INSTAMILLIONAIRE_EXTENSION
Showrunner — Stephen Bozzo
Writer — Lauren Richmond
2/06/2023
Episode 885
The Divine Dimension
"Alex," a disembodied voice called out from a distance.
He couldn't figure out the direction the voice came from.
Destiny was a funny thing. Alex never regarded it much when he was a mere mortal. He focused on preparing for the next storm or fighting the next battle. He never considered what would happen after weathering the eye of every storm and defeating every enemy.
What would happen, of course, was destiny. Alex was a god now. That was his destiny.
"Alex, this way," the booming voice called out a second time.
Alex took a step forward, and when he did, WHOOSH. He toppled over and crashed through the world around him. He was transported through space and time, landing in a parallel dimension.
Being a god allowed Alex to see pieces of the universe others couldn't. He was just as powerful and strong as he was before, but he gained the ability to understand the unexplainable. Landing in this dimension must have been a result of his mind's expansion.
It was an ethereal nirvana. It felt as if an ocean wave cascaded over him. His senses heightened. He could feel and see everything at once. The world became a kaleidoscope of colors even the most genius of men couldn't fathom.
It felt natural and otherworldly at the same. It was a paradox of the familiar and strange. If Alex had to describe it, he would call it home.
Then he noticed in the distance three shadows that towered over him. They were like giants and appeared to be older than time itself.
"Alex Ambrose," the figures said in unison.
Alex raised his hand to his brow. He attempted to look up at the figures, but a heavenly light shone down upon them, rendering Alex unable to see. "Yes, that's me."
The figures did not move, nor did they fully reveal themselves to Alex. A foggy haze surrounded them. "We are the keepers of the Divine Dimension. You have become a god. The gods' purpose is to uphold the sanctity of the multiverse. You must leave your old life behind to protect all of space and time."
"The multiverse?" Alex asked with genuine curiosity.
"Yes, look around you," the figures said.
With a tilt of his head, Alex peered around the dimension. Interconnected lines of what looked like pulsating electricity became visible around him. They were weaving in and out of each other, branching out in different directions. He stared in awe, slowly turning in a circle. A calm washed over him as everything began to make sense. "The multiverse. I understand. How does it work?"
Alex turned to face the shadow figures, but when he did, they were gone. He was alone with the multiverse. And yet he didn't feel alone. It felt as if someone was with him. A deep rumbling made itself aware in Alex's chest, like a thousand hearts beating in one. He brought a hand to his chest, and he felt something extraordinary.
He could feel the heart of every Alex Ambrose in the multiverse. It all made perfect sense. There were countless Alex Ambroses, all having different experiences in different timelines, but they were all one, and one day, they would all return to the same consciousness.
Alex removed his hand from his chest and looked back again. He hoped the three shadowy figures had reemerged. "Hey, guys, thank you!"
Although the shadows were no longer in view, they somehow responded to him in their despondent voice. "You are welcome."
Alex reached out to touch one of the glowing, bright branches of the universe, and when he did, the line shook up and down almost as if he had plucked a guitar string.
"Don't do that," said a tall woman who appeared over Alex's shoulder. Her big, enticing eyes captured his gaze. He assumed she was also a god.
Alex glanced back at the branch of the multiverse that was still vibrating. "Is there a reason why?"
The woman reached out a gentle figure, softly bringing the branch to a stop. "It reconfigures the timeline."
A worried expression painted itself on Alex's face. "I didn't do anything bad, did I?"
The goddess remained calm. "No, at the very least you caused a famine."
Alex bit his bottom lip. "That is bad."
The goddess disagreed. "It will probably only last a decade. A quick blip of time, a simple mistake."
She walked over to another side of the multiverse, carefully dodging any branches or lines that might be in her way. It seemed as if the multiverse was never ending.
Alex did not want her to leave. He wasn't sure what to do. "Do you mind if I ask you a question?"
She shook her head, causing her long, cascading dark locks to sway back and forth. "Of course not."
Alex gestured toward the multiverse. "What do we do with all of these? Considering the fact that if we touch them we could…"
"Destroy them?" The woman interrupted.
