Continuance (5/15)
Title: Continuance (5/15)
Pairing: Jack/Ianto
Characters: Jack, Ianto, Gwen, Rhys, Rhiannon, OCs
Rating: NC-17
Spoilers: CoE
Summary: My response to the horrors of series 3. Sequel to Restoration
Okay, sorry this is a little later than intended. RL called, and it ended up rather longer than I imagined it would - 2600+! Longest chapter yet. I wasn’t too sure of it, actually, but then I saw New Earth again, and considered all the logic-holes in Torchwood and Doctor Who and it suddenly didn’t seem so bad. Feel I have to warn you though: I know nothing about computers, programming, or, for that matter, offices. So, it’s probably completely unrealistic, I’m afraid. Also, introduction of an OC! There’s probably only going to be one more chapter after this one before I go on holiday for a couple of weeks, but the plan has now been extended from 13 to 15 chapters. Anyway, thanks for all the comments and I hope you enjoy this part! :-)
‘Jack, there’s something strange here,’ Gwen calls from her computer.
Ianto glances across as Jack hurries down the stairs from his office and peers over her shoulder at the screen. A frown appears and Ianto can sense a twinge of unease; he makes his way over to stand alongside Jack, quickly reading the information displayed on the monitor.
‘That ... doesn’t seem right,’ he says after a moment, still focused on the screen.
‘No,’ Jack agrees. ‘It’s a tech company, so I suppose we have to allow for some development, but those readings are ridiculous.’
‘Want me to try and hack through, check their computers?’
‘Give it a go. You want a hand?’ Since Tosh, Ianto usually deals with the computer stuff, but Jack has experience too; often their combines skills work where alone they wouldn’t manage, but even together they’re no match for Tosh’s abilities.
‘Might be an idea; they’ve probably got pretty high security.’
‘Okay. Gwen, do a background check on CalcuTech, see if anything seems off. Yan?’
They head over to Ianto’s desk, each settling in front of a computer and setting to work. Over the next couple of hours they try various different approaches, and each one leads them to a dead end. At least until -
‘Shit.’
‘Jack, what the hell is that?’
‘I - that should not be happening. That system - that technology - it won’t be in use for millennia, not by humans.’
Gwen stands and hurries over to them. ‘What’s wrong?’
‘You mean the technology - it’s alien?’ Ianto clarifies, watching Jack.
‘Yeah. I guess we must have broken through the external - human - firewall and hit this. God knows we haven’t actually made it through properly. Gwen, you have anything?’
‘I’ve got lights flickering and a ridiculously undetailed report of the computers acting up, dated exactly two weeks ago.’
‘Sounds like we’re onto something. We okay to go?’
Ianto checks the Rift predictor. ‘Some small spikes over the next few hours. Probably nothing, but it might be best if someone keeps an eye on it.’
‘Okay, Ianto, you’re with me. Gwen, we’ll call you if we need anything; you call us if something comes up.’
Gwen scowls. ‘Jack, I really -’
He fixes her with a firm look. ‘Gwen, you are pregnant. The paperwork taking you off field duty is nearly finished, and aside from that I do need someone to monitor the Rift.’
She sighs and nods. Ianto knows that her argument was mostly habit; she really doesn’t want to risk her baby, so she never puts up much of a fight.
With that sorted he and Jack make their way up to the SUV, Jack driving as usual while Ianto checks out the company’s history. ‘They were created nine years ago; it seems their main focus is creating new software, mainly to help engineers, I think. Do you have any idea what could be doing this?’
‘There are any number of different lifeforms capable of that kind of tech, and several of those exist in computers. We’re really going to have our work cut out for us.’
Ianto frowns at the idea of anything being able to exist in computers and sighs. ‘Just wonderful. I don’t suppose you have any idea of how to deal with that sort of thing?’
‘It sort of depends on what they’re doing. I mean, if they’re stranded and don’t mean any harm ... well, we’ll figure something out. If it’s something more hostile then there are a few things we could try.’
It doesn’t take them long to get there; Jack pulls in and they grab some tech and a couple of the laptops before making their way into the foyer and over to the reception desk.
‘Hi there, do you think you could tell us where we might find the main research department?’ asks Jack, turning on the charm.
