Renovations of Sanctuary

Ralph was excited. For the last month his dreams had been invaded by an alien consciousness. It was strange because before the dream he hadn’t imagined the creature was alive at all, or rather the other creature of the same species that Ralph had contact with. He had named the creature a MOE- Middle of Everywhen entity. Like the infinite white expanse that held most Intergalactic Councils, the MOE in his dreams fed on the fluctuations in space-time associated with teleportation through time and space.
The MOE that had contacted Ralph was starving. It conveyed the fact that far too many of its kind starved. It wanted to live. It offered a nearly infinite interior space with a natural life support system appropriate to most oxygen breathing species. All it asked was that it was close to where people entered and left Sanctuary.

Ralph had worked furiously all month, conferring with the MOE in his sleep and tinkering in the day to create a device which would allow him to wedge the MOE into the place where room 52 was located. Since he reopened Sanctuary to the multiverse there it had been the point of arrival and departure for most factors.

The one thing Ralph had left to do before activating the device, was discuss the matter with Angela. So he left the safety of R&D for the second time within two weeks. He felt naked without the familiar walls around him. He arrived at the door of Angela’s office, and lifted his hand to knock.

Angela opened the door before his knuckles hit door. She backed up a step, “Ralph?”

“Yes, I have a proposal for you as Chief of Sanctuary,” Ralph began.

“Ralph I have another important meeting to get to. I always seem to have an important meeting to get to,” Angela pushed past him and began walking down the hall.

Ralph stepped quickly to catch up, “I have made contact with an entity of the same species as the Middle of Everywhen.”
“The Middle of Everywhen is alive?” Angela paused.

Ralph nodded, “A small one wants to take a spot near the center of travel of Sanctuary. I have figured out how to replace room 52 with it.”
“Okay, why do we want that?”

Ralph rubbed his face, “If we take it up on its offer we will never run out of space, and it provides life support for its residents and visitors.”
“Okay, when you’re ready to do it, let me know!” Angela sped up.

Ralph stretched his legs a bit to catch up again, “That is what I am doing.”

Angela stopped. She eyed him, “Empty the room of everything that isn’t nailed down and go for it.” She continued on her way tapping at her pad. In moments his pad pinged with written authorization to do what he wanted. Ralph was so excited he teleported himself to room 52 on accident. The factors there had received the authorization and were rapidly clearing out the room.

Ralph excused himself and he retrieved the device from R&D. By the time he got back to room 52, it was empty. Factors were pacing in the hall impatiently. Ralph walked in and set the device on the floor. He picked up the remote and stepped out into the hall. Depressing the button on the remote caused a blinding flash of light. The light died down to a warm comfortable glow. The space on the other side of the doorway was nothing but white.

Ralph was the first with the balls to step inside. It was just as his dreams had promised, the infinite whiteness of a Middle of Everywhen harnessed for their use. Ralph closed his eyes and sent a silent we did it to the MOE and felt a soft acknowledgment. “Okay folks the new and improved room 52 is ready.”

The anxious and bored factors poured back through the door. They began replacing their equipment and the emergency medical stations. Ralph headed back to R&D satisfied with his work. On his way in he ran into Dennis who was on his way out, “Hey Ralph, you finish that room 52 thing?”

“Yeah.”

“Then it is doubly time to celebrate an associated milestone. Remember how Angela outlawed people using room 52 for non-factor purposes because she was expanding work hours?” Dennis asked.

“I think I was just beginning my designs at that point,” Ralph answered.

“Well, Johnny spearheaded a movement to establish Club 52 as an after-hours hangout. They are grand opening tonight. Why don’t you be my date?” Dennis asked.

Ralph raised his eyebrow. He hadn’t realized that Dennis shared his interest. “Date?”

“Come on! I am tired of tiptoeing around it. We didn’t just team up because we work well together. Tell me you don’t have at least a few feelings,” Dennis said openly.

Ralph couldn’t. He had given up decades ago on his feelings, certain that Dennis didn’t reciprocate. He didn’t want to ruin their partnership or their friendship. His heart was suddenly flung wide open again. “I should clean up some. I didn’t really dress for a date.”
Dennis laughed, “I would take you out in public even if your hair was rainbow shades again.”

“It was a good look on you,” Ralph smiled. He let Dennis link arms, and followed the one person in the universe that meant the most to him up onto the street level.