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jadesfireYes, this is it, the last in the series. Thanks so much to everyone who's been reading and commenting - the encouragement has been fantastic and much appreciated.
Starting tomorrow, I'm going to be taking up![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
mickeyk's challenge to see if I can write a Jack-fic every day until 'Utopia' airs. Using the OED's 'word of the day,' I'm going to try and write a drabble every day until it's broadcast. Prompts and suggestions are most welcome, but please bear in mind that I want to write drabbles - nothing too complicated please!
Thanks also to all my non-Torchwood friends, who exhibit great patience under trying circumstances ;) I'm probably going to open up a fic journal for Torchwood and keep this one personal/for my other fandoms. I'll let you know where it is when I do.
Now, on to the story!
Title: Auckland (or: Time after Time)
Author:jadesfire2808
Rating: PG
Word Count: ~9700
Warnings/Spoilers: None
Betas:crystalshard and miss_zedem
This one is dedicated tomiss_zedem, with thanks.
Summary: Some days, Jack's just going round in circles.
The Wandering Years 1: New York (or: Wonderful Town)
The Wandering Years 2: San Francisco (or: Where I Left My Heart)
The Wandering Years 3: Las Vegas (or: Viva!) Part 1
The Wandering Years 3: Las Vegas (or: Viva!) Part 2
The Wandering Years 4: Cardiff (or: Going to the Chapel)
The Wandering Years 5: Vancouver (or: Old Friends)
The Wandering Years 6: Cardiff Reprise (or: To Everything there is a Season)
The Wandering Years 7: Melbourne (or: Try to Remember)
Auckland (or: Time after Time)
Torchwood Alpha, Auckland, New Zealand. 16th March, 1990
Hywel was waiting in reception at eight forty-five, jumping to his feet when Jack came through the main doors. Jack gave him a curt nod, not breaking his stride as he headed towards the lifts.
“Good morning.”
“I’ve got a meeting.”
Unperturbed, Hywel got into the lift as well, turning to face the doors as Jack did. “I need an answer, Jack.”
“I’ve got a meeting.”
“Not all day.”
“Most of it.” Flicking open the file he was holding, Jack made a show of reading the scribbled notes on the top page.
“I still need an answer.”
“Then you’ll have to wait for one.” Jack shut the file, watching the numbers light up in turn. “If they could make it an order, they wouldn’t have sent you.”
“They want you home.”
“They want me where they can see me.”
“Hey.” As they reached the sixth floor, Hywel put his hand on Jack’s arm. “They’re not the only ones who’d be happier if you weren’t hiding on the other side of the world.”
“I’m not hiding. Everyone knows where to find me. And the only reason you’re here is that they were hoping you’d do exactly what you’re doing.” He glanced through the open doors. “This is my floor.”
“I asked for this assignment.”
Jack shook his head. “I have a meeting.” Gently, he pulled his arm away and headed down the corridor. He didn’t look back.
The boardroom was bathed in blue light, supposedly because it was more suitable for their alien guests, although Jack suspected it was just to set his teeth on edge. Zoë was waiting inside, a thick file on the table in front of her.
“They here yet?” Jack asked, dropping his own file beside hers.
“And good morning to you too. What side of whose bed did you get out of this morning?”
“Sorry.” Taking a deep breath, Jack slipped out of his coat, hanging it on the back of the chair. “Good morning. Are they here yet?”
“Their ship landed safely at six o'clock. They should be here any minute.”
“Good. You’re sure you’re okay with translating?”
She nodded. “It should be fine. Vralian’s pretty similar to Te Reo, the Maori language. Did you know that the Maori word for bird is actually based on the Vralian for ship? They’ve been coming here for hundreds of years.”
Jack let her talk, only half listening as she enthused about the variety of labials in Vralian. He was scanning his notes, making sure they hadn’t missed anything and trying to remember the few words of Vralian that he knew.
“…and they don’t voice any of them, which is interesting because-” She broke off as there was a short, high-pitched buzz from the comm. unit by the door.
“They’re here,” Jack said, getting to his feet. “Time to meet the neighbours.”
There were three members of the Vralian delegation, all tall and red-skinned, with patterned facial ridges and large, round eyes. They greeted the two humans with nods and flicks of their tongues. Jack resisted the urge to return the gesture.
“This is Zoë Harper. She’ll be acting as translator if we get stuck.”
“Excellent.” The Vralian in charge, Naia, gave Zoë a bow, then put the box he was carrying on the table. “We have brought gifts from our world for you.”
“That’s very kind. We also have gifts for you to take home with you at the conclusion of our negotiations.”
Bowing again, Naia took his seat, gesturing for the others to do the same. “Then we should talk.”
The talking went on through lunchtime and well into the afternoon, with Jack’s basic Vralian and Zoë’s more extensive knowledge getting them through the language problems.
“It will satisfy us,” Naia said at last, sipping from the glass of water that was the only refreshment he’d requested. “I thank you for you efforts in this, Captain Harkness.”
“And thank you, Pilan Naia.” With a glance at Zoë, Jack smiled. “I think we're all done here.”
“Indeed.” Standing, Naia took hold of the box once again. “And now, allow me to present you with our gift.”
Jack got to his feet, watching as the Vralian released some kind of invisible catch and the top of the box slid back with a low hiss. Inside was a tangle of wires and lights with a small control panel resting in the middle. It looked naggingly familiar.
“What is it?” Zoë asked, leaning over to get a better look.
“Let me show you.” Reaching inside, Naia pressed two buttons and flicked a switch. And Jack remembered where he’d seen panels like that before.
Hywel was waiting in reception at eight forty-five, jumping to his feet when Jack came through the main doors. Jack gave him a curt nod, not breaking his stride as he headed towards the lifts.
“Good morning.”
“I’ve got a meeting.” Jack paused, mid-step, making Hywel turn on his heel and look at him.
“Are you alright?”
Rubbing his forehead, Jack nodded. “I think so. Just a bit of a headache.” He shook his head. “I need to get upstairs.”
Unperturbed, Hywel got into the lift as well, turning to face the doors as Jack did. “I need an answer, Jack.”
“I told you, I’ve got a meeting.” Jack also realised that his headache was getting worse and wondered if he could stop by his office for an aspirin first.
Hywel wasn’t so easily put off. “Not all day.”
“Most of it, I expect.” Deciding that he’d just have some water sent up to the boardroom, Jack flicked open the file he was holding, making a show of reading the scribbled notes on the top page.
“I still need an answer.”
“Then you’ll have to wait for one.” Jack shut the file, blinking a little. Maybe it was just annoyance making his head hurt. “If they could make it an order, they wouldn’t have sent you.”
“They want you home.”
“They want me where they can see me.”
“Hey.” As they reached the sixth floor, Hywel put his hand on Jack’s arm. “They’re not the only ones who’d be happier if you weren’t hiding on the other side of the world.”
“I’m not hiding. Everyone knows where to find me. And the only reason you’re here is that they were hoping you’d do exactly what you’re doing.” He glanced through the open doors. “This is my floor.”
“I asked for this assignment.”
Jack shook his head. “I have a meeting.” Gently, he pulled his arm away and headed down the corridor, rubbing at his temples.
The boardroom was bathed in blue light, doing nothing for the spots appearing in Jack’s vision. Zoë was waiting inside, a thick file on the table in front of her.
“They here yet?” Jack asked, dropping his own file beside hers and almost falling into his seat.
“And good morning to you too. What side of whose bed did you get out of this morning?”
“Sorry.” Taking a deep breath and trying to focus, Jack slipped out of his coat, hanging in it on the back of the chair. “Good morning. Are they here yet?”
“Their ship landed safely at six o'clock. They should be here any minute.”
“Good. You’re sure you’re okay with translating?”
She nodded. “It should be fine. Vralian’s pretty similar to Te Reo, the Maori language. Did you know that the Maori word for bird is actually based on the Vralian for ship? They’ve been coming here for hundreds of years.”
Jack let her talk, only half listening as she enthused about the variety of labials in Vralian. He was scanning his notes, making sure they hadn’t missed anything and trying to remember the few words of Vralian that he knew. Right now he could only remember "thank you," "sorry" and "not guilty," but there was something else, right at the tip of his brain if he could just get at it.
“…and they don’t voice any of them, which is interesting because-” She broke off as there was a short, high-pitched buzz from the comm. unit by the door.
“They’re here,” Jack said, getting to his feet. “Time to meet the neighbours.”
There were three members of the Vralian delegation, all tall and red-skinned, with patterned facial ridges and large, round eyes. They greeted the two humans with nods and flicks of their tongues. Jack resisted the urge to return the gesture. The scent the Vralians were giving off seemed to be making his headache worse. At this rate, it was going to be a full blown migraine by the end of the hour. Forcing himself to concentrate, he smiled politely.
“This is Zoë Harper. She’ll be acting as translator if we get stuck.”
“Excellent.” The Vralian in charge, Naia, gave Zoë a bow, then put the box he was carrying on the table. “We have brought gifts from our world for you.”
“That is very kind. We also have gifts for you to take home with you at the conclusion of our negotiations.”
Bowing again, Naia took his seat, gesturing for the others to do the same. “Then we should talk.”
The talking went on through lunchtime and well into the afternoon, with Jack’s basic Vralian and Zoë’s more extensive knowledge getting them through the language problems. Even Jack's head was throbbing a bit less than earlier.
“It will satisfy us,” Naia said at last, sipping from the glass of water that was the only refreshment he’d requested. “I thank you for you efforts in this, Captain Harkness.”
“And thank you, Pilan Naia.” With a glance at Zoë, Jack smiled. “I think we're all done here.”
“Indeed.” Standing, Naia took hold of the box once again. “And now, allow me to present you with our gift.”
Jack got to his feet, swaying a little and watching as the Vralian released some kind of invisible catch. The top of the box slid back with a low hiss. Inside was a tangle of wires and lights with a small control panel resting in the middle. It looked naggingly familiar.
“What is it?” Zoë asked, leaning over to get a better look.
“Let me show you.” Reaching inside, Naia pressed two buttons and flicked a switch. And Jack remembered where he’d seen panels like that before.
Hywel was waiting in reception at eight forty-five, jumping to his feet as Jack came through the main doors and to an abrupt stop.
“Good morning.” Hywel looked at him curiously. “You alright, Jack?”
“I think so.” There was something very wrong, Jack could feel it. Ignoring Hywel for the moment, he went over to reception. “Jen, could you call the boardroom for me please?”
She did so, handing him the receiver. Zoë’s voice was too loud in Jack’s ear. “Zoë Harper.”
“Zoë, are the Vralians here yet?”
“Good morning to you too.” Her voice was more annoyed than amused. “They’ll be here soon. Is there a problem?”
“I don’t know. I’ll be up in a minute.”
“Okay.”
Passing the receiver back, Jack shook his head. Déjà vu had been an occupational hazard when he was a Time Agent, but he hadn’t had it this strongly in years. It was making his head hurt.
Hywel hovered nervously behind him. “Is everything okay?”
“It’s nothing.” Forcing himself to believe it, Jack headed for the lifts, not bothering to check if Hywel was following. Unperturbed, Hywel got into the lift as well, turning to face the doors as Jack did. “I need an answer, Jack.”
“I told you, I’ve got a meeting.”
“Not all day.”
“Most of it, I expect.” Jack closed his eyes, swaying a little. Something felt very, very wrong. Maybe it was the prawns from last night’s dinner.
“I still need an answer.”
“Then you’ll have to wait for one.” Opening his eyes, Jack blinked hard, trying to clear his double vision and concentrate on the conversation. “If they could make it an order, they wouldn’t have sent you.”
“They want you home.”
“They want me where they can see me.”
“Hey.” As they reached the sixth floor, Hywel put his hand on Jack’s arm, steadying him. “You look like you’re about to keel over. You sure you’re up to this?”
“I’m fine.” Gently pulling away, Jack headed down the corridor, rubbing at his temples. He was aware of Hywel’s worried stare on his back and he straightened a little, forcing himself to focus.
The boardroom was bathed in blue light, doing nothing for the spots appearing in Jack’s vision. Zoë was waiting inside, a thick file on the table in front of her. She gave Jack a critical look.
“What side of whose bed did you get out of this morning?”
“Sorry.” Taking a deep breath and trying to focus, Jack slipped out of his coat, hanging in on the back of the chair. “What time did they land?”
“Six o'clock, undetected as far as we can tell. They should be here any minute.”
“Good. You’re sure you’re okay with translating?”
She nodded. “It should be fine. Vralian’s pretty similar to Te Reo, the Maori language. Did you know that the Maori word for bird is actually based on the Vralian for ship? They’ve been coming here for thousands of years.”
Jack let her talk, only half listening as she enthused about the variety of labials in Vralian. He was scanning his notes, making sure they hadn’t missed anything and trying to remember the few words of Vralian that he knew. “Thank you,” “sorry” and “not guilty” seemed to be the only ones floating to the top of his mind at the moment, but there was something else, something just beyond his conscious thoughts that he couldn’t get at.
“…and they don’t voice any of them, which is interesting because-” She broke off as there was a short, high-pitched buzz from the comm. unit by the door.
“They’re here,” Jack said, getting to his feet a little unsteadily. “Time to meet the neighbours.”
