Later that Afternoon in the Command Centre, the senior staff meeting had been changed to the afternoons to accommodate Taylor's change in his schedule. But no one was complaining as it was better than getting up at 6am in the morning.

"So we need to do another trip out for more supplies to finish the last seven houses" Baz said finishing his report on the construction in the colony. All the sixers had been given housing and played the perfect citizens with no complaints. In fact Jim regularly said they were his favourite citizens as they didn't complain and kept to themselves and if they were needed for something they were happy to oblige.

"Ok, make a list of people. I'll put together a group of soldiers to escort you and we'll go from there." Taylor said, he looked down at his plex at the itinerary. "Malcolm you have something to share?" he asked looking at the man. Malcolm nodded.

"I do" he tapped on his hand held plex and transferred data and information up onto the larger screen suspended above the conference table. "Since we untethered our fracture, I've been detecting anomalous energy readings in the Jungle" Malcolm said as he brought up the scans of the jungle on the plex screen.

"And we care because?" Jim asked not sure if they should be excited or at the table tried not to laugh at Jim's lack of enthusiasm.

"Because at first I thought it was a malfunction in our sensors and the readings were random in size and intermittent. But the last three times the readings have appeared they have shown an increase in scale and frequency. Every 7 weeks there are bubbles of energy-"

"Bubbles of energy? Can we get to the point" Taylor asked confused by Malcolm's form of laymen's terms as he just wanted facts.

"Ok I believe the fracture to 2149 could be reforming or that is my theory as it's in the same location where our terminus used to be positioned. I also think this because I compared the reading with those of the discovering of the portal in 2132 and they are similar. I want to go check it out" Malcolm said sitting back in his chair. The others at the table exchanged looks it was mixed reactions as to whether the fracture reforming was something good or bad.

"With your broken foot?" Taylor asked as the man had broken his foot when Dr Haynes had accidently dropped a large cage on it while they were rearranging the lab and doing inventory two days ago.

"I think you're missing the point about my theory. And anyway I am perfectly ambulatory with the leg brace" Malcolm assured him. Kate placed a hand over her mouth to cover her smile.

"But I thought the fracture collapsed with we blew up Hope Plaza thus gone forever" Jim said.

"Yes- well no, not gone forever just untethered and closed. Honestly it's unstable without a Terminus to tether it to one location and to control the opening of the fracture to make a portal, it's inaccessible" Malcolm said.

"So we can go check it out without being sucked back to 2149 like how I was sucked from my time?" Kate asked.

"Yes, you were in a storm at the time and the lightning struck the fracture opening it briefly with the electrical surge which is why you ended up here. If it had been calm weather you would have still been 2016" Malcolm explained to her.

"Ok" Kate said nodding.

"Just as the early days when these readings were detected people could walk through the energy fields of a fracture unharmed as the fractures are technically out of sync with our physical world hence the terminus is needed to make the travel through one" Malcolm explained.

"That's comforting to know" Jim said.

"Anyway I'd like to go out there and take closer sensor reading. It will only last for another 5 days, I would like to scan the area and take readings before the energy reading disappears for another 7 weeks" Malcolm said.

"Then it can wait" Taylor said.

"What if I'm right and it's the fracture reforming? 2149 could be making contact with us and we don't even know it. It could explain why the readings are consistent. They might have rebuilt Hope plaza and have a terminus on their side. It's worth at least one trip out this time" Malcolm said. Taylor looked to Alicia, they had talked about the fracture reopening what it would mean for the colony and the future of Terra Nova. Both were more inclined to keep Terra Nova cut off from the future and hoped this day would never come but now the possibility was here and it needed to be dealt with and the sooner the better before they had another invasion on their hands. Taylor nodded to Malcolm.

"Ok then give Reynolds the equipment-" Taylor started only for Malcolm to cut him off.

"Reynolds? No offence but equipment is sensitive and requires-"

"Ok, give Kate a run down on how to use the equipment then, since we don't know what we are going to see I'll ask for volunteers" Taylor said. He knew the man would trust his own fiancé with his gear. The news had been a pleasant surprise at the start of the meeting. It didn't take long for Guzman and Jim to raise their hands along with Mira. They had all spent the last 4 months in the Colony, he knew Jim just wanted to escape his duties and have a break, while Mira leaped on anything related to getting back to 2149 which left Guzman who was just looking for a change of too could use a change of scenery even for a few hours.

He and Alicia had been arguing more it seemed the larger she got the more angry she became. Sure they had their good times but the past week had been hellish as Alicia was tired and cranky with back pains and leg cramps. He suggested she might consider taking Maternity leave early only for her to interpret his suggestion as an order which turned into an argument as he tried to explain it was a suggestion and she got upset because she was 'huge' and 'couldn't fit in her uniform or see her feet'. He would have laughed if he didn't think Alicia would give him a black eye so instead he let her waddle away and cool down. She had gone to Kate's and was in a better mood now as she sat placidly in her usual chair next to his. He wished he knew Kate's secret as she always managed to calm Alicia.

