THE MOMENT
[Error! Unique Soul detected. Multiverse search aborted.] Red text appeared on the gadget's tiny screen. The 3" display was at the bottom of the long rectangle Lottie wrapped her hand around. It was supposed to read her frequency, then let her see other versions of herself. Lottie growled at the gizmo; she shook the remote control-like device then pointed it at the TV and pressed the 'On' button several times. Normally, a small thing like a device malfunction would not get on her nerves too much. But, her day so far had been a constant string of disappointments. The TV did not turn on, but the display changed. [Please standby. A Sharp Development representative has been dispatched to your location.]
"Huh?" Lottie wondered aloud. She was confident the technology as a whole wasn't a scam. It was too widespread and she'd seen other versions of her friends countless times. Her group of friends was even close in other universes. Checking in on one of them often revealed at least one more alternate friend hanging around. Except, Lottie was never that extra friend in the background.
The devices were only usable by one person. Once it locked on to a person's frequency, it couldn't be used to find anyone else. If Lottie wanted to search for another version of herself, she needed to make the investment. Her friend's curiosity soon took the form of peer pressure and she invested in a Sharp Soul Finder of her very own. Though, she found herself wondering if the particular unit she got was involved in a scam somehow. The message said a representative would be on the way but Lottie took web security seriously. She used a throwaway email address when signing up and she definitely did not give out even a fake address.
Lottie was so lost in thought that the sudden knock at the door made her jump in her seat. She hopped off the couch and dashed to the door. She realized she should have checked the peephole after she'd already wiggled the doorknob. She sighed to herself, then put on a fake smile and flung the door open. A young woman in a white blazer with a violet ponytail stood on her doorstep.
"Hi, I'm Victoria from Sharp Development," the woman said.
"How'd you know my address?" Lottie asked. Victoria shrugged.
"I don't," she said.
"Then, how'd you get here?" Lottie asked. Victoria smiled.
"When the soul finder looks for other versions of you, it samples your frequency first. The message I got also gave me your frequency to find you. After that," Victoria gestured at the air beside her. A tall black portal opened. "It's just a simple matter of Traversing," she dismissed the portal with a wave.
"So, what does Sharp Development want with me?"
"To welcome you to the multiverse," Victoria said. She stepped forward and offered Lottie a transparent, glassy playing card. "You're a Unique Soul, the only you out there. Ms. Sharp likes to maintain positive relations with Uniques. This is a node," Victoria said when Lottie grabbed the glass card.
"On it, you will find everything you need to tour the multiverse."
"I'm the only me?" Lottie asked. She had questions about the node too; but, she was wondering why the soul finder couldn't find other versions of her. Victoria nodded.
"That's what Unique Soul means. There are infinite alternate realities out there; but, only one you." Victoria said. Lottie tilted her head.
"What's different about me from my friends that have other versions?" Victoria gave a slight sigh.
"If you want the full talk, you'll have to find a Mundo. They're Unique Souls that know how everything works; and, they love talking about it. But, I'll give you the short version," Victoria said. Lottie nodded.
"Yes, please."
"I don't make the rules, I'm not good at explaining them," Victoria said. "I'm just telling you what I know, okay?" Victoria asked. Lottie agreed.
"There are 54 different types of Unique Souls and each one has different abilities. I'm #35, La Estrella," Victoria said. As she did, golden stars began to glow in her eyes. "My abilities let me see what you are and...," the stars faded from her eyes and she gestured at the air again. A tall portal opened. "...I can make portals. There's more but you get the gist."
"Which one am I? How do I use my powers?" Lottie asked. Even though I can see it, there's something else I want to show you. Ready?" Lotted nodded.
"What's your favorite number?" Victoria asked.
"25," Lottie said. Then, she tilted her head in confusion.
"You didn't know you had one, did you?" Victoria asked. "If you ask a Unique their favorite number they'll answer immediately. Without even thinking about it. You are Unique #25, El Borracho."
"The drunk?" Lottie raised an eyebrow in disapproval. Victoria nodded, then shook her head, then shrugged.
"Yes, but no. That's what it's called, but your abilities have nothing to do with being drunk. You can control luck."
"If I can control luck, why haven't I won the lottery yet?" Lottie asked.
"You haven't really wanted to would be my guess," Victoria said. She continued her explanation over Lottie's scoff. "Most of the time a Unique can't access their abilities until they get a tattoo. Unless they're really powerful, like you. Even without a tattoo your abilities are leaking out. If you get your favorite number marked on you permanently you'll get better control over your abilities. "
"I haven't wanted to?" Lottie asked. She sneered at Victoria. "That alone tells me this whole thing is bullcrap."
"Like I said, I don't make the rules. I can't tell you why you haven't won the lottery. All I can tell you is you have beyond superhuman luck on your side."
"Oh please," Lottie rolled her eyes. "My boyfriend broke up with me after six years. I lost my job today, and at this rate, I'll be evicted by the end of the month," Lottie said. "If I'm really the luckiest girl in the world, it'd be nice to see some proof."
"Yeah, real proof would be amazing." Victoria nodded in agreement. Then, she nodded at the node in Lottie's hand. "All you got was a chance to visit anywhere you want to do anything you want free of charge."