THE MOMENT
Connie flung the door open before she remembered how to use the peephole. She was so excited that a person might be on the other side of the door that the thought of danger did not cross her mind until the door was open. Her instant regret gave way to calm surprise. A teenage girl with neon-green hair stood on her doorstep holding a pizza box.
"Hi! Did'ya order a pizza?" the girl asked. Connie noticed the girl's name tag with a second glance; her name was Outbreak.
"What?" It was the only question Connie could form at the moment. She was utterly confused and the scent of pizza made her stomach rage. She had been rationing the last of canned goods over the past months and her garden was taking too long to produce anything.
"Uh oh... you didn't, did you?" Outbreak sighed. "I'm in the wrong place. Sorry to bother you,"
"WAIT!" Connie had too many questions wanting to be answered to think properly; but, she knew she needed that pizza. "I CAN PAY!" Connie dashed into her cabin. She came running back seconds later dragging a black duffle bag. It was one of dozens she made early on, before she realized she should be growing her food. She raided houses and stores for groceries and kept any cash she found. She believed the world would recover sooner than never and expected to be rich when it did.
"Take it all!" Connie tossed the duffle bag at Outbreak's feet. The zipper was open revealing the mounds of cash inside. "I need that pizza!" Connie tried not to think about what she might do if the teen said no.
"Are you okay?" Outbreak asked.
"NO!" Connie laughed and yelled at the same time. But, her gaze remained on the pizza box. She already memorized the green 'M' logo made from slices of pizza. "I haven't seen another human in over a year and I'm about to starve. If I'm not crazy and you're really here... I need help."
"Oh no, I'm so sorry..," Outbreak said. Despite her words, Connie couldn't help but notice that she pulled the pizza away slightly. "This is a custom order, I'm worried you'll get sick if you eat this one." Connie wasn't listening anymore. She realized Outbreak was going to leave and she was going to jump on her the moment she turned her back. But, she never did.
The pizza box began to descend. Outbreak was sinking into a hole, but she pulled the box down to keep it safe from Connie.
"Don't worry, someone's on their way with one for you," Outbreak added before she disappeared. It happened so fast that Connie didn't know what to do. She was panicked and confused and did not hear Outbreak's last words.
"PIIIIZZZAAAAA!!!!" She roared at the dark canopy of the forest when she realized she missed her chance.
"Hi, I'm Emily," The new voice startled her and Connie looked back down to eye level. It was a silver-haired girl holding two pizza boxes; one in each hand. "I didn't know if you wanted meaty or veggie."
"Where did you come from?" Connie asked. She reached for the meat pizza in Emily's left hand and was mildly surprised when the girl let it go.
"An alternate universe," Emily grinned. "Go ahead and eat. Take your time. When you're done you can pack up whatever you want to take and I'll be happy to put you on another Earth with more people."
"Come in," Connie didn't hesitate. She went straight to the kitchen table and took a seat. Emily followed her at her invitation and sat down across from her. Although, she did take Emily's advice to heart. She felt like Emily wasn't rushing her at all and it put her mind at ease enough to ask proper questions. Though, she wolfed down two slices and started on a third before her first question. Emily sat and waited patiently with a smile.
"People are ordering pizzas from alternate universes?" Connie asked. Emily nodded. "So... you can communicate between universes?"
"It's easy," Emily said. She dipped her hand beneath the table for a brief second, then she placed a transparent card-sized rectangle on the table. "Well it's easy if you have a node," she said. Emily slid it towards Connie. She pushed it all the way across the table to make the offer clear.
"And it's not just pizza. There are plenty of restaurants that deliver between universes. And Chroma Corp. has any groceries you might need." Connie couldn't believe her ears. Starving to death was her only worry. Truth be told, she enjoyed the solitude. If she survived until her garden produced, she expected to live out the rest of her life quietly. Alone and in peace. She could stay in the forest alone and still get emergency help if she needed it. She glanced at the counter, then back at Emily.
"What's the exchange rate between universes?" Connie asked. She chuckled to herself at how silly the question sounded.
"Each Earth is different," Emily looked at her own node and the screen lit up like a smartphone. She tapped and swiped at it a few times. "Oh nooo," she said. Then, she looked at Connie in the eyes.
"This Earth is considered abandoned; money from this Earth is worthless in the multiverse."
"But... I'm rich!" Connie gestured at the counter lined with duffle bags. Emily smiled and shook her head.
"Don't worry, no one starves in the multiverse. There are plenty of financial opportunities out there. And, Mundo's, at least, is willing to keep delivering for free until you get on your feet."