- « "After a million pound worth of research and development, I'm hoping for something a little more than theoretical." »
- — James Lester questioning Connor Temple on his mechanism[src]
The Anomaly Locking Mechanism was a device invented by Connor Temple which was used by the Anomaly Research Centre to "lock" Anomalies using electrical currents, so that nothing could travel through them.
Properties[]
The Locking Mechanism worked by reversing an Anomaly's polarity, which locked the Anomaly and renders it "locked", unable to allow anything to pass through. The device can also reverse the process; opening locked Anomalies.
Prototype[]
The original Locking Mechanisms used by the ARC, before it was suspended, consisted of a transmitter to transmit the locking signal into an Anomaly, which was connected to numerous computer case containing the controls for activating and controlling the Mechanism. (Episode 3.4, 3.7, 3.8, 3.10)
Container and stand mechanisms[]
Connor with a container and stand mechanism (Episode 4.7)
There were two different types of the new Locking Mechanisms which the ARC used after its revival, both of which were more portable than the original version. The first was a Mechanism transmitter on a stand, and the second was a Mechanism transmitter and controls contained in a briefcase-like box. (Series 4, Series 5)
Torpedo[]
The Anomaly Locking Torpedo device was a standard-issue torpedo fitted with an modified Locking Mechanism. It was created to solve the problem of how to lock an underwater Anomaly. (Episode 5.2)
Future[]
At some point in the near future, the ARC began using a new type of locking Mechanism. This one was in a very large briefcase-like container, the transmitter had five prongs instead of the studded ball transmitter (seen in all others), and the whole mechanism folded up and down on pivoting arms to aim at an Anomaly. This model took longer to set up than the other two portable versions. (The Sound of Thunder: Part 2)
History[]
Connor Temple accidentally discovered the "Anomaly-locking" principle with electrical currents, when he temporarily locked the Sun Cage Anomaly after touching it with a damaged light stand while fending off a Pristichampsus. He told Nick Cutter who then told James Lester. (Episode 3.1)
At some point the government funded the ARC over a million pounds for Connor to build the device. Subsequently he began working on the mechanism. Lester questioned the reliability of it. Luckily the unfinished prototype survived Helen Cutter's bomb. (Episode 3.3)
Episode 3.4[]
When the prototype Anomaly Locking Mechanism was nearly finished, Connor took it to an Anomaly site at an Airport to test it on the Anomaly there. He quickly finished working on it and commenced the first test of the Mechanism, to which it short-circuited and failed to lock the Anomaly.
Connor with the prototype Locking Mechanism.
The second time Connor tested the Locking Mechanism, it successfully locked the Anomaly. Connor later used the Mechanism to unlock the Anomaly (so that Danny Quinn could lure a Giganotosaurus back through), and then locked the Anomaly again after Danny came back through, to stop a herd of more Giganotosaurus from coming through the Anomaly.
Following the prototype Anomaly Locking Mechanism's successful use on the airport Anomaly, more Locking Mechanisms were produced and regularly used by the ARC at Anomaly sites to lock Anomalies so that creatures could not come through.
Episode 3.7[]
After the ARC team located an Anomaly at a junkyard, an Anomaly Locking Mechanism was used to lock the Anomaly. Sarah Page later had the guard guarding the Anomaly unlock it so that she could go through to the Medieval ages, then lock it again behind her for exactly an hour. After this hour ended, the ARC guard used the Locking Mechanism to unlock the Anomaly, and Sarah then returned through to the Present.
Episode 3.8[]
After the ARC located an Anomaly at a Race Circuit, Sarah locked the Anomaly so that no more Megopterans came through. The next day, Jack Maitland, while trying to escape a Megopteran in a sportscar, accidentally ran over the Locking Mechanism at the race circuit, unlocking the Anomaly.
Sarah works out how to operate the Anomaly Locking Mechanism.
When the ARC team went into the Future through the Anomaly to rescue Jack, Sarah took a backup Locking Mechanism to replace the run-over one, and quickly learned how to work it by testing it on the Anomaly. When a Megopteran hatchling landed on the Locking Mechanism's control box, the Mechanism locked the Anomaly.
After Sarah contained the Megopteran, she then used the Locking Mechanism to unlock the Anomaly so that the team could return through, and Connor then re-locked the Anomaly behind them to stop the Megopterans from following them through.
