Destiny's Serendipity

Episode Thirteen: The Girl from Beyond

A Thriller - Romance - Transgender Serial

By Jo Dora Webster

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In a desperate gambit, Bart channels the surging dual energies through his unique physiology, forcing the artifacts to dim their otherworldly glow. His body trembled with the strain as he absorbed the excess power, the rose patterns fading just as the workshop door swung open.

Colonel Hawthorne stepped inside, his sharp eyes scanning the seemingly ordinary workspace. George maintained his composure, casually adjusting some standard measuring equipment as if conducting routine experiments. The Colonel's inspection revealed nothing unusual - the Decretian artifacts lay dormant, their true nature masked by Bart's intervention. After what felt like an eternity, Hawthorne departed with nothing more than a stern reminder about authorized research protocols.

The close call left Bart shaken but more determined than ever to understand his growing abilities. The dual energies still resonated within him hours later as he performed his evening patrol, his body adapting to its new power in ways he couldn't fully comprehend. The barrier's familiar hum took on new meanings now that he understood how deeply connected he was to both worlds.

Each step along his patrol route brought him closer to answers he both craved and feared. But nothing could have prepared him for the sight that awaited him around that final bend - the physical manifestation of his holographic correspondent, her presence both impossible and undeniable. Bart's boots crunched against loose stones as he made his final check of the barrier's perimeter before sunset. The familiar hum of energy tingled against his skin, but tonight something felt different - a discordant note in the barrier's usual resonance. He rounded the bend and froze.

A figure lay crumpled near the barrier's edge, wisps of strange energy curling around her form. Bart's breath caught in his throat. The long dark hair, the delicate features - he recognized her instantly from the holographic messages. Ducia. His mind reeled as he approached cautiously. This was impossible. No one from Decretia could survive crossing the barrier. Yet here she was, her skin taking on an alarming grayish tint as Regalia's concentrated life energy worked against her natural biology.

This was not the time Ducia gave them for the crossing, and it appeared that she had not come with the aid of a pod as she had said before. Something must have happened to change the timing and manner of crossing. Had she found a weakness in the barrier at ground level?

"Ducia?" he whispered, kneeling beside her. Her eyes fluttered but didn't open. Up close, he could see the toll the crossing had taken - angry red marks where the barrier's energy had burned her skin, shallow breathing that seemed to pain her with each intake. The strange sensation he'd felt earlier intensified.

Being this close to someone from Decretia, he could feel both life forces interacting - the familiar Regalian energy and something alien yet oddly compelling. His own body seemed to hum in response, craving both energies in a way he'd never experienced. A weak moan escaped Ducia's lips as she stirred slightly. Bart knew he had precious little time. The Regalian concentrated life force was poisoning her at every passing moment. He needed to act fast if he was going to save the girl who had reached across worlds to find him.

Bart cradled Ducia's head, watching the alien life force shimmer around her like a fading aurora. Her skin grew paler with each passing second as Regalia's energy continued its assault on her system. The barrier's hum seemed to mock him, a constant reminder of the worlds' deadly separation.

His own body thrummed with an unfamiliar sensation. Where the Regalian life force should have been causing him discomfort, he instead felt a strange yearning. The Decretian energy called for him, mixing with his native life force in ways that would have been impossible. His chest ached with a peculiar hunger for both energies simultaneously.

"Hold on," he whispered, though he knew she couldn't hear him. The artifacts he'd collected from the caves had never prepared him for this moment - facing a real person from beyond the veil. Her features matched exactly those he'd seen in their holographic communications, but now she was tangible, real, and dying.

The gray pallor of her skin spread visibly, like frost creeping across the glass. Bart's scientific training kicked in as he assessed her condition. The opposing life force was acting as a poison, just as all his research had indicated it would. Yet somehow, he remained unaffected by her presence, his body seeming to adapt and even welcome the dual energies. He needed to make a decision quickly.

Every moment she spent in Regalia brought her closer to death. The barrier that had fascinated him since childhood now stood as both salvation and obstacle. Getting her back across would mean attempting something no Regalian had ever survived - crossing the threshold himself.

Bart found a sheltered alcove near the barrier where the rock formations would hide them from casual observation. The strange dual sensation of life forces continued to intensify as he studied Ducia's face, so familiar from the holographic communications they'd shared, yet now alarmingly still. His scientific training warred with the impossible reality before him. Everything he'd learned in Regalia said this shouldn't be happening - the artifacts he'd collected from the caves had hinted at Decretia's existence, but having one of its inhabitants here defied all known laws of their worlds.

