The rumbling continued in the stunned silence as Elise walked past Chris and Dan, but they didn't notice. There was a mesmerizing feeling that staring into the portal gave, which emitted a purple glow. Covering the portal's interior was a mysterious, yet friendly looking swirling pure purple tunnel. Around them, the computers continued to blip and bleep and occasionally whirr.
A few of the scientists working at these computers and machines looked up at Dan, Chris and Elise as they walked in, but most were occupied with making sure the portal was kept under control. Near the back of the room, there were a few metal tables. All three of them sat down at them, Dan and Chris staring at the portal.
Dan spoke up first.
"So this is it, huh? A swirling machine? THAT was your big secret project?"
Elise sighed. "It's not just a swirling machine Dan, it's a portal."
Chris finally looked away from the portal. "You mean like to another land? Another world?"
Dan rolled his eyes. "Of COURSE it's to another WORLD, stupid, why would we need a portal to somewhere here?"
Elise interjected before Dan could continue. "You know, I really hate it when you're right on accident."
Dan looked offended at this. "I'm always right, there are no accidents with me"
Chris looked at Dan. "Not even the time you crashed your car and got arrested?"
Dan looked at him nonchalantly. "That was your fault."
"I wasn't even there!"
"Guilt by association."
"Still wrong."
"The point is," interrupted Elise,"this is your assignment."
Dan turned to Elise again. "HAHHAHAHAHAHAAH! No."
"You don't have much of a choice."
"Yeah I do, you can kill me. Then I won't have to do it."
"But I'm not going to do that. You don't even know what you have to do. It might not even have anything to do with the portal."
Dan sighed angrily. "OK. What is it, and make it quick, or else I'll miss Population Control Johnny."
Elise got up, and Dan and Chris followed suit. She grabbed a clipboard and a recorder off of a nearby computer table. She then handed them to Dan.
"You'll need these."
"Obviously," Said Dan, "or else you wouldn't have given them to me."
Elise ignored this comment.
"As said before, this portal leads to a new world. We don't know much of it yet, but that's where you come in."
One of the computer engineers behind Elise swiveled around in his rolley chair. "What we do know is that it appears to be non hostile, whatever is through the portal."
Dan gave him a death stare, and the scientist looked down and quickly swiveled back in front of the large computer screen, which was one of many that was in the room. Elise continued.
"Your job is simple. I want you to record what you see in the portal, and answer a few simple questions."
"Alright, so it does have something to do with the portal, and for some reason, you still seem to think I'm going to do this. Chris, tell her I'm not doing it."
But Chris didn't answer. At the current time, he had quietly returned to the table and had started eating the meal the chefs had prepared for them.
"CHRIS!!!"
Chris looked up suddenly, a bit of mashed potato on his lips, and a turkey leg in his hand. He swallowed.
"Oh, uh, Dan, maybe you should just listen to Elise just this once."
"What?!?! You ALWAYS side with Elise!"
"One, that's not true, and two, she's my wife."
"When we get home, I'm turning Mr. Mumbles on you!"
Chris shrugged and continued stuffing his face.
Dan clenched his fists on the clipboard and recorder as he turned to Elise again.
"Is that it?"
"Yes."
"Well, I hope you can find somebody willing to do it. Meanwhile, I'm, going home."
Elise resorted to a last minute option. She knew Dan wasn't going to be agreeable, so this wasn't to be unexpected.
"Alright Dan, you can go. But if you could just come get a closer look at the portal, It would also suffice."
Dan eyed her suspiciously.
"Alright, fine, if it gets me out of this hell-hole any faster."
Elise followed Dan as he walked closely to the portal and peered in. Nothing but the purple swirling tunnel that had shone brightly since they had gotten there.
"Alright, there, I looked in it, now can I go?"
The scientist closest to the portal turned in his seat to look up at Elise.
"Code 503A?"
Elise nodded. "Code 503A."
The scientist turned back to the computer to continue his work and Dan turned around to Elise, still fully in front of the portal.
"Code 503A? What the hell is- OOUFF!!"
Dan never finished his question, but he got his answer. Elise sent a flying spin-kick to his chest, knocking him back into the swirling tunnel.
Dan tried to regain his balance and run his way out, but it was too late. The portal was already grabbing him, pulling him in with a strange force.
Dan saw the room, computers, scientists, Elise, Chris, and all get smaller as he zoomed away and the portal enveloped him. As the clipboard and recorder flew around Dan, he let out one last yell that faded into the purple void as he rounded a corner in the tunnel.
"I WILL END YOU!!!!!!!!!!!! ELISE!!!!!"
Then the tunnel, the purple, and the swirling closed in on him as Dans vision went black.