000521 -- An Introduction ========================= AUTHOR: dsweet COMPOSED: 5/24/00 UPDATED: 9/26/00 STORY: The scene opens on the interior of the Rocky Beach Mall on May 21st, 2000. It is a typical mall. In fact since it is a California mall it is a typical typical mall. Our would be heroes will wonder between the Orange Julius Stand and the Hot Dog on a Stick place in the next few minutes. Dolores positions herself strategically between these popular eateries in order to fulfill her quota. Two subjects come into view. Their walks lack purpose; they are obvious targets. She starts her pitch, "Hi I am Dolores. I work for Other Worlds Travel. Would you like to participate in a focus group today?". As if she had made their days they reply cheerfully and immediately, "Sure" and "Okay". "Can I get your names for my records?" Dolores has readied her pen and clipboard. "Jake Talloway is my name. Here have my card. If you need any legal services don't hesitate to call." Dolores directs the Lawyer toward the conference room door were he meet those already in the room ready to start. Dolores then turns to the cheery looking girl that happened to be walking near Jake. "My name is Amber. I am still in High School; am I old enough to participate?" "Sure come with me and I will introduce you to the other participants. What's your last name?" A few minutes later Dolores is back in the mall proper scanning the crowd. Pickings are getting slim so she decides to wonder towards a Wrestler signing autographs, but before she gets there she spots two more that meet the profile. They are walking in opposite directions and will walk past her simultaneously. She checks her hair in the aluminum siding of the Hot Dog on a Stick's lemonade dispenser. She produces an inspiring smile and steps between the two men. "Hello I am Dolores Gifthorse. I work for Other Worlds travel what can I do to convince you two to participate in a focus group?" The tall fellow wearing motorcycle leather from head to toe responds. "What do we get out of it." "After the hour session you get to spin the wheel of future." "Where you are guaranteed to win a fabulous prize." "You can win trips all over the world like Lake Tahoe and Hawaii." "There are cash prizes too!" After a moment of contemplation he says, "where do I go?" Feeling prompted, the other man wearing a department of fish and game uniform nods he'd like to participate as well. Jay's and Rick's names are written down and before long Dolores is back at her game. The Wrestler is still at his table. Above his head on a banner is his name, the Black Scorpion. Just in case he wanders away from the table there is a another reminder of his name across the front of his muscle shirt. Standing in front of the table is a child that looks about eight. Dolores walks up to both of them. The boy has a question that must be answered, "If Hulk Hogan and Superman were to get in a fight who would win?". Black puts his hand to his chin and thinks about this, "Me, I'd win". "Ok but if Hulk Hogan and Batman got in a fight who'd win?" "Hmmm", Black ponders. Dolores breaks in with her spiel. The Wrestler begins to reply that he is too busy signing autographs to help her but the child continues, "What about it, Batman or Hulk Hogan?" "Me, Me, I'd win." "You will win a fabulous prize, Mr. Scorpion". "Yeah but what if a good Hulk Hogan and a bad Hulk Hogan were to fight?" In desperation Black says, "Can I sign an autograph for you lady?" She hands him the clipboard and points to the last name field on her form. When he is done, "Excellent, let me show you the way to the conference room." As the door to the focus group room closes behind Dolores the other participants can hear the beginning of a child's question. "If Hulk Hogan and" Black takes the last seat in the room. Jay the motorcyclist moves his chair next to the Scorpion. Dolores asks for everyone to fill out the questionnaire in front of them. Many have already. When they are done, she says she has to give her form and all of their's to the number crunchers and that she will be right back. Some small talk breaks out in the small room with the one door and the large mirror on the north wall. When she returns she ensures everyone introduces themselves. Amber goes to RBHS and is a Cheerleader. "Go Anemones" announces Jake. He says he is a lawyer and that they may know him from his late night commercials. Rick, the ranger, says he works for the department of fish and game. He is working on his Master's. Jay is a professional motorcyclist who just hasn't gotten his break yet. Black simply says, "I float like a scorpion and sting like a scorpion." The questions begin. Dolores encourages them to answer the questions as a group after a period of discussion. She takes notes furiously. In the end everyone comes to a consensus. They agreed that the best vacations would be to far off lands where they are not just tourists but