• “AAHH!” Steven cried as he was flung headfirst out of the Time Portal’s vortex and onto the hard cobblestone ground beyond. Every muscle in his body screamed with pain when he tried to move, but he eventually forced himself to a rough sitting position. “You guys okay?” he asked the two other prone forms that were unceremoniously dumped onto the dirt.

    “Aside from feeling like I’ve been run over by a speeding supply truck, I’m just peachy. Thanks for asking.” Jamie groaned, attempting to slowly return to her feet.

    Steven winced as he stood up and proceeded to help his teammates regain their composure. “What was that?” Aili wondered.

    “Vortex must have become unstable all of a sudden.” Jamie guessed, “I thought we compensated for that problem days ago.”

    “We did.” Steven said, gazing at the empty patch of air where the Time Portal’s event horizon once was with a frown, “You’d need an enormous power supply to disrupt a Portal, which I don’t think the people of this time period had at their disposal.”

    A small, rectangular device on Jamie’s left hip beeped insistently. She unhooked it from her belt and studied the screen. “The detector’s picking up the Crystal’s signal. Just a few clicks north.” She nodded her head in the indicated direction.

    “Alright.” Steven said as he began to lay out their plan of action, “I’ll take point. Jamie, you cover our six. Stick to the shadows and don’t let anyone see you no matter what. No shots until I give the order, got it?”

    “Got it.” Aili confirmed. Jamie nodded her understanding.

    Steven took out his pistol and loaded a round into the chamber, “Let’s go.”

    Quickly yet carefully, the three-person squad made their way through the dark and lonely streets, following the directions of Jamie’s device. “Where is everyone?” Aili whispered, “I thought that this city was a thriving metropolis.”

    “Maybe they took the night off.” Jamie suggested with a shrug.

    “Don’t think they take nights off.” Steven said, “I’m getting a very bad feeling about this.”

    Jamie rolled her eyes, “Chalk one more up for that list.”

    A few more minutes of brisk walking brought them to the towering black walls of an ancient cathedral. Its four massive spires soared high into the sky, puncturing the thick layer of fog that had blanketed the city. “Notre Dame.” Jamie breathed in amazement, craning her neck to see the foreboding structure of the cathedral, “Gives me the creeps just looking at it.”

    Steven was lost in his own amazement as he gazed at the ancient structure, “I’ve seen pictures of this thing in the Federation archives, but I’d never thought it was this big.”

    Aili rolled her eyes, seemingly not as impressed by the massive structure, “Come on guys, snap out of it. This isn’t really a sightseeing tour, you know.”

    “Oh, right.” Jamie said, shaking her head as if breaking some kind of trance. She peered at the detector once again, pressing a few buttons here and there. “Looks like the signal’s coming from underneath the church.”

    Steven frowned, “I’m highly doubting that they’re just gonna let us waltz right through the main doorway, and simply blowing a hole in the walls will attract too much attention. We’ll have to find another way in.” he panned his eyes over the streets ahead until a small stone hole that resembled a downsized well caught his eye. “That hole there should lead to the tunnels beneath the city.” He told them as he pointed out the wells location, “You’d better you oxygen masks on, though. Something tells me that it’s bound to get messy.”

    Jamie’s face paled, “Oh, please.” She pleaded, “Anything but the sewer!”