The Land Behind the Mirror | ONC 2022

Chapter 14

The gruff voice that said those words wasn't the only thing that surprised Alba. Instead of an old guy with crazy white hair and large glasses that she expected, there stood an enormous dinosaur. It had two large horns and one smaller one combined with a neck frill that reminded Alba of the collar Shakespeare was depicted as wearing.

What further astonished her was that it wore a monocle type of thing on its eye that seemed quite modernized. In addition, it wore a breathing apparatus over its mouth, or at least that was what Alba assumed it to be because it appeared to cover both the dinosaur's mouth and nose.

"Alba, this is Dr. Julius Brown," Ana said. "Julius, this is my best friend, Alba."

"You are a dinosaur called Julius?" Alba asked without thinking whether it was impolite or not.

Well, no, my given name is Swiftscale. However, that doesn't sound very formal and scientific, does it now? Julius is the human name I started going by when I realized no one would believe scientific discoveries made by someone called Swiftscale. It's all about perception with you humans.

Alba had to admit that he was right, that it was often about presentation. Still, she wanted to say it wasn't all about it. However, remembering that the dinosaur seemed to be on the brink of a huge discovery, she chose to keep her opinions to herself.

You are right on time. I think I figured it out this time.

Then he led them to a large mirror, making Alba's heart skip a beat from both the memory of what happened the last time and the desire for him to find a way for her to go back.

Let us begin.

Alba wasn't sure what would happen as she had no experience with dinosaur scientists. Still, from what little she had learned about the history of this world, they were much more intelligent than the humans. They even boosted their evolution. Thus, she had every faith that he could find a way to bring her back home without her exploding or disappearing altogether.

Ana, would you please assist me? Dereck seems to take his breaks at the worst possible moments for my thinking processes. When I have a good idea, I will lose it if I don't grab onto it immediately.

"Of course," Ana said, tapping the monocle to display a holographic keyboard-type-of-thing which she went on to further adjust. "Also, you need to cut Dereck some slack. We don't all have your dedication or perseverance. Besides, I told you that you should get one more assistant with the amount of work you deal with."

That you did.

However, he was already getting lost in the molecular readings of the monocle, clearly no longer paying any attention to Ana's words. That didn't surprise Ana. Although he was a scientific genius, Julius was never very good at social interactions.

"What exactly is that thing, and how can he use it when he doesn't have any hands?" Alba asked, hoping that Julius was too lost in his work to get offended.

"Well, it's like a portable microscope with a few other added functions for his scientific work," Ana said vaguely. "To be honest, I am not sure what most of them are. I guess that monocle is something like a Swiss army knife for scientists. It has everything they might need for molecular research and other things."

Alba wasn't very happy with the answer. Yet, she realized that even if Ana could give her a step-by-step explanation of the device, her lack of knowledge would have stopped her from understanding it. For that reason, she put it under the fancy portable microscope in the filing cabinet of her mind, moving on, aware of her limitations.

"The problem Julius faces is that he can't actually activate any of these devices without human help. That's why he needs assistants," Ana said.

And I can't perform any tiny adjustments that need a steady hand and nimble fingers. Evolution has been kinder to humans.

It became clear to Alba that a mind as intelligent as Julius's could multitask without any issues. He could follow the conversation while doing his calculations without making a mistake.

Ana, I need you to change the angle of the mirror, one degree to the left.

Ana wasn't sure she could do it so precisely. Yet, she did her best, understanding how much precision mattered after witnessing many failed experiments before. Finally, after some additional feedback from Julius, she managed to do so.

It seems my theory has been correct.

"What theory?" Alba asked, hoping it had something to do with returning her to the safety of her home.

I postulated a long time ago that the difference in the perception of reality between different species is far greater than the scientists initially assumed. If these calculations are correct, I seem to have been right.

"Why is that important for making a two-way mirror?" Ana asked before Alba could ask something far ruder.

Because I believe that some species were always able to see through the mirrors and into another reality. Why do you think many animals react so strangely upon seeing their reflection in the mirror?

"Why?" Ana asked, genuinely intrigued.

She remembered how most animals acted as if they were faced with a completely different animal. How they tried to defend their territory.

They often react that way because they aren't seeing their own reflection. They see beyond it, into another reality. They can see another animal doing the same thing.

"I still don't understand how that helps you get me back home?" Alba said impatiently.

She didn't even notice how selfish and rude she sounded. All she wanted was for the nightmare to end, for her to be safely tucked into her own bed, back to her safe and familiar routine. No more dinosaurs trying to eat her, teach her, or drive her mind into oblivion with their uncomprehensive theories.

If I can calculate the visual frequency of their perception, then calculate the amount of time needed to transfer light onto the reflective surface... Coupled with silver nitrates pliability...then inversion would be...transformation of reflecting waves into penetrating waves...Creating immersion instead of deflection...

"Do you have any idea what he is talking about?" Alba asked Ana, frustrated with the senseless babbling of the scientist dinosaur.

"No, but at the moment, neither does he. He is calculating in his mind, doing all kinds of projections and whatnot. Some of it slips out, but most stays in his head," Ana tried to explain, feeling as if she was failing miserably. "Either way, he'll explain it to us when he figures it out."

Alba wished she had Ana's patience. All she could think about was Terrance's sharp teeth and the deadly needles of the carnivorous plants. And as safe as Alba felt at that moment, she wasn't sure that there weren't many more dangers lurking around the corner. She wanted. No, she needed to go back home.

"Are you ready to share with the class?" Ana asked Julius noticing Alba's impatience.

She took advantage of the moment he stopped talking to himself to draw his attention. Although Ana knew that one shouldn't and couldn't hurry Julius's genius, she was as eager for answers as Alba.

It appears I have been huge, foolish dung. 

As his words were followed by utter silence, Julius felt the need to proceed and explain what he meant.

I have foolishly assumed that the same laws of nature and physics governed both worlds. If the refraction of light doesn't follow the same rules, the wavelength might have changed, making my calculations incorrect. The change in direction...change at the interface... No wonder I couldn't figure it out. I was looking at all the wrong places. I need to check my notes for that day. With the knowledge I have now, I am sure I will be able to reverse the process safely.

"Can you explain it in simple terms?" Ana asked before Alba could. "Also, how sure are you of success?"