"BBC Radio Oxford, this is the news at three o'clock. Good morning. Reports are coming in of a major incident at Oxford University. Fire crews are currently attending a fire and explosion within the physics department. We'll have more information on this story in later bulletins. In other news, Oxford United are facing relegation-"
She woke with a start, switching off the radio and glancing up at the digital clock display on the wall of the lab. She sighed as she saw it was already well past Midnight, another night away from home chasing after the seemingly impossible. She stood up, stretching her limbs before walking towards the coffee maker, grabbing one of her chipped and filthy mugs she lifted the jug from the hotplate filling it with steaming coffee, slamming the pot down sighing,
"Day two hundred and forty seven..." She spoke into the recording device. "12.04am, there has been no evidence of dilation and therefore I must assume that this experiment is also a failure." Her words appeared on her computer screen as she spoke. "I will attempt to ascertain where the portal control is failing." She gulped down a mouthful of the hot coffee. "I will commence tests with a replacement driver chipset." She was interrupted by a shrill alarm sounding in the lab. "Oh what now!"
Turning around the scientist saw that the fire alarm panel was flashing, she stepped towards it and pressed the alarm mute button, silence fell across the lab, punctuated only by the buzzing of high power electrical devices scattered about the place. Looking closely she saw that there was a small plume of smoke rising from one of the pieces of equipment. "Oh for goodness sake." She stepped towards the open electronics which were surrounded by cables and wires, it was clear that a component had failed, she noticed a puddle of dark liquid and saw that her force in putting down the coffee pot had cracked the glass sending a torrent across the open circuit board. "Shit!" She cursed, grabbing the coffee pot which she flung across the lab. "Bollocks... This will set me back months!" She sighed "Time, the one thing I desire and cannot attain..."
"Okay, there has been damage to the main control board, it seems that the synchronisation circuit has been damaged." A bleep above her made her look up. "Two am." She froze, "What on earth!" She stared at the digital display of the atomic clock which was on the wall. The seconds on the clock were racing. "There must be a fault." She opened the panel on the atomic clock and looked at the master display. "Oh god!" She ran to back to the device she saw that there was a haze of ozone rising from the circuit board and the crackling of electrical arcs criss-crossing the device, She hit the emergency stop button and the unit fell silent, She tentatively reached into the device, as she did there was a clunk as the main circuit breaker reengaged. A sudden arc of electricity hit her body, she screamed in agony.
***
"No..." She looked around as the surroundings of the lab started to melt away. "We have achieved dilation..." She yelled as the lab vanished.
"What are you talking about bitch?"
She looked around she was on a horse, beside her a young woman also on horseback was glaring at her, it was obvious that they were moving at speed, galloping. "No... Oh God no..."
"Fuck you bitch!" She grabbed her ankle.
