Code Red: Switch Point, #2

By Jimi Paige

A wrong turn in time-space takes you to a whole new world. But that's not the end of the world (no pun intended), as a dedicated team of Subject Relocators are sent through the LiFT portal to find displaced persons and relocate them back through the portal. Unfortunately, not all return missions go smoothly.

When things take a dangerous turn, that's where Dippa Donaldson comes in. She's an Interceptor with vicious bite.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jimi Paige
• Release date: Jul 8, 2020
• ISBN: 9781386011798

Book preview

CODE RED

SWITCH POINT SERIES BOOK 2

––––––––

A Novel

By

JIMI PAIGE

Copyright © 2020 Jimi Paige, Jimi Olayimika. 

All rights reserved.

Cover using images © 2019 Fotolia

This is a work of fiction.  Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination and have been used fictitiously.  Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher or author.

Contents

I. Quinas: A world in the Five Realm Plexus.

1 Switch Point.

II. Intercept Location: Earth.

2 Intercept.

3 The Collection Point.

III. Plexilon.

4 The LiFT Mainframe: SimBie.

5 LiFT Sector-Call.

IV. Earth

6 Holding Area.

7 LiFT Sector-Call.

8 Is She Here?

9 Mrs April Grosvenor-Parker.

10 The Switch Call.

11 eXtra-Dimensional (XD).

12 Switch Point: Earth.

V. Earth-Zygo; a biform replica world

13 Switch Point: Earth-Zygo.

14 Switch Zone: Code Red.

15 Trouble Point.

16 Back Into the LiFT.

17 Gunfire Exchnge.

18 Switch Zone: Earth.

19 Switch Point: Earth-Zygo.

20 Evil Replica.

21 Eve: Femme Fatale

22 Stiff Wedge.

VI. Earth:

23 Clean-Up Crew.

24 Jump Scare.

25 Holding Area.

26 Shssh!

VII. Plexilon Facts:

27 Port Haven

28 Plexus Design Concept

29 SimBoid Ancestry

30 Four Face Cuboid Anatomy

31 Plexus Wavelength

VIII. Plexilon: Dr BJORN Lars’ Journal Entries.

32 Journal Entries

IX. Plexilon.

33 Switch Point: Earth-Zygo.

34 B.A.S.E HQ.

35 Corridor-15.

36 Level One Reveal.

37 3-D Reveal.

38 The Light Scroll.

X. Earth: End Game.

Magdalene Guttenberg.

39 Switch Point.

XI. Quinas: A world in the Five Realm Plexus.

40 Switched: Qquinas.

41 Switch Completed.

42 Terminal Switch Point.

43 Fate.

XII. Earth.

44 Dippa.

45 Porkie.

46 Fate.

47 Psych Evaluation.

48 Neutralize.

49 Kill Order.

50 Are You Buzzin?

51 Lucky Bastard.

52 Portal Backdraft.

XIII. Plexilon.

53 B.A.S.E HQ.

54Tranquille Contemplation.

55 The Event?

56 Guardians of The Artefact

Sub-Space Station

Plexilon

Five Realm Plexus (Alpha Worlds)

Alpha-1: Earth

Alpha-2: Quinas

Alpha-3: Earth-Zygo; a biform replica world

Alpha-4: Renarth

Alpha-5: Calrith

Alpha-6 Realm Worlds

Lincarth:

Moinus:

Kilrath:

Arosep:

Plex-Continuum

Realm of the unknown; immortal existence suspected.

Quinas: A world in the Five Realm Plexus.

1 Switch Point.

Switch Point.

Manhattan, New York [Present Day].  08:30HRS.

It was a packed elevator. 

And being the only elevator in operation Magdalene Guttenberg was shuffled to the back of the cabin by teeming passengers.

Passengers alighted on lower floors as the elevator rode up the building.  With the elevator empty, it offered her a brief privacy moment to fix-up her attire.  One eye on the changing floor indicator lights, she adjusted her slightly ruffled sky-blue shirt beneath her jacket, and stole a glance of her reflection in a mirror on one side of the lift cabin.  Her dark grey cashmere wool knee length skirt complemented her shirt.  For this time of the year she went for a functional, yet chic look.  Lightweight black tights covered her adequately fleshed legs which tapered down to a pair of size seven tan suede lace-ups.

Abruptly, she paused adjusting her hair, like she’d suddenly remembered something.

Oh shucks, she muttered.  Hastily she fumbled in her handbag for her cellphone.  The pre-interview briefing requested that all phones be switched off on arrival at the interview venue.

Straightening up, she frowned.  Her nostrils wrinkled slightly.

That’s an odd smell.

