[piosenniel]

Veritas and pio stood back to back - pio her sword drawn and Veritas brandishing her now blazing staff. The time space continuum had stretched itself out and folded over and rejoined itself like a giant mobius strip. No place to get off. From somewhere near she could hear Birdie singing. It seemed a hopeful song, and pio wondered what phantasms had prompted such a bright refrain in so grey a world. In counterpoint, she heard a harmony echo Birdie's song in a clear small voice. That must be Rosie, she thought.

'Where's Child?', she wondered out loud. Veritas motioned with her free hand toward a small heap just on the other side of the REG. 'Fainted, again?!', she said.

The two surveyed the area as best they could, before putting away their weapons. Stepping toward the now still and silent REG, Veritas prodded it with her staff to see what would happen. It looked normal, and somehow innocent just sitting there, its toggle switches now in the 'off' position.

'Veritas, let's get the laptop hooked back up to the REG and run some diagnostics. I think I see the cable link up dangling from your pocket.'

Once engaged, the REG seemed to develop a low level hum, desafinado, slightly off key. The laptop ran its dignostic check, but could find nothing wrong.

'Oh look!, said pio. 'There's a new ebony icon down there on the left. Looks like a Gate of some sort with the letters DoN inscribed on it. Click on it - let's see what we get.'

'You sure you want to do this?!' said Veritas. 'Remember the last time we clicked on an icon?'

'How much worse could things get?' replied pio. 'Besides, this is still a party, let's have some fun!'

'For an elf, your ideas of fun are very strange -- and dangerous.' pio just smiled and clicked on the icon. A vibrant sable screen appeared with 2 large, locked doors in the center, edged in silver. On each was a large star, and in the center of each star were set gems of pure dazzling light. Below the doors was set a many branched luminescent white tree and at its roots was inscribed the invitation - 'Do You Want To Play?'

Birdie, Rose in tow, and the now awakened Child had made their way to the scene at the laptop. The five looked at each other, and then looked back at the enticing screen. Child, ever the voice of reason, opened her mouth to urge caution. Birdie and Rose leaned toward her as if in agreement.

'Of course, we want to play!' said pio, finger moving toward the enter key. She winked at the others and motioned them nearer with her free hand.

'Click!'

The logo screen for the game came up.

DOORS OF NIGHT

click HERE to open

Such an innocent invitation. How could she refuse the choice.

The sound of that small 'click' was overshadowed by the collective gasp from the remaining four companions, swallowed up in darkness.

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meanwhile, back at the ranch, er. . . um Fields of Cormallen, a small group of expert trackers led by Mithadan were preparing to pursue the REG and its abductors.