↳ Replace: <insert car brand> with the name of a sponsoring car company (should be Canadian) <insert clothing retailer>
New Scene(@Temporal = Early Evening)
QST.camera zooms onto Realie and into Doctor Who’s office. [L] and Doctor Who stand at Doctor Who’s desk, staring out the window.
[L]: And you’re sure he’ll alright?
Doctor Who: I’m sure. I’ve met his future self.
[L]: But you don’t know where Benjy is right now?
Doctor Who: His future self didn’t tell me. He said I need to find that out on my own. So I think it would be best not to get involved.
Doctor Who seems uneasy as he says these words.
[L]: Not like we can anyway.
M3LL: I’m not sure if that’s what they mean when they say that time is relative.
Doctor Who: It’s what they should mean.
???: Should mean! Should mean!
The source of this noise is revealed to be a Chatot in M3LL’s arms. M3LL asks what the creature (the Chatot) is, and Doctor Who explains about the pokémon. M3LL turns to Doctor Who’s wall and stares at a map of the state of California.
M3LL: What’s that?
Doctor Who: I’m trying to track down a pattern.
M3LL: What kind of pattern?
Doctor Who: See these locations in yellow? These are the locations of all the holes in spacetime that have been reported.
M3LL: And you think that there is a pattern?
Doctor Who: Well, yes.
Doctor Who points to several locations, identifying where they occurred and when they were reported, many are at junior/high schools, and a few colleges including U.C. Riverside.
M3LL: It looks like it’s making some sort of line, almost as if…
Doctor Who nods in agreement, staring intently at the map.
Doctor Who: They’re not random. I know there’s some kind of…
Doctor Who looks up as Mr. Dallas enters the room.
Mr. Dallas: Thats the San Andreas fault.
Doctor Who: Huh.
Doctor Who steps behind the desk and opens a map of the San Andreas fault on his computer, then proceeds to glance between them repeatedly.
Doctor Who: This is… odd. It looks as if all of the holes are within 40 miles of the fault. But what effects could an earthquake fault have on spacetime?
M3LL: That’s way out of my league. But I’ve got to go make sure Gina is getting set up okay.
Mr. Dallas: By the way, there’s this rumor going around. Is she really ten years old?
M3LL: Eleven.
Mr. Dallas: …
[L]: I’ll explain later.
<<QST::Theme Song()>>
New Scene()
In Mr. Starf’s old classroom, Gina lies at his old desk sound asleep. The classroom looks like it’s in mid-transition between Starf’s materials and Gina’s. On one of the walls, Gina has her degree in a frame. It’s at this time, M3LL pokes her head into the classroom.
M3LL: Looks like she’s making progress. At least she has all day tomorrow.
M3LL walks out of the classroom as Gina snores.
M3LL: I wonder what she’s dreaming about.
New Scene(Gina.getDream())
QST.camera zooms onto Gina as she emerges from a hallway into a large octagonal room. The room (and the hallway) are made of blue stone, and the room has a large yellow 4-pointed star on the floor.
In some of the corners of the room there are statues of magi, which Gina sees as she looks around. Gina is dressed in Runescapian blue mystic robes, carrying a strange electronic wand-like device in her hand.
Gina: Mom, where are you? It’s almost time and you said that…
As Gina emerges into the room from the large white rectangle, a kind-looking man emerges from another passage adjacent to Gina’s.
Man: Gina, we’ve been looking for you. Something wrong?
Gina: No, nothing.
Man: Gina, something’s wrong. Remember what you learned about sharing your troubles.
Gina: Never-mind.
Gina walks across the room, but in the process trips on her robe and goes sprawling. The man doesn’t say anything as he watches Gina gather her stuff back together.
Gina: Sorry, I’m going to be late.
Gina tries to run again, but once again trips and falls. The man face-palms and walks over and helps Gina to her feet, as well as helping her gather her things back together.
Man: …Gina. I need to talk to your mother, where is she?
