Does Africa Know A Song Of Me? - Part 3/10
Title: Does Africa Know A Song Of Me?
Fandom: Torchwood
Pairings: Jack/Ianto, mentions of Gwen/Rhys, Martha/Tom
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: No, I don't own Torchwood. Things would be rather different if I did.
Spoilers: Set sometime late in an alternate version of S2 (where no one is dead)
Summary: Jack gets a call from UNIT. They need his help... in Namibia. And when they arrive, Jack and Ianto (because Jack wouldn't leave him behind) discover the only communication they have with the team is letters...
Author's Note: The title is taken from a quote from the film 'Out Of Africa'. This was written for tw_bigbang
Thanks to: The wonderful morbid_sparks for beta'ing, cheerleading and letting me complain about not knowing where the plot was going.
Also huge thanks to my lovely bigbang artist, wrenriddle - find her fanmix and beautiful cover art for this story here.
Previous Parts: One Two
Does Africa Know A Song of Me?
Dijoutu Safari Station
nr Otjinene
Omaheke
Namibia
23rd April 2008
Dear Martha,
Thank you for the invitation to your upcoming nuptials, we would be most delighted to… blah blah blah. Why are you supposed to respond in ridiculously formal language to a wedding invitation anyway? Ianto says tradition, but if everyone kept up every age old tradition we’d get nowhere.
I would have bought a nice card or something to write the acceptance in but, as you can tell from the address above, we’re not really all that close to many shops selling fancy little cards for writing acceptance letters in. Jack dragged me to Africa.
I did not ‘drag’. I might have suggested, coerced and possibly thrown in a tiny little bit of seduction, but I didn’t drag. I resent the implication that anyone would have to be dragged to come somewhere with me, even somewhere he turned out not to like very much, like an African desert.
You’d have come with me if I asked nicely, right Martha?
And no, I didn’t choose to bring him out here with me for a holiday. I don’t know if you would have heard, through… whatever channels it is that you hear of things through, but UNIT actually called me up and pretty much begged for me to come out and investigate some strange happenings that have their local office stumped. Well, I say local office, but really it’s just one little room in the UN building, a couple of slightly ramshackle field stations and a half-dozen soldiers. They were in completely over their heads when something actually happened.
So they offered me lots of owed favours in order to come down here, and I couldn’t leave Ianto behind, could I? What would I do without him for all these weeks?
There’s part of me wishes he had left me behind, though. We’re living in a hut in the middle of nowhere with unreliable electricity, no phone, water shortages (so we can’t have coffee) and the living space is almost as cramped as Jack’s room in the Hub (which is probably fine for one person, and is okay for two for a limited time, but for several weeks on the trot - not so much). I’d send you a photo if I had one, just so you could see what I’m putting up with for Jack.
We’ll be fine. Anyway, we would love to come to the wedding. This is us, officially doing the ‘RSVP’ thing.
Although - you are going to introduce us to Tom before that, right? In fact, I’m slightly hurt that you haven’t already, considering you’re going to marry him. I thought we were more important to you than that. I demand an explanation, Martha Jones.
Just as soon as we get back to Cardiff, you have to come visit again and bring him with you.
If you want to reach us, we’re going to be at the address above for the next several weeks at least - don’t bother our phones because there is absolutely no signal for miles around.
Hoping to hear from you soon.
Love,
Jack & Ianto
P.S. He threw in a Hell of a lot more than just a ‘tiny little bit’ of seduction…
Namibia
24th April 2008
Dear all,
If there’s anything to go into the archives - either new stuff or stuff to go back in after you’ve played with it - please, please, just leave it until I get back. I know you mean well, but… just don’t. You say you know the alphabet, but are you sure? I’ve seen some of your attempts at filing, and I’m not at all convinced. There’s a reason I don’t like you going into the archives without me, and it’s nothing to do with my thinking you’d get lost. (Okay, it’s a little about that, but mostly it isn’t.)
