Fic: The Silence of the Mind 4/7
Title:The Silence of the Mind
Author: alex_caligari
Beta: jellybean728
Characters/Pairings: Owen Harper
Rating: 14A
Summary: Owen is captured during the Year That Never Was. He quickly finds out that the worst tortures are not the ones he expected.
Disclaimer: All puppets still firmly attached to the BBC.
Author's Notes: Torchwood/Doctor Who crossover, set during the end of S1 and S3, respectively. Nothing graphic, but things will get worse quite quickly.
Chapter 1: International Relations Chapter 2: Anonymous Chapter 3: Boredom Chapter 4: Taking the Bullet
The next time I was dragged out of my cell and lead to the boardroom, the sky was grey and heavy with clouds.
“Welcome back, Dr. Harper,” Saxon said. He was in his usual black suit, while Lucy was dressed in a conservative skirt and jacket. Her eyes looked dull, and she didn’t react to us entering the room. Saxon’s attention shifted to the old man in the wheelchair, also wearing the same suit in which I had last seen him.
“We have new information on your little friend,” Saxon said to him. “Seems she escaped Japan and went north. She’s a slippery one, isn’t she? I didn’t think she had it in her to stay hidden for so long, especially from the Toclafane. But, perhaps you helped her with that bit.”
She? Was he talking about Tosh? But it didn’t make sense for Saxon to call her the old man’s ‘little friend.’ There must be someone else he was hunting.
“She was last reported crossing the Chinese border into Russia. What do you think she was looking for there, hm? I’ll show you what she’ll find. Descend!” Saxon shouted, and the ship lowered itself through the cloudbank. We were pushed against the windows as before, and I managed to stand next to the young woman again. Our backs were to the room, so no one could see us talking.
“I know Jack’s here,” I whispered. Her head turned slightly to listen. “What’s your name?”
“Tish,” she whispered.
“You can talk to Jack?” She nodded. “Does he know I’m here?” Her face clouded.
“He asked us not to tell him if any of his team was caught. He said it was bad enough thinking about...” She risked nodding in the direction of the old man in the wheelchair.
“Who is he?” I asked, glancing around. Saxon was crowing madly by the board table, still taunting the old man.
“The Master calls him Doctor. He tried to save us with Jack and Martha.” Her voice broke on the last word and she turned back to the window.
Saxon was coming up the steps, so I whispered fiercely to her, “Tell Jack I’m here. Tell him I’m fine but I want off this damn ship. I know he’ll have a plan.”
We resumed our positions as Saxon approached us. He paused behind Tish but didn’t say anything. Instead, he started his grandiose speech. “Observe. The former Russian countryside, now a monument to my achievements.”
Through the window I could see the land had been completely razed and scored. At first I thought that a forest fire had swept the area, leaving only barren tree trunks. As we drew closer I saw that they weren’t trees at all; they were rockets. Thousands of them, stretching as far as we could see. I remembered that Ianto had gone north, and wondered if he had been caught up in this terrifying project.
“Can you guess why I have such an impressive armament?” Saxon asked. “Anyone? No? Day pass to the city of your choice if you get it right. No takers? Alright, I’ll just tell you.” He clapped his hands together like a child. “I’m going to destroy the universe!”
Silence met his proclamation. “Oh come on, a little bigger reaction than that. I know it sounds cliché, like saying you’re going to take over the world, but I’ve already done that, so onwards and upwards!” He turned sharply towards the old man. “You know what those missiles are, right, Doctor? What they carry? It’s such an elegant invasion, no one will even see it coming. I send those up, and every inhibited planet becomes a black hole. Every planet that even has the potential for sentience, for knowledge, for return fire, will burn before it ever existed.”
Saxon walked down to the middle landing of the stairs, ignoring us completely. His voice dropped dangerously, and he spoke to the old man alone. “But that’s not enough. It’s not enough to be alone in the universe, is it, Doctor? There will always be that hunger for another to share that lonely life with. Always trying to replace what you’ve lost. But you’ve never taken that last step. Always too scared, too moral, too...you. We all thought you were the reckless one, who would throw yourself into danger at the first opportunity. But I’m doing what you never even dreamed of.”
