Employee of the Multiverse and His Darling Cat

5| Log 001 Pt. 5

I interrupted, "If you're going to tell me that it's impossible due to your travel machine being under high security, rest assured. I'm not under any delusion that it will be easy, nor do I think it'd be wise to make any moves immediately. I'll first need to meet food and shelter needs and learn more about your world and organization before weighing my options and deciding on a plan."

It was fortunate that Darla was at the daycare when this happened, so I had no worries about her safety or needs being met (only missing her).

Darcy whistled and leaned back, crossing their arms while cupping their chin. "Wow! You're an interesting person. How are you so calm and calculated? I would've lost my shit by now." They gasped, hands covering their mouth. "Were you, like, a mercenary in your world?"

I smiled again, this time able to suppress my laughter. "Darcy, I'm sorry to continue relying on you, but could you connect me with any resources, first for free food and shelter?"

Darcy smiled back. "I asked a silly question, totally forgot you're in business wear and tripped into your world's portal." They rubbed their thighs, seeming embarrassed. "Then you worked for your world's version of CenUMR?"

I gave a single nod.

"Oh, also, I can connect you with resources." Darcy paused and it took me a moment to realize they were doing it for drama. "First one's me! It's definitely the universe at work that you fell right in front of me." They snapped and shot a finger at me while smirking. "I know a lot of people in the city so even if I can't get you to the portal, I can hook you up with whatever else you need. You can crash at my place and I've got some leftovers for tonight. What else do we need? Toothbrush, underwear..."

Over the next week of staying in Darcy's apartment, I was able to gather a lot of information thanks to Q and A sessions with them, walks around the city, and online research. I compiled a mental list of notable similarities and differences between this world and my own. It feels sort of nice to be able to finally write them down.

1. This world consists of one known realm. My world consists of two.

2. People here are free to choose the careers and lifestyles they want; economic classes exist. My world limits people to choosing to work in either service, education, or management institution careers; economic classes barely exist.

3. Coffee isn't a thing here. Really, the coffee bean doesn't even exist. This made me sad.

4. This world/realm is geographically larger than my world's management realm but 100 times smaller than our civilian realm.

5. The language here is very similar to my own world's, with the exception of cultural colloquialisms, forms of address, grammatical neopronouns, and slang.

6. This world's Center for Utilitarian Management of Reality (CenUMR) is the equivalent of my World Chaos Organization Institute (WCOI).

7. CenUMR is abbreviated so because nobody realized CUMR looked strange until it was too late.

8. CenUMR includes a Reality Rip Resolution Department that is the equivalent to my WCOI's Chaos Repair Department.

9. CenUMR do repairs not only in this world but in parallel worlds as well. This is to maintain universal stability, much like WCOI repaired chaos in the civilian realm.

10. Higher-ups in the world management organizations here are chosen through gradual promotion or direct employment by superior organization and government leaders. Unlike my world where we were promoted and elected by staff nominations and votes.

11. They call their smartphone-like devices "communicators." Comm, for short.

12. Experts here working in CenUMR have already data-mapped a large portion of the universe including over 100,000 worlds and 220,000 realms, 60-80% of which are known or suspected to be inhabited by sentient beings. At WCOI, we'd so far data-mapped five worlds and eleven realms in the universe. Including our own. That also makes me sad.