THE MOMENT
"Multiverse Unveiled: Astronaut's Return Alters Reality as We Know It!" Waylon's jaw dropped open. The gulp of coffee he'd just taken dribbled down his chin and into his lap. Luckily, he was still in his pajamas. After a few cycles of being in and out of a coma, he began to plan ahead. He started a publishing company both to grow his finances and to make it easier to catch up on what he missed. Now he had his routine in place. Waking up after a coma wasn't any different from waking up any other morning, save for the pile of clippings. He walked from his bedroom to the home office in the next room.
Waylon had trustworthy assistants who collected the headlines for him and he enjoyed getting caught up again. As he went over the last 10 years, 1977 - 1987, everything seemed normal and almost boring. He'd been awake during the height of the space race and it wasn't easy to get excited about much after that. He learned that technology was improving in leaps and bounds and that seemed promising for new investments. He'd caught the headline about a manned mission to a nearby black hole and didn't think much of it until he was close to the end. The clipping from three months ago left him stunned. He didn't bother with the rest of the article yet, he needed to see what the follow-ups were.
"Pineapple's Multiverse Debut: Our Earth's Refreshing Name Sparks Curiosity!"
"Huh? Pineapple?" he mumbled to himself as he moved on to the next headline.
"From Parallel Realms to Your Doorstep: Sharp Development Debuts on Earth: Pineapple."
"This has to be a joke...," Waylon shook his head and dropped the clippings. He stood from his desk to change and investigate further. He dressed in a more formal suit than he usually wore just in case he needed to fire someone. Once he was fresh-faced and ready, he summoned his assistant.
"Yes, Mr. Monroe?" Waylon was too surprised to speak when she entered his office suite. Roberta had a notable amount of silver in her hair the last time he saw her; but now, she looked almost as young as when he hired her. "Are you ready for appointments?" she asked when he didn't say anything. The second surprise in a short amount of time distracted him from what he wanted to ask.
"I have appointments?" he asked.
"Just one," Roberta nodded. "Ms. Sharp wanted to meet you the next time you woke up."
"Who's Ms. Sharp?" Waylon asked. Roberta glanced at the stack of clippings on his desk. "Ms. Sharp is the owner of Sharp Development. I'm sorry, do you need more time to catch up?" she asked.
"Wait... the multiverse is real?" he asked.
"Yes, Sir," Roberta nodded. He quickly realized it would be better to ask his questions to Ms. Sharp directly.
"Thank you, Roberta," he nodded. "You may inform her I'm ready to meet." Waylon returned to his desk to read more as Roberta walked out of the office. He found it hard to focus on anything though. He was still coming to terms with the existence of alternate universes. It helped that he found out after the fact. Three months had gone by and things were still relatively normal as far as he could tell. He did not wait long for his intercom to buzz.
"Ms. Sharp is here to see you," Roberta said. It was fast enough to be suspicious. Waylon chose a rather isolated area for his home and the closest neighborhood was almost a dozen miles away. The only way she could have gotten there that fast was if she was already there waiting.
"Send her in," he replied. He stood from his desk as the door opened. A pale woman with short dark hair and piercing blue eyes walked in. She wore a crisp white suit and crossed the room with utmost confidence.
"Thank you for your time, Mr. Monroe," Ms. Sharp nodded politely as she shook his hand.
"It's a pleasure, what can I do for you, Ms. Sharp?" he asked. He gestured at the seat in front of his desk as he walked around to the other side. He was already sitting by the time he noticed she stayed on her feet.
"I apologize, this will need to be a quick meeting for now. If you'd like to work with Sharp Development, someone else will arrange the details with you," she said. Ms. Sharp kept talking as Waylon tried to guess what exactly she was offering.
"Your affliction intrigues me, and your publications have a sizeable reach. Sharp Development would like to begin an advertising campaign with you, as well as occasionally running our own articles. Aside from the financial logistics, I'd like to study your condition as well. Sharp Medical Services has access to the most advanced technology in any universe."
"What kind of articles?" Waylon asked. He'd never considered his situation in a negative light and he wasn't in any hurry to change that. He was curious how she knew about it and he decided the best response was to pretend like it wasn't supposed to be a secret until he could find out more. "And, what are you advertising?"
"In the next few months, your Earth, Pineapple, will be attracting quite a bit of attention from the multiversal community. Sharp Development has established branches on hundreds of thousands of alternate Earths," she said. "Who better to offer tips and tricks to navigate those new interactions than those with experience? Aside from those helpful columns, we'd like to establish a sportswriter to cover roller derby. It doesn't matter if it's one of your employees or one of ours; but, we'd like that position formalized. Roller derby is also what we'll be advertising," she said.
"Roller derby?" Waylon chuckled. "Is that a big sport in the multiverse?"
"It is the most popular sport in existence," Ms. Sharp nodded down at him. He was starting to wish he'd found a way to stand up again without making it awkward. "However, it's not the same sport you're familiar with. AlterNet roller derby is quite distinct."
Waylon couldn't imagine how different it might be. He was still having trouble getting used to how things had already changed. His negotiating position was easily the weaker one and he knew he didn't have anything to lose by being honest.
"Can I say yes on a trial basis?" he asked. "I just woke up from a long nap and I have more to learn about your company."
"Of course, Mr. Monroe," Ms. Sharp smiled.
"Then, I think we have the start of a deal...," he stood from his desk and offered Ms. Sharp another handshake to seal their agreement. "My name's Waylon, by the way," he said as they shook.
"Yes, I know," she nodded. "I'm not here by chance; I did my research," she added.
"Oh.. uh... okay," Waylon nodded as they released their grips. He'd meant to get her name out of the exchange. He didn't know how to recover to ask after her closed reply. As he thought about it he noticed a black hole open in his office, just behind Ms. Sharp. He was about to bring it to her attention when another woman emerged from behind it. She wore a black suit that matched the exact style of Ms. Sharp's white blazer and slacks.
"My wife and partner, Melody, will acquaint you with our company and the ads we'd like to run starting tomorrow," Ms. Sharp said. She gestured at the plump, pale woman without turning as if predicting her presence. "Thank you for your time, Mr. Monroe," Ms. Sharp nodded, and the portal moved forward to swallow her in blackness. Once she was gone the black hole closed.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Melody," Waylon turned to greet her.
"Thank you, you too," she replied with a smile. "Shall we get started?" She went and sat down in front of his desk. Waylon was glad she seemed a bit more personable. He chuckled as he went around his desk and sat down.
"I didn't even get her name," he commented.
"Oh?" Melody asked as she tilted her head at him. "That's surprising. Though, I suppose if we're going to be working together you should at least know her name," she said. She gestured behind herself at the empty air where the portal was. "That was Ms. Sharp."