30,000ft Somewhere over France - 5:47PM CEST - April 10, 2141AD

Left with the goggles, the journal, and a million questions John did the only thing he could think of doing. He left, driving the hotel's blacked-out limo himself to the airport where he boarded his personal Gulfstream-G1150SS-ER at Genève Aéroport.

He was in the air within the hour. The goggles and the journal were tucked safely into his courier bag on the empty white leather seat to his left.  A young woman, 'what was her name? Linda!' emerged from the doorway leading to the forward cabin and approached him with a large toothy smile. "Good afternoon Mr. Sheppard, so glad to see you again!"

John smiled back knowing she didn't mean it, knowing that he had dragged her and the two pilots away from their lives with no warning to fly him halfway around the world. Knowing too, that she undoubtedly hated John Sheppard just as the rest of the world hated him. But it to Hell with all that. Word of his arrival in Geneva had already hit social media, it was impossible to be truly anonymous, and the only place he felt safe was up above the clouds. Even the hotel with all of its security and discretion was no good. He was too exposed on the ground.

"Hi, Linda, sorry for the short notice..." he said.

"Don't be silly Mr. Sheppard, that's what we're here for! Now can I get you anything, perhaps some dinner?"

"No, I'm not hungry... just a club soda with lime."

"Of course," She gave him another huge smile and headed towards the galley. John watched her go, he could hear Will scolding him for staring at her bum.

A few minutes later she served his drink and after making sure he didn't need anything else she returned to the forward cabin to leave him with his thoughts... and fears. 

John brought the glass to his lips and took a sip. He held it for a moment watching the bubbles and then noticed how badly his hand was shaking. He put the glass back down on the table to his left and its magnetic base clicked sharply as it came into contact with the metal surface.

He glanced fearfully at the courier bag to his left. What would happen if he put on the goggles here, would the plane disappear? Would he simply be suspended in midair? The thought terrified him. A small almost imperceptible vibration hummed through the plane sending ripples across his drink and John knew the Punch-Jets were extruding from the hull as the wings folded back. A moment later a half a G pushed him gently into his seat as the aircraft went supersonic.

The captain came over the intercom, "Good evening Mr. Sheppard, we are now cruising at 35,000 feet. Flight time to Belize is five hours fifteen minutes. If there's anything you need just let us know."

John took another long deep drink of club soda wishing it was something much harder. After a moment's hesitation, he reached down into the bag and pulled out the journal.

It was old. The black leather cover was worn and cracked. He opened it and surveyed the yellowed pages noting that a number had been ripped out from the beginning of the book. 'Here we go...'

Nov 17, 1957

I saw Frederic today. He is unwell again and won't make it to the party so I walked down the highroad to see him. We had a pleasant chat and some tea and biscuits. Poor fellow he just isn't the same since Pearl died.

Nov 18, 1957

Today is my birthday, and I have received an unexpected gift. A package arrived with no return address, very strange! Enclosed was a pair of goggles of the type a welder might wear, but the lens' are clear with a slight green tinge. The small, unsigned note enclosed appears to be in Old Russian Cyrillic, I will have to get it translated...

I wonder who sent them... do I have a secret admirer? HO HO!

Nov 19, 1957

It's unbelievable! Astonishing! I have seen another world! I looked through the goggles and everything changed! I've been up all night and this morning I walked through the town wearing them. Everything is different, yet somehow the same! What am I seeing? (The future... the past... another earth?) It's incredible! Much more research is required... I have no idea what I'm dealing with.

Nov 21, 1957

Alexei has translated the note that came with the goggles but it is of little help. The glass is from Siberia and was created during the Tunguska Event... the goggles have been passed down for years through a single family but there are no names! Bah!

Nov 23, 1957

Today I saw myself... or another version of myself! I don't mind saying it was terrifying. He seems to be a geologist, a career I had considered in my youth but ultimately lost interest in... he apparently did not. He is also married... to Mary... my Mary. She is still alive in this other world. It breaks my heart to watch them... to see the life we might have had... that should be me!

Dec 5, 1957

I must stop using the goggles, they torment me! I spend every day watching her. Following her like some peeping Tom. Would that I could speak to her! It is not enough to watch her but I cannot stop myself! He is a fool, this doppelganger of mine who does not realize what he has, how fortunate he is... I hate him! Oh Mary...

Dec 12, 1957

Mary has left town to see her mother and I have managed to get back to my research without her distraction. Though, truth be told, I would have followed if I could. People in town have begun to talk about me, as I appear the mad man roaming the streets wearing the goggles and making a fool of myself. At any rate, I have developed a theory, although there is no way to prove or disprove it. Be that as it may, if the note is true and I must accept it as such, then I believe the force of the explosion during the Tunguska event that created the glass has somehow pushed it out of sync with our dimension. Somehow it exists here but when looking through the glass we see another dimension, another possible earth. Many things appear the same but others are quite different. A most interesting fact that I have discovered is that this other dimension seems to sit exactly 48 hours ahead of ours in time. While today it is Dec 12th for us here in what I have termed Dimension Alpha , in their dimension (Beta) it is Dec 14th.

March 15, 1958

I have conducted hundreds of experiments with the goggles over the past 3 months. With Mary gone I have returned to my old self. I have pages of data but I wanted to note some of it here. I soon realized that I must leave my village and travel, to see this other dimension and understand it fully. What follows are the differences I have found:

Weather – their weather is different, the seasons seem to start later. (They did not receive any snow until March while it was knee deep here in January)

Landmarks – Most Structures seem to be the same although sometimes in different positions. Oddly Hodegetia Church in the town of Vyazma is absent.

People – Many people are the same although I have noted other cases like Marys' of people alive in the Beta Dimension who are deceased here and vice versa.

Geography – Geographically I can see no real difference although I am, of course, no cartographer. Mountains, rivers and forests seem to be in the same locations even if they may look very different.

Politically, Khrushchev is in power in their dimension as well. Bah!

Technology – our two worlds seem to be at exactly the same level of technological advancement.

Over all, the similarities and differences between Alpha and Beta are startling, but much more research is needed. I should hire an assistant but I am hesitant. Who could I trust with a revelation of this magnitude?

April 2 1958

I am dead. At least my doppelganger is dead. I watched helplessly this evening as he hanged himself. Mary returned yesterday evening and it was obvious she was leaving him. He seemed so surprised when she began to pack her things and I couldn't help but to pity him. I watched as he begged her to stay, tears streaming down his face. Might this have been my fate had Mary not died when we were mere teenagers? I refuse to believe it! This is not my life, not my Mary... I am going to put the goggles away now. Seeing his death has opened my eyes, I must get my affairs in order. I will come back to this research in time but for now, I need to rest and think.

May 12 1958

I have decided to move to America, when I begin the research again it must be at an arm's length. I see my error. This was all too personal.

"Mr. Sheppard..."

Linda was standing over him with a strange look on her face.

"wha... oh, Linda...?"

"I'm sorry to disturb you Mr. Sheppard but you'll need to put on your seat-belt, we'll be landing shortly."

"Already..." John looked around confused. He had been so engrossed in the journal he hadn't noticed that night had crept in. The cabin was dark. His seat alone was bathed in a pool of light from the reading lamp.

He shoved the journal into his bag then fumbled for the seat-belt and buckled himself in as she watched.

"Can I get you anything before we begin our descent Mr. Sheppard?"

"No Linda, I'm fine..."

"Okay then, see you on the ground." Those big white teeth flashed again before she turned and wiggled her rear-end back to the forward cabin.

John watched her disappear through the doorway, then leaned his head back and closed his eyes to think.

~o0O0o~