Alex and Hannah

Part One: In Media Res

With some trepidation, Alex approached the mirror. "Alex Guiness wouldn't be too bad," he thought. "Ewan McGregor would be better." When he looked, however, it was his own familiar face that stared back at him. But wait. Where were his glasses? "I guess Jedi don't need glasses." Before, without them, Alex functioned at about the white cane level. Now, he couldn't even remember when he lost them.

"How long has it been?" he glanced at the clock on the nightstand. Ninety minutes, an hour and a half and Hannah was not there! Dread crept back into his heart. Surely the hotel room would be the logical place to come to. She was a creature of logic now, wasn't she? There were two other costumes. What were they? He didn't think to ask. It wasn't important then, unlike now.

There was nothing for it but to find her. First, he wrote a note asking her to stay put, if she came while he was gone. Next, he needed to get out of his Jedi garb, no sense in setting off another Sith Lord. He stripped and put on jeans, a t-shirt and sneakers. He had just stood-up when things began to change. The sneakers climbed his ankles and became boots, the jeans turned white and the t-shirt expanded into a kind of kimono, also white. "Curiouser and curiouser," he said aloud. "We're really down the rabbit-hole now." He headed for the door. "No time to quarrel with it. I'll have to go as is."

He turned the door-handle, but found he couldn't leave. There was nothing wrong with the door, he just couldn't leave. "Now what! . . . Oh, right." He extended his hand, the light-saber lying on the bed lept into it. "I'll probably need that anyway."

Part Two: A First Step Into a Larger World

Alex met Hannah through Central Florida University's Sci-Fi and Fantasy gamers' club when they were both juniors. He was a local boy, she was from North Carolina. They had a lot more in common than just their tastes in gaming, literature and movies. So while it wasn't quite love at first sight, it was pretty close. A month after graduation, he gave her a ring. The date was set for the following Spring.

Neither had really gotten into the costuming aspect of their interests, so when the heavy costume emphasis of this years Kubla con was announced they did not make any plans in that direction. They were both going of course. Alex had not missed a Kubla con since he was a pre-teen. Hannah, this year, was going as an employee of Darknight Books, a fantasy and sci-fi publishing house.

Because of financial support from from Eric Winters and some others, the con was expected to be much bigger than previous years. Todd Grimes, Darknight's owner, expected to sell more books and gaming material there that weekend than Christmas. He intended, therefore, to make a large presence. Hannah would leave a day early to help set up.

Alex never quite knew why, but almost at the last minute, he decided to go in costume afterall. He figured he already had the basics for a sort of generic Jedi knight, and began rummaging through closets. For the base, he found an old black t-shirt and matching sweat-pants; next, an old pair of boots from the garage; a leather belt; and a tan kimono from when he had a brief interest in learning Kendo. To top it off, he found an old, brown bath-robe that had a hood and came down almost to his feet. He put it all together and looked in the bathroom mirror. "Well, I'll be winning no prizes, but from a distance, the effect ain't too bad," he thought. There was still something missing, then he remembered. He dug through some boxes in the garage untill he found a short length of PVC pipe and some electronic bits. Then, in his garage, with some duct tape and super glue, he constructed his own lightsaber.

"This ought to suprise Hannah," he thought while in front of the mirror again. This time with the 'lightsaber' tucked under his belt. Since he was running late, and to experience what an old SCA friend had called 'freaking the mundanes', he kept the costume on for the 45 minute drive to Orlando. He got some odd looks while getting gas at the Jiffy-Mart, but rather enjoyed it. He smiled and waved at some kids while thinking. "This is not the Chevy Malibu you're looking for."

Alex was completely unprepared for the sheer size of the new and enhanced Kubla con. It was a long walk from where he had to park to the hotel, and an even longer wait to get his room key. He sighed as he flopped down on the bed. He considered leaving the bathrobe behind. Even in November, Orlando was a bit hot for his get-up. But he decided to go for the whole effect in suprising Hannah. So, after a quick shower, he redressed in the full Jedi ensamble and left for the convention hall.

He was in for some additional scale-shock when he entered the main hall. "There must be more than ten thousand people here!" he thought. And what people! There must have been costumes and uniforms for characters from every genre and myth known to mankind. There were Klingons, Spartans (both Halo and Greek), Elves, Goblins, Sith and Jedi. There were Vulcans (or were they Romulans?), wizards, dryads and "Isn't he a bit short for Darth Vader".

"Alex!" That was his fiancee's voice. He looked around. "Over here!" Not five feet away was a female Vulcan with a Star Fleet officer's uniform, from circa Wrath of Khan. A female Vulcan with Hannah's face.

"Sweetie! I could of walked right past you!" said Alex

"You did, about five seconds ago. Cool costume! Did you do that yourself? Is that terry cloth?"