There were three members of the Vralian delegation, all tall and red-skinned, with patterned facial ridges and large, round eyes. They greeted the two humans with nods and flicks of their tongues. Jack resisted the urge to return the gesture. The scent the Vralians were giving off was making him nauseous and at this rate, he was going to have a full-blown migraine by the end of the hour. Forcing himself to concentrate, he smiled politely.
“This is Zoë Harper. She’ll be acting as translator if we get stuck.”
“Excellent.” The Vralian in charge, Naia, gave Zoë a bow, then put the box he was carrying on the table. “We have brought gifts from our world for you.”
“That's very kind. We also have gifts for you to take home with you at the conclusion of our negotiations.”
Bowing again, Naia took his seat, gesturing for the others to do the same. “Then we should talk.”
The talking went on through lunchtime and well into the afternoon, with Jack’s basic Vralian and Zoë’s more extensive knowledge getting them through the language problems. Jack’s head was throbbing badly but he wasn’t going to give up now. They’d put too much work into this treaty.
“It will satisfy us,” Naia said at last, sipping from the glass of water that was the only refreshment he’d requested. “I thank you for you efforts in this, Captain Harkness.”
“And thank you, Pilan Naia.” With a glance at Zoë, Jack smiled. “I think we're all done here.”
“Indeed.” Standing, Naia took hold of the box once again. “And now, allow me to present you with our gift.”
Jack got to his feet, gripping the table as his legs shook and watching the Vralian released some kind of invisible catch. The top of the box slid back with a low hiss. Inside was a tangle of wires and lights with a small control panel resting in the middle. It looked naggingly familiar and made his blood run cold.
“What is it?” Zoë asked, leaning over to get a better look.
“Let me show you.” Reaching inside, Naia pressed two buttons and flicked a switch. And Jack remembered where he’d seen panels like that before.
Hywel was waiting in reception at eight forty-five, jumping to his feet as Jack came through the main doors and to an abrupt stop.
“Good morning.” Hywel looked at him curiously. “You alright, Jack?”
“No. Damnit.” Just about holding himself upright, Jack shook his head. It turned out to be a bad idea because he lost the little that was left of his balance and tumbled into Hywel.
“Jack!”
Jack’s vision went white, then faded to black.
When he woke up, he was lying in a bed in the infirmary, Hywel hovering over him like a nervous mother hen. Jack groaned.
“What happened?”
Moving closer, Hywel shrugged. “I was hoping you could tell me that.”
“I don’t…” Jack trailed off, remembering the feeling of nausea, the dizziness and the moment of blistering pain as he’d tried to focus. He’d felt like that once before, he knew. He just couldn’t quite remember when. Struggling to sit up, he blinked to try and clear his double vision. “What about the Vralians?”
“Ken’s taken over. He knows what he’s doing.” Hywel looked at him critically. “You look like hell.”
“Thanks.” Now upright, Jack forced himself to think. “There’s something I have to do. I know there’s something I have to do.”
“Well, if you’re feeling up to it, you could give me an answer.”
“To what?” Still too dazed to think properly, Jack rubbed at his forehead.
“Torchwood One want you home, Jack.” Hywel settled back in his chair. “And they’re not the only ones.”
“I can’t-” Stopping again, Jack felt the confusion rising in his mind again. There was something he needed to do, he knew. He just couldn’t quite remember what it was.
Hywel was still talking. “I know it’s not as important a job as running Torchwood Alpha, but we really do need you, Jack. Things are moving too fast for us.”
“Hmm?” Shaking his head, which didn't help, Jack got to his feet, grateful for Hywel’s supporting arm. “What time is it?”
“Three-fifteen. Are you even listening to me?”
“No.” Jack took a step away, suddenly knowing that this was not where he was meant to be right now. “Three in the afternoon?”
“You were pretty out of it.”
“It’s the afternoon.” Staggering a little, Jack began to run towards the lifts, Hywel trailing behind him.
“Jack, what the hell is going on?”
“I don’t know.” Jack half-fell inside when the lift doors opened, punching the button for the sixth floor.
He fell out again into the corridor, accepting Hywel’s help as he stumbled towards the boardroom.
“Please, Jack, just tell me what’s going on.”
“I have to get in there.”
They pushed the door open just as Naia was getting to his feet, opening the box that was the Vralian gift to Earth. Jack just had time to see Zoë’s shocked face and the quirk of lips that was the Vralian version of a smile before Naia reached inside the box again.
Hywel was waiting in reception at eight forty-five, jumping to his feet as Jack came through the main doors.
“Good morning.”
Jack swore, fluently and in several different languages.
“Okay,” Hywel said slowly. “Was it something I said?”
“Damn, damn, damn.” Ignoring his friend, Jack headed for the lifts, pushing the down button and trying to concentrate. This was time-sickness, he knew, and he focussed on the pounding of his heartbeat, using it to anchor himself in the here and now. His vision was whiting out again but he ignored it, all but falling inside the lift when it arrived, stabbing the button for the lower levels and grabbing hold of the rail for support.
"Where are you going?" Hywel was right behind him, arms held out as though ready to catch him. Judging by the way Jack's head was spinning, that might be necessary. The lurch of the lift as it started to descend made him rock forwards, hitting his forehead on the wall and sending showers of sparks through his mind. He felt arms around him, holding him up and he forced himself to breathe again as Hywel spoke almost directly into his ear. "What the hell is happening?"
"I'll be fine," Jack said unconvincingly as the lift came to a stop, freeing himself and taking a few tentative steps into the basement. There was something in the air down here, a smell that he couldn't place but that was making him feel even more nauseous than before. He could hear voices up ahead, talking softly. Behind him, Hywel coughed gently.
"Do I get an explanation?"
"Shh." Jack turned, pressing a hand over the younger man's mouth, then pulling him into a nearby doorway as footsteps started down the passage towards them. There was a brief moment of fumbling, then Hywel got the door open and they both tumbled inside.
Pressed against the wall, Hywel still holding him up, Jack turned his head so that he just see into the corridor. He got a glimpse of someone in a beige tunic, walking quickly past carrying a large box of equipment. It was barely a moment before they were gone, but Jack had seen enough.
"Vralian," he breathed, making Hywel frown.
"Aren't they the ones you're seeing today?"
"Not now I'm not." At such close proximity, Jack could feel Hywel's rapid heartbeat along with his own, the regular rhythm keeping him focussed on the here and now. Some of the dizziness faded, leaving him feeling drained and tired. He tried to remind himself that it was still the morning, that this was when he was. Hywel's arms were distractingly tight around his waist, and Jack forced the thought aside, managing to grin at his friend.
Hywel didn't grin back. "Jack? What do we do?"
"I'm sure we could think of something but maybe now's not the time." Gently, Jack pushed Hywel away, swaying a little but managing to stand on his own. "Let's go meet the neighbours."
The Torchwood archives were extensive, long corridors that seemed to stretch on forever, filled with rows and rows of shelves and cupboards. Jack came to a stop at a junction, holding up a hand and peering round slowly. Three Vralians were standing in front of one of the shelves, setting up some complicated equipment.
"Jack?"
"Not now." Jack couldn't quite see what they were doing and he leaned a little further forwards, trying to get a better look.
"Jack!"
There was an unmistakable urgency in Hywel's voice, making Jack freeze. They hadn't seen the other Vralian come back past which meant…
Instead of turning slowly and carefully with his hands raised, as he probably should have done, Jack spun on his heel, pushing Hywel out of the way and launching himself at the Vralian behind him. He got a brief look at a startled face and a large blaster before he was on top of the alien, bearing him to the ground and bringing his fist down hard onto the ridged face.
The Vralian cried out, pushing at Jack who was holding on for dear life. A sharp, explosive sound split the air and something wrapped itself round Jack's neck. He grabbed at it, feeling the first shocks of pain travel down his back and legs. Then the pain blossomed, exploding through his mind and body, throwing him across the corridor as he writhed in agony.
Finally, mercifully, the world went black.
Hywel was waiting in reception at eight forty-five, jumping to his feet as Jack came through the main doors.
“Good morning.”
"What?" Blinking in confusion, Jack felt the world spin around him. Hywel grabbed his arm, steadying him before he could fall.
"Are you alright?"
"Damn." It was happening again. Jack knew he'd been here before, knew that there was something he had to do. The overwhelming déjà vu clouded his mind for a moment and he tried to ride it, to remember what it was that he'd done before, what he needed to do right this time. It was just beyond his memory and he swore under his breath.
"Jack, what's going on?"
"I don't…" Shaking his head, Jack focussed back on the present. "Here." He thrust the file he was carrying at Len, the security guard, who'd come over to see what the problem was. "Hywel, come with me." They needed to get downstairs, to the archives. There'd be something down there he could use to track the time shifting that he could sense all around him. As they passed the reception desk, he called out, "Jen? Phone Zoë and tell her to get Ken to sit in on the meeting. I might be a while."
Once in the lift, Jack turned to Hywel. "Are you armed?"
"No. Not today. I'm just here to talk to you, remember?" Hywel was starting to sound seriously worried. "You're scaring me, Jack."
"That makes two of us." The lift came to an abrupt stop, making Jack's stomach lurch. He stepped carefully out into the basement, sniffing the air. It was normally cool and musty down here, but now there was a sweet scent that he recognised from somewhere. His stomach rolled again.
Moving closer, Hywel sniffed as well. "What is that?"
"I don't know." Jack pulled his Webley out, gesturing for Hywel to stay behind him. They moved slowly down the corridor, the smell getting stronger as they moved deeper into the basement.
Just as they reached the edge of the archive section, Jack ducked into one of the side corridors, pulling Hywel with him. He could hear voices up ahead and the sound of something heavy being moved around. Leaning close, he whispered in Hywel's ear, "Stay here."
The corridor up ahead was dimly lit and Jack paused before every step, listening to the strange language and breathing in the sickly smell that was making his head ache. As the words became clearer, he realised that he did know the language, and the realisation made his dizziness double. Recollection came flooding back and he put a hand against the wall to steady himself.
Luck, which was usually on his side, seemed to have deserted Jack today. When he managed to get his eyes open again, two Vralians were standing in the corridor in front of him, their blasters levelled in his direction. For a moment, he considered trying to fight it out, then he remembered what had happened last time, saw the whip coiled on the belt of one of the Vralians, and he raised his hands in surrender.
One of them came over and took his gun, while the other headed down the passage, no doubt to collect Hywel.
"What do you want?" Jack asked, gagging a little as the Vralian moved away. Their scent was making his nausea worse.
"We take it," the alien said in passable English. He nodded as his companion came back down the corridor, ushering Hywel in front of him. They spoke in Vralian, and Jack was relieved not to hear any of the words to do with killing or shooting, which seemed to be the only ones he could remember apart from 'sorry' and 'not guilty.'
The second Vralian gestured with his blaster.
"Go."
Jack calculated distances for a moment, weighing the risks. On his own, he might have been able to take out one of them, which would have evened the odds. With Hywel there as well, someone was going to get hurt. So he obeyed the gesture, heading further down the corridor into the archive. As they passed an open door, he got a glimpse of a complicated array of equipment before they were prodded onwards, finally reaching a storage room at the far end of the building. The door was locked behind them.
"Cosy." Jack took stock of the situation. His head was still spinning and he kept remembering snippets of conversations that he was fairly sure had taken place in other time-streams. Something about labials, whatever they were.
"What were they?"
"Huh?"
Hywel made an impatient sound, coming over and forcing Jack to look at him. "What were they?"
"Vralians," Jack said absently. "I'm supposed to be having a meeting with a trade delegation right now. Or then. Or something."
"What are they doing?"
"I think I've been trying to find out."
Reaching out, Hywel gave Jack's shoulders a shake. "You're not making any sense. Jack, please."
"Sorry." Jack put a hand to his forehead. "I think we're stuck in some kind of time loop or cycle, going round and round while they do something down here. I just wish I knew what."
"How do you know? If it's a time loop, how can you tell it's happening? And how can they be doing anything?"
"They'll have something to keep themselves outside the loop. Some shield or anchor, I don't know." Blinking hard, Jack looked round the room. "We need to get out of here."
"Yeah, I'd got that far, thank you so much." Hywel turned his head, scanning the walls and floor. "And you didn't answer my other question. How can you tell what's happening when no-one else can?"
"You're not time sensitive, not properly."
"Should I be insulted?"
Smiling just a little, Jack shook his head, running his hands along the doorframe. "It's not necessarily a blessing. Did you see that whip the leader had?"
"It looked like a coil of rope."
"It wasn't. Different races call it different things, but it's basically a weapon that only affects the time-sensitive, knocks them out of time and back again thousands of times a second. Hurts like hell." Giving up on the door, Jack began a close examination of the walls.
"You sound like you know what you're talking about. Hey, look at this."
When Jack turned, Hywel was pointing at a panel in the ceiling. He came over, looking up at it and clapping the younger man on the shoulder.
"Perfect. The archives have an air-conditioning system. Looks like you're in for an old-fashioned ventilation shaft escape."
"Me? What about you?"
"One of us is going to have to give the other a boost. There's nothing to stand on and it's too high to jump. Only one of us is getting out of here and it's going to be you."
"Why?" Hywel grabbed Jack's wrists, forcing him to look up. "Why me?"
"Because you don't speak Vralian. And you won't understand the technology if you manage to get out of here. I will." Jack looked up at the panel again, trying to judge distances. "Get up there and get to the boardroom. Stop the talks. That's the key to it, I'm sure."
