Chapter 4

Chapter 4 is the fourth chapter in INFINITY: Sister Side.

## Transcript

We teleported in a large room, a hallway leading down toward whatever lied onward. The robot let me go and said a word that had me curious before walking off.

"Z-Zuurg"

It said statically before disappearing out of sight. I needed to investigate this place. I began walking down the aisle, not seeing that robot anywhere. I saw strange markings; none I had ever seen before. A door opened, and I heard footsteps, I needed a way to hide, then it dawned, my invisibility. I immediately focused, hoping it worked. The robot turned down the hallway, seeing I was not there, before walked back through the doors it had come through. I ran after it, seeing a man, who, from the back, looked familiar.

"Where is she?"

The figure said, turning around to face the robot.

"Z-Zuurg"

It said, the man looking furious.

"Go and look for her, she couldn't have gotten far"

He spoke, the robot walked back through the doors again, leaving me and the man alone. He turned his back, facing something.

"Oh Alisha, I will finish this mission, we can go home and pretend this all never happened"

My eyes widened. The only one who could have known Alisha was... Buzz.

I made myself known and walked closely behind him. I needed proof this was Buzz, but why was his hair white, and he looked to have aged 50 years, maybe more.

“B-Buzz?"

I said, which startled him, as he turned sharply, an angry expression on his face, before he relaxed upon seeing my face.

“Cosmo? Is that you?”

His blue eyes made it clear, it was Buzz…yet...he was older and age had claimed him, he had to be about 80 or 90.

“What happened to you? You should have known that constant test flights was going to do this to you”

I said, walking slowly toward him.

“You should have stopped me, then Alisha would have been alive”

He said weakly, pointing to the photo.

“She would have died, time dilation or not”

I replied, reaching out for him. He didn’t recoil, which relieved me.

“Please, don't do anymore, I don’t want to lose you”

He looked at me, confused.

“Wait, how come you're still alive?”

He asked, giving me a confused look.

“[have no Idea, I guess much like you, I age by the minute...not the year like everyone else"

I explained, which made him nod, understandingly.

“Ahh, you're immortal, then?”

He said, which caught me off guard.

Immortality was a mere myth and fantasy. Being immortal means you never aged, or you aged slower than the average human.

“Immortality is a myth and legend... never really assumed that I was immortal. Since...you...never... aged..”

It suddenly dawned on me; this must not be my Buzz... He must still be down there...figuring out a way to get us back home.

“You're not my Buzz…you're a different Buzz”

He nodded before chuckling.

“Correct, I'm from another timeline”

He said, which had me completely taken a back.

“Wait...time travel doesn’t exist...that’s not possible”

He shook his head.

“Maybe not you, but I have”

He exclaimed, before a robotic cat jumped up on the console, half its face missing,

“Much like your Buzz, I reached hyper-speed. However, upon arriving back to the planet, the new Commander was going to have me arrested for stealing the XL-15. So, I took off, flying faster and farther, which had technology you couldn't imagine. So, I came to this timeline hopefully to erase everything that happened”

He explained, the robotic cat nodding.

“So, you didn’t come to me for help…why?”

I said furiously. He shrugged before turning around.

“Like you would even understand, you weren't her best friend, I was”

I couldn't help but feel offended.

“I gave you everything, I gave you my position, I gave you the benefit to lead our crew, and what did you repay me with, guilt”

I retorted. He turned slowly; his side glance on me.

“You did...but maybe you should have stopped me from landing on that planet”

He retorted back.

“Excuse me, I was your lieutenant, I have NO clearance telling you not to diverse course, that's your decision, not mine”

I said annoyed. He turned sharply on his heels.

“IT COSTED HER LIFE!”

He shouted, his voice echoing through the large room.

“SHE DESERVED TO BE BACK ON EARTH...ENJOYING HER LIFE, NOT BEING MAROONED ON THAT FORSAKEN PLANET!”

I understood he was frustrated, but knew he was right.

“I understand, but she has a family down there now. A son, a wife, a granddaughter. She had us all there to see her grow and thrive”

He shook his head, becoming enraged.

“Says the one who wanted to be a Ranger”

He said, which made my blood run cold. He had me, frozen in place with one dream I wanted most, only for Alisha to shut it down after she became Commander. She assumed I was better for bigger things, like, being a future commander. But I knew I deserved that role of being a Ranger, since I worked hard for it.

“How did you know that”

I asked, my voice shaky.

“I always knew you wanted to be one, you never did shut up about it. But when she became commander, you knew your chances were 0 percent, because she saw more in me than you”

He explained as he turned around to face me.

“You tried EVERYTHING to impress her, by helping her wife, to helping with her son, to even taking care of her granddaughter. .you thought it would change her mind…but it didn’t”

He was completely right. I had tried every little thing to maybe schmooze Buzz or Alisha, but I was always shrugged off. The Rookie got lucky, yet, sometimes I wished I was him in a Ranger suit.

“Y-You...never thought I'd make a good Ranger?”

