Chapter 3

England, the department of irregularities research facility, 1 mile from Newcastle, 2016

The lab that housed the BLACKHOLE device was a mess off broken glass, overturned tables and scattered chairs. There was also a strong smell of something that didn't belong.

The smell of earth after rain. Maxfeild was sure there was a word for that, he just couldn't think of it.

A pathway had been cleared from the main entrance towards the BLACKHOLE archway and as Maxfeild walked along through the derby, he could see that after the professor had been kidnapped the other scientists had done a near perfect job of destroying any evidence the owner of the pale hand might have left behind. The scientists had rushed towards the archway to open it again and try to get the doctor back, however some of the cables had been ripped out of there sockets by the blast and the main computer was damaged. Even now most of the scientists were still repairing the machine in a vain hope that Dr Martin was still on the other side.

Maxfeild stood directly in front of the archway. It looked like something out of stargate, except bigger and with cables coming out of the top. When he looked at it he had this sudden sense of foreboding, and there was still that smell, it was strongest here. What was the word for it?

"I'm going to need some water and a silver basin." The woman with no eyebrows, who had followed them to the lab, nodded to him. She disappeared behind the lab doors and returned 5 minutes later with a jug of water and a basin. She gave them the Maxfeild, who in turn placed the basin at the foot of the archway and then slowly emptied the jug of water into it. The scientists stopped what they were doing and remained silent. Maxfeild stood by the archway with his hands above the basin and begun muttering a series of sentences that no one in the lab, despite the silence, could hear. However they didn't need to hear what he was saying to understand what he was doing.

He was performing magic.

Specifically he was casting Jacques Belasis's Scopus, a spell used for detecting magic. The spell would be unable to detect the magic used in the BLACKHOLE experiment because it was infused with technology. So if there was any magic preformed that shouldn't have been, then the spell would tell him. The water in the basin began to twist and turn as the magic began to take effect. As Maxfeild stood there a dim light began to appear in the water, small at first but slowly it began to get brighter. Soon the basin was filled with light as the water to bubble and boil, stem rose from the basin and small drops condensation started to appear on Maxfields outstretched arms. He closed his eye and slowly began to lower his arms. As he did, the light began to fade until by the time his hands were by his sides it dissipated completely.

Maxfeild stood there, his theories now conformed. Only fairy magic could be that powerful. But what kind of magic had been performed here? And what was it meant to have achieved?

Unless…..

Unless the BLACKHOLE experiment wasn't strong enough to open a portal on its own. Then it would have needed help. But fairies can travel between the worlds with eases, so what would be the point of having a connection between England and wherever they were in faire.

Maxfield's eyes widened. "No." he muttered under his breath. "It couldn't be."

The only time a fairy would need to open a portal to a different world is if they were traveling through time, then they would need to create a door that connected where they were to the time and place that they wanted to go to. But it was impossible that that was what had happened here, even for fairies that would take years of work and at least five other fairies to help. And even then there was still the risk that it wouldn't work.

But if somehow a fairy had interfered with the experiment and changed where it had been programed to open, which would establish a connection between the two time planes, then all that fairy would need to do would be to channel its magic into the machine through the connection which would eventually open the portal.

This was the answer Maxfeild got when he asked the scientists if it was possible. This news both angered and scared the scientists. Not only had the BLACKHOLE experiment, which some of them had been working on for years, been tampered with. But now a connection had been created between the present and the past. And if it was far enough in the past then the fairies would defiantly be hostile towards humans, especially Englishmen.

"The main problem." Said one of the scientists, a baled man named Chris who wore unflattering glasses. "Is that now that a portal has been opened once they will be able to do it again using only 1/3 of the magic originally used."

"Can't we seal the gate." Asked Maxfeild.

"We can. But we would need to do it from both sides of the gate."

"Wouldn't they be stuck on the other side?"

Chris shook his head. "No, the seal will take five minutes to take full effect, which is more than enough time for whoever is on the other side to come back through."

"Ok then." Maxfeild had already decided that he was going to go through, but he knew that he couldn't go alone. He was going to need help. He looked at his watch.

10:00pm

Time sure fly's when you're having fun. He took out his phone and called Rachel, the phone rang once and then she answered.

"Rachel I need you to send my team up hear as soon as possible, things are just as bad as we feared."

"Oh I'm afraid there a lot worse than you think." The voice on the phone was not Rachel. It was a man's.

"Who is this?"

"I understand that the woman you are trying to contact is your leader. However I'm afraid you won't be able to contact her for some time. You see, she preoccupied at the moment."

There was something about this man's voice that made Maxfeild feel unsettled and nerves.

"Who is this?"

He heard the man sigh. "I possess no mortal name and my true name would mean nothing to you."

Maxfield's eyes widened. "You're a fairy!"

The man of the phone as laughing now. "Not just a fairy, perhaps you will understand when I tell you the name you English magicians have given me."

The phone went silent for a moment and then the fairy spook again.

"I understand that you remember me as the gentleman with the thistle-down hair."