Gina attempts to run forwards again, and once again trips on her gown, again going sprawling on the ground.
Man: Gina. Where is your mother?
On the ground, Gina appears to be fighting back tears.
Man: What a hypocrite that lady is.
New Scene()
Tripping on her gown one last time, Gina makes it into the room where her graduation is going to be held with the man walking behind her. As she enters into the blue stone room overlooking a giant lake, the intercom buzzes to life.
Intercom: Mr. Anderson, please report to the network room. Mr. Anderson, please report to the network room.
Man → Mr. Anderson: What now?
Leaving Gina, Anderson walks back the way he came as Gina takes her place on the podium with her other classmates, six female, and three male.
New Scene()
Anderson arrives in the network room, a small beige room with several phones and a computer on a table in the middle of the room. The room itself is in the middle of a hallway between two other rooms. Down the hallway is a classroom with windows looking out perpendicular to the graduation room. A man stands behind the table, behind him is a counter and some closets.
Anderson: Something wrong, Neil?
Neil: You didn’t bring Gina?
Anderson: No, you didn’t call her.
Neil: I better do that then.
Revert Scene()
Intercom: Gina Missington, please report to the network room. Gina Missington, please report to the network room.
Revert Scene()
Neil: …
Anderson: That girl…
Neil picks up the intercom.
Neil: Your graduation ceremony is going to be delayed, due to unforeseen…err…technical difficulties (into the intercom).
Revert Scene()
Some of the students moan, and two of the girls sit down on the stage.
Intercom: Gina Missington, please report to the network room immediately.
Gina stands frozen, but one of the women nearby gently approaches her and puts some paperclips on Gina’s robe to prevent her from tripping on it, then sends Gina along with some words of encouragement.
Revert Scene()
Gina peers around the corner.
Neil: So you noticed that she was moping too?
Anderson: Yeah…
Neil: Can’t find her mother. That’s why.
Anderson: Interesting…
Anderson turns and notices Gina in the doorway.
Anderson: Gina, it’s about you! Come on in.
Gina enters the room carefully.
Neil: I figured out why her mother’s not here.
@Break Dream {
[L] enters the classroom and looks around to see Gina’s things partly unpacked, and Gina asleep at her new desk. [L] then sighs and walks back into the hallway.
}
Anderson: Traffic accident?
Neil: Yeah, coma and unresponsive and everything. Not a good prognosis. Haven’t had a chance to scry the police reports though. But I’ll bet that it was another case of reckless driving.
Gina sits silently and listens to the two men talk.
Neil: Gina, your mother won’t be able to be with us for your graduation today. I suggest you take off that mystic stuff and put on the splitbark that you’re used to.
Gina stares at Neil and trembles.
Neil: Gina, remember what we were working on? If you have a worry, tell us about it.
Anderson: She’s worried that her mom’s going to find out.
Neil: Gina, you aren’t afraid of ghosts, are you.
Gina looks at Neil in confusion.
Gina: What do ghosts…
Anderson: Your mother is…
Neil: She’s a smart child, Anderson. She’ll figure it out.
Gina: Ghosts? I’ve trapped ghosts and played with them, but what does my mom…
Anderson flicks a switch on the wall and the radio goes on. Gina shutters.
Radio: Fire trucks on their way and all four lanes closed. I haven’t quite seen anything like this in years. This just in, now twelve confirmed dead. But we still don’t have an update on the condition of the driver of the blue <insert car brand> that caused the fatal crash and explosion–
Anderson flicks the switch and the radio goes off. Now fully grasping the situation, Gina sits trembling.
Neil: At this rate, I wouldn’t blame her if she never learns to drive a car.
Anderson now opens the closet above the counter and pulls out a set of split-bark armor. Gina accepts it nervously from Anderson and he hands it to her.
New Scene()
Nervously, Gina walks up to the stage in her split-bark armor where the woman is waiting for her. Gina looks at the woman nervously.
Woman: You look lovely, Gina. Remember, this is your day, not your mother’s.
