CROSSOVER FIC: Line of Confluence [TW/Blake's 7 | Avon, Jack, ensemble | 3/5 | PG]
And, at last, I've untangled the plot of this story by adding another chapter! Go me! Sorry it took so long, the last few weeks have been a terror.
Title: Line of Confluence (3/5)
Author: jinxed_wood
Rating: PG13
Spoilers Blake's 7, season 2/ Torchwood, season 2
Characters/Pairings: Jack, Avon, ensemble.
Disclaimer: Both belong to the Beeb, all hail the almighty Beeb…
Summary: Kerr Avon and Jack Harkness swap bodies through time and space...things go downhill from there.
Previous parts: ONE : TWO :
~~~Line of Confluence: Part Three ~~~
The Liberator: Third Century of the Second Calendar
Jack had leaned back in the couch, and watched Blake prowl in front of the computer screen, seething with nervous energy. He remembered the stories his father used to tell him, when he and Grey were young. One now stood out in his memory, the tale of when Blake inadvertently turned aside a Rutan invasion, by preventing them from infecting humanity with a highly infectious pathogen.
That alone put him on the do not touch list.
“Status, Zen?” Blake asked.
“Orbit achieved, we’ve just attained transmat range.”
“Good,” he said. “Jenna, any trouble showing on the sensors?”
“It seems all clear,” she said, but she sounded dubious.
“Then, Vila, you’re with me. Jenna and Cally, you will monitor the situation from here. If anything goes wrong, I want us to be the first to know.”
“And me?” Jack drawled, catching his attention.
Blake gave him a long look. “If you don’t find the couch comfortable, I’m sure we can find you a nice quiet cell for you to occupy.”
“Oh, you wound me, truly you do,” Jack drawled. ” But it still doesn’t change the fact you’re going to need me down there. Without Avon here, I’m the nearest thing you’ve got to a science geek on board.”
“Geek?” Cally asked, puzzled.
“An ancient Earth word, not in common usage anymore,” Blake said. “It means he has a…strong scientific background.” Was it Jack’s imagination or was the there the hint of the smallest smile on Blake’s face.
“More importantly, it means that I’m the only one here who could actually understand the information this guy is going to give us,” he said aloud. “That might come in handy, don’t you think?”
“Us?” Blake repeated.
Jack grinned. “It has a certain ring to it, doesn’t it?” he said. “And hey, maybe I’ll grow on you!”
“Yeah, like a fungus,” Vila muttered, but he didn’t disagree with what Jack had said.
Blake rolled his eyes. “One wrong move and I’ll have you teleported back on board before you can blink an eye,” he warned Jack, as he took a weapon from its niche in the wall.
“I don’t suppose I could have one of those too?” Jack asked hopefully.
Vila sniggered. “Good one.”
Jack sighed as he got to his feet. “I’ll take that as a no, then.”
“We’re beaming down just outside the perimeter of the base,” Blake told him, ignoring his complaint.
“Why don’t we just beam inside it?” Jack asked.
Vila pulled a face. “Good question.”
Blake sighed. “Because we don’t have an accurate map of the facility, and I’d rather not have my molecules reassembled inside a reinforced concrete wall,” he said. “Don’t worry, Vila, teleporting out won’t be problem.”
“Why is it that I always feel nervous when you tell me not to be worried?” Vila asked.
“And if Avon was here, I’m sure he would have a few choice words to add at this moment.” Jenna said, with a rueful smile.
~~~~~*~~*~~*~~~~~
Cardiff : 2009
Avon looked at Ianto and Gwen, disbelief plain on his face. “So, what you’re trying to tell me is that this Master created a paradox device which reordered time and the universe and, after a year of global dominion and terror, he was defeated by…what was that again? Please be specific, I find my sense of belief is tenuous at best.”
“That’s the part we’re still a bit hazy about, actually,” Ianto said reluctantly.
“Because we don’t remember it, you see,” Gwen piped up. “When the Paradox Machine was destroyed, we all reverted back to the moment it was turned on.”
“But Jack told us that the Doctor stopped him by using mankind’s faith in him,” Ianto said. “Apparently, there was…floating involved…” Ianto’s voice petered off under the force of Avon glare.
