In the Multiverse, within a dark expanse, a diamond-shaped celestial body floated quietly at some coordinate beyond the reach of language.
The hiss of air venting as the gate opened was particularly clear. Peter strode down the long corridor and entered a spacious, brightly lit recreation hall.
"Look who it is. Isn't this our Lucky Lad?" Amazing Spider-Man walked up warmly, patted Peter on the back, and said.
Peter pulled off his mask and walked forward shoulder to shoulder with Amazing Spider-Man. As he surveyed the various Spider-Men coming and going through the hall, he said, "Have you gotten used to all the facilities at the base? Any problems? If there are, I'll improve them when I get back this time."
"There were indeed a few minor issues at first, but we adjusted them ourselves." Amazing Spider-Man stopped at the bar and said to Shadow Spider-Man, who was mixing drinks, "Make him a gin and tonic. I'll have an ordinary sweet wine. Oh, and no ice."
"No, just give me a glass of ice water. I still have things to do later!" Peter said, turning to Shadow Spider-Man.
"I really didn't expect you to build us a base in the Multiverse. We thought we'd have to spend years on that abandoned planet!" Amazing Spider-Man shook his head with a sigh.
"Because the universe I'm in has excess production capacity. Humanity's research into spacecraft hasn't reached the point where we can mass-produce space transportation, but the newly mined materials and newly developed production lines would just sit idle otherwise. We might as well use them for practice."
Peter smiled and continued, "Fortunately, Mr. Stark was generous. If he hadn't lent me the laboratory, I really wouldn't have been able to build a base so quickly."
"I heard the original Superior Spider-Man—oh,