The screen in Lester's office flickered into life as Connor worked at the laptop. The rest of the team sat or stood around watching as three faces appeared on the screen.
"We're connected" Connor stated.
"Connor Temple!" The man on screen exclaimed. "We meet again." He looked at Kieran "How's the leg?"
"Getting Better" Kieran smiled.
"So we have met then?" Connor replied.
The people on screen looked puzzled. "Yeah," The man responded. "Twice. First time you warned me off the anomalies. The second time you helped Dylan rescue me from Brontoscorpians and we helped you
save your guy from the Albertosaurus."
Connor grinned "So I'm not going crazy then?"
"Evan Cross, thanks for talking to us" Matt interrupted "I'm Matt Anderson, Team Leader here. We need to ask you a few questions about your knowledge of the anomalies."
"I was hoping to ask you a few too." Evan replied.
"You have a much larger team than we have" Dylan spoke up looking around at the gathered group.
"This is only the main team. Sorry, I'm Jess Parker, Field co-ordinator. We have a whole building full. How many are on your team?"
Dylan pulled a face. "This is it, since Sam left."
"Just three of you!" Becker exclaimed. "How have you managed not to get yourselves killed?"
"A lot of luck." Evan answered "That's why we could use your help."
"Captain Becker is our head of security" Jess smiled up at him. "He worries about all of us getting hurt"
Dylan smiled picking up on the connection between the Captain and the Field Coordinator. "Dylan Weir, Animal Specialist. How do you deal with trapped dinosaurs?"
"That's Abby's speciality. She runs the menagerie where we house the creatures we can't get home." Connor smiled as Abby waved at the screen.
"Wow!" Dylan exclaimed."You have a menagerie!"
"Cosy as this is," Lester drawled sarcastically "We really have more important things to discuss."
"And you are?" Evan looked suspicious.
"I am James Lester, the government official in charge of this facility."
"So the government and the army are all involved" The third face looked to Evan with concern.
Lester looked at the files on his desk. "Miss Nance is it? I can assure you that the Government have been in charge here since the beginning."
"Good job Cutter can't hear you say that" Abby said under her breath with a smirk.
"Toby isn't the only one interested." Evan gave her a reassuring smile "We have had a bad experience with government and military involvement."
"It's OK, Lester is definitely one of us" Jess reassured them.
"And I take it that Miss Nance was responsible for messing up our computers" Lester said.
"Sorry," She shrugged, "I needed some information and Evan said you would the only one who would know. I can hack most things, but your system is impossible"
"You met Jess, Hacker and Computer Defender extraordinaire" Emily grinned at Jess. "Emily Marchant, main team member." she introduced herself.
"Evan, I need to talk to you about what happened on June 6th 2012." Connor asked seriously. "I need to know what you remember."
"You think we created some kinda time paradox too?" Evan replied.
"Evan, we gotta problem" Toby interrupted before Connor could answer. She showed him the hand held ADD.
"Sorry Guys, we've gotta go" Evan began to move followed by Dylan and Toby. "We got a new one"
"We'll set up a new call as soon as you're free. Good luck guys" Connor signed them off.
"Well?" Lester queried.
"Jess Can we trace their anomaly signal from here?" Matt asked.
"Of course" She smiled jumping to her feet and heading for the door. She stopped as Lester's phone rang and he answered it.
"James Lester...Yes...Yes...I'll let him know" He looked at Becker "It appears you have a military visitor with a delivery for you that he cannot leave with anyone else."
"I'm on my way" He followed Jess out, guiding her through the door with a hand on her back.
"See you later" Jess said as she turned and started to head towards the ADD.
"Hey," Becker called her back and she turned to find him looking at her with his arms folded across his chest. "Am I not one of you?" He raised one eye brow questioningly.
Jess looked puzzled. "What?"
"Military and government involvement. You said Lester was one of you. Am I not?" He was fighting to control a smirk as she looked flustered. But then she caught the twitch at the corner of his mouth, giving
away that he was teasing her.
She stepped forward and said quietly "Oh you are definitely one of us" She smirked.
Becker lent forward so that his breath tickled her ear as he spoke. "I am so glad to hear it" He grinned.
"Parker!" Lester yelled from his office.
"I'm doing it! I'm doing it!" She replied as she raced across the hub and sat on her chair.
Becker walked away smiling.
"Wonder what that was all about with Becker?" Connor puzzled.
"I'm sure he'll tell us if it's important" Emily replied.
"Did Evan really mention time paradoxes?" Amanda questioned.
"Unfortunately" Connor replied seriously.
Lester looked at them all hovering around chatting before commenting. "Before my office turns into a chill out room at a Dr Who convention, do any of you have any actual work to do?"
They all jumped up and began scuttling out.
Connor approached the ADD "Any readings Jess?"
"Yep, tracking it now and downloading data" She replied as she worked.
"Jess." A voice in her ear sounded.
"Good afternoon Captain" she smiled. "What happened to the chocolate you promised me?"
"Sorry. Still in my pocket. Can you patch me through to Connor"
"He's here, hold on"
Jess passed the comms to Connor
"Becker!"
"Meet me down in the interview room. I have something you might want to see. Bring Abby too."
"On my way" Connor handed the comms back to Jess. "Want me to bring your chocolate back he grinned teasingly.
Jess looked at him and smiled "No thanks. You don't deliver it like he does."
"Aaah!" Connor groaned and turned and walked away "I don't want to hear" He shouted back at her before calling to Abby. "Abs, rescue me from these two, please"
Abby chuckled and said goodbye to Emily before joining him.
Sat around the table in the interview room Abby and Connor were introduced to Major Rob Logan.
"We go back a long way," Becker explained. "I asked him for a favour and he managed to unearth a little bit of information on our mysterious ARC soldier."
"Why do I sense that it isn't good" Abby said quietly.
Becker pushed the small file across the table towards them. Connor opened it and began flicking through the pages. Application forms, assessments and I.D., including a photo. He stared at it. Though younger
it was undoubtedly the same man that he had spoken to a few days previously.
"That's him" Connor murmured." He looked up. "What happened to him?"
"That's it. We don't know" Major Logan answered. "He went through the selection process and all the assessments but just before he was due to start he disappeared. I spoke to his Recruitment Officer. He
was surprized. He said Rendell was keen, dedicated and had the makings of a brilliant recruit."
"There's something else I wanted you both to see" Becker said seriously passing a birth certificate across the table.
They read it, then looked up at each other in shock
"It can't be" Abby gasped.