“I have one question,” he said flatly. “Have either of you been submitted to any form of psychological evaluation recently?”
“Hello? Future boy?” Gwen pronounced, waving a hand at him. “You’re one to talk!”
“Yes, and I can already foresee this is going to be a long day,” Avon said, with a quick, deadly smile. “Very well, let’s just say I believe this tale of yours. What happened next, exactly?”
“He was shot though the chest by his wife,” Ianto said.
“Ah, marital difficulties too,” Avon said dryly. “Obviously, this Master leads an eventful life-”
“Led, past tense,” Ianto said. “He’s dead.”
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t you mention earlier that his species have the ability to regenerate if they're mortally wounded?” Avon asked.
“Apparently, they can refuse to undergothe process,” Gwen said. “And that’s what the Master did. He said he preferred to die, rather than be the Doctor’s prisoner.”
“I see.” Avon gave them a long look. “And neither of you found this even remotely suspicious?” he asked.
“There were witnesses,” Ianto said, with a frown.
“Impeccable witnesses,” Gwen added.
Avon sighed. “Did it not occur to you that the Master is a megalomaniac with delusions of grandeur? Someone like that doesn’t just commit suicide. They literally can’t imagine a universe without them in it.”
Gwen muttered something under her breath that that sounded suspiciously like, it takes one to know one, and Avon graced her with the full heat of his glare as Ianto began to cough uncomfortably.
“I know what you’re trying to say,” Ianto said, catching his attention. “But the body was most definitely dead. It was burned to ash.”
“But I think you forget that this Master wasn’t human,” Avon said. “A species like the one you’ve described to me - one which can literally regenerate their body at a drop of a hat - their capabilities might be beyond even what we can conceive.”
“But if there was another Time Lord out there, the Doctor would sense him,” Ianto said. “Jack says he can do that.”
“Can we be sure? After all, you yourself said that the Master had been masquerading as a human for decades before the Doctor found him. He could be doing the exact same thing right now.”
“But that would mean voluntarily giving up his personality again,” Ianto countered, “And, as you said, he’s too much of a megalomaniac to do that.”
“And if he found a way around it?” Avon asked; he looked down at the cube, lying on the lab table.
Ianto’s eyes followed him. “Firstly, may I say that that is a truly terrifying thought,” he said, “But, luckily for us, it’s also highly unlikely one; his body was checked and double checked before it was burned, and all alien artefacts were confiscated. The cube wasn’t on this person.”
“And what was?” Avon asked.
“Nothing much, to be honest,” Ianto admitted. “UNIT had already confiscated his Laser Screwdriver, and all that was left were a few minor gadgets. Eventually, they just handed the body over to the Doctor for burial.”
“Just the body?” Avon asked quietly.
“Well, his clothes as well, of course, and also I think his wedding and signet ring-” Ianto stopped suddenly. “The signet ring,” he repeated. “I wonder…”
"We’re all agog, I’m sure,” Avon said dryly.
Ianto igonred him as he mused aloud. “There were some rather strange markings on it, according the file photos, but there weren’t any energy readings, or other indications of tech, so it was left with the body.” he paused. “The thing is, Gallifreyan technology is quite advanced, and they did create some impressive tech, including personality and genetic storage devices.”
“Like those pocket watches Martha told us about,” Gwen said.
“And if there was a body waiting for him on the other end…” Ianto nodded. “Nobody would notice the transfer, because it wouldn’t include a genetic rewrite of his original DNA… that was the painful part. “
Gwen slumped into a seat. “You realise what you’re saying, don’t you. You’re saying the Master is still alive.”
“And living in the future,” Ianto said.
“Oh dear, Martha is not going to be happy,” Gwen said softly.
“And who in Hades is Martha?” Avon interrupted impatiently.
“She’s was on the Valiant when time reverted,” Ianto said quietly.
“And you telling me this because?” Avon prompted.
“Because it means she was in the eye of the storm,” Ianto said. “And she remembers...everything.”
“At last, a piece of information that might be of some value,” Avon said. “Is she nearby?”
