I Pledge Allegience

#### Empty Lot Under Construction

* The Keystones, having heard voices, choose to listen in to the conversation at the trailer.
	+ Woman: With the final test a success I will confirm with the engineers and have the tunnel cleared for full operation by the first of the year. With the portal fluctuating as it is, we will need to divert additional resources to monitoring equipment and observational personnel. Another dozen or so should cover all three shifts. Still no contact from the Langoliers. At this point, we have to assume they have failed in their scorch.
	+ Man: I want the tunnel operational in seven days. Secure the Energon test payload on site and prepare it for a return trip tomorrow. Assign two dozen operatives from both security and gravitational to observe the portal. I don't want to miss a thing that is happening. These rogue divers need to be dealt with as soon as we find out where they have gone. Activate Langolier batches four through six but limit them to only nocturnal ops. I believe our false night has been compromised. Finally, inform Megatron that Energon production has reached 98% and we will be fully operational nearly two months ahead of time. Now my dear I must go deal with the good Sergeant and the two temporal anomalies.
	+ Woman: All will be as you order, Dr. Arkeville.
* There is a painful change of pressure and a sound inside like a vaccuum system delivering a tube to a drive-through attendant.
* Scarlet Blake, Heather Jones, and Jessie "JD" Davis, duck around the back of the trailer as someone exits. It is a woman in a smart 80s business suit. She heads towards the SUV, and leaves. [Note: We later determine this is Jaye Thrice]
* Back at the door, they notice a little pop open compartment and a keypad. The kids manage to figure out the combination - which is lucky because JD notices that it is wired for explosives.
* Derrick "Ricky" Lewis joins them and they enter.
* Inside the trailer, a catwalk sits at the entrance. The ground beneath the catwalk descends 10 feet. There are numerous objects on the ground covered in plastic.
* There's a strange triangular purple craft that looks like it would seat two. Inside of the open cockpit the kids can see blue glowing blocks of Energon. The vehicle is on a single mono-rail on a separate track. There's also a main track that heads off to the north.
* They discover that under the plastic is computer equipment and small screens arranged in stations. The tunnel is 30 feet in diameter, and there are rings of blue light that pulse around the tunnels in the distance. The kids realize that the tunnel is headed off in the direction of Castle Grayskull.
* The kids collect the blocks of Energon in the vehicle. The blocks are cool to the touch and hands leave a temporary glowing imprint on them. Gravity doesn't seem to work on them in the same way. They put four into JD's back, one into Scarlet's bag, and one last one in Heather's bag.
* At ground level, outside of the trailer, they hear a loud thumping of gigantic footsteps.
* Exiting the trailer on the opposite side as the loud noise, the kids discover that they have heard the footsteps of a robot.
* Scarlet decides that she's going to run for it and draw its attention. The other kids should take that opportunity to get to their bikes and they'll meet up.
* As she takes off, the other kids see the robot chase her: it's a bipedal robot and on the sides of it are two drums that appear to be an armament. Printed on the side of it is Alta 209. The robot opens fire on Scarlet, but Scarlet dodges.
* The other kids run for the bikes, and while Ricky and Heather take off, JD circles back to pick up Scarlet. Between JD and Scarlet, they pull her up on the bike without coming to a stop in an epic maneuver.
* As the kids escape, a police patrol car enters the parking lot and the acting Chief of Police exits the car with a shotgun.