"Just something I threw together at the last minute to suprise you. Speaking of surprise."

"You mean this?" she pointed at herself and laughed. "Todd decided all the employees should get with the theme. It's a professional job, his treat."

"I'll say! Those are the best looking Vulcan ears I've seen. Even from here, I can't see the join."

"You'd best admire while you can. I have two more costume changes before the evening's over. You heading for the Darknight booths? You have to see Todd. He makes an awesome ringwraith."

"At 6 foot five, I'll bet he does," thought Alex. "Not yet," he said. "I wanted to see the award presentations. You want to come with me?"

"Can't, I'm on break and..." she looked at her watch. "I'm due back to help at the register."

"OK then. See you in a bit." They gave one another a quick peck on the lips and parted ways.

Alex hurried along to the dining hall, where the awards were to be given. He figured he just had time to get there. There was so much to see that he was tempted to stop, but for some reason, he didn't know why, he wanted to not be late. The hall was crowded, but not too densely packed. He easily worked his way to within a few yards of the stage. A lady dressed as a dryad was just introducing Eric Winters, who was wearing all black with a peculiar sort of raven headdress.

This, Alex remembered later, was when things started to go sideways. First, a hush fell over the crowd, as though they expected Eric to speak. Instead, Eric appeared distracted and agitated. One of his entourage, a man in cat makeup, touched him on the arm, as if he were concerned. All this while, Alex felt a building anticipation, again, he did not know why. Then, he was distracted from what was going on on stage by a commotion to his left. A group of people dressed as Na'vi had started shouting about something, he couldn't quite understand.

At that point, things started in ernest. Alex felt a sudden surge of energy from the general direction of the stage, coursing into and through him, sucking his breath away. Then came a hightened awareness. Suddenly he knew how many trees were on the lawn around the convention center. He could sense the birds nesting in them. He could also feel the presence of thousands of people, including those he could not see, and...they...were...TERRIFIED. The rush of emotion brought Alex to his knees. "No! No! It's not supposed to be like this! What's not supposed to be like this?" he didn't know whether he was thinking or shouting. "Control, I must have control!" Gradually, he reined in the chaos inside. The noise outside slowly subsided as well. "Oh my God," he said softly. "That's what a great distubance in the Force feels like!"

Alex opened his eyes and looked around. The room was mostly empty now. The Na'vi were gone. The stage was clear, except for a cat-man helping up an injured dryad, and a young Asian girl in a sailor outfit who sat dangling her legs over the side. She smiled at him, he smiled back. "Not everyone is afraid," he thought.

It didn't take a genius or some one Force sensitive to figure out what had happened. All who had worn costumes, no matter how casually, were now what they had portrayed. How and why it happened were still mysteries. Alex raised himself to his feet, then groaned, not from pain, but from realization. This is too big! Hannah could not have escaped it. She was almost certainly in need of help. He had to find her.

He was nearly to the exits when he heard a moan. He hesitated for a few moments, but knew he had to stop. Chairs and tables lay about as though tossed by a whirlwind. He had no trouble sensing where the sound came from. Alex carefully lifted one of the tables. Underneath was a small faun. The little creature's eyes were wide with fear and pain. "The minotaur! Where is it!"

Alex looked about nervously, "It seems to be gone. Are you hurt bad?"

"It's my foot," He looked at himself in surprise. "...er, hoof."

"I'll take a look. I'll be careful, but it might still hurt." Alex gingerly lifted the hoof and felt along the shank. "There's no break, must be a sprain." He then moved his right hand over the faun's eyes. As he did this he felt something leave him, like a small pulse of energy. The faun immediately relaxed.

"Thank you, that feels much better."

Alex lifted his hand. "What did I just do?" He thought. "Will you be OK now?" he said. "Paramedics should be here soon."

The faun nodded and closed his eyes.

Alex headed once more for the exit. "If I didn't know better, I'd think I shot the little fellow up with morphine," he thought. "I don't remember this Force power. Does this come out of my head, or is there another source?"

The main hall was wrecked. Tables, chairs, displays and indeterminate stuff were overturned and scattered about. Banners trailed down from the ceiling where they had hung as though flying things or giants had ripped them down. Here and there people, changed and unchanged wandered about dazed. It looked like the aftermath of a dry tsunami. At least there was noone seriously hurt in the immediate vicinity and the distant sound of sirens meant help was coming. Alex began picking his way through the debris, then stopped. "God, why am I such an idiot? Why don't I just call her?" He fished through his robes, but what he brought out was not a cell phone. It was a communication device, however, and with a touch here and there, Hannah's cell number was ringing. "Now how did I know to do that? The same way I now know how to use the Force or fly a starfighter, of course. I need to stop asking myself stupid questions." The number rang and rang, no answer. He now felt worse than if he hadn't thought of calling at all. Wherever she was, she was out of touch as well.