Ordinarily it would not have mattered.  But a smell like the one she had perceived was unusual inside a Manhattan office building.  It was a sharp and sudden departure from the Orchid fragrance that had wafted into the lift from the reception area downstairs. 

This was different.  There was a hint of pungency in the air.  Like a circulating cocktail of body odors in a confined space.

Her heart raced as she suddenly became aware of the altered interior of the lift.  The grooved steel flooring and stainless-steel wall panels confirmed her suspicion.  It was in contrast to what she’d remembered upon entering the lift earlier on.  Whilst trying to adjust to her new surroundings, an announcement came through the lifts’ audio speakers:

Attention! a male voice said, This is a call-out for cleaning staff. Please proceed to Platform Four.

It wasn’t the announcers’ words that sounded peculiar, but rather his accent.  Though he spoke in English, he did not sound American.

Maybe it’s my nerves, Magdalene wondered.

The air felt still.  Her eyes darted to and fro over sections of the lift’s interior.  She noticed a number of things that were different.  Like glass sections carved into the doors.  Fewer floor buttons on the control panel, and non-stylish lighting fixtures.

All the while she hadn’t noticed a change in something that she habitually kept on top of.

The time.

Unknown to her, the minute hand on her wristwatch had moved.  She had gained time by fifteen minutes. 

As the lift rose higher, she caught a glimpse of images through a glass panel in the lift door.  She peered through the glass and saw people.  Their legs at first, then more as the glass section widened. 

Across the top of the lift cabin, digital text scrolled on a screen.

It read: TICKETING HALL.

Finally, the lift came to a halt and its doors parted, opening onto a huge interior.  Large grey concrete columns and white luminescent lighting lit up the interior.  Voices flooded into the lift towards her.  Not panicked voices, but conversational.  The kind commuters would normally have at train stations.

Wobbly on her feet, she grabbed hold of the yellow crossbars in the lift to steady herself.  Her face glistened with sweat.

What’s happening? She wondered. Where the hell am I?!

Sensing the lift doors were about to close, Magdalene summoned courage and walked out of the lift.  Nervous, she quickly scanned around the huge passenger hall.  Her eyes settled on a circular wall mounted logo engraved with letters across its middle.

It read: London Underground.

What the... Magdalene muttered silently.

More color coded signs confirmed her location.  Elevators whirred as they whisked passengers upwards and downwards to different levels of the station.  Heart pounding, she walked towards the edge of a large escalator.  And peered at the interior area of the station. 

Another wall mounted sign read: Westbound Jubilee line Platform.

As she descended several floors underground on an escalator, her attention shifted upwards.  Overhead, huge reinforced cylindrical and rectangular concrete and steel columns criss-crossed to provide support against enormous pressure exerted on the station walls by the surrounding grounds.

She clutched her handbag strap tighter.

Am I dreaming?

A few steps below her on the escalator, a young Chinese girl stood on a grated steel step.  Magdalene scurried down the moving steps towards her, and tapped on her shoulder.

Startled, the Chinese girl slipped off her music headphones, and turned to face her.

Where am I? Magdalene asked.

You mean here?

Wide eyed, Magdalene nodded,

Yeah!

This is Westminster Station.

Westminster? Magdalene asked surprised, Where the heck is that?

London.

What?

You mean London, as in England?

The girl simply nodded, popped her headphones back on, and sped down the remaining steps.

But - how did I get here?

Magdalene wondered and stepped off the escalator and onto a large circular expanse with openings that led to different train platforms.

She stood to one side and watched passengers descended down the escalator and scuttled down the openings towards the platforms.  Headphones and earplugs made many look unapproachable.

This must be some kind of weird ass nightmare.

A minute passed as she watched passengers wheeze past and head quickly in the direction of the platforms.  She decided to proceed back up an escalator. 

Hopefully when I get back into the lift, I’ll wake up!

As she rode up the escalator, she spotted the entrance to another passenger lift inset within the grey concrete facade of the station’s interior.  A man and his three kids walked towards it.

I better join these folks.

Westminster Tube Station, London.  08:50HRS.

Walking cautiously, Magdalene trailed behind the man she had spotted earlier on.  Two boisterous kids scuttled randomly next to him on both sides.  Seemingly confused, his gaze darted between a large London Underground Tube map he clutched, and the myriad of color coded signposts around the station. 

This is the way to the trains Daddy, she heard one of the kids say to the man, pointing excitedly at a sign on the wall.  Kids being kids, there was a dash for the lift Call-Button.

Are you sure that’s the right one? the other child asked as her sister pressed the Call-Button.

Magdalene smiled nervously. 

Americans!

Hope filled her heart on hearing their familiar accent.

Stood next to the family, Magdalene caught a glimpse of the lift as it approached from a lift tunnel.  She entered the lift along with other customers.