Gwen shook her head. “She’s in New York - but we can get her on video uplink.”
“How about you do that, then,” Avon said, “While I try to salvage the emitter.”
“Yes, sir!” Ianto drawled sarcastically. “And would you like sugar in your tea?”
Avon blinked. “There’s still tea in this century?”
~~~~~*~~*~~*~~~~~
Jack ducked his head on instinct as they materialised on the surface. The planet’s sun had just sunk below the horizon, and the only light they had came from the base, ahead of them on the hill.
Vila blew into his hands and rubbed them together. “I thought you said it’d be warm,” he complained as they neared the outer door.
“We won’t be out here for long if you get a move on,” Blake pointed out.
Vila muttered under his breath but scrabbled upward, through the low scrub.
“You still haven’t told me what you’re hoping to find here?” Jack asked Blake, under his breath, as they followed him.
“Answers,” Blake said briefly. “I’m hoping he’ll have some insight into the device and give us a lead as to how to reverse the process.”
Jack gave him a rueful look. “That’s highly unlikely, you know,” he said. “Our best bet is to wait until my team comes up with answers.”
“Your team in the twenty first century,” he drawled. “Why am I not exactly filled with confidence?”
“Hey, trust me, they may be from the past, but they have a better grasp on how alien tech works than you do.”
“And how is that?”
Jack smirked. “Well, for one thing, they’ve got some excellent contacts.”
Blake looked at him grimly. “I have no reason to trust you.”
“Hey, the feeling’s mutual,” Jack lied as they reached the outer door of the bunker.
“Is it?” Blake countered. “Because I’ve got the funny feeling that you know something I don’t and-”
“Ah, trust issues, if I closed my eyes, I could almost imagine Avon is still with us,” Vila interrupted, with a sarcastic bite in his voice. “Could you two just pipe down for a moment, hacking into a secure government facility is delicate work.”
Jack leaned against the wall, and watched Vila work, as Blake stared out into the hinterland.
“Vila,”” Blake said, worriedly, as the minutes dragged on.
“Hang on, hang on, I told you this would move a lot slower without Avon helping,” he muttered. “Do you realise how difficult it is to hack a Federation lock algorithm-” The door hissed open, and Vila stepped smartly back. “You first, oh glorious leader,” he said, with an exaggerated bow.
Blake rolled his eyes, and stepped forward. “Vila, you bring up the rear.”
“I guess that makes me piggy in the middle,” Jack said, before grinning, “Ah, the possibilities…” The door hissed closed behind Vila, and Jack found himself in a deserted outer corridor. The hairs on the back of his neck rose. “Uh, guys, I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”
“Ah, Jack, always so astute,” the corridor’s COM system boomed. “It’s been too long.”
Jack’s eyes widened. The tenor was different, higher, lighter, but he’d recognise the venom in his voice anywhere. “Blake, we’ve got to get out of here,” he said urgently. “Get Cally to beam us out here - now!”
A glare of light suddenly filled the corridor, and she stood in front of them, clad in bright scarlet, with two dozen androids at her back. They looked nothing like the holo-images from his history syllabus, and Jack felt something inside him twist as he looked at the markings on their headpieces. Not again.
“Servelan,” Blake said grimly.
“No, actually, try again” she said. “Servalan isn’t at home at the moment. I’m afraid she's hanging out in a rather gauche looking ring…but I think your friend here has already figured that out. Haven’t you, Jack?”
“How did you know that we’d be here?” Jack asked.
“You didn’t really think that a vortex arch wouldn’t have a tracer on it?” she said, before tutting, “Oh dear, how remiss of you.”
“What have you done to Doctor Retsam?” Blake asked grimly
Servelan sighed dramatically. “Oh, my darling Blake, haven’t you realised it yet? There is no Doctor Retsam; there never was. There is only me.”
“It’s an acronym, Blake,” Jack said. “Retsam is, in actual fact, the Master.”
“So astute,” the Master smiled widely. “No wonder the Doctor is so fond of you - do you like the new body, by the way? It’s very different, isn’t it?”
"That's one way of putting it," Jack said coldly.
