Nuha checked the calibration on her instruments and ran a diagnostic test to make sure what she saw was no instrument failure. There really was a faint signal in the background. She sat back and sighed, running her fingers through her curly brunette hair. It must be coming from some radio station or something, she figured. There were still plenty of people who enjoyed using radio technology to communicate all over the world. But this would mess up her results while she was measuring the physical and electronic properties of the area.

She looked out over the low hills that made up the landscape while all around them was reasonably flat and mostly grass plains. She had come here after hearing by accident from locals that the weather in the hills was always slightly different than around them. The explanation from fellow scientists was that the geological make-up of the area caused a shift in weather patterns but something made her curious and she found from weather data there were several more spots like this on the planet. And none had any similar geological features. Flat forest land, a mountain side, a beach at a desert to name a few. This would be her personal project to finish university with.

Trading a date for borrowing the sensitive instruments for a week from a friend's scientific team, she took them here and set them up to measure the differences between this area and one a little further at the edge of the hills.

She couldn't filter out the interference and it meant she had to find the source, and if it was man-made to persuade whoever it was to change or shut down the transmission. She was glad she had a portable scanner and antenna and put them in her car, then drove in one direction to take a reading on the interference.

When she had driven close to a village just outside the anomalous area she tried to find the transmission but there was none.

'Great, back to the other side.' she said to herself and checked the map to see where she needed to go after getting back to her camp.

After another drive across the hills she turned on the scanner again and cursed under her breath when she couldn't find the signal. Again she took the map and chose another direction. Driving there a faster than she was supposed to had been a waste. Still no signal.

Getting frustrated she returned to her camp and checked the scanner. It did register the interfering signal, even if it was faint. This time she went into the last cardinal direction, stopping regularly to check the signal strength. It was then that she saw the signal fading away the farther she went from her camp. With some disbelief she drove around again to see the interference did seem to come from the centre of the hills itself.

Back at her camp she turned off anything electrical and the signal was still there. Curiosity gradually took over her frustration and she used a booster on the signal. Watching the spectrum analyser for a while made her think the signal was man-made and not a natural phenomenon. It reminded her of music because the beat changed at intervals and there were pauses in between.

It still wasn't strong enough to make out though. She needed a more powerful signal booster.

She took out her phone. 'Hans?' she said when her friend picked up. 'You want another date with me?'

Nuha couldn't believe her ears when she heard the signal after the extra boost and some extra modulation. Although it was still very garbled, someone was speaking in a heavy accent, or what sounded like something from hundreds of years ago, and the music she heard was nothing she recognised. A drum like instrument and wailing singing.

She pondered her options but the only thing she could do was transmit a signal of her own in the same spectrum and hope the other side would react to it. It wasn't a spectrum used by anything in the country so she could safely try it.

She sat behind the microphone and cleared her throat, pushed transmit and said 'Hello. Can you hear me? Can you tell me where you are?'.

Nothing changed for a little while and she tried again. This time it seemed there was a pause in transmission before it continued and she spoke her words again. The music stopped and the voice she had heard faintly said 'You I hear. Who you are?'

Nuha's excitement grew. She grinned a little when she spoke again. 'This is Nuha. I'm analysing a weather phenomenon here and found your transmission.' she said. 'I can't see where you are broadcasting from. Can you tell me?'

'Name mine is Min. Transmitting from Delahu. Where from you are?' the voice said.

'I'm near Timbali.' Nuha said and looked up Delahu. 'I can't find any place called Delahu. What country are you in?'

'Menari.' Min said. 'But to me Timbali unknown. You from what country?'

'East Bokland.' she said while searching further. 'But I see no Menari as country or anything. You're joking?'

'I no see your country.' Min said. 'You are making the joke.'

'I'm not!' Nuha said. 'Seriously! I'm really doing a scientific analysis here and your transmission is interfering with my measurements. But I can't see your signal outside the area I'm researching so I wanted to know where it came from.'

The other side kept silent for a while before she called out. 'Are you still there?' she said. 'I'm not lying.'

'Wait.' said Min after a moment. 'You talk. I see where you are for myself.'

'Ehm, okay.' Nuha said and wiped the palm of her hand on her knee. She wasn't very good at talking a lot about anything outside her interests. 'I was around here on a short vacation a while back when I heard the locals talk about how the weather here was always a little different from the area around it.' she said. 'Then when I looked up the weather data on this place and read the explanation for it as just an effect of the geology here I suspected there was something more to it. So I checked for similar places and found a few more around the world. This one was near so I came here with the equipment to measure anything I could and compare it to outside this area.' She took a sheet with notes. 'Everything is just very slightly off from anything else. When I saw your signal I had to boost it and modulate it a lot to make it as clear as I could get it.'

