The cold wind pulled hard on the little one. Little Devil put a hand behind its back to keep it steady against the bounding of the huge tentacled demon. They had ridden for hours across the landscape of Andonia. Little Devil knew exactly what was going on when he met the hulking demon with the small imp on its back.  

There was something wrong in Andonia and the great demon that had collected them, known as the Doorman, knew where it was. Light streamed out of its many eyes, illuminating the landscape ahead. Yet, despite its apparent sight, it was blind to this world. It saw averages, possibilities, and most clearly of all, certainties.  

As they rode, Little Devil called out to those he knew, his friends of Andonia, and called on them to follow them. He felt they would need all the help they could get.  

The tiny demon that they called the Assistant rode comfortably behind the Doorman's head plate. It seemed quite happy at the change of location. Its tiny clubbed tail bobbed with the beat of their mount's muscular hands.  

In the distance they spotted a building with tall smoke stacks. Sirens blared across the open field. As they neared, they saw bodies of Andonians and others scattered about. Some horrible battle had taken place here.  

The Doorman slowed and glanced around, flicking its hind tentacles about. It had found his spot. They were a short distance from the facility. Little Devil could make out some movement. There were survivors, or perhaps the victors.  

Suddenly the Doorman reared up and lifted its thick three-fingered hands. Reality bent and shifted before them. The light from its eyes roamed, searching for something. They grew brighter. Then the great demon clenched its fingers, gripping something far away. It pulled. The Assistant grew excited, happier. Little Devil watched the distortion in the air before them as something began to come through.  

First a hand, delicate and nervous, then an arm, a shoulder, a leg and hips, then the face, that so familiar yet alien face. It was Xecia Oblique, the lost child of Andonia. Her hair blew in the wind of a new world. She wore a dark uniform and thin glasses. She had arrived in Andonia. The Doorman relaxed and allowed the fabric of reality to settle again, its light dimmed.  

Xecia's feet came to rest on the dirt. Her shoes were pristine, never having touched real soil. Her eyes were not used to the darkness, she could only focus on the light from the Doorman's eyes and the distant glow of the research facility. She was afraid.  

"H-hello? Where am I?" she said nervously, turning around rapidly, eyes darting about.  

The tiny demon leapt off the Doorman's back and ran to her feet. Wrapping its long thin tail around her leg, it climbed up her until it reached her shoulder. Xecia panicked and squirmed, flailing her arms, trying to get the little thing off. Then a meek voice said, "Xecia Oblique, we are here to help you achieve your mission."  

She settled down at the sound of the Assistant. The voice was so gentle, benevolent, and small. She trusted it. The world began to become clearer now and she spotted both the form of the Doorman and Little Devil. The Assistant had curled its tail around her, holding itself securely beside her ear.  

"Did you teleport me here?" asked Xecia.  

"We pulled you here. He did!" exclaimed the Assistant cheerfully, pointing a small pointy hand at the hulking demon. "It's my job to help you understand what to do. The three of us were sent to make sure you could achieve your purpose."  

Staring quietly at the landscape around her, she inquired doubtfully, "Do you mean the moon gate project?"  

"It is part of it, yes Miss Xecia!" chirped the Assistant.  

Suddenly growing angry, she demanded, "Were you the ones that sent me to that Om research station? I could have been killed!"  

The Assistant tightened its tail momentarily, then glanced up at Little Devil concerned. "One of the rogues must have passed her."  

Little Devil stepped out from behind the Doorman's form and looked up, addressing the Assistant. "Then we must move quickly. She may be here to stop Xecia." Then to their charge he said, "Follow us, Xecia."  

They began walking towards the ruined research facility. A dark mist swirled about the main door, obscuring it. Strewn over the thick metal door lay a rotting worm of some kind, bones protruding from its flesh. Xecia jumped in fright at the sight of so many bodies. She stopped.  

"No. What is this?! I can't go here, get me out of here!" she cried.  

"But Miss Xecia, you are the only one. They need you!" urged the little Assistant.  

"It's too horrible! What happened here? They've just recently died!" she exclaimed. "Please, I'm not a soldier, I'm just a librarian with the project! What can I do here??"  

Little Devil looked over at the Doorman. It's head swayed back and forth.  

"What's wrong with it?" asked Xecia.  

Little Devil smiled and said "It can't see you. And that's why we know you're the one."

