THE MOMENT
"I couldn't believe it...," Charles grinned at Phil as he told the story. They sat in the Chief's office, with Phil behind the desk and Charles across from him. "...it was a magical Earth. We raided an illegal fairy dust operation and there, in the trees was a row of fully functional dot matrix printers!" he laughed. The Chief, a short, professional man with neat copper-brown hair nodded with a smile.
Charles felt like he could consider Phil a friend and often turned in his written reports with an enjoyable story. Though, lately, Charles was realizing that more and more that story ended with dot matrix printers as a punchline. It was the first time the thought had crossed his mind while he was talking to Phil.
"I swear, every reality I've been to uses dot matrix printers," he chuckled and shook his head.
"It's just a coincidence, I'm sure," Phil replied. He was no longer smiling. "Thanks for the report, you have a new case waiting on your desk," he added. Charles felt like he was being rushed out. It was a new feeling, Phil usually had an open-door policy; at least for him. Charles couldn't help but notice the timing of the sudden chill in the air. He was curious enough to test it as he stood from his seat.
"Another case with dot matrix printers, huh?" he asked.
"I have no idea, how would I know that?" Phil said. "Get back to work."
Charles had worked for the department for a decade. He was no slouch when it came to detective work when he started. And the decade helped him hone his gut instincts. He stopped instead of leaving the office. He shut the door before turning back to Phil.
"What aren't you telling me?" Charles asked. Phil stared at him for a moment before he spoke; Charles noticed the hesitation.
"What makes you think I'm not telling you something?" he asked.
"Answering with a question is a pretty solid indicator," Charles answered and raised his eyebrow. Charles worked for Phil for a decade. Over time they became friends; but, Charles always considered it a work friendship. They always kept a professional air between them, even when joking. For the first time ever, Charles felt like Phil opened up to him. It wasn't anything he said, it was his tone. His eyes almost seemed to sparkle in a way that Charles never noticed.
"And... what is it you think I might not be telling you?" Phil asked. Charles felt their relationship change in that moment, even if he couldn't pinpoint why. His gut told him he was on the right track; and, that was backed up by Phil's oblique answers. They both knew he was admitting something.
"About.. the dot matrix printers...," Charles said.
"What about them?" Phil asked.
"Every universe uses them," Charles said. He realized that Phil wanted specifics. "I think you know why, and I want to know why too." Phil grinned and nodded at Charles.
"There are some out there," Phil waved at the closed blinds. "That have been here longer than you that haven't noticed. Congratulations," Phil said.
"For what?" Charles asked. He was curious, but he did not want to stray too far from the topic.
"For noticing," Phil answered. "And, for passing the test." Charles shook his head. There was too much happening to let himself get distracted.
"Tell me about the test later. I want to know about the printers now, why are they in every universe?" Phil nodded while still smiling.
"Dot matrix printers do NOT exist in every universe," Phil said with confidence. "But, they do exist in every universe YOU have been to. There are two parts to the test; the first part is noticing something mundane. In your case, I chose dot matrix printers; they all have different 'things'," he said.
"What? Why?" Charles asked. Phil handed out the assignments and it wasn't unbelievable that he would influence who got what. But, that still left him with the question of 'why'.
"How many universes do you think are out there?" Phil asked.
"..a lot..?" Charles shrugged. He'd never thought to put a number on it.
"Infinite is a more appropriate term," Phil said. "This single department is not enough to police the entire multiverse. However, there is an organization that manages to do pretty well. It's called the B.A.A., or Bureau of Alternate Agencies, and you've just passed the entrance exam."
"Wait..," it was happening so fast that Charles had to make sure he got the answers he wanted before he asked more questions. "You were deliberately sending me to Earths that had dot matrix printers just to see if I would notice?" he asked. Phil nodded.
"To see if you would notice the pattern," he clarified.
"I noticed... what's the second part of the test?" Phil smiled.
"Asking about it," he said. "It's a big, sometimes scary universe out there. Knowing when and how to ask for help is a necessary skill."