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>In the lab, the chief's team is hard at work trying to shut down the portal generator.
>Some are pouring through schematics, others are looking at readouts on screens.
>One thing going in their favor is that the power has come back on and has remained stable.
>Same couldn't be said for the generator, which kept powering down and restarting every couple minutes.
>Its continuous cycle of overcorrecting portal positions by opening new ones in new places has left most of the science team exhausted.
>Feeding data and counter-commands to shut them down has yielded limited success.
>''I've got it!''
>Nearly all of the rest of the team crowds around the assistant, who's been set up at his station pouring through relevant data.
>No one else in the room was more hesitant to risk breaking the one and only device of its kind, but the lead assistant is forced to eye a side panel with soldering intensity.
>''It's not the cleanest approach, but if we remove the wiring from behind this panel here, we can--''
>''We can prevent power from cycling to the machine when it next restarts, and keep it shut down!'' one of the techs peering over his shoulder completes his sentence.
>''Isn't that risky?'' the tech asks.
>''You have any better ideas?''
>A defeated sigh is the only reply.
>The tech pipes up again. ``I'm certainly not getting near it.''
>A chorus of agreement rings out from the rest of the team.
>The assistant sighs this time.
>''Alright, fine. I'll do it. Gonna have to get gloves for it, though.''
>The team gives him space as he gets up from his station and leaves the room.
>Ten minutes later he returns sporting heavy-duty construction gloves.
>Usually these gloves are reserved for the ``hands-on'' techs that actually build equipment.
>Now, they represented the best shot of shutting the machine down.
>The assistant strode toward the machine, and more notably, the side panel.
>The arcing from the machine had toned down considerably, but the occasional stream of rampant electricity darted about it from time to time.
>Four undone screws and a tug later, the wiring behind the panel is exposed.
>What should've been a somewhat organized mesh of wiring was now a melted heap of metal and different-colored coatings, congealing into one solid mass.
>The assistant put both hands on the mass of metal.
>Electricity arced as if in defiance of his act, but his gloves kept him safe.
>He pulled at the metal.
>No movement.
>He grunts, grits his teeth, and tries again with more oomph.
>It still doesn't come out but he felt less resistance this time.
>''Third time's the charm.''
>He plants a foot on the machine for balance and tugs with all his might.
>The glob of former wiring is freed from its prison, the assistant tumbling backwards from his efforts.
>Sparks fly like wildfire as the electricity suddenly has nowhere to go.
>Seconds later, the machine powers down.
>It tries to spurt back to life, but with a majority of the connections gone, it cannot.
>The team breathes a collective sigh of relief as the machine finally goes quiet for the first time since the malfunction.
>The assistant looks down at the baseball-sized hunk of metal, then back up to the rest of the team.
>''Someone, call the chief.''
>No one even got the chance.
>The phone rang before they could so much as blink.
>The tech is on it in a heartbeat. ''Hey, chief, you okay?''
>A chuckle of sorts from the other end.
>''I've been better. Making any headway?''
>A sudden beeping echoes through the lab before the tech can respond.
>The chief can hear it on his end.
>``What's going on over there?''
>The tech is at a readout screen and combing it over.
>''Um, uh...''
>''Spit it out.''
>''Chief... I have good news and bad news.''
>The chief scientist was already rubbing his temple with his offhand.
>''Joy. The good news?''
>''Machine's off and the portals are closing.''
>''And the bad news?''
>''Two of them are still open. Something's coming through them. Something big.''
>''Hold on; what is?''
>''Two.... somethings. We don't know what they are but the mass coming through is enough to force the apertures to remain stable while they pass.''