This was where the inhabitants of Fe'Hihi's den had disappeared to. A whole new world to experiment with. That twisted faerie must truly be delighted this time. Entoru followed the strongest trail through the facility.  

"Wait! I have something that might seal that portal!" called Cat after Entoru.  

Entoru replied without looking back, "You want to keep these things in your world?"  

The glimmering light of the concerned star zipped past Cat. "This isn't my world, but no. You have a way to get rid of them?"  

"We've got to figure out why they're here first," said Entoru. "Left!", he called, winding around the next corner.  

"They must come from the world machine," said Cat. "They've been found on other worlds too, not just Enceti. That Stickman guy brought back some technology from one. It must have opened a portal to another world's machine."  

Entoru's cloak rippled behind him as he almost ran from door to door, listening for something. "No, that portal is no technology. It is faerie work."  

Cat snorted disbelievingly. "Faeries?"  

Pini rotated in mid-air to face Cat. She bore a quizzical look, then returned to following Entoru.  

"Here!" called Entoru.  

They had arrived at the front gate of the facility. It had been destroyed, knocked open by one of the more massive creatures. Many bodies littered the field, most appeared to be Andonian. Entoru studied the ground and the fallen. Pini darted about the air, searching.  

Cat stepped out into the night, taking in the foreign world of Andonia for the first time. The stars in the sky were different, the smell of the air, the buildings, the people. This was an alien land.  

"What are you looking for?" asked Cat.  

From far across the field, near a smaller structure, he replied, "We must be certain. But I think I have found what we need. Pini!" The little star halted her erratic movement and floated down to her cloaked companion.  

"Does this place feel familiar?" asked Entoru of Pini, staring carefully into her shining eyes.  

The air around them twisted with a dark ripple. The star sank ever so slightly, then nodded. Solemnly, Entoru said to the star, "Then she is here. Issue your call, dear Pini."  

Acknowledging her friend, the tiny star shot up into the sky. Cat craned his neck to follow her path. Her light shrank against the vast starry sky. It was as if she were returning to the sea of stars from whence she came. Then with a sudden silent burst, that tiny speck of light exploded into a blazing nova.  

Both Cat and Entoru shielded their eyes against the fierce glow of Pini's light. The battlefield was sharply illuminated, revealing the level of carnage. With surprise, Cat noticed many small machines scattered about the ground, attached to the more seriously injured creatures. Then the light receded and the world fell into pitch darkness.  

"It is done. Now we will wait," said Entoru, though nervousness pierced his voice.

Ether wind twisting around her, the tunnel between worlds carried the traveller from galaxy to galaxy. Plague lands to research facility. Out of the spider's eye she was flung, tumbling over broken glass, back to her home.  

Righting herself, she looked around the room with rising delight. "Finally!"  

The room was vacant and in shambles. Shards of thick glass littered the floor and the computer consoles were running on automatic. The walls were badly broken through with numerous holes. Hopefully the base was abandoned.  

Spying a workstation, she got to work.  

The traveller addressed the screen below her, "Andonian systems, recognise special security authorisation."  

A message on the screen winked out before she could see it. Then normal operations returned. "Provide voice print," replied the computer.  

"Doctor Xecia Oblique," she said carefully.  

The system processed the request a moment. Then announced peacefully, "Authorisation recognised. Reactivating personnel record for Doctor Xecia Oblique, Venture Special Operations Officer."  

Xecia smiled. She began operating the vortex controls.  

"Insufficient power to create a three dimensional vortex," announced the computer terminal.  

"Well then, how about something simpler?" muttered Xecia, accessing the quantum refraction test systems.  

Something began increasing in power. A series of tubes lowered from the ceiling, aiming at the spider vortex.  

"Let's see how stable you are after eating this," said Xecia smugly, executing an activation sequence.  

A solemn pronouncement from the computer broke through the high pitched squeal of the equipment facing the vortex, "Initiating quantum refractive lensing. Warning, focal distance incorrect. Equipment damage will occur if not corrected. Please abort."  

"Sorry about this, but we're going to have to burn out a few circuits for this," said the Doctor, overriding the safety systems.  

"Firing now," stated the system. With that, a dull hum began. Xecia turned to watch the surface of the glimmering black vortex at the core of the flat spider. It began to ripple, as if a stone had been thrown into its surface.  