The alien life force surrounding her called to him in ways he couldn't explain. While it should have been toxic, his body needed it alongside his native Regalian energy. The sensation reminded him of his first discoveries in the caves, that feeling of connection to something beyond the veil, but magnified a hundredfold.

He touched her wrist gently, checking for signs of life. Her pulse fluttered weakly beneath his fingers, each beat growing more erratic. The gray pallor had spread further, her skin now taking on an almost translucent quality as Regalia's concentrated life force continued its assault on her system. A sound made him look up sharply. George stood at the entrance to the alcove, eyes wide with disbelief.

"Bart," he whispered, "is that?"

"Yes," Bart replied, his voice tight with urgency.

"It's her - from the messages. She's dying, George. The life force here is killing her. We need Richard's help, and we need it now."

The gravity of the situation hung between them as George nodded and turned to run toward Richard's workshop, leaving Bart to maintain his vigil over the impossible girl from beyond the barrier.

Bart gently lifted Ducia's head, his decision crystallizing as her breathing grew more labored. The strange dual sensation of life forces continued to pulse through him, but Ducia's deteriorating condition left no time for scientific curiosity.

"We need to get her back across," Bart said as George approached, his friend's face pale with concern. "The Regalian concentrated life force is killing her."

"Back across? Bart, that's impossible. No one has ever crossed the barrier and survived," George whispered, his eyes wide as he watched the alien energy shimmer around Ducia's form.

"Even if we could find a way, the shock would kill her instantly." Bart shook his head, his fingers unconsciously tracing the strange markings on Ducia's sleeve.

"I don't think that's true - not completely. Remember what Richard told us about the barrier's properties? How does it respond differently to different energy signatures?"

"But that was theoretical! This is-" George's protest cut off as Ducia convulsed, her skin taking on an almost translucent quality.

"She'll die if we do nothing," Bart said firmly. "And I can feel both energies, George. They don't hurt me like they should. Maybe that means something."

George ran his hands through his hair, clearly torn between helping his friend and preventing what could be a fatal mistake. "We should at least consult Richard first. He might know-"

"There's no time," Bart interrupted, already gathering Ducia into his arms.

"But I need your help. Can I count on you?"

After a moment's hesitation, George nodded. "Always. But Bart... be careful. Whatever's different about you, whatever lets you feel both energies - we don't know its limits."

"Thank the maker, Richard is on the video communicator." Bart observed, "We'll see what he is reading before I attempt to get Ducia to safety."

Richard's workshop hummed with tension as he examined the readings from his barrier monitoring equipment. Using the video communicator, Bart and George stood anxiously with Ducia, and they were watching their mentor's face grow increasingly grave.

"The barrier's energy patterns are destabilized where she crossed," Richard said, adjusting several dials on his instruments. "The life forces are mixing in ways I've never seen before." Bart shifted uncomfortably, the dual sensation of energies still coursing through his body.

"How dangerous is it?"

"Extremely."

Richard pulled up a holographic display showing the barrier's structure. "A breach like this could lead to catastrophic failure if not sealed quickly. The opposing life forces were never meant to interact."

George moved closer to the screen to study the readings. "Can we fix it?"

"Theoretically." Richard's fingers traced the energy patterns in the air. "But it would require someone who can withstand both life forces. Someone like..." His eyes settled meaningfully on Bart.

The implications hung heavily in the workshop's air. Bart felt the strange pull of both energies, stronger now near the barrier's weakened point. His unique ability to tolerate both forces had never seemed more significant - or more dangerous.

"Time is critical," Richard continued, his voice tight with urgency. "The longer the breach remains, the more unstable the barrier becomes. And if anyone else discovers it..."

"They'll trace it back to Ducia," Bart finished. The thought of the injured girl being discovered by Regalian authorities made his chest tighten.

"Show me what I need to do."

"We don't have a choice," Bart replied, watching the barrier's energy patterns swirl chaotically on Richard's display.

"She risked everything to cross. I have to try."

The barrier's energy patterns swirled with increasing intensity as Bart moved toward it, his unique physiology resonating with both types of force fields. Each step closer made his heart race faster, the dual energies singing through his veins in a way that both thrilled and terrified him. Richard's warnings about the dangers of crossing echoed in his mind, but the sight of Ducia's weakening form left him no choice. The time for caution and theoretical discussions had passed - now only action remained.

