Reflections of a Friend: Part VII
Title: Reflections of a Friend
Series: All Our Yesterdays
Episode: 2 of 13
Rating:PG-13
Spoilers: All TW series 1-3, and DW 1-4 (at minimum)
Summery: Ianto Jones is back. Or is he? No one has any idea how a very alive Ianto has come to the Hub, or if it really is Ianto. The team launches a desperate investigation to find out anything they can, but with Torchwood nothing can be that easy. A ship crashes and seems to be slowly killing everything around it. The death is spreading, and the team is trapped in the way.
Previous Part
A/N: btw I got the police calling Torchwood 'poncey special ops muppets' from the torchwood archives and it amused me too much not to use.
Early the next morning the silence was broken by a rift alert. Ianto came out of the kitchen where he’d been brewing the first pot of coffee. He got all the way to the computer before remembering he couldn’t access the system.
There was a clatter and Ianto turned to see Jack coming out of his office while throwing on his shirt, “What is it?”
“I can only see that it’s big,” said Ianto gesturing to the computer display.
Jack paused for a moment in confusion. Ianto saw exactly when he remembered everything. He saw when the walls went back up. Jack pushed by the other man to get onto the computer, “Yeah it's big, and right outside Cardiff. We need to get out there. Call the team in.” He ordered buttoning up his shirt.
“And how would I do that with no phone?” Asked Ianto.
Jack stopped for a moment before growling in frustration, and grabbing his phone.
~*~
Andy was not in a good mood. He and a handful of other PCs had been ordered to set up a perimeter. So here they were, at dawn standing, around a huge tent outside Cardiff guarding . . . something. None of them were looking forward to having to deal with ‘those military pricks’ as they’d taken to calling U.N.I.T.
Andy looked up as two black SUVs skidded to a stop, he took a steadying breath to get ready. All around him the grumblings got louder. The doors to both SUVs opened and out jumped . . . definitely not U.N.I.T. All the PCs were suddenly silent as they watched the all too familiar form of Captain Jack Harkness leading, with Gwen Cooper a step behind on his left, Ianto Jones on his right, and followed by three strangers.
“Good to see the poncey special op. muppets.” Greeted one of the other PCs with an actual smile.
“Aww, didja miss me?” Asked Jack.
“You’re not those military idiots,” answered a PC as he held the tape aside for them, “This doesn’t mean we like you,” he was careful to add.
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Jack grinned as he turned to keep moving.
“Gwen,” Andy called. She walked over to where he was waiting as the other PC’s went back to talking amongst themselves. Andy moved a bit further away from them.
Gwen was grinning, “Torchwood is back,” she said.
“Yeah, and that’s good, really good actually,” He glanced back over his shoulder to make sure they weren’t overheard, “That was Ianto Jones yeah?”
Her grin grew, “Yeah.”
“But, wasn’t he, you know, dead?”
“He was, now he’s not,” she said as if that explained everything.
“I can see, but how?”
“Long story.”
“Torchwood?”
“Torchwood,” she confirmed.
“And that woman? Wasn’t she trying to, I don’t know, kill you last year?”
“She was, but . .”
“But now she’s not,” Andy finished for her rolling his eyes. He decided he really didn't want to know.
“Exactly,” she said patting his on the arm. “I’m going to go catch up with the rest of the team.” Gwen turned to go into the tent.
As soon as she got in she gasped. There was a ship partially imbedded in the ground, she could only guess that this was probably a small ship, but it was about the size of a house. It was a large oval shape of dark grey, what Gwen assumed, was metal. She saw the team collecting near the back except Mickey who was circling the ship and taking readings.
“All I’m saying is that it’s rained more days then not since I’ve been here,” she heard Mickey call.
“Wales, Mickey, what were you expecting a tropical paradise?” Jack called back. Gwen came around to see something that looked like it was probably the door. “Yep, just as I said, sealed,” said Jack standing by the door closing his wrist strap, “More secure then normal for a ship of this size. Either the ship detected that it’s crashed and got a security system running. The crew's sealed themselves in. Or this ship is something special, like a spy ship or a transport for someone important.”
“So there’s no getting in for the moment,” Martha said looking at her own scanner, “No life signs either, safe to assume the crew’s dead.”
“It’s giving off some gasses,” Johnson called over.
“Yeah, I’m getting that too,” agreed Mickey as he came back around. He fiddled with the scanner, “and some energy readings.”
“Let me see,” Martha came over to look at the readings, “Minor amounts chlorine gas, argon, and some others.”