~~~~~*~~*~~*~~~~~
“I don’t believe this is happening,” Martha said flatly, through the vid screen. “Are you certain?”
“If you’re looking for absolutes, then no, nothing is certain,” Avon said crisply, “But it's still very probable.”
“He’s got to be stopped.” Martha said coldly. “We need to find that ring at all costs. Send me the data.”
“Sending,” Ianto said, as he tapped at his keyboard.
“Right, I’ll be on the next flight,” Martha said, “Expect me in seven hours - oh, and I’ll make a certain phone call, yeah? At the very least, I’ll find out when was the last time he saw it.” The screen went blank, and Avon raised an eyebrow.
“He?” he echoed.
“The Doctor,” Ianto said.
“Ah,” Avon said, “Well, pardon me for being sceptical as to the success of that endeavour, but I think we should perhaps come up with a plan of our own.”
Gwen folded her arms. “And why should we be listening to you?” she asked sharply.
“Because, my dear Gwen, while you may not like me, you cannot deny that our goals dovetail somewhat. I want to get home, and you want your friend back,” Avon said. “Can you say the same for this Martha, and her friend the Doctor? Or do you think their priorities might centre a bit more around tracking down the Master?”
“It’s one and the same!” Gwen said hotly. “Isn't that right, Ianto?”
“Actually, we can’t be so sure about that,” Ianto muttered. “I think Martha would be as eager to find Jack as we are…but the Doctor? That might be a bit more complicated.”
“What are you saying?” Gwen asked, turning on Ianto.
“I’m saying that the Doctor doesn’t see straight when it comes to the Master, and that it never hurts to have a backup plan, even if we never need to use it.”
“And that means we need to know two things,” Avon interjected. “We need to know how the cube works, and where the Master’s minion’s base is.”
Ianto nodded slowly, and then pulled a face. “I’ve just realised something,” he muttered.
“What?” Gwen asked.
“That there is only one place on Earth where we could get our hands on the kind of intelligence we need to track down the Master’s minions - and that's the Black Archives.”
“The what?” Gwen asked.
"For once, you’ve taken the words right out of my mouth,” Avon muttered dryly. "Let's hope it doesn't become a frequent occurrence."
~~~~~PART FOUR~~~~~
Title: Line of Confluence (3/5)
Author: jinxed_wood
Rating: PG13
Spoilers Blake's 7, season 2/ Torchwood, season 2
Characters/Pairings: Jack, Avon, ensemble.
Disclaimer: Both belong to the Beeb, all hail the almighty Beeb…
Summary: Kerr Avon and Jack Harkness swap bodies through time and space...things go downhill from there.
Previous parts: ONE : TWO :
~~~Line of Confluence: Part Three ~~~
The Liberator: Third Century of the Second Calendar
Jack had leaned back in the couch, and watched Blake prowl in front of the computer screen, seething with nervous energy. He remembered the stories his father used to tell him, when he and Grey were young. One now stood out in his memory, the tale of when Blake inadvertently turned aside a Rutan invasion, by preventing them from infecting humanity with a highly infectious pathogen.
That alone put him on the do not touch list.
“Status, Zen?” Blake asked.
“Orbit achieved, we’ve just attained transmat range.”
“Good,” he said. “Jenna, any trouble showing on the sensors?”
“It seems all clear,” she said, but she sounded dubious.
“Then, Vila, you’re with me. Jenna and Cally, you will monitor the situation from here. If anything goes wrong, I want us to be the first to know.”
“And me?” Jack drawled, catching his attention.
Blake gave him a long look. “If you don’t find the couch comfortable, I’m sure we can find you a nice quiet cell for you to occupy.”
“Oh, you wound me, truly you do,” Jack drawled. ” But it still doesn’t change the fact you’re going to need me down there. Without Avon here, I’m the nearest thing you’ve got to a science geek on board.”
“Geek?” Cally asked, puzzled.
“An ancient Earth word, not in common usage anymore,” Blake said. “It means he has a…strong scientific background.” Was it Jack’s imagination or was the there the hint of the smallest smile on Blake’s face.
“More importantly, it means that I’m the only one here who could actually understand the information this guy is going to give us,” he said aloud. “That might come in handy, don’t you think?”