#### Flashback: Mayoral Residence

* It's one week ago.
* JD overhears his father, Jeff Davis, Mayor of Garrett, and his mother, Mrs. Davis, speaking.
	+ Dad: I don't trust 'em. Too many unanswered questions. Too many close-lipped administrators. The Loop is up to something and it's troubling enough to get to great lengths to keep it from Garrett.
	+ Mom: Honey, you know I love you. But right now you sound like one of those guys in the tin foil hats. I'm sure every elected official who has had to deal with The Loop has felt the same way. I'm just not sure it isn't simply that they are a private company, with an emphasis on private. And with that I bid you a fond adieu, as I head out to the high school. That creative writing club won't creatively write itself.
	+ Dad (believing he's alone): What the hell are you hiding? And how the hell was a Tradewinds kid like Casey Mitchell involved?
	+ JD: Dad, did I hear you say something about Casey, the kid on the milk carton? Did you guys find him?
	+ Dad: Son, what do you know about The Loop, other than its a big company? Have you heard anything? Have the kids been talking or ... ?
	+ JD: Um, I mean, kids talk. Everyone's kind of ... they like it but they're a little creeped out by it for sure.
	+ Dad: Have you, uh... have you ever seen anything? It doesn't matter how off the wall, but um, you ever seen anything or anybody ever talk about seeing stuff?
	+ JD: Like I said, the kids at school talk all the time. Um. You know. We haven't been here too long but, um. Why you ask?
	+ Dad: Have you?
	+ JD: Um, yeah. Yeah, I think I have.
	+ Dad: What did you see?
	+ JD: Um, I saw ... we went up to uh Castle Grayskull. Um ... we had heard noises in our like our music was like calling out to us and um ... there's ... I don't know ... there's a person up there... Jimmy was there. A blue light.
	+ Dad: Mainstreet Jimmy?
	+ JD: Um, why, why are you asking? Did something happen? Or do you think Casey ... like? I don't know. Why are you asking?
	+ Dad: There have been numerous complaints filed against The Loop since it opened. Land disputes being the most common but I found instances of more sinister filings: bribery, extortion, kidnapping. Though none of the big charges seem to be anything more than footnotes in non-official documents. Like scribbles in the margin of a text book. Back in the 60s and 70s The Loop seems to have taken two decade leases out on numerous plots of land around the area. If I could find them all, I think I might have a better understanding of why they selected those particular stretches of land.
	+ JD: Have you found any?
	+ Dad: The site they're building on at the edge of town was one of them. It was one of the first ones they purchased so they took possession earlier than most. Jeff Bartlett, the prior mayor, his notes are the ones that kinda set me on this path. About the Mitchell boy, Casey Mitchel, a Freshman at Braddock. His father sent me a letter saying that he believed that the Loop had done something to his boy. He claimed to be a former employee of the Loop, but I haven't been able to corroborate that statement. He ended the letter stating that he planned to take matters into his own hands and make the Loop pay. I really didn't understand or have much to go on but I knew that I had to contact the Loop and let them know that they might have a potential disgruntled former employee situation. They thanked me but when I asked about Patrick John Mitchell (Casey Mitchell's dad), I was told that the section supervisor would give me a call. Yeah, I'm still waiting on that call. I don't know. Maybe your mom is right. I'm being paranoid and seeing collusion where none exists but I don't know. Do your old man a favor, ok? Stay clear of The Loop as much as you can. It's tough living in Garret. I don't trust them.
	+ JD: Yeah, it's weird. A lot of the kids don't either but when you talk to the adults they seem to ... it's just another thing. But, here in Garrett it does seem like the Loop has a certain amount of power that Garrett can't take away.
* His dad pulls out a small leather notebook (incredibly worn), it has several mark strings and each one seems to have a different colored crystal dangling on the end of it.
	+ Dad: You know Barlett put on here a lot of things he witnessed and it's amazing that the people of this team almost give the Loop a pass. It's almost like once something happens, they get up in arms and then they don't worry about it anymore. And we got missing kids and it's almost happenstance around here. You just ogtta give them a wide birth whenever you see them, ok.
* They go on to discuss other things JD's seen.
* JD earns "Like Father, Like Son" - worth 3 successes

#### Jones Residence

* The kids decide to get Scarlet and Heather's bike to speed up their time as they have so much to do. JD takes Scarlet to her house and Ricky takes Heather to hers.
* Heather's never had anyone at her house. She indicates to Ricky where to park his bike out of sight and asks him to follow her so that they don't run into anyone. Heather pulls her bike out of the garage to the side of the house and Ricky begins to repair it.
* The bike and tire isn't damaged, someone has just let the air out of it, so he refills the wheel. As he works, they hear a loud crash and thudding from upstairs in Heather's room. They hear a muffled voice that Heather recognizes as Janet Jones' voice. Upset, Heather decides to avoid a confrontation and tells Ricky that they need to leave. As they begin to leave, she hears a crash and tinkling of glass as the window to her bedroom is broken open and the glass falls to the ground below.
* As they exit, the home to the left of Heather's that was for sale has a yellow Rider truck parked outside. There are movers moving large pieces of furniture in. Her new neighbor turns. He is wearing denim, and he has black shoulder length hair. It is Randall Flagg.

## Characters

* Jaye Thrice
* Dr. Arkeville
* Megatron
* Jeff Davis
* Mrs. Davis
* Casey Mitchell
* Jeff Bartlett
* Patrick John Mitchell
* Janet Jones
* Randall Flagg

## Locations

* Castle Grayskull (location)
* The Loop
* Tradewinds
* Braddock High School

## Lexicon

* Keystones
* Energon