The receptionist, a pretty red-head, looks at them dubiously. ‘Do you have an appointment? I can’t just let you in. Who are you?’
Ianto glances at Jack, who shakes his head fractionally. ‘We’re from the government; some of the discoveries made here have caught our attention.’
Her eyes widen. ‘Of course. It’s the fifth floor, the lift’s over there. You’ll probably be security-checked when you get there. I’ll let them know you’re coming, Mr ...?’
‘Harkness. This is Jones.’
With that sorted they step into the lift, waiting for the doors to slide closed before speaking.
‘If there’s a security check we’ll have to tell them we’re Torchwood,’ Ianto comments.
‘I know. Sometimes I wonder why we bother with secrecy.’
‘You’re the one who splashed ‘Torchwood’ all over the SUV. Anyone would think you like attention. Anyway, we’ll only be retconning them afterwards. No harm done.’
Nothing more is said, however, because the lift dings and the door slides open to reveal a modern-looking office space filled with desks, computers and gadgetry. There is a middle-aged, suited man waiting for them, accompanied by two security guards and there are maybe six workers in the office itself, although Ianto supposes that if they hadn’t come during the lunch hour there would probably be a number more.
‘Mr Harkness, Mr Jones. Sarah says you’re from the government. You won’t mind a security check,’ says the man, voice bland. ‘I’m Gareth James.’
‘We’re not actually from the government; we’re from Torchwood,’ says Jack, clearly having decided on the blunt approach.
‘Oh really?’ It’s obvious the man doesn’t believe them. ‘And why are you interested in CalcuTech?’
‘Something is affecting your computer systems. Started about two weeks ago? You’ve never seen anything like it.’
‘Nothing has -’
He is interrupted by a mousy-haired young man leaning across from one of the computers to look at them. ‘It’s been really weird, actually. It’s like there’re two platforms running at once - ours, and something else, except our is only kind of ... superficial. No administration ability.’
Glad that someone seems willing to help - the rest have their eyes carefully averted, obviously hoping to avoid notice - they make their way over to him.
‘What have you noticed about it?’ Jack asks.
‘You mean aside from the fact that it’s decades - probably centuries - beyond current technology? For a start, it seems to be developing, getting more complex. We can’t control it; it does what it wants. Sometimes it interferes with our own system and work, other times we can just get on with it.’
‘Can you understand any of it?’ Ianto asks, peering at the purple symbols currently displayed on the screen.
‘I’ve managed to get into some of the programming - at least some of it’s similar to our own, but lot’s beyond me. The strangest thing is, it shouldn’t be possible. The processors shouldn’t be able to handle it.’
‘Definitely in the system then,’ murmurs Jack. ‘Damn. Okay. Has there been any - what’s your name?’
‘Nicholas Barker, sir. Nick.’
‘Okay Nick. Has there been any communication?’
‘No, but I haven’t really tried.’
‘Lets try that then. May I?’
Nick moves, allowing Jack to take his place and begin typing. For a moment nothing happens, but then a dialogue box opens.
‘Who are you?’ he types.
‘I am Cetrani. Who are you?’
‘Torchwood. You’re converting the computer systems. Why?’
‘To make them suitable.’
‘Suitable for what?’
‘Me.’
‘Are there more of you?’
‘There will be.’ Jack glances across at Ianto, frowning.
‘Why are you here?’ he types after a moment.
‘Our system was destroyed. We were forced into escape pods. I have been looking for somewhere we can inhabit.’
Ianto curses softly in Welsh as Jack types his reply. ‘You mean to take over Earth?’
‘Just the computers and electronics. If humans do not attempt to harm us we will leave them.’
‘We can’t let you do that.’
‘You have no choice.’ And then the screen goes blank.
‘Shit,’ Jack snarls. ‘Okay, Ianto, call Gwen, let her know what’s happening and have her on standby. Then clear the building. Nick, just how good with computers are you?’
‘Very,’ he says firmly while Ianto strides over to the lift. It doesn’t open. Tensing, he tries his phone and finds the signal blocked.
He makes his way back over to Jack and says quietly, ‘We have a problem. Phone signal is blocked, lifts aren’t working, the outside doors are controlled electronically. It’ll probably be very difficult to get people out.’
‘Okay. See what security procedures there are and do what you can to keep this contained.’
