~ Andrew immediately handed the two items off to Takyle and moved to the door, cracking it open and peering out.
"It seems to be a doored hallway much like the one we just left," he noted. Jaden looked around the room.
"Is this...real?" he asked. He studied his clothes. "I feel much cleaner than I did a minute ago." Takyle nodded.
"Yeah, me too. Of course, it would be possible to make us just think that while still in a live-sim."
"I suppose so," Jaden said absently. "So are we going out into the hallway?" Takyle unzipped a flap of Andrew's backpack and pushed the scepter into it. She pocketed the key and turned to Jaden.
"Don't seem to be any other doors, so yes." Halfway down the hall Jaden stopped.
"I think this is the same hallway. Here's the door Andrew marked. I think this is real. We left a live-sim by exiting the wizard's cabin into this real hallway maze. We wandered around in a circle, came back here and entered another live-sim. After completing that, it essentially kicked us out by shutting off when the time was up. If we hadn't found the items by then, we wouldn't get them."
"But we still have them; they're real objects..." began Takyle.
"Yes, but there's nothing stopping real objects being planted in a live-sim. We can really eat in live-sims," added Andrew. Takyle nodded.
"So either they're very consistent with the sims, maintaining the marks that Andrew left, or this is our first obstacle that's actually real life."
"Either way it doesn't really matter," Jaden added. "I think the first thing that we should do, given our history here, is try turning right around and going back in." Takyle nodded her agreement and jogged back up the hall. She tried the door at the end and turned to yell back at them.
"It locked behind us. I'll try the key I found." When she came running back it was obvious that that didn't work. "No dice, I think we're cursed to wandering some more."
"Maybe that key would work in one of these other doors..." Jaden wondered aloud. Takyle sighed noisily.
"Well that's shit. Do you remember just how many doors we passed when we were here before?" Andrew grinned.
"Maybe it will work in the first one you try, Ta," he offered. Takyle rolled her eyes at him, but her frown melted a little. In fact, there was actually a tiny bit of a smile there.
"Thanks Andy. Always so freaking optimistic aren't you?"
"Well I do what I can. Right Jaden?"
"Right Andrew, you certainly get an A for effort." Takyle shook her head and placed her key in the lock nearest her. It didn't turn. ~
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