IDFB: Continued - an IDFB fanfic [COMPLETED]

IDFB 2b: Museum Mysteries ❓

The second floor of the Science Museum had a ton of gadgets, but the first thing Pencil spotted was a cool-looking gun. She rushed over to check it out as the others entered the room behind her. The back half was white with a black stripe down the middle, and the middle was a glass tube. The front was black with a layer of white at the bottom, and it had three antenna-like levers sticking out, with a wire connecting each of the antennas  to the back. There was no discernible handle or trigger. Pencil turned the hole to her face and began to look down the barrel.

Book picked up a small packet of papers that was next to the gun and read from it. "The Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device: Instruction Manuel."

Pencil's fingers accidentally found the trigger and pressed it. Seeing a blue glow light up the barrel of the portal gun from the inside, she jerked her head away as it shot out a stream of blue sparks. They hit the white ceiling above her with a swoosh and created a pulsing oval of blue energy that stuck there. The glass cylinder in the middle was now shining blue as well.

Book sighed. "Literally the first rule in here says to 'never look at the operational end of the device.'"

Looking slightly sheepish, Pencil set down the gun and turned to look around the room more. There were several objects on display, many more than in the first room. Some of the exhibits included a calculator, a baking soda volcano, a potato-powered battery, a pixelly pickaxe, a vase with a golden flower, and some form of a broken perpetual motion machine. In the middle of the room there were two large objects on display: a statue of some soldier, who's anatomy reminded Pencil suspiciously of David, and a large blue police call box.

"Hold up." Something suddenly occurred to Pencil. "Book, since when can you read Yoylese?"

"Didn't you know? I'm a Yoylese-to-English translation guide."

Pencil eyed her suspiciously. "Just how many books are you?"

Book opened her mouth to reply but got interrupted by Ruby. "What's this?" They turned to see her inspecting an unimpressive archway tucked into a corner of the room. "It looks like it's supposed to be an entrance to something." The arch was on a slightly raised pedestal, which Ruby stepped onto. She knocked on the wall, apparently looking for a hidden door. "Nothing. Dang it." She stepped off and Ice Cube sat down on the edge of the pedestal.

Bubble went to the left side of the archway and found a control panel. "Huh, there are some buttons here."

"Ooh, buttons?" Ruby asked excitedly. "Move aside!" She popped Bubble and took her place. Wiggling her fingers in anticipation, she started to press random buttons willy-nilly. A previously invisible light at the apex of the archway blinked on, first glowing red, then slowly changed to orange. The machine began to hum.

"Uhh, Ruby, you might want to be careful," Pencil warned. The light was yellow now, and the archway was shaking slightly.

"Huh?" Ruby stopped pressing buttons. Ice Cube tried to stand up, but accidentally fell backwards onto the pedestal. Suddenly, the light turned green, and the archway emitted a ding! Ice Cube turned purple and dissolved.

"Icy!" Book shouted. She reached her hand out as if that would bring Ice Cube back.

"Eh, it could have been worse," droned Pencil.

"Worse?! Pencil, Ice Cube might be in danger! We have to go rescue her!"

Pencil grunted. "No we don't."

"But she's in our alliance!"

"My alliance," Pencil corrected. "And she's just an alternate. So are you," she added.