The Birthday Beyond

On his 25th birthday, Lance visits a parallel self, and learns to value his own life.

Lance Crawford woke on his twenty-fifth birthday expecting nothing more than a nice dinner with his family, maybe a movie with friends if schedules lined up. He had been disappointed after learning his extra paycheck from the library would be delayed, which meant the 500k he needed for a physical parallel universe trip was out of reach.

But that night, in the middle of dinner, his parents exchanged a look. His mother slid a sleek white envelope across the table.

“Happy birthday, sweetheart.”

Lance frowned, tore the envelope open, and nearly dropped it. Inside was a black holographic pass embossed with silver lettering: Interverse Travel Authority. Tier 7 Access. One guest, full immersion.

The room spun for a second. “This...this is seven hundred thousand credits. How?”

His father grinned. “You’ve been saving for years. We thought you deserved a push across the finish line.”

Jane, his childhood best friend, raised a hand sheepishly. “We all chipped in. Don’t think your second job went unnoticed, Lance. Consider this a gift from everyone who loves you.”

Lance’s throat tightened. For once, the words failed him. He hugged his parents, his siblings, then Jane. “You guys are unbelievable.”

The next morning, Lance stood in the Interverse terminal. Silver corridors stretched endlessly, and holographic displays floated above each portal arch. A calm attendant handed him a tablet.

“You’ve been approved for a Category 4 mirror world,” she said. “This means high similarity to your own timeline but with significant divergences. You’ll remain twenty-four hours. Physical body only, memories automatically sync on return. Please confirm your consent.”

Lance pressed his thumb to the scanner, heart hammering.

The portal flared to life, rippling blue and gold. He stepped through.

The air on the other side felt warmer, crisper. He emerged in what looked like the same city, same skyline, same familiar hum of traffic, but subtly different. Holographic billboards towered higher, the sky glittered with more drones, and sleek monorail tracks threaded the streets.

And then he saw it: a billboard flashing his face. Lance Crawford, Lead Developer at Comp-Net Quantum Division. Featured Innovator of the Year.

“What the...” he whispered.

Someone clapped him on the shoulder. “Lance! You’re late, birthday boy.”

He spun around. The man grinning at him looked like his co-worker from Comp-U-Tech, except sharper, dressed in an immaculate suit. “Come on, the party’s already started at the rooftop.”

Before Lance could protest, he was being pulled into a glass elevator ride skyward.

The rooftop was draped in golden banners, alive with laughter and music. A hundred guests mingled, dressed in futuristic chic, sipping neon cocktails. At the center of it all stood...himself.

Parallel Lance.

This Lance wore confidence like a tailored jacket. His hair was neatly styled, his smile quick and charming. He was surrounded by people who seemed to hang on his every word. When their eyes met, the other Lance’s smile faltered in recognition.

They approached each other slowly, like two magnets uncertain whether to attract or repel.

“You’re me,” Parallel Lance said at last. “Must be one of those sanctioned visitors.”

“Yeah,” Lance managed. “From...another thread.”

Parallel Lance chuckled. “Guess it figures. Today’s my twenty-fifth birthday too.”

Someone handed them both drinks. For a moment, they just studied each other. Lance saw what his life might have been: no second job at the library, no scrambling for paychecks. This version had clearly taken risks, climbed ladders faster.

“So,” Parallel Lance asked, “how’s life over there?”

Lance hesitated, then laughed. “Ordinary. I fix tech, catalog books, watch movies with friends. Nothing like this.” He gestured at the party.

The other Lance’s eyes softened. “Looks glamorous, doesn’t it? But let me tell you, being the golden boy comes with chains. Deadlines, investors breathing down your neck, people expecting genius every week. Sometimes I wonder what it’d be like if I’d just taken a quieter path.”

The honesty surprised Lance. He suddenly realized that beneath the polish, this version of him was just as uncertain, and just as restless.

The night unfolded in surreal waves. Lance met people he knew from his own world, but their lives had twisted differently. Jane Silverstien, the shy librarian back home, was a renowned author here. His brother Dan, who still struggled to finish college in his world, was a respected professor. Even his parents were different...wealthier, but oddly more distant.

Everywhere he looked, life had bloomed in strange directions. Some better, some lonelier.

The highlight came when Parallel Lance raised a glass and announced: “To my other self. May we both find the lives we want, even if they’re not the same.”

The guests cheered, and for a fleeting moment, Lance felt like he belonged in two places at once.

As midnight approached, the portal timer flickered in his vision. Twenty minutes left.

He and Parallel Lance stood apart from the crowd, watching the city lights.

“Funny,” Parallel Lance said, “we each envy what the other has. I look at you and think, freedom. Space to breathe. People close enough to sacrifice for you. I have fame, but sometimes I wonder if anyone really knows me.”

Lance swallowed. “And I look at you and see success. Recognition. Proof I matter.”

His counterpart smiled faintly. “Maybe we’re both doing okay. Just different routes up the same mountain.”

They shook hands, warm, but steady. Two versions of the same man acknowledging each other.

Lance blinked back into the terminal. His parents and friends waited anxiously.

“How was it?” his mother asked.

He grinned, surprising himself with how sure he felt. “Incredible. But you know what? I’m glad to be back here. With all of you.”

They hugged him, relieved. Jane slipped her arm through his. “Ready for some birthday cake in this one?”

Lance laughed. “More than ready.”

And as they left the terminal together, he realized the best gift wasn’t seeing what he could have been, it was learning to appreciate what he already was.

Written for:"Writer's Cramp wishes WDC Happy 25th!" 
Prompt: For their 25th Birthday, your character is gifted with a trip to a parallel universe to celebrate their special day. What is different about their life, friends, and the celebration itself there? Do they meet themselves? Write the story or poem.
Word count: 988