"Good, I hope you don't mind getting some OTG time Kate. I think you need some more field experience even on a low risk mission like this" Taylor said looking to Kate.

"Not at all. Though excuse me for speaking out of turn but maybe Maddy Shannon might be a good addition to this trip" Kate said.

"Maddy?" Taylor questioned.

"She's been interning with Malcolm, knows how to use the tech and actually translate the readings. It's a low risk mission and it might be good her to get some field experience" Kate said. Jim and Elisabeth had discussed this before and had come to the decision that since Maddy was becoming an adult she had to start making decisions on her own. The couple exchanged a look and tilt of the head had come to an agreement.

"If she wants to and Taylor agrees. Elisabeth and I have no issue with it" Jim said.

"Ok, now that's settled. I'll leave Lt Washington in charge of the colony until we get back. Pack for an overnight trip. Kate, Malcolm I'll leave you to organising Maddy. We'll leave in the morning 7am. Now, anything else?" Taylor asked, the others at the table shook their heads and Taylor nodded as it was time to draw the meeting to an end.

"Ok, dismissed" Taylor said to them, he waited as the occupants got up from the table one by one got up and left the room. Alicia sat quietly waiting and when they were finally alone she spoke.

"I thought I was taken off duty" Alicia said calmly.

"I suggested you think about it. It wasn't an order" Taylor told her.

"Right, so only when you want to run off into the jungle I'll be left in charge" Alicia said unintentionally baiting him. He knew she couldn't help being in a foul mood it was just the constant pressure of people telling her and advising her as to what to do.

"Alicia, you know as well as I do that if it is the fracture and 2149 is calling I need to be there to take the call" he said, Alicia nodded in understanding.

"Ok, is there anything I should know before I take over? You want the gutters of the command centre cleaned out?" Alicia asked innocently.

"No, just hold down the fort as per usual" he said smiling at her as she was still in her good mood. He planned on making it last as long as he could.

The next morning Taylor and Jim with the others were busy packing a rover and a rhino with gear getting ready to leave. Maddy stood next to her mother nervously as she was not sure of what she should be doing. Mark had talked her through it all yesterday evening before dinner when she said she was going OTG even after Kate and Malcolm and her parents told her the plan. She was just nervous, with excitement and slight dread it was a big deal to be chosen for OTG trip and with Malcolm plying on the pressure for her to be thorough with her work. She gave a nervous chuckle as she remembered Kate smacking him in the arm and asking if the cage fell on head as Maddy was always thorough in her work and studies.

"You'll be fine Maddy, if anything you'll have heaps of fun and Kate said she'll be by your side the entire time" Elisabeth assured her as though she was talking to Zoe and not a 17 yr old girl.

"So I have a chaperone" Maddy said.

"I prefer the term bodyguard sounds meaner" Kate said tongue in cheek as she threw her backpack at Guzman. She was only armed with a sonic pistol and Ka Bar knife.

"Shouldn't you have more guns?"

"There will be four other people with big guns anyway someone has to help you with all of Malcolm's equipment. Did you remember the kitchen sink?" Kate asked Malcolm who hugged her from behind.

"Be kind, I may take back that ring" He told her.

"Too late it's on the hand and it's not being removed unless it's life or death" Kate told him she turned in his arms to face him and wrapped her arms around his neck. The others were slowly getting into the vehicles and saying goodbye.

"Be careful out there" Malcolm said in a low voice to her.

"Always. I'll see you in a couple of days" Kate said before he gave her a quick kiss. "We can celebrate some more when I come back" Kate told him.

"I look forward to it" he said before he drew her in for another kiss.

"You two finished being indecent?" Jim called from the driver's side of the rhino. "Because I'd like to get there before it's dark" he said. Kate laughed and rolled her eyes.

"Love you" she said to Malcolm before he gave her a long and deep kiss.

"Love you too" He murmured as he released her and pinched her ass to which she turned around and gave him a mock outraged look. "I'm going get you for that mister" she told him.

"Something else to look forward to" he told her. Kate smiled before she stopped to say goodbye to Alicia and her stomach she then hopped into the Rover with Taylor. Malcolm moved to stand beside Alicia and Elisabeth. Alicia signalled for the main gate to be opened and within minutes the Rhino and rover were gone in a trail of dust.

"Don't worry they'll be back in 72 hours" Alicia assured Malcolm clapping a hand on his shoulder.

Few hours later in the Jungle...