Oh boy, she wondered as the lifts’ doors closed. Where’s this going to take me now.

Her unease returned as the lift began its descent.  She watched the floor indicators change as they progressed downwards towards the train platforms.  Though they rode silently, her pounding heart drowned out conversations from the other occupants.

The lift came to a halt, and the doors opened.  On cue, passengers spewed out and headed for an approaching train. 

Dazed, she asked the nearest person to her, Where am I?!

Westminster Station. a pale faced male passenger answered, and scuttled away down a short corridor towards the platforms. 

Randomly, she hurtled down a corridor in the same direction as the rush hour passengers.  She arrived at the platform just in time to feel a gust of whistling wind.  Screeching and whirring sounds filed the air as a train emerged from the tunnel. 

Seconds later, it came to a halt.

Baffled, and covered in fear - induced sweat despite the autumn weather, Magdalene dashed back up the corridor. 

She tried beckoning to other passengers for help, but was ignored by typical rush hour commuters on the London Underground. 

Subconsciously, she trailed behind them towards the platform where a recently arrived train waited.  Its doors slid open in synch with an outer glass partitioning door. 

She watched passengers rush in and out of the train.  And without hesitation, she held on to a passengers’ arm as he was about to climb in.  Perhaps because he looked the most lucid and receptive. The others seemed to meander rather aimlessly on the platform like confused tourists. 

Puzzled, she asked,

Where am I? Is this actually London, as in England? 

Yeah, Westminster, the puzzled passenger said.  Hurriedly he pointed at a color coded Tube Map on the wall.  Check the board luv!  he said in a cockney accent and walked off.

WAIT!

Unfortunately, a loud safety announcement and a continuous beeping noise blotted out her call to the passenger as he walked at pace away from her. 

Helpless, she watched the train doors shut, and the train depart.  Exhausted, she stood back and wiped her brow with her sleeve.  She glanced round the platform and spotted a steel bench. 

Hot and disoriented, she waddled towards it.

Intercept Location: Earth.

2 Intercept.

Intercept.

Location Coordinates

43°38'19.39"N

116°14'28.86"W

––––––––

Exit Location: Westminster Underground Train Station, London. 11:30Hrs.

Dippa Donaldson alighted from the LiFT.  Passenger Lift 5 to be precise, which did not exist at the train station. 

Her Switch to this reality had been coordinated by Sly Marsden, a controller on the Switch Point Programme and his trusty side-kick Gaius Palo back at Base Head Quarters on Plexilon. They had initiated a Sector-Call.  Interfaced with the Stardust Manipulator Device, SimBie had created a portal opening to this reality, along with pinpoint coordinates to locate Magdalene.

Where is she? Dippa said.

She appears stationary at the moment. Sly said over Dippa’s Bluetooth earpiece.  

Dippa touched her earpiece lightly to steady it underneath her long black hair.  The device was different to the standard issued comms body implants used by Base HQ operatives.  She would have looked rather crazy otherwise had someone noticed her apparently talking to herself without any visible device in sight.

Okay, I’ll locate her.

Yet another victim of abnormal LiFT activity, Dippa muttered silently as she pranced along the station platform in search of Magdalene.  Metal studs under her two-inch heeled leather boots thudded against granite flooring.  Stealth, silence, or pussy footing were not her style.

Meanwhile, sat on a bench on the station platform, Magdalene tried to make sense of her experience.  Growing up as a child, she’d heard from her aunt Bertha that when in doubt about whether she was you’re awake or dreaming, one trick is to pinch yourself to see if you are awake or dreaming. 

So she did.

A tender red patch on her skin stung from her pinching her left hand, proving her wrong. 

Yards away from where Magdalene Guttenberg sat on a steel bench, Dippa stopped.

I’ve found her, she whispered discretely into a comms mouthpiece hidden under her sleeve cuff.  She took off her XD-Lite goggles, which were disguised to look like a pair of Ray Ban sunglasses, and slipped them into her coat pocket. The XD (eXtra-Dimention) Lite  goggle was a scaled down version of those used on Plexilon.

Cautious not to spook Magdalene she approached slowly, and sat next to her.  Moments later when the noise from a departing train ebbed, she spoke. 

Excuse me, have you got a spare Tube map on you by any chance?

Magdalene shook her head, without as much as a sideways glance at Dippa.

No, I don’t.

Dippa allowed a moment before she spoke again. 

Hello Magdalene.

Startled, Magdalene turned to face her. 

How do you know my name? And who are you!?

My name is Dippa, she said, and flashed a calming smile.  Don’t be scared.  I’m aware of what you’re experiencing.  Come with me please, and I’ll explain everything to you.

What the hell are you talking about? Magdalene said, her voice increased a