The tendrils in the walls suddenly twitched. Debris flaked to the floor. Xecia glanced at the station below her. "Instability region detected. Warning! Disengage quantum refraction system," warned the computer.  

A small whine began to come from the spider creature in which the vortex lay. It was twisting, trying to avoid the beam, but its limbs held it in place. The previously flat surface of the vortex was almost splashing, violently hitting the edges. One of the tendrils broke free of the wall.  

Then Xecia noticed a flickering light in the vortex. Something was happening. A scream came from the spider. The smell of smoke filled the room. More warnings came from the computer. Xecia looked on confidently, watching as the thing writhed.  

"Time to close this door," said Xecia. The light in the vortex flared violently and the tendrils in the walls snapped. An immense wind suddenly pulled at Xecia and everything else in the room, going into the dying vortex. Then, with an almost inaudible pop, the gateway evaporated and the spider form fell limp.  

A shadow fell across the room. Someone had entered the doorway. Xecia knew who it was.  

"Hey, Se, got to those engines yet?" asked Xecia, with her back to the door.  

Staring into the shattered room, the small tormented figure replied pathetically, "Doctor Oblique! How did you escape those things? I saw them pull you under. Everything is happening again, just like before!"  

Typing something into the console before her, she said, "Not quite exactly the same, Se. Come here, I'm going to need your help. We've got work to do."

Terrick fled from the receiving room the moment Stickman and the other things appeared. It was happening all over again! Those horrible creatures, coming back, from Kerplah. He knew they shouldn't have been messing around with doorways to other worlds.  

Running down the hallway, a loud crash startled him causing him to trip. Behind him something had burst through the wall. It was a monster! Beady eyes surrounded by tiny mouths, each with small razor sharp teeth spinning around like a saw blade. The terrified researcher stumbled up and raced away.  

Plunging into a communications room, he hit the facility emergency alarm. His heart sank moments after. An emergency alarm caused the entire building to lock down, preventing anything from getting in or out. He was trapped inside with them.  

Turning to a console, he tried to open a communications channel to the nearby military barracks. Every station was unresponsive. Something was controlling them remotely. On the screen he read the message, "<Bring the little one XO>".  

Terrified, Terrick closed and locked the door to the comm room, then sat down at a station, staring into the glow of the screen. It calmed him to focus on the text, despite being trapped, unable to reach the outside world.  

Soon he heard the cries of the other team members. Shots from guns and rifles echoed through the halls. People running, chased by those horrors he knew all too well. The whole of Andonia had been terrorised by them. He'd lost so many to their attacks. What had they done?!  

After what seemed hours, Terrick noticed a change in the message on the displays. The old message was gone, replaced with a new one. It read, "<Gather your allies, stop me>" What did it mean? Who was controlling the computer systems?  

In the distance he could hear a loud crash. It sounded like a wall or something had been broken down. Shortly after weapons fire broke out. It must be the Andonian army, come to rescue them! Terrick's heart lifted.  

After some time, the weapons fire diminished, yet the sound of movement increased. Things were still roaming the hallways, seemingly aggravated by the battle outside. Then there was the sound of something at the door. One of those things must have heard him and was trying to get in!  

Before he could move, several loud bangs came from behind him. He turned his head to where the sound came from and saw scorch marks in the wall around three small holes. Two holes at the base of the wall and one higher up. The sound of high pitched mechanical whirring began to whine through the openings. They led to the outside, since the communications room bordered the exterior wall.  

Then, from the darkness of the hole, Terrick saw a tiny mechanoid walker emerge. It seemed to have a tiny cockpit with two bulky side guns. Another one arrived at the second hole. Then a light "fwiiishhh" sound neared and a little ship flew out of the third hole higher up the wall. It bore two little missiles. Were these some sort of advanced miniature Andonian military vehicles? The two armed walkers were smaller than his shoe, why did they have guns? What damage could they possibly do?  

Then the door rang again with a loud bang as something hammered on it. The frame was giving way. Terrick's fear mounted. He tried once more to send a message, but it was no use. Then the door fell.  

A thin sinuous creature unfurled itself in the doorway. Waving side to side, it hunted the area with its eyes. Terrick grabbed a desk lamp and with unbearable courage, swung at the creature, trying to keep it away. He struck, knocking it backwards into the hallway.  

