. He hadn't been unhappy a moment ago,but falling Kevins have a tendency to change one's mood.The reception<strong>is</strong>t gazed calmly at <strong>the</strong>m from behind <strong>the</strong> blood-stained desk-to-ceiling barrier. "What areyou doing here?""You're not human!" Kevin said, pointing an accusing finger at her once he had regained h<strong>is</strong> footing.The reception<strong>is</strong>t gazed calmly at him. "You're not supposed to be here. Go back to your floor.""What's going on here?" Julian asked. "What year <strong>is</strong> th<strong>is</strong>?""2009. Go back to your floor or I'll call <strong>the</strong> guards-""THE GUARDS ARE DEAD!" Ron suddenly yelled. "Everyone <strong>is</strong> dead! Don't you get that?" He basheda f<strong>is</strong>t against <strong>the</strong> unbreakable barrier and glared at <strong>the</strong> reception<strong>is</strong>t. "How do we get home?" he askedthrough gritted teeth. "How do we get back?"The reception<strong>is</strong>t gazed calmly at him. "You're not dead," she pointed out.The reception<strong>is</strong>t had been Captain Obvious in a previous life.Ron shouted something incoherent and probably rude and went psycho on <strong>the</strong> barrier until Kevin pulledhim away, <strong>the</strong> teen struggling to get away."Let me go!"
- Page 5:
"Your behaviour these past few mont
- Page 9 and 10:
Neo sank down on the sofa.He looked
- Page 11:
"By a friend of one of the others w
- Page 14 and 15:
Next morning62nd Floor. Arrival Lob
- Page 16 and 17:
It is in fact at the cafeteria that
- Page 18 and 19:
'There is no exit here', read the h
- Page 20 and 21:
Back from his breakfast, Griffin sa
- Page 22 and 23:
Griffin glanced back at the three p
- Page 24 and 25:
Alex looked up."...That's Paul, tha
- Page 26 and 27:
The floor hackers stared at their l
- Page 28 and 29:
"Okay," Conor continued. "Situation
- Page 30 and 31:
"We want to get out as much as you
- Page 32 and 33:
Yawning, Paul pushed open the door
- Page 35 and 36:
Jack lunged at his neck. Both of th
- Page 37 and 38:
Then they fell silent again as Neo
- Page 39 and 40:
"I did you a favour, Jack," Griffin
- Page 41 and 42:
"That's one," Neo said helpfully, p
- Page 43 and 44:
New guy gave a start. "Uh," he said
- Page 45 and 46:
His mom made better waffles than th
- Page 47 and 48:
Tommy reluctantly handed over the b
- Page 49 and 50:
It is after a day or two living at
- Page 51 and 52:
There had existed for a time an Ame
- Page 53 and 54:
he was pretty sure was a broken nos
- Page 55 and 56:
Night. A shortage of actual beds me
- Page 57 and 58: Neo yanked his finger away to safet
- Page 59 and 60: Neo sat by himself in the cafeteria
- Page 61 and 62: Splash.The sudden rush of cold shoc
- Page 63 and 64: The stairwell door opened and the b
- Page 65 and 66: "Get everyone in here in fifteen mi
- Page 67 and 68: Human beings have a strange tendenc
- Page 69 and 70: Jack shrugged. "Suit yourself." He
- Page 71 and 72: "-but we won't know for sure either
- Page 73 and 74: **"We were just trying to get home!
- Page 75 and 76: "It's John, assholes."John Constant
- Page 77 and 78: The mob surged through both doors o
- Page 79 and 80: "What?"A sudden telepathic message
- Page 81 and 82: At the rear, not-Tim turned to face
- Page 83 and 84: The lift dinged and opened its door
- Page 85 and 86: Group B: Shane, Perry, Jjaks, Chris
- Page 87 and 88: "Nah," Jesse said. "Might n-... - h
- Page 89 and 90: The teen shrugged. "I don't know."
- Page 91 and 92: "NO!" Shane yelled, running towards
- Page 93 and 94: He smiled and vanished; leaving not
- Page 95 and 96: "That wasn't really nice of y-" Dem
- Page 97 and 98: "What? Hey, I just woke up.""...Dav
- Page 99 and 100: "What-" Conor said, surveying the s
- Page 101 and 102: "D'you have any food to spare? We'r
- Page 103 and 104: Group C: Griffin, Kevin, Scott, Jul
- Page 105 and 106: "...Er," said Dem. He put the most
- Page 107: Group D: Neo, EddieStanding about d
- Page 111 and 112: "At least it meant we had heat," Ha
- Page 113 and 114: Group B: Shane, Perry, Tommy, Chris
- Page 115 and 116: "I can't bring them back to life,"
- Page 117 and 118: Someone running after him from behi
- Page 119 and 120: Then a ripple in the air; and sudde
- Page 121 and 122: Nelson smirked and walked on to the
- Page 123 and 124: "Yes sir," Ludlow hissed into his e
- Page 125 and 126: Alex got slowly to his feet. He dim
- Page 127 and 128: The face that looked up at him held
- Page 129 and 130: First Combined MeetingThomas Ludlow
- Page 131 and 132: - Reeves clears throat.- Utah shuts
- Page 133 and 134: Griffin isn't the only one in the r
- Page 135 and 136: He realised that he was not standin
- Page 137 and 138: Ludlow smirked. "Thank you. Now I k
- Page 139 and 140: Seventeen suspicious-looking, mostl
- Page 141 and 142: Scott emerged from the alley he had
- Page 143 and 144: Julian finished the stitches, close
- Page 145 and 146: Stuck in House: Chris Townsend, Mat
- Page 147 and 148: Loose in Kenselton Holding Facility
- Page 149 and 150: Paul and the kids stared back at hi
- Page 151 and 152: "Arctor, Robert," Dem said. "Get on
- Page 153 and 154: With measured reluctance he tries t
- Page 155: 0704270/006/GRA"There are two kinds