"It's Showtime Synergy" Jerrica Benton whispered to her six pointed star earrings. In the blink of an eye, she was miraculously transformed into Jem- her blonde hair became pink and her blouse and pants became a shimmering stage dress. Microphone in hand, Jem turned to her best friends and bandmates, the Holograms, "Ok ladies, we've got a show to do," Aja, Shana, and Raya followed her out towards the stage, but Jerrica's sister Kimber held back, a transistor to her ear, "I don't feel so good about this," she pressed the radio closer to her eardrum

"Nonsense," Jem took her hand, "everything will be fine. Remember, we're doing this concert for charity,"

"Oh, I guess so," Kimber put down the radio and followed her sister and the rest of the Holograms to the stage

Rio dug through the glove compartment of his car, which was parked out back, behind the backstage entrance, "Its got to be here," he fished out a map of Los Angeles and the car's owner's manual, "Maybe Jerrica would know," he pulled out his cellular phone- an 11 inch block of gray plastic with a keypad big enough to rival most Texas Instrument calculators. Dialing in Jerrica's phone number, he hung up after a few rings, "she must have enough to worry about with all that paperwork", picturing her sitting backstage while the concert roared on, Jerrica up to her elbows in sheaves of documents. Rio smiled, Jerrica had been his high school sweetheart, "Heck, we've practically grown up together"; he mused. Rio continued to hunt in the car, pulling out the papers that were crunched under the passenger seat, he fished out a crumpled flyer for one of Jem's earlier concerts, "but there's just something about Jem," he thought aloud, stacking the flyer with the rest of the papers that he had on the passenger seat

"I hope you enjoyed that number" Jem's voice echoed from the speakers, but before she could continue into the next song, the ground began to shake violently. "Earthquake!" someone in the audience shouted, and just as suddenly, like a train wreck, full on pandemonium broke out. People rushed this way and that, desperately trying to vacate the roofed concert arena. Jem and the Holograms dropped their instruments and microphones and rushed for the exit as well, "Come on Jerrica," Jem thought, "Fast thinking will save us all. Just use Synergy to project Jem with the others and I can get back and show Rio I'm alright. Even if he's worried about Jem, he'll see she's alright too," The girls reached the exit door, "Show's over Synergy" Jem whispered. But nothing happened. She tried it a few more times, but to no avail. "Wait," she called to her friends. "What's wrong?" Shana asked

"I can't change back and Rio saw me come in… I mean, he can't see Jericca enter and see Jem leave"

"We don't have time for that," Aja pointed to the ceiling," this place isn't going to hold much longer"

"There's no arguing with you about that," Kimber opened the exit door and the five women rushed out into the daylight. Seeing Rio's car parked a few feet away, Jem motioned for the others to head for it, momentarily forgetting who she was, "Rio," she began as they reached the vehicle, "I'm so glad you're here," Rio looked up from the floor of the car, rubbing his head, "Sorry girls, I got stuck in there under the seat when the rumbling started. I was looking for something for… hey where's Jerrica?"

"She's … " Jem started

"She's alright," Raya blurted, "we saw go out the other exit,"

"Right," continued Aja, "on the other end of the stage"

"Because she was working on some paperwork backstage there," finished Shana

"I guess so" Rio looked preoccupied

"Besides, she must've gone to check on the girls," Kimber gave a sidelong glance towards Jem

"Yes" Jem finished, "Jerrica will probably head for Starlight House soon; she's worried about the girls there,"

"Well come on" Rio opened the passenger door," the least I can do is give you ladies a lift"

"Oh Rio, you're our knight in shining armor" Jem sat in the passenger seat, next to Rio while Aja, Shana, Raya and Kimber somehow squeezed into the back of Rio's car. To call it a tight fit would be an understatement

"I'm glad you're ok," Krissie held the receiver close to her ear, "We were all so worried when the earthquake started"

"I know, I was too" Ba Nee sat in the apartment that she lived in with her father, "Oh one minute, Daddy wants to talk,"

"Hi Krissie," Martin O'Carolyn spoke up, "I'm sorry to cut your talk with Ba Nee short; I know you're both worried about each other, but I was hoping I could talk with Jerrica, just to make sure that her friends and she are all alright"

