"There are two parts. The first is the tube on the sofa. It's designed to project a perfect replica of Cutter's matrix. This goes through to the second section. This then uses the data from the tube and opens the correct anomaly. The anomalies are having problems because they're unstable. They are all linked so the only way to balance them out is to open the correct anomaly, it should send out the frequency all anomalies emit along with the signature radiation."

"Anomalies have radiation?"

"Yes. It's completely harmless but the unstable ones send out a different type. There hasn't been enough of it to cause any problems yet. If you open a stable anomaly its radiation should level out the unstable ones - theoretically."

"So where's the second part?"

Connor hesitated. He didn't know how much more stress their relationship could take. Telling her about Helen's remote could be the last straw. On the other hand any more secrets would distance them all over again. Connor couldn't let that happen. He was whole when he was with Abby. He opened his mouth but simultaneously the phone rang. Abby assumed he had nothing left to say and picked it up.

"Abby you have to get down here!" Jess screeched urgently.

"Jess calm down! What's going on?"

"Lester's furious! I think Matt may have just got himself fired..."

"We'll be right there." Abby assured.

She snapped the phone shut and grabbed her coat from the hooks by the door. She chucked Connor his.

"Are we going somewhere?" he asked in a puzzled tone.

"The ARC." Abby stated.

"Right but I need to tell you – "

"Not now Connor!"

Connor watched as the love of his life left the flat. He should tell her the truth but would he ever have the time? He winced again, and leant on the sofa beside him. As far as headaches went this was a pretty painful one. Abby's head popped round the corner of the door.

"Come on then, don't just stand there!"

The pair burst into the ARC, halfway through the main control room they stopped mid-stride and stared. Lester was beetroot red with anger. Jess skipped over to them. From a distance Becker wondered how she could manage that in heels.

"I'm guessing from your expressions even you guys haven't seen Lester lose it like this before." She stated.

Connor and Abby nodded, lost for words.

Matt stood opposite Lester twice as annoyed but his automatic poker face kept his emotions concealed. All the years of hiding what he really felt had turned into instinct. He may have looked stoic, but inside his emotions were writhing like snakes.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING!" Lester screamed.

"Saving lives!" Matt repeated; his calm composure slipping bit by bit as he raised his voice.

"BY NEARLY KILLING ONE?"

Connor was surprised; Lester rarely put anybody's life over the ARC's mission. However that mission had changed a lot since he and Abby had been away. He wondered who Matt had 'NEARLY KILLED'.

"Everybody in the future is going to die unless I do something about it."

"OH NOW YOU'RE JUST BEING MELODRAMATIC!" The entire body of staff was watching the exchange by this point. "KILLING THE MULTI-BILLIONAIRE WHO KEEPS THE ARC RUNNING WILL SAVE NOBODY!"

Connor and Abby exchanged glances; Matt had tried to kill Phillip? Jess simply rolled her eyes. This was round two of the fight; she'd heard all their arguments already.

"I pushed him through an anomaly when I was aiming for the raptor beside it. You should be thankful!"

"What was Phillip even doing near an anomaly?" Abby whispered to Jess.

"Haven't you noticed the state of this place yet? The anomaly was in the ARC – in the armoury. The creature tore the room to pieces. Becker was lucky to remain intact!" Jess lectured, her eyes darting to him.

"I still think Matt's going to be shredded." Connor replied eyeing up Lester's stance.

"HE WAS AS GOOD AS DEAD! IF IT WEREN'T FOR CAPTAIN BECKER'S HEROICS BURTON WOULDN'T EVEN BE HERE!"

Becker stood by the doors that led to the armoury. One of them was shattered on the floor, the other hanging from a hinge. His hand rested on the handle whilst his nervous eyes constantly darted from Lester to Matt. Matt shot a scorching glare in his direction. Becker and Anderson had had their arguments but up till now none of them had ever truly hated the other.

"You'll never understand. The only person who did left yesterday and she's not coming back." Matt growled the resentment clear in his voice.

He turned, tucked his black box into his trouser pocket and stalked out of the door.

"Maybe she realised what she'd got herself into." Lester muttered with not a trace of sarcasm in his voice. He had no idea how lucky he was that Matt hadn't heard him. "DON'T BOTHER COMING BACK!"

"I WON'T!" yelled Matt in reply.

As he approached his car Matt was bombarded by thoughts of Emily. Her absence was gnawing away at his soul. Why had he let her go?

Lester started towards his office. He could feel all the eyes on him.

"What are you looking at? Don't you have work to be getting on with?" he asked his employees accusingly.

James greeted his paperwork like an old friend; for once he was glad of its distraction. He made a show of not looking out of the window. He knew what he'd be able to see anyways.