I run my finger along the edge of my Russian Army jacket, and remove from the secret compartment where I carry some of my money, a gold doubloon bearing the image of Ferdinand of Castille and the year 1485 AD, and a silver coin, an Alpha Centauran mark inscribed with 2217 Anno Domini Ad Astra, an orbital map of the star system in question, and on the obverse side a many pointed star.
I hand these to Ed.
"Get us a hotel. Some food would be nice too although I have some Heateneat cans."
Down deep, I'm still tired.
"I know you, or I did in my first world. In my first world, I went by another name. In the many universes, I...well, I've made enemies. There are other me's, and I don't think they'd like it if my enemies went after them. I certainly wouldn't like it."
I pause.
"I've seen you or another you a few times since that first world, but for me its been well, to keep it simple, its been more than four hundred years since I left my first world. In that time, I've seen and done things that....well...unusual, yeah, thats a good word for it. Learned magics and miracles and mental tricks, and martial arts, and along the way I became Tadeusz the Sledgehammer of Justice, the Servant of the One God, the terror of the wicked. Picked up a plasma cannon, and some cybernetics which is why my face is slightly reshaped, and I'm a couple inches taller. Have to stick the cyberware in somewhere. Along the way, I've died, or versed out...I think versed out is more accurate because we don't exactly die, I think...well over a hundred times. Knife, and plague, and A-bomb, and magic fireball and tripping, breaking my leg, falling into a mine shaft, and dying of thirst within the sound of a waterfall have all gotten me.
There are others older and more powerful than me. The Architect is five thousand or so, I think. The Hermit reached eight thousand. Michael Di Vars I've fought him four times, and only won outright once, and thats because I can be really sneaky if I have to be. One shouldn't bring a sword to an asteroid fight. But, I've walked into rooms filled with dangerous beings, and not all of them even remotely human, and said....'I'm Tadeusz' and watched them get out of my way like the sea parting before Moses."
I rub my face.
"Of course, great power often means the opportunity to really mess things up. So, I want to do two things in this world. One, help you out. Two, try to finish fixing the mess I and the people of this planet have made of this place. You interested?"
Eric