Gina: But I…
Woman: She did this for her mother. It hurt us all just watching her, such irony.
New Scene(#End_Dream)
Gina wakes up in the late afternoon/early evening and looks over her classroom. As she does, a bright red alien creature peers around the door.
Red alien creature: Gina?
Gina: Kiki! Uh…
Red alien creature ➠ Kiki: Relax, Gina. It’s just me. I’ll be watching by camera in case you have trouble. You can finish getting your classroom set up tomorrow. And then work on the lesson plan. If you don’t have it set up by Monday, you can always use Monday as a day to introduce yourself.
Gina nods slightly.
Gina: It’s okay, Kiki. I have energy,
Kiki: Okay then.
Kiki nods, then turns and walks down the hallway.
Kiki: I can’t tell. Is it a good thing or a bad thing that half of them don’t expect her to succeed. Coming down to the states to be a schoolteacher at eleven…
New Scene(@Temporal += ~42 hours)
Kiki sits at the Principal’s Desk, examining the data displayed by the computer system. Doctor Who stands by her side.
Doctor Who: Are you sure you can manage…?
Kiki: If Gina can teach a class of fifteen highschoolers, then I can effectively serve as an administrator. This planet isn’t all that different from my homeworld in it’s organizational structure, Doctor.
Doctor Who nods, and turns to leave. The morning’s sunlight streams in through the window as Kiki looks over the data. Kiki sips a cup of coffee.
Kiki: So this is how they concentrate.
Kiki types something, and scrolls through a sheet of numbers, then sips her coffee again.
Kiki: I still don’t understand why they add that nasty white crystalline powder to it.
Outside the office window, students start arriving. A Vulpix slips through the crowd, followed by three Pikachus and an Eevee. Dodging people walking, the pokémon begin to climb up the stairs. Max’s Cantherius caws on the railing until he picks it up and places it on his shoulder. Vulpix jumps onto the railing, and onto Max’s other shoulder, where Cantherius looks at it cautiously. Michelle lifts her Vulpix away and Cantherius relaxes.
QST.camera now moves into the main hall where Doctor Who is talking to [L].
[L]: And you’re going where?
Doctor Who: An incredibly important person is having an incredibly hard time with something incredibly important. That’s all I can say at the moment.
Doctor Who hands [L] a sticky note.
Doctor Who: That’s the number of the hotel in Washington DC where I’ll be staying if you need to reach me. But I’m sure you’ll find that Kiki is more than a competent administrator.
[L]: Kiki? Who’s that?
Doctor Who: The red alien. I’m sure you’ll find that she’s fully qualified for the job.
[L]: So in addition to the child on our staff, we’re now going to be run by an extraterrestrial?
Doctor Who: You’ve always been run by an extraterrestrial. Lightsman’s an elf, but he’s had plastic surgery to help him blend in.
[L]: The fact that you can say that so nonchalantly is worrisome.
From the driveway, Marlin calls to Doctor Who that his cab is waiting. Doctor Who hurriedly says goodbye to [L] and rushes off down the steps. Marlin follows him.
[L]: So much for that promotion. But I get the strangest feeling that I should be more concerned what the parents will think of an alien principal.
New Scene()
Gina sits at her desk as the students pour into the hallway that leads into the classroom. Max and Alex are seen in the crowd, along with Brett and Shamim. The class of fifteen slowly takes their seats while they look around for the teacher.
Max: So where is the new teacher?
Alex: We probably have a substitute.
Max: But where are they?
Brett: Ninety-one percent chance they’re running late.
Alex: And what about the other nine percent?
Brett: Not sure.
As Brett says this, Gina steps out from behind her desk.
Gina: Um, I’m right here.
Shamim: So if there’s no teacher here, can we have a duel tournament!?
Brett: Um… 61 percent chance on that Sh’mim. But it looks like we have a teacher today.
As Brett says this, Mr. Dallas walks down the hall towards the classroom. Gina now is in front of her desk.
