ARTCC RADAR CTLR WHO HAD JUST TAKEN OVER THE SECTOR WAS ALERTED TO A POTENTIAL CONFLICT LTSS OCCURRENCE BY THE CONFLICT ALERT. AN LR35 WAS DSNDING THROUGH THE ALT OF AN ACR MD80 AND THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT TIME FOR THE CTLR TO INTERVENE. THE MD80 REACTED TO A TCASII ALERT AND THE CTLR WHO HAD JUST BEEN RELIEVED WAS UNAWARE OF THE SIT DURING HIS RELIEF BRIEFING. FLT PROGRESS STRIP SEQUENCING AND INTERFAC COORD ALSO DISTR THE RPTR.

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I PLUGGED INTO SECTOR R41 TO RELIEVE THE RADAR CTLR. DURING THE TFC PORTION OF THE RELIEF BRIEFING THE CTLR SAID; 'NOBODY'S ON A HDG RIGHT NOW; EVERYBODY'S ON THEIR OWN; HDG'S BEEN PASSED ON THAT WAY (AN ACR).' I THEN ASKED IF THE ACR WAS POINTED OUT TO SECTOR 8. THE RELIEF BRIEFING ENDED WITH HIM UNPLUGGING; SAYING YES; AND WALKING AWAY. AT NO POINT DURING THE BRIEFING DID THE CTLR REF EITHER AIRPLANE INVOLVED IN THE INCIDENT. I THEN WENT TO TAKE CARE OF ANOTHER ACFT -- THE PLT THAT CALLED DURING THE RELIEF BRIEFING. APPROX 1 MIN ELAPSED GETTING HIS REQUEST; UPDATING THE DATA BLOCK GIVING HIM A COM CHANGE; AND VERBALLY COORDINATING WITH SECTOR 31. A B01 DINGER PULLED ME OVER TO THE STRIPS. I BEGAN DEALING WITH THE BAY OF RECENTLY DELIVERED STRIPS; SHIPPED THE ACR; AND ANSWERED ANOTHER ACR'S CHK-ON. WHILE STILL ON THE STRIPS; LTT Y CALLED ME OUT OF FL350 DSNDING TO FL240. THINKING IT WAS AN INITIAL CHK-ON; I ANSWERED HIM WHILE LOOKING FOR HIS STRIP. NOT FINDING HIS STRIP (IT HAD ALREADY BEEN PULLED DOWN); I ANSWERED SEATTLE SECTOR 16 WHO HAD CALLED PRIOR TO LTT Y. WHILE ON THE LINE TO SEATTLE; I NOTICED THE CONFLICT ALERT HAD ACTIVATED. I QUICKLY TRIED TO CLB LTT Y BACK UP TO FL350; BUT I HADN'T SUCCESSFULLY TERMINATED MY LINE WITH SEATTLE. AT THIS POINT I SAW ACR X DSNDING ON WHAT I ASSUMED TO BE A TCASII RA AND I KNEW THERE WAS NOTHING ELSE I COULD DO THAT WOULD ALLOW FOR FURTHER SEPARATION. ANY CLRNC I WOULD HAVE GIVEN AT THIS POINT WOULDN'T HAVE TAKEN EFFECT UNTIL AFTER THE AIRPLANES HAD PASSED. ALL THIS TOOK PLACE IN LESS THAN 2 MINS OF THE OTHER CTLR UNPLUGGING; AND HE WAS STILL IN THE CTL ROOM SO I CALLED HIM BACK. I ASKED HIM ABOUT THE 2 AIRPLANES INVOLVED. HE WAS AS SURPRISED AS I WAS.