The object that had materialized was represented for now by a featureless white oval standing out against the black backdrop, appearing the size of an egg held at arm's length. Sensors were still evidently gathering the details. Hunt got up and moved to one of the stools at the virtual bar that VISAR had considerately provided along one wall, where he poured himself a virtual drink. He didn't have to pour it, of course. He could have asked VISAR to simply produce it. But omitting it would have made the familiar ritual seem incomplete. The smooth, mellow sensation of Irish whiskey warming his palate was induced perfectly. And with no negative after-effects to be concerned about. It still never ceased to amaze him. For a moment he fought with the temptation to add a virtual cigarette, then dismissed it. The thought of VISAR's probable sarcastic comment, had he yielded, was enough to affirm his resolution.
"It's showing more stability than the previous device," VISAR reported. "Stress gradients and energy distribution in the surrounding h-space manifold are consistent with a standing wave pattern." The patch enlarged and began resolving itself into discernible structure as the vantage point closed. "Envelope dimensions in the order of ten feet by six feet, and eight feet deep. You're fifty feet away from it now. A flat base with pagodas pointing outward on both sides. This is very different from the one we saw before. It's not so loaded with instruments. More for communications. We're picking up strong h-resonances. It's trying to access the Thurien interstellar grid and get our attention. I think it's succeeding." A comical scene flashed in a temporary visual window of Eesyan's scientists elsewhere on Thurien frantically falling over each other to get to terminals or neural couplers.
Hunt got up from the bar and carried his glass over to the observation window. Moments later, Eesyan appeared, standing a few feet away. Hunt realized that this grandstand that VISAR had invented would where it would "bring" everyone else to who was neurocoupled into the system (it was the information, of course, that went to them) and who wanted to be in on the event too. As usual, VISAR had been ahead of him in its anticipations.
"I assume you got VISAR's update," Hunt said, turning his head to acknowledge Eesyan's presence. "It's beaming out in h-band. Stable this time. It sounds as if we might be doing something right. Chien's standing wave idea seems to be the right way to go."
Eesyan didn't reply. Hunt was still preoccupied with studying the object outside, and it took him a moment or two to register that the Thurien was just standing and staring at him strangely. He turned to face the other fully. Eesyan seemed too overpowered by something to speak. Hunt realized there was something odd. He had talked with Eesyan only a short while before; Eesyan had been dressed differently then. And his crown texture, which Thuriens periodically trimmed back in the same way that Terrans had haircuts, was more full. He looked around wonderingly, and then spoke at last, in a voice that was little more than a whisper. "This is really there?" Hunt was still trying to make sense of it when another Eesyan materialized in the floor area behind them. At least, this one looked "right."
Then VISAR came in, a little belatedly. "Sorry. I'm having a lot to deal with here. It seemed the best place to put him. The relay out there is communicating in virtual-travel protocol. They must be coupled in neurally at the other end."
Another Thurien appeared, sitting in one of the seats. Danchekker popped into existence, positioned incongruously behind the bar-one of VISAR's whimsical touches. It evidently didn't have time to make the announcements that would normally have been customary. The two Eesyans stared at each other. The second to arrive took the initiative. "Well, welcome to our world, as I believe a Terran song says. And congratulations. You're obviously ahead of us. What date is it where you are?"
Hunt had to take time out to remind himself, step by step, of what was going on. None of this was really happening. It was all inside his head. He was lying in a recliner in his room at the Waldorf in the city of Thurios. A device sitting out somewhere in the Gistar system, relaying to Thurien via h-space, was connecting the Thurien virtual-reality net into that of a different universe. VISAR was bringing together transmissions originating both from that universe, and within this one, that Hunt and the second Esyan existed in.
"Ah, Vic." Hunt looked back. Danchekker was coming out from behind the bar, where coffee and fruit juices had been added to the selection. "It seems we progress."
Hunt wasn't sure how to answer, since he didn't know which universe this Danchekker belonged to. "Hi, Chris. Which team are you with? Home or away?"
"What?" Danchekker apparently didn't appreciate the situation yet. He came closer, then realized that the two Thuriens with Hunt were both Eesyan, and stopped dead. "Good God!"
Hunt was about to suggest to VISAR that it ought to make them different colors or something, when another Danchekker filled the space behind the bar that the first had just left. The first whirled about as if about to be attacked, and the two gaped at each other. More Thuriens were appearing around the room, as had Josef Sonnebrandt, Sandy Holmes, and two copies of Duncan Watt. The chatter among them grew as those with some grasp of what was going on tried to clue in the others. The throng was growing faster than Hunt could keep track of, while at the same time the room enlarged subtly to accommodate it. His alter egos in other universes surely wouldn't be far away from something like this, he told himself, and scanned around. Sure enough, another Hunt was coming across from the area where the seats were, smirking shamelessly. "I see you found the bar first," he said. "What is it, Irish? How close does VISAR get in this universe?"
"Oh, I think you'd find it up to standard." Even after Hunt's brief experience at the Happy Days back on Earth, this was uncanny.
"No doubt. But today I think I'll settle for a beer." A glass appeared obligingly in the away-team's Hunt's hand. "Cheers." He tasted it, nodded approvingly, and seemed about to say something; but then instead, he frowned and stared in obvious puzzlement from one to the other of the two Eesyans, who were talking intently.
"What's wrong?" the Hunt who belonged here asked. "Can't remember which one's yours?"
The other Hunt ignored the flippancy. "I don't get this." He looked again and shook his head. "Neither of them is."
"This is preposterous!" Danchekker's voice came from behind, rising above the rest. The two Hunts turned. Now there were four Danchekkers, all glowering indignantly at the others as if they had no right to be there. Then one of them vanished. Another seemed to change position instantly by several feet.
Hunt turned back in bewilderment to his other self. "What in hell's…" But he was talking to thin air. "Where'd he go?" he demanded, cuing VISAR with a mental prompt.
"He disappeared out of the datastream from MP2. I only inject what comes through."
One of the Eesyans had also disappeared; Hunt was too nonplused to know which. A Hunt appeared fleetingly by the bar and was gone again, leaving three Duncan Watts staring in bemusement-then four, then three again, and then back to two. A new Hunt on the far side of the room was being assailed by a Danchekker who looked like a reincarnation of the first one. The same thing was happening with the Thuriens. The whole room was a madhouse of figures appearing and vanishing, shifting randomly from one place to another, some gesticulating and arguing incoherently.