Another part done. I'm actually quite pleased with how well I'm able to build in cliffhangers without harming the storyline. Anyway, the if you're a new reader I suggest you read the previous parts first.

1.1 http://www.furaffinity.net/view/3527431
1.2 http://www.furaffinity.net/view/3592138


1.3


Earth. USA. Florence, Colorado.
Corporate SuperMax prison facility, the medical wing.
Tiffany Adrian. 10:33 AM. Friday 21-06-2058 AD.

Tiffany finally let out a soft, frustrated growl as the results of the thirty sixth scan came in. Still negative. Every single system secure... And yet something was wrong. Something in the way the cons looked...
''Tiffany? Could you spare me a moment?''
No! Curse you for breathing you goddamn bitch! I need to... Focus... Damn you! I don't have time to... Focus. Control. Discipline. Watch the flies to find the rot... Damn, why me?
Turning around she stared coldly at the insect before her, intentionally making a show of her annoyance. She'd decided a special request from one of her regular clients was interesting enough to sacrifice her coffee break and make a extra trip to the infirmary, but it was nowhere near good enough to make her willing to listen to nonsense from a nosy nurse.
''Make it quick Rachel, I'm on my break.''
The bug made a couple of those strange, irritating clicks her kind sometimes made when they were amused or aroused. She found it to be nearly insufferable from males and more then enough provocation to break the carapace of a female... Provided she'd been convicted obviously.
''You're spending your time off here? Why?''
''My reasons are none of your concern. Now, was there something you wanted apart from wasting my time?''
Rachel made another infuriating click. ''Perhaps... Your reasons for coming... Business or pleasure?''
''I've come to see the doctor.''
''Really? Why?''
You know why and you're not getting a damn cut you filthy parasite. ''It's private.''
''This isn't a private clinic, let alone a free one.''
''Well, you would know. You must have known all about free clinics since high school, right?''
Taking full advantage of Rachel's brief hesitation, she turned and crossed the last few yards to the doctor's office. She didn't doubt for a microsecond that the bug would simply try again as soon as she got back out, but by then she could truthfully claim to be in a hurry for a her next shift. Until the next time... Again and again... Damn everyone.

''Good morning Kenny, still degenerating as we speak I assume?''
''Assume... Presume... Livingstone? Wait... Tiffany?''
Even her most compassionate components felt nothing but cold contempt for the intoxicated old rabbit. Far too frequent drug use had long ago changed Dr. Kenneth from a valuable asset to a serious liability. The fact that no one seemed to care or even notice any of this was almost enough to make one question the legal system as a whole... No matter. ''I said good morning Kenneth, I trust you managed to get everything on the list this time?''
''Good... Morning?''
Goddamn it... ''Yes Kenny. Morning. It's a crucial part of a rather archaic time measurement cycle known to the general public as 'night and day' and whether or not it's a good one actually depends upon you.''
''Night... Ah yes, how's that new shipment of Midnight working out? I trust there were no unpleasant side effects?''
''I'm not about to share details from my personal life with a spaced-out drug dealer Kenny. Using your own merchandise is stupid, unprofessional and yet another reason why I'll never trust you.''
''I suppose not... Pity... Perhaps you should give it a try sometimes. No one wants to die alone.''
The office temperature dropped several degrees as she gave him a bitter smile Kenneth found rather disturbing.
''You know nothing about me Kenny and don't know a goddamn thing about death. I could tell you all about it Kenny. I could even share the sweet despair known only to those that have felt everything they are and might be drain away into the endless night... Or we could talk about business and never mention this again.''
Kenneth's mind had miraculously cleared at this point. Despite her claim he did know Tiffany, or at least well enough to know that she didn't hurt innocents, but he wasn't quite foolish enough to consider himself one... ''I got it... Nearly all of it. I'll make sure I'll get the rest by tomorrow.''
''Kenny, Kenny, Kenny... You of all people should understand how my clients will feel when they're denied their regular fix... We really own them a discount now... ''
Kenneth certainly knew Tiffany well enough to know she'd never give anyone a discount, but he also knew pointing that out wouldn't make any damn difference. ''Ten percent and only on the late stuff.''
''Twenty and there's a last minute request I need to deliver right now.''
''Right now? I'll see what I can do but then you'll lose the discount.''
Tiffany's smile along with her soft, barely audible purr instantly told Kenneth he made yet another mistake. ''Oh, what a tough little negotiator you are Kenny... Very well, just give me 10 gram worth of Metasorbomine and we're even.''
Kenneth tried to suppress a shiver that was only partially due to the fact that his office was rapidly turning into a freezer. Combat drugs meant trouble, especially heavy ones like Red Lightning, but trying to convince Tiffany of that... Trying to convince Tiffany of anything was futile.
''Your clients do know taking that stuff pure will kill them right?''
''Their continued wellbeing is not my concern. This facility is rapidly becoming overcrowded once again and if I can assist my clients in killing themselves and half a dozen others I consider it a job well done. Efficiency.

Still uneasy she initiated yet another scan on her way out of the infirmary. Something was wrong, she felt like there was a knot in her stomach that had nothing to do with the recently swallowed smuggling canister. Still nothing. Everything apart from the local air conditioning system appeared to function normally and yet...
''Tiffany? Could we have a word?''
Oh, I have a word for you alright and I might just... Wait... What was...
''It's about O' Connor and some of the other injured convicts.''
Only a tiny part of her mind actually paid attention to Rachel as she reached out and tried to track something that simply couldn't have been there. ''Cut them off from the painkillers until they learn to behave.'' That signal... Triangulating...
''Three of them have tried to have a weapon smuggled in.''
''Get them stable enough to move and I'll throw them into isolation and lose the key.'' Just like the mysterious invader's signal except scrambled... Almost like...
''You don't understand. Before I locked him into the automed O' Connor was mumbling something about getting out of here and several of the seriously injured convicts have called in their lawyers to request immediate transfers.''
Archaic signals... Mostly just audio and... ''Wait... How many have requested transfers?''
''Twenty eight and... ''
''Knock them out. All of them. Use a sledgehammer if you need to. Just do it before... ''
Both Tiffany and the central computer let out a startled scream of agony as the primary mainframe was obliterated by a massive electromagnetic pulse. She was still trying to force the system to reboot when the lights went out.

