Here's Chapter Two! :)

Quinn pulled into the parking lot of the computer store that the two worked at called Doppler Computer Superstore. A smile appeared on Wade's face when she saw her sister and her soon to be brother-in-law enter the store. “Why don't you two poke around here. I'll be back in a minute,” Wade told some customers that she was helping out.

“Alright,” one of the men said.

“Hi guys,” Wade said as she followed them to the back room.

“Hey sis,” Melissa said with a smile on her face as she pinned her name tag to her shirt.

“Hi Wade,” Quinn said when he saw his friend. “How's it going?”

“Good,” Wade told them.

Quinn and Melissa went around the room and they started to boot up the computers.

“I should warn you two that Michael isn't in a very good mood today,” Wade said.

“Great,” Melissa said with sarcasm in her voice as she sat down at a computer and began typing away.

“Wade when is he in a good mood,” Quinn asked as he glanced at his friend.

“Good point,” Wade said causing Melissa to laugh.

“Wade,” Michael said with anger in his voice as he entered the room. He then saw that Quinn and Melissa were there as he walked in. “Ah Quinn and Melissa,” Michael said. Quinn and Melissa turned to him and saw that he didn't look too happy. “How good of you two to join us. And only nine minutes late this time. Will wonders never cease?”

A small grin appeared on Quinn's face as he watched his fiancee roll her eyes and turn back to her computer.

Michael then turned to Wade and spoke. “Twenty thousand dollars just walked out the front door.”

“So next month they'll spend fifty on the 680's,” Wade told him.

“She's right Michael,” Quinn said coming to his friend's aid. “I told you not to order those things. Every single hard drive has crashed.”

“Hey,” Michael said as he pointed a finger at Quinn. “Don't get smart with me. This computer store pays your rent mister. If it weren't for my mistakes, you'd be out of a job.”

With that said, Michael left the room. Quinn, Melissa, and Wade turned to each other and they chuckled.

***

Quinn pulled into his driveway and he and Melissa got out of his car. Once they entered the house they headed down to the basement. After starting up the numerous machines in the lab the two walked over to a blackboard and stared at the complicated equations written on it.

“One missing piece,” Quinn said with a sigh. “You think after three months we'd be able to crack it.”

“Yeah some geniuses we are huh,” Melissa said as she sat down on the couch. Quinn's cat jumped on her lap and she scratched it behind its ears.

A small smile appeared on Quinn's face as he popped a videotape in the VCR and sat down next to her. When he pushed play an image of Quinn and Melissa appeared on the television screen with the wormhole behind them. The two then listened to their video diaries that they had been making.

“September 25th,” Quinn said. “For three days, we've been sending objects into the void. Uh paper airplanes, Rubic's Cube, even my T-Rex. I figured the carnivore could take care of himself.”

“They all vanished without a trace,” Melissa added. “Last night, we perfected a timing device, designed to return things from wherever it is they're going,” Melissa said as Quinn picked up the timer.

“We sent another object in,” Quinn said as he walked over to the armchair in front of the vortex and sat down. “Nineteen minutes and forty seconds ago,” he said as he glanced down at his watch. “With the timer set on twenty minutes. With any luck, it should be returning right about now,” Quinn said as a basketball flew out of the vortex and Quinn caught it.

“And the crowd goes crazy,” Melissa said with a smile on her face causing Quinn to chuckle.

Quinn shut off the VCR and he turned to his fiancee. “You know what we have to do don't you?”

“Please don't say we have to go through the vortex,” Melissa said as she turned to him.

“I think it's time,” Quinn said as he got to his feet and walked over to the video camera.

“Quinn,” Melissa said as she got to her feet. “It could be dangerous. We haven't tested it enough.”

“We've sent objects through it,” Quinn reminded her.

“Inanimate objects,” Melissa said. “It might have been safe for them but we don't know if it's safe for humans. Besides, we don't even know where that thing goes.”

“You said it yourself that you've been dying to know what's on the other side,” Quinn said as he turned to face her.