“Us?” Blake repeated.
Jack grinned. “It has a certain ring to it, doesn’t it?” he said. “And hey, maybe I’ll grow on you!”
“Yeah, like a fungus,” Vila muttered, but he didn’t disagree with what Jack had said.
Blake rolled his eyes. “One wrong move and I’ll have you teleported back on board before you can blink an eye,” he warned Jack, as he took a weapon from its niche in the wall.
“I don’t suppose I could have one of those too?” Jack asked hopefully.
Vila sniggered. “Good one.”
Jack sighed as he got to his feet. “I’ll take that as a no, then.”
“We’re beaming down just outside the perimeter of the base,” Blake told him, ignoring his complaint.
“Why don’t we just beam inside it?” Jack asked.
Vila pulled a face. “Good question.”
Blake sighed. “Because we don’t have an accurate map of the facility, and I’d rather not have my molecules reassembled inside a reinforced concrete wall,” he said. “Don’t worry, Vila, teleporting out won’t be problem.”
“Why is it that I always feel nervous when you tell me not to be worried?” Vila asked.
“And if Avon was here, I’m sure he would have a few choice words to add at this moment.” Jenna said, with a rueful smile.
~~~~~*~~*~~*~~~~~
Cardiff : 2009
Avon looked at Ianto and Gwen, disbelief plain on his face. “So, what you’re trying to tell me is that this Master created a paradox device which reordered time and the universe and, after a year of global dominion and terror, he was defeated by…what was that again? Please be specific, I find my sense of belief is tenuous at best.”
“That’s the part we’re still a bit hazy about, actually,” Ianto said reluctantly.
“Because we don’t remember it, you see,” Gwen piped up. “When the Paradox Machine was destroyed, we all reverted back to the moment it was turned on.”
“But Jack told us that the Doctor stopped him by using mankind’s faith in him,” Ianto said. “Apparently, there was…floating involved…” Ianto’s voice petered off under the force of Avon glare.
“I have one question,” he said flatly. “Have either of you been submitted to any form of psychological evaluation recently?”
“Hello? Future boy?” Gwen pronounced, waving a hand at him. “You’re one to talk!”
“Yes, and I can already foresee this is going to be a long day,” Avon said, with a quick, deadly smile. “Very well, let’s just say I believe this tale of yours. What happened next, exactly?”
“He was shot though the chest by his wife,” Ianto said.
“Ah, marital difficulties too,” Avon said dryly. “Obviously, this Master leads an eventful life-”
“Led, past tense,” Ianto said. “He’s dead.”
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t you mention earlier that his species have the ability to regenerate if they're mortally wounded?” Avon asked.
“Apparently, they can refuse to undergothe process,” Gwen said. “And that’s what the Master did. He said he preferred to die, rather than be the Doctor’s prisoner.”
“I see.” Avon gave them a long look. “And neither of you found this even remotely suspicious?” he asked.
“There were witnesses,” Ianto said, with a frown.
“Impeccable witnesses,” Gwen added.
Avon sighed. “Did it not occur to you that the Master is a megalomaniac with delusions of grandeur? Someone like that doesn’t just commit suicide. They literally can’t imagine a universe without them in it.”
Gwen muttered something under her breath that that sounded suspiciously like, it takes one to know one, and Avon graced her with the full heat of his glare as Ianto began to cough uncomfortably.
“I know what you’re trying to say,” Ianto said, catching his attention. “But the body was most definitely dead. It was burned to ash.”
“But I think you forget that this Master wasn’t human,” Avon said. “A species like the one you’ve described to me - one which can literally regenerate their body at a drop of a hat - their capabilities might be beyond even what we can conceive.”
“But if there was another Time Lord out there, the Doctor would sense him,” Ianto said. “Jack says he can do that.”
“Can we be sure? After all, you yourself said that the Master had been masquerading as a human for decades before the Doctor found him. He could be doing the exact same thing right now.”
“But that would mean voluntarily giving up his personality again,” Ianto countered, “And, as you said, he’s too much of a megalomaniac to do that.”
