Topsy-turvy

It was only the fourth time we’d tried using the interdimensional portal. The other three times had revealed views of barren landscapes.

This one was completely different. We’d hit the jackpot this time; the visiscreen displayed what was clearly a building with windows in it. The image was blurry and distorted, and it wavered disconcertingly. Worse than that, it was the wrong way up — it was as though the whole scene was reflected in water.

“Try panning the image, Alan,” Jed, my supervisor, suggested. I had been about to do just that; I bit back a surly reply.

I tried panning. I tried tilting. I tried yawing. Everywhere was the same: more buildings, a tree-filled area with what looked like a children’s playground, a car park with no cars; all of it blurry, distorted, wavering and, most troubling of all, the wrong way up. I couldn’t see any people anywhere.

On an impulse, and before Jed could chime in again with one of his pesky instructions, I adjusted the spin on the transpatial modulator.

“Uh, Alan…,” Jed said. I turned to look at him. He seemed to be blurry, distorted, and wavering.

And then the world turned upside down.

Image credit: January MorgueFile 591731d2dd6c37f7842ba0de3f3613ee

Word count: 199
Prompt: Flash fiction for the purposeful practitioner