“You're right I did say that,” Melissa said. She then sighed in defeat when she saw the look of determination on Quinn's face. No matter what she said she knew that she wasn't going to talk him out of this. “Alright, we'll step through it.”

“Yes,” Quinn said with excitement in his voice as he threw his arms around her and pulled her into a hug. “Time to make another video diary.”

Melissa chuckled as they parted. Quinn turned on the video camera and the two stepped in front of it.

“September 26th,” Quinn said. “I've been thinking about sending Schrodinger through,” he said as he picked up his cat. “First cat into the void. But if anything were to happen I knew couldn't live with that,” he said as he put Schrodinger down. “Still, the need to know overwhelms the human instinct for self-preservation.”

“Of course sending the camera is a logical choice,” Melissa added. “But the electrical field nukes the picture.”

“So,” Quinn said with a sigh. “Tomorrow, my fiancee and I will step through the gate and we'll finally see what's on the other side,” Quinn said as he shut off the camera. “Well, you'd better head home and get some rest. We've got a big day tomorrow.”

“Yes we do,” Melissa said. “See you tomorrow morning.”

“Bye,” Quinn said. He then leaned in and kissed her before she left.

***

The next day, Melissa arrived at Quinn's house around six in the morning. She knocked on the door and Quinn answered. “Morning,” Quinn said as he opened the door and stepped aside to let her enter.

“Good morning,” Melissa said.

“You ready to enter the void,” Quinn asked as he shut the front door and led the way to the basement.

“As ready as I'll ever be,” Melissa said as she followed him down the basement stairs.

“I've got the timer set for fifteen minutes,” Quinn informed Melissa as he picked up the device. “That should be plenty of time for the first exploration.”

“Right,” Melissa said as she watched him turn on the video camera. She stepped in front of it with Quinn and waited for him to speak.

“September 27th,” Quinn said. “Well, here goes nothing. I've set the timer for fifteen minutes, that should give us enough time for our first adventure through the void. But mom in the event that something goes wrong and we don't return, this is a message for you. I want you to know that I love you very much. And I hope you understand that I have to do this,” Quinn finished. He then turned to Melissa and nodded.

Melissa took a deep breath before speaking. “Mom. Wade. I want the both of you to know that I love you very much. And I know you probably think I'm crazy for doing this but I have to. You know Quinn and I. It's our love of science that's pulling us into this.”

“Try not to worry about us,” Quinn said with a smile on his face. “You know us...wherever we are we're probably having a blast,” Quinn then turned to Melissa and spoke. “You ready?”

“Yeah,” Melissa told him.

Quinn took a deep breath and he hit a button on the timer making the vortex appear before them. After pocketing the timer he held a hand out to Melissa. “Let's go,” Quinn said.

Melissa smiled and she took his hand. The two took a deep breath before jumping through the vortex. They screamed as they flew through the vortex at an incredible speed. But almost as soon as they entered, they were thrown out. They landed with a hard thud on a hard floor.

“That hurt,” Melissa said as she got into a sitting position.

“You okay,” Quinn asked as he sat up and turned to her.

“Yeah I think so,” Melissa said. “What about you?”

“I'm fine,” Quinn said. He then glanced around the room and saw that they were back in his basement. A disappointed look appeared on his face. “Oh no,” Quinn said as he got to his feet and pulled Melissa to hers. “I don't believe this.”

“We're back in your basement,” Melissa said as she looked around the room. “That sucks.”

“Tell me about it,” Quinn said as he walked over to the video camera and turned it off. “So much for a great adventure huh.”

Melissa chuckled as the two headed up the stairs and left the house for school. The two got into Quinn's car and he backed out of the driveway and started driving them to school. Both were too upset to say much of anything so Quinn turned on the radio.

“And I have been skeptical about this scientific theory so called about global cooling but I don't know maybe it's true,” the man on the radio said. “I'll tell you, the air conditioning has got this studio so cold right now no wonder nobody wants to come in here topless.”