Gina: P-please quiet down! I’m Gina Missington, I’m your new…
Alex and another girl turn their attention to Gina.
Alex: Wait, what? You’re our teacher?
Gina: Um–
Mr. Dallas now enters the room, and Max turns to him, along with the rest of the class.
Max: Hey Dallas, are you substituting for Starf?
Dallas: Not this time Max. You guys have a new teacher.
Shamim: Then where is he?
Dallas: *She’s* right here.
Mr. Dallas walks up to the front of the classroom and pats Gina on the head gently. Gina backs up slightly.
Gina: W-wait. What did the student-contractor-guy tell me?
Gina: I-I have a rare genetic disorder that makes me look like a child. I’m actually an adult.
Shamim: What's it called?
Gina: Um–
Dallas: They don’t have an actual name for it yet.
Gina sighs slightly. Brett turns to Alex.
Brett: I call bull(bleep). (whisper)
Max: I believe it. (whisper)
Brett: You believe everything, mr. psychic. (whisper)
Max: I knew you’d say that. (whisper)
Shamim: How old are you? (To Gina)
Gina: Um–
Gina’s eyes water in an anime fashion.
Dallas: It’s not polite to ask a woman her age, Shamim.
Shamim: Yeah, but how old is she really?
Gina: I-If you must know, I-I’m f-forty two…
Max: Told you.
Brett: I’m not convinced. There’s no such genetic disorder that would cause you to remain a child for forty years. It would have to be a mitochondrion malfunction, and no such malfunction exists.
Max: It’s a new one they said. (whisper)
Brett: Dallas is lying through his teeth. He’s just toying with us before he admits that he’s the sub. (whisper)
Gina: N-no. Your teacher is me, Gina. I’ll be your instructor for the rest of the year.
QST.camera split-screens showing the expressions of various students.
Gina: I-I’ll handle it from here, Mr. Dallas!
Brett: And her cover’s blown. No teacher would refer to a co-worker like that. (Whisper)
Max doesn’t seem convinced, but nods to acknowledge that this new argument holds some water. Mr. Dallas nods, and exits the room, while Gina surveys the class. Shamim asks for a duel tournament again, but Gina explains that there’s actually a lesson planned.
Alex: When do you think Dallas will come back and explain it’s all a joke? (Whisper)
Brett: "Me, Gina" is an anagram of "Negima." You know, the anime show with a kid teacher. (Whisper)
Alex: How did you…? (Whisper)
Brett: I’ll give her fifteen minutes until she blows away everyone’s clothes. (Whisper)
At this comment, Alex cracks up laughing hysterically.
Gina: P-please! No whispering in class! If you have something to share, please raise your hand and share it! Like this:
Gina demonstrates correct hand-raising procedure.
Brett: There’s no way she’s an adult.
Gina gets up and attempts to climb up into the teacher’s chair, but appears to be having trouble. Rather than watch Gina struggle, Max offers to help her into her chair. Gina seems relieved at the offer and Max’s help.
Brett: So if Gina is Negi, then Max would have to be Ayaka. Then who would I be?
Gina: Could you please take out your textbooks and turn to page 122 please?
Brett pulls out his laptop while the other students pull textbooks out from under their desks. Gina turns towards Brett.
Gina: Textbook please, not the laptop. We’re reading not taking notes.
Brett: I have a digital version of the textbook.
Gina stares at Brett dumbfounded.
Brett: Ah, so I’d be Chiasame.
Gina: Electronic textbook?
Gina: Then could you please–
Shamim: Starf used to run the dueling club after school.
Brett: So who would Shamim be? I don’t know that any of 3A was obsessed with tabletop gaming…
Gina: Excuse me, please read from paragraph two.
Gina: Electronic textbook is just an excuse, there’s no way he can actually–
Brett: Truth tables, such as the one on the right, are used to determine the truth value of composite truth statements based on the truth values of their component statements. Let’s say that both p and q are statements–
Shamim: Could we say that they’re cards instead?
