Ficlet: The Orb
Title: The Orb
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Ianto, Owen.
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Fragments, Cyberwoman.
Summary: Owen is being a nuisance poking around in the archives.
Word Count: 500
Written For: Prompt 174: Orb at anythingdrabble.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters.
Ianto had no idea what Owen was doing in the archives. Usually he wouldn’t be seen dead there, claiming he had better things to do than poke around in the junk pile and it wasn’t his job anyway. But here he was, poking around, which was probably a bad idea. The items in this section had yet to be identified beyond being classified as probably not likely to destroy the world.
“What do you want, Owen?” Ianto wasn’t appreciating the interruption; he had a lot to do and the sooner he got rid of the medic the sooner he could get on with it.
“Nothing; just thought I’d see what you were up to. Hiding away down here all by yourself isn’t healthy.”
“I’m not hiding, I’m working, which would be a hell of a lot easier if you weren’t getting under my feet.”
“No need to get snippy. What’s this one?” Owen indicated one of the items on a nearby shelf.
Ianto gave it a cursory glance. “It’s an orb.”
“Yeah? What does it do?”
“I have no idea.”
“Some archivist you are!”
“I’ve barely started on this section, haven’t had a chance to look at anything yet!” Hands on hips Ianto glared at Owen, exasperated.
“So how d’you know it’s an orb then?”
Ianto turned his eyes heavenwards as though praying to the almighty for patience. “Because it’s shaped like a globe, Owen. That’s the definition of an orb!”
“Alright, don’t get your knickers in a twist, I was just askin’. Might make a nice paperweight.” Owen hefted the silver-streaked blue sphere in one hand, holding it up to the dim light; it wasn’t as heavy as it looked, and the silvery patterns seemed to move, swirling beneath the surface like clouds of vapour stirred by a breeze.
“For heaven’s sake, put it down before you break it! For all we know it could be filled with lethal gas!”
Owen didn’t react; he seemed not to have heard, his gaze fixed on the orb, like he was staring into its depths at something Ianto couldn’t see.
“Sorry about your girlfriend. I lost my Katie too; we were planning our wedding when she got sick. Her memory was going, she’d forget the craziest stuff. Thought it was a tumour; turned out it was some kind of alien growing in her brain. She died when the surgeons tried to remove it. I’d’ve done anything to save her but there was nothing I could do.”
“I know.” Ianto had read the team’s files when he first arrived, thinking the information might help him but it had only made him feel guilty. “I’m sorry too.”
There was still no response from Owen.
“I envied you; I lost Katie so fast, but you held on to Lisa for months. Maybe I didn’t try hard enough.” Suddenly Owen blinked, put the orb down. “Suppose I should get back to work.”
As Owen left Ianto studied the orb. “Huh. Some sort of truth device, maybe?”
The End
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Ianto, Owen.
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Fragments, Cyberwoman.
Summary: Owen is being a nuisance poking around in the archives.
Word Count: 500
Written For: Prompt 174: Orb at anythingdrabble.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters.
Ianto had no idea what Owen was doing in the archives. Usually he wouldn’t be seen dead there, claiming he had better things to do than poke around in the junk pile and it wasn’t his job anyway. But here he was, poking around, which was probably a bad idea. The items in this section had yet to be identified beyond being classified as probably not likely to destroy the world.
“What do you want, Owen?” Ianto wasn’t appreciating the interruption; he had a lot to do and the sooner he got rid of the medic the sooner he could get on with it.
“Nothing; just thought I’d see what you were up to. Hiding away down here all by yourself isn’t healthy.”
“I’m not hiding, I’m working, which would be a hell of a lot easier if you weren’t getting under my feet.”
“No need to get snippy. What’s this one?” Owen indicated one of the items on a nearby shelf.
Ianto gave it a cursory glance. “It’s an orb.”
“Yeah? What does it do?”
“I have no idea.”
“Some archivist you are!”
“I’ve barely started on this section, haven’t had a chance to look at anything yet!” Hands on hips Ianto glared at Owen, exasperated.
“So how d’you know it’s an orb then?”
Ianto turned his eyes heavenwards as though praying to the almighty for patience. “Because it’s shaped like a globe, Owen. That’s the definition of an orb!”
“Alright, don’t get your knickers in a twist, I was just askin’. Might make a nice paperweight.” Owen hefted the silver-streaked blue sphere in one hand, holding it up to the dim light; it wasn’t as heavy as it looked, and the silvery patterns seemed to move, swirling beneath the surface like clouds of vapour stirred by a breeze.
“For heaven’s sake, put it down before you break it! For all we know it could be filled with lethal gas!”
Owen didn’t react; he seemed not to have heard, his gaze fixed on the orb, like he was staring into its depths at something Ianto couldn’t see.
“Sorry about your girlfriend. I lost my Katie too; we were planning our wedding when she got sick. Her memory was going, she’d forget the craziest stuff. Thought it was a tumour; turned out it was some kind of alien growing in her brain. She died when the surgeons tried to remove it. I’d’ve done anything to save her but there was nothing I could do.”
“I know.” Ianto had read the team’s files when he first arrived, thinking the information might help him but it had only made him feel guilty. “I’m sorry too.”
There was still no response from Owen.
“I envied you; I lost Katie so fast, but you held on to Lisa for months. Maybe I didn’t try hard enough.” Suddenly Owen blinked, put the orb down. “Suppose I should get back to work.”
As Owen left Ianto studied the orb. “Huh. Some sort of truth device, maybe?”
The End