EARTH—LOS ANGELESDaphne and Kimberly sat at their table, sipping freshly roasted coffee and admiring the morning Los Angeles cityscape. Dale was on his way down the spiral staircase, shaking moisture from his hair. Fresh roast coffee aroma from the ground floor coffee shop below them filled the room. Dale poured a cup of the fresh brew and joined the girls, placing his chair between theirs.
“Haven’t seen you two for a while,” he said. “Sorry! The portal overhauls have kept me occupied.”
They both leaned over to kiss him lightly. “We didn’t miss you, Dear,” Daphne said. “We had each other.”
“Daphne!” Kimberly whispered loudly. “Be nice!” She kissed him more firmly.
“Actually,” Daphne said, “we’ve been pretty busy ourselves. We opened a Pandora’s box when we announced the availability of