'Same thing I needed to do.' said Min. 'Much change. Also I see signal fading when moving. Signal from you coming from here. Even if not possible.'

Nuha sat back. 'But how can that be?' she said. 'It's like you're here as well according to your signal.'

Things were silent on both ends for a while.

'What you call planet?' asked Min.

'What?' asked Nuha. 'The planet?'

'Yes. Name of planet you are on. What you call?'

She raised her eyebrow. 'Terra, of course. Like everyone else.'

The other side was silent again and a thought crept up in the back of her head. 'Wait a minute.' she said. 'What do you call it then?'

After a moment of silence Min said 'Dinua.'.

Nuha pinched the bridge of her nose. 'No, we're not going in that direction.' she said and checked the name to find no results.

She slumped back in her chair. She was not going to join the ranks of people seeing and hearing extraterrestrials. There had to be a logical explanation and if it was anything else than a prank she would find the scientific basis.

She pushed the transmit button on her microphone. 'Okay, if this is a prank I really don't have the time for it because I only have a week with these instruments and might never get another chance at discovering what's going on here.' she said. 'So tell me honestly, where are you?'

'I serious too.' Min said. 'My hardware not cheap and using power much to hear you.'

'So you really are from..?' she asked.

'Delahu, Menari, planet Dinua.' came the reply.

'Can you look up universal coordinates?' she asked, looking them up.

'Yes.' Min said. 'A moment. Looking. Here, have them.'

'Okay.' said Nuha. 'Tell me.' She checked the numbers he gave her and groaned.

'What yours?' Min asked.

Nuha sighed deep. 'The same.' She looked at the steel boxes in front of her on the table wondering what to do with this situation. Then her eye fell on one of the sockets on the transmitter. She grabbed the microphone. 'Can you receive a video signal?' she asked.

'Yes.' Min said. 'Good idea. You can too?'

'I think so.' she said seeing a video out connector. 'I can send an analogue picture from here.'

'I will connect screen here and camera.' Min said. 'Will tell you when ready.'

'Ready.' said Min some time later just after Nuha had set up a camera and screen on her transmitter.

'Okay.' she said and switched on the camera. 'Sending now.'

'Get signal.' Min said. 'Need to change it to see. Wait.'

Nuha twiddled her thumbs in anticipation for Min to say he could see her.

'I have blurry image.' Min said eventually.

'Well?' asked Nuha, waving her hand once. 'Clear enough?'

'Picture I will send now on two channels lower.' Min said. 'You can receive?'

'Yes, I think so.' she said and adjusted the incoming signal by trying out the various filters.

When contours became clearer and hazy colours appeared on her screen she twiddled some more until it was the best she could do and gazed at the screen.

'You look like a cat.' she said.

'Know what you mean, I think.' Min said. 'You aipe?'

Nuha blinked. 'What? Aipe?'

Min nodded, the image shifting as he did. 'You look like animal living in trees.' Min said. 'You only longer hair.'

Nuha ran her fingers through her hair. 'Our ancestors were related to apes we have here.' she said and another thought dawned on her. 'Are you telling me you're descended from cats!?'

'Chats.' Min said. 'Name of our ancestors.'

Nuha put her face in her hands. 'This is just too much.' she said. 'This can't be real. I fell asleep and have a very vivid dream.'

'Same I think here.' Min said and sighed. 'No explanation I have, but real all seems.'

Nuha sat back and watched Min on the screen for a while. 'So now what?' she asked. 'As a scientist I need hard evidence.'

'Agree.' said Min. 'Might ask friend to help later.'

Nuha nodded. 'I think I'll need some help too.' she said. 'Even if they'll laugh at me first.' She noticed the time and felt tiredness coming over her. 'It's late anyway. Let's continue after getting some sleep. At least then we can be sure if we're dreaming or not.'

'Again agree.' Min said.

Nuha was up early the next morning after much less sleep than usual, but she couldn't sleep much anyway. She turned on the camera. 'Min? Are you there?' she asked. When she heard nothing she thought for a moment she had indeed been dreaming it all, but then why was everything set up in reality. She left the camera and screen on to see if Min would contact her and looked up the number of her friend Jones.

Not long after she ate breakfast and checked her notes did Min's voice come through.