"Ok Maddy it's your show from here" Kate said as they got the gear out of the rhino and got to work. The others were clearing paths around the main area. Maddy pulled out her plex and a small hand device that looked like a lipstick case and held it out in front of her as she and Kate walked together. Kate was keeping an ear out for 'dino' trouble just like everyone else. They were all walking around her in the overgrown area where the Terminus used to stand.

"I've got the readings but they aren't centralised to one location as Dr Wallace said but I'm not sure what it-" Maddy stopped as did Kate when they looked around they were no longer in the Jungle but in a dark filthy back alley. A second later, they were joined by the others who all looked equally startled and confused as they were.

"What the hell? Where are we?" Kate said as she started coughing the air quality was abysmal, the others were having difficulty breathing. They all covered their mouths coughing and hacking.

"This is not good, the readings are gone" Maddy said wheezing as she had pulled her shirt collar up to cover her mouth. Not that it would help but she had to try something. She had forgotten how bad the air was in 2149.

"Gone?" Guzman asked.

"They aren't showing up. I think we are stuck" Maddy said.

"We're back in 2149" Taylor stated he moved to the end of the alley, the sound of police sirens and vents steaming with carbon monoxide from the subway and air filtration systems sounded around them along with advertisements for re-breathers and all the racket and noise that came from being in the city.

Kate looked around at all the high rise buildings of concrete and steel and dark brown smog covering the sky it was ten times worse that Hong Kong air in the winter. The air was thick and grimy to breathe, she felt herself choking and her stomach revolt she quickly turned away from the group and emptied her stomach against a wall.

"Kate, you alright?" Jim said as he pulled her up before she fell in her own sick.

"I…can't…breathe" She wheezed out as she struggled for air. He knees buckling completely as Jim held her up.

"She's having a massive anaphylactic reaction" Guzman said as he saw the hives forming on Kate's face and neck. He pulled the small med kit from his belt and pulled out epinephrine and injected Kate in the thigh. Her breathing improved slightly after a few moments but they all knew she needed a place with proper air filtration otherwise she was not going to make.

"Is everyone else ok? Besides choking on the air" Taylor said looking at the others they were all coughing but otherwise no adverse reactions.

"Yeah but we should get indoors quickly. I think we are in the Sector 4 of Chicago" Mira said as Jim lifted Kate into his arms bridal style.

"You know the area?" Taylor asked,

"I used to live around here, I know a few places we can go" she said.

In the newly rebuilt Hope Plaza in the security control room.

A woman in a black military style suit with severely quaffed blonde hair stood infront od a large plex screen with many video feeds playing of areas around the city with a long column to the left with sensor readings. An alarm sounded in the room and a screen turned red alerting the location.

"I have another energy reading sector 4" A woman said standing in front of a large plex screen she touched the screen bringing up the readings and the video feed. A man in his late 50's with greying side burns and a well tailored suit walked up to her side.

"I bringing up the live feed" the woman told him. She brought up the closest security camera feed.

"It had to be in the darkest district of town" the man mumbled as sector four was the low rent area, had no power 70% of the time and the other 30% was brown lighting.

"This is the best angle, the camera detects 6 lifesigns, one critical. They are on the move." She said and a moment later a figure emerged from the alley where the reading came from.

"It can't be" he said as he watched the video feed watching as most of the life signs stayed in the shadows bar glimpse of one faces and half of another.

"Sir?" the woman asked.

"Don't tell me you don't recognise the great Commander Nathaniel Taylor. Get Facial recs on the rest of the group if you can and alert our security forces. I want them picked up quietly and brought here immediately" he said.

"Sir I only have a partial of one other man's face the others missed the lightening and the camera is low res" the woman said.

"They'll need to pass a camera at some point, get it then and make sure our teams pick them up before local PD does" he said before leaving the room. He had to make phone calls to make.

"I think it's a temporal rift, I don't know this is impossible but Dr Wallace said they occur every 48 hours so if it is a rift and we came through it there's nothing stopping us from going back on the next one. We should have 47 hours until the next one opens" Maddy said as they sat in a dump of an apartment. It was the only abandoned place they could find with a semi clean air filtration system that function. Well it took a little tinkering on Guzman's part to get it working but it was enough for them all to breathe without choking only Kate was suffering with a horrible deep chest cough.

"Do we know where it will open?" Kate asked before going into another coughing fit. She was really suffering it didn't seem fair. She had hives and trouble breathing she never thought she would be allergic to air, polluted air at that. Taylor had commented that many other fuel sources made from toxic chemicals were used during the years after petroleum was finished and since Kate was neither innoculated or grown up in their environment she was bound to struggle more than the rest. As her immune system was adapted to 2149.