"Oh, Jerrica and her friends had to go pick up Jem and give a concert for charity" Krissie looked down at her wristwatch, "We should have gotten a phone call by now." The line began beeping, "Oh Mr. O'Carolyn, I'm sorry but there's another call coming in. It might be Jerrica or Jem or one of their friends"

"I understand, be safe now" Martin hung up the phone. He turned to Ba Nee, "Ok, let's see if we can fix this place up. The threat of an aftershock is gone now" he picked up a painting he'd done of Kiyo Ching, Ba Nee's mother and hung it back on the wall, next to the photo that Ba Nee hung on the other wall stud- a framed photo of Ba Nee and Martin the day she'd left Starlight House with him.

"Hi Krissie" Rio said as they drove along, "I was hoping that Jerrica might have reached home somehow. Apparently she managed to escape when the earthquake hit"

"No Rio, she hasn't gotten home yet" Krissie's voice shuddered

"Well don't worry," Rio tried to reassure her, "I'm sure she's on her way". He hung up the phone and turned to Jem, "Well that idea didn't pan out" his brows furrowed, "I'm just going to drop you all off and then I'll search for her myself"

"I'll come with you," Jem offered

"No no, it's something I've got to do myself. I mean if her own sister doesn't know where she is, how would you know?"

Kimber took offense, "Rio I can't believe—"

"No Kimber," Raya winked at the youngest member of the Holograms, "Maybe its better if Jem goes along. What if she finds a way to locate Jerrica"

"Of course" Kimber realized, "Yes Rio, you and Jem go ahead and find Jerrica. We'll hold the fort here" she nodded

"No wonder Synergy can't reach Jerrica" Shana lamented, "Girls, take a look at this" motioning to the earthquake-damaged supercomputer

"Oh Synergy" Kimber knelt by the computer, running her hand over the metal sideboard

"There's no time for crying now, we've got to get her up and running so she can help Jerrica" Raya knelt and sifted through the broken shelving that now was strewn on the floor. "Here we are" she picked up some screwdrivers and stood and kicked an open toolbox from under a shelf board.

"I see" Rio nodded, putting down the receiver, "No one's seen anyone fitting her description leave the arena"

"But that can't be" Jem countered

Rio turned away from the pay phone, "I know; then we'll have to search. The police are no help" he took her hand and led her through the exit door that the Holograms had run through when the earthquake hit. "Start searching here," Rio pointed with his now dead cellular phone and motioned Jem over to where the stage lights had fallen from the rafters

"Don't you think we should search for her together" Jem moved closer to Rio

"I—" Rio began. Jem linked her arm in his. Rio stared at his sneakers, "No" he unhooked his arm from hers, "Look Jem, you're great. Really great and fun, but Jerrica—we've grown up together and I'm just comfortable with her; I can be myself with her and don't have to put on an act. But hey, look who I'm talking to. You're the one who got swept away with everyone from Riot to the Beast in London,"

"Well, I" she started

"No, I don't know why I like being around you when it's clear you don't want to be tied down to one guy,"

"No Rio it's not that, it's just," but Rio had walked away without hearing her.

"I'm worried" Krissie sat fetal on the floor, leaning against her bed, the phone receiver clutched in her hand, "Aja, Kimber, Shana and Raya came back but Jerrica's still not here"

"What if she's trapped in the arena?" Ba Nee wondered aloud

"No, how will she get out?" Krissie almost flipped over forward, "Does your Dad have any ideas about how to find Jerrica?"