“And if he found a way around it?” Avon asked; he looked down at the cube, lying on the lab table.
Ianto’s eyes followed him. “Firstly, may I say that that is a truly terrifying thought,” he said, “But, luckily for us, it’s also highly unlikely one; his body was checked and double checked before it was burned, and all alien artefacts were confiscated. The cube wasn’t on this person.”
“And what was?” Avon asked.
“Nothing much, to be honest,” Ianto admitted. “UNIT had already confiscated his Laser Screwdriver, and all that was left were a few minor gadgets. Eventually, they just handed the body over to the Doctor for burial.”
“Just the body?” Avon asked quietly.
“Well, his clothes as well, of course, and also I think his wedding and signet ring-” Ianto stopped suddenly. “The signet ring,” he repeated. “I wonder…”
"We’re all agog, I’m sure,” Avon said dryly.
Ianto igonred him as he mused aloud. “There were some rather strange markings on it, according the file photos, but there weren’t any energy readings, or other indications of tech, so it was left with the body.” he paused. “The thing is, Gallifreyan technology is quite advanced, and they did create some impressive tech, including personality and genetic storage devices.”
“Like those pocket watches Martha told us about,” Gwen said.
“And if there was a body waiting for him on the other end…” Ianto nodded. “Nobody would notice the transfer, because it wouldn’t include a genetic rewrite of his original DNA… that was the painful part. “
Gwen slumped into a seat. “You realise what you’re saying, don’t you. You’re saying the Master is still alive.”
“And living in the future,” Ianto said.
“Oh dear, Martha is not going to be happy,” Gwen said softly.
“And who in Hades is Martha?” Avon interrupted impatiently.
“She’s was on the Valiant when time reverted,” Ianto said quietly.
“And you telling me this because?” Avon prompted.
“Because it means she was in the eye of the storm,” Ianto said. “And she remembers...everything.”
“At last, a piece of information that might be of some value,” Avon said. “Is she nearby?”
Gwen shook her head. “She’s in New York - but we can get her on video uplink.”
“How about you do that, then,” Avon said, “While I try to salvage the emitter.”
“Yes, sir!” Ianto drawled sarcastically. “And would you like sugar in your tea?”
Avon blinked. “There’s still tea in this century?”
~~~~~*~~*~~*~~~~~
Jack ducked his head on instinct as they materialised on the surface. The planet’s sun had just sunk below the horizon, and the only light they had came from the base, ahead of them on the hill.
Vila blew into his hands and rubbed them together. “I thought you said it’d be warm,” he complained as they neared the outer door.
“We won’t be out here for long if you get a move on,” Blake pointed out.
Vila muttered under his breath but scrabbled upward, through the low scrub.
“You still haven’t told me what you’re hoping to find here?” Jack asked Blake, under his breath, as they followed him.
“Answers,” Blake said briefly. “I’m hoping he’ll have some insight into the device and give us a lead as to how to reverse the process.”
Jack gave him a rueful look. “That’s highly unlikely, you know,” he said. “Our best bet is to wait until my team comes up with answers.”
“Your team in the twenty first century,” he drawled. “Why am I not exactly filled with confidence?”
“Hey, trust me, they may be from the past, but they have a better grasp on how alien tech works than you do.”
“And how is that?”
Jack smirked. “Well, for one thing, they’ve got some excellent contacts.”
Blake looked at him grimly. “I have no reason to trust you.”
“Hey, the feeling’s mutual,” Jack lied as they reached the outer door of the bunker.
“Is it?” Blake countered. “Because I’ve got the funny feeling that you know something I don’t and-”
“Ah, trust issues, if I closed my eyes, I could almost imagine Avon is still with us,” Vila interrupted, with a sarcastic bite in his voice. “Could you two just pipe down for a moment, hacking into a secure government facility is delicate work.”
Jack leaned against the wall, and watched Vila work, as Blake stared out into the hinterland.
“Vila,”” Blake said, worriedly, as the minutes dragged on.
“Hang on, hang on, I told you this would move a lot slower without Avon helping,” he muttered. “Do you realise how difficult it is to hack a Federation lock algorithm-” The door hissed open, and Vila stepped smartly back. “You first, oh glorious leader,” he said, with an exaggerated bow.
