Jem and the Holograms were in a recording studio at Starlight Music, working on a new album. They were beginning to fall behind on the charts, and needed something to bring them up to the top once again. Their bubbly, pop-type of music usually appealed to more people than the raucous style of the Misfits, but the Stingers' catchy rock tunes were tough competition.

"Now we're Rockin' down through time

Rockin' down through time

They're still in our hearts

Still on the charts

Rockin' down through time!"

The cut was finished.

"Great job, girls!" Rio said. "Take a break; you've earned it." The group's manager began shutting down the studio, resetting the equipment. They still had a lot of work to do, but they were finished for the day.

Kimber and Jem went into the bathroom before returning home to get ready for the party they were hosting at a reception hall later. "That was a great job singing that song, Jem," Kimber said, winking at her sister as she stressed the stage name.

"Thanks, but I couldn't have done it without you--you wrote it!"

Kimber didn't smile. She looked worried suddenly.

"What's wrong?"

Kimber gently turned her sister around to face the mirror. Jem had become Jerrica, without touching her earrings at all!

"I didn't--" Suddenly she was Jem again. The hologram flickered. Jerrica gave up after a few minutes and took off the earrings. She dropped them into her purse. "We'd better hurry back to Starlight Mansion and see what's wrong with Synergy."

"See you girls tonight!" Rio called as they were leaving. "Hey! Where's Jem?"

"She's already gone," Kimber said quickly.

Rio looked a bit disappointed.

"Don't worry, Rio," Raya laughed casually. "We'll make sure Jem's looking muy linda for the party tonight."

.............................................................................LATER...................................................................

It was six o'clock in the evening when Aja pulled the Rockin' Roadster into the driveway. Jerrica and the Holograms went quickly through the mansion to the room where they kept Synergy.

"Well, she looks okay," Aja said doubtfully. She timidly pressed a button. Synergy's lovely lilac face appeared on the huge computer monitor.

"I am okay," she said unemotionally.

"Come on!" Shana said impatiently. "Synergy's okay--she says so herself. Now let's get ready for that party!"

"Okay," Jerrica said reluctantly. She took the Jemstar earrings out of her purse and put them on.

Suddenly, Raya screamed something in Spanish, pointing at Jerrica with wide eyes.

"What now?" Jerrica asked her friends, but her voice had changed. It was deep and scratchy--not at all the music of Jem's intonation. She raised an arm to touch the earrings, but found a fuzzy, scrawny spider leg attached to her shoulder; in fact, she had eight of them!

Trying not to scream at herself, Jerrica quickly took the earrings off, then dropped them to the floor smoking. They were extremely hot! "Damn!" Jerrica had to curse as she looked at her reddened fingers. "Maybe she's over-heated or something. I'll unplug her, and then we'll get out of here."

"What about the party?" Shana asked.

"Jem seems to have come down with a cold," Jerrica said with a shrug. "I'm sure Synergy will be fine in a few hours.

At her name, Synergy's form suddenly dove right out of the screen and did a flip, landing on the ground in front of the girls in a crouch. She glared up at them from her position. Her normally lavender eyes had turned a blazing red.

"You're not going anywhere!" Synergy shrieked. Jumping to her feet, she pointed a long finger at the center of the room, and a hole suddenly appeared, floating in midair. It started small and grew larger, a bluish light radiating from the inside. It looked almost like some kind of portal...

Synergy grabbed the closest person to her--Kimber.

Kimber gasped. "Jerrica--! I can FEEL her!!!" As Synergy shoved her into the portal, Kimber screamed, "She's not a hologram!

Synergy then grabbed Shana's arm with an iron grip, flinging her into the portal.

The synthetic woman was blocking Jerrica's path to the cord keeping her central computer plugged into the wall; she couldn't get around her.

But Aja... Aja was so near the door. If she could only--

"Aja, huye!" Raya screamed. "Ve, ve!" Rushing forward, Raya tried to tackle Synergy.

The hologram-turned-to-life couldn't stop both of them. With inhuman strength, Synergy grasped both of Raya's wrists and tossed her over her head--right into the gaping, growing hole.

Jerrica felt a strong pull emanating from the portal. It was getting harder to resist the growing draw. She finally grasped hold of Synergy's computer, digging her fingers into the frame for support.

Synergy was growing tired of the games. She pointed a finger at Jerrica's struggling form, and a bolt of lightning zapped right into her. Jerrica collapsed, as Jem. Her nails scratched over the framework as she landed on the cold tiles. Then the portal slowly dragged her in.