flicker • verb
flick·er | \ ˈfli-kər \
flickered; flickering\
ˈfli-k(ə-)riŋ \
1 : to move irregularly or unsteadily
2 : to burn or shine fitfully or with a fluctuating light
3 : to appear or pass briefly

alternative universe
1. (literature, narratology) An imaginary realm, often a variant form of the real world, depicting a different way events could have unfolded or the universe could have functioned.