Mickey stopped in front of the inky portal. The rest of the investigators, including two grad students carrying cases of equipment, gathered.

Mickey cleared his throat before speaking.

"Ahem. So this is the portal, the dividing line between here, the outside and the metaregion inside. You'll notice that this portal is dark. That means it's absorbing light and thus is attractive. If something solid touches it, it'll be sucked in.

The suction is irresistible and entirely one way. So when it grabs you don't try to pull away or anything. Don't panic. Go with the flow and you'll be on the other side in no time. For future reference repulsive portals glow a variety of colours and will actually resist as you enter so you have to push through them.

Allow me to demonstrate."

Mikey lay down by the portal and dipped his foot into the blackness. Immediately he started getting pulled into the portal. Mickey let out a low hiss as if he was in pain. As his groin reached the divide, Mickey let out a pained groan and hunched over like he had been kicked in the fork. This brought his head and shoulder into contact with the portal, and his groan turned into an agonised scream before he passed through the portal completely.

Inside the entry area of the dungeon he stood up completely unharmed and waited.

Shortly Laminae stepped through the faintly glowing portal, radiating power and irritated amusement.

"You know for a second there I almost thought you were in actual pain. Then I remembered you're a dick. The rest of the team is freaking out a bit though."

Mickey chuckled.

"Sorry. I couldn't resist. Who'll be next through, you think? Lobster on the Professor."

Laminae scoffed.

"Nah the agent will be next. It might take a while though. He told me to report back as soon as possible."

"He also put me in charge and I'm telling you to wait until they grow the balls to come in themselves."

They waited a bit.

A cable poked through the portal.

Mickey looked at it.

"Is that a camera? Clever but that's not going to work. Electricity won't pass through the portal."

They watched the cable get pulled into the dungeon, ending in a usb plug, presumably disconnected from a computer.

Next came a quad copter drone, bulky camera attached.

"Huh."

With a click the drone powered on and lifted into the air. The camera flashed several times and then the drone flew to the left, then the right and finally straight backwards into the portal. As one of its propellers passed into the portal the drone shut off and was repelled onto the ground.

"Huh. That almost worked. At least they're showing proper caution"

Then the drone reactivated and repeated the sequence. However this time when it impacted the portal something on the other grabbed it and dragged it through.

"Okay now I'm impressed. Wonder who came up with that."

Before long Agent Brown passed through the portal, emanating a mix of emotions, annoyance, relief and curiosity held behind a wall of determined will.

Brown raised an eyebrow and asked.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"Care to explain?"

"It was a test."

Cargo responded as he handed Laminae a red twenty dollar note.

"You either have to be smart or bold to make it in a metaregion. Who came up with the drone idea?"

"It's an agency reconnaissance drone. Hardened against technopaths and magnetics."

"Neato."

Professor Nabhitha strode through the portal angrily in a cloud of anger and self importance.

"I do not appreciate your pranks Cargo."

She fumed.

"I am the head researcher of this investigation, the holder of multiple doctorates and the nation's leading expert in metaphysics and I will not be made a fool of. "

Mickey held up a hand signalling to wait until the students came through the portal, carrying the equipment boxes.

" So now that we're all here inside this metaregion, a few facts you need to be aware of. As a dimensional meta in a space just saturated with dimensional energy I get a nifty power boost. Now as for my little 'prank' as the good doctor called it, that was a test of determination. Metaregions can be dangerous places and entering one should not be done lightly.

Moving on you will note the anchor point I mentioned before. This should be our first area of investigation. Now the first time I touched it, it tried to influence me in some manner. I used my power to stop it. However since that doesn't tell us what happens when it succeeds I propose that I touch it again and this time allow it to infect me."

"I disagree."

Objected Agent Brown.

"If you are compromised we'll lose both an expert and a dimensional manipulator. This would be disastrous to the investigation."

Mickey considered that.

"Well in that case the most disposable members are the grade students and the professor. So, any volunteers?"

One of the two grade students signed and stepped forwards.

"I better get course credits for this."

He muttered.

"Now before triggering the trap, I mean the anchor point, please try and walk through one of those tunnels. If I'm right, something will stop you."

Giving Mickey a dirty look the assistant walked past the pillar. As they approached the rightmost tunnel however they started shivering.

" Alright that's enough, come back right now.

So. As the brave assistant who's name I don't remember went past the anchor, the metaregion started draining heat from him.

This suggests the anchor gives 'permission' for people to move into the rest of the region. "

Professor Panchal looked skeptical.

" I've never heard of this kind of behaviour in metaregions before. "

" It's not common, certainly. But several extra realities in Japan do something simliar. There's a metaregion near Izumo Taisha which requires people to wear omamori from the shrine to explore. It's become something of a tourist attraction even though the priests try to keep people out.

Alright, Now touch the anchor. "

The student gingerly touched the orb with a single finger. They straightened in surprise and looked blankly into the middle distance.

" What the actual fuck? "

They said disbelievingly.

" What is it, Kent? "

Questioned Nabhitha.

" There's a text box. Like a browser pop-up. It says. Umm let me write it down."

Pulling out a notebook and pen Kent transcribed the tutorial and beginner status screen for the investigators.

The team gathered around to examine it. Laminae was the first to speak up.

" This looks like a character sheet. From a video game. "

The group considered this.

" What does that mean?" asked Agent Brown.

Professor Panchal responded as both a scientist and a dedicated MineBuild player.

"It is just a theory but it suggests that this metaregion was shaped or influenced by the collective subconscious of video game players. Indeed isolated areas filled with monsters, danger and loot is a mainstay of role playing games. Since a metaregion already fits that description, it is not a stretch that a metaregion manifesting in a city would conform to these expectations. It is only surprising that it is not also a shopping mall."

" If it's imitating a dungeon, we definitely need to see whether it makes monsters or loot. I'm not sure if this is better or worse than a standard metaregion. That means we'll all need to accept whatever influence the region is going to inflict on us. "