Noel thought this was weird from the start. Weird enough to ask around to attempt to learn what was up, and then weirder when he didn't learn anything from that. Parties are not things that occur in a vacuum, devoid of any gossip or apparent planning. People know about them, talk about them. This - isn't that.

He decides, after some deliberation, to investigate it personally.

Somewhat complicated by how his younger sister has decided to tag along.

"Soooo," observes Yvette, looking at the door, "that's, what. 60-40 odds for sketchy kidnapping setup versus socially inept party planning?"

"I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt. This is too obvious for a kidnapping setup; it was posted on too many bulletin boards. The police would have it sorted out in no time at all."

"Oh, sure, and since we have our IDs it won't take them that long to identify our corpses when the inevitable serial killer shows up. No time at all."

"I don't think a serial killer's as inevitable as you're thinking. Especially since I had mom send the police a tip about the party. And you don't have to come."

"Oh, yes, because they care so much about college parties. ... And I know I don't, but I didn't want you to show up alone. Because what if there is a serial killer?"

"I fling myself in front of you in a suitably fraternal fashion?"

Snort.

"Yes. And then I call the police, while using you as a human shield. Flawless plan."

"We've had better. C'mon, before anyone else shows up."

They go to investigate.

When they arrive they find a door propped open with a table with scraps of paper with the names of six old pop songs in colored ink with alphanumeric codes underneath and drinks on it and a closed elevator door with a call button next to it. Nobody else is evident.

The six songs are

Red) It's My Party

White) Great Balls of Fire, 

Blue) House of the Rising Sun 

Green) I Can See Clearly Now, 

Black) In the Year 2525, and 

Yellow) Stairway to Heaven

"... Odds slightly more in favor of inept party planning. What the hell?"

"Might be some kind of mystery game setup." He picks up a drink and sniffs it, thoughtfully.

"Sure, because the definitely not drugged and completely and utterly safe abandoned open topped drinks give the whole place that key aura of mystery. Noel, if you drink that, I'm pretty sure it's my job to give you a mom look. In mom's place."

The drink smells like ordinary chocolate milk with a very faint hint of something metallic. The other drinks are colored like fruit juices and if he picks them up they'll smell like juice but with the same faint hint.

He's definitely going to smell all of them.

"... There's definitely something in this," he observes.

"Uh huh. So is it rohypnol, or is our enterprising serial killer branching out on the drug types?"

Yvette starts inspecting the bits of paper with codes on them. Do the alphanumeric codes repeat, is it one per song, or what?

The codes match the songs, with each slip being identical to the ones that are the same color. If she presses the elevator call button, the doors will open to reveal a large elevator carriage with a keyboard and a calculator style display with the same width as the codes mounted to the back. The elevator matches the modernist aesthetic of the building but it has no buttons other than the keyboard and it looks like it couldn't be built by conventional technology. There are no visible seams anywhere in the elevator it is as if it was cast from a single sheet of metal.

Huh.

Yeah, she's definitely taking one of each of these.

Noel does the same, then goes to peer at the elevator.

"... Pretty high tech for a college party."

"I stand by my earlier assertion that this is super sketchy and we should leave before the serial killer shows up."

Noel is thoughtfully looking at the elevator.

"Do you think this elevator came with the building?"

"... I don't know, I'm not an architect? But wow yes it does look weird, doesn't it."

"Yep."

He peers at the keyboard, thoughtfully. They can't exactly type in the code without trusting the sketchy elevator.

"So, try the code, or not?"

"Noel, I really think we're not qualified to handle... whatever... this situation is. It's creepy. I feel out of my depth. Besides, I'm not even in college yet, what am I doing at a college party."

"I thought the order of the day was following me around narrating sarcastically."

"Noel."

"Sorry. I'm curious. We can leave if you'd rather, but I think I want to see how deep the rabbit hole goes."

"Do you have," grumbles Yvette, "any self preservation instincts? At all? First the motorcycle, and now this?"

"It's gas efficient," he defends, which is not at all why he has a motorcycle. "And you're stalling."

"Ugh." It's totally going to bug her, not knowing what the hell's going on here. It's probably not going to kill them. Right? Yes? Probably?

"You are hazardous to my health," she declares.

"We can definitely leave right now if you'd like to."

"Yes I know, but ugh I don't know what's going on and it's going to bother me! This is a very stupid way to kill someone, right, this is probably for a prank show."

"Probably."

"Fine. But if I die, I am haunting your grave. Just so you know! I will say I told you so over and over again, it will be so obnoxious."

"Yes, clearly that is the only motivation for wanting to keep you alive. All right, let's not split up, c'mon, into the elevator. Which song do we want?"

"I really don't care which song inevitably kills us."

"Great Balls of Fire it is!"

Yvette's palm, meet her face.

"Noel, I love you, but also I kind of hate you."