I asked.

“No, I'm just saying your chances were 0”

He replied, resting his hands on his hips.

“But if you help me, I'll make sure you become a Ranger. You can become a hero”

He said, his eyes reflecting something dark, something evil.

“B-But...”

He tilted his head, before placing a hand on my shoulder.

“Cosmo, you can change everything. You can have the life you deserve; all you have to do is bring your Buzz to me.”

He explained, a smile appearing across his lips.

“But, what would my Buzz have?”

Tasked, hearing him scoff.

“A crystal, capable of changing the future back to the past”

He said confidently.

“Time travel doesn't exist. I told you”

I reformed him. He shook his head, oblivious.

“No, it does, how do you think I got here to your timeline?”

I thought about it, then it clicked.

“You, are from another timeline, and you were able to reach ours”

Buzz snapped his fingers.

“BINGO! Now help me out. Go get Buzz, bring him here, and we shall finish the mission”

He said, turning back toward the console. I thought long and hard about it, was it really worth erasing al of these years, just so I can be a Space Ranger. Or was this a Buzz that had evil intentions to getting his crew back home. Whatever it was, I wasn't going to let him take away all that Alisha built up.

“No Deal”

I said, seeing him slowly turn around.

“Excuse me?”

He said deeply, his eyes obscured by the shadows and darkness in the room.

“I said, no... deal”

He turned completely, his brows arched, and his fists balled.

“Well, then, if you're not going to help me, I'll get your brother to then. I bet he'd be happy enough to change this future and have his life back, a life with Alisha’

I stood there, seeing that my brother from 50 years in the future was now my sworn enemy.

“Like he would join you on the dark side. He would have to be desperate”

I retorted cockily.

“Desperate to bring Alisha back”

He replied, grinning darkly.

“I don't understand, Buzz. You and I had plans to travel space together... Why turn to the dark side?”

I asked desperately, taking steps back.

“Because my mistake costed her everything, everything that shouldn't have been”

He said, taking steps toward me.

“Cosmo, you are your own worst enemy, you can't run from this”

He said, his steps quickening. I turned in a sharp dash out of the room and down the hallway.

“AFTER HER, MY MINIONS!”

He shouted as I tried dashing through doors and passageways. I made it to where I originally was brought I knew it was a long shot, but I though falling out of the ship and teleporting myself down back on solid ground. I saw robots appear through the doorway and I ran off, taking a leap of faith, falling straight down toward the planet. Time slowed down, seeing capsules falling from the ship.

I closed my eyes, focusing all my energy, then a few seconds later I felt land beneath me. I opened my eyes, to see Star Command under attack. I needed to save my brother, but thought maybe he was on a test fight, unaware of what's happening down here. I could either run straight into battle, or fall back, run away and never return to Star Command again. Resigning was a better Idea instead of running away. So, I ran toward the base, hopefully find a way in and sneak past the guards without being spotted. I got within a few meters from the few robots before I teleported myself on the other side of the Shield.
I was behind a few boxes, which helped me out.

I used my invisibility to get to my quarter, which was beside Buzz’s. I opened the door and saw my room had not been touched since I was taken by that robot.

I gathered all my stuff in the dufflebag and zipped it. Then I recorded a message for Buzz, not that it mattered, he wasn't going to miss me anyway. I was so caught up in my emotions that I couldn’t help but accept I actually “hated” Buzz, hated my own brother for being who I deserved to be, who I deserved to become. I left my dog tags on the table and walked out of my quarter with my bag and found an empty hallway, before
outstretching my arm, a portal appearing.

Hopefully, this portal would get me back to earth and not a dimension filled with spiders or robots. With one breath, I walked through, seeing Westport in all its glory, but..different. I saw cars that I have never seen before, buildings I never seen before. Looks like 62 years paid off, cause the future on earth was better than I expected. Buzz’s hyper speed failures made my life better than I ever imagined. When I got back to our house, I saw a
‘woman outside our door. I walked over, seeing her turn my way, walking over to me.

“Hey, are you Cosmo?”

The lady asked, seeing me nod.

“Well, my father passed away, thought I'd let you know”

I felt my heart sink. I swore he said his daughter was only a toddler, now she was a 60 some old woman with a family of her own.

“Oh...wow. Yeah, I'm sorry for your loss”

I said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“Thanks, I'm glad you're back from that trip. He said you would be gone for 5 years...looks like he was wrong”

She exclaimed.

“Yeah, we got marooned on a planet, thanks to my brother” She frowned, feeling remorse.

“Well, I'm glad you two are alright, my father wouldn't want this house going to waste all cause the tenants are off away in space”

She smiled slightly before we walked over toward the front door.

“Oh...1'm the only one back on earth... have resigned from Star Command”

Her expression turned to surprise as she tilted her head.

“Oh...well, welcome home”

She said, before I unlocked the door and let us both in. After a few hours of conversation, she left, leaving me alone in this 3-bedroom and 2-bathroom house.