The Crossroads of Time

1956

Having come to town to become an art student Walker aids a group of Federal Agents - or at least that's what they said they were, when they were attacked outside his room. His suspicions are aroused when they interogate their prisoner in an unusual fashion.

The 'Federal Agents' are revealed to be agents from off-level. Not aliens but humans from an alternate Universe whose inhabitants have discovered how to travel from one track to another. They are chasing a rogue who is willing to seek out the riches these other levels offer, and sell them elsewhere or trade one level's terror weapons to another.

This team try to block out the memory of Walker's involvement with them but find that he has an impervious mental block and while they are trying to decide what to do with him, their opponent's headquarters is located and all hands are required to try and take it. To his severe consternation, Walker finds himself caught in the field of the rogue's level hopper, travelling the levels completely exposed to the elemental forces.

When the rogue hopper arrives, Walker is able to get away and eventually steal the hopper. Not knowing how to control it, he throws the switch all the way over and lets it run out of control.

Eventually his hopper 'crashes' and he lands on a devastated planet where he joins a bunch of freedom fighters, prepared to live the rest of his life on this level.

But rescue is on it's way.

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