The receptionist led the trio to another lobby.

"Wait here," she said, leaving the room, again, through a door behind and to the left of a desk placed suspiciously-perfectly in the dead-center of the lobby. "Don't worry. You won't be waiting for long!"

Once the door shut, Zan started: "I'm so feckin' tired."

"And we're feckin's tired of you not thinking things through, Zan!" Jiehong yelled.

"Now hold on! We both followed Zan into that weird wall-fragment place. Neither of us tried to talk him out of it, Jiehong. It is our fault as much as his!" Whiskey interjected Jiehong.

"Maybe so! But it shouldn't be his first fecking inclination to wander into random fecking spaces through way of mysteriously opening doors! Behaving like that isn't conducive to a long life!" Jiehong said.

While arguing, Zan went silent. He was too confused. Too tired. Too... done.

Zan turned around so his back was to his friends. He pushed his arms over his face, covering them, as though his face was a baby bird in a nest. Secured, Zan silently cried; people are blaming me, maybe I'm not a leader, maybe I'm... Though his mind wandered into dark places, once he shed a few tears and moaned, he felt better, and his blacker feelings faded. He turned again to his friends and said, "Let's table this for another time. All of us are at our wit's end."

Agreeing with Zan or not, the receptionist returned, and with her, several brawny men wearing black, skin-tight body armor, wielding clubs. With conversation changed to their most pressing demand, survival, the team prepared to justify themselves against a powerful multi-national enterprise.

"Please follow me," the receptionist said. She was the same woman as before, though she seemed much calmer now.

Things were going to get stressful and demanding and more likely than not, Zan thought he was going to go insane while trying to defend why he went into the weird room and-- yet this train of thought never came to be.

Although the black-clad guards stood on all sides while they were escorted to their destination, not one of them said a word during that time. Not a single utterance meant to intimidate, which surprised Zan. When the group entered a massive new space, the receptionist thanked the guards and dispersed them.

"Where are we?" Jiehong asked.

"In a transition space," the clerk said, refusing to elaborate.

The receptionist brought them deeper into the meeting-hall sized room. The clerk brought them to a space Zan thought was likely to be its middlemost section. Beyond, Zan could see a large pane of glass only occasionally interrupted by the tower's massive stone-esque framework. 'Where were they indeed,' Zan wondered, reiterating Jie's point.

"Please avail yourself of the refreshments," the receptionist said, waving (vaguely) toward a half-table with several stools at either end.

Atop the table was a spread of the dried meats and cheeses which Zan expected. But also, ice-cold water which felt so cold, it seemed as though the pitcher had only been recently brought out from being underneath a melting iceberg. Zan adored ice-water, especially if it was in a transparent serving container. Zan loved watching the ice melt and water drip from the edges from bergs within the drink. he poured and drank himself several glasses, as did Whiskey and Jiehong, while the clerk sat herself behind a humble desk near the refreshment table.

Looking around, Zan wondered where they were...

On the ground, was a monumentally large carpet. Atop the carpet was the refreshment table and the work desk the clerk now labored at; yet there was more, too. On the rug also were questionable tubes of human size. Nothing seemed to be within the tubes, but they stood with only a small dust tarp to protect them from the wear of time. 'What is this place?' Zan wondered while gulping down the water, snacks, and the third food curtesy he saw -- slices of fatty beef!

While the three young people eat their fill, more plates materialized upon one plate's finishing. It took the group a good while into their feast to notice. Zan assumed magic. However, if it was magic, he mused on what sort of people lived in this tower, where they were so powerful they used magic for a thing as frivolous as removing and placing plates of food. Whoever lived here, Zan reasoned he should start showing such people more respect. He did not want to get on these people's bad sides.

At a point, the plates stopped appearing.

Still hungry, though far from starving, Zan wished for more than more food. His stomach growled with the ferocity of a tiger on the prowl. Though the copious pitcher of iced water remained ever full, and Zan knew, intellectually, he shouldn't eat anymore, regardless, least his feasting causes in him the sleepy calling, Zan wanted to continue eating. Alas, the receptionist chose now to address them.

"I have finished inputting your destination coordinates," she said.

"Oh. Cool?" Zan said, not sure what he should say.

"This will take you straight to your compatriots. You will not need to worry about problematics in locating them after this. I want to take this moment and inform you this is also your final chance to utilize the Sunstar Industries Mercantile Kiosk System. Would you like to access this shop now?" the receptionist asked.

"I think we're good--" Zan said before Jiehong cut in and said, "Yes. We will."

"Very good, sirs," the receptionist said, her tone back to her fully calm state. It was like she never had cursed them out, Zan thought.

"Do you think we have time to buy things we don't need and can't carry?" Zan said to Jiehong.