"You don't sound very sure."
"It's on the tip of my brain."
"Very comforting."
"Are you ready?" Crouching down, Jack laced his fingers together. Hywel sighed, doing up his jacket so it wouldn't flap and putting one foot into Jack's cupped hands.
"Ready."
It took five minutes of shoving, pushing and swearing before Hywel managed to get the panel loose. Sweat was dripping down Jack's face, running down his back and neck and his shoulders felt as though they were on fire. He ducked, narrowly avoiding getting kicked in the face as Hywel pulled himself up.
"Get going," Jack called after him. "And don't come back. I'll be fine."
Sticking his head back down the hole for a moment, Hywel gave a nod, his lips pressed together in a narrow line. Then he slotted the panel back into place and Jack heard him move off along the shaft.
Not a minute too soon. Spinning round, Jack stuck his hands in his pockets, feigning an air of ignorance and giving the Vralian in the doorway an interested look.
"Was there something else?"
"Where gone?" This one's English didn't seem to be as good, and he blinked a few times before asking again. "Where other gone?"
"Other?" Jack shrugged. "No-one here but us chickens."
"Chi-ckens?"
"Never mind."
The Vralian gave the room a last, puzzled examination, then he closed the door again. It opened again a few moments later.
"Where has the other one gone?" This time, two Vralians came into the room, apparently having consulted a translator. One of them stayed by the door while the other walked slowly towards Jack. "Where is he?"
"No idea." Jack carefully looked round the room, making a great show of peering into corners and examining the floor. "Are you sure he was here?"
"This is not a game. Where is he?"
"I'm not playing. I really don't know." By now, Hywel could be almost anywhere in the building, assuming he hadn't got lost.
The Vralian didn't answer at once, retracing his steps to the door and consulting with his colleague in a low voice. Then he turned back to Jack.
"You will talk."
"About what?"
"You will talk about Torchwood. You will tell all."
Interesting. "No, I don't think I will."
"Yes. You will." The Vralian reached for the time whip hanging from his belt. "Or pain."
"I think you mean 'you will feel pain' or 'we will cause you pain,'" Jack said in a helpfully cheerful voice. "Either way, it's not going to get you anywhere. You might as well just shoot me now."
It was a stupid gamble, but Jack had seen the blasters the Vralians were carrying before. Blunt weapons, meant to kill, destroy, with no fine control over the power setting. He hoped. Even so, it was a really, really stupid gamble.
He met the Vralian's eye without flinching, hoping that the alien would be able to interpret human facial expressions. Apparently he could, because he re-coiled the time whip, taking the blaster from the other side of his belt. Jack shifted his feet, taking his hands out of his pockets and holding them out loosely at his sides. As the alien raised the blaster, he resisted the urge to shut his eyes, although he knew this was really going to hurt.
The Vralian fired.
Jack staggered through the doorway, grabbing hold of Len's arm before he fell.
"Jack?" That was Hywel, hurrying across reception to meet him.
A glance at the clock told Jack it was eight forty-five and he allowed himself a small smile of triumph.
"Yes," he hissed, turning the sound into a groan as the time-sickness caught up with him. Hands wrapped round his waist, turning his stumble into a slow descent to the floor. Looking up, Jack grinned into Hywel's worried face. "It worked."
"What the hell?"
"It worked." First things first. Jack shut his eyes, focussing on his heartbeat again and managing to slow his breathing. Then he let the memories wash through him, the images and words coalescing and finally making sense in his dazed head. Opening his eyes again, he gripped Hywel's wrist. "Help me up. We've got work to do."
Only swaying a little, Jack stood in the middle of the lobby and tried to think. Damage limitation was the first order of the day. Absently, he rubbed at his chest as he spoke.
"Len, get the rest of security down here now. When the Vralians arrive, do not let them any further into the building. Hold them here and I don't care how much fuss anyone makes. They're going to have a box with them. Make sure no-one opens it and no-one touches it. Just put it on the floor and stand well back."
Turning to the shocked receptionist, he said, "Jen, call Zoë, tell her the meeting's cancelled. Then get yourself out of here. Hang on, actually wait a moment." He glanced at Hywel. "You're not armed, are you?" Receiving a stunned shake of the head as a reply, Jack turned back to Jen. "Give me one of the pistols from back there. Bullets, not laser." When she did so, he handed it to Hywel. "Right, we're all set."
The last thing Jack did was dump his coat and the file he was carrying on a chair in the corner of the lobby. Hywel trailed after him as he headed for the stairs.
"Am I going to get an explanation?"
"Time loop."
There was a pause. "That's it? That's the whole explanation?"
Jack stopped, one hand on the door to the stairwell. "Look, it's a hell of a lot more complicated than I've got time to explain right now. Could you just trust me when I say that something very bad is going on in the basement and I'm the only one who can remember enough to stop it. Okay?"
After another long moment, Hywel nodded, double-checking his gun. "I can do that."
"Good. Oh, one more thing." Jack stared into space for a moment, thinking. Then he met Hywel's curious look. "My answer is no. I'm staying here and let Torchwood One do their worst."
"But-"
"No. I'm sorry. I'm staying. Now, shall we?"
They went silently down the stairs, smelling the sweet, distinctively Vralian odour that was filling the lower level. Jack kept close to the wall, knowing that Hywel would copy him, and he very slowly peered round the corner at the bottom. He could only remember having seen three Vralians down here although that didn't mean there weren't more of them. As he watched, two came down the corridor, carrying what looked like a very heavy box between them. The third was behind them and all three went into one of the side-rooms. For the first time, Jack noticed the bands on their wrists that had to be the time-controllers protecting them from the loop. He hoped he wasn't going to need one.
With a glance at Hywel, Jack began to move along the corridor, keeping his gun pointed at the doorway and his senses alert. All the rooms down here had a specific purpose: storage, research, monitoring, but he was having trouble remembering what the room up ahead was used for. He put his back to the wall, sliding along and leaning very carefully round the doorway, trying to see everything inside at once.
The Vralians had set up some kind of control system inside, plugging wires and leads into the thick cables that ran down the walls of the room. Vaguely, Jack remembered that this was some kind of junction room, like a hub for all the wiring in the building. As he watched, they set the box down in the middle of the room, between two stumpy columns. From this angle, Jack could see the Torchwood logo on the side. Then, without any warning, the box vanished.
He pulled his head back quickly, grinning at Hywel and getting a nod in reply. They burst into the room, Jack taking point, swinging his gun from alien to alien, trying to aim it at all three at once. Behind him, he knew Hywel would be waiting in the doorway, covering him. Just the sight of Jack seemed to be enough; the Vralians stopped dead, staring at him with open mouths. He grinned.
"Next time you kill someone, you might want to make sure that they can stay dead."
Apparently too surprised to remember their English, one of the Vralians took a step closer. "Me pehe taea koe ei?"
"If that was 'how did you do it?' I'm afraid it's a trade secret. But I remember everything, this time. Mostly I remember that you shot me although I'm going to try and move past that." He cocked the gun. "Let's hope I succeed. Now, what’s going on here?" There was no reply, just the exchange of some rather nervous glances. Jack sighed. "Fine. First things first. Put your weapons on the floor." When they didn't move, he lifted the gun a little. "I know you can understand me. Put your weapons on the floor, or I start to lose my temper."
Very slowly, each of the aliens took the blaster from his belt, dropping it to the ground. The one carrying the time whip unhooked it and held it for a moment, as though considering. Then he caught Jack's eye and put it down next to his blaster.
"That's better," Jack said, taking half a step backwards and looking properly at the equipment array. He'd never used much Vralian technology, but he recognised some non-Vralian components. "Chula, Dray, Partek, Indet and, ooh, is that a Brantex amplifier? I've been after one of those for years." A slow smile spread across his face. "You're thieves. We're up there, negotiating away as though we're all going to be one big happy family, and here you are down in the basement, stealing the silver." He tutted. "Most impolite."
"You not stop." One of the Vralians shifted, looking at his two companions. "We take."
"You know, next time, you might want to put a translation module on your shopping list. Words of one syllable only get you so far."
"You not stop," The Vralian said again, this time looking over Jack's shoulder.
With a horrible, sinking feeling, Jack turned slightly, so that he could see the three Vralians in front of him still as he glanced back towards the doorway.
"Sorry." Hywel had his hands in the air and his gun was in the possession of the large Vralian behind him.
Jack sighed. "Next time, I'm leaving you at home." Very slowly, he lowered his gun, allowing one of the Vralians to take it from him. Looking more closely, he saw that they had different badges on their tunics, presumably denoting rank or association of some kind. The one in front of him now had a large lizard-type creature emblazoned across his shoulder, while the others had something that looked like a rat and a fish.
"You move." Lizard-guy was pointing his own gun at him, gesturing for him to stand against the wall. Following another gesture and an order that Jack didn't understand, Hywel was pushed over to join him.
"Any more bright ideas?" Hywel asked.
"Escaping?" Only half-listening, Jack kept his eyes on the equipment the Vralians had set up. Fish-guy was making some adjustments to dials while Rat-guy and the one who had grabbed Hywel disappeared back into the corridor.
"What are they doing?" Hywel asked, craning his neck to try to see.
"If I had to guess," Jack said carefully, "I'd say that they're using a combination of a transporter and a time field generator. They keep the place above in stasis for a while, just going round and round in circles while they quietly and efficiently empty the archives." He looked at Lizard-guy, raising his eyebrows. "Is that about right?"
There was no answer, but the two other Vralians were returning, carrying another large box between them. Just as before, they placed it in the centre of the room, between the transporter columns. Jack forced himself not to move, balling his hands into fists and watching helplessly as the box shimmered and vanished. He had no idea what had been in the crate, but it had been his, Torchwood's, the human race's. There was enough stealing and conning in his past for him to know that there was no such thing as a victimless crime. At the very least, all the people upstairs were losing day after day out of their lives so that these thieves could rob them blind.
As if sensing his frustration, Lizard-guy moved closer, still gesturing with the gun.
"You stay."
"I'm staying." Jack held up his hands, flexing his fingers. It wasn't as though there was anything he could do. Not at this moment, at least. They watched as three more boxes were brought in and taken away, the room filling with the scent of the Vralians and ozone from some overheating components in the transporter console.
Head still spinning a bit from the time-sickness, Jack leaned closer to Hywel. "You smell that?"
"What is it?"
"Their bodged together system is starting to break down. Give it three more runs, maybe four and the whole thing's going up in smoke."
Hywel looked at him. "Isn't that a good thing?"
"Only as long as the time loop isn't connected to the same circuits. They're tricky things to maintain at the best of times. Trying to do it with half the controls blown out and the room on fire? Not a good plan."
"I thought we wanted to stop the time loop."
Trying to think of an analogy that would make sense to someone who'd never learnt temporal mechanics, Jack shook his head. "It's like…say you need to stop your car. You can just slam on the brakes or you can do it slowly and carefully having checked your rear view mirror."
"Time travel ships have rear view mirrors?"
"Okay, so it's not a perfect analogy, but you get the idea. Crashing out of a time loop is not something you want to go through. Ever."
The Vralian with the gun was glancing over his shoulder from time to time, saying something to the Fish-wearing-guy who was still fiddling with the control panel. Raising his voice a little, Jack said, "You know, I could probably give you a hand with that, if you let me." Two red-ridged heads swung towards him and Jack treated them both to one of his most dazzling grins. "Seriously, I know what I'm doing with that stuff. What's the worst that can happen?"
Hywel grabbed his arm. "Jack, what are you doing?"
"Trying not to get us all blown up. Well?" Lizard-guy didn't look convinced, but Fish-guy was the one watching the dials. He didn't look happy, as far as you could tell with a Vralian. After the slightest hesitation, he gestured for Jack to join him. In retaliation, Lizard-guy took a more careful aim at Hywel's head.
Giving a nod of acknowledgement at the threat, Jack walked slowly over, examining the links from the transporter console to the time module and into Torchwood's own power supply systems. It was a short circuit waiting to happen. Convenient.
The other two Vralians returned as he was starting to lift the cover from the time module, peering inside and feeling the heat coming from the wiring. Clearly disturbed, the newcomers dropped their latest acquisition – a lumpy bag of something that clunked as it hit the ground – and began a heated discussion in rapid Vralian. For a moment, no-one was looking at Jack.
Moving quickly, he pulled one of the wires from the back of the transporter console, simultaneously turning the power dial all the way up. There was a flash of light that temporarily blinded him, then the lights went out. Jack wasn't too worried about that, as Torchwood had plenty of emergency power and more redundancy systems than a nuclear power station. True to his expectations, the room filled with a dull red light from the back-up generators.
Spinning round, Jack slammed the heel of his hand into the face of the nearest Vralian, not waiting to see what happened before he checked on Hywel. The younger man was standing over Lizard-guy, his gun back in his hand. He gave Jack a brief, triumphant smile before turning to the two other aliens. They seemed to be completely disorientated, turning in circles and jumping when they came into contact with the walls or each other.
"It's the light," Jack called to Hywel, making the aliens turn towards him in panic. "They see best in blue lights. The red's blinding them."
As thought it had heard him, the console behind him sent up a shower of white and yellow sparks, making him duck and step away.
"Please tell me it's meant to do that. And stay where you are." The tone of Hywel's last words made it clear he was talking to the Vralians. "Jack?"