Earth. USA. Chicago, Illinois.
WinstoneGoldmann Corporate HQ, the central observation lounge.
Jill Rain. 02:21 PM. Monday 14-09-2093 AD.

The sights from the observation lounge were amazing. Every one of the major laboratories seemed to be dedicated to some kind of exotic research, but none of them could compare to the third one and the massive gate-like construction that was slowly brought online.
''I trust your new surroundings are proving to be somewhat more interesting then your old post at the entrance?''
Jill briefly nodded at her benefactor until her gaze was once again drawn back to the mysterious construct as it began to spread a strange, vaguely sinister glow.
''Certainly, but I must admit to some degree of confusion... I was under the impression that our corporate philosophy demanded immediate results, yet this appears to be a pure research project as ever there was one.''
Dr. Eichmann let out a brief chuckle. ''You are partially correct. Greed has long ago blinded our directors to the golden glow of science... Such a nasty sin... But fortunately resent developments convinced them to see things our way.''
Jill briefly wondered if the old raptor had brought her down here simply to make fun of a lesser intellect. If that was the case she wasn't about to give him the satisfaction.
''With due respect, I find that somewhat hard to believe. The construction of even a single laboratory of this magnitude must have cost billions, yet I cannot imagine that anyone would seriously expect immediate results from research into temporal physics... Apart from the satisfaction of personal pride that is.''
The old raptor let out a annoyed snort. ''Pride is a pathetic sin and unworthy of a true scientist, but I can understand why one who hasn't witnessed my earlier experiments would say so.''
Jill's mind raced. This by itself was more then enough to convince the board to shut down Dreamland and fire the whole research division... Unless the doctor was right and they actually had managed to build a time machine...
''If I may ask... What exactly did you manage to achieve with your earlier experiments?''
''We managed to send to send multiple trans-temporal probes back to various points in history... Admittedly we usually lost contact after several microseconds and none have ever been recovered.''
Jill slowly felt her feelings change from respect into pity. Throwing good money after the bad was a amateur's mistake no one could afford in this day and age. ''So they did not actually work, eh?''
''Not as expected, but we did achieve some truly extraordinary results when we send probe 17 back to 2058 in the hope of observing the old SuperMax massacre and it connected with probe 18 which was send back to 2001... 8:40 AM on the 11th of September to be precise.''
''It... Connected?''
''Exactly. We're still not entirely sure about the specifics, but would appear that our probes somehow manage to create permanent weak spots in the space-time continuum. As far as we can tell the probes themselves quickly burn out but by then their arrival has already made a tiny hole in the continuum.
Jill felt her blood run cold. Even if Dr. Eichmann was actually mad enough to knowingly cause damage to the space-time continuum he still had to understand what would happen if she told anyone...
''Why are you telling me all of this?''
''I'm telling you because there is no harm in doing so. Don't be alarmed Ms Rain, I assure you, you have nothing to fear from me or my associates and I sincerely hope we'll all life to see the end of the day.''

Jill turned back her ears and bared her teeth as she took several quick steps away from what had seemed like a harmless, old man mere moments ago, all the while keeping her hand close to her sidearm. ''If that is your wish I suggest you tell me why you brought me down here less your hopes prove to be short lived.''
''That, Ms Rain is a classic example of a need-to-know fact which you don't need to know. Suffice to say that I like to plan for every eventuality and you are one of my contingency plans. Now, would you like me to continue?''
Jill briefly considered telling the old fossil where he could stick his story and head for the exit but she seriously doubted whether the regular security staff would let her pass and her true mission was to report back with as much information about Dreamland as possible...
Taking her helpless silence for agreement the old raptor continued. ''Now, as you may expect a crack is all but inevitable when you punch several holes into a relatively fragile substance and that is in fact exactly what happens. Of course we might never have known about that if not for probes 17 and 18. Not only did these two probes send back far more data then any other probe we ever send but much to our excitement they also managed to transmit a copy from each others database.''
Dr. Eichmann paused and gave her a appraising look, but Jill was no fool and she understood perfectly. Something... Or someone had forced the crack between 2001 and 2058 wide open and this machine in the outside lab was meant to take advantage of it. It all made sense except...
''How did these probes send you that data in the first place? Did you have them send it to someone in the past?''
''But of course not. No one in 2001 or 2058 could be trusted with that kind of information. No, we used a trans-temporal communicator. It was one of my earlier breakthroughs and one without which I'm proud to say none of this would have been possible.''
''Pride you say? Some would say that's just pathetic and unworthy of a true scientist... Of course, I am just a lowly pawn to abuse and sacrifice in whatever vile game you have chosen to play so what do I know, eh?''
Dr. Eichmann stopped smiling for less then a second, but that was all the time Jill needed to recognize the face of pure evil the ancient reptile had kept hidden so well all this time.
''I see I have chosen well, but I do suggest you watch your tongue unless you're prepared to lose it.''
''I am well acquainted with loss Dr. Eichmann... Are you?''
''You have no idea... Savor you ignorance while it lasts Ms Rain, you may yet look back upon all of this as just another part of the happy times of your life. Now, please come along dear, it's almost time to power up the gateway.''