The Space Between

Chapter 12

Granville's Office 9:30 AM

Varian held onto the strap of his backpack. The other strap hung off his shoulder. He sighed as he opened the door to Professor Granville's office. "You know, I'm starting to wonder if I'm doing something wrong. This is the second time you called me here this week. But this time you announced it on the speakers in the school. What is up with that?"

"Well, that depends on what your answer is. Sit."

He sat in one of the chairs in front of her desk. Looking at her, he raised a brow. "What is it?"

She clasped her hands together. "Yesterday, Krei Technology's Mainframe Computer was hacked. Some expert hacker traced the system used to hack the computer to a computer in S-Fit. Thanks to the data they collected, we knew when it was hacked. So we used the security cameras to see who it could be. And it just so happens that you were at that computer."

Varian didn't say anything for a moment. He sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Well, I made sure I didn't harm his system..."

"So you admit that you stole the files?"

"Stole? I only copied."

"No, you took the files."

"Oops." He reached in his backpack and pulled out a drive. "They can have it back."

She stared at him. "You do realize the crime you have committed?"

Varian faltered. "No, ma'am. I don't follow."

"You could go to prison," she said. Her voice shook with emotion that he didn't know she was capable of holding.

The words made an ice feeling claw at Varian's stomach. "P-prison?"

"Well, juvenile. But you could lose your whole scholarship and lose your place here at S-Fit! I'm not sure what it was like in Germany, but you can't just hack and steal property from places like Krei Tech!"

"I-" Varian wracked his brain. Anything to fix the problem.

"Why? What is so important about those files?"

"I... I need them..."

"Why? A school project? Portals are far too dangerous."

"No... I need it for me..."

"What on earth for?"

"You would never believe me," Varian said.

"Try me. Tell me."

Varian grew silent. He let out a shaky sigh. "Krei Tech is the only place I've found that has created a portal to other dimensions..."

"Yes, they invented it and it blew up."

"The only person who has a portal. But it was invented long before Krei's time. Centuries ago, a man named Demanitus, created a portal that leaps dimensions. It was long forgotten until I recreated it and it worked. Unfortunately, it was destroyed so I created it again."

"Then if you can create a working portal, why do you need Krei's files?"

"Because this world doesn't have the same resources or energy!" Varian blurted out.

"What?"

"Everything is so different here. Even the air is!" Varian buried his face in his hands. "I needed those files because I just want to go home! I wasn't supposed to go through that portal! It wasn't ready, but there was an accident... I didn't even get to tell anyone goodbye! Being stuck in this dimension has been worse than death!"

"Varian..."

"Please, I can't go to prison! I can't lose my place here! This is my only chance to find a way back home," Varian begged.

"No."

"Please-"

"No, I mean, no one is going to know about the hacking. I'll delete your traces," she said.

"You believe me?"

"After a year of students turning into plant monsters and what not, it's not so hard to believe your story."

"How are you going to hide it? Won't you get in trouble?"

"I have my contacts. And I won't because no one will know."

"Thank you," Varian whispered in a shaky voice.

"Who else knows you're not from this universe?'

"Some German Government Officials and my current guardian," he admitted. "My origins are confidential. You shouldn't even know. If word got out, I'd become some lab rat, which I kind of am as it is."

"I see..."

Cafeteria 12:30

Hiro watched as Varian came over with his tray of food and sat next to him.

"So... uh... heard the speaker about you getting sent to Granville's office. Is... everything ok with that?" He felt so awkward asking, but a part of him wanted to be wrong and Varian had nothing to do with anything.

"Oh, it turned out to be nothing. There was a... a misunderstanding." Varian passed him a grin.

"That's a relief," Hiro laughed nervously. He wasn't certain if Varian was lying to him or not.

After lunch, Hiro went to Granville's office. "Professor Granville?"

"Ah, Hamada..." she gestured to a seat, which he took.

"So it wasn't Varian?"

"He is not to be blamed and I do not suggest furthering this case."

"So he did. You're protecting him," Hiro said.

"I said nothing of the sort."

"But that means the reason behind it must be serious."

"Hamada," Granville interjected. "Do you trust my judgement?"

"Well, yeah-"

"Then do not continue your case and do not mention any of what you do know to anyone."

Hiro stared at her for a moment. "Sure," he said at last. He stood up and left the room. Whatever was going on, he trusted that the secrecy would be needed. But he was curious and knew he would have to learn Varian's story when it was safer.

Karmi's Lab 4:43

"Alright, so I have the coordinates for the next attack," Varian said, laying out the paper.

"How do you keep getting these?" Karmi asked.

"I know someone on the inside. Unfortunately, she doesn't have a choice in things. But she's been risking getting me this information. As for do I trust her? Well, she hasn't failed me yet, soooo..."

"Great." Karmi nodded. "So this is where the distraction will be?"

"Yep, just like the others, they'll probably send in the robot and Big Hero Six will be focused there. Then they'll quietly try to break into a Krei's warehouse, but we'll be there to stop them like we have been."

"But we don't have the element of surprise anymore. They're going to expect us."

"That's why we have to have something up our sleeve that they won't expect," Varian said. "Which is why you're going to learn a little bit of chemistry today."

"Oh?"

"We're going to make some acid, smoke and sticky bombs."

"But the smoke won't do any good. The robots have sensors and see body temperatures. The smoke won't block that."

"Not yet. We're going to make a smoke that is full of magnetic properties and it will make the systems go haywire."

"Think it will work?"

"Well, at least it's worth a shot," Varian said.

Karmi shrugged. "Worse comes to worse, we can easily make an exit."

"Yep! Thanks to the easy portals," Varian said.