"I don't know. You might want to get them, and yourself, out of here."
"What are you going to do?"
"Try not to suck us all out of time and space." Seeing Hywel's shocked face, Jack made a shooing gesture. "I'm kidding. Go on, get out of here and let me work."
Hywel hesitated, then prodded the Vralian on the floor with the toe of his boot. "Come on, up you get."
Not needing to watch, Jack turned his attention back to the equipment array. The transporter module was shot to pieces, the edges of the panels blackened and curling. Most of the lights on the time unit were flashing. There was something strikingly familiar about some of the components.
"Hywel!"
"What?" Still in the doorway, Hywel didn't turn away from his prisoners.
"When you get upstairs, bring me back the box that Len confiscated from the Vralians. I need the parts."
"Got it."
Left alone, Jack started pulling at wires, tracing connections and reattaching them. Vaguely, he was aware of the heat rising from overloaded circuitry, the flickering of the lights and the sweat running down his back, soaking into his shirt. He flinched as one of the wires plugged into the back of the unit sparked, making half the lights go dead as the fuse blew out. For a moment, time itself seemed to flicker and ghostly images of Vralians walked in and out of the room. Bracing himself against the time-quakes, Jack watched Hywel herding the aliens away, pausing in the doorway to say something, then disappearing.
Time lurched again, and Jack saw Hywel come running back into the room, half his face an angry red. He was shouting something that Jack couldn't hear, but the look on his face was devastating. There was another shift, and Jack's own timeline reasserted itself. As he steadied himself, gripping the low table that the time unit was resting on, he noticed a dull, yellow light reflected in the unit's silvery surface. Looking down, he saw that his hands were glowing, faint golden sparks running up and down his skin.
"We've brought it."
Jack turned away from the door as Hywel and Len returned, and he heard them set something down on the floor.
"Good," he said. "Now get out of here."
"Let me help." There were footsteps, then Hywel gasped. "What happened to you?"
"Nothing. Not yet." Concentrating on stripping out the dead wiring, Jack didn't turn his head. "I need to work." He pushed past the shocked man, going to kneel by the box on the floor. His fingers found the catch and he smiled as the cover slid back. "Perfect."
"Please, Jack, tell me what's going on."
Still not meeting Hywel's eye, and aware of Len's astonished stare, Jack talked as he dragged the box towards the table. "Half the circuits are shot to pieces but I think I can cobble something together from what's left. The only problem is the power needed to get us back into the regular time-stream."
"The emergency generators-" Hywel began, stopping when Jack shook his head.
"It's not enough. That's what caused the problem in the first place. They were using Partek transformers which aren't exactly meant for human voltage levels. The current's too high and everything's starting to overheat."
"So where will you get the power from?"
Jack didn't answer, concentrating on running wires from the time unit into the control panel of the box on the floor. He felt the atmosphere of the room change as Hywel caught up with him, then a hand was on his shoulder, pulling him round.
"You can't be serious."
"Look at me, Hywel." Gripping the younger man's arms, Jack smiled gently, trying to make him understand. "I can sense the timeline, the proper one. I'm anchored to it somehow. Maybe I can pull everything back to where it should be."
"What about you?"
"It doesn't matter."
"It does to me."
Jack got to his feet, dragging Hywel with him towards the door.
"You can't just fall out of a time loop, Hywel. You could get stuck in it forever or you could just cease to exist, pulled out of time completely. I won't let that happen."
"Find another way." Hywel was clinging to him now, his eyes wide and frantic. Still half-smiling, Jack disentangled himself, trying to tell him that it would be alright. By the look on Hywel's face, he wasn't convinced. That was fine. Jack knew exactly how to convince him.
Taking half a step away, Jack took a deep breath, looking down at the floor for a moment, then bringing his fist up and round, catching Hywel just below his left eye. It wasn't a calculated hit; there was no finesse or planning behind it, just a sudden punch that sent the younger man reeling backwards. Len caught the falling man, holding him steady for a long moment. Then he gave Jack a brief nod and began hauling Hywel's unconscious body into the corridor.
The room was strangely quiet, just the occasional crackle from the still-dying transporter module as the over-heated metal began to cool. There was still the background thrum of the power cables and the air was full of the smell of burning. Jack went back to work.
Two more time-quakes struck as he spliced wires and reconnected switches. The first showed him the Vralians, placing boxes between the transporter columns and nodding in satisfaction as they disappeared. The other was Hywel again, the after-effect of Jack's punch blossoming on his cheek. He was shouting, face so twisted by panic that it was almost unrecognisable and Jack winced, feeling just a hint of guilt at the nasty bruise that was already forming.
Snapping back into his own timeline, Jack saw that his hands were glowing again, the light so bright that his skin seemed to be on fire. He could feel the time-eddies and currents flowing around him, as though he was a rock in the middle of a fast-flowing stream. That was what he needed, the sense of time that would keep him in place against the current. Assuming this worked.
Not letting himself think about it, Jack checked the circuits for the last time. He had one hand on the main switch of the time module and the other buried deep in the wiring of the box on the floor, holding three wires together. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and focussed on the time-stream again, feeling it lap around him, letting it flow over, round and through him.
Then he flipped the switch.
Hywel stood on the tarmac, lifting his face to soak up the last rays of sunlight. It had been a long, exhausting day and all he wanted to do was get on the plane and sleep. He watched in silence as the body-bag was put on board, aware of Zoë's gentle sobs beside him.
"It's going to be alright," he said soothingly. "You're going to be fine."
"He saved our lives, and we never even got the chance to thank him."
"He knew." Closing his eyes, Hywel tried not to think about that moment in the basement, Jack's body lying in the middle of the floor, his skin ashen grey and his face utterly still. He wasn't entirely sure, but Hywel was fairly certain he'd spent the best part of five minutes crying, sobbing and shouting, bending over his friend's body in a desperate attempt at revival.
"What will we do without him?"
Snapping back to the present, Hywel shrugged. "We'll go on. Someone else will take over Torchwood Alpha, you'll carry on with the work. It's what Jack would have wanted."
"I know. It just seems so unreal. He was always so alive. It's impossible to imagine that he's…" She broke off, starting to sob again.
Knowing that there wasn't an answer, Hywel wrapped an arm round her shoulders, feeling her jump as the medics slammed the plane door shut.
"I should be going," he said gently.
"Everything's happened so quickly."
It had. Despite all evidence to the contrary, Hywel knew that, at some point, Jack was going to wake up. He refused to believe otherwise. And the last thing they needed were a lot more inconvenient questions from grieving staff who suddenly found they had nothing to grieve about. Somewhere deep inside, Hywel felt a pang of guilt at doing this to Jack. In their last conversation before the world had gone mad, Jack had made it clear that he had no intention of returning home. Vaguely, Hywel wondered if it was possible to kidnap someone who was dead, however temporarily. He didn't doubt that Jack would see it that way if he woke up. When he woke up.
Deciding to tackle one problem at a time, Hywel gave Zoë a proper hug, letting her rest her head on his shoulder for a moment. Then he stepped back and gave her what he hoped was an encouraging smile.
"It's going to be fine," he told her again. "You're going to do great."
"Thank you." She smiled weakly, pushing the hair out of her eyes. "I just wish we could have had a funeral, some kind of memorial for him."
"His family's in Britain. He'd want to go home." Jack must have been rubbing off on him if Hywel could lie so smoothly and without a hint of regret. "We should be going."
"Of course."
She retreated with the medics, standing clear as Hywel climbed into the plane. He'd received some strange looks when he'd insisted that the body be placed in the main compartment next to him, but as he unzipped the bag, looking into Jack's pale, peaceful face, he knew it had been the right decision. When Jack woke up, he wouldn't want to be alone.
If he woke up.
Doing up his seatbelt, Hywel leaned over to look out of the window. Zoë was still standing on the tarmac and so he waved to her, receiving a half-hearted flutter of her hands in response. Then he settled back in his seat, double-checking that Jack was securely strapped in as the engine pitch rose and they began the long journey home.
Starting tomorrow, I'm going to be taking up
mickeyk's challenge to see if I can write a Jack-fic every day until 'Utopia' airs. Using the OED's 'word of the day,' I'm going to try and write a drabble every day until it's broadcast. Prompts and suggestions are most welcome, but please bear in mind that I want to write drabbles - nothing too complicated please! Thanks also to all my non-Torchwood friends, who exhibit great patience under trying circumstances ;) I'm probably going to open up a fic journal for Torchwood and keep this one personal/for my other fandoms. I'll let you know where it is when I do.
Now, on to the story!
Title: Auckland (or: Time after Time)
Author:
jadesfire2808Rating: PG
Word Count: ~9700
Warnings/Spoilers: None
Betas:
crystalshard and miss_zedem This one is dedicated to
miss_zedem, with thanks.Summary: Some days, Jack's just going round in circles.
The Wandering Years 1: New York (or: Wonderful Town)
The Wandering Years 2: San Francisco (or: Where I Left My Heart)
The Wandering Years 3: Las Vegas (or: Viva!) Part 1
The Wandering Years 3: Las Vegas (or: Viva!) Part 2
The Wandering Years 4: Cardiff (or: Going to the Chapel)
The Wandering Years 5: Vancouver (or: Old Friends)
The Wandering Years 6: Cardiff Reprise (or: To Everything there is a Season)
The Wandering Years 7: Melbourne (or: Try to Remember)
Auckland (or: Time after Time)
Torchwood Alpha, Auckland, New Zealand. 16th March, 1990
Hywel was waiting in reception at eight forty-five, jumping to his feet when Jack came through the main doors. Jack gave him a curt nod, not breaking his stride as he headed towards the lifts.
“Good morning.”
“I’ve got a meeting.”
Unperturbed, Hywel got into the lift as well, turning to face the doors as Jack did. “I need an answer, Jack.”
“I’ve got a meeting.”
“Not all day.”
“Most of it.” Flicking open the file he was holding, Jack made a show of reading the scribbled notes on the top page.
“I still need an answer.”
“Then you’ll have to wait for one.” Jack shut the file, watching the numbers light up in turn. “If they could make it an order, they wouldn’t have sent you.”
“They want you home.”
“They want me where they can see me.”
“Hey.” As they reached the sixth floor, Hywel put his hand on Jack’s arm. “They’re not the only ones who’d be happier if you weren’t hiding on the other side of the world.”
“I’m not hiding. Everyone knows where to find me. And the only reason you’re here is that they were hoping you’d do exactly what you’re doing.” He glanced through the open doors. “This is my floor.”
“I asked for this assignment.”
Jack shook his head. “I have a meeting.” Gently, he pulled his arm away and headed down the corridor. He didn’t look back.
The boardroom was bathed in blue light, supposedly because it was more suitable for their alien guests, although Jack suspected it was just to set his teeth on edge. Zoë was waiting inside, a thick file on the table in front of her.
“They here yet?” Jack asked, dropping his own file beside hers.
“And good morning to you too. What side of whose bed did you get out of this morning?”
“Sorry.” Taking a deep breath, Jack slipped out of his coat, hanging it on the back of the chair. “Good morning. Are they here yet?”
“Their ship landed safely at six o'clock. They should be here any minute.”
“Good. You’re sure you’re okay with translating?”
She nodded. “It should be fine. Vralian’s pretty similar to Te Reo, the Maori language. Did you know that the Maori word for bird is actually based on the Vralian for ship? They’ve been coming here for hundreds of years.”
Jack let her talk, only half listening as she enthused about the variety of labials in Vralian. He was scanning his notes, making sure they hadn’t missed anything and trying to remember the few words of Vralian that he knew.
“…and they don’t voice any of them, which is interesting because-” She broke off as there was a short, high-pitched buzz from the comm. unit by the door.
“They’re here,” Jack said, getting to his feet. “Time to meet the neighbours.”
There were three members of the Vralian delegation, all tall and red-skinned, with patterned facial ridges and large, round eyes. They greeted the two humans with nods and flicks of their tongues. Jack resisted the urge to return the gesture.
“This is Zoë Harper. She’ll be acting as translator if we get stuck.”
“Excellent.” The Vralian in charge, Naia, gave Zoë a bow, then put the box he was carrying on the table. “We have brought gifts from our world for you.”
“That’s very kind. We also have gifts for you to take home with you at the conclusion of our negotiations.”
Bowing again, Naia took his seat, gesturing for the others to do the same. “Then we should talk.”
The talking went on through lunchtime and well into the afternoon, with Jack’s basic Vralian and Zoë’s more extensive knowledge getting them through the language problems.
“It will satisfy us,” Naia said at last, sipping from the glass of water that was the only refreshment he’d requested. “I thank you for you efforts in this, Captain Harkness.”
“And thank you, Pilan Naia.” With a glance at Zoë, Jack smiled. “I think we're all done here.”
“Indeed.” Standing, Naia took hold of the box once again. “And now, allow me to present you with our gift.”
Jack got to his feet, watching as the Vralian released some kind of invisible catch and the top of the box slid back with a low hiss. Inside was a tangle of wires and lights with a small control panel resting in the middle. It looked naggingly familiar.
“What is it?” Zoë asked, leaning over to get a better look.
“Let me show you.” Reaching inside, Naia pressed two buttons and flicked a switch. And Jack remembered where he’d seen panels like that before.
Hywel was waiting in reception at eight forty-five, jumping to his feet when Jack came through the main doors. Jack gave him a curt nod, not breaking his stride as he headed towards the lifts.
