Read Online Coin #2 - Quantum Coin by E.C. Myers - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: E.C. Myers
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Nathaniel's voice. Nor had the unique ten-digit sequence that identified his universe appeared on the controller's display. Even so, Zoe repeated her call sign over and over again.
Forward, back, forward. Over and over, they sent her voice out into the ether. But were they even getting through to anyone?
Ephraim twisted the knob.
“Too far!” Zoe said.
“Sorry, my fingers are cramping,” he said.
“Mine too.” She swapped the controller to her right hand, then flexed the fingers of her left hand. She had to maintain contact with the controller to keep it active while they scanned the frequencies.
“You need a break,” Ephraim said.
She shook her hand out. “We have to keep going.” She cleared her throat.
It was already nearly three in the morning, and Ephraim was starting to worry they weren't going to get through tonight. Zoe had said the magic band was unreliable. Or it could be that Nathaniel wasn't listening for them after all—or maybe he couldn't anymore.
“Jena can take over,” he said.
“No, I can do this,” Zoe said. Her voice rasped and she coughed. She put down the controller in disgust. The coin dropped into its slot, and the radio went dead. “Fine. I'll get us some coffee.”
When Zoe stood and stretched her back, Jena looked up from the book she was reading, tucking a finger between the pages to hold her place. She'd gathered several selections from Zoe's extensive library. At the moment she was working her way through Sanditon by Jane Austen.
“Any luck?” Jena asked. Her cheeks were flushed, and she looked flustered.
Zoe left the room without answering her.
“Not yet. We could use some assistance over here,” Ephraim said. “Tag, you're it.”
Jena walked over slowly, still reading her book. If Ephraim could hit a bookstore before going home, he could find the perfect graduation present for Jena. And perfect presents for her next twenty-five birthdays, holidays, and their anniversaries. Except the money here was different, and the multicolored bills with different presidents' faces that he'd brought back to his own universe were all hidden at the back of his desk drawer at home.
Jena sat down in front of the radio and slowly turned a page.
“Is that any good?” Ephraim asked.
“It's wonderful,” Jena said, missing his sarcasm. “I've never read the whole thing before.”
“I find that hard to believe. You're an Austen fanatic.”
“She didn't finish writing it in our universe.” Jena glanced at the bookcases around them wistfully. “A lot of these have never been published. So, how can I help?”
“You just have to hold something for me.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“The controller,” he said. “Jeez. You've been hanging around Nathan way too much.”
“And whose fault is that?” She picked up the controller. Her hand jumped when the screen lit and the coin floated above it.
“Careful,” he said.
“It caught me by surprise,” she said. “Why can only Nathan, Zoe, and I use this thing?”
Ephraim nudged the tuner knob back to the previous frequency, just to be sure they wouldn't miss anything.
“Nathaniel and his universe's Jena Kim operated the controller on the survey teams that recorded the different realities in the multiverse. Even though it's coded to specific biometric readings for security, you're all indistinguishable as far as the device is concerned.”
“And the coin only works for you and your analogs,” she said.
“So far,” he said.
Nathaniel had once mentioned that the Charon device had four authorized users, and that it could be programmed for any new pair of users if necessary. But Ephraim didn't know if that meant the controller would operate for a third person, or if the coin also worked for someone else. Was there anyone who could use both the coin and the controller? That would be a lot of responsibility and a lot of risk.
Ephraim leaned over to look at the controller's screen. “Do you know what you're looking
Forward, back, forward. Over and over, they sent her voice out into the ether. But were they even getting through to anyone?
Ephraim twisted the knob.
“Too far!” Zoe said.
“Sorry, my fingers are cramping,” he said.
“Mine too.” She swapped the controller to her right hand, then flexed the fingers of her left hand. She had to maintain contact with the controller to keep it active while they scanned the frequencies.
“You need a break,” Ephraim said.
She shook her hand out. “We have to keep going.” She cleared her throat.
It was already nearly three in the morning, and Ephraim was starting to worry they weren't going to get through tonight. Zoe had said the magic band was unreliable. Or it could be that Nathaniel wasn't listening for them after all—or maybe he couldn't anymore.
“Jena can take over,” he said.
“No, I can do this,” Zoe said. Her voice rasped and she coughed. She put down the controller in disgust. The coin dropped into its slot, and the radio went dead. “Fine. I'll get us some coffee.”
When Zoe stood and stretched her back, Jena looked up from the book she was reading, tucking a finger between the pages to hold her place. She'd gathered several selections from Zoe's extensive library. At the moment she was working her way through Sanditon by Jane Austen.
“Any luck?” Jena asked. Her cheeks were flushed, and she looked flustered.
Zoe left the room without answering her.
“Not yet. We could use some assistance over here,” Ephraim said. “Tag, you're it.”
Jena walked over slowly, still reading her book. If Ephraim could hit a bookstore before going home, he could find the perfect graduation present for Jena. And perfect presents for her next twenty-five birthdays, holidays, and their anniversaries. Except the money here was different, and the multicolored bills with different presidents' faces that he'd brought back to his own universe were all hidden at the back of his desk drawer at home.
Jena sat down in front of the radio and slowly turned a page.
“Is that any good?” Ephraim asked.
“It's wonderful,” Jena said, missing his sarcasm. “I've never read the whole thing before.”
“I find that hard to believe. You're an Austen fanatic.”
“She didn't finish writing it in our universe.” Jena glanced at the bookcases around them wistfully. “A lot of these have never been published. So, how can I help?”
“You just have to hold something for me.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“The controller,” he said. “Jeez. You've been hanging around Nathan way too much.”
“And whose fault is that?” She picked up the controller. Her hand jumped when the screen lit and the coin floated above it.
“Careful,” he said.
“It caught me by surprise,” she said. “Why can only Nathan, Zoe, and I use this thing?”
Ephraim nudged the tuner knob back to the previous frequency, just to be sure they wouldn't miss anything.
“Nathaniel and his universe's Jena Kim operated the controller on the survey teams that recorded the different realities in the multiverse. Even though it's coded to specific biometric readings for security, you're all indistinguishable as far as the device is concerned.”
“And the coin only works for you and your analogs,” she said.
“So far,” he said.
Nathaniel had once mentioned that the Charon device had four authorized users, and that it could be programmed for any new pair of users if necessary. But Ephraim didn't know if that meant the controller would operate for a third person, or if the coin also worked for someone else. Was there anyone who could use both the coin and the controller? That would be a lot of responsibility and a lot of risk.
Ephraim leaned over to look at the controller's screen. “Do you know what you're looking
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