Chapter 6: Crossing the Line

The portal gun felt heavier than I expected.

I stood in the center of Rick's garage, the dim lights flickering faintly overhead as I turned the gun over in my hands. This was the tool that had given Rick access to the multiverse, the ultimate key to his power. Now, it was in my hands.

I wasn't reckless, though. If there was one thing I'd learned from studying Rick's tech, it was that nothing was as simple as it seemed. This gun? It wasn't just a point-and-shoot device. It was a complex web of dimensional physics, advanced engineering, and power sources beyond anything Earth's science could comprehend.

But now I had enough of Rick's knowledge, at least what I'd taken from the crystal, to start using it.

I've spent hours examining it, testing its weight, and scanning it with the various devices Rick had lying around the garage. Every piece of data confirmed what I already knew: this was the real deal. The portal gun wasn't just a weapon or a tool, it was a gateway to infinite possibilities. And it was mine to use.

But I needed to be smart. The memories I had taken showed me how volatile the multiverse could be. I couldn't just open a portal to any random dimension without knowing what I was stepping into. There were universes where Rick was even more dangerous than here, or worse, where I could end up dead before I even realized what had happened.

So, I chose carefully. I needed a universe where Rick wasn't a threat, where he was already dead.

....

The portal opened with a faint hum, a swirling green vortex that shimmered in front of me like a gateway to another world. I stepped back, checking the coordinates on the gun's display. According to what I'd learned from the crystal, this was a dimension where Rick Sanchez had died in a lab accident months ago. No Rick meant no immediate danger. It was the perfect place to start.

With a deep breath, I stepped through.

....

The world on the other side was eerily similar to the one I'd just left. Rick's lab looked almost identical, with the same cluttered workbenches, scattered tools, and half-finished inventions. But there was one key difference: it was quiet. Too quiet.

I walked further into the room, my footsteps echoing in the silence. Dust covered everything. The lab had been abandoned for some time, likely ever since Rick's death. I couldn't help but feel a strange sense of triumph. In this universe, Rick was nothing more than a memory, a failed genius who had finally met his end. Here, I could do what I wanted without him breathing down my neck.

I found his body, or at least what was left of it, crumpled in a corner near one of the machines. It looked like he'd been working on some kind of energy device when it had malfunctioned, vaporizing half his body. The stench of decay had long faded, replaced by the musty smell of disuse. I smirked. Even the great Rick Sanchez wasn't invincible.

But I wasn't here to gloat. I was here to gather what I needed.

I quickly scanned the room, searching for anything useful. Rick's memory crystals. There had to be more here, hidden somewhere in the mess. It didn't take long to find them. Tucked away in a drawer beneath a pile of junk, I found a small cluster of crystals. These ones had a different glow, a faint blue hue, marking them as memory storage from this dimension's Rick.

Perfect.

....

Back in the garage, I laid the blue memory crystal beside the original green one. I was careful, methodical. Each memory crystal held fragments of Rick's genius, but they weren't interchangeable. I couldn't just absorb the blue crystal like I had with the green one. It could contain information that might conflict with what I already had, or worse, damage my mind. I needed to approach this strategically.

Using the knowledge I'd already gained, I built a device to merge the two sets of memories. A floating orb, its surface smooth and metallic, designed to connect with both crystals and pull the useful data from them without overwhelming my mind. The device was small enough to fit in my hand, and with a slight hum, it levitated into the air once I activated it.

I placed both crystals into the slots on the orb and watched as it began to spin, slowly at first, then faster. The light from the crystals pulsed, merging into a brighter hue as the memories were transferred into the orb's storage.

The device finished its work, hovering silently in the air. The data was now merged, organized, and ready for me to use. I grinned. This was it, the knowledge I needed to push forward. With this, I could stay ahead of Rick, even in this universe.

I took a deep breath and began absorbing the orb's contents. The memories flowed into me seamlessly, no resistance this time. I felt the knowledge settle in my mind, clearer than before. Rick's projects, his methods, the way he thought, it was all mine now.

With this information, I began constructing the next step of my plan: a device to hide the dimension where I'd just been. If Rick found out what I was doing, it could be game over. I couldn't let him see me using the portal gun or know where I'd been.

The cloaking device I'd built earlier gave me the framework I needed. But this was different. This device wouldn't just hide me, it would hide an entire universe. I worked for hours, assembling the pieces, using the information from the memory crystals to build a floating cloaking field generator. Once activated, it would mask the dimension I visited, making it invisible to any dimensional scanners, including Rick's. It was perfect.

....

But as I tested the device, setting the parameters and running diagnostics, a creeping sense of unease began to settle in.

Something felt off. Not with the device—but with the environment around me.

I turned, scanning the garage. Everything seemed normal, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched. It didn't take long for me to realize why. A subtle shift in the air, a faint hum that hadn't been there before. I froze, my mind racing.

Rick.

I knew it before I even heard his voice. He was back, and something had tipped him off. I hadn't covered my tracks as well as I thought.

"Hey, Jerry," Rick's voice came from behind me, slurred, but with an edge to it. "Having fun in my garage? Building your little toys?"

I turned slowly, careful to keep my face as blank as possible. There he was, standing in the doorway, a bottle of alien liquor in one hand, the other resting on his portal gun. His eyes were half-lidded, but I could see the spark of suspicion in them. He knew something was up.

"Uh, just… trying to fix that broken toaster you left out," I stammered, forcing a sheepish smile. "You know, doing my part."

Rick didn't laugh. He didn't even smirk. His gaze flicked to the floating device I'd just finished assembling, and I saw his eyes narrow slightly.

"You know, Jerry," he said slowly, "for a guy who can't figure out how to use a microwave, you're getting awfully good at handling interdimensional tech."

My pulse quickened, but I kept my posture slouched, my expression dumb. "Oh, this? I was just trying to follow your notes, Rick. You know me, always trying to be useful."

Rick took a step closer, his gaze locking onto mine. For a moment, the tension was unbearable. Then he snorted, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, sure, whatever. Just don't blow up the house, okay?"

He turned and stumbled out of the garage, leaving me standing there, heart pounding in my chest. He didn't know. Not yet. But he was close.

I stared down at the floating device, my mind racing. I'd have to be more careful. Rick was starting to notice, and if he caught me, if he even suspected what I was doing…

It wouldn't matter how many universes I hid. He'd come for me.

And when he did, I needed to be ready.