‘On it.’ He moves over the manager. ‘Are there any security protocols that we can use that don’t rest on people actually getting out of the building?’
The man scowls, indignant. ‘Who do you think you are? What’s going on?’
‘We are Torchwood. Your system is being hacked and I need to keep people calm and make sure they stay where they are. Do you have an announcement system?’
‘No, nothing like that, and all our procedures lead to getting people out.’
‘Brilliant. Okay.’ He turns his attention to the security guards. ‘You two, see if you can use the stairs. If you can, let people know that there’s a security issue. They have to shut down their computers and remain where they are while it’s dealt with; we’ll let them know when they can go. You got that?’
They nod and leave. Ianto knows that they can probably get out if they try, but at this point it seems better to leave people where they are, as there appears to be no physical danger and it’ll make them easier to retcon later. With that in mind he heads back over to Jack and Nick, hoping that they’ll have gotten somewhere.
‘Can’t we just power down all the computers?’ asks Nick, looking sideways to Jack.
‘Won’t work. It’ll be on the internet now, probably. Even if it isn’t ... No. The Cetrani are clever, powering down probably won’t even make a great deal of difference.’
‘Have you tried wiping the hard drive?’ asks Ianto. ‘Factory settings sort of thing?’
The younger man raises his eyebrows. ‘Could work. Want to try?’
Jack shrugs. ‘Go ahead. It’s not going to do any harm. We’ll do them simultaneously. Ianto?’
‘On it.’
Between them and a couple of others they manage to wipe the computers and set about rebooting the system.
‘Shit,’ swears Jack. ‘We’ve only wiped our own system. Great.’
‘Now what?’ murmurs Ianto, frowning. For a few moments they’re quiet, thinking.
‘I’ve got it!’ Nick exclaims suddenly, grinning and practically leaping out of his seat. ‘A virus!’
A slow smirk forms on Ianto’s face. ‘If we create a virus ...’
‘Exactly! Programme it to destroy the foreign system and whatever created it and you’re sorted,’ he nods.
‘If you send it across the internet we’ll be sure to get rid of it completely,’ Jack adds. ‘Can you do it?’
He looks hesitant for a moment. ‘I think so. I’ve studied the system as best I can. It’s getting rid of this Cetrani thing that’s going to be the problem, and if we don’t manage that it’ll just start up all over again, won’t it?’
‘Yes,’ Jack agrees. ‘Yan, do we have the database on the laptops?’
‘We do, but there’s no entry for the Cetrani.’
‘Damn. Okay, here’s what we’re going to do. Nick, you get to work on the virus. Use one of our laptops. Ianto, me and you’ll see if the scanner can find out the Cetrani equation. That’s the thing about species like that - they don’t have a chemical make-up like humans, they have a sort of numerical one.’ He looks again to the tech. ‘If we find that out do you think you could fit it into the virus?’
‘It’s not the sort of thing I’ve tried before, but I’ll give it a go.’
‘Good man! Now lets get on with this.’
With a plan things seemed to go much more smoothly; as Ianto attaches the scanner to one of the computers (according to Jack the security on it its advanced enough to prevent the Cetrani from interfering with it) he can only think about how glad he is that this incident hasn’t degenerated into one of those awful anything-that-can-go-wrong-does sort of missions. And, if the contemplative looks Jack keeps giving Nick are anything to go by, it looks like they may have found a new tech. He’s certainly bright enough.
It takes awhile, but apparently the scanner is capable of breaking through the Cetrani security and then it’s only a matter of moments before the equation (a ridiculously complicated thing) pops up on the scanner’s display screen, along with some more information about the system. Nick enters it into his coding and then all they can do is wait while he finished programming.
With nothing better to do Ianto sets about trying to break through the Cetrani’s communication block while Jack goes to check that all’s well on the other floors. He wants to check up on Nick’s background, and although it takes some doing he manages to access the Torchwood database, and from there he can look up Nicholas Barker. It shows up clean. Competency with basic engineering, skilled with physical technology, genius level with computing. Hard worker, reliable, average background, good work history. If Jack mentions it Ianto can confidently tell him the history’s clean and that there is proof of the huge potential that they’ve witnessed today.
A jubilant cry of ‘Done!’ jerks him out of his thoughts and brings the just-returned Jack striding over.
