amythest_n_ice: The Race (Jack/10)(PG)
Title: The Race
Author/Artist/Vidder/...: amythest_n_ice
Challenge: 2011 Doctor/Jack Bingo Fest
Prompt used: Running
Rating: PG
Pairing: Jack/10
Spoilers/warnings: none
Summary: A getaway for just the two of them doesn’t go quite as planned - of course.
He should have known, really, he should have known the minute the Doctor said to him that he had heard of a great vacation spot that was couples only, and he was thinking they could drop Molly, their latest stray, back on Earth for a couple of weeks and spend some time alone, with no distractions or disasters; he should have known it would be safer to suggest they set course for the middle of the Meklain civil war instead, at least they would have known what they were getting into there.
Jack growled soft curses under his breath as another huge sand-dune hove into view behind the fairly gentle incline he had been running up. He paused just long enough to check the position of the sun, and swallow a sip from the single water bottle the runners had been provided, and then set off at the dune at a steady pace. He fell forward onto his hands as soon as he hit the dune, trying to use his hands to add purchase, to stop from sliding back too far in the loose desert sand. He finally made it to the top, and plunged straight back into a fast lope, there was a time limit to this marathon after all.
Ahead he could see dots, kicking up puffs of sand much as he was, he was gaining on the runners who had set off too fast, thought more about finishing before the time limit than pacing themselves, he doubted more than two or three of them would even make it to the finish, they were wasting energy, and likely wasting their precious water supply too.
The first couple of days of their vacation had been idyllic, warm beaches, cold drinks, friendly, helpful natives, as much or as little privacy as they wanted, so of course there had been something sinister about the place.
They had obviously walked into a stun field at some point, he couldn’t really remember, all he knew for sure was that he had woken up in a tent, lying on a thin pallet, along with 23 other people, or one half of all of the other couples who had been staying in the resort. A native dressed unlike any they had seen before had stepped up, accompanied by two armed guards, and given them their challenge in simple terms.
They would each be given a small homing signal, and a single bottle of water, and they would have until sunset to cross the Halva desert, a distance of just over 25 miles, on loose sand, under the blistering sun. If they made it, they would be reunited with their lovers, bond-partners, etc, etc, and they would be free to leave without interference. If they were late, the waiting captive at the other end was forfeit, the runner would leave the planet alone, and if the runner died, both died. All of this for the entertainment of the natives, and their rulers.
He knew he had better endurance probably than anyone else who was out here running for their loved one’s life, was less affected by extremes of temperature, and lack of water, and he wasn’t 100% sure he was going to make it on time, he wondered briefly if anyone had ever left alive when they held one of these little events. He pushed the thought aside, he would get there, the Doctor would still be wearing the same face he had been wearing when he had last seen him, and they would tear this place apart, that was all there was to it, he wouldn’t accept any alternative.
Growling at himself, he pushed all extraneous thought aside, and shifted his focus to keeping his breathing regulated, keeping his stride as sure and even as he could under the conditions, and monitoring his body temperature to make sure he didn’t overheat and put himself out of commission, then he picked up the pace, careful not to push too close to his limits, not yet, and concentrated on following the soft bleeping of the homing beacon.
The sun was starting to sink in the sky by the time the destination came into sight, Jack knew that a handful of the runners were not far behind him, those who had been sensible enough to pace themselves properly, and he knew he had passed those who had been ahead of him, either unconscious or dead in the hot sands, some time back, it had galled not to be able to do anything for them, but the plain fact was even if time weren’t short, there was nothing he could do for that many people.
He entered the tiny desert town, panting through the dusty streets, following the increasing bleep of the beacon until he found himself in the central square. The native who had sent them off (and his guards) were there, looking at him in a sort of stunned amazement, which confirmed his thought of who knew how many hours ago, they didn’t really expect people to actually make it to the end.
Pulling himself together, the native cautiously approached Jack and indicated one of a row of covered boxes. Jack pulled off the cover, to reveal a stasis unit, the Doctor resting inside. At a gesture from the man, Jack slid the homing beacon into a slot on the unit, and it started to cycle through the waking sequence.
Ignoring the natives for the moment, Jack slumped down next to the unit to keep watch over it, faintly, vaguely, amused to note the consternation on their ‘officiator’s’ face as seven more runners panted in just as the bottom of the sun’s disk began to touch the horizon, and were permitted to start cycling their units open. The amusement was very short lived though, eight out of 24, including himself, had made it, which meant the other runners were either late, or dying/dead out on the sands, either way, that was sixteen of these units that these people didn’t intend should be opened.
As the last of the light faded, Jack felt familiar fingers in his hair, and looked up to see the Doctor now sitting up in the stasis unit, indignation to match Jack’s own starting to blaze in his eyes as he plucked the events of the day direct from his lover’s mind.
“Looks like we’re going to be busy,” was all the Doctor said, hopping out of the unit and tugging Jack to his feet.
End.