#95

When Jacob, Susie, and Mark reappear on Earth-Beta-3, no one really knows how they got there. They just know that the portal back to Earth-Beta-2 collapses seconds after they return.

There's a brief sense of nausea shared between everyone, including Doctor Kay and Klaus; a brief resurgence of the “threshold filter” that—someone—envisioned as they...did something. But that vanishes and so does any sense of stress the group has. In fact, they feel perfectly, flawlessly, unnaturally happy and okay with most things. They decide to wordlessly leave the building.

Mina's excessive and frightful gladness ends first when she sees the ruined Imperial Central, from the street view. “Holy shit.”

“Yeah, it's, uh...pretty bad,” Jacob says then, his senses returning. “It sounds like this used to be a nice place. Did You say that?”

“I did.” You is still nervous somewhat around Mina, but only because she's still nervous around You.

“Okay. Hm.” She thinks for a little bit, and then sighs. “I suppose the natural stage right now is to be caught up on what's happened, and to be introduced to all you folks...”

You sighs then as well, having told the story a couple of times now, but quickly summarizes it, figuring You can fill in details later. She seems miffed at how short You makes the story sound (which in turn makes it contain even less sense), but accepts it. Jacob also fills in his story, and she then tells hers. She then learns the names of everyone, which at this point include Susie, Klaus, Doctor Kai, Mark, Jacob (whom she already knows) and You.

“Wait,” she says. “I thought your name was Yorick.”

“Oh! That was to avoid explaining my APPLE. It's incredibly difficult.” Then You pauses. “Wait. Did you...did you just say 'your'?”

“Yeah! Is...that a problem?”

“No, I mean, with a lower-case 'y'.”

“Um. I have no way of knowing this...?”

“Just...say something again. Addressed to me. In the third-person.”

She sighs. “This guy is proving to be annoying...”

“No, I mean, with a pronoun.”

“Okay, yeah, really annoying. His story made no sense and he lied to me about his name.”

You pauses, and locks eyes with Susie. They both have an expression of excitement and bewilderment.

“Tell me, Mina. Did—does your Earth have a sub-caste of grammar-based mutants?”

“Absolutely fucking not.”

“Then you may be one that's as-yet undiscovered. No one can refer to me with proper pronouns except you—even people from your Earth, like Jacob.”

“You has a point,” Jacob affirms.

Mina pauses, and this pause of all pauses is the most bitter. Still in a euphoric state, it is Doctor Kai who breaks the silence.

“We can use The House to head towards the Emperor's base now,” he says. “I just hope it's not too late.”

“Too late for what?” Mina replies.

The Doctor touches his head. “I assume we have to worry about lateness...but time feels...strange...”

Jacob senses that the Doctor is being overdramatic, and he explains this quietly to the group. But he does have a point. Something is messed up around here, and he doesn't know what it is. But it's too subtle to care about for now.

Meanwhile, in the Red Tower, current home of the Emperor, Inspector Fox arrives on Earth-Beta-3.