Brett: There’s no mistaking it. In Mahora’s class of 3A, we have a Yuma Tsukumo.
New Scene()
[L] and Kiki are watching Gina’s class from the end of the hallway.
[L]: Looks like she’s doing okay.
Kiki: Yup. Just as soon as she gets some confidence in herself she’ll be fine.
Revert Scene()
Brett: And so if either p or q is false, the statement p AND q will also be false.
Gina nods, and looks around the room to see who to call on next.
Brett: So would Dallas then be Takamichi?
Max now volunteer’s to read, which Gina approves of.
Brett: There’s no mistaking it. Max is Ayaka. This is almost exactly what happened in Negima! I better get out of the room before she–
Brett raises his hand and asks to go to the restroom. Gina says that this is okay, as long as he goes quickly. Brett stands up and leaves the room, taking his laptop with him, which Gina fails to notice as suspicious.
New Scene()
Mr. Dallas enters his classroom (from the door on the right on the diagram below) where his students are waiting for him. However, one chair in the back is open. Dallas pulls out an attendance sheet and marks it appropriately, checking the boxes to represent which students are present.
Dallas: Sorry I’m late, guys. I was helping get Starf’s replacement all settled in.
Will: You got a replacement already?
Dallas: Yeah…
Kate puts her head down on her desk.
Caton: Something seems suspicious.
Dallas: It’s only as suspicious as you make it, Caton. Starf gave us plenty of notice before he left to spend more time with his family.
Maya: You’re lying through your teeth.
Will: So his family is in the shadow realm too?
Dallas: What? Will, you’re making no sense.
Michelle: We saw him get sent to the shadow realm.
Dallas: I don’t know what you’re talking about. His official resignation letter is posted on our website.
Dallas: …Exactly as the FBI instructed…
Katie: Official resignation letter?
Dallas: I can show you all after class. Lana, could you please pass out the textbooks? They’re in the closet.
Lana gets up from her seat, and Dallas sends Alexandra, seated next to her, to help her. They try to open the cabinet, but are unable to open the doors. At first, Dallas thinks Lana is pulling his leg, though he trusts Alexandra enough to come over and try to open the doors. Pulling hard, Dallas rips the handle off one of the doors.
Dallas: It’s frozen shut?!
Alexandra: Does this mean…?
Dallas: Lana, you didn’t do this, did you.
Lana shakes her head confused.
Dallas: Son of a gun. If you didn’t do it, then…
Michelle: I could have Vulpix thaw it with flamethrower.
Dallas: Except that that could cause everything inside to catch fire… Hold on.
Refresh Scene()
Lana and Alexandra are seated again, while Dallas, [L], and Kiki examine the door.
Kiki: I’ve never seen this before…
[L]: I say that about once every couple months.
Dallas: It doesn’t make sense. I don’t know anything in here that would cause such a powerful endothermic reaction.
Michelle once again offers to have Vulpix help, but Kiki politely declines.
Kiki: Let me see…
Kiki extends a blade from her elbow (ripping through her sleeve) so fast that [L] nearly falls over backwards. Kiki motions to Dallas and [L] to back away from the door, before she slashes at it with her elbow-blade. Her blade fails to cut through, and she groans in pain.
Kiki: I think Vulpix could help a little bit. It’s probably a Frosslass or something.
Dallas asks if they can get a water type ready, and Kate calls on her Floatzel. Vulpix now gently warms the door with a small flame which melts the ice, enough for Kiki and Dallas to force it open, however one of the doors (the one Kiki forced) falls off. Dallas, Kiki, and [L] stare through the door in surprise.
Will: What’s the matter?
Will now turns around.
Will: …
The entire class is staring at the inside of the cabinet, which has mysteriously become a snowy place.
Michelle: Narnia!!!
Katie: Narnia?
Caton: Ohmigawd! NARNIA!
Dallas: So where is everything I had stored in there?
Kiki: Probably floating through hyperspace somewhere.