“Should we be worried?” Asked Gwen suddenly getting a little anxious.
“In these levels not really, and a lot of it’s heavy so it sinks to the ground.”
“But we should assume that the interior of the ship is not a healthy place to be,” said Jack.
“I know I’ve seen this writing,” Ianto was looking at what seemed like a control panel next to the door.
“Any clue what it is?” asked Mickey.
“Not right now, I want to look in the archives. It’s in there.
“I’ll check the local reports, to see if it came through the rift in the air,” Johnson went to join Jack.
“I want to stay and see if I can make anything of the computer systems,” argued Mickey.
“And I’ll talk to the people who live around here,” agreed Gwen.
“It’s too big to move back to the base right now,” agreed Jack. “Ok, Gwen Mickey, you two stay here, and make sure the cops keep the perimeter. Every one else, with me,” He turned to go back to the SUVs. Johnson, who had driven the second SUV, tossed the keys to Mickey then followed.
~*~
When they got back to the Hub Johnson went to a computer, Jack quickly cleared Ianto's computer access then went to his office, and Ianto went down to the archives. Martha had nothing to analyze at the moment so she went to the autopsy bay with the intent on continuing some of her work from before.
Her phone rang, she pulled it out of her pocket to see who it was. A grin spreading across her face when she saw it was Tom, “Hey, what going on?” she asked as she picked it up.
“Just have a break out here, and wanted to talk with you. Haven't gotten a chance recently,” her husband’s voice came over the phone.
“Yeah, sorry. We’ve been incredibly busy, but it’s been good.”
“Working that super secret UN job hmm? One of these days I’m going to find out you are not 007 but maybe 009?”
Martha laughed at one of their regular lines of banter, “Just you be careful mister I have a gun and I know how to use it.”
“A dangerous and beautiful woman for my wife. All the guys want to know how I ended up with that.” She could hear the smile in his voice.
“Don’t know, guess you just got lucky,” she teased, “Though actually, I’m not working with the UN any more.”
“Really? What happened?” he sounded concerned.
“No it’s good,” she reassured him, “I got a transfer I wanted. I’m working with a Special Ops. group that’s based in Cardiff, now. That’s who I’ve been working the last two cases with.”
“So no more being assigned half way around the world anymore?” There was a trace of hope in the man's voice.
“Yeah, Cardiff is my home base now. I’ll leave the globe trotting to you.”
“Really, well . . maybe.” there was a pause, “I’m coming home soon. Maybe after this trip I could get a job in Cardiff and we could . . .well you know.”
Martha was grinning, “Actually live together for more then a month?”
“Well we are married,” Tom huffed.
“That sounds fantastic.” She was barely restraining herself from bouncing around.
“Doesn’t it,” Tom agreed. There was a voice in the background, “Sorry I’ve got to go. Love you.”
“Love you too,” Martha hung up and looked at her phone grinning.
“Was that your Mr. Jones?” She looked up to see Jack leaning against the entrance.
“Dr. Milligan,” she corrected.
“Yeah, can see why you didn’t take his name,” he wandered in coming to stand next to her leaning against the counter. “Dr. Martha Milligan,” he said testing it out, “Nah doesn’t work,” he shook his head as she hit him playfully. “So he’s coming back from . . .?”
“Africa, again. For good this time.”
Jack grinned bumping into her, “Going to have to start kicking you out too soon.”
“Promises, promises.”
“Smith’s calling in,” Johnson’s voice announced.
Jack ran over and hit speaker phone as Ianto came out of the lower tunnels. “What have you found out?”
“The gasses are starting to increase in concentration around the ship. It’s starting to kill some of the grass and plants around the ship.”
“Do you need masks?” asked Jack.
“That would probably be a safe bet." Jack glanced over at Martha who nodded. " I can’t figure how to get in the ship.”
“The Jerak Ship,” Ianto corrected.
Everyone turned to look at him, as Mickey asked “What?”
“I knew I recognized that language,” explained Ianto, “It took me some time to find it in the archives,” a dark look came across his face, “U.N.I.T has employed their own . . .system of organization.” He spat the word system, “It’s going to take forever put things back in order,” he frowned already seeming to be thinking of the process.
“The Jerak. . .” Jack reminded.
Ianto snapped out of it, “Yes, the Jerak language is not in our translation system, because we hadn’t yet loaded it.” He held up a PDA he had grabbed, “I loaded the language translation program in here. I can send it to Mickey’s PDA.”
“Do so,” Jack nodded,
“That should make it easy to get in,” said Mickey.
