Three’s a Crowd, Especially When There’s Ten
Chapter 4 – Bad Ideas, Major Consequences
By Strata – Skywolf

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Karia jerked her thumb towards Jiel.

“She’s how we got here.”

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“What are you talking about? You’re the one who dropped your necklace in the lab, Karia!” Jiel glared. Karia’s hand wrapped around her necklace.

“Yes, but I didn’t press the red button that got us here, now did I?” Karia said, irritated.

“We wouldn’t have been down there in the first place if you didn’t lose it!”

“No, we wouldn’t have been down there in the first place if your father didn’t make us tour down there so we wouldn’t get curious and go down there alone, which we did anyway!” Karia was on the verge of shouting, if you could say she wasn’t already.

“Now, calm down you two!” Taht made a downward motion with his hands, “How about you just tell us what happened that led up to when you got here?”

“Okay!”

“Fine!”

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Mr. Katri dragged the girls down to the laboratory, showing them exactly what was down there. He knew they were eventually going to get curious and look down here themselves, so he decided to show them before they could show themselves.

“Now, remember, you’re not allowed down here without me, okay? I’m doing this so you know what’s here and don’t explore it on your own.”

“Yes sir!” the three girls chorused.

He showed them all the equipment, and a few of his latest projects. Spread around the lab were computers, wires, chemicals (all labeled of course), microscopes, scissors, tubes, and all sorts of things.

“Whenever you’re down here, do NOT press any of the buttons. Especially the ones that say ‘DO NOT TOUCH!’ next to them.”

“Right!” they each responded while they looked over the strange things in the room.

“Okay, that should be it, you can go back up now.”

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“My necklace!” Karia cried out as her hand grasped thin air. Her ears turned every which was, as did her tail, showing she was panicking. She had always been very fond of that necklace, and rubbed it whenever she needed luck or felt nervous. Realizing it wasn’t there was clearly a nightmare for her.

“What is it, Karia?” Ataero asked, trying to calm her down.

“My necklace! It’s gone! My father gave me that necklace before he passed away!” she paused a moment to regain her breath, “I think I dropped it in the lab!” Karia turned towards the laboratory’s doorway, “I have to go get it!”

“We’re not supposed to go down there, it’s not a very good idea,” Ataero pointed out, “We should just wait until Mr. Katri gets back and ask him to get it.”

“But I don’t know exactly where I dropped it in his lab. I’m sure I can find it if I looked, and it would save him the trouble. All we’d have to do is not press or touch anything.”

Jiel shrugged and, unsure of how to help her frantic friend, said, “Okay, I guess. I’ll go with you to help you look.”

“I still say this is a bad idea, but if you two are going then I’m going to. But only to supervise!” Ataero headed after them.

*~-~-~*

“I found it!” Jiel announced as she spied the precious gold chain on the floor, near some equipment. The chain retained a small rose charm on it, tinted red, and it seemed to be worn a bit.

‘Finally, we can get out of here!’ Ataero thought.

“It’s stuck though. I can’t see what’s holding it there,” Jiel tugged it gently.

‘Or not.’

“Don’t pull it!” Karia and Ataero shrieked.

“It might be caught on a lever or something!” Karia explained.

“Sheesh, you guys. It’s not like I’m that big of an idiot.” Jiel put the chain down and peered at it, searching for what held it down.

‘Implying you are an idiot now?’ Karia thought as she walked over to look at the chain. Ataero also approached the band.

“I think I see how we can get it out, move back please.” Jiel and Karia complied.

Carefully, Ataero had looked over the contraptions and discovered a barely visible thread had ensnared it. Finding the thread had no use, she requested some scissors to cut it. Karia complied and handed them to her. With a quick snip the necklace was free. Ataero picked it up and handed it to Karia, and she gratefully thanked her.

“Right, now we can finally get out of here.” Jiel and Karia nodded.

However, Jiel had been leaning against a consol and unconsciously put her hand on the top of it to push off, but instead she pushed a button.

A big, red button.

A big, red, ‘DO NOT PUSH’ button.

A big, red, ‘DO NOT PUSH’ button that transported them to an alternate universe and made them fall on an unsuspecting victim.

And all she said was a faint, “Oops...”

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A/N: I’ll try to update weekly or so. No guarantees.

I wanted to give an honorable mention to The Blue Howler (or Heir of Saturn, she keeps changing her name I’m not sure which she is anymore!) for being a beta reader and catching the errors I make (except for that one ‘to’... eh-heh) and for giving me ideas when my brain runs out, or my muse evaporates.

(--: I don’t evaporate, what are you talking about?)

Oh, and here she is now. This is Kniht, my muse.

()

She’s a cat muse that has been eaten (--: *glares at Ryu*),

compared to a squirrel (--: *glares at Strata*),

and inspired me, among other things. She’s usually there to annoy me, and criticize me, and torture me, and she says it’s because everyone else does. Life is so unfair.

(: *smirking*)

Let’s see. I wanted to also thank Ryu, because he actually read this and sort of made me continue. He made me get a plot. I thank him for that. I mean, it’s not everyday I actually make a plot. The sad thing is, while he kept saying, ‘Make plot, make plot, needs plot, no plot, make plot,’ I kept thinking of The Highway Man from school (can’t you hear the tlot-tlot out of that?). I live a sad, sad life.

And last of all, I’d like to thank the people who are reading this story that I’m writing. You know, YOU! So, thanks!
~Strata

Extra note: My computer was not compliant when I tried to post this, so, I’m trying again now!

--Written April 27, 2003

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