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Matt grimaced as Jess dropped another armful of folders onto the desk. "Jess, I've already signed forty different things. How many more are there?"
"You're done after this lot," she said cheerfully. "It takes a lot of paperwork to chase dinosaurs, you know."
"So I see," he muttered, reaching for the next folder. "Becker didn't have this many."
"Most of Becker's are still on file from the last ARC. Look..." She touched one of the folders, eyes going distant; Matt tilted his head to read the label. Living will in the event of being lost through an Anomaly. Cheering. "Most of these papers, they've figured out they need through bad experience. I know it's a pain, filling them all out, but we do need them."
"Yeah, alright." He tugged lightly at the file until she let go. "I've got this far, anyway."
"That's the spirit. Want a cuppa? I was just going for one."
"Thanks. Black –"
"One sugar. I know." She grinned at him, turning on her heel and heading for the break room.
Matt watched her go, smiling faintly, and then got down to business. Some of it he had to put aside – "You should designate a storage space and clearly list the belongings you would like saved if you are missing for a period greater than 6 (six) months. Please also arrange a savings account to pay for this storage space; the ARC will handle those payments for a period of 5 (five) years after you are lost. Please enter all relevant details on this form."
Some of it he was able to sign off on straight away – "Please list the next of kin you wish notified of your death." That was a big 'no one.' Gideon wasn't even officially in this time. "Please indicate your religion and/or funerary preferences." He had to think about that one; cremation was standard in his time as the quickest method, and he couldn't even remember the name of the dominant religion of this time. Eventually he put down 'Agnostic' and 'Whatever's expedient', trusting the ARC to make sure he was handled appropriately if it came to it.
Of course if it came to it, he was going to be only the first of many, so...
Jess came back past, smiling and handing over his cup, and settled herself in front of the ADD. Matt watched her absently for a few minutes before starting on the next folder – Living will in the event of being infected by a future or historical disease. Wonderful.
Halfway through the pile and he was starting to hit his stride. Most of the information could be copied from one folder to another; there was little difference in most of them. He only had to look up his own CV once. Really, Gideon should have given him longer to memorize it.
Three folders from the bottom of the pile he stuttered to a halt; his rhythm was completely thrown off. It was the same official ARC folder, but instead of a neatly printed label, this one had "ARC Newbies pack" scrawled across the front in a looping script.
It took him a moment, but Matt recognised the writing as Connor Temple's.
Intrigued, he flipped open the folder and almost burst out laughing. The first sheet was a blown-up picture of the Hub. Someone had sloppily photoshopped in a banner reading "Welcome to the ARC!" over the top of it.
Smiling, he laid it aside and started reading through the rest of the file. The next sheet was headed "Things to run away from really fast."
A) Helen Cutter. Don't tell the professor I said this, but the woman's bat-shit insane. Just run.
Added in a hurried scrawl underneath was "Especially if she says it's for the good of all mankind. Then really run. And if you are going to listen to her, for pity's sake get a second opinion. Try the professor, he knows her."
B) Bitey dinosaurs.
Scrawled: Especially 'Raptors.
In a slightly sidewise script that wandered down the page: Or Gigantosaurs.
In a much neater hand: Or at least, don't use a luggage trolley. It's not worth the concussion.
In a looped hand that Matt decided was not Abby's, but he couldn't get further than that: Pterasaurs aren't much better.
C) Fungi from the future.
Remember: NO FLAME THROWERS!
D) ANYTHING from the Silurain. Especially on sand.
E) Future Predators. Just – run.
After that was "Things that are OK, but you probably shouldn't get too close anyway:"
A) The mammoth.
Abby had added He's perfectly friendly if you don't poke him!
Should have given him to Lester, Connor had finished.
Um...that's about it.
Matt read through "Secrets of the ARC" – it was all out of date now, of course, but it was interesting reading which breakroom had the best biscuits and which lab the CCTV was 'accidentally' broken in – and moved on "Things you'll wish you don't need to know, but you do. Need to know them."