He nodded. "Yeah, that."
The woman peered at one of the branches of the multiverse with love and admiration. "We take care of them. You can touch them, very gently, but you must know how. You can also visit them."
Alex's eyes widened. "I can visit the other multiverses? How"
The woman whistled, and a long beam of bright light appeared beside her, almost like a train coming to its stop. The light pulsed as it changed color. "This will take you to any universe you desire. However, you can only go visit yourself in your universe."
Alex nodded, rubbing his hands together. "One more question. I am new to being a god. How will I know where to go?"
The goddess chuckled. She brought a hand to her chest. "You'll know. You'll feel it. Just as I feel like that wasn't your last question."
Alex smiled. He was more at ease with the woman's joke. He pointed toward the beam of light at the woman's side. "How would you summon that?"
"I whistle, but everyone has their own thing. Ghengis Khan just shouts," she said. "You'll be fine. You just have to listen to the spirit inside of you. Good luck."
Seemingly in an instant, the beam of light surrounded the woman, and she, along with the light, disappeared into thin air.
While grateful to have some answers, Alex noticed an apprehension growing inside of him. He was a god. He had confidence that he could handle it, but he also didn't want to dismantle the multiverse by accident. He thought to himself. Okay, Alex. What's the answer? I have to listen to the spirit inside me.
He quieted his mind and closed his eyes. He tried to listen to his heart and his soul. At first it was loud, as if every Alex in the multiverse were shouting at him at once. Then, it all faded away, and he could clearly see one version of himself.
When he opened his eyes, the same long beam of light that appeared next to the goddess floated in front of him. Eagerly, he stepped into it, and the light enveloped him. As he shot through the paths of the multiverse, he imagined he was a lightning bolt whirling through space and time.
He landed, upright and unharmed, in what seemed to be a bustling, futuristic version of Baltimore. People walked with VR goggles on their heads. There were hoverboards and self-driving cars. Everything was made of metal.
Alex tried to stop someone walking past him on the street. "Excuse me, sir. What year is it?"
The person didn't respond, as if he could not hear nor see Alex.
He sighed, and as he did, someone walked straight through him. He looked at his hands, perplexed. "Guess gods can't be perceived in the multiverse."
The street shook, disrupting Alex's train of thought. A giant, robot cyborg crossed through the intersection in front of him. Without hesitation, Alex followed it. He watched as the cyborg ripped down building after building.
In a panic, Alex's eyes flickered around the street. He wondered what to do. Then, that universe's version of Alex ran up behind the robot. He got too close, standing underneath the foot of it.
Alex himself raised his hands up. "Wait!"
As the words came out of his mouth, the world around him froze. All of the people, places and things stopped. He looked down at his hands. "I can stop time."
He glanced over to the version of himself that was about to be crushed. He thought for a second. "Can I touch anything?"
He reached out and grabbed the other Alex's shoulder. "Okay, I can."
With minimal effort, Alex moved his counterpart back a safe distance. When he did, the whole world around him glitched. Time moved backward, and the other Alex positioned himself to a perfect spot.
Alex stared at the world around him with a quizzical eye. "Ah, okay. So, I guess it just makes it like I was never even here. Interesting. Looks like my work here is done."
He dusted off his hands, and when he did, the battle commenced. The other Alex shot the robot cyborg down with a laser gun. The day was saved.
Alex smiled as he watched the victory. Guess it's time to head to another universe, he thought.
The colorful beam of light appeared next to him. He chuckled to himself. "I could get used to this."
Within moments, Alex was transported to the next universe. This one was similar to that of his previous life. He stood in a similar version of his pharmaceutical business.
This universe's Alex had a handlebar mustache. He sat at a conference table, surrounded by businessmen and lawyers. He twisted his mustache in his fingers. "I don't know what to do. Because we made our products so affordable, we're drowning in debt, but we're saving more lives. Now, I want to stop drowning in debt, but I don't want to stop saving lives."
"I know exactly what to do," Alex, the god, said. He raised his hand, and, once again, time and space stopped.
Alex grabbed a notebook and pen from one of the businessmen. "The same thing happened to me, only I didn't have a handlebar mustache."
