Chapter Two: Captured by Caitlin and Audrey

Audrey took off her backpack, and pulled out a small container, just the right size to fit Tony and Phillip inside of. She unscrewed the lid, which had airholes, and dropped them in as well as the lamp, then screwed the lid back on and put the container into the backpack.

"We need to head to the regional registration office and have them planted with subcutaneous transponders, so we can track them, and we'll always know where they are."

"I want to swallow one of them!" said Caitlin.

"So do I, but they belong to both of us, so we have to share them."

"Can't we each take one?" Caitlin asked.

"We could, but until we get this sorted out we need to get them registered in both our names and just share them."

"Okay!" said Caitlin.

"Let me tell you how it works on Dakadania," said Audrey. "There is a woman from Thanatar we call 'The Collector' who established this world. Every day, runaways from Thanatar arrive here on Dakadania from a range of time fifty years in the past to fifty years in the future. When we turn eighteen and become legal adults, we return to Thanatar."

"What happens to us while we're here?" Caitlin asked.

"We go to school, just like on Thanatar," Audrey answered. "In this backpack is your schoolgirl uniform, you are required to wear that until you get a high enough grade point average to buy your own clothing."

Caitlin stopped and took the backpack from Audrey and took out the schoolgirl uniform, and looked it over.

"It's a cute outfit!" said Caitlin. "When I get regular clothes, I think I'll wear this to school, and the other clothes when I go out to socialize. So what's the deal with the other clothes?"

"If you get a 2.0 GPA you get some more clothing choices, but if you get a 3.0 GPA you get a wider variety to choose from, and if you get a 3.5 GPA and above, your clothing choices are unlimited!"

"What is this park we're walking through?" Caitlin asked.

"This is the disc golf course, if you get really good at it you can win tokens. Kids with lower GPA's can win tournaments and get enough tokens to go to the fairs that are held several times a year."

"Fairs?" Caitlin asked.

"Yes, but there's a lot of drama there. Cliques formed here, and some girls are popular and they pick on regular girls like you or me. Who knows though, you might become popular here."

Meanwhile, within the container Tony and Phillip were trapped inside of, they pondered their fate.

"Well, scratch your plan to contact Christine and Alicia!" said Phillip. "Do you recognize these two chicks?"

"No!" said Tony. "Dakadania is densely populated, so it would be impossible for even me, the creator of the graphic novel, to know all of the characters!"

"Do you think this significantly reduces our chances for survival?" Phillip asked.

"Without a doubt!" Tony replied. "Maybe I can explain to them that I am from a world where everything that happens here is a work of fiction in a graphic novel I created!"

"Well, it's worth a shot!" Phillip replied. "We don't have any other choice!"

Caitlin and Audrey arrived at thew registration office, not far from the park. Audrey removed the container containing Tony and Phillip, and zipped up the backpack. A couple of other girls were in line, and when their order was progressed, they left, and Audrey approached the counter.

"We found two tiny people from Earth," said Audrey, "I think there might be a hidden nexus point near the main dimensional gateway to Thanatar in the disc golf park!" Audrey dumped Tony and Phillip onto the counter. "Both me and this girl, Caitlin Snare, found these captives simultaneously, so we would like to register for co-ownership."

A female android sat behind the counter and set an electronic tablet on the counter. he android began to speak to Audrey: "If you are co-owners, neither one of you are authorized to swallow the captives, or you could have your privileges relinquished. Is that understood?"

"Yes!" said Caitlin and Audrey simultaneously.

The android waved a device over Tony and Phillip, and they fell unconscious. The android picked up a machine, and set Tony and Phillip inside, and closed a hatch, so the two men were not visible. After a few seconds, a green light came on and a noise emanated from the machine. The android opened the hatch, and set Tony and Phillip on the counter.

"Their subcutaneous transponders have been successfully implanted!" said the android. She handed Audrey to electronic devices. "One of those is for Caitlin, and one is yours. These will allow you to track your captives if they ever escape, which is unlikely!"

Audrey handed one of the devices to Caitlin. The android waved the device that rendered Tony and Phillip unconscious, but this time, it awakened them. Caitlin set her left hand palm-side up on the counter.

"Surrender to my hand, slaves! Your mistress commands you!" said Caitlin. Tony and Phillip obeyed her, and stepped onto her waiting palm. "My name is Caitlin Snare, and I am your co-owner, along with Audrey Filchner! You will obey us from this day forward!"

"There's something I need to tell you!" said Tony.

"Silence pawn!" Caitlin commanded. "You will speak when spoken to! Do we have an understanding?"

"Yes, mistress!" Tony replied, as he looked at Phillip and shrugged his shoulders.

Caitlin cupped her other hand over Tony and Phillip, and they were easily concealed within her mighty grasp. Caitlin dropped them back into the container Audrey provided, and closed the lid.

"Bossing them around is so satisfying!" said Caitlin, and both her and Audrey began to laugh.

"I need to take you to your dormicile," said Audrey.

"Is it nice?" Caitlin asked.

"They're very nice," Audrey replied, "but the housing is assigned. You will be staying with me, but we each get our own rooms. each newbie gets paired up with a mentor, so you can learn the ways of Dakadania from someone who has been here for a while."

Audrey led Caitlin out of the registration office, and they headed toward the housing units.

