Very famous time travel noises are made as a cart appears on a road to a walled city. The Bluetooth speakers attached to the cart, play the sounds of the TARDIS as I pop into this new reality. The cart could have popped in completely silently but I feel like if you're going to dimension hop, you might as well do it in style.
I don't have too much control of how the cart looks. Its appearance changes based on what Universe I've landed in. Sometimes it looks like a modern foodcart, sometimes it's a boat converted to use hovertech. No matter the outside appearance, all of the insides and functionalities are the same: the refrigerator, the heater and the dimensional storage are all there every time. Even my little sound system with my mp3 player is integrated somehow into what the universe I'm in would consider acceptable.
The cart’s appearance is usually the first clue of where I'm at. I don't exactly control where I end up, it's kind of a quantum leap type situation. Jump in, sell food, offer some friendly advice, buy a few souvenirs, and jump out.
This cart is a little bit more primitive then I've seen in the last few jumps. Wrought iron accents surround the white washed wooden frame of the cart. A collapsible umbrella is mounted to the corner. The umbrella looks like a design from ancient Japan. The wheels are wooden with some iron hardware, another clue. No plastic visible at all, even the condiment containers are a type of gourd with a cork stopper. Definitely some ancient Asian world, perhaps Journey to the West or any number of Isekai Manga universes.
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However the second biggest clue to where I was came from the spiral leaf patterned on the tag hanging off the umbrella pole. “Fire Nation Merchant license: must be kept on visible display at all times.” A big clue indeed, but the bigger one was the Mt. Rushmore looking cliffside that just rose over the horizon as I pushed the cart. I had to pause as I recognized the landmark. That is Hokage rock, and there are only 4 faces. Thank God I'm not in Boruto.
A half an hour later and I had pushed the cart to the big green doors of the main gate. The Sun was still low in the sky, and fog was clinging to any shadow it could find. Hmm, a cool morning, perfect weather for sausages wrapped in blueberry pancakes, and cheese crepes. I made the menu selection in my system menu. The system menu is a floating screen that gives the status of all the magical things the cart can do. I can call it forward by just thinking about it, and it's invisible to everyone else but me. The cart made the changes, and soon the smell of freshly cooked sausage was making its way to the ninja posted at the gate.
“Oh that smells amazing! You must be a food seller. Can I see your Merchants Permit?” said the guard. “Of course, young sir and you are correct, my food is amazing. Shame you will be at the gate all morning. Looks like there isn't much of a line to come into town, I think I can spare a moment to fix you something.”
“You don't need to do..”
“Nonsense, I've already started.” I said as I placed a sausage on a stick, dipped it into the blueberry pancake batter and then into the hot oil.
2 minutes later and the gate guard had a perfect morning snack in his hands.
“The white dust is powdered sugar, and you put away your money. This one is on the house. Just tell your friends about my cart.”
