'Professor!' the technician panted. 'We need you in the lab immediately! Omeg- ah-' The words were choked into a strangled gasp when she noticed Jake watching her with excitement.

'Yes? Um...'

'Katherine Hagen. Professor,' Natalie said. 'She is in charge of -'

'Yes, Hagen - what is it?' Dudgeon demanded. 'I'm terribly busy.' The technician looked nervously at Jake, who shrugged.

'Please Professor, I think you ought to step outside,' she said.

'Very well,' said Dudgeon, 'Natalie, fetch Mr Holland a coffee or whatever he wants. You two,' she added, clicking her fingers at the Secs, 'watch him. Do not let him anywhere near my desk. Excuse me.' The door slammed shut behind them.

'Coffee?' Natalie was suddenly beside him. So close, he could smell her hair. He hooked his finger in his collar and squirmed as the aroma of coconuts imprinted itself on his memory.

'Natalie?' he said. 'I'm sorry but I think I've met you before?'

'I don't think so,' Natalie said with a smile. She turned away and busied herself at a cabinet in the other side of the room. Jake was too busy trying to think to be impressed at the faint hydraulic hiss as the cabinet opened, or the way the steaming mugs slowly rose out of the worktop. The sanitised simplicity of it all. She must have been mid to late twenties, but Jake didn't know anyone that age, let alone attractive women. So familiar though.

'But I'm sure-' he began, deciding he may as well go for broke. He was interrupted by a sudden shout from outside.

'You did WHAT?!' Dudgeon's voice, shrill and angry.

'Sorry ma'am, we were just-'

'Well where IS he?'

'That's the problem, ma'am...' The girl was almost too quiet to hear, but Jake managed to make out some of the words. '...containment area... he just ...'

'Well what?' She sounded frightened, nervous. He noticed Natalie had paused too, and was straining just as hard as him to hear what was being said. The Secs watched them impassively.

'It was the others, ma'am! ... gallery ....all seemed to freeze, as if they knew ...'

'...impossible!'

'...was uncanny, ma'am...'

'...what happened?'

'...froze too, Jez missing... watching him..'

'...for GOODNESS sake!'

'...lost him somewhere ...B4 ...supplies...'

'Well when you capture him... this is it… Terminate. ...chapter over.'

'But...'

'I said, it's OVER!' Then the sound of people running, the noise of an excited crowd all talking at once, followed by a moment of quiet, during which Jake was certain he heard the word 'terminate' again, several times. He glanced at Natalie. She looked ill. After the footsteps had faded, the door quietly clicked open and Professor Dudgeon returned. She smiled coldly at Jake and sank into the huge chair on the other side of the desk, gratefully accepting the espresso Natalie offered.

'I'm terribly sorry about that,' Dudgeon said. 'Sometimes our work can be dangerous. However, I assure you the situation is well under control.'

'Would you like to continue?' Jake said politely, thinking that either this was about to get a whole lot more interesting, or he might be permitted to escape.

'No. I have kept you long enough. My accountant will go through the details with you, and then you can write your story. I expect to see a full retraction in tomorrow's Times. I will not be intimidated, and I want them to know it.'

'If you don't mind, I have a couple of other questions?'

Dudgeon leaned slowly across the desk, and without taking her eyes off his, offered her hand. Jake stood up, took it, and immediately wished he had just left. She ground his knuckles together, watching him closely, a faint glimmer of a smile playing across her thin lips. Jake winced, but did his best not to show the pain. He squeezed back, and Dudgeon broke away.

'I think you have taken up enough of my time, Mister Holland,' she said. 'Go and write your story, but please - remember I am fighting for our future, not petty monetary gains.' She moved back to the window and stared out at the river, her back to him. Jake stayed where he was, uncertain, wondering if he should try asking anything else.

'Natalie.' Dudgeon said, as if giving an order.

'Yes ma'am.' Natalie nodded to Jake. 'If you could follow me please?'