A.N. A nice shocker in this chap!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter5- Worthy Tests

"Can you see anything?" Purt's voice echoed in the darkness.

"Switch on your flash lights," Ordered Brian.

Four beams of light flicked on revealing a dark blue corridor, the walls were decorated with ancient hieroglyphics.

"This is no cave," Brian stated with an anxious tone as he looked around the walls, "its some kind of an…entrance"

"Stick together guys…anything can happen here" Ron said.

They continued sneaking forward into the darkness until they reached a dead end split into two corridors.

"Which way shall we go?" Asked Purt.

"We'll split up!" Brian exclaimed.

"Dude, no," interrupted Ron, "I'm the one leading here remember!"

"It's only the logical thing to do, Ron," replied Brian.

"Yes, when you're exploring the cave, not when you're avoiding getting lost and searching for a friend!" Ron pointed his finger at Brian.

"Don't you point that finger at me!" Brian pointed back, "And if you'd like me to remind you, Stoppable, she's your friend we're only helping you out!"

Purt walked forward and got in between them, "Come on you guys break it up!"

As Purt struggled to stop them Faris stood watching until he heard a deep breathing voice coming from one of the corridors, he walked up to the corridor and listened carefully.

There seemed to be a mysterious whisper coming from there, almost like a satisfied voice urging something to go on.

"Break it up ladies," Faris told Ron and Brian when he turned around, "We should go this way."

Ron turned to Brian pulling his tongue out.

"What?" Brian asked with surprise, "What makes you think it's this way?"

"There's a noise coming from there." Faris said as he walked into the corridor.

Purt quickly followed behind, then Ron and Brian.

They reached the end of yet another hieroglyphic corridor and entered some kind of a chamber. The chamber had a large sealed door with more hieroglyphics on it, on both sides of the door were two large statues of hooded men with swords pointing downwards, on the sides of the room was nothing.

"Great another dead end," said Brian as he tried to push the doors open, "Good job Faris, I applaud you for your great strategic decision,"

"I told you," Faris coldly replied, "I heard noises coming from here!"

"Oh, yeah," Brian said putting both his hands on his hips, "Like that couldn't have been the wind!"

Faris' eyes narrowed and he gritted his teeth.

"Guys!" Purt called while standing beside the door just between one of the statues and the door itself, "Look at this!"

All rushed over to see what Purt was looking at, "It's a computer panel of some sort!"

Everyone's eyes widened with shock at the site of the ancient looking mechanism, amazingly enough, it was ancient but with light bulbs and it was humming.

"Press something!" said Ron.

"Like what?" asked Purt.

"Like this," Ron stretched his arm out and hit a button.

The machine purred and a small screen slid from behind the keyboard. It flickered with a whir and a menu came up.

A language unfamiliar to anyone in the group came up.

"It appears to be asking a question," said Faris.

"It's obvious it is!" Brian exclaimed, "press any button!"

"No wait!" Shouted Ron attempting to stop Brian's hand but he was too late, Brian had already hit a button that only gave them more jumbled letters.

"Good job Brian!" taunted Purt, getting a disturbed look from Brian.

"Hold on I think I know what it was asking," stated Ron, "Can you bring back the old menu?"

"Well from the little bit I know about computers the best thing to do is restart. I'll try it now." Purt hit the same big button Ron did the first time.

The machine whirred and a menu came up.

"This is it the same menu we got the first time," said Purt.

"How do you know?" asked Brian.

"Because there are one word answers going down the screen," explained Purt, "now as you can see there is a selection." Purt hit some buttons and an arrow was going down on the screen along the selections.

"What are you looking for?" Brian asked getting a little agitated.

"Ah, wait!" Ron pointed on the screen, "That's English!"

"The words read 'BASIC'," said Purt, "I wonder what they mean by that?"

"Who cares its English," shrugged Brian.

Purt hit the middle button on the panel and after a small beep the screen changed to English format.

"No way!" exclaimed Ron with his wide eyes reflecting the same reaction from everyone.

"What's it asking?" prompted Faris.

Purts eyes scanned the small screen, everything was silent but the whirring of the machine.

"Well?" Brian asked impatiently.

"I don't get it," Purt finally spoke.