‘This’ll work?’ Jack asks, serious.
‘If it doesn’t I haven’t a clue what will.’
‘Okay. Copy it to a disk, stick it into here, send it to every computer and across the web too. I want every trace of this gone.’
Ianto ends up pushing the disk in while Nick hits send. For a moment the screens flicker; there is a strange electronic whine, and then every monitor goes blank. They release a breath.
‘Try turning one on,’ suggests Jack.
They do. ‘Completely dead,’ he announces.
‘Great! We’ll run a trace when we get back to the Hub, just to be sure. Ianto, a word?’
They step out of earshot. ‘Think we should hire him?’ Jack asks, eyebrow raised. Ianto stifles a smile, pleased at being asked.
‘Yes. He’s good - brilliant, really. He took it all in his stride; seems reasonably easygoing. I took the liberty of checking up on his history: completely clean.’
Jack claps him on the shoulder. ‘Great work, Ianto. Come on.’ They move back over to Nick, who is watching them curiously. ‘Nick, do you know what Torchwood is?’
‘Heard of you. I’m assuming you deal with stuff like this?’
‘Yeah, Well, we deal with aliens in general, actually. We’d like you to work for us; we need - we need a new tech.’
Ianto watches as the younger man’s eyes widen. ‘Are you serious?’
‘Very. But I have to warn you. It’s dangerous. You could be hurt, even killed. The hours are crazy.’
Clearly Jack has the reality-bringing, negative side of things covered. Ianto intervenes with a wry smile. ‘On the other hand, the pay is ... considerable, and you’re unlikely to find a more exciting job.’
They watch as he considers for a few moments before grinning. ‘I’ll do it!’
‘Excellent. You start tomorrow. Come down to Roald Dahl Plass; one of us will meet you there.’
He nods. ‘Got it.’
‘Okay then. We’re going to deal with the clean-up here; we’ll see you tomorrow. And thanks for the help.’ With that they turn away.
‘What do you think?’ Ianto asks. ‘Retcon all round or just this floor?’
‘Safer if it’s everyone. Can you handle the cover story?’
‘I’ll get right on it.’ It’s just another day at Torchwood.
Pairing: Jack/Ianto
Characters: Jack, Ianto, Gwen, Rhys, Rhiannon, OCs
Rating: NC-17
Spoilers: CoE
Summary: My response to the horrors of series 3. Sequel to Restoration
Okay, sorry this is a little later than intended. RL called, and it ended up rather longer than I imagined it would - 2600+! Longest chapter yet. I wasn’t too sure of it, actually, but then I saw New Earth again, and considered all the logic-holes in Torchwood and Doctor Who and it suddenly didn’t seem so bad. Feel I have to warn you though: I know nothing about computers, programming, or, for that matter, offices. So, it’s probably completely unrealistic, I’m afraid. Also, introduction of an OC! There’s probably only going to be one more chapter after this one before I go on holiday for a couple of weeks, but the plan has now been extended from 13 to 15 chapters. Anyway, thanks for all the comments and I hope you enjoy this part! :-)
‘Jack, there’s something strange here,’ Gwen calls from her computer.
Ianto glances across as Jack hurries down the stairs from his office and peers over her shoulder at the screen. A frown appears and Ianto can sense a twinge of unease; he makes his way over to stand alongside Jack, quickly reading the information displayed on the monitor.
‘That ... doesn’t seem right,’ he says after a moment, still focused on the screen.
‘No,’ Jack agrees. ‘It’s a tech company, so I suppose we have to allow for some development, but those readings are ridiculous.’
‘Want me to try and hack through, check their computers?’
‘Give it a go. You want a hand?’ Since Tosh, Ianto usually deals with the computer stuff, but Jack has experience too; often their combines skills work where alone they wouldn’t manage, but even together they’re no match for Tosh’s abilities.
‘Might be an idea; they’ve probably got pretty high security.’
‘Okay. Gwen, do a background check on CalcuTech, see if anything seems off. Yan?’
They head over to Ianto’s desk, each settling in front of a computer and setting to work. Over the next couple of hours they try various different approaches, and each one leads them to a dead end. At least until -
‘Shit.’
‘Jack, what the hell is that?’
‘I - that should not be happening. That system - that technology - it won’t be in use for millennia, not by humans.’
