The Mandela Effect

Chapter 75

Jon pushed pulled open the door and stepped into the outer waiting area. Wolfe was in the corner of the room, pacing, looking away from Jon and on the phone.

Jon waited just inside the door until Wolfe noticed him. When he did, Wolfe lifted a hand towards him and held up his first finger.

"Hey," Wolfe says into the phone, "I gotta go. I'll call you back."

After a moment, Wolfe hung up the phone. He turned and walked over to Jon.

"You ok," Wolfe asks.

"Yea," Jon nodded, "it was a lot to see and take in, but I'm ok."

"Do you want more time?" Wolfe asks, "the last time I was here, I was waiting for like 6 hours. My first time here alone, twelve hours passed before I really noticed it."

"I feel like I need to process what I saw," Jon answers, "could I come back tomorrow?"

"Yea," Wolfe shrugged, "If you want? My driver can bring you over and get you in whenever."

"Ok," Jon nodded, "maybe."

"Maybe?" Wolfe asks.

"I'm not sure I could find my way here alone," Jon says.

"Oh," Wolfe laughs, "well you could take the shortcut."

Jon raised his eyebrows. Wolfe went back through the door and gestured for Jon to follow him. They went all the way back down the hall and passed the room Jon had been in. When they got to the end of the hall, Wolfe leaned over and pressed part of the wall.

Jon hadn't noticed that there was a thin crack in the wall, hidden well in the pattern of lines already on the wall. The buttons, too, were hid in the pattern.

After a moment, part of the wall pushed out and to the sides, opening a passage through the wall and into a small room. Wolfe walked through the opening and Jon followed. Once inside, Jon realized it was an elevator.

There was a panel on one side of the doorway with a few buttons. Wolfe pressed the top button and, after a moment, a pair of hidden doors slid together. Jon could see the panels on the outside swinging closes again.

They ride in the elevator started silently. Jon could sense a slight move upward, but it was very gentle.

Finally, Jon spoke, "so one weird thing..."

Wolfe half-turned to him. His face encouraged Jon to continue.

"Not one timeline where I was watching me, watch the other mes," Jon says, "like no where else where I was in the booth."

"Yea," Wolfe nodded, "weird and I can't explain it. I told you before about aberrations. It could be that this entire adventure your on is one big aberration, only occurring in a single timeline."

"I did see this one timeline where I was living," Jon started, "out west? I think. But it was way different than the others."

"Oh," Wolfe says, "yea, likely another aberration. It would be strange for a situation to be only in one or two timelines."

"So, this is the only timeline where I end up here?" Jon asks.

"Here, specifically?" Wolfe says, "Yea. But keep in mind, you may have started down this path and..."

Wolfe searched for the right word, "not made it this far."

The realization hit Jon, "Oh right. The hit squad."

Wolfe grimaced at Jon's realization, "Yea. Sorry about that again."

Jon chuckles, "I forgot. The videos were all live, like at this moment in other timelines. So, if I died in Chicago, I wouldn't exist in those timelines now."

"I think you got it," Wolfe added.

Wolfe's statement was punctuated by a loud ding coming from the panel on the wall. Jon felt the elevator slow quickly. After a moment or two, the inner doors slipped into their hiding spot in the wall. Jon could see another panel swinging open on the outside.

Wolfe gestured outward, inviting Jon to exit. When he stepped out, Jon realized they were in the first hallway past the bunker door.

"Son of a..." Jon stuttered.

Wolfe laughs.

"What was that whole..." Jon started, searching for the right words, "winding... maze... walk?"

"I told you," Wolfe shrugged, "the nickel tour. I thinks you'd appreciate seeing all the inner workings."

Jon started to speak, but swallowed the words. He was right. Jon loved seeing the computers and how big the facility was.

"You're right," Jon finally chuckles.

Wolfe laughs as well. He turned and pressed a more clear button on the wall and the bunker wall reopened.

"So, if you can get there," Wolfe says, pointing to the opposite side of the door, "then it's pretty easy."

Once open, Wolfe led Jon through the door. Jon tried to take note of the route back up to the door, in case he decided to make the trip back.