Actually, there’s a little room directly to the left when you first get to the archives that is pretty much empty; I use it as a sort of office sometimes when I have a lot to sort through down there. There should be plenty room in there for you to leave anything you need archived while I’m away. If there isn’t… we’ll cross that bridge if and when we come to it.
And no, Owen, I’m not in a three piece suit. Yes, I do like them, for work at least, but in this heat they would just be insanity. I’m too hot even in what I’m wearing, let alone layers.
Ianto is wearing shorts. Shorts. I didn’t even know he owned shorts until last week. I don’t know why he kept it such a secret from me, because he actually looks really rather good in shorts. Not as good as he does out of them of course, but that’s not the point. Did any of you know that he had shorts? Have any of you ever seen him wearing shorts?
Yes, in deference to the heat, I’m wearing shorts. And also, horror of horrors, a T-shirt. (Also a sun hat, because it is very bright and sunny here most days.) Unlike some people, who are still wearing 2 shirts and whining about their coats, I don’t want to get heat stroke. It’s only sensible, and not nearly as exciting or interesting as Jack seems to think it is.
I really would welcome a little rain right about now, although if it’s as bad in Cardiff at the moment as you say it is, I think I might just about take the stiflingly hot desert. Even if I do have to resort to a very unprofessional uniform of shorts and T-shirt.
If you haven’t found any Rift-related reason for the heavy rain yet then it’s fairly unlikely that there is one (or if there is one, that it will show up), but it’s a good idea to keep an eye out anyway. Although if it is more widespread than Cardiff and its surroundings (you never said) then it probably isn’t Rift related. Probably.
Hopefully none of the names you don’t recognise will call while we’re gone, Gwen. If they call, it is rarely, if ever, good news. Usually it’s very, very BAD news, actually. Well, except for Archie - I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned his name to you, but you’ll have heard of him. He is Torchwood Two (his ‘base’ is in his cellar, yes really). When he calls it is usually just extremely peculiar news. Or something about football. Keep your fingers crossed that none of them will call, anyway.
I’m glad to hear there haven’t been any major incidents yet, though. Even with UNIT’s backing (and you know already how suspicious I am of that) I can’t help but worry about you three. Three people isn’t very many when something big hits (as you might remember, Tosh).
We haven’t had anything major happen out here, either. Or anything much at all, actually. Jack’s even started muttering suspiciously about it all just being a ruse (I think he’s just being paranoid, but that’s Jack). Nothing that is showing up on any of the scans we’ve managed to get set up now has happened, anyway.
Although, a couple of the relay beacons don’t seem to be working properly anymore. Not since the sandstorm two days ago (really did not enjoy the sandstorm, even from inside our hut and only on the edge of the storm). Tosh, is it possible that sand could have gotten inside them in some way and disrupted something? I wouldn’t have thought it was, but that’s the only explanation I can think of - we haven’t been able to get out to check for ourselves yet as they’re on the farthest edges of the area we’re keeping under surveillance, and we were advised to give it at least a day to ‘calm down’ after a big sandstorm like that before venturing out into the wilds again.
Hopefully we can go and have a look this afternoon, but I’m not convinced that the problem will be immediately obvious. If you can think of anything, Tosh, please let us know.
Hoping to hear from you soon,
Ianto and Jack
Part Four
Fandom: Torchwood
Pairings: Jack/Ianto, mentions of Gwen/Rhys, Martha/Tom
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: No, I don't own Torchwood. Things would be rather different if I did.
Spoilers: Set sometime late in an alternate version of S2 (where no one is dead)
Summary: Jack gets a call from UNIT. They need his help... in Namibia. And when they arrive, Jack and Ianto (because Jack wouldn't leave him behind) discover the only communication they have with the team is letters...
Author's Note: The title is taken from a quote from the film 'Out Of Africa'. This was written for tw_bigbang
Thanks to: The wonderful morbid_sparks for beta'ing, cheerleading and letting me complain about not knowing where the plot was going.
Also huge thanks to my lovely bigbang artist, wrenriddle - find her fanmix and beautiful cover art for this story here.
