The Mystery We Are. TW/HL Xover 12/? [PG] *WIP*
Owen looked up from the terminal as Siannon clattered down the stairs, and gave her a smile that lit his face.
“Anything interesting?” She asked.
“Ooh lots of things. Firstly though, I can tell you that you are definitely a genetic human. All chromosomes are present and correct and you don’t have any you shouldn’t, though you do have a startling rate of cell division. If we want to find out about your individual genes, we’re going to have to find ourselves a geneticist to map your genome who isn’t going to shout from the rooftops about anything unusual. Know anyone who would fit the bill?” He moved away from the terminal to allow Siannon access.
“Unfortunately, I don’t. Maybe it’s time for me to have a change of profession again… though I’m not sure how any other immortals would feel about it. At least this way, it’s just between me and Torchwood.”
“Which is safer for us all, no doubt?”
“No doubt at all.”
“I have discovered one other strange thing, apart from your PV. Here, look.” Owen leaned over and hit a few keys on the keyboard. “The first column are your results, the rest are just for comparison, from women of a similar BMI.” Siannon peered at the screen for a few seconds until the significance of the results hit her.
“No wonder Immortals are sterile; we’re on the bloody pill naturally!”
“The women anyway; obviously a male is not going to have the same sort of hormone levels. You got any male immortal friends who’d mind being poked around in the cause of science?”
“Not in this country. There’s a couple who might be able to be persuaded but I couldn’t guarantee it. Pity, you’ve got me *really* curious now.”
“I bet.” They shared a conspiratorial grin. “There is one more thing…” Owen opened a drawer and brought out a strange looking device. He laid it on the work surface between them. “This is a Bekaran scanner. It can scan almost down to cellular level, without disturbing the patient. And yes, it’s alien tech.” He took a breath. “I’d like to scan you, if you’ll let me.” Siannon picked up the device gingerly.
“How does it work?” Owen showed her, guiding her in scanning his hand and arm and watched as her smile became broader and broader. “Never mind you scanning me, I’d scan myself with that thing. It’s brilliant! Still, I suppose it’s easier for someone else to do it. Just let me see the interesting bits when you’ve finished. Now, where do you want me?” She sat where Owen indicated; rather glad that he’d not asked her to lie on the trolley as she was pretty certain that the last person to be on there had been a headless Ryan Kendrick.
~*~
Ianto heard the door from the hub opening, and wondered who it might be; most of the time the others didn’t bother to come upstairs. He pushed himself away from the desk as Jack came through the door to his office. He took one look at Jack’s face, and realised what he wanted.
“You’re after information, I take it.”
“Am I that obvious?” Jack pulled a chair up to the desk to sit beside Ianto.
“Probably not, but I know you well enough by now to tell what you want.”
“Do you Really?” Jack wasn’t 100% certain but was convinced he saw Ianto blush.
“Well, some of the time at least.” Ianto started tapping away at the keyboard, the screen cleared to show a logo that Jack did not recognise. “That’s the Symbol of the Watchers, it’s the same as the one I had tattooed here.” Ianto indicated the circular scar on his left arm. “Now, what do you need to know?” Jack moved a little closer.
“Siannon has told me she’s going to get in touch with an ‘old friend’, someone she thinks might be good for me to meet. She didn’t give me a name, though she did say he wasn’t on the database.”
“If he’s not on the database, how can I get you any information? Hang on a minute; you said an ‘old friend’ she didn’t happen to mention *how* old did she?”
“As far as I can work it out, he’s about 5000 years old. She said he was the oldest living immortal.” Ianto’s eyes grew progressively wider as Jack imparted the information. He’d barely finished speaking when Ianto burst out,
“Methos! My god, she’s going to introduce you to Methos! Bloody Hell.”
“Who?” Jack frowned, Ianto might as well have been speaking Welsh for all the sense he had made of the statement.
“Methos was one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.”
“What? You mean they actually existed?” Jack was sceptical.