Gwen stands and hurries over to them. ‘What’s wrong?’
‘You mean the technology - it’s alien?’ Ianto clarifies, watching Jack.
‘Yeah. I guess we must have broken through the external - human - firewall and hit this. God knows we haven’t actually made it through properly. Gwen, you have anything?’
‘I’ve got lights flickering and a ridiculously undetailed report of the computers acting up, dated exactly two weeks ago.’
‘Sounds like we’re onto something. We okay to go?’
Ianto checks the Rift predictor. ‘Some small spikes over the next few hours. Probably nothing, but it might be best if someone keeps an eye on it.’
‘Okay, Ianto, you’re with me. Gwen, we’ll call you if we need anything; you call us if something comes up.’
Gwen scowls. ‘Jack, I really -’
He fixes her with a firm look. ‘Gwen, you are pregnant. The paperwork taking you off field duty is nearly finished, and aside from that I do need someone to monitor the Rift.’
She sighs and nods. Ianto knows that her argument was mostly habit; she really doesn’t want to risk her baby, so she never puts up much of a fight.
With that sorted he and Jack make their way up to the SUV, Jack driving as usual while Ianto checks out the company’s history. ‘They were created nine years ago; it seems their main focus is creating new software, mainly to help engineers, I think. Do you have any idea what could be doing this?’
‘There are any number of different lifeforms capable of that kind of tech, and several of those exist in computers. We’re really going to have our work cut out for us.’
Ianto frowns at the idea of anything being able to exist in computers and sighs. ‘Just wonderful. I don’t suppose you have any idea of how to deal with that sort of thing?’
‘It sort of depends on what they’re doing. I mean, if they’re stranded and don’t mean any harm ... well, we’ll figure something out. If it’s something more hostile then there are a few things we could try.’
It doesn’t take them long to get there; Jack pulls in and they grab some tech and a couple of the laptops before making their way into the foyer and over to the reception desk.
‘Hi there, do you think you could tell us where we might find the main research department?’ asks Jack, turning on the charm.
The receptionist, a pretty red-head, looks at them dubiously. ‘Do you have an appointment? I can’t just let you in. Who are you?’
Ianto glances at Jack, who shakes his head fractionally. ‘We’re from the government; some of the discoveries made here have caught our attention.’
Her eyes widen. ‘Of course. It’s the fifth floor, the lift’s over there. You’ll probably be security-checked when you get there. I’ll let them know you’re coming, Mr ...?’
‘Harkness. This is Jones.’
With that sorted they step into the lift, waiting for the doors to slide closed before speaking.
‘If there’s a security check we’ll have to tell them we’re Torchwood,’ Ianto comments.
‘I know. Sometimes I wonder why we bother with secrecy.’
‘You’re the one who splashed ‘Torchwood’ all over the SUV. Anyone would think you like attention. Anyway, we’ll only be retconning them afterwards. No harm done.’
Nothing more is said, however, because the lift dings and the door slides open to reveal a modern-looking office space filled with desks, computers and gadgetry. There is a middle-aged, suited man waiting for them, accompanied by two security guards and there are maybe six workers in the office itself, although Ianto supposes that if they hadn’t come during the lunch hour there would probably be a number more.
‘Mr Harkness, Mr Jones. Sarah says you’re from the government. You won’t mind a security check,’ says the man, voice bland. ‘I’m Gareth James.’
‘We’re not actually from the government; we’re from Torchwood,’ says Jack, clearly having decided on the blunt approach.
‘Oh really?’ It’s obvious the man doesn’t believe them. ‘And why are you interested in CalcuTech?’
‘Something is affecting your computer systems. Started about two weeks ago? You’ve never seen anything like it.’
‘Nothing has -’
He is interrupted by a mousy-haired young man leaning across from one of the computers to look at them. ‘It’s been really weird, actually. It’s like there’re two platforms running at once - ours, and something else, except our is only kind of ... superficial. No administration ability.’
Glad that someone seems willing to help - the rest have their eyes carefully averted, obviously hoping to avoid notice - they make their way over to him.
‘What have you noticed about it?’ Jack asks.