Episode 3.10[]
Danny, Connor and Abby Maitland unlocked the Race Circuit Anomaly so that they could go through into the Future on their mission to stop Helen Cutter. Danny then had Sarah use the Anomaly Locking Mechanism to lock the Anomaly behind the trio, and to unlock it in two hours.
One of upgraded mechanisms
Episode 4.1[]
After Connor and Abby returned to the Present after a year marooned in the Cretaceous, the ARC used an Anomaly Locking Mechanism to lock the Anomaly they had come through.
Episode 4.3[]
Becker had an Anomaly at a theatre locked with an Anomaly Locking Mechanism, then later had it unlocked when he realised that Matt Anderson was on the other side. The Anomaly was subsequently locked again after Matt returned through.
Episode 4.4[]
After locating an Anomaly at McKinnon School, Becker used a Locking Mechanism to lock the Anomaly.
Episode 4.6[]
When Connor and Abby located an Anomaly at a Stately Home, they locked it with an Anomaly Locking Mechanism. Connor later unlocked the Anomaly to return several Hyaenodon pups through, but two adults then came through before Connor could lock the Anomaly again. According to Abby, the Anomaly was locked again after the Hyaenodons were returned through.
Episode 4.7[]
When the ARC team located an Anomaly at a prison, Connor locked it with an Anomaly Locking Mechanism. But as the Anomaly was actually two Anomalies that had opened on the exact same spot, the merged Anomalies kept unlocking whenever the ARC team tried to lock them.
Connor subsequently checked the Locking Mechanism for any faults, but found none and had a replacement Mechanism sent by Jess Parker to the prison. When Connor and Abby used two Locking Mechanisms on the merged Anomalies at once, the two Anomalies separated and locked. Patrick Quinn later used one of the Locking Mechanisms to unlock one of the Anomalies so that he could escape through.
Connor modifying a torpedo and a Mechanism to make an Anomaly Locking Torpedo. (Episode 5.2)
Episode 5.2[]
Connor brought an Anomaly Locking Mechanism with him and the ARC team onto a Nuclear Submarine, and placed it inside a torpedo. The team later had the torpedo fired through an Anomaly in the North Sea, and the Locking Mechanism inside the torpedo locked the Anomaly as it passed through into the Jurassic.
Episode 5.3[]
Abby used an Anomaly Locking Mechanism to lock an Anomaly at an Art Museum. When the team discovered that there was a Raptor on the loose in 1868 on the other side of the Anomaly, Abby unlocked it so that Matt could go through and bring the Raptor back to the Present. The Anomaly was presumably locked again after Matt and Emily Merchant returned through with the Raptor.
A Locking Mechanism model used by the ARC in the near Future.
Episode 5.5[]
When numerous ARC teams and squads were sent to deal with the numerous Anomalies that had opened for Convergence, many Anomaly Locking Mechanisms were sent to the teams to lock the Anomalies with. Becker and Abby used one Locking Mechanism to lock an Anomaly at an Infant School.
The Sound of Thunder: Part 1[]
In the near Future, after the ARC team chased an Albertosaurus back through an Anomaly, they tried to use a Locking Mechanism to lock it.
Appearances[]
- Episode 3.1 (concept discovered)
- Episode 3.3 (still being assembled)
- Episode 3.4 (first appearance)
- Episode 3.7
- Episode 3.8
- Episode 3.10
- Episode 4.1
- Episode 4.3
- Episode 4.4
- Episode 4.6
- Episode 4.7
- Episode 5.2
- Episode 5.3
- Episode 5.4 (mentioned)
- Episode 5.5 (last appearance as recurring)
- The Sound of Thunder: Part 2 (latest appearance)
Trivia[]
- In reference to Doctor Who in Primeval, the notion that the Locking Mechanism reverses the polarities of an Anomaly, is reference to the Third Doctor's catchphrase was, "Reverse the polarities of the neutron flow".
- In reference to Primeval in Doctor Who, the Locking Mechanism's studded ball emitter was used as the "atom accelerator" on the Eleventh Doctor's TARDIS' console, seen from 2010-2012.
- The studded ball also appeared in several episodes of the first series of the Doctor Who spinoff, Torchwood.
- The studded ball appeared as a component of the Groinal Exploder in the Red Dwarf episode Entanglement.