He addressed the room again. The old man hadn’t said anything or shown any reaction. “I will create life. I have already helped create the Toclafane,” he grinned at the old man, “and after I wipe out the universe I intend to resurrect my own race, reborn in my image, to spread and dominate all of creation. I will become their god.”
“You’re mad,” rasped a voice behind him. It was the old man. Saxon’s face twisted into a mask of barely contained rage.
“I have the most powerful machine in the universe at my disposable. What can stop me?” Saxon said. He walked slowly up to him. “You? I’ve stripped you of power. Your filthy little friend out there? She’ll have nowhere left to run. Every other rebellion is weakened or destroyed. So what’s there to stop me!” he shouted. He pulled out some sort of tool from his pocket, and I felt Tish tense beside me.
“You’re a monster!” It was the older woman. She broke rank and stepped towards Saxon. His attention diverted, and he approached her instead. He gripped her chin hard and held her close. Lucy watched with a distant smile.
“Yes, I am,” Saxon said. “So make sure to look under your bed tonight. You might have a nasty surprise waiting for you.” He released her suddenly and she stumbled. The man beside her caught her and pulled her away from Saxon.
He was pacing the room, looking for another victim, and I remembered the way he looked at Tish earlier. “Why did you show us this?” I asked, taking the bullet.
Saxon focused on me, like a hound scenting prey. “Dr. Harper. I almost forgot you were here, you’ve been so quiet. Why would I show you this, you ask? To make you feel small. To destroy hope. When I’m planning to make war on the universe, what do I have to fear from people like yourself?” He spoke so calmly now. He liked getting close to people and invading their space. Another technique I recognized from Jack. I tried not to let it get to me. “They’re all dead, you know. Your team. My Toclafane found them and desecrated their corpses. They’re unrecognizable. Have a good night.”
He walked away and left us to be escorted back to our respective prisons.
Chapter 5: Hope
Author: alex_caligari
Beta: jellybean728
Characters/Pairings: Owen Harper
Rating: 14A
Summary: Owen is captured during the Year That Never Was. He quickly finds out that the worst tortures are not the ones he expected.
Disclaimer: All puppets still firmly attached to the BBC.
Author's Notes: Torchwood/Doctor Who crossover, set during the end of S1 and S3, respectively. Nothing graphic, but things will get worse quite quickly.
Chapter 1: International Relations Chapter 2: Anonymous Chapter 3: Boredom Chapter 4: Taking the Bullet
The next time I was dragged out of my cell and lead to the boardroom, the sky was grey and heavy with clouds.
“Welcome back, Dr. Harper,” Saxon said. He was in his usual black suit, while Lucy was dressed in a conservative skirt and jacket. Her eyes looked dull, and she didn’t react to us entering the room. Saxon’s attention shifted to the old man in the wheelchair, also wearing the same suit in which I had last seen him.
“We have new information on your little friend,” Saxon said to him. “Seems she escaped Japan and went north. She’s a slippery one, isn’t she? I didn’t think she had it in her to stay hidden for so long, especially from the Toclafane. But, perhaps you helped her with that bit.”
She? Was he talking about Tosh? But it didn’t make sense for Saxon to call her the old man’s ‘little friend.’ There must be someone else he was hunting.
“She was last reported crossing the Chinese border into Russia. What do you think she was looking for there, hm? I’ll show you what she’ll find. Descend!” Saxon shouted, and the ship lowered itself through the cloudbank. We were pushed against the windows as before, and I managed to stand next to the young woman again. Our backs were to the room, so no one could see us talking.
“I know Jack’s here,” I whispered. Her head turned slightly to listen. “What’s your name?”
“Tish,” she whispered.
“You can talk to Jack?” She nodded. “Does he know I’m here?” Her face clouded.
“He asked us not to tell him if any of his team was caught. He said it was bad enough thinking about...” She risked nodding in the direction of the old man in the wheelchair.
