The manager grunts out his disapproval at the trio's refusal of his offer, and goes back to whatever he does all day.  Through the door, the girls are met with something somewhat unlike Asian restaurants.  In fact, it is more like a portal.  So much so, in fact, that it sucks them in and transports them to another time and place, which they will hopefully care more about.  So yeah, it pretty much is a portal.<br/><br/>-----<br/><br/>Through the door/portal, the ladies emerge in something that gives comforting familiarity to all three of them, on different levels.  Carrie can appreciate that the walls, floor, and ceiling are all made of metal, the lights are artificial, and - while there's no sign of steam anywhere - pipes run along the ceiling.  Jamie can appreciate the resemblance to Vaults featured in another recent (from her frame of reference, at least) video game release.  And Yuki-Yuki can appreciate the fact that she recognizes that it is in fact an elaborate underground base, with familiar-looking computer terminals and sensors and such.<br/><br/>Less comforting to all three is the fact that two people are lying on their backs in the corridor, looking up at the pipe-lined ceiling, having a surreal conversation.  "I think it looks like a bear," says one, to which the other replies, "I think it looks rather like an elephant."  The first person objects, "How could it look like an elephant when they don't exist?" and again the second replies, "If elephants don't exist, how can I think it looks like one?"  "Clearly you're insane," the first person reasons.  "That I may be," the second replies, "but you're the one who suggested guessing the shapes of clouds in the first place."