Yes... opening a rift to another place is very difficult. My world can't really do it yet. But to poke through the fabric, to be able to see the other side, or have things travel back and forth in an uncontrolled way - that's an important first step.

[Wait, thinking...] Professor, do you think we could use these shifts? If the door is already halfway open, maybe the residents here could pool their talents to focus the openings enough for some people to get home.