Blake rolled his eyes, and stepped forward. “Vila, you bring up the rear.”
“I guess that makes me piggy in the middle,” Jack said, before grinning, “Ah, the possibilities…” The door hissed closed behind Vila, and Jack found himself in a deserted outer corridor. The hairs on the back of his neck rose. “Uh, guys, I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”
“Ah, Jack, always so astute,” the corridor’s COM system boomed. “It’s been too long.”
Jack’s eyes widened. The tenor was different, higher, lighter, but he’d recognise the venom in his voice anywhere. “Blake, we’ve got to get out of here,” he said urgently. “Get Cally to beam us out here - now!”
A glare of light suddenly filled the corridor, and she stood in front of them, clad in bright scarlet, with two dozen androids at her back. They looked nothing like the holo-images from his history syllabus, and Jack felt something inside him twist as he looked at the markings on their headpieces. Not again.
“Servelan,” Blake said grimly.
“No, actually, try again” she said. “Servalan isn’t at home at the moment. I’m afraid she's hanging out in a rather gauche looking ring…but I think your friend here has already figured that out. Haven’t you, Jack?”
“How did you know that we’d be here?” Jack asked.
“You didn’t really think that a vortex arch wouldn’t have a tracer on it?” she said, before tutting, “Oh dear, how remiss of you.”
“What have you done to Doctor Retsam?” Blake asked grimly
Servelan sighed dramatically. “Oh, my darling Blake, haven’t you realised it yet? There is no Doctor Retsam; there never was. There is only me.”
“It’s an acronym, Blake,” Jack said. “Retsam is, in actual fact, the Master.”
“So astute,” the Master smiled widely. “No wonder the Doctor is so fond of you - do you like the new body, by the way? It’s very different, isn’t it?”
"That's one way of putting it," Jack said coldly.
~~~~~*~~*~~*~~~~~
“I don’t believe this is happening,” Martha said flatly, through the vid screen. “Are you certain?”
“If you’re looking for absolutes, then no, nothing is certain,” Avon said crisply, “But it's still very probable.”
“He’s got to be stopped.” Martha said coldly. “We need to find that ring at all costs. Send me the data.”
“Sending,” Ianto said, as he tapped at his keyboard.
“Right, I’ll be on the next flight,” Martha said, “Expect me in seven hours - oh, and I’ll make a certain phone call, yeah? At the very least, I’ll find out when was the last time he saw it.” The screen went blank, and Avon raised an eyebrow.
“He?” he echoed.
“The Doctor,” Ianto said.
“Ah,” Avon said, “Well, pardon me for being sceptical as to the success of that endeavour, but I think we should perhaps come up with a plan of our own.”
Gwen folded her arms. “And why should we be listening to you?” she asked sharply.
“Because, my dear Gwen, while you may not like me, you cannot deny that our goals dovetail somewhat. I want to get home, and you want your friend back,” Avon said. “Can you say the same for this Martha, and her friend the Doctor? Or do you think their priorities might centre a bit more around tracking down the Master?”
“It’s one and the same!” Gwen said hotly. “Isn't that right, Ianto?”
“Actually, we can’t be so sure about that,” Ianto muttered. “I think Martha would be as eager to find Jack as we are…but the Doctor? That might be a bit more complicated.”
“What are you saying?” Gwen asked, turning on Ianto.
“I’m saying that the Doctor doesn’t see straight when it comes to the Master, and that it never hurts to have a backup plan, even if we never need to use it.”
“And that means we need to know two things,” Avon interjected. “We need to know how the cube works, and where the Master’s minion’s base is.”
Ianto nodded slowly, and then pulled a face. “I’ve just realised something,” he muttered.
“What?” Gwen asked.
“That there is only one place on Earth where we could get our hands on the kind of intelligence we need to track down the Master’s minions - and that's the Black Archives.”
“The what?” Gwen asked.
"For once, you’ve taken the words right out of my mouth,” Avon muttered dryly. "Let's hope it doesn't become a frequent occurrence."
~~~~~PART FOUR~~~~~