Fragment: A & E (short story)
Fragment: A & E was a short story by Scott Sanford, released in 2023; it was his first use of the 925th Universe and the associated cast of characters introduced by Callum Phillpott's Jenny Over-There: The Nine-Two-Five Universe. It was the tenth of Sanford's “Fragments” shorts, and the second of 2023. Jenny Everywhere does not appear in this story.
Contents
Plot
On an ordinary day in the Multidimensional Finders Service offices, an overworked Jenny Over-There is answering calls on the Red Interdimensional Telephone when Dynamite Thor enters and heroically proclaims his intention to go get lunch.
While Jenny is pondering if she wants food, the Man in Gray appears and is mistaken by Dynamite Thor for their employer, the Man in Grey. The Man in Gray informs them that their employer is working without a “Talisman of Restriction”, which appears to be a physical coin with a copyright symbol on it. He is unsurprised that neither Jenny Over-There nor Dynamite Thor can touch the copyright token.
As the Man in Grey is not present, the Man in Gray asks Jenny to tell her employer that he will return later and departs.
Dynamite Thor is confused and Jenny explains that the person who just left was not in fact the Man in Grey. Thor jumps to the conclusion that he was some nefarious impostor and rushes off in pursuit.
There is an explosion in the distance, the phone rings, and Jenny Over-There settles back into her routine work day.
Worldbuilding
Universes
- The 925th Universe is documented in a series of stories involving Jenny Over-There.
- The Man in Gray implies that the M.F.S. offices are part of the Backrooms.
Continuity
- The Man in Gray was later used by Callum Phillpott in a chapter of PROSE: Annals of the Jen: One Year of Jenny Over-There, where it was established that he ran a mono-dimensional service in Universe 925-B.
Behind the scenes
Background
The title calls attention to the difference between the two characters who Dynamite Thor confuses, the Man in Gray and the Man in Grey. It also alludes to the context of news reporting, where “A & E” stands for Arts and Entertainment, a category distinct from current events, sports, or advertising.
At 753 words, this story is arguably too long to fit in the “Fragments” category for very short works.
Read online
The story is available on the author's Dreamwidth website.
