Fifteen days. Fifteen days had passed since Donovan Murray went missing and the police had yet to grasp onto any leads. It was one of the most bizarre cases they had ever faced and not just them, the entire country was boggled by it. After all, Donovan was a renowned scientist with various accolades. His research in the fields of quantum physics and computing was widely discussed. He was a revered man and his disappearance had rendered the whole world, including the scientific fraternity, in shock.

Drake stood outside his father's private laboratory, his eyes squinting slightly to adjust to the light. The sun was shining directly from behind, and the weather was pleasant—a perfect time to relax or to go on a picnic.

Drake, however, was in no mood to do anything. Although he was estranged from his parents after their divorce, they were still related to him. Moreover, his father had disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Until he uncovered the truth, he couldn't sit still.

As Drake approached the gate, he felt a pair of eyes on him. The familiar feeling of being watched erupted again. Running his gaze around him, he tried to locate anyone suspicious. However, the area was private land and no one was in the vicinity. 

'Why am I feeling this way?' Drake wondered, perturbed. From the day his father had gone missing, he sensed that he was being watched. Every move of his was being observed and the feeling had not vanished even when he was at home, in his safe space.

The paranoia had hit him so hard that he had checked his entire apartment for cameras but came short. The lack of evidence didn't stop him. Instead, his apprehension only intensified as time passed.

Drake sighed and ran a hand through his hair in frustration. The unknown scared him, and he feared to enter the laboratory. It had been a long time since his last visit, his only visit, and Drake didn't know what to expect. It was his father's heaven which no one was allowed to enter, not even him. If not for his predicament, he wouldn't have thought of entering the place.

Surprisingly, the face recognition system recognized him, and the doors opened instantly. The place powered up instantly and every device came to life as if they were waiting for him to enter.

Drake was in awe of the place. It was a high-tech lab and he couldn't help but be fascinated by everything he saw on his way. He wasn't a scientist. However, his interests didn't stray far away, especially considering his expertise as an aerospace engineer, he could envision and relate to his father's work closely.

The place felt nothing like he had expected. The lab was quiet, its high-tech equipment sitting idle under the soft glow of the dim lights. Sleek walls of glass and steel surrounded rows of empty workstations, each with monitors and holographic displays.

At the center of the room stood a large quantum processor, encased in glass. Nearby, a black and silver supercomputer towered against the wall, emitting a faint, steady hum as its cooling systems hissed softly. A holographic table sat unused, its smooth surface reflecting faint patterns from the overhead lights. Shelves held neatly arranged tools and sealed containers, while a whiteboard displayed faded equations, remnants of past experiments. The air was still, save for the gentle hum of machinery, as if the lab was waiting for something—or someone—to bring it back to life.

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Drake couldn't stop his lips from parting in astonishment. This place was a paradise for people like him. Although he too worked in a laboratory, it was nothing like his father's private space.

"Donovan Murrey, I can't deny that your laboratory is brilliant," he praised as he started to observe the place. He went through his father's research slowly, starting with the holographic table.

At first, he couldn't decipher what the holograph was. It looked strange and distorted. But when he went through the reports and the files by the table, Drake's eyes widened in disbelief, and he felt his chest constrict.  It was a prototype for an Interdimensional Travel Device. 

'Was Dad working on this?' He was spooked to even think about it. 

Drake looked around him and it was on then he noticed the sleek device that barely had any presence in the room. It was a circular platform made of polished metal. It housed a transparent column at the center and from his position, it wasn't that evident. Control panels surrounded the platform, each with clusters of buttons and levers. Thin cables and conduits snaked across the floor, connecting the device to a power source. 

As if being controlled like a puppet, Drake approached the platform and started examining it slowly. Not once did his mouth close as he admired his father's genius invention. 

'Does this work?' he wondered as he circled the platform twice before standing by the lever that controlled the power source.

Drake hesitated. After all, he didn't know the progress of the experiment and he wasn't willing to risk his father's hard work to satisfy his curiosity. However, he couldn't control his urge to test the device, and even before he could stop himself, he pushed the lever, powering up the device instantly.

The transparent column lit up instantly and a soft, steady hum filled the place. A swirling vortex of purple and white light and energy materialized above the platform, creating a shimmering portal inside the column. 

Drake didn't know what to do next. Was he supposed to press any more buttons or was he supposed to enter the column? What was he supposed to do?

Just when he was about to look around, a robotic voice resounded in the room. 

"The Interdimensional Travel Device has been activated. To test it, enter the transparent column."

As if as an invitation, the light inside the column vanished and the column itself collapsed.

Drake realized that the device was in its testing phase. Unable to curb his curiosity, he walked towards the platform and didn't stop until he was just a step away from hopping onto it. The air around it rippled like heat waves, and he felt a faint pull as if it was inviting him inside.

Drake swallowed heavily. Closing his eyes, he picked up his courage and entered the column. An intense heat hit him and his forehead was covered with perspiration in no time. An unknown fear engulfed him instantly and Drake felt the sudden urge to leave the platform. His previous courage vanished. In its place was a premonition.

However, Drake couldn't even move. It was as if his entire body was paralyzed. Something powerful was restricting his movements. Horrified, he attempted to move again. Yet, it wasn't fruitful and he remained frozen in his spot. 

Drake struggled hard to move. But his body didn't respond.

Instead, the transparent column rose and trapped him on the circular platform. The purplish-white light started to travel through the column again and the next instant, Drake felt his entire world spin. His breath was knocked off his lungs and he felt suffocated. It became pitch black and his vision was obstructed. He couldn't make out anything.

The purplish-white light continued to travel through the column for a few more seconds and when it finally died, the supercomputer came to life. Numerous readings flashed on the screen and the rows previously marked red turned green one by one before the screen flashed with a message.

"Test passed. Mission accomplished. First Dimension - Earth."