- « "It's a time map. Of every Anomaly that ever was... or ever will be!" »
- — Connor Temple[src]
This piece of technology, simply known as the Artifact; originating from the future, was likely created by an alternate future Anomaly Research Centre. The device held a time map of every Anomaly past or future, but the information could only be accessed by a high-tech computer, also from the future.
Properties[]
The Artifact was a bronze/brown hexagonal tube around 10cm in diametre and 50cm in length. The were 6 slots running down each side of the hexagon and near the center was a number sequence 65359 engraved on. The caps on each end appeared to be made of glass or similar materials.
Purpose[]
The Artifact apparently stored data on all Anomalies that had ever occurred, or had yet to occur. As such, the information could be viewed or downloaded onto the future ARC's computer, which could in turn; be downloaded onto an Anomaly Opening Device so it could open and close an Anomaly (or several). The Aritfact had to be inserted into the computer and have the number sequence entered to be able to use it. (Episode 3.6, 3.10)
It was theorised by Connor Temple and Sarah Page that each point in the Artifact's holographic time map where two different point in the line crossed represented an Anomaly linking the two points in time. (Episode 3.6)
History[]
Origin[]
The Artifact was apparently created by the alternate future Anomaly Research Centre at some point in the near-future, before humanity was wiped out by the Future Predators. The Artifact was then left in an old building in a ruined city where it was covered in selenium (presumably by Megopterans). (Episode 3.1, Series 3)
Episode 3.1[]
During her expeditions and studies of the future, Christine Johnson aquired knowledge of the Artifact, not knowing what it was though, and sent Captain Ross and his soldiers into the future, via an Anomaly, on a mission to find the device. Ross retrieved the Artifact but the men were attacked by Future Predators which killed them all except for Ross who escaped to back to the present day, only taking a photo of the Artifact.
Shortly afterwards, Helen Cutter took the discarded Artifact and fled to the present with it. She took it to her new makeshift base in an abandoned building, and had her Cleaner Clones lock it away until she could work out what it was.
Episode 3.3[]
When Helen infiltrated and overtook the Anomaly Research Centre, believing her husband; Nick Cutter knew what the Artifact was and demanded that he tell her. Nick however did not have the faintest idea what it was but pretended to know as to stay one step ahead of Helen and he refused to tell her. Frustrated, Helen got her clone of Nick to hold the real Nick at gun point until he revealed the nature of the Artifact. As the rest of Helen's clone army became defunct, Helen quickly fled from the operations room with the Artifact, but the Nick clone detonated a bomb, rendering her unconscious.
Later on, the real Nick returned to the fiery building and found Helen, he quickly hid the Artifact in a broken air duct before waking Helen. As she woke, she demanded to know where and what the Artifact was so Nick revealed he had no knowledge about it. Angered that she could not stop the destruction of the future with out the Artifact, Helen shot Nick and fled the building. Connor Temple soon found Nick, who handed the Artifact over to him and told him to unravel its secrets before dying.
Episode 3.4[]
As the ARC recovered from the aftermath of Helen's attack, Connor did not know where to start in learning about the Artifact so Sarah offered to clean the dirt and corrosion of it.
Episode 3.5[]
Sarah Page was half way through cleaned the Artifact up when she found the number sequence on it. She showed her find to Connor but admited she had no idea as to what it was for.
Episode 3.6[]
After fully cleaning the Artifact, Sarah and Connor were trying to work out the device's function, Sarah came to believe that it involved light. She and Connor then placed the Artifact in a contraption that cast light over it, and when Sarah gave up, Connor did something that caused the Artifact to momentarily produce a hologram of its time map.
When Christine Johnson took over the ARC, Connor, Sarah, Danny Quinn and Abby Maitland fled with the Artifact to an Abandoned War Cabin to keep it out of Johnson's hands. After the team were recaptured along with the Artifact, Johnson was relieved of her control over the ARC, and thus the ARC retook possession of the Artifact.
Episode 3.7[]
During the Dracorex incursion, Sarah joined the field team, as she was tired of studying the Artifact.
Episode 3.8[]
After the discovery that lightcould activate the Artifact, Connor subsequently designed and built a Calibrated Laser Refractor which rotated the Artifact through every angle and light spectrum known, in an attempt to reactivate the Artifact's time map. Connor unveiled his refractor to Danny and Sarah and explained to them how it worked. He then inserted the Artifact and activated the mechanical arm, which started rotating at an impossibly slow rate. Unfortunately Danny and Sarah were bored within seconds and left.
Episode 3.9[]
Some time later, the Artifact had not yet been activated and was still rotating. Helen Cutter (disguised as Eve) was brought to the Anomaly Research Centre, were she studied the Artifact in the refractor. She tried to take the Artifact, before she was stopped by Abby Maitland. However she then held Christine Johnson hostage and forced James Lester to make Connor remove the Artifact from the refractor and give it to her. Helen then fled with Johnson and the Artifact to Johnson's headquarters. There, Helen took the Artifact with her back into the Future through the future Anomaly.
Episode 3.10[]
After returning with the Artifact to the Future, Helen took it back to the Future ARC. When Danny, Connor and Abby found Helen in the ARC, Helen used the Artifact to activate the Future ARC's computer, and to download the time map into an Anomaly Opening Device with which to travel to Pliocene Site 333 and wipe the early Australopithecus out. Helen then smashed and destroyed the Artifact by throwing it to the floor.
Appearances[]
- Episode 3.1 (first appearance)
- Episode 3.3
- Episode 3.4
- Episode 3.5
- Episode 3.6
- Episode 3.7 (mentioned)
- Episode 3.8
- Episode 3.9
- Episode 3.10 (destruction, latest appearance)
Possessors[]
The Artifact passed through possession of many people/groups in there bid to discover the future.
Possessor | Time | Obtained by |
---|---|---|
Future Anomaly Research Centre | Unknown | Presumably created the Artifact. |
Captain Ross | Episode 3.1 | Found the abandoned device for Christine Johnson. |
Helen Cutter | Episode 3.1 - Episode 3.3 |
Found the device after Ross discarded it while being attacked by Predators. |
Anomaly Research Centre | Episode 3.3 - Episode 3.6 |
Nick Cutter hid the device, while Helen was unconscious, and later gave it to Connor Temple. |
Christine Johnson | Episode 3.6 | Christine took over the ARC operation. |
Anomaly Research Centre | Episode 3.6 - Episode 3.9 |
Christine was relinquished of her position |
Helen Cutter | Episode 3.9 - Episode 3.10 |
Helen threatened to kill Christine if the ARC did not give her the Artifact. |
Trivia[]
- The exact origin of the Artifact was never confirmed but it was implied that the Future Anomaly Research Centre created it based on Nick Cutter's Anomaly Matrix, also considering their use of the future computer.