Then he saw the tiny mechanical vehicles rush out of the room, to the stunned monster. It stirred, reorienting itself. Before it could stand, the vehicles launched themselves onto its neck and latched on. With a bark of alarm, the creature twisted sharply, but could not dislodge them. Terrick backed away uneasily.  

After a moment, the creature stopped struggling. It slowly stood and turned to the researcher. The little turrets on the thing's neck rotated to bear their barrels on Terrick.  

"What's going on??" he cried out.  

The little mounted walkers fired their dual-triple barrels on their target as the dark creature advanced into the room.

Tarrakton's threw down his weapon. Its charges were spent. He had watched as his friends and comrades fell beneath the onslaught of the attacking creatures. The worm thing had taken three, after that there was a crow-like monster that shot shards of crystal into one's flesh when it touched you. More and more had escaped the facility. They weren't able to contain it. A thick fog had begun spilling out of the main doors, as well. It shrouded the things, making it even more dangerous. Too many vanished in that fog with a scream and a crunch.  

He turned quickly to retrieve more rounds from the barracks when a cackling many-eyed gargoyle barred his way. It sat there, twitching its tiny fingers, never blinking, staring at Tarrakton. The soldier didn't dare move. Every one of these horrors killed by totally different means. What could this thing do?  

"Do you talk?" asked Tarrakton.  

The tiny hands clasped its head, as if in pain. It rocked its body back and forth. Then its feet began tapping faster and faster. Tiny claws dug into the roof.  

Tarrakton shifted his weight to his other foot, getting ready to bolt. Then the thing did what he had been fearing. It moved.  

With lightning speed it shot out a long serrated tongue, much longer than could fit inside its body. It lashed out past Tarrakton's side, grazing him. Striking the surface of the roof, it tore a line along it as the thing pulled it back.  

He changed direction and started to run in the other direction. The thing let out a deafening scream. Tarrakton felt his muscles go soft, he lost control and fell to the ground. Tiny feet beat rapidly. A tongue lashed out again, darting above him to the other side, again hitting the roof surface, tearing another deep wound in the building.  

Tarrakton tried to glance down at the thing. It awkwardly rolled towards him, vibrating coils on its back propelling it. When it reached his feet, it stopped.  

A second piercing scream from the creature set Tarrakton's nerves on fire. His eyes scraped upwards, twisting inside his skull. The armour he wore bent and crushed his limbs. A shuddering crack rumbled beneath him.  

With a cheerful slurp, the creature stopped. Barely able to move, Tarrakton looked side to side and listened. He heard something crumbling, something falling. Then he saw the sky tilt up and the research facility rise into view. The section of roof he had fallen on shifted and slid down. With a gut wrenching feeling, he tumbled down to the ground along with the segment of the building cut away by the creature.  

Cries of terror echoed around him. The bodies of the other troops surrounded him. He had fallen into the thick of the battle.  

Feeling was starting to return to his arms. He rolled himself over, and stared up into the naked eyes of a torn, bleeding creature. It's flesh was badly wounded, with bone protruding from many places on its body. A cold stare appraised him. Bizarrely, it cradled a large egg in one weak arm. Its heart beat loudly through a partially exposed rib cage.  

Suddenly Tarrakton couldn't breathe. An amorphous mass covered him. Its tendrils sunk into his armour. He twitched at the invasion. The thing covered his eyes, yet he could see through it. Feeling death pulling at him, he watched as death's assistant moved closer. The sickening broken creature cast a dark shadow over him, approaching. Another wolf to share in the feast.  

With a horrible wrenching feeling, the translucent creature tore itself out of him. Tarrakton screamed in agony. He raised his arm, his vision clearing. A shock ran through his being. Something arrived he had never imagined possible. Hope.  

The deathly creature had seized the amorphous mass off him and was fighting it! Delicately protecting its egg, it viciously ripped into the other bizarre being. With alarming strength, it tore piece after piece from it. Each time the near invisible thing shuddered, moving less and less, until finally it oozed to the ground, limp.  

Crouching down on all fours, the bloodied creature looked straight at Tarrakton and uttered a splattery word, "Protect."

Through the gullet of the beast fell Entoru and the faithful star, Pini. Her light was quenched by the smothering mass of the great spider creature surrounding them. All was dark as they fell. Deep below them, at the deepest depths of the thing's stomach, lay a shimmering black pool. Down they glided, straight for it. Then with a fearful plunge, they entered it.  