Narrator: Wondering when that was going to happen. Better get some snow gear and hope for the best?
[L]: Hold on children, just because a closet has become a wormhole to a snow field doesn’t mean–
Caton: I’m telling you! It’s Narnia!
Dallas: Well it does look just like the movie…
Katie: Wait a second, does that mean Benjy was sent to Narnia?
Katie is cut off as a cold wind blows out of the cabinet, causing everyone in the classroom to shiver. Kiki suddenly stomps on the ground to get everyone’s attention.
Kiki: No one is to go through here.
Kiki gestures with her blade.
Kiki: I don’t know whether it’s intradimensional or interdimensional, but until we know otherwise, it could collapse at any time.
Kiki turns to [L].
Kiki: We’re going to need a role of "caution" tape.
[L]: We’re going to need more than that.
Dallas: Okay, everybody out of the classroom, the adults need to discuss–
Kiki: Not needed.
Dallas looks at Kiki curiously.
Dallas: Um, okay?
Kiki: Somebody is going to need to fill me in on this book, but we can do that in the lab area. Okay, in the meantime, we’re going to need to place a removable seal on this, which is exactly where the tape comes in.
Dallas: Removable?
Kiki: Unless it closes, we’ll have to send a drone in at some point.
Lana: Could we close it by destroying the cabinet?
Katie glares at Lana.
Kiki: Probably, but–
Will: You’re just going to seal it?
Kiki: You’d have heard my answer by now if you didn’t interrupt. Destroying the cabinet would close this for something like nineteen times out of twenty, but there’s a small chance it would cause a massive disaster.
Kiki now turns to Mr. Dallas.
Kiki: Take your class to my office and get the key to room 424. You can hold your class in there.
Mr. Dallas nods, somewhat relieved.
Refresh Scene()
Kiki and [L] have wrapped the closet in caution tape, and are standing back and staring at it.
[L]: So explain it to me from the beginning.
Kiki: I think the cabinet frame is stabilizing the portal. If we destroy the frame, which may be extremely difficult, there exist one of three possibilities. First, if it’s not stabilizing the portal, then destroying the frame won’t do anything.
[L]: That’s what I figured.
Kiki: But if it is, it might be preventing the portal from collapsing. On the other hand, it might be preventing the portal from expanding into something gigantic.
[L]: Where do you think it goes?
Kiki scratches her chin.
Kiki: Don’t know. Japan maybe? Korea? If it’s going to be somewhere on Earth, it’s got to be located around the pacific rim. Maybe Antarctica?
[L]: And if not?
Kiki: That’s a bit more tricky. It would have to be a planet with a similar atmosphere.
Kiki sits down in a desk chair.
Kiki: Which means that finding where it goes is several orders of magnitude harder than finding a needle in a haystack, as you humans say.
[L]: As for the textbooks, do you think we’ll ever see them again?
Kiki: Honestly I think that that question is not even worth thinking about.
[L]: I need a straight answer so I know if I should order replacements.
Kiki: Well I’m not going to give you a straight answer.
[L]: That doesn’t make sense though.
Kiki: Okay.
[L]: …I’ll ask Lightsman…
New Scene()
Alex and Max are walking through the hall, away from Gina’s classroom.
Alex: Are you going to go make sure Brett is alright?
Max: Why don’t you go? The bathrooms are co-ed…
Alex: I was just asking!
Max sighs, then suddenly looks up, almost jumping. QST.camera shifts to show Isabelle approaching them, looking slightly irked.
Isabelle: Hey… (trying to hide frustration)
Alex shivers.
Alex: Something wrong?
Isabelle: For me? No. Just a little gateway to a snowfield in the science room–
Max: Wait– Say what?
Isabelle: Actually, nevermind. You’re liable to do something very stupid. Alex, come with me.
Alex: Wait, me?
Alex gestures to herself.
Isabelle: Yes you. Come with me.
Isabelle turns to Max.