'You still here.' Min said with a chuckle. 'No dream.'

Nuha chuckled as well. 'I'm afraid not.' she said to the blurry cat's head on screen. 'We're still stuck with this mystery.'

'Contacted friends, they come later.' Min said. 'But not believe.'

'Same here.' she chuckled again. 'I think we better compare notes on what our instruments register.'

Min nodded. 'Agree.'

By the time Nuha's friend arrived she and Min had gone through what they knew so far about how they connected and had even talked a little about themselves.

'This is Jones.' she said when she showed him Min on screen. 'He lent me the equipment.'

'To see you, good.' said Min.

Jones looked at Nuha. 'You're kidding me.'

She pushed her notes in his hands. 'Check for yourself.'

He went through the notes, verifying what he could and even managed to make the image less blurry by adjusting the receiver, but the colour was still hazy. While he was busy with that Min introduced his friends Sipho and Nontle who were brother and sister.

After the friends at both sides had to agree something strange and interesting was taking place and it wasn't an elaborate prank on either side they sat down to discuss the next steps.

'We need to get outside help.' said Nuha. 'We can't do much more with what we have here.'

'Agree.' said Nontle. 'A professor I know can help. He has access to laboratory.'

'I have a friend who works for the government on astronomy.' said Jones. 'I'll contact him.'

'Start with that we will then.' said Min.

With each person more that got convinced about what was going on wasn't an elaborate prank the more work was put into the communication. When the signal could be manipulated at quantum level and time shifting it, it became clear as any normal local signal.

Several heads of the science divisions gathered around the various large screens that had been set up in large tents for all the equipment and personnel.

'No doubt about it anymore.' said a mathematician. 'We calculated several times and verified with our esteemed colleagues on the other side, we're looking at different dimensions here.'

'You mean parallel universes are real?' Nuha asked.

He nodded. 'And this is the proof we have.' he said gesturing at the screens. 'It still feels like science fiction, but it has become science fact now.'

The scientists started discussing amongst themselves and between the two species and Min gestured at Nuha to talk on the personal channel they had.

Nuha went to her own tent and turned on the screen and camera she had there. When the image of the orange-red furred feline appeared on screen she smiled.

'Happiest they have ever been in lives, they are now.' he said.

She chuckled. 'Agree.'

He leaned back in his seat. 'Happy I also feel.' he said. 'Meeting you.'

She blushed. 'Yeah.' she said. 'I'm glad I got to meet you too.'

'Oh, here.' he said and held up flowers with white round petals and small longer red ones in between. 'Picked some from field outside. Remembered when you talked about flowers, wanted to show these.'

'They're beautiful.' she said. 'Wish I could see them for real.'

'Theory for sending matter is made now.' he said. 'Experiment to start soon.'

'If they can make it work it's going to change everything we have now.' she said, looking at the globe she used to show him how her world looked like.

He nodded. 'Hear they already are arranging task force to handle that.'

'Yeah, same here.' she said. 'It might take a long time but maybe one day we can meet for real.'

He smiled at her. 'Like that very much, I would.'

***

With the knowledge on how to manipulate the signal for communicating between the dimensions the scientists went on to making the same changes on matter. They had to make the matter change frequency and spin direction at quantum level and shift it in time to synchronise it to the other dimension.

Bulky equipment was developed and the first trials to send atoms failed. It seemed to work at first, but as soon as the atom seemed synchronised it shifted and broke apart. Only when the synchronisation was done very slowly did they succeeded in transporting atoms between the laboratories. That evening everyone joined in the celebrations.

The amount of matter sent back and forth grew while the equipment became more refined and smaller. When the test cube containing every type of matter known to both sides had been sent several times the time to try living matter came.

'What shall we try first?' said one of the people working on the transporter. She looked around the lab.

'Have suggestion.' said Min on the other side. 'Wait please.'

The felines and people watched him hurry out the door of the building which had replaced the tent in the meantime. When he came back he had a flower like the ones he had shown Nuha before.

'Send this.' he said and held it up.

'Good.' said one of the felines and turned to the humans. 'For you okay?'

Nobody objected and the receiving container was put into place while Nuha gave Min a big smile as he gave her a wink.

The matter transformers hummed and after an initial check most scientists continued their work while the flower was manipulated to synchronise with the human dimension.

Some time later a beeping sound confirmed the synchronisation had succeeded and the flower was first subjected to biological scanning before the container was opened.

One of the men wanted to pull it out but the woman who led the team stopped him. 'I think this was also meant for you.' she said with a slight smile to Nuha.