“Unfortunately, yes. They were your original Terrorist Organisation.”
“Which one was he?” Ianto didn’t answer immediately, but turned to face Jack with a sombre expression on his face. “Which one, Ianto?” Jack repeated emphatically. Ianto reluctantly gave him the answer.
“Death.” Nothing was said as they held each others eyes for a moment, then Jack pushed himself away from the desk with a sigh.
“Oh great, now I’m going to get introduced to Death. I wonder if this is her idea of a joke.”
“Methos has changed since then, and the other 3 are dead.” Jack could almost hear the ‘honest’ at the end of that sentence; he smiled grimly to himself. Ianto was still talking, “You know, it was every Watchers dream to find Methos and at last get him on the database. Even though no-one knew who he was he had his own Watcher to try and trace him through the older records and other immortal’s chronicles. No-one ever found him.” Jack clambered out of his chair, and started to pace.
“According to Siannon that was his fault.”
“His fault? How?”
“She said he infiltrated the Watchers and falsified his own records.” Ianto shook his head in disbelief.
“I don’t believe it. Methos was his own Watcher? That means… Oh my God, that means he must have been Adam Pierson!”
“Is that a bad thing?”
“No, but it explains a hell of a lot. Adam Pierson was Methos, who’d have thought it. You won’t need this then.” Ianto reached over and logged out of the Watcher database. “Don’t tell her you know who he is, from what I know of him Methos was very defensive about his privacy.”
“Still is; Siannon says he’s being elusive and she’s known him for over 1000 years, but then Siannon won’t be the problem.” Jack gave Ianto’s shoulder a squeeze. “Thanks Ianto.” He said, before heading toward the door.
“No problem, sir. Just…” Jack turned, and met Ianto’s concerned eyes. “Take care.”
“Don’t worry, I intend to.” Ianto listened to the receding footsteps, and waited until he had heard the hub door close again before swearing comprehensively in Welsh. Despite his concerns, part of him really wanted to meet the oldest immortal. If anyone could help Jack, it would be Methos.
“Anything interesting?” She asked.
“Ooh lots of things. Firstly though, I can tell you that you are definitely a genetic human. All chromosomes are present and correct and you don’t have any you shouldn’t, though you do have a startling rate of cell division. If we want to find out about your individual genes, we’re going to have to find ourselves a geneticist to map your genome who isn’t going to shout from the rooftops about anything unusual. Know anyone who would fit the bill?” He moved away from the terminal to allow Siannon access.
“Unfortunately, I don’t. Maybe it’s time for me to have a change of profession again… though I’m not sure how any other immortals would feel about it. At least this way, it’s just between me and Torchwood.”
“Which is safer for us all, no doubt?”
“No doubt at all.”
“I have discovered one other strange thing, apart from your PV. Here, look.” Owen leaned over and hit a few keys on the keyboard. “The first column are your results, the rest are just for comparison, from women of a similar BMI.” Siannon peered at the screen for a few seconds until the significance of the results hit her.
“No wonder Immortals are sterile; we’re on the bloody pill naturally!”
“The women anyway; obviously a male is not going to have the same sort of hormone levels. You got any male immortal friends who’d mind being poked around in the cause of science?”
“Not in this country. There’s a couple who might be able to be persuaded but I couldn’t guarantee it. Pity, you’ve got me *really* curious now.”
“I bet.” They shared a conspiratorial grin. “There is one more thing…” Owen opened a drawer and brought out a strange looking device. He laid it on the work surface between them. “This is a Bekaran scanner. It can scan almost down to cellular level, without disturbing the patient. And yes, it’s alien tech.” He took a breath. “I’d like to scan you, if you’ll let me.” Siannon picked up the device gingerly.