“Good morning.”
“I’ve got a meeting.” Jack paused, mid-step, making Hywel turn on his heel and look at him.
“Are you alright?”
Rubbing his forehead, Jack nodded. “I think so. Just a bit of a headache.” He shook his head. “I need to get upstairs.”
Unperturbed, Hywel got into the lift as well, turning to face the doors as Jack did. “I need an answer, Jack.”
“I told you, I’ve got a meeting.” Jack also realised that his headache was getting worse and wondered if he could stop by his office for an aspirin first.
Hywel wasn’t so easily put off. “Not all day.”
“Most of it, I expect.” Deciding that he’d just have some water sent up to the boardroom, Jack flicked open the file he was holding, making a show of reading the scribbled notes on the top page.
“I still need an answer.”
“Then you’ll have to wait for one.” Jack shut the file, blinking a little. Maybe it was just annoyance making his head hurt. “If they could make it an order, they wouldn’t have sent you.”
“They want you home.”
“They want me where they can see me.”
“Hey.” As they reached the sixth floor, Hywel put his hand on Jack’s arm. “They’re not the only ones who’d be happier if you weren’t hiding on the other side of the world.”
“I’m not hiding. Everyone knows where to find me. And the only reason you’re here is that they were hoping you’d do exactly what you’re doing.” He glanced through the open doors. “This is my floor.”
“I asked for this assignment.”
Jack shook his head. “I have a meeting.” Gently, he pulled his arm away and headed down the corridor, rubbing at his temples.
The boardroom was bathed in blue light, doing nothing for the spots appearing in Jack’s vision. Zoë was waiting inside, a thick file on the table in front of her.
“They here yet?” Jack asked, dropping his own file beside hers and almost falling into his seat.
“And good morning to you too. What side of whose bed did you get out of this morning?”
“Sorry.” Taking a deep breath and trying to focus, Jack slipped out of his coat, hanging in it on the back of the chair. “Good morning. Are they here yet?”
“Their ship landed safely at six o'clock. They should be here any minute.”
“Good. You’re sure you’re okay with translating?”
She nodded. “It should be fine. Vralian’s pretty similar to Te Reo, the Maori language. Did you know that the Maori word for bird is actually based on the Vralian for ship? They’ve been coming here for hundreds of years.”
Jack let her talk, only half listening as she enthused about the variety of labials in Vralian. He was scanning his notes, making sure they hadn’t missed anything and trying to remember the few words of Vralian that he knew. Right now he could only remember "thank you," "sorry" and "not guilty," but there was something else, right at the tip of his brain if he could just get at it.
“…and they don’t voice any of them, which is interesting because-” She broke off as there was a short, high-pitched buzz from the comm. unit by the door.
“They’re here,” Jack said, getting to his feet. “Time to meet the neighbours.”
There were three members of the Vralian delegation, all tall and red-skinned, with patterned facial ridges and large, round eyes. They greeted the two humans with nods and flicks of their tongues. Jack resisted the urge to return the gesture. The scent the Vralians were giving off seemed to be making his headache worse. At this rate, it was going to be a full blown migraine by the end of the hour. Forcing himself to concentrate, he smiled politely.
“This is Zoë Harper. She’ll be acting as translator if we get stuck.”
“Excellent.” The Vralian in charge, Naia, gave Zoë a bow, then put the box he was carrying on the table. “We have brought gifts from our world for you.”
“That is very kind. We also have gifts for you to take home with you at the conclusion of our negotiations.”
Bowing again, Naia took his seat, gesturing for the others to do the same. “Then we should talk.”
The talking went on through lunchtime and well into the afternoon, with Jack’s basic Vralian and Zoë’s more extensive knowledge getting them through the language problems. Even Jack's head was throbbing a bit less than earlier.
“It will satisfy us,” Naia said at last, sipping from the glass of water that was the only refreshment he’d requested. “I thank you for you efforts in this, Captain Harkness.”
“And thank you, Pilan Naia.” With a glance at Zoë, Jack smiled. “I think we're all done here.”
“Indeed.” Standing, Naia took hold of the box once again. “And now, allow me to present you with our gift.”
Jack got to his feet, swaying a little and watching as the Vralian released some kind of invisible catch. The top of the box slid back with a low hiss. Inside was a tangle of wires and lights with a small control panel resting in the middle. It looked naggingly familiar.
“What is it?” Zoë asked, leaning over to get a better look.
“Let me show you.” Reaching inside, Naia pressed two buttons and flicked a switch. And Jack remembered where he’d seen panels like that before.
Hywel was waiting in reception at eight forty-five, jumping to his feet as Jack came through the main doors and to an abrupt stop.
“Good morning.” Hywel looked at him curiously. “You alright, Jack?”
“I think so.” There was something very wrong, Jack could feel it. Ignoring Hywel for the moment, he went over to reception. “Jen, could you call the boardroom for me please?”
She did so, handing him the receiver. Zoë’s voice was too loud in Jack’s ear. “Zoë Harper.”
“Zoë, are the Vralians here yet?”
“Good morning to you too.” Her voice was more annoyed than amused. “They’ll be here soon. Is there a problem?”
“I don’t know. I’ll be up in a minute.”
“Okay.”
Passing the receiver back, Jack shook his head. Déjà vu had been an occupational hazard when he was a Time Agent, but he hadn’t had it this strongly in years. It was making his head hurt.
Hywel hovered nervously behind him. “Is everything okay?”
“It’s nothing.” Forcing himself to believe it, Jack headed for the lifts, not bothering to check if Hywel was following. Unperturbed, Hywel got into the lift as well, turning to face the doors as Jack did. “I need an answer, Jack.”
“I told you, I’ve got a meeting.”
“Not all day.”
“Most of it, I expect.” Jack closed his eyes, swaying a little. Something felt very, very wrong. Maybe it was the prawns from last night’s dinner.
“I still need an answer.”
“Then you’ll have to wait for one.” Opening his eyes, Jack blinked hard, trying to clear his double vision and concentrate on the conversation. “If they could make it an order, they wouldn’t have sent you.”
“They want you home.”
“They want me where they can see me.”
“Hey.” As they reached the sixth floor, Hywel put his hand on Jack’s arm, steadying him. “You look like you’re about to keel over. You sure you’re up to this?”
“I’m fine.” Gently pulling away, Jack headed down the corridor, rubbing at his temples. He was aware of Hywel’s worried stare on his back and he straightened a little, forcing himself to focus.
The boardroom was bathed in blue light, doing nothing for the spots appearing in Jack’s vision. Zoë was waiting inside, a thick file on the table in front of her. She gave Jack a critical look.
“What side of whose bed did you get out of this morning?”
“Sorry.” Taking a deep breath and trying to focus, Jack slipped out of his coat, hanging in on the back of the chair. “What time did they land?”
“Six o'clock, undetected as far as we can tell. They should be here any minute.”
“Good. You’re sure you’re okay with translating?”
She nodded. “It should be fine. Vralian’s pretty similar to Te Reo, the Maori language. Did you know that the Maori word for bird is actually based on the Vralian for ship? They’ve been coming here for thousands of years.”
Jack let her talk, only half listening as she enthused about the variety of labials in Vralian. He was scanning his notes, making sure they hadn’t missed anything and trying to remember the few words of Vralian that he knew. “Thank you,” “sorry” and “not guilty” seemed to be the only ones floating to the top of his mind at the moment, but there was something else, something just beyond his conscious thoughts that he couldn’t get at.
“…and they don’t voice any of them, which is interesting because-” She broke off as there was a short, high-pitched buzz from the comm. unit by the door.
“They’re here,” Jack said, getting to his feet a little unsteadily. “Time to meet the neighbours.”
There were three members of the Vralian delegation, all tall and red-skinned, with patterned facial ridges and large, round eyes. They greeted the two humans with nods and flicks of their tongues. Jack resisted the urge to return the gesture. The scent the Vralians were giving off was making him nauseous and at this rate, he was going to have a full-blown migraine by the end of the hour. Forcing himself to concentrate, he smiled politely.
“This is Zoë Harper. She’ll be acting as translator if we get stuck.”
“Excellent.” The Vralian in charge, Naia, gave Zoë a bow, then put the box he was carrying on the table. “We have brought gifts from our world for you.”
“That's very kind. We also have gifts for you to take home with you at the conclusion of our negotiations.”
Bowing again, Naia took his seat, gesturing for the others to do the same. “Then we should talk.”
The talking went on through lunchtime and well into the afternoon, with Jack’s basic Vralian and Zoë’s more extensive knowledge getting them through the language problems. Jack’s head was throbbing badly but he wasn’t going to give up now. They’d put too much work into this treaty.
“It will satisfy us,” Naia said at last, sipping from the glass of water that was the only refreshment he’d requested. “I thank you for you efforts in this, Captain Harkness.”
“And thank you, Pilan Naia.” With a glance at Zoë, Jack smiled. “I think we're all done here.”
“Indeed.” Standing, Naia took hold of the box once again. “And now, allow me to present you with our gift.”
Jack got to his feet, gripping the table as his legs shook and watching the Vralian released some kind of invisible catch. The top of the box slid back with a low hiss. Inside was a tangle of wires and lights with a small control panel resting in the middle. It looked naggingly familiar and made his blood run cold.
“What is it?” Zoë asked, leaning over to get a better look.
“Let me show you.” Reaching inside, Naia pressed two buttons and flicked a switch. And Jack remembered where he’d seen panels like that before.
Hywel was waiting in reception at eight forty-five, jumping to his feet as Jack came through the main doors and to an abrupt stop.
“Good morning.” Hywel looked at him curiously. “You alright, Jack?”
“No. Damnit.” Just about holding himself upright, Jack shook his head. It turned out to be a bad idea because he lost the little that was left of his balance and tumbled into Hywel.
“Jack!”
Jack’s vision went white, then faded to black.
When he woke up, he was lying in a bed in the infirmary, Hywel hovering over him like a nervous mother hen. Jack groaned.
“What happened?”
Moving closer, Hywel shrugged. “I was hoping you could tell me that.”
“I don’t…” Jack trailed off, remembering the feeling of nausea, the dizziness and the moment of blistering pain as he’d tried to focus. He’d felt like that once before, he knew. He just couldn’t quite remember when. Struggling to sit up, he blinked to try and clear his double vision. “What about the Vralians?”
“Ken’s taken over. He knows what he’s doing.” Hywel looked at him critically. “You look like hell.”
“Thanks.” Now upright, Jack forced himself to think. “There’s something I have to do. I know there’s something I have to do.”
“Well, if you’re feeling up to it, you could give me an answer.”
“To what?” Still too dazed to think properly, Jack rubbed at his forehead.
“Torchwood One want you home, Jack.” Hywel settled back in his chair. “And they’re not the only ones.”
“I can’t-” Stopping again, Jack felt the confusion rising in his mind again. There was something he needed to do, he knew. He just couldn’t quite remember what it was.
Hywel was still talking. “I know it’s not as important a job as running Torchwood Alpha, but we really do need you, Jack. Things are moving too fast for us.”
“Hmm?” Shaking his head, which didn't help, Jack got to his feet, grateful for Hywel’s supporting arm. “What time is it?”
“Three-fifteen. Are you even listening to me?”
“No.” Jack took a step away, suddenly knowing that this was not where he was meant to be right now. “Three in the afternoon?”
“You were pretty out of it.”
“It’s the afternoon.” Staggering a little, Jack began to run towards the lifts, Hywel trailing behind him.
“Jack, what the hell is going on?”
“I don’t know.” Jack half-fell inside when the lift doors opened, punching the button for the sixth floor.
He fell out again into the corridor, accepting Hywel’s help as he stumbled towards the boardroom.
“Please, Jack, just tell me what’s going on.”
“I have to get in there.”
They pushed the door open just as Naia was getting to his feet, opening the box that was the Vralian gift to Earth. Jack just had time to see Zoë’s shocked face and the quirk of lips that was the Vralian version of a smile before Naia reached inside the box again.
Hywel was waiting in reception at eight forty-five, jumping to his feet as Jack came through the main doors.
“Good morning.”
Jack swore, fluently and in several different languages.
“Okay,” Hywel said slowly. “Was it something I said?”
“Damn, damn, damn.” Ignoring his friend, Jack headed for the lifts, pushing the down button and trying to concentrate. This was time-sickness, he knew, and he focussed on the pounding of his heartbeat, using it to anchor himself in the here and now. His vision was whiting out again but he ignored it, all but falling inside the lift when it arrived, stabbing the button for the lower levels and grabbing hold of the rail for support.
"Where are you going?" Hywel was right behind him, arms held out as though ready to catch him. Judging by the way Jack's head was spinning, that might be necessary. The lurch of the lift as it started to descend made him rock forwards, hitting his forehead on the wall and sending showers of sparks through his mind. He felt arms around him, holding him up and he forced himself to breathe again as Hywel spoke almost directly into his ear. "What the hell is happening?"
"I'll be fine," Jack said unconvincingly as the lift came to a stop, freeing himself and taking a few tentative steps into the basement. There was something in the air down here, a smell that he couldn't place but that was making him feel even more nauseous than before. He could hear voices up ahead, talking softly. Behind him, Hywel coughed gently.
"Do I get an explanation?"
