Chapter 4: The Server Room
The world flashed blue as they stepped through the gate and they arrived at the first floor. It wasn't empty, it was filled with people, but certainly not as many as Kazi anticipated. A little less than a hundred—certainly a high volume but it didn't come close to the thousands that had been swarming through.
Ahead, attached to the wall, was another portal, smaller and flashing yellow rather than blue. There was a small group awkwardly waiting for someone to go in.
"You go in!"
"No, you go in!"
Without a gigantic crowd, it seemed like everyone had lost the will to push forward. They were twenty or so feet away, so Kazi and Daiki didn't have to join in on their saddening situation.
Kazi surveyed their surroundings. Circular in shape, most definitely, but it wasn't obscenely large like it seemed from the outside.
"Oh, I get it," Kazi said. He received a puzzled look from Daiki. The older man smiled, raised a finger, and started to explain, "It's like a game server. There's multiple portals of the same level." Kazi paused. Daiki blinked and waited for him to continue. "No one is coming in. In other words, once a server is filled up, no one can come in unless..."
Pop!
A woman came in. The same black-haired woman he had been observing outside. Like before, she didn't seem to have a clue as to what was going on. Up ahead, there were gasps and cries of, "Oh my god!"
"Did you notice?" Kazi asked. Daiki smiled weakly. He didn't. "The moment someone went through the portal there, that black-haired lady teleported in."
"Oh." Recognition and familiarity appeared in Daiki's eyes. "A game server. I get it."