Dreams of Jupiter

Part 3 - Gateway

After dropping Myles' hand, Steve took a careful step back, moving gingerly. Seeing that, Myles frowned.

"Look, Steve, or whatever you call yourself. I don't know how you got here, but I can see you're hurt. One of Mr Tesla's associates studied medicine at Harvard. He can take a look at you, ..."

"No," the self-proclaimed sorcerer said, cutting Myles off.

"But you're struggling to move. You Need help, ..."

Again Steve cut Myles off, this time adding a sweeping gesture.

"I said No, Myles," the man said in a firmer tone. "I may look like a person of Earth, but I am not. A fact one of your doctors will immediately discover upon examining me. That may lead to places I do not have the time or energy to extricate myself from. No, I will let my healing spells do their work and that will suffice for now. In the meantime I must look for a way to return to my world. I was forced to leave while it was in dire need. The sooner I can return, the quicker I can be about saving it."

"I'm not sure what all that malarkey means, ..." Myles started to say before a quick gesture from Steve cut him off.

"Malarkey is slang for 'bullshit', isn't it?" the lean sorcerer asked, sounding genuinely curious.

"Slang, ... What??" Myles stammered, staring hard at the strange fellow. Steve smiled thinly then made a dismissive gesture.

"Never mind. I see you've some experience with engineering and technology. That experience could be very useful to me. What technology are you familiar with?"

"Steam, mostly," Myles replied with a frown, confused by the abrupt change in tact. "More recently electricity with Nikola Tesla."

Steve suddenly leaned towards Myles and the young man got the sense that the sorcerer was gazing at him intently.

"Did you say ... Electricity?"

Myles nodded.

"With giant coils generating arcs of energized plasma to send power pulsing through the air."

"Was one of these coils active just before you noticed my presence?" Steve pressed, his eyes intent as they stared out of the darkness within his hood.

"The big coil was, actually. I didn't know how it came on, though. I was going to take a look when I found you."

"Is it possible?" Steve asked in a hoarse whisper, speaking more to himself than a frowning Myles as he turned to stare at the test shed's silhouette. "Did my spell somehow trigger the mechanism, combining with it's output to form a doorway across time and space??"

Abruptly Steve turned to motion at Myles to follow.

"Come, Myles," he said. "Let us go see this big coil you speak of. I have a question or two to ask of it."

"Not a chance," Myles said, shaking his head. "I haven't understood much of what you've said here but the only reason I'm not dragging you by the collar to Mr Tesla as a trespasser is that you're hurt. Despite that, there's no way I'm going to let you ..."

"Come!" Steve firmly said, the word carrying a strange inflection as it seemed to echo in his head. Then, much to Myles' horror, he found himself following the lean sorcerer like a dog on a leash, his mind no longer guiding his feet.

"Fear not, my young friend," Steve said in a conversational tone as he led the way to the shed. "It's only a mild compulsion spell, with no lasting effects. I need you to do as I say as I don't possess the time or patience to convince you to help me. Vandium needs her high sorcerer and I will not deny her."