“Martha, Johnny, pack up we’re going back. Mickey don’t go in until we get there. Ianto . . ” he turned to the younger man.
“. . . pack extra breathing apparatus in the SUV.” He finished Jack’s sentence, “Already finished. And Martha,” he handed the woman another PDA. "I've loaded all the information we have about the Jerak themselves."
“Good call," Jack acknowledged, "Ok let’s move,” Martha and Johnson followed the two men out to the SUV.
~*~
The SUV pulled up outside the police line, and the team jumped into action unpacking their kit and headed towards the tent. “So you are back,” said the cop at the line, “I’d heard as much, but I didn’t believe you with that other captain showin' up earlier.”
“That other captain?” asked Jack as the team came up behind him.
“Mathews.” Frowned Martha.
“Yeah that’s him,” agreed the cop.
“Oh it would be,” Jack rolled his eyes them went to the tent.
“Mathews?” Asked Into.
“Idiot that was in charge of the U.N.I.T. outpost that was here,” explained Martha as she pushed through.
Mickey was crouched by the control panel Gwen standing behind him. “Have you got in yet?”
“Not yet, almost though,” he called over his shoulder as Martha handed both Gwen and Mickey a mask. “Ha! Got it!” Cheered Mickey as the door slid open.
“Masks on people!” called Jack as the whole team slid them on over their face. The door slid open, revealing a dimly lit interior room. “Okay, let’s go.”
The team moved into the small inner room that seemed to be a non functioning air lock, probably damaged in the crash. The room was barely large enough for the whole team. Mickey had the next door open rather quickly. It opened into a much larger room.
“This looks like it could be the main control room,” suggested Mickey. He immediately moved toward the back of computers and panels that covered the back wall.
“Smith, can you get this door open?” asked Johnson at the largest door.
“Yeah sure,” he went over to the panel, “there ya go.”
The door slid open, on the other side was another room this one not quite as big. Martha moved past the others as soon as she spotted the three bodies. She knelt down next to one. Mickey's attention was caught by panel that was lit up and he went to work on the computer while the other’s moved around the room.
“I don’t see any indication of how this one died. I’ll have to wait until I get back to the Hub,” said Martha as she moved onto another.
Jack nodded listening. He looked around the room before going back out to the main room examining some sort of machine in the center of the room. Ianto followed him, “I’ve seen this before,” he said vaguely as if trying to place it. The machine was a pillar about chest high, with what could be a plug at the top. There were shards of something clear all around it on the deck.
“I don’t think I’ve seen that in the archives,” said Ianto coming up behind him, “but I can check as soon as we get back.” Jack nodded again crouching down in front of it.
Martha sighed, sitting back on her haunches, “Same with this one. They probably died of the same thing.” She glanced at her PDA, "All previous Jerak were also dead. We can rule out atmosphere for these, so probably rift-travel then."
“What about this one?” called Gwen next the other. This body was slumped over a control panel that was flashing.
Johnson and Martha came over. “It looks like it was trying to activate something on this panel,” said Johnson.
This caught Mickey’s attention, he moved over trying to look at the panel. “Mickey help me get it to the floor. You can look at the panel and I can examine the body.” Mickey nodded grabbing one side of the body, and helping to pull it up and back.
As soon as it came off the panel lights flashed and an alarm sound filled the ship. Mickey dropped the body and jumped to the panel.
Jack jumped to his feet and turned, “What’s going on?”
“I don’t know it’s scanning and running some programs,” Mickey called back, “It just finished, and it found something. Six somethings!”
“Six of us!” Gwen was at his shoulder.
“The door!” yelled Johnson as she turned to run.
“No!” yelled Jack as he also ran to the closing door. He didn’t make it two steps before it closed. “No no no!” he yelled kicking the door in anger. He jerked back as an energy blast hit the wall next to him..
“Jack, we need to get out!” yelled Ianto.
“Go!” agreed Jack as he dodged another blast. Both men turned to run Ianto in the lead. “Ianto!” yelled Jack as he threw himself and the man to the floor grunting in pain as a blast hit his back.
“Jack?” the other man asked.
“Just go!” he clenched his teeth trying to ignore the pain and jumped to his feet dragging the younger man up. They took off and both made it out the door.
They turned breathing hard expecting the doors to close, but they didn’t. “What was that?”
“The ship’s on alert. I’m guessing it probably scanned for alien life,” explained Jack his eyes darting around looking for something, anything. He tapped his ear piece, “Gwen? Martha? Mickey? Johnson?” He called, but there was only silence, “Someone check in!” he called desperately.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
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