He wrote on the piece of paper "Open a skincare line" and threw it in front of the other Alex. He watched as the universe rewound itself. In the blink of an eye, the other Alex was standing at the front of the room, giving a presentation about opening a skincare line to help lower the prices of their pharmaceuticals.
Alex sighed to himself. "Another crisis averted. I think every version of myself in every universe runs a pharmaceutical company. This brings me immense joy. I can't imagine running any other company."
With that, the beam of light emerged next to him, ready to take him to another universe. Alex stepped in and was transported once again.
This time, Alex was dropped in the middle of the forest. The sun was setting over a huge, rustic mansion he could only assume belonged to the other Alex.
In this universe, Baltimore was the epicenter of the world. Every industry boomed in Baltimore. It was exciting and dangerous. This Alex was a fearless business leader and a skilled fighter.
"This one's got style. That I can tell for sure," Alex, the god, said while peering up at the house.
In the distance, he heard a laugh. It was loud, confident, and full of energy. Alex recognized the laugh instantly. It belonged to his team member, Yvonne. Even though he knew that this Yvonne was of a different universe, his heart skipped a beat upon hearing her voice. It had been so long since he had seen her. He had an inkling that, in this universe, she was Alex's ex.
She walked through the forest, alongside Louis, the leader of the Demon Sect, and Christopher, the manager of Baltimore General Hospital. Alex couldn't believe it. It felt like forever since he had seen Louis and Christopher.
Yvonne, however, captured most of his attention. She was so unique. Her curls bounced with every spirited step she took. It took Alex back to a different time.
All of a sudden, Alex heard the rustling of leaves behind him. He turned around and saw what appeared to be a man turned monster. It watched Yvonne as she walked into the house.
"I'm going to get her. If it's the last thing I do, I will get Yvonne Wheeler," the monster growled.
Without pause, Alex lunged at the monster. However, as if he were a ghost, he flew right through the beast. He stood up, brushing himself off. "What?"
Once again, he tried to hit the monster, but his hand went directly through it. The monster stood unharmed and unaware of Alex's presence.
Then, Alex had a realization. "I can only visit myself, so I can only interfere with my own life. I can't change the path for anyone else other than Alex Ambrose."
He stared at the monster. He felt a pain surge through his chest. "But what about Yvonne?"
Then, out of the corner of his eye, Alex spotted another person walking around the house. It was a woman, tall and gorgeous.
Alex immediately remembered who she was. "Debbie. Oh, my god. There's Debbie. She's still so beautiful."
Debbie was his girlfriend. She was perfect in every way, but most importantly, she was extremely compassionate. Alex's heart dropped for a second time.
Although Alex married Maya, he would often think back to Debbie. It never sat well in his heart that he left her.
Alex paused for a moment. "Wait, if Debbie's there, and Yvonne is there, with that creature, what's going to happen to them? I can't let both of them get hurt. I have to stop this."
Alex made a beeline for the house. He was going to put a stop to everything, but after a few steps, he was miraculously back in the Divine Dimension, surrounded by the multiverse, on a treadmill.
Sweat formed on his forehead. He was furious and alone. He didn't understand how he had been plucked out of that universe and deposited onto a treadmill. "What's going on?!"
The omnipresent voice of the shadowy figures returned. "You were tampering too much with the timeline. There's a fine balance of what you can and cannot do."
Alex jogged on the treadmill. "What do you mean, fine balance?"
"You set it off balance," the voice replied with an echo. "You can always go back, but it comes at a cost."
"What does that mean?" Alex asked, but he received no reply.
After a few more minutes on the treadmill, he stepped off it, and the machine disappeared before his eyes.
He sighed to himself, gazing into the vast multiverse. "I wonder what's going to happen to Yvonne and Debbie. I had so many memories and so much love for both of them. The path I took during my life ended up leading me away from them, but I wonder what it would have been like if I stayed."
Alex sat down. The multiverse surrounded him. Each line and every branch shimmered, illuminating the endless space that was the Divine Dimension.
He quieted his mind and listened to his soul, but he couldn't hear anything.