“How does it work?” Owen showed her, guiding her in scanning his hand and arm and watched as her smile became broader and broader. “Never mind you scanning me, I’d scan myself with that thing. It’s brilliant! Still, I suppose it’s easier for someone else to do it. Just let me see the interesting bits when you’ve finished. Now, where do you want me?” She sat where Owen indicated; rather glad that he’d not asked her to lie on the trolley as she was pretty certain that the last person to be on there had been a headless Ryan Kendrick.
~*~
Ianto heard the door from the hub opening, and wondered who it might be; most of the time the others didn’t bother to come upstairs. He pushed himself away from the desk as Jack came through the door to his office. He took one look at Jack’s face, and realised what he wanted.
“You’re after information, I take it.”
“Am I that obvious?” Jack pulled a chair up to the desk to sit beside Ianto.
“Probably not, but I know you well enough by now to tell what you want.”
“Do you Really?” Jack wasn’t 100% certain but was convinced he saw Ianto blush.
“Well, some of the time at least.” Ianto started tapping away at the keyboard, the screen cleared to show a logo that Jack did not recognise. “That’s the Symbol of the Watchers, it’s the same as the one I had tattooed here.” Ianto indicated the circular scar on his left arm. “Now, what do you need to know?” Jack moved a little closer.
“Siannon has told me she’s going to get in touch with an ‘old friend’, someone she thinks might be good for me to meet. She didn’t give me a name, though she did say he wasn’t on the database.”
“If he’s not on the database, how can I get you any information? Hang on a minute; you said an ‘old friend’ she didn’t happen to mention *how* old did she?”
“As far as I can work it out, he’s about 5000 years old. She said he was the oldest living immortal.” Ianto’s eyes grew progressively wider as Jack imparted the information. He’d barely finished speaking when Ianto burst out,
“Methos! My god, she’s going to introduce you to Methos! Bloody Hell.”
“Who?” Jack frowned, Ianto might as well have been speaking Welsh for all the sense he had made of the statement.
“Methos was one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.”
“What? You mean they actually existed?” Jack was sceptical.
“Unfortunately, yes. They were your original Terrorist Organisation.”
“Which one was he?” Ianto didn’t answer immediately, but turned to face Jack with a sombre expression on his face. “Which one, Ianto?” Jack repeated emphatically. Ianto reluctantly gave him the answer.
“Death.” Nothing was said as they held each others eyes for a moment, then Jack pushed himself away from the desk with a sigh.
“Oh great, now I’m going to get introduced to Death. I wonder if this is her idea of a joke.”
“Methos has changed since then, and the other 3 are dead.” Jack could almost hear the ‘honest’ at the end of that sentence; he smiled grimly to himself. Ianto was still talking, “You know, it was every Watchers dream to find Methos and at last get him on the database. Even though no-one knew who he was he had his own Watcher to try and trace him through the older records and other immortal’s chronicles. No-one ever found him.” Jack clambered out of his chair, and started to pace.
“According to Siannon that was his fault.”
“His fault? How?”
“She said he infiltrated the Watchers and falsified his own records.” Ianto shook his head in disbelief.
“I don’t believe it. Methos was his own Watcher? That means… Oh my God, that means he must have been Adam Pierson!”
“Is that a bad thing?”
“No, but it explains a hell of a lot. Adam Pierson was Methos, who’d have thought it. You won’t need this then.” Ianto reached over and logged out of the Watcher database. “Don’t tell her you know who he is, from what I know of him Methos was very defensive about his privacy.”
“Still is; Siannon says he’s being elusive and she’s known him for over 1000 years, but then Siannon won’t be the problem.” Jack gave Ianto’s shoulder a squeeze. “Thanks Ianto.” He said, before heading toward the door.
“No problem, sir. Just…” Jack turned, and met Ianto’s concerned eyes. “Take care.”
“Don’t worry, I intend to.” Ianto listened to the receding footsteps, and waited until he had heard the hub door close again before swearing comprehensively in Welsh. Despite his concerns, part of him really wanted to meet the oldest immortal. If anyone could help Jack, it would be Methos.