Two days later and Luke was striding down the corridors, looking for the other members of his team. He’d searched the general library, the technical library, and was now heading for the Time Map. Access to the Map itself was forbidden to non-geeks but he knew Matthew frequently spent time on the observation ring, studying the Map, and if he found him there, then the two of them could look for Jane.

As it happened, he found them both on the observation ring, watching the Time Map slowly evolve before their eyes.

In a world full of utilitarian greige, the Time Map was a sight to behold. They’d been introduced to it and its functions during their training. Luke knew that Matthew rarely missed an opportunity to come and worship, and now it seemed he’d contaminated Lockland as well. Although, even he had to admit, it was a spectacular sight.

Three storeys high – and more – this colossal representation of Time itself was a giant sphere, incorporating two axes. The horizontal axis denoted space and the vertical axis time. Where the two intersected – at the same level as the observation ring and almost directly in front of their eyes – was the ever-changing now. It was widely accepted that those who roared up and down the timeline on an almost non-stop basis found it beneficial to visit the Map Room, to spend an hour or so re-acquainting themselves with their position in Time and space.

This is me. This is where I am now. This is where I stand in the scheme of all things.

Set into the walls, floors and ceiling, over a thousand computer-driven streamers beamed their mosaics of information into one giant sphere of brilliant silver filigree. Thousands and thousands of tiny glowing silver points connected in a vast network of fine, shimmering lines. Scattered throughout, tiny blue, green and purple dots of light denoted every jump of which the Time Police were aware. Superimposed over everything, larger red dots indicated major historical events. Not that anyone was much interested in those – their primary function was to act as points of reference when navigating the Map. Each red dot was joined to others – and not just those in close proximity but sometimes as far away as the other side of the sphere, because, as anyone from St Mary’s will tell you – whether you want them to or not – nothing happens in isolation. Everything is connected to everything else.

He blinked for a moment to accustom his eyes to the gloom and realised they weren’t alone. Several mechs were standing around the ring. Whether or not they were there in a technical capacity or, like Matthew, were just worshipping, was hard to tell. Silver light dappled their upturned faces.