First things first. We – humanity – we're tiny. So small. We have no physical advantages over most of the things you're going to face. The only advantage you have is your brain, so use it.
Whatever capacity you've been hired in, remember; the ARC only takes the best. You're already the best. Just keep doing whatever you did to get hired, and it'll be fine.
...no. It really won't.
It's terrifying. It's exhilarating. It's the greatest adventure ever. It's the most terrifying thing you'll ever do.
It's the most rewarding thing you'll ever do.
People have died for this program. We all – when we talk about it, we all say 'At least it would be worth something.' And it is, it's worth so much. Even so.
Don't die.
Matt was still staring at it when Jess said very softly, "Oh." He looked sideways at her, unable to quite look away from the file.
"I'm sorry," she murmured. "I picked that one up by accident."
"Oh?"
She pushed gently at the sheets, trying to tidy them without actually touching them. "Connor made it. Sort of a joke. But Stephen found it, and he added – the 'Raptors, that was him. And someone told Abby; she added a few bits, there. Jenny wrote something in. Even Becker's got a bit."
"Luggage trolley?" Matt guessed.
"Yeah. That – there's some story there, he wouldn't tell me. He found this, when he was doing his paperwork. He gave it to Lester; it must have got mixed up in your papers. I'm sorry."
Matt smoothed the sheets gently, shifting through them until he found Things to run away from really fast. "What about this?" he asked, touching the lines about Helen Cutter.
Jess read through it. "Oh. That's in Stephen's file. Stephen Hart? You should probably read that one. It's...it wasn't the ARC's finest hour."
"I will." He turned back to Things you'll wish you don't need to know, but you do. Need to know them. "Connor wrote this?"
The sheets were jerked out of his hand and he turned, starting to rise automatically before he realised who was there. "Ow," he said mildly, studying his hand.
"Matt?" Jess said warily.
"Paper cuts. That stings, Becker."
Becker carefully slid the papers back together, closing the folder. "I thought you were putting this away," he said, not quite looking at Jess.
"I gave it to Lester," she said defensively.
"Lester," Becker muttered, turning away.
"Becker," Matt protested.
He whirled back, glaring at them fiercely enough to make Jess back up a couple of steps. "Connor was here from the start, ok? Him and Abby. Connor's best friend died in his arms because of an Anomaly. Nick Cutter died in his arms, because of the Anomalies. Jenny Lewis walked out of our lives because of the Anomalies. This – this is things he learned here. Things he was hoping no one else would have to learn, not the way he did. If you're going to make fun..."
"I wasn't going to make fun," Matt said gently. "Just that – I'm looking forward to meeting him. He's obviously a very brave, very smart young man."
"Yeah." Becker glanced at the file and then at Jess. "I'll take charge of it."
"You can't remove it from the ARC, Becker."
"I'll take charge of it," he repeated in the exact same tone.
"That's fine," Matt agreed quickly. "Jess, I need your help with this form, please."
Jess nodded quickly, leaning over to study his form avidly. Becker stalked off, file tucked securely under his arm.
"Note to self," Jess murmured, neatly annotating his form. "Don't say anything against Connor or Abby in Becker's hearing."
"Or at all," Matt agreed, signing the last one with a flourish. "There. I need to set up the bank account, I'll do that tomorrow."
"That's fine. Thanks, Matt." She smiled at him.
"Go home," he said gently. "It's late. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Yeah. I'll just get these filed."
Matt retreated to his lab, checking the few plants there by rote. His mind was very far away.
The history of the ARC, in his time, was fragmentary. Though they'd been better placed than most to survive the cataclysm, time and the demands of survival had destroyed almost all the records. There was nothing to say whether Connor, Abby and Danny ever made it home.
He hoped they did. He really did. It would make his mission much easier; but even apart from that, he really thought he'd like them.
Sighing, he flipped off the lights and headed for home.