Nuha blushed a little and came forward, carefully lifting the flower out of the container. It felt so fragile she was afraid she might break it, but the sweet scent relaxed her and she smiled at Min. 'It really is beautiful.'

Min smiled and gave her a nod.

'Let's see how soon we can send bigger and live things.' the woman said and gave Nuha a wink.

Nuha chuckled and took the flower after a quick sample was taken from it to her tent and placed it in a beaker with water on her work table.

***

Day and night and with additional transport pads, plants and other flora was sent. A pleasant surprise was that there was no problem with plant life being a threat to the other side. Apart from the looks, plant life was basically the same on both sides.

The same for bacteria and viruses, which were the first living tissues sent across, to the scientists pleasant surprise. The common ones were the same and there was no risk for contamination.

When the first mice and insects were sent over confidence grew about sending people across. That day became highly anticipated by Nuha and Min who spent much of their time with the other on video through their tablets.

'Ladies and gentlemen.' said the head of the team for transporting human tissue with his colleague from the other side on screen next to him. 'We're thrilled to let you know we're ready to transport the first of either species across. And for that we ask a volunteer. We are confident there won't be a problem, but it's a big step to take and we want to give anyone here the first opportunity.'

Nuha watched everyone talk amongst themselves and glance at the transporter pad with the chair. She looked at Min who looked back at her.

He raised his arm but before he could say anything she called out. 'I volunteer!'

A round of applause followed and two physicians checked her health that day, giving her a pass to go through with it.

Nuha sat down in the chair nervously. She wiped her palms on her knees and shifted several times in the otherwise comfortable chair.

'You can move freely.' said one of the men. 'Just as long as you don't go outside the circle.'

She nodded because she knew that was the safe zone for synchronisation. She also knew every test with other lifeforms had gone well but she still felt afraid. "Why am I doing this!?" she thought. "I must be nuts!" She looked around her at the room, the people, the screens and the feline species she'd get to meet in person soon, and Min who was rubbing his hands while staring intently at the screen showing her in the chair. She smiled through the camera at him. She knew her reason.

'Ready?' asked the operator of the transporter pad.

She gave him a confident nod. 'Yes.'

Apart from the hum of the machine, nothing changed. She still felt a little nervous, her heart rate was slightly elevated but normal, and her mind didn't play tricks on her.

'Are you feeling okay?' asked a young woman she knew as Aminah holding a notepad.

'I'm fine.' Nuha said. 'Apart from this feeling like I'm at the dentist.' she added with a little chuckle.

Aminah smiled at her and made a note. 'Good.' she said. 'If that's all then I won't be as afraid to do this myself.' She checked and noted Nuha's vital signs. 'I'll be back every fifteen minutes to check up on you.'

Nuha nodded and tried to relax more. Min gave her a little wave and she waved back at him.

After her second check-up Nuha noticed her vision had gone slightly blurry. She rubbed her eyes and tried to focus on objects but she couldn't lose the sense of seeing a ghostly after-image. She called out to Aminah and told her about it. Aminah made notes and did a few visual tests with her.

'Looks like you're getting the first image of the other side.' Aminah said. 'That might become disorientating soon.'

'I'll keep my eyes closed.' said Nuha and chuckled. 'Before I go insane.'

'Good idea.' Aminah said. 'I'll see you at the next check-up.'

With each check-up Nuha saw her surrounding became blurrier and mixed with other shapes and colours like a slow fade effect between different scenes. Sounds became more disembodied and warped and she had a harder time understanding Aminah until she could no longer make out what she said. She gave Aminah a thumbs up to indicate she was fine and it looked like she got one back.

During the short moments she opened her eyes she recognised elements of the room on the other side. Her heart beat faster as if she was taking a ride in a roller coaster and each time she closed her eyes and forced herself to relax before people monitoring her worried about it and thought something might be wrong.

She had no idea how much time had passed when the other side started to take shape in her vision. Large objects looked familiar despite the blurriness, and she saw the individual felines moving around. One of then sat near her and she knew it was Min. She couldn't clearly see any colours yet, but she was sure it was him, smiled at him and gave him a little wave. When he returned it there was no doubt left in her.

Sounds which had been a stream of noise for a while became more distinct. She recognised different voices and after some time she recognised some words.

'Can you hear me?' she asked.

Min stood up but what he said was still too garbled.

'I can't understand yet.' she said and gave him a thumbs up. 'If you can hear me, I'm fine.'

