-----------------------------------------------------------C5--------------------------------------------------------------
>Back in the lab...
>''Okay, we can probably turn it back on again.''
>Another one of the assistants scratched his head with a clipboard.
>''And why are we turning that back on?''
>The two turned to the portal generator, or, what was left of it.
>The machine had blatantly seen better days after the hasty shut down procedures.
>A large piece of the inside had been soldered and duct-taped back together
>''In case you didn't figure it out, there's aliens now.''
>''Radio said they were horses.''
>''Alien horses, whatever. We can suck them back out through the portals.''
>After everything that had happened today, he could still hear the other lab technician sucking in air in surprise.
>''We haven't tested something like that and you know it!''
>''You got any better ideas?''
>This must be a motto around here.
>Like last time, there was no counter-idea.
>Most of the assistants started shuffling off towards their stations.
>''Bring `er back online, nice and slow.''
>Various points of data flooded the computer screens as the lights on the machine started coming on one by one.
>That is, until everything went blank seconds later.
>The team had varying degrees of a panic attack.
>There was no way the power could've gone out again, could it?
>Everything else was still working, though, so that clearly wasn't the case.
>They powered down the machine and started it back up.
>This procedure had to be repeated twice before it went fully online.
>Each technician wasn't above giving it worried looks even while it whirred loudly to life.
>''This thing's more stubborn than my car in the winter!''
>Those techs that could hear it over the humming nodded in agreement.
>''Readouts?''
>''Green across the board and holding steady.''
>''Alright. Reports indicate that the aliens were last seen at the park closest to the bay. Get the coordinates for it, and place the first portal there.''
>A nearby assistant nods and starts clicking away with his mouse.
>Seconds later, he types a stream of numbers into his computer.
>He then looks up at the chief's stand-in.
>``Second link?''
>''Anywhere, just put random values.''
>He was about to dispute it but doesn't want his ear talked off again and inputs a second stream of numbers.
>''Coordinates set.''
>''Do it.''
>The tech hits his enter key.
>The red sphere atop the machine begins glowing brightly once more.
>The humming also increases considerably.
>With no direct visual indicator of success, everything relied on what came back in the readouts.
>''Anything?''
>''Data's coming in now.''
>The information is pouring across the screen, but the tech's trained eyes pick up every character.
>''Portal is stable. Readings indicate it's.... Wait, that can't be right...''
>The main assistant looked annoyed.
>''What, can't be right?''
>''The portal generated over the bay instead! We missed!''
>''I thought I told you to place it over the park!''
>''I did!''
>''Let me see!''
>The assistant is over the tech's shoulder in an instant.
>He looks carefully between the two windows snapped on the monitor.
>One gives a google search result for the park's coordinates, with the numbers highlighted.
>The other has a snapshot of the coordinate feedback from the generator, with the location given along with the numbers.
>The assistant looked between the number sets five times before he conceded to his eyes.
>''They're.... exactly the same! Augh, the generator didn't recalibrate properly! Shut it down! We're going to have to figure out why the numbers are off, first.''
>''Deactivating.''
>The machine began powering down with little fanfare.
>The readouts on various monitors stopped pouring in.
>''I thought we had ironed out all of the machine's kinks! Could this day get any worse?!''
>Something clicked and popped from deep inside the portal generator.
>Suddenly, the machine roared back to life, its second wind not unnoticed by anyone in the room.
>The main assistant's hand found its way to his forehead at a breakneck pace.
>''Was the portal at least dispelled?''
>''Nope. It's still there. Even worse, according to the data it's expanding.''
>''How?!''
>''Remember those other two that managed to stabilize because something big was coming through?''
>This got everyone's attention and they all crowded around the nearest monitor.
>The room collectively stared at a warning indicator.
>MASS-STABILIZED
>''Uh oh.''