"Zan. Stop it. It's not like we're going to buy home decor. Sunstar Industries has and sells everything. They gave us some credits in their shop as part of some arbitration arrangement they have with the Kingship. We should use the credits they gave us. Even in fear, credits work. I am going to purchase some medical kits for us. I would recommend you two do the same," Jiehong said to both Zan and Whiskey.

Whiskey agreed. The receptionist hauled from underneath her miniature desk a large book -- a catalogue, apparently -- bound in rigid yet un-metallic material. It was like well-shaved wood but smoother. Zan did not know how to describe the material. Within, was many pages. Each page had a picture of an item with a description and price point. Jiehong flipped through the catalogue's pages like a pro. He seemed to know precisely what he wanted.

"I will take four of your Medical Emergency Response Kits; plus, a few rolls of gauze -- scratch that, twelve rolls. And a case of Dehydrated Meal Pills," Jiehong said, ordering those items plus a few more.

"Right away, sir. Anything else I can help you with?" the clerk said, keying up Jiehong's order on a device hidden on her side of the desk.

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"Huh, nope. I think that is everything -- wait! What is this?!" Jiehong replied, pointing to a glossy, full-page image of an unusual device.

"You've noticed our Super-Physical Intravenous Defense Exosuit Resizer," the clerk said without missing a beat.

"Yeah. I have. What does it do?" Jiehong said.

"It is a labor-oriented technological enhancement system. Using it, a common worker can move dozens of times as much heavy cargo in the same amount of time as he would be able to pull otherwise. Through the use of an external machine which is fitted onto the user, one is able to shoot powerful magically retrofitted chains which will penetrate and/or stick onto nearly any surface. With our proprietary Mankind Ancillary Nervous-System attachment, avoid accidentally setting off the chains when Life Forms are present. Truly, a rare engineering marvel, one which took our Holy Researchers decades to make!"

"Looks like it!" Jiehong replied, whistling as he read through the description. "Is this price point correct? Wow... an immense cost."

"The price point is correct, sir. Although your account has been credited a substantial sum -- at least compared to many of our accounts -- you will lack the necessary funds to buy the product in full. However, looking at your customer information, I see your surname. And your family's status as a goodwill family. If you remove the medical items your added to your purchase que, you would have enough to make a downpayment on the operating system," the clerk explained.

"That is amazing to hear, but... what about the other payments? I am currently part of a martial order helping repel an invasion. You've might have noticed, then, I don't have a source of income. It is not like I am some trader or day laborer. I will have to decline. Tempting though it may be," Jiehong told the clerk.

"I understand your position, valued customer. Before you make a final decision, however, please let me inform you of a final option available to you. With your downpayment secure and your family's legacy within our system -- I can see your Parents's accounts on my sheet -- you have the option of sending future payments to them for collection. Our records indicate your parental units not only meet but exceed our bylaws on loaning practices."

From Zan's position, it looked as though Jiehong had a hard time with the decision. Though he lived with Jiehong's family all his life, Zan, like Jiehong, was never in a position to know the household's finances. Though Zan always suspected Jiehong had a much better, albeit still fuzzy idea, of the money-situation. As goodwill diplomats, Jiehong's family were not exactly typical peasants. Zan's life reflected some elements of their relative freedom, though he was never, not, kept in the dark. Seeing Jiehong wrestle with the choice, Zan's suspicions were seemingly confirmed as he watched Jiehong say, "Yeah. Send them all future payments; they can more than handle such payments. That would be great. Thank you very much."

"Very good, sir. I will credit their account accordingly at the recurring date. That is one SPIDER system. Give me one moment to credit your account and recall your purchase. Hold, please," the receptionist said.

Beeping noises came from the receptionist's desk as they performed a clerical action on the same machine from earlier.

Jiehong turned to Whiskey, then Zan, and asked, "Can one of you please pick up the medical stuff I had to put back? We're going to need every bit of help we can to survive long journeys like this."

Zan stepped up. "I can pick it up. You think I have as many credits as you?"

"Excellent. Thank you, buddy. And I wouldn't see why not. You can see how much when you make your order."

"Absolutely. Is this going to be fine with the 'rents? Is this system something you really need?" Zan asked.

"It's fine, Zan!" Jiehong said. Rarely had Jiehong talked to Zan in such a manner. Other than during the numerous times when Zan had been annoying during their childhood. Other than such periods, however, they always got along famously.

Jiehong stared away from Zan. He didn't talk and seemed wholly beside himself to talk.

"So... this thing is going to be useful for battle?" Zan asked.

"Yes, Zan, yes! Why are you giving me the third degree? Do you think I would buy something without seeing and needing a use for it? No! You know me better than that!"

"That's fine! I wanted only to know how it was going to be useful while we're in battle!" Zan said, nearing the limit of his calm.