Meanwhile, Stickman had left Cat with Tokux. Hoisting the heavy rifle, he proceeded into the hallway, heading back to the room with the great black vortex. One of the weapons he bore might just blast the thing shut. He heard the shots from Stickman's pistols. Howls echoed through the hallways. The storage room door sealed and locked. Tokux would be safe at least.  

Cat twitched his head to the side. A skeletal snake-like thing was crawling towards him, giggling. A brief concern crossed his mind, would he be able to figure out how to fire this gun in time to stop the thing? Lowering the barrel, he aimed and searched. There was no trigger, no buttons.  

"Won't you plaaay with me? You look soooo fun. So many plaacess to open... you're like neeeew!" gushed the thing through broken jaw.  

Walking backwards slowly as he fumbled at the rifle, he still could not find anything on the gun's surface. He'd left his kit back in the storage room with Tokux. "Grr.. c'mon, fire. Fire!" growled Cat.  

BZOOOOOM!  

A powerful plasma bolt fired out the end of the slitted rifle, exploding the little creature on the floor.  

"Thought or voice operated, I guess," mumbled Cat. Then, noticing the thickening mist ahead of him, he proceeded to run down the hall.  

More little creatures littlered the halls. Some climbed on the walls, most on the floor, and one, disturbingly, on the ceiling. They were all the size of chickens or rodents. None feared the weapon's blast. In fact, it seemed to attract them.  

He found the door to the room they'd arrived in. Thick obscuring mist flowed out of it, and from within he could hear the wisp and crash of more creatures escaping the portal. Creatures masked in the pitch chittered around him, standing his fur on end. Then a distinct growl crawled through his bones.  

Whirling around, he fired into the darkness. A limp mass fell to the floor, its chest melted away.  

Suddenly a whisk of air grazed his tail and the sickening sound of flesh severed came to his ears. A piercing scream. Blood splattered him from behind. Something hit the ground with a wet thud, followed by a lighter landing.  

Panicked, Cat spun around. A dark shape stood right beside him! He fired.  

Light bathed the hallway. Cat saw a cloaked figure, not marred or wounded like everything else he'd seen. This was a smooth skinned being, no hair, bearing a long bladed weapon, one end bloodied. The head of a half ruined creature lay on the floor by his feet, with the body on the other side of the blade. Hanging in front of the figure's chest, where he had fired, was a blazing star. Its light seared his eyes, turning the deep darkness he'd been fighting into the bright midday sun. He was blinded.  

The sound of retreating bone met his ears. He dropped the rifle, holding his scorched eyes.  

"Aaugh!" cried Cat. "Stick! Over here!"  

"Don't worry, my friend. We are here to help you against this menace," said a soft but firm voice.  

The light around him seemed to be dimming. A hand reached out to steady him.  

"I think we'd better get out of this area. They're attracted to ones such as ourselves, undamaged, as we are," continued the voice. "Pini, are you okay?" A cheerful purr crossed the air followed by a cool breeze.  

"Who are you?" asked Cat.  

"My name is Entoru, along with my companion Pini, who does not talk," said the cloaked being. "It was well your weapon was energy based."  

"You're not hurt? What happened?" stammered Cat.  

"We can discuss that later. This way!" said Entoru.

KACHUNK! KACHUNK!  

Dust and rocks flew through the air as metal feet slammed into the ground. A group of armoured gun turrets marched across the plains, scanning the horizon. Tremors had roused the army. Weapons fire had been detected. The war had begun.  

Flashes of light on the horizon, screams on the wind, unearthly howls. A ground battle was being waged some distance away between two buildings. One was known to be a research facility.  

The walkers increased their speed, having identified their target. One squad of troops against a massive snake-like creature.  

Reports were sent back to their base, bringing additional forces to readiness. The full force of their assault fleet would be mobilised for the battle.  

The ground vibrated with the shots of rifles and the sudden slam of a massive body writhing in pain. An aerial copter linked up to the group's computer systems and projected their targets. Engines revving up to full power, they broke into a synchronous run. Their weapon arms raised, aiming at the bursts of light before them.  

With a sudden deafening roar, every armoured gun turret unleashed its lethal power. Light from the repeated blasts lit up the plains. They would win this war. Andonia would be theirs.