"Shh." Jack turned, pressing a hand over the younger man's mouth, then pulling him into a nearby doorway as footsteps started down the passage towards them. There was a brief moment of fumbling, then Hywel got the door open and they both tumbled inside.
Pressed against the wall, Hywel still holding him up, Jack turned his head so that he just see into the corridor. He got a glimpse of someone in a beige tunic, walking quickly past carrying a large box of equipment. It was barely a moment before they were gone, but Jack had seen enough.
"Vralian," he breathed, making Hywel frown.
"Aren't they the ones you're seeing today?"
"Not now I'm not." At such close proximity, Jack could feel Hywel's rapid heartbeat along with his own, the regular rhythm keeping him focussed on the here and now. Some of the dizziness faded, leaving him feeling drained and tired. He tried to remind himself that it was still the morning, that this was when he was. Hywel's arms were distractingly tight around his waist, and Jack forced the thought aside, managing to grin at his friend.
Hywel didn't grin back. "Jack? What do we do?"
"I'm sure we could think of something but maybe now's not the time." Gently, Jack pushed Hywel away, swaying a little but managing to stand on his own. "Let's go meet the neighbours."
The Torchwood archives were extensive, long corridors that seemed to stretch on forever, filled with rows and rows of shelves and cupboards. Jack came to a stop at a junction, holding up a hand and peering round slowly. Three Vralians were standing in front of one of the shelves, setting up some complicated equipment.
"Jack?"
"Not now." Jack couldn't quite see what they were doing and he leaned a little further forwards, trying to get a better look.
"Jack!"
There was an unmistakable urgency in Hywel's voice, making Jack freeze. They hadn't seen the other Vralian come back past which meant…
Instead of turning slowly and carefully with his hands raised, as he probably should have done, Jack spun on his heel, pushing Hywel out of the way and launching himself at the Vralian behind him. He got a brief look at a startled face and a large blaster before he was on top of the alien, bearing him to the ground and bringing his fist down hard onto the ridged face.
The Vralian cried out, pushing at Jack who was holding on for dear life. A sharp, explosive sound split the air and something wrapped itself round Jack's neck. He grabbed at it, feeling the first shocks of pain travel down his back and legs. Then the pain blossomed, exploding through his mind and body, throwing him across the corridor as he writhed in agony.
Finally, mercifully, the world went black.
Hywel was waiting in reception at eight forty-five, jumping to his feet as Jack came through the main doors.
“Good morning.”
"What?" Blinking in confusion, Jack felt the world spin around him. Hywel grabbed his arm, steadying him before he could fall.
"Are you alright?"
"Damn." It was happening again. Jack knew he'd been here before, knew that there was something he had to do. The overwhelming déjà vu clouded his mind for a moment and he tried to ride it, to remember what it was that he'd done before, what he needed to do right this time. It was just beyond his memory and he swore under his breath.
"Jack, what's going on?"
"I don't…" Shaking his head, Jack focussed back on the present. "Here." He thrust the file he was carrying at Len, the security guard, who'd come over to see what the problem was. "Hywel, come with me." They needed to get downstairs, to the archives. There'd be something down there he could use to track the time shifting that he could sense all around him. As they passed the reception desk, he called out, "Jen? Phone Zoë and tell her to get Ken to sit in on the meeting. I might be a while."
Once in the lift, Jack turned to Hywel. "Are you armed?"
"No. Not today. I'm just here to talk to you, remember?" Hywel was starting to sound seriously worried. "You're scaring me, Jack."
"That makes two of us." The lift came to an abrupt stop, making Jack's stomach lurch. He stepped carefully out into the basement, sniffing the air. It was normally cool and musty down here, but now there was a sweet scent that he recognised from somewhere. His stomach rolled again.
Moving closer, Hywel sniffed as well. "What is that?"
"I don't know." Jack pulled his Webley out, gesturing for Hywel to stay behind him. They moved slowly down the corridor, the smell getting stronger as they moved deeper into the basement.
Just as they reached the edge of the archive section, Jack ducked into one of the side corridors, pulling Hywel with him. He could hear voices up ahead and the sound of something heavy being moved around. Leaning close, he whispered in Hywel's ear, "Stay here."
The corridor up ahead was dimly lit and Jack paused before every step, listening to the strange language and breathing in the sickly smell that was making his head ache. As the words became clearer, he realised that he did know the language, and the realisation made his dizziness double. Recollection came flooding back and he put a hand against the wall to steady himself.
Luck, which was usually on his side, seemed to have deserted Jack today. When he managed to get his eyes open again, two Vralians were standing in the corridor in front of him, their blasters levelled in his direction. For a moment, he considered trying to fight it out, then he remembered what had happened last time, saw the whip coiled on the belt of one of the Vralians, and he raised his hands in surrender.
One of them came over and took his gun, while the other headed down the passage, no doubt to collect Hywel.
"What do you want?" Jack asked, gagging a little as the Vralian moved away. Their scent was making his nausea worse.
"We take it," the alien said in passable English. He nodded as his companion came back down the corridor, ushering Hywel in front of him. They spoke in Vralian, and Jack was relieved not to hear any of the words to do with killing or shooting, which seemed to be the only ones he could remember apart from 'sorry' and 'not guilty.'
The second Vralian gestured with his blaster.
"Go."
Jack calculated distances for a moment, weighing the risks. On his own, he might have been able to take out one of them, which would have evened the odds. With Hywel there as well, someone was going to get hurt. So he obeyed the gesture, heading further down the corridor into the archive. As they passed an open door, he got a glimpse of a complicated array of equipment before they were prodded onwards, finally reaching a storage room at the far end of the building. The door was locked behind them.
"Cosy." Jack took stock of the situation. His head was still spinning and he kept remembering snippets of conversations that he was fairly sure had taken place in other time-streams. Something about labials, whatever they were.
"What were they?"
"Huh?"
Hywel made an impatient sound, coming over and forcing Jack to look at him. "What were they?"
"Vralians," Jack said absently. "I'm supposed to be having a meeting with a trade delegation right now. Or then. Or something."
"What are they doing?"
"I think I've been trying to find out."
Reaching out, Hywel gave Jack's shoulders a shake. "You're not making any sense. Jack, please."
"Sorry." Jack put a hand to his forehead. "I think we're stuck in some kind of time loop or cycle, going round and round while they do something down here. I just wish I knew what."
"How do you know? If it's a time loop, how can you tell it's happening? And how can they be doing anything?"
"They'll have something to keep themselves outside the loop. Some shield or anchor, I don't know." Blinking hard, Jack looked round the room. "We need to get out of here."
"Yeah, I'd got that far, thank you so much." Hywel turned his head, scanning the walls and floor. "And you didn't answer my other question. How can you tell what's happening when no-one else can?"
"You're not time sensitive, not properly."
"Should I be insulted?"
Smiling just a little, Jack shook his head, running his hands along the doorframe. "It's not necessarily a blessing. Did you see that whip the leader had?"
"It looked like a coil of rope."
"It wasn't. Different races call it different things, but it's basically a weapon that only affects the time-sensitive, knocks them out of time and back again thousands of times a second. Hurts like hell." Giving up on the door, Jack began a close examination of the walls.
"You sound like you know what you're talking about. Hey, look at this."
When Jack turned, Hywel was pointing at a panel in the ceiling. He came over, looking up at it and clapping the younger man on the shoulder.
"Perfect. The archives have an air-conditioning system. Looks like you're in for an old-fashioned ventilation shaft escape."
"Me? What about you?"
"One of us is going to have to give the other a boost. There's nothing to stand on and it's too high to jump. Only one of us is getting out of here and it's going to be you."
"Why?" Hywel grabbed Jack's wrists, forcing him to look up. "Why me?"
"Because you don't speak Vralian. And you won't understand the technology if you manage to get out of here. I will." Jack looked up at the panel again, trying to judge distances. "Get up there and get to the boardroom. Stop the talks. That's the key to it, I'm sure."
"You don't sound very sure."
"It's on the tip of my brain."
"Very comforting."
"Are you ready?" Crouching down, Jack laced his fingers together. Hywel sighed, doing up his jacket so it wouldn't flap and putting one foot into Jack's cupped hands.
"Ready."
It took five minutes of shoving, pushing and swearing before Hywel managed to get the panel loose. Sweat was dripping down Jack's face, running down his back and neck and his shoulders felt as though they were on fire. He ducked, narrowly avoiding getting kicked in the face as Hywel pulled himself up.
"Get going," Jack called after him. "And don't come back. I'll be fine."
Sticking his head back down the hole for a moment, Hywel gave a nod, his lips pressed together in a narrow line. Then he slotted the panel back into place and Jack heard him move off along the shaft.
Not a minute too soon. Spinning round, Jack stuck his hands in his pockets, feigning an air of ignorance and giving the Vralian in the doorway an interested look.
"Was there something else?"
"Where gone?" This one's English didn't seem to be as good, and he blinked a few times before asking again. "Where other gone?"
"Other?" Jack shrugged. "No-one here but us chickens."
"Chi-ckens?"
"Never mind."
The Vralian gave the room a last, puzzled examination, then he closed the door again. It opened again a few moments later.
"Where has the other one gone?" This time, two Vralians came into the room, apparently having consulted a translator. One of them stayed by the door while the other walked slowly towards Jack. "Where is he?"
"No idea." Jack carefully looked round the room, making a great show of peering into corners and examining the floor. "Are you sure he was here?"
"This is not a game. Where is he?"
"I'm not playing. I really don't know." By now, Hywel could be almost anywhere in the building, assuming he hadn't got lost.
The Vralian didn't answer at once, retracing his steps to the door and consulting with his colleague in a low voice. Then he turned back to Jack.
"You will talk."
"About what?"
"You will talk about Torchwood. You will tell all."
Interesting. "No, I don't think I will."
"Yes. You will." The Vralian reached for the time whip hanging from his belt. "Or pain."
"I think you mean 'you will feel pain' or 'we will cause you pain,'" Jack said in a helpfully cheerful voice. "Either way, it's not going to get you anywhere. You might as well just shoot me now."
It was a stupid gamble, but Jack had seen the blasters the Vralians were carrying before. Blunt weapons, meant to kill, destroy, with no fine control over the power setting. He hoped. Even so, it was a really, really stupid gamble.
He met the Vralian's eye without flinching, hoping that the alien would be able to interpret human facial expressions. Apparently he could, because he re-coiled the time whip, taking the blaster from the other side of his belt. Jack shifted his feet, taking his hands out of his pockets and holding them out loosely at his sides. As the alien raised the blaster, he resisted the urge to shut his eyes, although he knew this was really going to hurt.
The Vralian fired.
Jack staggered through the doorway, grabbing hold of Len's arm before he fell.
"Jack?" That was Hywel, hurrying across reception to meet him.
A glance at the clock told Jack it was eight forty-five and he allowed himself a small smile of triumph.
"Yes," he hissed, turning the sound into a groan as the time-sickness caught up with him. Hands wrapped round his waist, turning his stumble into a slow descent to the floor. Looking up, Jack grinned into Hywel's worried face. "It worked."
"What the hell?"
"It worked." First things first. Jack shut his eyes, focussing on his heartbeat again and managing to slow his breathing. Then he let the memories wash through him, the images and words coalescing and finally making sense in his dazed head. Opening his eyes again, he gripped Hywel's wrist. "Help me up. We've got work to do."
Only swaying a little, Jack stood in the middle of the lobby and tried to think. Damage limitation was the first order of the day. Absently, he rubbed at his chest as he spoke.
"Len, get the rest of security down here now. When the Vralians arrive, do not let them any further into the building. Hold them here and I don't care how much fuss anyone makes. They're going to have a box with them. Make sure no-one opens it and no-one touches it. Just put it on the floor and stand well back."
Turning to the shocked receptionist, he said, "Jen, call Zoë, tell her the meeting's cancelled. Then get yourself out of here. Hang on, actually wait a moment." He glanced at Hywel. "You're not armed, are you?" Receiving a stunned shake of the head as a reply, Jack turned back to Jen. "Give me one of the pistols from back there. Bullets, not laser." When she did so, he handed it to Hywel. "Right, we're all set."
The last thing Jack did was dump his coat and the file he was carrying on a chair in the corner of the lobby. Hywel trailed after him as he headed for the stairs.
"Am I going to get an explanation?"
"Time loop."
There was a pause. "That's it? That's the whole explanation?"
Jack stopped, one hand on the door to the stairwell. "Look, it's a hell of a lot more complicated than I've got time to explain right now. Could you just trust me when I say that something very bad is going on in the basement and I'm the only one who can remember enough to stop it. Okay?"
After another long moment, Hywel nodded, double-checking his gun. "I can do that."
"Good. Oh, one more thing." Jack stared into space for a moment, thinking. Then he met Hywel's curious look. "My answer is no. I'm staying here and let Torchwood One do their worst."
"But-"
"No. I'm sorry. I'm staying. Now, shall we?"
They went silently down the stairs, smelling the sweet, distinctively Vralian odour that was filling the lower level. Jack kept close to the wall, knowing that Hywel would copy him, and he very slowly peered round the corner at the bottom. He could only remember having seen three Vralians down here although that didn't mean there weren't more of them. As he watched, two came down the corridor, carrying what looked like a very heavy box between them. The third was behind them and all three went into one of the side-rooms. For the first time, Jack noticed the bands on their wrists that had to be the time-controllers protecting them from the loop. He hoped he wasn't going to need one.