They both enter the elevator (one more hesitant than the other) and Noel types in the code associated with Great Balls of Fire.

The doors of the elevator slide closed behind them and there's a sensation of turning as if they're in a train rounding a corner but without the any real feeling of momentum. They feel abruptly dizzy and then the dizziness is joined by a sharp headache. The doors won't open again for a full minute.

Noel has more coordination than his sister, so it's his job to keep her from tipping over and impacting something unpleasant. He catches her, wincing.

"Ow, thank you, what the fuck, ow?"

"I concur on all stated points."

The splitting headache is making it kind of hard to think. She attempts to put words together anyway.

"The hell would even do this, abrupt pressure change?"

"Possibly."

Noel isn't feeling terribly talkative. He's eyeing the elevator like some people eye interrogation victims. Looking mercilessly for a sign of weakness that will immediately be capitalized on.

Just as suddenly as they started the headache and dizziness disappear, a couple seconds later the doors of the elevator open on an elegant lounge with the sort of buffet setup you see in fancy restaurants. There are couches and a few small six sided worktables made out of exquisitely carved wood with a strong hexagonal theme. If they open the silver buffet cases they'll find salads, pasta, a creamy chicken dish and an array of nicely decorated cupcakes with the same hexagonal theming. The evening sun is streaming through a nearby window out from behind the clouds.

If they're paying close attention they'll feel slightly lighter on their feet than usual.

"What the fuck."

"I reaffirm my concurrence on that point."

Carefully, he steps out of the elevator.

His sister follows, making a beeline for a couch to sit on, rubbing her temples.

Noel begins taking a look around. They seem to be the first ones here.

The elevator doors close behind them. To the left of the elevator is a door with an push bar, at the other end of the lounge there's a doorway and a cut out that looks through into a kitchen area. On the right wall there are two more doors with door knobs. The entire area looks extremely fancy and expensive.

Weird. And no hosts in sight.

"You up for searching the place?"

"Yeah." She stands, then frowns. "... Do you feel lighter? I feel lighter."

He tests his weight, experimentally.

"... Yes."

"What the hell is going on. Yes, let's search the area." She glances around. Kitchens first, see if there are any staff?"

Noel nods, and off they go.

The kitchen has tables at each end with a large central island that with two sinks built into the countertop. The left wall has a panoramic window looking out onto an apple orchard with an over and a dishwasher beneath the counter. The right wall has a stovetop and cupboards lining the area above and below the counter. Each with a shiny metallic door. If they open the cabinets they'll feel slightly magnetized and there will be a soft snapping sound each time. Conspicuously absent for such a well appointed kitchen is a refrigerator. On the far wall there's a panoramic picture of a mountain range that looks unfamiliar with an oddly large and orange sun cresting over the tops of the mountains.

"Hello?" calls Noel. "Anyone here?"

Yvette is tempted to say something about a murderer being present, but decides she's played that joke out quite enough.

"Why would you have a fully functional kitchen without a fridge?" she says, instead.

"Why would you have an elevator without a first floor button."

".... Oh shit we forgot to make sure we had an exit, didn't we."

"I was expecting some stairs or something, elevators don't usually trap you once you use them. Possibly it's something simple like walking in and pressing 1. Or zero."

"Awesome. Okay. Let's. Not explore and instead see if the elevator will let us out, how about that."

"Yep."

To the elevator!

When the press the call button for the elevator it will open but the keyboard is nonfunctional. It will close when they step back out.

"Well," observes Noel, after a lot of impotent tapping.

"Shit."

In a room with a propped open door, a number of scraps of paper, some questionable drinks and an elevator, Nadia glances thoughtfully at the room, then at her nearest friend.

"Okay, just checking, but. You definitely have your swiss army knife in an easy to reach location?"

"Um, like I have it but I've never been in a fight with it Nadia. Still I can keep it in my hand if you're worried." Zahn reaches out and picks up an orange juice before drinking it. "Mm that hits the spot."

"Nadia, why are you asking him? I have my throwing knives on me." She turns to look at Zahn, "While I think she's being a bit paranoid I do hope those drinks aren't spiked, if you just got roofied I am not carrying you."

"I'm asking him because I know you have your knives on you. And you!" She points at Zahn. "Stop that! I brought a test kit why are you testing it by drinking it?"

Zahn rolls his eyes, "How many drugs are you planning to test for? It doesn't have alcohol in it I would have smelled that. Anything more subtle, I figure it wouldn't be in this many drinks it's too obvious, too much evidence if something is up."

"Humor our resident paranoid Zahn. Besides it's always fun to watch her do science to things and I'm pretty sure she didn't bring any sodium this time. I checked her kit."

"I did not bring sodium. I don't carry around sodium with me everywhere. It was just the one time. For that party trick." She retrieves the test packet from her bag. "It's probably too obvious for it, but do not touch open topped drinks of mysterious origin, as a rule, I am looking out for you Zahn you're welcome. And there's a kit for this, it's not anything crazy."