“Who is he?” I asked, glancing around. Saxon was crowing madly by the board table, still taunting the old man.
“The Master calls him Doctor. He tried to save us with Jack and Martha.” Her voice broke on the last word and she turned back to the window.
Saxon was coming up the steps, so I whispered fiercely to her, “Tell Jack I’m here. Tell him I’m fine but I want off this damn ship. I know he’ll have a plan.”
We resumed our positions as Saxon approached us. He paused behind Tish but didn’t say anything. Instead, he started his grandiose speech. “Observe. The former Russian countryside, now a monument to my achievements.”
Through the window I could see the land had been completely razed and scored. At first I thought that a forest fire had swept the area, leaving only barren tree trunks. As we drew closer I saw that they weren’t trees at all; they were rockets. Thousands of them, stretching as far as we could see. I remembered that Ianto had gone north, and wondered if he had been caught up in this terrifying project.
“Can you guess why I have such an impressive armament?” Saxon asked. “Anyone? No? Day pass to the city of your choice if you get it right. No takers? Alright, I’ll just tell you.” He clapped his hands together like a child. “I’m going to destroy the universe!”
Silence met his proclamation. “Oh come on, a little bigger reaction than that. I know it sounds cliché, like saying you’re going to take over the world, but I’ve already done that, so onwards and upwards!” He turned sharply towards the old man. “You know what those missiles are, right, Doctor? What they carry? It’s such an elegant invasion, no one will even see it coming. I send those up, and every inhibited planet becomes a black hole. Every planet that even has the potential for sentience, for knowledge, for return fire, will burn before it ever existed.”
Saxon walked down to the middle landing of the stairs, ignoring us completely. His voice dropped dangerously, and he spoke to the old man alone. “But that’s not enough. It’s not enough to be alone in the universe, is it, Doctor? There will always be that hunger for another to share that lonely life with. Always trying to replace what you’ve lost. But you’ve never taken that last step. Always too scared, too moral, too...you. We all thought you were the reckless one, who would throw yourself into danger at the first opportunity. But I’m doing what you never even dreamed of.”
He addressed the room again. The old man hadn’t said anything or shown any reaction. “I will create life. I have already helped create the Toclafane,” he grinned at the old man, “and after I wipe out the universe I intend to resurrect my own race, reborn in my image, to spread and dominate all of creation. I will become their god.”
“You’re mad,” rasped a voice behind him. It was the old man. Saxon’s face twisted into a mask of barely contained rage.
“I have the most powerful machine in the universe at my disposable. What can stop me?” Saxon said. He walked slowly up to him. “You? I’ve stripped you of power. Your filthy little friend out there? She’ll have nowhere left to run. Every other rebellion is weakened or destroyed. So what’s there to stop me!” he shouted. He pulled out some sort of tool from his pocket, and I felt Tish tense beside me.
“You’re a monster!” It was the older woman. She broke rank and stepped towards Saxon. His attention diverted, and he approached her instead. He gripped her chin hard and held her close. Lucy watched with a distant smile.
“Yes, I am,” Saxon said. “So make sure to look under your bed tonight. You might have a nasty surprise waiting for you.” He released her suddenly and she stumbled. The man beside her caught her and pulled her away from Saxon.
He was pacing the room, looking for another victim, and I remembered the way he looked at Tish earlier. “Why did you show us this?” I asked, taking the bullet.
Saxon focused on me, like a hound scenting prey. “Dr. Harper. I almost forgot you were here, you’ve been so quiet. Why would I show you this, you ask? To make you feel small. To destroy hope. When I’m planning to make war on the universe, what do I have to fear from people like yourself?” He spoke so calmly now. He liked getting close to people and invading their space. Another technique I recognized from Jack. I tried not to let it get to me. “They’re all dead, you know. Your team. My Toclafane found them and desecrated their corpses. They’re unrecognizable. Have a good night.”
He walked away and left us to be escorted back to our respective prisons.
Chapter 5: Hope