"He said its best to let Rio and Jerrica's friends find her. They know more about her than he does. I guess he's got a point, but I'm still worried"

Me too Ba Nee; let's keep praying and hoping that everything good will happen"

"Yeah, that's true"

As Jem and Rio searched, Jem's mind flew to her song Something's Missing In My Life. "What if Synergy can't be repaired" she thought, "What if I'm Jem forever?" she sifted through some debris aimlessly, "Would Rio still love Jem the way he loves Jerrica?" she shook her head, knowing the answer, "Jem's fun, but Jerrica's the one he can be himself with,"

"Hold up that panel, Kimber" Aja readjusted her goggles and inserted a blue wire into the port next to where an orange wire was already plugged in. "Come on Synergy" the other screwdriver moved in time with her words as the handle protruded from her mouth, "Being mechanically inclined was one thing, but Synergy is no El Camino" she thought, "Raya" she turned around, "hand me that soldering iron and mask"

"Wouldn't this be easier if there were blueprints?" Raya handed Aja the iron and mask

"Sure it would, but I can't figure out where they are" Aja countered, donning the mask, "Stand back Kimber,"

Jem kicked a piece of debris out of the way, exposing the corner of Kimber's keyboard which had a photo of the late Emmett Benton taped above the output jacks. Jem bent down and removed the photo, pocketing it. "What if I'm Jem forever?" her thoughts fell back to the same question as she fingered her earrings. "Wait, I'll remove these things," she slipped off the shimmering six pointed stars from her earlobes. Nothing happened. Jem sighed and put the earrings back on, "At least I can take some solace in knowing that Synergy is still online, even if she can't contact me," she thought

"I found it!" Shana pulled out the blueprints from under several books and debris

"Finally," Aja unrolled the blueprints and she and Shana studied it, "We'll need more wiring and a phone line adapter"

"Come on girls,; I smell a shopping trip!" Kimber grabbed her purse

"Sorry Kimber" Aja tossed her a screwdriver, "there's everything we need back here," she pulled out some boxes of electronics parts, wires and circuit boards from under one of the few shelves that were still standing

Aja knelt by Synergy and spliced the outer cover from a piece of telephone wire and wound it around a piece of wiring in Synergy's open access panel

"This makes so much sense now" Aja tightened a screw while Shana, Raya and Kimber poured over the blueprints. "One more to go" Aja closed the access panel, "Let's hope this works," The girls said a quick prayer and crossed their fingers.

"I want to turn her on!" Kimber moved towards the buttons

"But it's thanks to Aja that Synergy's even working again, if at all now," Raya countered

"No Raya, its Kimber's father's machine; she should turn it on again" Aja patted Kimber's shoulder. Kimber took a breath and pressed the button

"What is your request?" the soft computerized voice wafted through the room. Synergy's purple and lavender countenance blazed across the screen. The girls all cheered

Rio's mind was spinning, "Two hours and we haven't found Jerrica. I've combed this entire stage, backstage and the aisles. Heck, even Jem's been a trooper and is searching for her,"

Jem knelt by what was left of the stage's curtains, her mind just as ablaze as Rio's, "I can't go on being Jem for the rest of my life. I'll find some way to get Rio to drop me back at Starlight Mansion and I'll figure out something, somehow" she shook her head, "But what if Synergy's gone for good and we can't repair her," Staring into the space in front of her, she whispered, "I guess this really means the show's over Synergy" Jem's earrings shimmered and flashed and when she looked down again, she was once again dressed in blue slacks and a blouse printed with boomerangs, "Oh I'm Jerrica again" she touched her face and ran her fingers through her blonde hair

"Jerrica!" Rio shouted from across the stage. Jerrica knew what that meant, "Synergy, I need Jem here to talk to Rio about what happened". A moment later, Jem appeared from behind the backstage entrance, "Rio, oh I'm so glad you found Jerrica" she said, "I was looking for her back here but you found here"

"What happened Jerrica? Oh I thought you were gone forever" Rio hugged his girlfriend tightly

"I know, I thought I was gone too"

"Don't you know how much you mean to me?"

"I know, now I know" she held him close

"Jem" Rio looked up from Jerrica's shoulder, "I want to thank you for looking for Jerrica with me. I couldn't have found her without you"

"Sure thing Rio," Jem smiled, "I've got to go; but why don't you give Jerrica a ride home and we can talk later"

"Right, of course" Rio grinned

"So you were saying" Jerrica turned Rio's face back towards hers, "how much you missed me"

"I thought I'd never see you again"

"But you spend such a long time looking with Jem"

"Jem? Jem's fun, but she's not … I can be myself with you Jerrica, do you realize how refreshing it is to be with someone and not have to put on any pretenses or acts?"

"I can only imagine" she smiled