Tony and Phillip were tossed around within the container they were trapped inside of, but still manages to carry on a conversation.

"We have to find out of they have the lamp!" said Phillip. "But we have to do it without drawing attention to the intrinsic value of the lamp!"

"They must have it!" said Tony. "They were drawn to us because of the holographic message Nirvana was sending us!"

When Audrey and Caitlin arrived art their dormicile, Caitlin took the schoolgirl uniform and went and changed into it. She entered the living room in her new outfit, and showed it off to Audrey.

"Don't I look cute?" Caitlin asked.

"There is a replicator in your bedroom that can make more, and there's a machine that washes them for you," said Audrey.

"I'm kind of hungry," said Caitlin, "what do we eat around here?"

"First, let's set our captives on the table. I have two more of them. I always let them eat when I eat."

Audrey took the container in the backpack out and dumped Tony and Phillip onto the table, then went into her bedroom and grabbed her other two captives, and placed them near Tony and Phillip. Audrey got up and went to a replicator and ordered four lunches for her captives. There was a small table and some chairs that were built to Tony and Phillip's scale, and Audrey set the food on the little table.

"It's time for the tiny people to eat!" said Audrey. "Caitlin, what do you feel like eating?"

"How about pizza?" Caitlin suggested.

"Uh-uh," said Audrey, "no fun foods without a 3.0 GPA! If you want something like pizza or ice cream, it will cost you a token!"

"But I only have five tokens!" Caitlin replied.

"That's why this place kind of sucks," said Audrey. "You're basically forced to do good in school, or you don't have a life!"

"Can you give me an example of a healthy lunch?" Caitlin asked.

"A roast beef sandwich with fresh spinach, lettuce, tomatoes, and avocado." Audrey replied. "I can give you a menu to look over if you want. The food isn't bad, it just has to meet nutritional requirements!"

"If I get a 3.0 GPA in school," Caitlin asked, "will I have an unlimited amount of junk food I can eat?"

"3.5 and above get unlimited," Audrey replied, "3.0 gets twenty junk food meals per month."

"I'm going to make sure I study hard then!" said Caitlin. "I guess I'll have the roast beef sandwich then!"

"Coming right up!" said Audrey, as she walked toward the food replicator and ordered two sandwiches, one for Caitlin, and one for herself.

Meanwhile, Tony and Phillip were getting to know the other two captives. Audrey and Caitlin allowed them to interact without interference.

"I'm Tony, and this is my friend Phillip!"

"I'm Derek, and this is Peter!"

"How long have you two been here on Dakadania?" Tony asked Derek.

"Not too long," said Derek. "People our size don't last too long here, I'm afraid!"

"I created a graphic novel about Dakadania back on Earth!" said Tony.

"That's impossible! Derek replied. "Nobody on Earth knows about Dakadania!"

"Maybe you're not from the same Earth as us!" said Phillip. "The giants of Thanatar scour thousands of alternate versions of Earth to capture people, maybe it's the same here on Dakadania!"

Audrey munched on her sandwich while Caitlin swallowed her most recent mouthful. "Is there a way to earn more tokens before I earn a good GPA on my next report card?" Caitlin asked.

"The disc golf course is the best way, but you have to be really good to win tokens," Audrey replied.

"I am good!" said Caitlin. "I played with my family every summer!"

"We can go back out there after we eat, but let me warn you, kids who play that game are really good. You have to be phenomenal to win a tournament! But it's worth it I guess, because if you win the semi-finals you get a thousand tokens."

"How often are there tournaments?" Caitlin asked.

"Every three months!" Audrey replied. "But kids are out there practicing all the time. If you're smart, you're better off getting a 3.5 or above GPA, because then you get unlimited tokens."

Audrey finished her sandwich, then fished the lamp out of the backpack and held it above Tony and Phillip.

"What is this thing?" Audrey asked.

"It's just a GPS tracking device!" said Tony, as he stood up.

"Then why was there a holographic message being displayed when we found it?" Audrey asked.

"That is the automated personality provided by the built in computer!" Tony said.

"A holographic message, on a device from Earth?" Audrey replied. "Earth isn't advanced enough yet for that! Do you want to try again?"

Tony and Phillip looked at each other with apprehension.

"You might as well tell her the truth," Phillip suggested.

"We are from a version of Earth where Dakadania is a graphic novel I created!" said Tony. "A time traveler came to our world and offered me the chance to visit the world of my creation, so I jumped at the chance!"

"Why would a man of your stature choose to journey to a world of cannibalistic conquerors?" Audrey asked. "We have to employ a multitude of stealthy maneuvers to trap humans from Earth so they can provide us with entertainment!"

Caitlin got up from the table and swallowed the last bite of her sandwich and said, "He's probably lying! He probably found the device here on Dakadania! Human scum!"

"You're probably right, Caitlin! No human in their right mind would ever choose to come here of their own free will! I'll put this lap high up on a shelf, and we can go back to the disc golf park."

"What about the tinies?" Caitlin asked.

"They can stay there on the table, it's not like they can go anywhere!"

Audrey and Caitlin left the dormicile.

"We have to reach that lamp!" said Phillip.

"It's impossible!" said Derek. "Even Audrey had to stand on her toes to reach that top shelf, we don't stand a chance of reaching it!"

"That doesn't mean we can't try!" Tony answered.

To Be Continued!