With a glance at Hywel, Jack began to move along the corridor, keeping his gun pointed at the doorway and his senses alert. All the rooms down here had a specific purpose: storage, research, monitoring, but he was having trouble remembering what the room up ahead was used for. He put his back to the wall, sliding along and leaning very carefully round the doorway, trying to see everything inside at once.
The Vralians had set up some kind of control system inside, plugging wires and leads into the thick cables that ran down the walls of the room. Vaguely, Jack remembered that this was some kind of junction room, like a hub for all the wiring in the building. As he watched, they set the box down in the middle of the room, between two stumpy columns. From this angle, Jack could see the Torchwood logo on the side. Then, without any warning, the box vanished.
He pulled his head back quickly, grinning at Hywel and getting a nod in reply. They burst into the room, Jack taking point, swinging his gun from alien to alien, trying to aim it at all three at once. Behind him, he knew Hywel would be waiting in the doorway, covering him. Just the sight of Jack seemed to be enough; the Vralians stopped dead, staring at him with open mouths. He grinned.
"Next time you kill someone, you might want to make sure that they can stay dead."
Apparently too surprised to remember their English, one of the Vralians took a step closer. "Me pehe taea koe ei?"
"If that was 'how did you do it?' I'm afraid it's a trade secret. But I remember everything, this time. Mostly I remember that you shot me although I'm going to try and move past that." He cocked the gun. "Let's hope I succeed. Now, what’s going on here?" There was no reply, just the exchange of some rather nervous glances. Jack sighed. "Fine. First things first. Put your weapons on the floor." When they didn't move, he lifted the gun a little. "I know you can understand me. Put your weapons on the floor, or I start to lose my temper."
Very slowly, each of the aliens took the blaster from his belt, dropping it to the ground. The one carrying the time whip unhooked it and held it for a moment, as though considering. Then he caught Jack's eye and put it down next to his blaster.
"That's better," Jack said, taking half a step backwards and looking properly at the equipment array. He'd never used much Vralian technology, but he recognised some non-Vralian components. "Chula, Dray, Partek, Indet and, ooh, is that a Brantex amplifier? I've been after one of those for years." A slow smile spread across his face. "You're thieves. We're up there, negotiating away as though we're all going to be one big happy family, and here you are down in the basement, stealing the silver." He tutted. "Most impolite."
"You not stop." One of the Vralians shifted, looking at his two companions. "We take."
"You know, next time, you might want to put a translation module on your shopping list. Words of one syllable only get you so far."
"You not stop," The Vralian said again, this time looking over Jack's shoulder.
With a horrible, sinking feeling, Jack turned slightly, so that he could see the three Vralians in front of him still as he glanced back towards the doorway.
"Sorry." Hywel had his hands in the air and his gun was in the possession of the large Vralian behind him.
Jack sighed. "Next time, I'm leaving you at home." Very slowly, he lowered his gun, allowing one of the Vralians to take it from him. Looking more closely, he saw that they had different badges on their tunics, presumably denoting rank or association of some kind. The one in front of him now had a large lizard-type creature emblazoned across his shoulder, while the others had something that looked like a rat and a fish.
"You move." Lizard-guy was pointing his own gun at him, gesturing for him to stand against the wall. Following another gesture and an order that Jack didn't understand, Hywel was pushed over to join him.
"Any more bright ideas?" Hywel asked.
"Escaping?" Only half-listening, Jack kept his eyes on the equipment the Vralians had set up. Fish-guy was making some adjustments to dials while Rat-guy and the one who had grabbed Hywel disappeared back into the corridor.
"What are they doing?" Hywel asked, craning his neck to try to see.
"If I had to guess," Jack said carefully, "I'd say that they're using a combination of a transporter and a time field generator. They keep the place above in stasis for a while, just going round and round in circles while they quietly and efficiently empty the archives." He looked at Lizard-guy, raising his eyebrows. "Is that about right?"
There was no answer, but the two other Vralians were returning, carrying another large box between them. Just as before, they placed it in the centre of the room, between the transporter columns. Jack forced himself not to move, balling his hands into fists and watching helplessly as the box shimmered and vanished. He had no idea what had been in the crate, but it had been his, Torchwood's, the human race's. There was enough stealing and conning in his past for him to know that there was no such thing as a victimless crime. At the very least, all the people upstairs were losing day after day out of their lives so that these thieves could rob them blind.
As if sensing his frustration, Lizard-guy moved closer, still gesturing with the gun.
"You stay."
"I'm staying." Jack held up his hands, flexing his fingers. It wasn't as though there was anything he could do. Not at this moment, at least. They watched as three more boxes were brought in and taken away, the room filling with the scent of the Vralians and ozone from some overheating components in the transporter console.
Head still spinning a bit from the time-sickness, Jack leaned closer to Hywel. "You smell that?"
"What is it?"
"Their bodged together system is starting to break down. Give it three more runs, maybe four and the whole thing's going up in smoke."
Hywel looked at him. "Isn't that a good thing?"
"Only as long as the time loop isn't connected to the same circuits. They're tricky things to maintain at the best of times. Trying to do it with half the controls blown out and the room on fire? Not a good plan."
"I thought we wanted to stop the time loop."
Trying to think of an analogy that would make sense to someone who'd never learnt temporal mechanics, Jack shook his head. "It's like…say you need to stop your car. You can just slam on the brakes or you can do it slowly and carefully having checked your rear view mirror."
"Time travel ships have rear view mirrors?"
"Okay, so it's not a perfect analogy, but you get the idea. Crashing out of a time loop is not something you want to go through. Ever."
The Vralian with the gun was glancing over his shoulder from time to time, saying something to the Fish-wearing-guy who was still fiddling with the control panel. Raising his voice a little, Jack said, "You know, I could probably give you a hand with that, if you let me." Two red-ridged heads swung towards him and Jack treated them both to one of his most dazzling grins. "Seriously, I know what I'm doing with that stuff. What's the worst that can happen?"
Hywel grabbed his arm. "Jack, what are you doing?"
"Trying not to get us all blown up. Well?" Lizard-guy didn't look convinced, but Fish-guy was the one watching the dials. He didn't look happy, as far as you could tell with a Vralian. After the slightest hesitation, he gestured for Jack to join him. In retaliation, Lizard-guy took a more careful aim at Hywel's head.
Giving a nod of acknowledgement at the threat, Jack walked slowly over, examining the links from the transporter console to the time module and into Torchwood's own power supply systems. It was a short circuit waiting to happen. Convenient.
The other two Vralians returned as he was starting to lift the cover from the time module, peering inside and feeling the heat coming from the wiring. Clearly disturbed, the newcomers dropped their latest acquisition – a lumpy bag of something that clunked as it hit the ground – and began a heated discussion in rapid Vralian. For a moment, no-one was looking at Jack.
Moving quickly, he pulled one of the wires from the back of the transporter console, simultaneously turning the power dial all the way up. There was a flash of light that temporarily blinded him, then the lights went out. Jack wasn't too worried about that, as Torchwood had plenty of emergency power and more redundancy systems than a nuclear power station. True to his expectations, the room filled with a dull red light from the back-up generators.
Spinning round, Jack slammed the heel of his hand into the face of the nearest Vralian, not waiting to see what happened before he checked on Hywel. The younger man was standing over Lizard-guy, his gun back in his hand. He gave Jack a brief, triumphant smile before turning to the two other aliens. They seemed to be completely disorientated, turning in circles and jumping when they came into contact with the walls or each other.
"It's the light," Jack called to Hywel, making the aliens turn towards him in panic. "They see best in blue lights. The red's blinding them."
As thought it had heard him, the console behind him sent up a shower of white and yellow sparks, making him duck and step away.
"Please tell me it's meant to do that. And stay where you are." The tone of Hywel's last words made it clear he was talking to the Vralians. "Jack?"
"I don't know. You might want to get them, and yourself, out of here."
"What are you going to do?"
"Try not to suck us all out of time and space." Seeing Hywel's shocked face, Jack made a shooing gesture. "I'm kidding. Go on, get out of here and let me work."
Hywel hesitated, then prodded the Vralian on the floor with the toe of his boot. "Come on, up you get."
Not needing to watch, Jack turned his attention back to the equipment array. The transporter module was shot to pieces, the edges of the panels blackened and curling. Most of the lights on the time unit were flashing. There was something strikingly familiar about some of the components.
"Hywel!"
"What?" Still in the doorway, Hywel didn't turn away from his prisoners.
"When you get upstairs, bring me back the box that Len confiscated from the Vralians. I need the parts."
"Got it."
Left alone, Jack started pulling at wires, tracing connections and reattaching them. Vaguely, he was aware of the heat rising from overloaded circuitry, the flickering of the lights and the sweat running down his back, soaking into his shirt. He flinched as one of the wires plugged into the back of the unit sparked, making half the lights go dead as the fuse blew out. For a moment, time itself seemed to flicker and ghostly images of Vralians walked in and out of the room. Bracing himself against the time-quakes, Jack watched Hywel herding the aliens away, pausing in the doorway to say something, then disappearing.
Time lurched again, and Jack saw Hywel come running back into the room, half his face an angry red. He was shouting something that Jack couldn't hear, but the look on his face was devastating. There was another shift, and Jack's own timeline reasserted itself. As he steadied himself, gripping the low table that the time unit was resting on, he noticed a dull, yellow light reflected in the unit's silvery surface. Looking down, he saw that his hands were glowing, faint golden sparks running up and down his skin.
"We've brought it."
Jack turned away from the door as Hywel and Len returned, and he heard them set something down on the floor.
"Good," he said. "Now get out of here."
"Let me help." There were footsteps, then Hywel gasped. "What happened to you?"
"Nothing. Not yet." Concentrating on stripping out the dead wiring, Jack didn't turn his head. "I need to work." He pushed past the shocked man, going to kneel by the box on the floor. His fingers found the catch and he smiled as the cover slid back. "Perfect."
"Please, Jack, tell me what's going on."
Still not meeting Hywel's eye, and aware of Len's astonished stare, Jack talked as he dragged the box towards the table. "Half the circuits are shot to pieces but I think I can cobble something together from what's left. The only problem is the power needed to get us back into the regular time-stream."
"The emergency generators-" Hywel began, stopping when Jack shook his head.
"It's not enough. That's what caused the problem in the first place. They were using Partek transformers which aren't exactly meant for human voltage levels. The current's too high and everything's starting to overheat."
"So where will you get the power from?"
Jack didn't answer, concentrating on running wires from the time unit into the control panel of the box on the floor. He felt the atmosphere of the room change as Hywel caught up with him, then a hand was on his shoulder, pulling him round.
"You can't be serious."
"Look at me, Hywel." Gripping the younger man's arms, Jack smiled gently, trying to make him understand. "I can sense the timeline, the proper one. I'm anchored to it somehow. Maybe I can pull everything back to where it should be."
"What about you?"
"It doesn't matter."
"It does to me."
Jack got to his feet, dragging Hywel with him towards the door.
"You can't just fall out of a time loop, Hywel. You could get stuck in it forever or you could just cease to exist, pulled out of time completely. I won't let that happen."
"Find another way." Hywel was clinging to him now, his eyes wide and frantic. Still half-smiling, Jack disentangled himself, trying to tell him that it would be alright. By the look on Hywel's face, he wasn't convinced. That was fine. Jack knew exactly how to convince him.
Taking half a step away, Jack took a deep breath, looking down at the floor for a moment, then bringing his fist up and round, catching Hywel just below his left eye. It wasn't a calculated hit; there was no finesse or planning behind it, just a sudden punch that sent the younger man reeling backwards. Len caught the falling man, holding him steady for a long moment. Then he gave Jack a brief nod and began hauling Hywel's unconscious body into the corridor.
The room was strangely quiet, just the occasional crackle from the still-dying transporter module as the over-heated metal began to cool. There was still the background thrum of the power cables and the air was full of the smell of burning. Jack went back to work.
Two more time-quakes struck as he spliced wires and reconnected switches. The first showed him the Vralians, placing boxes between the transporter columns and nodding in satisfaction as they disappeared. The other was Hywel again, the after-effect of Jack's punch blossoming on his cheek. He was shouting, face so twisted by panic that it was almost unrecognisable and Jack winced, feeling just a hint of guilt at the nasty bruise that was already forming.
Snapping back into his own timeline, Jack saw that his hands were glowing again, the light so bright that his skin seemed to be on fire. He could feel the time-eddies and currents flowing around him, as though he was a rock in the middle of a fast-flowing stream. That was what he needed, the sense of time that would keep him in place against the current. Assuming this worked.
Not letting himself think about it, Jack checked the circuits for the last time. He had one hand on the main switch of the time module and the other buried deep in the wiring of the box on the floor, holding three wires together. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and focussed on the time-stream again, feeling it lap around him, letting it flow over, round and through him.
Then he flipped the switch.
Hywel stood on the tarmac, lifting his face to soak up the last rays of sunlight. It had been a long, exhausting day and all he wanted to do was get on the plane and sleep. He watched in silence as the body-bag was put on board, aware of Zoë's gentle sobs beside him.
"It's going to be alright," he said soothingly. "You're going to be fine."
"He saved our lives, and we never even got the chance to thank him."
