"Welcome to Wal-Mart. How may I help you?"
How many times have you walked into a Wal-Mart and had a greeter welcome you to the store? What about the check stands? The isles of merchandise? The stockmen grabbing carts from the snow? These are all experiences that we are very used to in the early part of the 21st century. It's the new town hall, where neighbors, friends, coworkers and family meet and greet while browsing the current DVDs or picking up their milk.
I'm not saying I'm Wal-Mart's #1 fan. I realise they creep into towns, shut down the local businesses and set up mini-monopolies in every American town. But regardless of whether they are "good" or "bad" or somewhere in the middle, Wal-Mart is part of our culture.
So I go there every week. It's the only game in town and the city is 45 minutes away. I used to work for them as a stockman. I know them pretty well and you're suppose to write what you know.
Meanwhile, I've always been obsessed with alternate Earths. String Theory says that there could be billions of alternate worlds out there. Worlds where you might have turned left instead of right. Worlds where America lost the war of independence, Hitler won World War Two, dinosaurs still roam the earth or JFK was never shot.
I love the possibilities, understand the mechanics and thrill to the stories. It's all thanks to DC Comics and their many adventures with Earths 1,2, 3, X and S. Two Supermen or Wonder Women in an adventure, alternate Flashes and Green Lanterns, so many similarities and yet differences.
It didn't take long for these ideas to shape in my mind while strolling the isles of Wal-Mart. What of there was a store that set in-between ALL universes, where any number of characters could cross paths with each other? And if there is a place that touches all universes, who would see it as a perfect beachhead for multiversal domination?
These are the concepts in one of my favorite stories. It's half finished and I can't wait to return to it.
M is for Multi-Mart.
Multi-Mart stars Kyle Jordan as a kid thrown into the store whom has to escape with a Stockbot into the multiverse to get help before a tyrant takes over the store. It features Kelli the vampire girl from NIGHT CHILDREN: DARK THREATS and Bril the elf and younger brother to Eli from Farnalla.
Now as you ponder these concepts, here are some pics of alternate Earths...