She thought she recognised a nod from him and closed her eyes again because the strain of looking at the psychedelic dream she saw was too tiresome.

She opened her eyes again when she heard her name from a garbled voice.

'Nuha?' asked Min again. 'Her me you can?'

'I hear you.' she said. 'Although barely.'

She recognised his smile. 'Good.' he said. 'Blurred you still are, but getting better. You okay?'

'I'm fine.' she said. 'How long has it been now?'

'Five hours almost.' Min said. 'I stay here for company.'

She smiled at him. 'I can use that.' she said and chuckled. 'This is rather boring without a good book.'

While she and Min talked another feline did the same check-ups on her and relayed them to Aminah. Soon enough her surroundings were clear enough to keep her eyes open most of the time and she gazed at the sight around her. All the walking and talking felines made her think she had ended up in an animation.

'This is so unreal.' she said.

'So you are too.' Min chuckled. 'Like movie.'

'I never thought I'd experience a real life science fiction movie.' she said. 'It's going to take some time before I completely accept it as reality.'

Min nodded. 'I know.'

A signal sounded from her chair to indicate the synchronisation was done but Nuha had to stay in it for another half hour to make sure. When she finally could get out Min reached out his hand to her. She watched his furry hand with soft pads on the inside, smiled and slid her hand in his. He helped her up while everyone around her and on the other side applauded the first step of another species in their world.

She blushed and smiled a little. 'I feel like I should say something profound, but I have no words to match what I feel now.' she said.

'Worry not.' Min said with a grin. 'Make up something history will.'

She chuckled. 'That's true.'

She shook everyone's hands and was offered something to eat and drink as it had been a while. She talked to the feline volunteer to be brought to the other side about her experiences and he was grateful for it. Two felines did an extra check-up on her with help from medical specialists from her side and had another lengthy interview and various tests to see if there had been any psychological changes.

When all was done Min took her outside to bring her to a separate shack for her to rest for the rest of the night.

She looked up at the stars and smiled. 'Just like home.' she said. 'They're the same stars, but also different.'

Min smiled as he looked up with her. 'Wonder I did if there were other beings in universe looking up like we at stars.' he said and looked back at her. 'I know now.'

She returned his gaze with a smile, her heart beating faster at the sight of the person she had spent so much time with through the dimensions. Her mind blank she leaned closer to him and kissed him.

When she opened her eyes and realised what she had done she took a quick step back and covered her mouth. 'Oh shit!' she said. 'I don't know what came over me!'

Min touched his lips, then looked at her. 'What this is?'

Nuha looked down in embarrassment. 'I.., it's what we call a kiss.' she said. 'Gomen. I shouldn't have done that.'

He smiled softly. 'Mind I don't.' he said. 'Like it, rather.'

She glanced up at him. 'You, do?'

He nodded a little. 'From you I would like more.' he said and took her hand gently in his.

She smiled back at him and leaned in for another kiss, this one lasting longer.

The next day Nuha sat down at a screen for an interview with Aminah.

'So, how was it?' asked Aminah.

'It was a good night.' said Nuha. 'Slept tight and dreams seemed normal.'

Aminah gave her a sly smile. 'I wasn't talking about that.'

Nuha blinked. 'Then what?'

Aminah leaned closer to the screen. 'I can see it even through the camera.' she said. 'How was he?'

Nuha turned red and looked away. 'What do you mean?'

Aminah chuckled. 'No use hiding it. Everyone already knows because they saw it coming ever since you two spent a lot of time talking together on your private connection.'

Nuha grinned a little. 'That obvious, eh?'

'Yep.' said Aminah and sat back crossing her arms. 'So talk. The other girls here are dying to know.'

***

Min walked over to Nuha on the porch and sat next to her on the bench overlooking the hills of the place she had first set foot on in this world many months ago.

'Just got call.' he said. 'Scientists on your world are looking at other spots you discovered weather anomaly, starting to probe and listen for other dimensions. And first flight of airship between here and your world was success. Flying through gate area during critical time of transcending from one dimension to other is enough. Synchronisation can start after take off from one port and finish on flight to destination.' He took Nuha's hand in his. 'And new technology prevents breakdown of atoms, so when something wrong goes, everything will synchronise back to original.'

Nuha smiled and squeezed his hand. 'Then I'll soon be able to show you my world.'

He nodded. 'Think your parents will faint when you introduce me?'

She shrugged. 'They're used to me bringing home stray cats ever since I was a little kid.'

'Hey!' he said and tickled her while she laughed.