#91

“What are you doing?!” Mina screams. She's tearing furiously at Doctor Kay's coat. “What just happened?!” There's no ambient noise; for everyone involved the despair is noise enough.

“Your homeworld, young lady,” says Doctor Kai, his personality changing again. “...has been completely destroyed! And if you don't stop that at once and allow me to use this server to stabilize your universe, it will also explode and take this whole blasted Cascade with it! Which, I must add, includes us!”

“Bring back Jacob!” she cries.

“I will do what I can, but there's no guarantee that any of the mechanisms on their side managed to survive that blast!”

Mina falls back and bites the side of her hand. “Who are you people, anyway?!”

“I'm Yo...” You begins, but then You realizes that any introduction on Your behalf will complicate things. “I'm Yorick. My name is Yorick.”

“Okay, 'Yorick',” Mina says. “That doesn't answer my question. Who. Is. You?” She ignores the grammar that circulates around that fractured sentence.

“I'm an adventurer. What you've been caught up in a very serious affair...”

“I can tell that, you imbecile! Where is this place?! And...and...” All the stress she's been burying for some time now finally breaks down. Except this time, mercifully, she doesn't enter another hallucination.

You, or Yorick, You supposes, considers trying to comfort her, but the only person who'll be able to do that, it seems, is Jacob. And for now, none of you can get him back...if he's even still alive. But You isn't going to think about that—Susie is with him. So maybe You needs some comforting, too. She's sat down on one of the stairs, and You wordlessly joins her.

Meanwhile, Doctor Kai struggles to hold it all together; but in a much different, and much more mechanical way.

I think you've got it all stabilized, you fool.

“What?” he says aloud. He looks over at Klaus, who is glaring at him. Did you...? he thinks.

Yes, of course I did. The universe is okay. Now, we get those kids back.

What the hell? Are you thinking at me in English?

Did I ever specify that my thoughts were stuck in German too?

Not really, no. At least, not that I can remember. Though I must say, it's nice of you to highlight your thoughts so our italic-face lines don't get confused. Do you do it commonly? Don't answer that; it'll imply I care about consistency. I must confess, we haven't spoken in a long time, brother.

A long time, ja.

You slipped.

So I did.

The two pause for a moment before continuing.

Kai, I must do what I can to continue to Guide the boy on his quest. I am beseeched by a higher power.

I understand, Klaus. But what can I do? I'm doing all I can, as well.

We must use the Cosmic D8. I know what its functions are. It's derived from Wonder Rod technology. You remember the wielder of the Wonder Rod, don't you? Alpha-Earth superhero...

Of course. Captain Cosmos, wasn't it? But the Rods of Wonder are unpredictable...

The Cosmic D8, however, only uses eight of the expressed Wonder Rod functions. Destroy good. Destroy evil. Summon good, summon evil. All vague, natürlich, but it is the eighth function which we'll need. We can weight the die so we only receive the outcome we want.

And what outcome is that?

It's called “Swap Siblings”.

Doctor Kai ponders this for a second, before turning to You. “Excuse me,” he murmurs, lurching up to the step where You's sitting. “It seems as if we might be able to rescue the others...if You gives me the Cosmic D8.”

“The dice thing? Um.” You glances at Klaus, unaware of the rapport. Klaus nods.

You should really try speaking to You, Klaus.

It is not part of the job, brother.

“Alright,” You says, and You hands it to him. Kai turns back to Klaus, and they begin rigging the die to roll in the way they want.

You ponders how You wouldn't trust Kai if it wasn't for Klaus. Your—the Emperor's name is Kai. You is really starting to notice the whole “K” thing going on, and You wonders perhaps if that's why Kai also goes by Kay. Maybe it's an irony thing. If it is, Mark doesn't seem to understand it. And You can sense who Mark was raised to be.

Of course, You doesn't know Mark's true destiny at all. Presently, only two particular superhumans do, and they're keeping it to themselves. One of them isn't even sure already.

Give it to him. To You.

The Doctor approaches You.

“We've set the die to help You. And your friend, miss.”

“My cousin. Jacob's my cousin.”

“Yes, of course. I assure You, You, that if You rolls this, it will help us reconnect with the far side. We risk there being nothing out there, but it's a risk we'll have to take.”

Klaus nods once again.

You looks up, and upon seeing this—and without asking any questions for once—You rolls.

Suddenly, You is gone, and Susie is in the room. She turns and looks at Mina. “What?”