Jack pushed Zane through the door into Grace's office. Grace looked up from her computer in shock as Jack pushed Zane back into the chair and handcuffed him to the chair. Jack put the scanner on Zane's head and walked over to Grace's side.
"Jack what's going on?" Grace asked.
"I need answers." Jack replied.
"Jack don't!" Zane yelled."
"Search his memories for something painful." Jack ordered
Grace nodded and began typing. "Searching for anguish."
Jack looked up at the screen with Grace. The image of Zane's lab appeared. Zane was in the lab. So was Jo. Zane and Jo were yelling at each other while they tried to fix something. Jo grabbed Zane's arm and started pulling him from the machine. Zane fought with her until he'd finished the adjustments. They ran for the door. Then suddenly, Zane fell. Images of Zane's lost leg appeared on the screen. He looked up to Jo as she turned to come back for him.
Suddenly a bolt of energy burst from the machine, hitting Jo. Jo jerked as the bolt shot through her chest. Carter felt his heart stop as Jo crumpled to the ground. Jack watched as Zane crawled to Jo's side. He lifted her into his arms, trying to keep her alive. Jack felt his chest grow heavy as Zane continued to try to keep Jo alive. But nothing was working. Jo eyes fell halfway as her head fell against Zane's chest. The images faded.
"Oh my god." Grace managed.
"No wonder he's trying to change this demonstration." Jack said. He walked from Grace to Zane's side.
Zane lowered his head against his cuffed hands. He tried to take a deep breath. It all made sense now. The test Zane came back to fix, it wasn't to save GD two years worth of lost projects, or to give them a new power source, it was all to save Jo from dying in the accident.
Zane was still drying his eyes. He didn't look up as Jack came to his side. "You son of a bitch. I spent five years of my in an institution because of that day."
"You didn't come back to set the converter right, you came to save Jo?" Jack accused.
"Losing Jo killed everybody! After she died, it was like... Eureka wasn't Eureka. The entire town was suffering. The day Jo died, so did everyone else. That conversion test is the reason Jo died." Zane explained furiously.
"Why was she even in the lab?" Carter asked.
"The demonstration tripped the main power grid. She came back to get me out of my lab. But I couldn't leave until I stabilized the converter." Zane explained. He leaned his face against his fist. "Jo died because of me."
"Zane no matter what you do, changing the future with cause both timeline to rip each other apart. It's been tried before." Jack explained. He unlocked Zane's cuffs.
Zane shook his head. "You're wrong. I made adjustments to Perkin's device and studies the timeline."
"Zane I can't let you do this." Jack said.
"Even knowing that Jo's is going to die at tomorrow's test, you won't let me stop it?" Zane asked. He rose from the chair.
"I can't let you do this without ensuring these timelines don't collapse on each other." Jack explained. "Henry can look over the machine-"
"By the time he's done Jo could be dead." Zane snapped.
Jack shook his head. "I'm sorry, Zane. But I can't let you do this." He cuffed Zane's hands again and led him from the lab. Carter looked back to Grace before he left. "Grace, don't tell anyone what you saw."
Grace nodded in silence.
Jack pushed Zane into the jail cell and closed the door. Zane grabbed the bars of his cell, leaning against them. Jack walked from the cell to his desk.
"Jack you have to let me out." Zane pleaded.
"You lied to us. You lied to all of us." Jack said.
"I couldn't tell you the reason with Jo there." Zane explained.
Jack shook his head. "You had a chance to come clean, but you didn't."
"Jack you have to let me out of here or the timeline is going to change." Zane said.
Jack pulled out his phone and dialed Henry.
"Jo's death is a fixed point in the timeline, Jack. She and I are the only ones in the lab tomorrow. If I don't finish this, one of us will die at nine fifteen tomorrow morning." Zane explained.
"Yeah, Henry?" Henry said.
"Henry it's Jack. I need you to meet me at GD. Now." Jack explained.
"Sure thing Jack." Henry replied.
Cater ended the call and put his phone back into his pocket. He looked back to Zane.
"Jack, please. You have to let me go." Zane said.
Jack shook his head. "I can't until I know the timeline is safe."
"Dammit Jack it could be too late by then." Zane yelled.
"I'm sorry Zane." Jack said. He turned and headed out of the Sheriff's station.
"Jack!" Zane yelled.
But Jack was gone. Zane slammed his hand against the bars of his cell. This was not what he was expecting. Yeah, Zane didn't expect Jack to believe him fully, but he hadn't expected Jack to lock him in the jail cell hours before the test trial. He needed to get out. He needed out now.
Zane looked around. Not much had changed since his last stay in the jail cell, over five years ago. Wait, maybe he could use it to his advantage. During his stay, he'd been left alone frequently. And Zane distinctively remembered leaving something in the cell to aid in his escape.
Zane walked to the bed and reached beneath the mattress. He pulled up a small piece of steel. Zane had never thought of using it as a weapon. He'd just lost his temper during one of his incarceration visits and snapped it off his bed. Zane had hidden it away in case he'd ever need it to pick the lock. But its use now would be a little more different.
Zane walked to the sink and doused his hair. With the piece in one hand, Zane began cutting off his hair. The locks fell into the sink as Zane cut his hair down several inches from his scalp. This was his last attempt at freedom. If this didn't work, then the entire trip would be for nothing.