Summer came to its usual quiet close and Xander and Cordelia's summer jobs ended a week before college began. A few days before their first day, they got a call from Major Carter.

"The researchers assigned to study that lab you found will be arriving in two days. There's three men, all engineers and one woman, an information specialist, she's the wife of the leader of the group. We've arranged for a house for them to stay in. Can you pick them up and show them around before taking them out to the site? They'll be arriving Saturday."

"Sure, no problem. Did you give them a heads up on the gang problem?"

"We did, yes."

"Good. The last thing we need is a gang member initiation with your researchers."

"I agree. Call if you need anything."

"We will."

Xander and Cordelia were waiting at the airport with a sign with Dr. Maxwell Aaronson written on it at eleven Saturday morning. Which made it easy for the group to find them. They'd only brought carry on luggage with them, since the rest was being delivered. The three men piled into Xander's newly repaired car and Dr. Amanda Aaronson climbed into Cordelia's convertible. After showing them the way to the address were their new house was, Xander and Cordelia showed them around town and then headed out to the lab, as they were calling it. After parking, they walked to the sight.

One by one they each tried to access the lab themselves.

"Darn, I was kinda hoping it would work for one of us." Max, as he'd told them to call him, said. "I know you said it requires a genetic key and we haven't been able to activate the other one since Colonel O'Neill was affected by it, but I was still hoping. I think it's cool, you're descended from them."

"I didn't while that stuff was trying to melt my brain, but now the sci fi geek in me, is excited about that." Xander told him. "Two of you grab onto me and two of you grab onto Cordy and we'll get you in."

"Watch where you put your hands." Cordelia warned, as one of them bumped her breast and glared at him. The others gave him a hard look and so did Xander. Cordelia could handle herself, he knew that, but that didn't mean he wasn't equally annoyed at the guy.

Once inside, Amanda set up her equipment to try recording an info dump, as Xander called it. Cordelia showed Max the collection module and the Potentia, still in place.

"Dr. Jackson's translation said the energy they'd collected was contaminated and they couldn't clear it. Major Carter says it was like irradiated. Which is probably why they just left everything the way it is." Cordelia told them.

"We brought Geiger counters with us. Unless it's a totally unknown and longer lasting then uranium type of radiation, we should be safe. We aren't going to try turning it on anyway. We're engineers. Our job is to figure out how it's built. Eventually, we'll dismantle it and reassemble it elsewhere. Major Carter thinks they attempted to draw energy from another dimension and that physics is different there. Xander, you're a sci fi geek. If I say matter/antimatter, what does that make you think of?"

"Star Trek. That's the theoretical power source, they used to power their ships. The energy release from two totally opposite sources, allowed them to power their ships."

"Exactly. That's essentially what she thinks happened here. Two different sources, almost opposite each other met, and released energy. Energy that proved deadly. Which is why, we need to try removing zero point energy from the vacuum of space. Far less chance of contaminating ourselves or Earth."

"Why didn't they do that?"

"They probably were, but having a local source would be convenient. Unfortunately, convenient turned out to be deadly."

"We plan to try reassembling it several times nearby so that we understand how it all goes together. Your main job is going to be to help Amanda. We have no idea how much information is actually in that repository. It could take years to get it all out and years more to study it. We want you to do these info dumps as you call it, so she can try to record as much as possible."

"So, basically, our job is to wave our hand and activate a headsucker. Easiest job I've ever had." Xander commented dryly.

"And quiet possibly, one of the most Important. There could be cures for diseases in there. Don't sell what your doing short. It may be simple, but it's vital."

"Okay, that's a good way of looking at. Well, if you guys are ready, we should head back. I want to remind you, don't go out after dark. Our new Mayor is working to clean up the corruption around here, but that doesn't change the fact that gangs rule after dark. My best friend was killed by a gang member when we were sixteen. Make sure, you do everything during the day, grocery shopping etc. Being southern California, even during the winter, our days are longer, so there's plenty of time to get things done and not invite trouble. Which also reminds me, never invite anyone in. The gangs have an initiation ritual that involves convincing someone to invite them into their home. Alot of people have died because of it."