‘You mean aside from the fact that it’s decades - probably centuries - beyond current technology? For a start, it seems to be developing, getting more complex. We can’t control it; it does what it wants. Sometimes it interferes with our own system and work, other times we can just get on with it.’
‘Can you understand any of it?’ Ianto asks, peering at the purple symbols currently displayed on the screen.
‘I’ve managed to get into some of the programming - at least some of it’s similar to our own, but lot’s beyond me. The strangest thing is, it shouldn’t be possible. The processors shouldn’t be able to handle it.’
‘Definitely in the system then,’ murmurs Jack. ‘Damn. Okay. Has there been any - what’s your name?’
‘Nicholas Barker, sir. Nick.’
‘Okay Nick. Has there been any communication?’
‘No, but I haven’t really tried.’
‘Lets try that then. May I?’
Nick moves, allowing Jack to take his place and begin typing. For a moment nothing happens, but then a dialogue box opens.
‘Who are you?’ he types.
‘I am Cetrani. Who are you?’
‘Torchwood. You’re converting the computer systems. Why?’
‘To make them suitable.’
‘Suitable for what?’
‘Me.’
‘Are there more of you?’
‘There will be.’ Jack glances across at Ianto, frowning.
‘Why are you here?’ he types after a moment.
‘Our system was destroyed. We were forced into escape pods. I have been looking for somewhere we can inhabit.’
Ianto curses softly in Welsh as Jack types his reply. ‘You mean to take over Earth?’
‘Just the computers and electronics. If humans do not attempt to harm us we will leave them.’
‘We can’t let you do that.’
‘You have no choice.’ And then the screen goes blank.
‘Shit,’ Jack snarls. ‘Okay, Ianto, call Gwen, let her know what’s happening and have her on standby. Then clear the building. Nick, just how good with computers are you?’
‘Very,’ he says firmly while Ianto strides over to the lift. It doesn’t open. Tensing, he tries his phone and finds the signal blocked.
He makes his way back over to Jack and says quietly, ‘We have a problem. Phone signal is blocked, lifts aren’t working, the outside doors are controlled electronically. It’ll probably be very difficult to get people out.’
‘Okay. See what security procedures there are and do what you can to keep this contained.’
‘On it.’ He moves over the manager. ‘Are there any security protocols that we can use that don’t rest on people actually getting out of the building?’
The man scowls, indignant. ‘Who do you think you are? What’s going on?’
‘We are Torchwood. Your system is being hacked and I need to keep people calm and make sure they stay where they are. Do you have an announcement system?’
‘No, nothing like that, and all our procedures lead to getting people out.’
‘Brilliant. Okay.’ He turns his attention to the security guards. ‘You two, see if you can use the stairs. If you can, let people know that there’s a security issue. They have to shut down their computers and remain where they are while it’s dealt with; we’ll let them know when they can go. You got that?’
They nod and leave. Ianto knows that they can probably get out if they try, but at this point it seems better to leave people where they are, as there appears to be no physical danger and it’ll make them easier to retcon later. With that in mind he heads back over to Jack and Nick, hoping that they’ll have gotten somewhere.
‘Can’t we just power down all the computers?’ asks Nick, looking sideways to Jack.
‘Won’t work. It’ll be on the internet now, probably. Even if it isn’t ... No. The Cetrani are clever, powering down probably won’t even make a great deal of difference.’
‘Have you tried wiping the hard drive?’ asks Ianto. ‘Factory settings sort of thing?’
The younger man raises his eyebrows. ‘Could work. Want to try?’
Jack shrugs. ‘Go ahead. It’s not going to do any harm. We’ll do them simultaneously. Ianto?’
‘On it.’
Between them and a couple of others they manage to wipe the computers and set about rebooting the system.
‘Shit,’ swears Jack. ‘We’ve only wiped our own system. Great.’
‘Now what?’ murmurs Ianto, frowning. For a few moments they’re quiet, thinking.
‘I’ve got it!’ Nick exclaims suddenly, grinning and practically leaping out of his seat. ‘A virus!’
A slow smirk forms on Ianto’s face. ‘If we create a virus ...’
‘Exactly! Programme it to destroy the foreign system and whatever created it and you’re sorted,’ he nods.
‘If you send it across the internet we’ll be sure to get rid of it completely,’ Jack adds. ‘Can you do it?’