"What is it saying?" Ron bellowed in Purt's ears.

"These chambers have been locked temporarily," Purt read, everyone looked over at each other, "Only the one who locked this door may open it. Unless one proves themselves worthy to enter. To be worthy to enter these chambers one must first be pass the following tests:" Purt pressed a button.

The machine whirred some more and a question appeared, "In theory hating and denying the existence of a certain race other than your own would be considered…what?" many options appeared on screen, "a) Racial prejudice, b) fair judgment, c) personal opinion"

Brian laughed, "That's easy it's racial prejudice!"

"Wait!" Faris interrupted, "Look at the hieroglyphics we passed a couple of minutes ago,"

"Yeah, and?" Brian asked.

"These people aren't as predictable as you think!" Faris snapped back.

"I suggest fair judgment," Faris decided.

"Me too," Purt added, "What do you say Ron?"

Ron rubbed his head for a second, "I'm not sure which school subject this goes under. I'm gonna have to go with personal opinion," he shrugged, "But that's only my opinion,"

"Well, that's two on one on one," Purt said as he went for selection B.

The machine whirred and everyone anxiously waited for its reply, "Correct" the machine said.

"Wha-" Brian's response came, "That's interesting."

Everyone looked at each other precariously.

After a gulp Purt hit the button for the next test, "the next test is a physical one," the message said, "the floor panels on the floor are sensitive to your steps, you may only step on each panel once, if you step on them in the correct sequence the third test will be activated immediately after,"

Everyone moved over to the middle of the room and saw several panels on the floor in the form of a five by five grid.

"I wonder what the sequence must be?" asked Brian walking around the floor panels.

"Look up there!" Ron pointed at the top of the door where a hieroglyph showed a grid with a man walking on it.

"Apparently we have to step on every other square," said Brian.

"More like jump on them," corrected Purt walking beside Brian, Faris following behind.

"How is that possible, these boxes are too big to jump" Brian yelled.

"Don't worry, ladies," Ron intruded, "I've got mad Fu skills!"

"Very well, according to the hieroglyph you've got to start from there, then jump onto here…"

Ron ignored Brian's explanation and stepped onto one of the panels.

It lit up when Ron jumped off of it and landed onto the next one, he continued jumping each grid along the sides until he landed in the middle square.

"What now?" asked Purt.

"Didn't it say the third test will start immediately after?" questioned Brian.

Ron stood still in Monkey Kung Fu stance waiting for the result.

"Maybe the machine is broken…" A noise interrupted Ron mid sentence and a spear whooshed through the air directed towards Ron.

Ron's Kung Fu skills saved him when he shot up into the air over the spear.

It landed right into Brian's foot.

"Yaaagh!" Brian's scream came, Faris grabbed his shoulders as Purt ducked and frantically looked around him.

"Dude you've got a spear in your foot!" Ron exclaimed.

A loud beep came from the machine.

"I'm alright, I'm alright!" cried Brian, " Just go see what the piece of junk has to say!"

Faris pulled the spear out of his foot and helped him limp over to the computer panel.

"Congratulations, you've proven yourself worthy to enter. Respect those who've passed on and honor the code."

"There are dead people in there?" asked Purt in a quivery voice.

The machine whirred a bit more until the screen switched off and slid back into its earlier position.

All eyes shifted to the big door. With a loud bang the double doors began to move giving off a noisy screech revealing the steps going up behind it until finally it came to a halt.

Slowly everyone motioned towards the entrance.

Voices erupted from inside, the same deep voiced chorus singing inside.

Brian can still walk on his foot, but with a slight limp.

"How do we know Kim is even in there?" asked Brian.

"We don't" said Ron.

"Then what makes you think it's a good idea to go in?" Brian asked but with no response coming from Ron.

"I think we should go back!" Purt suggested still shaking.

"We made it this far didn't we?" asked Ron.

"Let's get going, we'll talk about this later. Maybe if we follow the voices it would lead us to Kim." Spoke Faris.

Ron was growing worried.

"I agree," Ron nodded, "Kim would do the same"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A.N. I know this is taking quite a while, but it'll be over soon.

The mystery will be revealed in Chapter6- Following The Voices

Speculate if you wish, but review!