She picks a drink, spills a few drops onto the appropriate portions of the test card, and peers at it.

"Clear of the big three, but it might be something weird instead," she pronounces.

"That's good enough for me then, if we're going to be hyper-paranoid we might as well leave." She picks up one of the chocolate looking drinks and takes a sip. "Huh, there's a slightly metallic taste, but nothing I recognize. Up to you if you want to risk it Nadia."

"Hm, I noticed that too. Maybe it is dosed with something exotic. Ah well, not use worrying about it now." Zahn shrugs and walks over to press the elevator call button. The doors open revealing the same strange elevator carriage with keyboard that Revan and Yvette encountered. "Interesting, I guess that must be what the coded pieces of paper are for."

Nadia considers, observes the still sober status of her friends, how much she'd need to drink to be affected, and she wants to know what kind of metallic taste is present, maybe she could recognize it -

She picks up a glass of water and takes a curious sip.

"Hmm, yes, this is hard to place, isn't it. Not copper or iron or tin - not bitter like zinc, though I haven't checked if I'm deficient in that one for a while so maybe I'm not in a good position to tell -" Sip. "- no, I'm not going to be able to place it, what's the elevator like?"

She puts the glass of water down and goes to peer at it.

The elevator is made out of a silver colored metal that a careful chemist like Nadia might just recognize as a titanium alloy, if she's taken metallurgy classes. It has a keyboard that flows cleanly out of the wall with a display embedded in the wall above it. There are no seams anywhere in the elevator. It's lit by two lights embedded in the ceiling. Aside from the keyboard there are no buttons and certainly none of the usually present safety controls.

Zahn steps to the side to let Nadia look more closely. "It's a pretty weird elevator, I'm starting to think this is a prank of some kind since I can't imagine how anyone could build a real elevator so completely in defiance of safety codes. On the other hand it's really well made, much better workmanship than I'd expect someone could manage for a prank."

"Elevators are required to have the little certificate that says it's been inspected and is up to code, so technically this thing is illegal and may or may not be a death trap!" She's awfully cheerful about this assertion. "The fact that this is a titanium alloy means that somebody probably knows what they're doing, though. It's sturdy without being too heavy for an elevator, and not the kind of thing someone invests in for a cheap deathtrap. I bet it's a prank by a very bored billionaire, do you want to see what the much weirder part two of the prank is?"

"Well I for one am fully supportive of having a weird adventure, it's much better than the part I thought the two of you were signing me up for."

"You two are both way too cavalier about risks," she sighs, "I'll come along to make sure you don't get in any trouble you can't get out of. Do you want to pick the song code Nadia? It seems up your alley."

"Yeah, sure." She traipses back over to the table, picks up a slip of paper at near random, and reads, "Great Balls of Fire sound good for you two?"

"Sure, why not, we should all be in the elevator so we don't get separated then one of you can read the code to me while I type." He pauses as they move in behind him and then enters the code as Nadia reads it out loud. Then with a flourish he hits the enter button.

The elevator doors slide closed behind them, and there is a slight turning sensation. Other than that nothing appears to happen.

Alice pauses a seconds then speaks up. "Um guys, shouldn't we be able to feel the elevator moving up or down? Did like whatever was spiking the drink mess with our perception of motion?"

"If it weren't for that weird turning sensation I would think this was just a prank, can the two of you feel it too? I don't think we're actually turning though, I would have to be shifting my balance to compensate for that and I don't feel like I am. Maybe somehow the mysterious drug that might have been in the drinks is interacting with something weird in the elevator? That doesn't seem plausible though."

"Hm. Yeah, I feel the turning sensation too. Maybe it's not an elevator at all and part of the prank?"

"What could be causing it though? If it was some weird drug why did it start affecting us after the doors closed?"

"I have no idea --"

And with no warning the turning sensation disappears and the doors open onto a lounge. With two people walking purposefully towards them.

Alice surreptitiously draws one of her knives, and steps forwards, "Who are you? Are you part of this weird prank thing? Where did this lounge come from?"

"Noel Lane, and this is my sister Yvette," says he of said name, just as surreptitiously stepping in between Alice and his sister. Like he's just attempting to be friendly and nothing more. "We came as guests to the weird prank thing, and can't answer any associated questions, I'm afraid."

"Not even where the stairs are."

Alice relaxes marginally, "Sorry, I guess it makes sense that we're not the first people to arrive but this whole thing is so weird. The elevator was closed for a minute but as far as I can tell it wasn't really moving."

"Well there was that weird turning sensation, but we all felt about the same turning sensation and if it was really turning at least one of us would have felt like the floor was sliding under us. It's not like we were huddled together."

Zahn rubs his chin. "Oh, I'm Zahn, Neuman and these are my friends Alice Liu and Nadia Song."