"He knew." Closing his eyes, Hywel tried not to think about that moment in the basement, Jack's body lying in the middle of the floor, his skin ashen grey and his face utterly still. He wasn't entirely sure, but Hywel was fairly certain he'd spent the best part of five minutes crying, sobbing and shouting, bending over his friend's body in a desperate attempt at revival.
"What will we do without him?"
Snapping back to the present, Hywel shrugged. "We'll go on. Someone else will take over Torchwood Alpha, you'll carry on with the work. It's what Jack would have wanted."
"I know. It just seems so unreal. He was always so alive. It's impossible to imagine that he's…" She broke off, starting to sob again.
Knowing that there wasn't an answer, Hywel wrapped an arm round her shoulders, feeling her jump as the medics slammed the plane door shut.
"I should be going," he said gently.
"Everything's happened so quickly."
It had. Despite all evidence to the contrary, Hywel knew that, at some point, Jack was going to wake up. He refused to believe otherwise. And the last thing they needed were a lot more inconvenient questions from grieving staff who suddenly found they had nothing to grieve about. Somewhere deep inside, Hywel felt a pang of guilt at doing this to Jack. In their last conversation before the world had gone mad, Jack had made it clear that he had no intention of returning home. Vaguely, Hywel wondered if it was possible to kidnap someone who was dead, however temporarily. He didn't doubt that Jack would see it that way if he woke up. When he woke up.
Deciding to tackle one problem at a time, Hywel gave Zoë a proper hug, letting her rest her head on his shoulder for a moment. Then he stepped back and gave her what he hoped was an encouraging smile.
"It's going to be fine," he told her again. "You're going to do great."
"Thank you." She smiled weakly, pushing the hair out of her eyes. "I just wish we could have had a funeral, some kind of memorial for him."
"His family's in Britain. He'd want to go home." Jack must have been rubbing off on him if Hywel could lie so smoothly and without a hint of regret. "We should be going."
"Of course."
She retreated with the medics, standing clear as Hywel climbed into the plane. He'd received some strange looks when he'd insisted that the body be placed in the main compartment next to him, but as he unzipped the bag, looking into Jack's pale, peaceful face, he knew it had been the right decision. When Jack woke up, he wouldn't want to be alone.
If he woke up.
Doing up his seatbelt, Hywel leaned over to look out of the window. Zoë was still standing on the tarmac and so he waved to her, receiving a half-hearted flutter of her hands in response. Then he settled back in his seat, double-checking that Jack was securely strapped in as the engine pitch rose and they began the long journey home.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-09 07:11 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-09 08:18 am (UTC)thanks!
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Date: 2007-05-09 01:54 pm (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2007-05-09 09:01 am (UTC)damn... but wow....
the words desert me....
but how 'bout...
Brava! Brava! Bravissimo!
*applause applause applause*
very very good, intense - so Jack, so Torchwood, so DW....
damn and we have to wait for more in this universe?????????????????????????????????????
argh! :D
thanks so much for sharing this.... sharing your time, talent and hard work
thank you
really really hoping we'll be seeing more of Jack in this universe...............
(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-09 09:07 am (UTC)So glad you've enjoyed - it's the comments that keep me going! Ta muchly :D
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Date: 2007-05-09 09:07 am (UTC)Jack shook his head. “I have a meeting.” Gently, he pulled his arm away and headed down the corridor. He didn’t look back.
The boardroom was bathed in blue light, supposedly because it was more suitable for their alien guests, although Jack suspected it was just to set his teeth on edge. Zoë was waiting inside, a thick file on the table in front of her.
“They here yet?” Jack asked, dropping his own file beside hers.
“And good morning to you too. What side of whose bed did you get out of this morning?”
Are Jack, etc., caught in a time loop?:
“Let me show you.” Reaching inside, Naia pressed two buttons and flicked a switch. And Jack remembered where he’d seen panels like that before.
____________________________________
Hywel was waiting in reception at eight forty-five, jumping to his feet when Jack came through the main doors. Jack gave him a curt nod, not breaking his stride as he headed towards the lifts.
Hmmm, I'd say I'm right, and it's affecting Jack:
Jack shook his head. “I have a meeting.” Gently, he pulled his arm away and headed down the corridor, rubbing at his temples.
This is new, bet it's important that Jack can't think of the other one:
Right now he could only remember "thank you," "sorry" and "not guilty," but there was something else, right at the tip of his brain if he could just get at it.
Hope you'll have some kind of explanation, why they're affecting Jack:
Jack resisted the urge to return the gesture. The scent the Vralians were giving off seemed to be making his headache worse. At this rate, it was going to be a full blown migraine by the end of the hour. Forcing himself to concentrate, he smiled politely.
Makes me wonder if the first section we read, Jack's already gone through it once so this is his third time:
“Let me show you.” Reaching inside, Naia pressed two buttons and flicked a switch. And Jack remembered where he’d seen panels like that before.
EEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:
Instead of turning slowly and carefully with his hands raised, as he probably should have done, Jack spun on his heel, pushing Hywel out of the way and launching himself at the Vralian behind him. He got a brief look at a startled face and a large blaster before he was on top of the alien, bearing him to the ground and bringing his fist down hard onto the ridged face.
The Vralian cried out, pushing at Jack who was holding on for dear life. A sharp, explosive sound split the air and something wrapped itself round Jack's neck. He grabbed at it, feeling the first shocks of pain travel down his back and legs. Then the pain blossomed, exploding through his mind and body, throwing him across the corridor as he writhed in agony.
Finally, mercifully, the world went black.
*snicker* at this:
The last thing Jack did was dump his coat and the file he was carrying on a chair in the corner of the lobby. Hywel trailed after him as he headed for the stairs.
"Am I going to get an explanation?"
"Time loop."
There was a pause. "That's it? That's the whole explanation?"
I think this:
Could you just trust me when I say that something very bad is going on in the basement and I'm the only one who can remember enough to stop it. Okay?"
should be: enough to stop it, okay?"
seemed to be completely disorientated, <-- disoriented,
As thought it had heard him, <-- though
as though he was a rock in the middle of a fast-flowing stream. <-- I think it should be, as though he were a rock
Killer climax and ending. Gah!!!!! Poor Jack!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't wait to see what happens, and I'd love for you to pick it up with Jack waking up on the plane, and writing about what happens, if he goes to Torchwood One or somewhere else, how long it takes him to be over at Torchwood Three and in charge.
Excellent story!
Oh, and don't feel the need to limit yourself to 100 words on my account, while you're writing the Jack!fic, if you get any ideas for longer fics. ;)
(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-09 09:10 am (UTC)Loved how Jack broke the loop, even though it killed him in the process, and how he managed to save everyone... but then died. *sob!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!* Like I said, what an excellent, wonderful, heartbreaking story!
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Date: 2007-05-09 09:20 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-09 11:55 am (UTC)I like to leave things ambiguous so you'll have to make your own mind up about his real feelings.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-09 09:56 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-09 09:58 am (UTC)Thanks!
(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-09 10:12 am (UTC)Maybe I can sleep now that I've read it. I'll comment more at some less godforsaken time of day. (Hopefully not as much as yesterday. Sorry about that...)
(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-09 10:14 am (UTC)*wags finger* Get some sleep!!
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Date: 2007-05-09 10:56 am (UTC)And just a little flash that shows why Hywel would never make it as the head of any of the Torchwoods - "Find another way." Hywel was clinging to him now, his eyes wide and frantic.
Jock Goody would have walked away - or got everyone else out and stayed without a word. Hugh would have walked away, knowing that it would be the only thing that Jack could deal with. Yvonne Hartman would have walked away without a backward look - doing her duty for Queen and country just as Jack was.
But Hywel's just not able to be ruthless enough - or detatched enough - or even farsighted enough.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-09 11:57 am (UTC)That's really interesting, what you say about Hywel and the others. I think your description of the reactions is spot on, but I don't know that it makes Hywel an unsuitable Torchwood leader. He's passionate and emotional, yes, but I think it's more that his judgement is utterly clouded where Jack is concerned. If it had been anyone else? I don't know if he would have been the same.
But that's food for thought for the next series, thanks! *ponders*
Glad you enjoyed :)
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-09 11:13 am (UTC)I am *totally* in love with Hywel, the way you write him and his conversations with Jack make me wish he existed in canon. The bit where Jack's getting distracted in the middle of a serious situation is perfect, and such a very Jack thing to do - there's always time to flirt ;)
Labials and voicing make me very happy.
The structure works wonderfully, the way we find out what's going on at the same rate Jack does is so delicately done and beautifully handled.
And the ending - *sob* - you just know that Jack is going to kick Hywel's arse over that.
I'm sad this is over, but what a fantastic ending! *loves you and loves the fic*
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Date: 2007-05-09 12:00 pm (UTC)I keep having to remind myself that Hugh and Hywel don't *actually* feature in Torchwood. Somewhere along the line, they became proper characters in their own right and people seem to like them as much as Jack. And I'm not going to ignore the ending - there's going to be fallout from that one, I can promise you...
Thanks so much, hon, for everything - much, much appreciated.
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Date: 2007-05-09 12:29 pm (UTC)(I'll fangirl you in a minute for Hywel changing and basically kidnapping Jack, hold your horses)
(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-09 02:32 pm (UTC)So glad you enjoyed :D
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Date: 2007-05-09 01:07 pm (UTC)this is good.
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Date: 2007-05-09 01:19 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-09 01:56 pm (UTC)To sum up: Yay!
(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-09 01:59 pm (UTC)The icon rocks :) That's exactly the image I had in my head for the last bit - most appropriate.
Thanks so much for commenting :)
(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-09 04:36 pm (UTC)(Oh, shameless plug. Stop by
(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-09 05:20 pm (UTC)Thanks so much - Jack's humanity is what attracted me to the character in the first place, so I'm pleased I've managed to preserve that.
I'll stop by and have a look at your stuff :) See you around!
(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-09 05:17 pm (UTC)I think no matter what happens with Jack's backstory, I'll keep thinking of your version of canon. It's a very plausible take on how he changed between Dr. Who and Torchwood.
Good job! Now I'm waiting with bated breath for the next part....
(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-09 05:22 pm (UTC)The OCs took on a life of their own, and I have to keep reminding myself not to expect to see them on the TV ;)
Thank you so much for commenting. Starting work on the next series soon!
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Date: 2007-05-09 05:40 pm (UTC)*grin* I also see you've put my science into your sci-fi :)
(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-09 05:48 pm (UTC)The plot turned out much more satisfying than I'd expected, although part of me would like to go back and shore it up a little. Maybe another time!
And of course the science made it in! I didn't understand all of it, but I used the approach I take to House-fic - if you use just a little technical vocabularly correctly, you sound like you know what you're talking about ';)
Thanks!
(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-09 09:42 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-10 06:35 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-10 10:48 pm (UTC)I love stories that explain what Jack was doing for all those years and these are wonderfully written and creative. The changes in style and narrative devices that you use from one to fic to the next are really inspired. Plus the emotion you manage to evoke, well you’ve managed to make me laugh and cry.
I’m not making much sense; I’ve just read both The Waiting/Wandering Years in one sitting and I’m not sure if I can come up with a coherent comment without descending into gushing at you.
By the way, I draw fanart and miss_zedem suggested that I try drawing Hugh and Hywel for you. If you’re interested just give me some details on what they look like and I’ll give it a go... if not, well there’s no harm in offering.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-11 06:41 am (UTC)It's weird, but I'd never thought too hard about what Hugh and Hywel look like until miss_zedem asked me. Can I have a think and get back to you? I love the way you draw Ianto (having pottered round your journal) so I'd be more than happy for you to have go - I just have to work out the descriptions first!
Thanks so much for reading and commenting - greatly appreciated. :D
(no subject)
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Date: 2007-05-11 01:19 am (UTC)As always, I love it. Funny, the time loop episode of any show is usually one of my favorites. Guess it applies to print...er, internet fiction too!
*grin* The aliens hadn't counted on a time-sensitive on the inside. More lovely Jack/Hywel! But how is his kidnapping of Jack's corpse going to affect their relationship? *fret* And we have to wait to see the next series too! *pout*
Have you thought about what happens to TW Alpha w/o Jack? Idle curiosity, is all. Wondering if Alpha will fall to keep the 'verse close to the show's canon. (Though they haven't actually said that there are no other TW branches, other than Glasgow and the missing TW4.)
P.S. - From the IM I got when she read this, I think you've plot-bunnied
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Date: 2007-05-11 06:47 am (UTC)I've actually just finished the 'missing scene' that's been demanded (there are some advantages to locking yourself out of your flat for 2 hours *sigh*) so you won't have to wait too long. Although there's going to be a bigger fallout, I promise you that ;)
Torchwood Alpha? I hadn't really thought about it to be honest. But it'd make sense if it fell along with TW1 - I've made up the existence of the other offices, but it just seemed to work.
Yay for more plot bunnies. I've had a thought for comms etc - will post over in your journal.
thanks as ever! :D
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Date: 2007-05-12 03:53 pm (UTC)Your time loop was well done, the right balance between complicated enough to be interesting and not so complicated that it threw me out of the story.
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Date: 2007-05-12 04:11 pm (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2007-05-14 03:42 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-15 05:36 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-16 09:40 pm (UTC)Looking forward to the drabbles until we see Jack on DW! luck!
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Date: 2007-05-17 06:28 am (UTC)*blinks* Good grief. Even I'm not brave enough to do that.
Really glad you've enjoyed and thanks for commenting :)
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