Isabelle: Just pretend you don’t know anything. Rachel isn’t here to bail you out, Alex, I need you to come with me.
Alex: But why?
Isabelle grabs Alex and drags her after her, surprising Alex so much that she doesn’t resist.
Max: Hey!
Isabelle: It’s for your own zarking safety.
Max: My safety?!
Isabelle lets go of Alex, and turns to her.
Isabelle: So the other day I was shoe shopping at <insert clothing retailer> and I found these cute little sandals…
Alex: We’ll I haven’t gotten a chance to go to <insert clothing retailer> this week, but
Max: Shoe shopping… (dazed)
#Scrubs_Reference
Max: Okay, I get it. You need some girl time.
Max slowly wanders off down the hall.
Alex: Is that what you wanted to talk to me about? (surprised)
Isabelle: Walk and talk.
Alex: Ok…
Isabelle: Perhaps we’re lucky that the one boy who can play along with that is absent right now…
Isabelle: And no. But if I told Max he’d promptly get himself killed. (whisper)
Alex: Wait, really?
Isabelle: Yes, really. Brett left a note for you in the newsroom.
Alex: A note? For me?
Alex suddenly blushes.
Alex: It’s not a love note, is it?
Isabelle: I don’t think so.
Isabelle opens the door to a stairwell, and Alex follows her up the stairs.
Isabelle: I’ll give you the rundown. New portal in the science room, leads to a snowfield. No one injured–yet.
Alex quickly pulls out a notebook as starts writing down what Isabelle is telling her.
Alex: Yet?
Isabelle: Not done. They’ve got it roped off with caution tape–
Isabelle is cut off as Alex stumbles and falls. Isabelle picks up Alex’s notebook.
Isabelle: You know what? Lets wait until we’re in the newsroom.
Alex nods.
New Scene()
Isabelle enters the newsroom after Alex, and closes the door behind her.
Alex: Narnia?
Isabelle: It looks nothing like the bookcase from the movie, but excitement is high.
Alex: And your worry about Max?
Isabelle: That he would charge right through the portal. Benjy isn’t here to act as his voice of caution, and Rachel isn’t here to bail his (bleep) out.
Alex: What do you mean?
Isabelle: Benjy would be to scared to go with him, and he’d spend his energy trying to convince him.
As Isabelle talks, Alex scans her desk. Her gaze falls on a bright red folder, covered with hearts.
Alex: Wait, is that the…?
Isabelle: Do you want me to look at it first?
Alex nods.
Isabelle: Okay. But first.
Isabelle pulls a couple poké balls from her pocket, and lets out a Dandylion and a Lilligant. Both of these move under Alex’s desk and rest on cushions while Isabelle opens the folder. Isabelle scans the folder for a minute.
Isabelle: Definitely not a love note.
Alex: Let me see then–
Alex pulls on the top of the folder so she can see what’s inside, albeit upside-down.
Refresh Scene()
Alex and Isabelle are staring at the folder on the desk.
Alex: So it’s another of his conspiracy theories?
Isabelle: Looks like it.
Isabelle scratches her chin.
Isabelle: I bet it’s based of some parallel universe counterpart theory.
Alex: You think it’s valid?
Isabelle: No. But I think he’d like it to be.
Alex: Why’s that?
Isabelle stands up and tosses her hair over her shoulder.
Isabelle: Just a hunch.
Alex: A hunch, huh?
Both girls stare at the folder on the desk.
Alex: Why did he have to choose that kind of folder if it wasn’t a love note?
Isabelle: It was probably just whatever was at hand. Boys are resourceful like that.
Isabelle sighs and looks around. She then pulls out Benjy’s chair and sits down.
Isabelle: There is one more thing we need to talk about.
Alex: What’s that?
Isabelle: The winter…party thing…thingy that they’re trying to put on.
Alex: What about it.
Isabelle: You’d better sit down for this.
Alex looks at Isabelle curiously.
Alex: I’m fine.
Lilligant: Lilly!
Isabelle: No seriously, you’d better sit down.