"Of course it will be useful. I can use this system to drag things to me from a distance. I can also use its empowered mode to swing across chasms and to anything bulky enough to maintain itself. What part of that don't you think would be helpful?! It is right there in the description and--" Jiehong said, suddenly stopping once he saw Zan bunching his fists, his face red.

"I can't read, remember? Our parents didn't deign it important to teach me. Unlike you..."

Violently, the two met eyes, then suddenly broke. Looking to the ground, Jiehong said, "I'm sorry. I forgot. We're under a lot of stress. We want to take it out on each other. I'm sorry."

Bing!

Letting the tension break, Zan no more accosted Jiehong over his insensitivity. Their argument was done. Besides, Jiehong was right: he and Jiehong had been snippy lately. Whiskey stood tall amongst them as the sole part of the team who hadn't yet submerged into adolescant hysterics.

Bing-Bing!

"Here you go, sir," the receptionist said, as she pulled from a hidden elevator to her back a large box.

Placing it on the ground before Jiehong, the clerk said, "I forgot to mention, but you qualify for a value-saver feature. Would you like free installation?" Jiehong said he would. Zan watched as the receptionist effortlessly open the sealed box and lifted from its interior a series of metal tubes. 'How can she lift such a heavy box?' Zan wondered, watching as the clerk assembled on Jiehong's back the SPIDER system exoskeleton.

Piece-by-piece, the clerk dutifully assembled the purchased item despite the fact it looked to be extremely complicated, from Zan's assessment. She knows what she's doing, I guess, Zan thought.

"There you are sir! All assembled and ready for labor and combat!"

Jiehong thanked the woman as she returned behind her desk. She curtseyed to Jiehong.

"What would you like to buy, sir?" the clerk said, addressing Zan, now.

Zan asked to see his credit amount. Just as Jiehong had said, his account held just as many credits as his account once held, before buying the SPIDER system, anyway. Contented at having so much yet not knowing what to do with the credits, the pull of desire tempted Zan into buying his own SPIDER system. Yet, his childish nature took himself aback, and proclaimed how he did not want anything Jiehong already had; Zan wanted -- and had! -- his own gadgets. Like the headset!

Buying only the medical kits, Zan decided against looking thoroughly at the catalogue. They had places to be. They needed to leave.

"And you, ma'am?" the clerk asked Whiskey. Whiskey only said, "A quiver of arrows, that's it."

With their final purchases made, and his frayed will nervously attempting to reassemble into their shared sanity bundle, Zan asked the clerk, "Alright. We are ready to leave. Please."

"Understood. However, with your party a high-spending client, you have unlocked the 'Special Features' perk of customer privilege. Your purchases today entitle you to a free session of Vita-Pod Therapy! It will only take a literal minute, and you will leave feeling refreshed!" the clerk said.

Groaning, Zan didn't know what any of that meant. Vita? Pod? Therapy? He looked to his friends who nodded 'yes.' They turned their gaze toward the empty, human-sized pods.

"Are those the vita-pods?" Zan asked.

"Yes! You are an observant lot. It will only take a minute, and it is free!"

"Fine. A literal minute? That is good."

The receptionist helped Zan enter the pod. She had to spend a few minutes getting the pod ready, however.

In the pod, Zan heard a voice soothe him into relaxation by spouting peaceful mantras about what he could and could not control in life. Lights of several colors repeated themselves in some pattern. Then, the chamber door opened. It was done.

He stumbled out feeling... what was the word? He thought. He felt fine. Refreshed. He did not feel like all his energy and stamina returned. He was far from a hundred percent, so to speak. Though the restoration was enough that his headset took notice and told him, [Stamina Levels: 50%].

This did not concern Zan as he watched his friends enter the pods. Half of his total energy reserves? Way more than he had before he entered the pod. However, that pod worked, Zan thanked its creator. Like his session, a minute later, his friends emerged.

"Weird, right?" Zan said, smiling for the first time since the trouble began.

"Super odd!" Whiskey said, emerging from the chamber with a vigor Zan hadn't seen for a similar length of time as his smile.

"Agreed. Unusual, but I like it. If we pass through a trading corridor like these wizard towers in the future, we should make an effort to reach whatever spending threshold we need to reach to access pods like this in the future. It might make the difference. You never know," Jiehong said of the experience.

Not doubting his friend's statement, Zan still thought the concept was misguided. Who was to even say if a situation like today would even transpire once more! An enemy force chasing them to a trading corridor, where they were, chased again, by a monster, until they arrived at an even weirder tower, where a credit buyout happened to keep them quiet before another monster attacked them?! Rare, was all Zan had to say on the matter.

Zan kept his mouth shut. He was enough energy to at least do that. Praise be to the gods!

"Excellent. Now, without further company policies to belabor, allow me to return you to your party. Please, enter the tubes."