"Mr Stanley, Ms Ladrey." General Phillips said, guiding the newcomers inside the cordon and up the harsh side of the stony hill. "I believe you'll find everything in order. At present we're holding at seventy two percent, and the fissure is stable." The General paused, licking his lips. "I... ah... was under the impression that China was sending a representative?"
The American and European representatives looked oddly at each other. The tall, dark haired Brit coughed as he peered down at his diminutive, auburn haired compatriot from the states. She looked faintly Asian, despite her country of origin.
"There have been... complications." Ms Ladrey said. "I think China is still debating the Taiwan issue. Have the Russian and African representatives arrived already?"
The General nodded, escorting the two past the concrete barricades, the shouts of the demonstrators still echoing from half a mile away.
"At present things still seem to be steady on the main levels. Are we planning on leaving with only four of the five? I suppose we could simply transport more materials along with you?"
Mr Stanley shook his head. "I believe that is not an option." His crisp British accent still annoying his American counterpart. "Though as I understand it there is a Professor Poitier on the analysis team who has tested positive? Perhaps a second EU member?"
General Phillips shook his head, dreading the political fallout over this. Still, it was just the first jump. Hopefully China would get their things organized for the second. If they could keep it together that long... and assuming their theories on this were correct!
The three, with their black suited guards tagging along, finally crossed the dim concrete paved area, entering the huge building through a massive entryway, easily twenty foot tall. Inside was a large, single room, hanger-like in it's vast capacity, stretching hundreds of yards in either direction. In the center of this huge room was the point of this whole project. The rift. A twisted ribbon of purple and green energy knotted and twirled within a glowing sphere, needles of red energy coming from large mechanical devices arrayed around the contorting anomaly. a huge ramp lead up to the rift, with various equipment arrayed at the bottom of the ramp, waiting to ascend with the five travelers.
"Any clue yet from probes?" Ms Ladrey said in a hushed tone.
"Still no result from inorganic probes. There have been some success encasing devices in organic substrates, but so far nothing has returned. We believe there is some sort of EMP effect on electrical devices, even when the living tissue allows translation. I understand that yesterday they were able to get a mouse back however, unharmed."
"Really?" Mr Stanley said in a shocked tone. "I wasn't aware of that result. Why weren't we informed?"
"We've had a leak, and with the riots over the coastal flooding this project is looking more and more precarious. If they got a hint that this might be a way out we'd have a mob charging in to break in here. They wouldn't believe us that only a few can go as yet."
"Don't worry General. We'll open the rift further in time." Ms Ladrey said.
"Time, yes." Phillips said with a chuckle. "That is the crux of the matter isn't it?"
Mr Stanley clapped the man firmly on his shoulder.
"As my American associate has said General, they'll get it working right, and for now we just test the waters, eh?"
They stared ahead, at the natural tear in time, the one in a trillion event that the scientists had harnessed. The door that would eventually, hopefully, let them evacuate a dying world. That might lead them to...
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