Alex: Um, okay…
Under the table, Isabelle’s Dandylion nudges one of the chairs prompting Alex to take a seat in her chair.
Alex: What about it?
Isabelle: It’s going to be crazy.
Alex: Crazy good or crazy bad?
Isabelle: There’s no way to tell-type crazy. Our new principal comes from a planet at least a few hundred light-years away, and she’s not good with human culture. Plus this year fiction is blended with reality.
Alex: …
Isabelle: So from what I’ve been able to discern, it’s a "Hyperbolic costume party."
Alex: What does that mean?
Isabelle: I don’t know. A hyperbola is a type of conic section.
Isabelle pulls a piece of scratch paper out of a tray and draws a pair of cones for Alex.
Isabelle: If you cut a pair of cones straight up and down, the shape you get is a hyperbola.
Alex: So does that mean the costumes will be…
Alex starts giggling.
Isabelle: That’s how we Earthlings define a hyperbola. It might mean something else entirely where she comes from. So now for the whole reason I’m telling you: I need you to publish every single piece of gossip I tell you about the party. Not as fact necessarily, but just the rumors…
Alex: Okay, but why?
Isabelle: Because it will minimize the power of the worst-case scenario if people know what’s going on beforehand.
Alex: So how do you get your information?
Isabelle: Very carefully.
New Scene()
The class is no longer in the science room, and the cabinet is now taped shut with duct tape and a "Do Not Open!" sign has been affixed to it.
[L]: That’s like four grand down the tubes?
Mr. Dallas: At least.
Lightsman: Do you think it is this "Narnia" place the students keep mentioning?
[L]: It’s a lawsuit waiting to happen, that’s what it is. I’ll bet anything the insurance will consider this an "act of god." Lazy (bleep)s.
Mr. Dallas: Wait, how come the portal is just inside the cabinet? If it’s a tear in spacetime…
Lightsman: I’m guessing the physical cabinet kept it from getting too big.
[L]: The question now is how to close it…
Mr. Dallas: Except that the cabinet is mostly empty space. Most solid objects are, so that doesn't really make sense.
Lightsman: It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if tears in spacetime are affected by electromagnetic fields. Solid or not, there’s some kind of barrier that’s keeping it from getting too big.
Lightsman takes a step back from the cabinet.
Lightsman: I’m going to call in an expert but it’ll take some time for him to get here.
Lightsman turns and walks out of the room, leaving Dallas and [L] to stare at the locked cabinet.
Mr. Dallas: And for the meantime?
[L]: You’re the science teacher…
Mr. Dallas: What surprises me is how it can stay in one place on a planet that’s moving through space at ten thousand miles per hour.
[L]: Just don’t touch it…
New Scene()
Kiki is in her office rapidly working on the computer, which is modeling a 3D simulation of the San Andreas fault and the area within fifty miles on each side. Kiki types keys and the computer moves along the fault from reported portal to reported portal, displaying known information on the screen.
Kiki: If these portals lead to other places on Earth, them the spatial warping should be noticeable from space, but the orbital observatory hasn’t detected any kind of spatial anomaly.
Kiki stops typing and taps the smartwatch on her wrist.
Kiki: Kiki to oh oh seven. Kiki to oh oh seven. Come in!
Kiki stares at her watch, but nothing happens.
Kiki: No signal. It seems that I really am cut off. Which means that having this thing around is a liability. Now if only…
Kiki pauses as she sees Max and Kieku peering around the door into her office, trying hard not to be seen.
Kiki: Come in.
Max and Kieku look at her nervously.
Kiki: I need your help with something.
Max moves slightly more into the open.
Kiki: Can you do me a favor and–
Suddenly the bell rings, and Kieku darts off to class, dragging Max with her.
Kiki: Hmmm…
Kiki stares at her screen.
Kiki: Oh, my… This is interesting.
Kiki opens up a blank email on her computer screen, and addresses both [L] and Lightsman.
…///To Be Continued///…