“Quinn watch out,” Melissa suddenly shouted as Quinn started to drive through an intersection.

Quinn's eyes grew wide when he saw that all the cars coming from the east and west sides of the intersection were running the red light. Melissa closed her eyes as Quinn swerved in and out of the cars to try and avoid being hit. Finally he made it out of the intersection and he brought his car to a stop on the side of the road. He turned to his fiancee who had opened her eyes when she felt the car stop. “Are you okay,” Quinn asked her with concern in his voice.

“Yeah,” Melissa said. “What the hell were they thinking? We had a green light.”

“I don't know,” Quinn said as he looked out his window and faced the intersection.

“What are you blind,” a man asked Quinn with anger in his voice. “It's a green light for crying out loud!”

“Last time I checked green was go,” Melissa said.

“Yeah that's what I remember,” Quinn said as he started up the car and started driving again.

“And this is kind of sad,” the man on the radio said. “This is the day when the very last CD rolls off the assembly line.”

Quinn and Melissa glanced at each other after he said this but didn't really think anything of it. “Did you see this in the paper this morning? Jack Kennedy does not want to run for another term and I can understand this people. Because if you start the day in bed with Marilyn, that's where you want to spend the day.”

“Weird tripper,” Quinn said as he brought his car to a stop at a red light. “Weird and not real funny.”

“You're telling me,” Melissa agreed.

Just then a car beeped its horn behind them and a man shouted. “Come on,” the man said with anger in his voice as he drove around them.

“What's your problem,” Quinn asked.

“Hey it's his ticket,” Melissa told her fiance.

“Where did you learn to drive,” another man asked as he pulled up behind Quinn and beeped his horn.

Quinn and Melissa glanced at each other before looking up at the street light which was on red. “But it's on red,” Quinn said with confusion on his face.

“Come on,” the man behind them shouted while beeping his horn. “Let's go! Let's go!”

“Alright,” Quinn said as he drove through the intersection. “I'm going.”

Quinn brought the car to a stop in a parking lot and Melissa looked up at a billboard with wide eyes. “Uh Quinn,” Melissa said without taking her eyes off the billboard.

“Yeah,” Quinn asked as he turned to her.

“Look,” Melissa said as she pointed out the billboard.

Quinn looked up at the billboard in front of them and his eyes about popped out of his head when he saw what was on it. On the billboard was a large picture of Elvis that said 'Now Playing Live. Las Vegas.'

“My god,” Quinn whispered. “Where are we?”

“I don't know but it's not home,” Melissa said.

Quinn pulled out of the parking lot and headed back to his house. He parked his car in front of his house and he and Melissa got out. Quinn opened the front gate and they were both shocked to see that it didn't squeak.

“Uh Quinn,” Melissa asked.

“Yeah,” Quinn said.

“We've known each other since we were kids,” Melissa said. “And if I remember correctly, that gate has always squeaked.”

“You're right it has,” Quinn said as he moved the gate back and forth a few times to try and get it to squeak but he didn't have any luck.

Just then they heard the front door of the house opening and the sound of people laughing. Quinn and Melissa turned towards the house and their eyes grew wide when they saw Quinn's mom.

“What did you do honey,” Mrs. Mallory asked. “Did you forget something? Oh hello Melissa. Haven't seen you in a while. How are you dear?”

“Mom,” Quinn said before Melissa could answer. “Look at you.”

Her blonde hair was now a light brown and she wore thick red glasses. She was also pregnant. There was a man helping her down the stairs and he had a smile on his face.

“You and Jake,” Quinn asked with a look of disbelief on his face. “He's our gardener.”

Just then Melissa heard a beeping sound and she turned to Quinn. “What's that?”

Quinn reached into his coat pocket and he took out the timer and saw that it had just reached fifteen minutes. “It's the timer,” Quinn said. But the moment he said this, the vortex appeared behind them and sucked the two through it.

And that's the end of Chapter Two. I'll try and have Chapter Three up soon. :)