Completely bewildered, Lizzie stood there, staring at Kate, or the person who should be Kate.  "Who is The Power?" Gordo asked.  "And what does he want with our best friend?"           

            "Or you?" Lizzie asked.

            "I am not authorized," she said wearily.  With that, she fled from The Digital Bean at a speed Lizzie never had imagined possible.

            "Gordo, what's going on?" Lizzie asked.  "What are we going to do?"
            "This is just extremely weird," Gordo said.  "I think we need some help."

            "From who?" Lizzie asked.

            "We'll call a few of Kate's friends and see if they know what's happened to her," Gordo suggested.

            "We can't just call them and ask, oh, hi Claire.  So, does Kate have amnesia?  Does she no longer have pupils in her eyes," Lizzie said.

            "You have a point," Gordo said.  "But what other choice do we have?"

            "Well," Lizzie said.  "None, I guess."

            "Let's use the phone at my house," Gordo said.  "We'll say that we wanted to work on the project alone, without the others."

            "Works for me," Lizzie said.  She picked up the phone that the customers were allowed to use, and called her mother.

            "Hi, Mom, it's Lizzie.  Gordo and I are going to work a bit at his house for a while.  I'll be back in awhile," Lizzie said.

            "No, Lizzie," her mother said.  "Come home, now."

            "But Mom, this is…" Lizzie objected.

            "No, I mean it, now!" her mother said.

            "Okay," Lizzie said.  "Is something wrong?"

            "Yes Lizzie," her mother said.  "Very wrong.  I'll tell you when you get home.  Tell Gordo to go home too."

            Her mother hung up the phone, and Lizzie turned to Gordo.  "Mom says that something bad has happened, and to come home immediately.  She told me to tell you to go home too.  Gordo, this is really starting to scare me."

            "Starting?" Gordo asked.  "I don't see where the word start comes in."

            When Lizzie returned home, her mother stood in the kitchen, palely slicing onions for that night's dinner.  "Honey, go check your e-mails.  Now."

            "What's in my e-mails?" Lizzie demanded.

            "Just go!" her mother shouted.

            Usually, Mrs. McGuire didn't yell at Lizzie like that, but this was hardly an ordinary day.  Lizzie ran upstairs, and logged onto her computer's e-mail.

From                                                                Subject                         Recieved

ThePower@alternatedimension.com               Your friend                9/18/03

            Lizzie immediately clicked on the message, and read it.

Dearest Lizzie,

          Your friend is beyond your help.  We need her more than you do.  Besides that, after one o'clock tonight, she won't remember you anyway.  So, don't you worry about finding her.  She is lost in more ways than one, silly girl.  I suggest you just give up.  Your friends Kate and Miranda are here to help us with our goals.  We need help, Lizzie.  Your help.  Only if you wish to.  Your other friend has already quite willingly agreed to help us.  You can't win.

                                                                             The Power

            Lizzie shrieked.  Had Gordo really agreed to help them?  This just wasn't like him!  Why would he do such a thing?  Lizzie had to do something, and fast.