"I don't know but if Dr Wallace was right. If we miss that window we'll be stuck here for 7 weeks maybe more depending on the time variables" Maddy said. They would have asked her to explain further but it would be lost on them as they didn't understand what was going on. Only that they were in 2149.

"Then we need to lay low" Mira said looking at Kate's hives that were growing larger by the minute. She was amazed that Kate was complaining about what had to extremely uncomfortable state for her. The woman needed medical treatment but knew everything they did now would have to be under the table.

"We need to make contact with the Government" Taylor said.

"Taylor, I was employed by your government" Mira told him she had to break his illusions now before he thought he could walk in and be a hero. Their boss was one and the same and they had no problem with the idea of killing anyone who came between 2149 and it's resources. She had no desire to be captured and studied either but while she was here she could find her daughter.

"No the Phoenix group-" Taylor started only to be cut off.

"Are just one group fronting for a larger corporation who works in close quarters with the Government and Military. They do all the dirty work before the people you think so highly of come in and reap the benefits. You have no friends here. If they find out we are here you'll just be repeating the same battle. If we stay under the radar and disappear they'll never know we are here. Terra Nova remains our safe haven" Mira told him. It was the first time she truly explained her job but then she didn't give information unless expressly asked.

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Taylor said as he had no desire to repeat the past. Right now he'd rather err on the side of caution as he remembered General Philbrick mentioning that Terra Nova was made for bigger plans before he shot him.

"Get supplies, my daughter and lay low wait until the portal or rift opens again and go home forget this ever happened" Mira said, Taylor nodded he had no qualms as Mira was risking her safety by making contact with her friends here. If she got her daughter back to Terra Nova it was worth the risk.

"Your Daughter?"

"You think the people I was employed by are going to honour our arrangement and keep my daughter safe since I failed to keep the portal open? Of course they won't I need to find her and then we can take her back with us. We have 47 hours, right?" Mira asked Maddy.

"I think so" Maddy answered.

"We aren't here to-" he was going to finish with 'make friends' but Mira must have thought he was going to say her daughter wasn't coming back with them. If anything he was all for it, if Mira had her daughter then there was no more pressure to reopen the portal.

"Taylor, you are out of your game here. I know people who exist under the sensor grid and don't ask questions. Kate needs a rebreather and medicine in the next hour before she has lung failure not mention the rest of us need rebreathers. We also need new ID's, and clothing. I'm the only one here who knows how to get what we need without raising attention" Mira said firmly.

"She has a point" Kate said as she continued to wheeze like a bad asthmatic. As she was not enjoying herself body was hot, itchy, dirty and breathing was incredibly difficult and the hives were spreading. She had bad allergies as a kid but had been desensitized from majority of them when she joined the military. She had never had a bad episode like this.

"Where are we going to get the money?" Guzman asked, Mira looked to Kate and soon the others did to as they knew they were referring to Kate's sparkling diamond ring. Kate narrowed her eyes before coughing again, she covered her mouth as she stood and once the coughing ceased she pulled her engagement ring off and gave it to Mira.

"I officially hate the 22nd century and I want to go home" Kate wheezed before retaking her seat and putting her head between her knees trying not to pass out. No tried to comfort her or touch Kate in any form afraid she might bite them or worse set off her allergies further than they already were.

Mira looked at the ring and smiled before she pocketed it. "I'll be back in 45 minutes an hour at most" She told them.

"Whoa hold up, take Guzman with you" Taylor said. Mira looked annoyed at the lack of trust before giving a nod. Guzman pulled off his armour and green fatigue shirt before rolling down the sleeves of his long sleeve black stretch knit top before handing his tags to Taylor divesting himself as best he could of any military identifications.

"We'll be back" Mira said.

Back in Terra Nova, Alicia was sitting in Taylor's chair enjoying to comfort of it though secretly wishing she was at home lying in bed wearing one the dresses she borrowed from Kate as her uniform felt heavy and constricting.

"Lt Washington, weather station from the east has detected a large storm cell heading our way" Reynolds said, breaking Alicia out of her reverie. She frowned as she read the plex he handed her.

"How large did the weather team say it was?" Alicia asked.

"Catergory three, it will hit us in about ten hours" He said repeating what he had been told to Alicia. She looked outside at the blue skies not believing the data as they weren't due for storm season for another 2 months.

"Is this a prank?" Alicia asked looking at Reynolds through narrow eyes. She didn't think she had gone soft to the point people thought they could pull one over her.

"Promise Ma'am this is not a joke" Reynolds said she eyed him wondering if he had learned the art of lying then decided it was best to err on the side of caution.

"Ok, call up the soldiers while I put out the announcement. We need to prepare the colony" Alicia told Reynolds.

"Yes Ma'am" Reynolds said leaving the Command Centre.

TBC~