James Dashner - The Journal of Curious Letters

Master George cleared his throat loudly, and Tick’s eyes flew open. Master George’s hands gave the slightest twitch at his sides. “Until recently, we had fully charted twelve main Realities, and everything was going just splendid-there’d even been talk that perhaps someday we’d discover the perfect Reality-a utopia if you will. But the reason you are here today is because quite the opposite has occurred. One of our own, a traitor like the world has never known, has discovered a Thirteenth Reality, and very bad things are about to happen. Very bad things indeed.”

“I knew it,” Sato grumbled.

“What’s in the Thirteenth Reality?” Tick asked. “What’s so bad about it?”

“Oh, Mister Higginbottom, it is quite a hard thing to talk about. With every other Reality, we’ve had mostly positive, fascinating experiences. For example, there’s the Fifth Reality, home of our dearest Mothball. There, circumstances somehow led to a drastic change in the gene pool, where everyone became taller and stronger, evolving into a much different society than the one you know so well. Then, of course, there’s the Eleventh, where Rutger was born. As you can see, they, er, had quite the, er, opposite effect in their Reality.”

Everyone looked at Rutger, who patted his big belly as if it were his most prized possession.

Master George cleared his throat again and moved on quickly. “There’s the Fourth, perhaps the most fascinating Reality of them all. Their world is much more advanced than ours, the technology revolution occurring much sooner there than it did in Reality Prime. Going there is much like traveling to the future-quite fascinating indeed. It’s where I acquired the Gnat Rat and the Tingle Wraiths.”

Tick’s jaw dropped open.

The Gnat Rat. Manufactured by Chu Industries.

That explains it, he thought. No wonder I couldn’t find anything on them. Mr. Chu couldn’t have had anything to do with the company after all-it was in another Reality.

“But I haven’t answered your question, have I?” Master George said, looking uncomfortable. “You most clearly asked me about the Thirteenth Reality, and here I am, doing everything in my power to avoid answering you.”

“Well?” Sofia asked.

“What? Ah, yes, the question. The Thirteenth Reality. I’m afraid this new place is… quite extraordinary. You see, for the first time, a Reality has been discovered in which… oh, poppycock, this is difficult to say.”

“Go ahead and say it,” Mothball urged from the back. “These kids can take it, they can.”

“Yes, yes, you’re quite right, Mothball.” Master George straightened his shoulders. “The Thirteenth Reality has a mutated and frightening version of the Chi’karda that simply chills my bones to think about. It is most certainly the source of every frightening myth, dangerous legend, or terrifying nightmare that has ever leaked into the stories and tales of the human race.”

“A… mutated version of the Chi’karda?” Paul repeated. “What in the world does that mean?”

Master George’s brow creased as he frowned. “Remember what Rutger told all of you about the sheer power of the Chi’karda? The Thirteenth has somehow turned that power of pure creation into something completely different. Something frightening.”

“But why?” Paul pushed. “What does that mean?”

Master George’s face paled. “It means that we have discovered a Reality that contains the closest thing to-oh, I hate to even utter the word-but it contains the closest thing to magic we have ever seen. And not the good kind of magic like in your storybooks. No, this is a very real, very dark power. And if it isn’t contained, if it somehow escapes from the Thirteenth Reality, everything will be lost.”

Magic?” Sofia said. “That sounds fun.”

“You’re talking, like, abracadabra and all that stuff?” Paul chimed in. “Wizards and broomsticks?”

“No, no, no, nothing of the sort,” Master George replied, his face scrunched up in annoyance. “This is real-perfectly real-and it’s all explained by the laws of science, particularly the kyoopy, quantum physics. It’s all a matter of unique Chi’karda manipulation. In the Thirteenth Reality, though, it’s been mutated into something far more powerful and horrific. And it can be controlled by someone who understands the nature of it.”

“What can it do?” Tick asked.

“Well, it can make things fly, create horrible beasts, the like. What all of you would consider magic, which is why I used the word-though any scientist would despise such ridiculous nomenclature. This is real, this is science. And while it’s not unique to the Thirteenth, it is there that they’ve learned how to twist it, how to use it much more powerfully.”

“What do you mean?” Paul asked. “The same power exists in other places?”

“Why, yes, of course. It’s even here in Reality Prime-though thankfully not the dark and sinister version that exists in the Thirteenth. Ever heard of luck? ”

Master George continued, excited, not bothering to wait for anyone to answer. “The Chi’karda is essentially the power of conviction, of belief, of strong choices. There have been instances where wonderful things have occurred, where the tiny world of quantum physics has fundamentally changed because of an overwhelming, powerful display of Chi’karda. Some call it a lucky break, good fortune, a windfall, a crazy coincidence. Oh, it’s happened plenty, but in the Thirteenth, the Chi’karda has mutated into something hideous.”

“Man,” Paul said. “That is just plain awesome.”

“Awesome?” Master George asked, his tone suggesting he felt exactly the opposite. “I assure you, there’s nothing awesome about it once you know what Mistress Jane intends to do with this dark Chi’karda.”

“Who is this Mistress Jane?” Sofia asked, glancing at Tick then at Master George. “Norbert told us she went looking for you in Alaska. He said she threatened him.”

Master George’s face grew dark. “Mistress Jane is the most foul, despicable, wretched creature to ever walk the folds of the Realities. She was once one of us, someone who worked toward understanding and unity. But she betrayed us for hopes of glory and power. We have many spies in her camp, and we’re certain she plans to annihilate the Reality system in its entirety. You have no idea the ramifications of her twisted plans.”

“The tree,” Rutger said through a yawn.

“Pardon me?” Master George replied.

“The tree, the tree! Use your analogy to explain what she wants to do.”

“Ah, yes.” Master George turned his attention back to the kids. “Imagine the tree for me again, if you will. One of the big branches we talked about-one of the main Realities that shoots off from the trunk of Reality Prime-is now under the control of Mistress Jane. Using the dark Chi’karda of the Thirteenth Reality, Mistress Jane plans to sever the other branches from the trunk, if you will, destroying them entirely. Then she can conquer Reality Prime and rule the known universe. If that happens, she’d be able to create her own twisted Realities at will, essentially recreating the tree for her own purposes.”

If the other kids in the group were anything like Tick, all Master George saw at that moment were wide-eyed stares. Tick had a feeling they underestimated the horrible intentions of Mistress Jane.

“Oh, poppycock, we’re getting too deep into all of this,” Master George complained as he paced back and forth in front of the fire. “All you need to know is there are different versions of the world we live in called Realities and all of them are important in their own way. Mistress Jane plans to use her newly discovered powers to destroy life as we know it. And we, the Realitants-and I mean we — must stop her.”