Fringes: One of Those Days - Part 14

[melworks]

“I’m getting the impression Professor Arturo isn’t well liked,” said Peter.
“True visionaries seldom are,” said the Doctor. He flipped his long scarf over his shoulder and grinned. “Shall we?”
They proceeded down the corridor, which opened into a large room illuminated by a harsh white light. The light poured from a large swirling vortex floating above a bank of bulky-looking equipment.
“My God!” exclaimed Peter, staring at the wounded sky. “What is that?”
“An interdimensional vortex,” said the Doctor, grimly. “An extremely unstable one.”
Olivia swept the room. “I don’t see Professor Arturo.”
“Who are you people?”
A man emerged from the other side of the blazing white vortex. He was stoutly built, dark hair scattershot through with gray, wearing a soiled white lab coat and a florid expression.
“What are you doing in my lab?”
“Professor Maximillian Arturo?” Olivia produced her credentials and handed them to the man. “I’m Special Agent Olivia Dunham. These are my associates.”
She glanced at the vortex.
“We’d like to speak with you about your work.”
“Oh hell,” moaned Arturo. He handed Olivia’s credentials back to her. “I knew you people would show up one day.”
The Doctor had moved closer to the vortex. He was peering at it with childlike interest. “I say, what have you been up to, Professor Arturo?”
“It’s not what it looks like,” said Arturo.
“Really?” The Doctor rounded on the man, his expression grim. “Because it looks as if you’ve created a breach in the local space-time continuum and, unless it’s sealed, this entire solar system will be sucked into it.”
Professor Arturo rocked on his feet as if he had been slapped. He recovered quickly, though, and glowered at the Doctor.
“What do you think I’ve been trying to do, you blistering idiot?”
“You’ve been trying to seal it?” said the Doctor, frowning.
“Yes! For days! But nothing I’ve tried has worked!”
“Ah,” said the Doctor. “I see. Well, that has put us in a pickle, hasn’t it?”
“Doctor, what are you talking about?” asked Olivia.
“Well, Agent Dunham, it seems that the good professor has punched a hole through reality and now other universes are bleeding into ours. I’m afraid the Ogri and the Romulan are just the tip of the iceberg.”
“What are you saying?” asked Olivia.
“He’s saying that reality is going to collapse like a house of cards and we’re all going to die,” snapped Professor Arturo.