Hidden behind a cluster of rocks near the barrier's edge, Terrance watched the unfolding crisis through his cloaking device. His internal life force generator hummed softly as it maintained his unique ability to exist near the barrier without detection.

Years of training kept him perfectly still as he observed Bart's desperate attempt to save the Decretian girl. The scene before him challenged everything he knew about the barrier's properties. Bart's apparent ability to tolerate both life forces mirrored his own unique condition, though Terrance's came from artificial means.

He touched the generator beneath his skin, remembering the painful procedures that had given him this ability. Through his enhanced vision, he could see the strange shimmer of both life forces around Bart and Ducia. The mixing energies created patterns he'd never witnessed before, even during his years of covert observation.

To most Regalians, he would appear as a lamb - a special creature capable of surviving both worlds' energies - but his true mission was far more complex. His hand hovered over his communication device. Protocol demanded he report this breach immediately to Raymond Copernicus.

Yet something held him back. He'd watched Bart grow up, seen his struggle to fit into Regalian society, recognized the same yearning for understanding that had driven his own participation in the early barrier experiments. Terrance's instruments showed dangerous fluctuations in her concentrated life force signature. His position as both observer and protector had never felt more conflicted. For now, he would maintain his silence, but he knew this decision would have far-reaching consequences for both worlds.

Ducia's condition worsened with each passing minute, her skin now almost transparent as the Regalian concentrated life force continued its assault. Bart knelt beside her, feeling the strange mixture of energies coursing through his body. The dual sensation had grown stronger, his muscles aching with an inexplicable hunger for both forces.

"We're out of options," he said, looking up at George. The cave artifacts he'd collected over the years had hinted at the possibility of crossing, but nothing had prepared him for this moment. "I have to take her back."

George gripped his shoulder. "This isn't like finding shoes or strange garments in the caves, Bart. If you cross that barrier..."

"I know." Bart carefully lifted Ducia's limp form. The strange fabric of her clothing felt alien under his fingers, reminding him of all the mysterious items he'd discovered near the veil.

"But I'm different, George. I can feel both energies. Maybe that's why I've always felt out of place here."

Richard approached with his monitoring equipment. "The readings suggest your unique physiology might allow for crossing, but there's no guarantee you'll survive the return journey."

"She trusted me enough to cross," Bart said, remembering their holographic communications.

"I have to trust that whatever makes me different is enough to get us both home - her to hers, and me back to Regalia."

The barrier hummed before them, its energy patterns shifting and swirling in response to their proximity. Bart took a deep breath, feeling the pull of both worlds. In his arms, Ducia's breath came in shallow gasps. It was time to attempt what no Regalian had ever survived - a conscious crossing of the threshold between worlds.

Bart stood at the barrier's edge, supporting Ducia's limp form as George made the final preparations. The strange mixture of life forces swirled around them, creating patterns he'd never seen before. His muscles ached with the dual energies coursing through his system, both familiar and alien at once.

"The readings are off the charts," George whispered, checking the monitoring equipment. "If we're going to do this, it has to be now."

Through his enhanced vision, Terrance watched from his hidden position, his internal life force generator humming softly beneath his skin. His hand hovered over his communication device, knowing that protocol demanded he alert Raymond Copernicus immediately. Yet something held him back as he observed the scene unfolding before him.

Bart adjusted his grip on Ducia, feeling the weakening pulse of her Decretian life force. The barrier's energy patterns shifted and swirled, responding to their presence in ways that defied all known scientific principles. His unique ability to tolerate both energies had never felt more crucial than at that moment.

"Remember," Richard said, his voice tight with concern, "once you cross, you'll have minutes at most to get her to safety and return. The barrier's stability won't hold indefinitely."

Bart nodded, taking a deep breath as he faced the shimmering veil between worlds. Everything he'd learned from the cave artifacts, every theory they'd developed about the barrier's properties, had led to this moment.

The dual hunger for both life forces pulled at him, guiding him toward what should have been impossible. With one final look at his friends, Bart stepped forward, carrying his precious cargo toward the threshold between worlds.

The barrier's energy embraced them, its patterns shifting in impossible ways. But as they crossed the midpoint, something went terribly wrong. The barrier's resonance changed, its familiar hum transforming into a discordant screech that made his bones vibrate.

At that moment of crisis, Bart realized with horror that Richard's calculations had missed something crucial - something that could trap them forever between two worlds.