He looks hesitant for a moment. ‘I think so. I’ve studied the system as best I can. It’s getting rid of this Cetrani thing that’s going to be the problem, and if we don’t manage that it’ll just start up all over again, won’t it?’
‘Yes,’ Jack agrees. ‘Yan, do we have the database on the laptops?’
‘We do, but there’s no entry for the Cetrani.’
‘Damn. Okay, here’s what we’re going to do. Nick, you get to work on the virus. Use one of our laptops. Ianto, me and you’ll see if the scanner can find out the Cetrani equation. That’s the thing about species like that - they don’t have a chemical make-up like humans, they have a sort of numerical one.’ He looks again to the tech. ‘If we find that out do you think you could fit it into the virus?’
‘It’s not the sort of thing I’ve tried before, but I’ll give it a go.’
‘Good man! Now lets get on with this.’
With a plan things seemed to go much more smoothly; as Ianto attaches the scanner to one of the computers (according to Jack the security on it its advanced enough to prevent the Cetrani from interfering with it) he can only think about how glad he is that this incident hasn’t degenerated into one of those awful anything-that-can-go-wrong-does sort of missions. And, if the contemplative looks Jack keeps giving Nick are anything to go by, it looks like they may have found a new tech. He’s certainly bright enough.
It takes awhile, but apparently the scanner is capable of breaking through the Cetrani security and then it’s only a matter of moments before the equation (a ridiculously complicated thing) pops up on the scanner’s display screen, along with some more information about the system. Nick enters it into his coding and then all they can do is wait while he finished programming.
With nothing better to do Ianto sets about trying to break through the Cetrani’s communication block while Jack goes to check that all’s well on the other floors. He wants to check up on Nick’s background, and although it takes some doing he manages to access the Torchwood database, and from there he can look up Nicholas Barker. It shows up clean. Competency with basic engineering, skilled with physical technology, genius level with computing. Hard worker, reliable, average background, good work history. If Jack mentions it Ianto can confidently tell him the history’s clean and that there is proof of the huge potential that they’ve witnessed today.
A jubilant cry of ‘Done!’ jerks him out of his thoughts and brings the just-returned Jack striding over.
‘This’ll work?’ Jack asks, serious.
‘If it doesn’t I haven’t a clue what will.’
‘Okay. Copy it to a disk, stick it into here, send it to every computer and across the web too. I want every trace of this gone.’
Ianto ends up pushing the disk in while Nick hits send. For a moment the screens flicker; there is a strange electronic whine, and then every monitor goes blank. They release a breath.
‘Try turning one on,’ suggests Jack.
They do. ‘Completely dead,’ he announces.
‘Great! We’ll run a trace when we get back to the Hub, just to be sure. Ianto, a word?’
They step out of earshot. ‘Think we should hire him?’ Jack asks, eyebrow raised. Ianto stifles a smile, pleased at being asked.
‘Yes. He’s good - brilliant, really. He took it all in his stride; seems reasonably easygoing. I took the liberty of checking up on his history: completely clean.’
Jack claps him on the shoulder. ‘Great work, Ianto. Come on.’ They move back over to Nick, who is watching them curiously. ‘Nick, do you know what Torchwood is?’
‘Heard of you. I’m assuming you deal with stuff like this?’
‘Yeah, Well, we deal with aliens in general, actually. We’d like you to work for us; we need - we need a new tech.’
Ianto watches as the younger man’s eyes widen. ‘Are you serious?’
‘Very. But I have to warn you. It’s dangerous. You could be hurt, even killed. The hours are crazy.’
Clearly Jack has the reality-bringing, negative side of things covered. Ianto intervenes with a wry smile. ‘On the other hand, the pay is ... considerable, and you’re unlikely to find a more exciting job.’
They watch as he considers for a few moments before grinning. ‘I’ll do it!’
‘Excellent. You start tomorrow. Come down to Roald Dahl Plass; one of us will meet you there.’
He nods. ‘Got it.’
‘Okay then. We’re going to deal with the clean-up here; we’ll see you tomorrow. And thanks for the help.’ With that they turn away.
‘What do you think?’ Ianto asks. ‘Retcon all round or just this floor?’
‘Safer if it’s everyone. Can you handle the cover story?’
‘I’ll get right on it.’ It’s just another day at Torchwood.