Ficlet: Buzzy Day
Title: Buzzy Day
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Ianto, Jack.
Rating: G
Spoilers: Nada
Summary: There’s something buzzing around the Hub; what could it be?
Word Count: 500
Written For: Prompt 49: Buzz at anythingdrabble.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters.
When the buzzing sound started in the Hub, Ianto was immediately worried. It was far too loud for an individual bee or wasp, but it there was a nest, then why had no one noticed before? Surely someone on the team would have seen the insects flying in and out. Perhaps they’d come in through the invisible lift when it was in use, that was the most likely explanation, but it still didn’t explain why nobody had reported seeing anything.
He sighed. If in doubt…
He made his way up to Jack’s office. “Jack? Can you hear a buzzing noise?”
“Hm?” Jack looked up from his laptop. “What was that?”
“I asked if you could hear buzzing.”
Jack frowned and listened, head cocked to one side. “Now that you mention it…” Pushing back from his desk, he got to his feet and Ianto followed him back out into the main Hub. “Where is that coming from? Is it one of the computers?” Jack crossed the Hub and listened to each computer in turn, but they were just humming in their usual unobtrusive way. “Maybe it’s the Rift manipulator, or the sub-etheric resonator.”
Checking those didn’t reveal the source of the odd buzzing sound either, but it was still there, clearly audible.
“Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz,” it went, occasionally rising or falling in volume. It wasn’t continuous, every so often it would pause briefly before starting up again, but whatever was making it was definitely not going away.
“I thought it might be a swarm of bees,” Ianto said as he followed Jack around. “Or a wasp nest.”
“No.” Jack shook his head. “The sound’s wrong.” Catching the dubious expression on Ianto’s face, Jack grinned. “Trust me on this.” He tapped one ear. “51st century hearing, the soundwave frequency is too low for an insect. We’re looking for something bigger than a bee or wasp.” Crossing to Tosh’s desk, Jack got a scanner out of her drawer. “Right, let’s track down this mysterious buzzing, shall we? I’ll just set this to pick up which direction the sound is loudest… That should do it.” Turning slowly, the scanner held at arm’s length, Jack watched the needle swing up the dial, then start to drop again. He stopped, turned back the other way, then stopped again, pointing. “That way.”
Ianto followed Jack’s finger; it was pointing towards the hothouse. “And you’re sure it’s not a bee?”
“Positive.” Jack strode forward, up the steps, and with a shrug, Ianto followed. If Jack was wrong and he got stung, there would be words.
Pushing the door open, they went inside, where the buzzing was much louder. Between the fronds of greenery, Ianto caught a glimpse of something large, yellow and black, and furry. Jack saw it too, strode forward, and burst out laughing.
There was Nosy, resplendent in yellow and black stripes, buzzing around from flower to flower.
Ianto couldn’t help grinning. “Looks like that bumble bee it met the other day really made an impression on it.”
The End
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Ianto, Jack.
Rating: G
Spoilers: Nada
Summary: There’s something buzzing around the Hub; what could it be?
Word Count: 500
Written For: Prompt 49: Buzz at anythingdrabble.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters.
When the buzzing sound started in the Hub, Ianto was immediately worried. It was far too loud for an individual bee or wasp, but it there was a nest, then why had no one noticed before? Surely someone on the team would have seen the insects flying in and out. Perhaps they’d come in through the invisible lift when it was in use, that was the most likely explanation, but it still didn’t explain why nobody had reported seeing anything.
He sighed. If in doubt…
He made his way up to Jack’s office. “Jack? Can you hear a buzzing noise?”
“Hm?” Jack looked up from his laptop. “What was that?”
“I asked if you could hear buzzing.”
Jack frowned and listened, head cocked to one side. “Now that you mention it…” Pushing back from his desk, he got to his feet and Ianto followed him back out into the main Hub. “Where is that coming from? Is it one of the computers?” Jack crossed the Hub and listened to each computer in turn, but they were just humming in their usual unobtrusive way. “Maybe it’s the Rift manipulator, or the sub-etheric resonator.”
Checking those didn’t reveal the source of the odd buzzing sound either, but it was still there, clearly audible.
“Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz,” it went, occasionally rising or falling in volume. It wasn’t continuous, every so often it would pause briefly before starting up again, but whatever was making it was definitely not going away.
“I thought it might be a swarm of bees,” Ianto said as he followed Jack around. “Or a wasp nest.”
“No.” Jack shook his head. “The sound’s wrong.” Catching the dubious expression on Ianto’s face, Jack grinned. “Trust me on this.” He tapped one ear. “51st century hearing, the soundwave frequency is too low for an insect. We’re looking for something bigger than a bee or wasp.” Crossing to Tosh’s desk, Jack got a scanner out of her drawer. “Right, let’s track down this mysterious buzzing, shall we? I’ll just set this to pick up which direction the sound is loudest… That should do it.” Turning slowly, the scanner held at arm’s length, Jack watched the needle swing up the dial, then start to drop again. He stopped, turned back the other way, then stopped again, pointing. “That way.”
Ianto followed Jack’s finger; it was pointing towards the hothouse. “And you’re sure it’s not a bee?”
“Positive.” Jack strode forward, up the steps, and with a shrug, Ianto followed. If Jack was wrong and he got stung, there would be words.
Pushing the door open, they went inside, where the buzzing was much louder. Between the fronds of greenery, Ianto caught a glimpse of something large, yellow and black, and furry. Jack saw it too, strode forward, and burst out laughing.
There was Nosy, resplendent in yellow and black stripes, buzzing around from flower to flower.
Ianto couldn’t help grinning. “Looks like that bumble bee it met the other day really made an impression on it.”
The End