[spoiler]Sherlock Holmes - Sheldon Hawkings Toaster - Garrus Hawke Virus - Virdun Corvus Disciple4Christ4 - Michael Disciple ACROCANTHUS - Ace Roy LeeTheSheriff - Leebendo Eriff RingLeader77 - Ringivek deatheater200 - Dreich THECHUBBYNINJA2 - Chu-Nin-Ja[/spoiler] Once the door had slid shut behind them and the light faded, Sheldon opened his eyes. Above him stood Ringivek, his firm hand gripping Sheldon's forearm. In his other hand he held Virdun, still struggling to free himself. Sheldon turned to his left, where Dreich stood holding Garrus by the arm and Michael by the scruff of his neck. "We trust that you will follow us?" Spoke Dreich in a low, rumbling voice. He seemed to be addressing Sheldon. "Um...yes?" Replied Sheldon, unsure of his answer. "Good" In unison, Dreich and Ringivek released their hold on the crew. Michael fell sprawling to the floor. "This way" ordered Ringivek, lumbering forward down a marble hallway. Dreich followed. With an uneasy glance at his crewmembers, Sheldon chased after them _________________________________ After walking in silence for some time, Dreich and Ringivek stopped and turned around. To their right was a pale yellow archway, not the first they had seen along their route. Sheldon and the others cautiously stepped forward and peeked inside. Through the entrance was a great, round room. The walls were comprised of flat round stones and white clay, a style of architecture which didn't seem to match the rest of whatever palace or city they were in. The floor was littered with a strange assortment of what Sheldon could only assume were torture devices. Tall tables with sinister looking metal claws above them, a huge metal structure which resembled a gallows with a long green rope where a noose should be, a clear orb raised on a pedestal, quite similar looking to a human sized hamster ball. The list of alien instruments went on. As Sheldon stood motionless, baffled by what he saw, Garrus grasped the situation much quicker that him. He looked up at the two creatures, staring expectantly at them to enter the room which Garrus was certain would be their demise. "R-run" whispered Garrus, grabbing Sheldon and Michael by the arm. "Quick!" They spun on their heels and ran, their footsteps echoing loudly through the empty halls, but Dreich and Ringiveks footsteps were louder. In a second, Dreich and Ringivek had overcome them and leapt over the petrified captives heads. They came to a halt right in front of them, blocking their exit. "Why do you run?" Asked Dreich angrily. "You fear we will harm you? You human are all the same. Stupid, weak little creatures." Ringivek took a calmer approach: "Turn back around. We do not mean to harm you. You misunderstand our intentions." "Then what [i]do[/i] you mean to do with us?!" Shouted Virdun "Come with us and see." Said Ringivek. He slowly stepped forward, stepping around the crew and heading back down the hallway towards the room. Grumbling, Dreich followed after him. They took up their stance at the door, seemingly confident that curiosity would get the best of the fearful crew. "Do we go?" Whispered Michael "I don't think we have a choice" mumbled Virdun, taking a deep breath and sauntering towards the creatures _________________________________ Once all members of the party had entered under the arch, Dreich and Ringivek each approached a different device. "Explorer" called Dreich. "Here" he pointed to the table with the claws above it. "Tell me what you're going to do first" said Sheldon hesitantly. "Very well" sighed Dreich. "We're going to measure you. As a guest, we want to make sure your trip down here didn't affect you in any way." "And we wish to study you" interjected Ringivek. "We've been studying humans for centuries. During their stay here, we like to observe the traits, skills, and weaknesses in our guests." "Why would you care about that?" demanded Virdun. "Simply for educational purposes" assured Ringivek. "We hope to learn from you, much like how you learn by studying other animals." Sheldon was still doubtful of the creatures motives, but saw no way out of the situation they had forced him into. Carefully, he marched over to the enormous table and heaved himself up using a small row of metal bars along the side he assumed were to be a ladder. "Now lay down" ordered Dreich. Sheldon did as he was told. Dreich reached up and pulled down the metal claws, grabbing the biggest pair and positioning them on either side of Sheldon's head, right behind his temples. Sheldon held his breath, preparing for the worst, but the claws were pulled away again and repositioned on his hairline and chin. Confused, Sheldon examined the metal contraption. The two swiveling claws were attached to a long metal rod between them. Looking closer, Sheldon noticed that the rod had lines etched into the side, and when the claws moved, a small arrow would move up and down on the rod. [i] "They're measuring me" [/i]thought Sheldon. He sighed in relief. "There!" Cried Ringivek to the rest of the crew. "You see? There is nothing to be afraid of. Finder! You're next." [i]To be continued[/i]