participants in the culture. It would be good if some cause was served by this participation. The final question was asked of each individual, "On a scale from 1 to 10 how important is a vaction like this to you. 1 would be that your life was prefect and that this prefect vacation didn't interest you. 10 would be that this sort of vacation would be worth dropping everything for." Everyone but the Lawyer responded with a 9 or 10. Strangely, Jake's participation in the focus group indicated vacations were trophies to be brought back and showed off to your envious associates. He replied with a 3. Dolores wrote down the figures and calculated an average before announcing the hour was up and that she'd be right back with the wheel and their chance to spin it. Those with more astute hearing notice a door just to the north open and close as the focus group room door closes behind Dolores. Minutes pass. Jay stands up to stretch his legs. He walks to the door to open it, but it is locked. He announces this to the stunned room. Amber rushes the mirror. She puts her face right to the glass to look through this obvious two way mirror. She sees four men in white lab coats and Dolores in a heated debate. They notice her and metal slats fold down on the opposite side of the mirror blocking Amber's view. Jake goes to check the door, and it opens for him. But instead of hearing the sounds of the mall there is nothing. In fact the mall has been replaced with an industrial hallway painted in a washed out blue-green. The hallway is a cylinder with many pipes and valves lining its edges. Jake concludes that they are simply in the basement and the focus group room is nothing more then an elevator. Jay rushes past, out into the hall. Jake follows him. Those left in the room see the men motioning and appearing to speak but nothing is heard. The men have shocked looks on their faces. The lawyer steps back into the room with his hands in front of him as if searching for a light switch. He stumbles forward and steps through Amber. "He's like a ghost", she screams. The ranger has decided they have been placed into some sort of video game and also steps into the hall. Meanwhile, the men in the hall can no longer see the room. As soon as they stepped through they saw nothing but the hallway behind them. Even more bizarre, they can not touch anything in the hallway. They do hear the sounds of dripping water, machinery and each other. In an attempt to get back to where he was before Jay turns around walks towards the direction he came from. This is when he steps through Amber. Jay walks to the end of the hallway. It ends with a circular hatch with what looks to be a valve wheel. Before he gets there the substance that makes up the surface of what he is walking on stops. He does not fall though. He just hangs there awkwardly. He concludes that even though the hallway is beneath his feet that is not what everyone is walking on. He calls Rick to pull him back. As he walks down the hall Rick spots a port hole facing what should be South. After Jay is back on the walkway and getting ready for his running leap, Rick walks back to the port hole and sees water on the other side. Stretching out around him is a immense underwater complex. The water is inhabitated with albino worm like creatures. The only light is coming from the complex. There is nothing but darkness above. Now only Amber and Black are left in the focus group room. They see Jay take a running jump and sail through the hatch at the end of the hall. Black decides to stick his head and a shoulder through the plane of the doorway. To his dismay the room disappears. Now his head and shoulder inhabit the underwater hallway. He walks in the direction of the center of the focus group room. Amber's jaw has dropped. She stops pounding on the mirror and walks over to Black. Her hand passes through his head but stops on his substantial shoulder. Black and Amber try to communicate with paper and touch but to no avail. Finally Black decides to walk into the hallway proper. Amber makes a few more emotional pleas towards the apathetic mirror before heading through the doorway with her head hung low. A popping noise is heard as the last member steps through. Jay falls to the ground. He has been floating on the other side of the hatch. He turns the hatch wheel on his side to open it and sees everyone again. A lengthy discussion takes place. Some are convinced they are under the influence of drugs. Other believe they are in an elaborate virtual reality game. The lawyer feels for holes in his head. Black finds one in his ear. Everyone agrees with Jay's suggestion that the Scorpion should body slams who ever is responsible for their situation. Eventually they begin to walk. Jake uses this time to get everyone's address for the eventual class action. Amber refuses to give the lawyer her information because her mother has warned her about men like him.