Previous Parts: One Two
Does Africa Know A Song of Me?
Dijoutu Safari Station
nr Otjinene
Omaheke
Namibia
23rd April 2008
Dear Martha,
Thank you for the invitation to your upcoming nuptials, we would be most delighted to… blah blah blah. Why are you supposed to respond in ridiculously formal language to a wedding invitation anyway? Ianto says tradition, but if everyone kept up every age old tradition we’d get nowhere.
I would have bought a nice card or something to write the acceptance in but, as you can tell from the address above, we’re not really all that close to many shops selling fancy little cards for writing acceptance letters in. Jack dragged me to Africa.
I did not ‘drag’. I might have suggested, coerced and possibly thrown in a tiny little bit of seduction, but I didn’t drag. I resent the implication that anyone would have to be dragged to come somewhere with me, even somewhere he turned out not to like very much, like an African desert.
You’d have come with me if I asked nicely, right Martha?
And no, I didn’t choose to bring him out here with me for a holiday. I don’t know if you would have heard, through… whatever channels it is that you hear of things through, but UNIT actually called me up and pretty much begged for me to come out and investigate some strange happenings that have their local office stumped. Well, I say local office, but really it’s just one little room in the UN building, a couple of slightly ramshackle field stations and a half-dozen soldiers. They were in completely over their heads when something actually happened.
So they offered me lots of owed favours in order to come down here, and I couldn’t leave Ianto behind, could I? What would I do without him for all these weeks?
There’s part of me wishes he had left me behind, though. We’re living in a hut in the middle of nowhere with unreliable electricity, no phone, water shortages (so we can’t have coffee) and the living space is almost as cramped as Jack’s room in the Hub (which is probably fine for one person, and is okay for two for a limited time, but for several weeks on the trot - not so much). I’d send you a photo if I had one, just so you could see what I’m putting up with for Jack.
We’ll be fine. Anyway, we would love to come to the wedding. This is us, officially doing the ‘RSVP’ thing.
Although - you are going to introduce us to Tom before that, right? In fact, I’m slightly hurt that you haven’t already, considering you’re going to marry him. I thought we were more important to you than that. I demand an explanation, Martha Jones.
Just as soon as we get back to Cardiff, you have to come visit again and bring him with you.
If you want to reach us, we’re going to be at the address above for the next several weeks at least - don’t bother our phones because there is absolutely no signal for miles around.
Hoping to hear from you soon.
Love,
Jack & Ianto
P.S. He threw in a Hell of a lot more than just a ‘tiny little bit’ of seduction…
Namibia
24th April 2008
Dear all,
If there’s anything to go into the archives - either new stuff or stuff to go back in after you’ve played with it - please, please, just leave it until I get back. I know you mean well, but… just don’t. You say you know the alphabet, but are you sure? I’ve seen some of your attempts at filing, and I’m not at all convinced. There’s a reason I don’t like you going into the archives without me, and it’s nothing to do with my thinking you’d get lost. (Okay, it’s a little about that, but mostly it isn’t.)
Actually, there’s a little room directly to the left when you first get to the archives that is pretty much empty; I use it as a sort of office sometimes when I have a lot to sort through down there. There should be plenty room in there for you to leave anything you need archived while I’m away. If there isn’t… we’ll cross that bridge if and when we come to it.
And no, Owen, I’m not in a three piece suit. Yes, I do like them, for work at least, but in this heat they would just be insanity. I’m too hot even in what I’m wearing, let alone layers.
Ianto is wearing shorts. Shorts. I didn’t even know he owned shorts until last week. I don’t know why he kept it such a secret from me, because he actually looks really rather good in shorts. Not as good as he does out of them of course, but that’s not the point. Did any of you know that he had shorts? Have any of you ever seen him wearing shorts?
Yes, in deference to the heat, I’m wearing shorts. And also, horror of horrors, a T-shirt. (Also a sun hat, because it is very bright and sunny here most days.) Unlike some people, who are still wearing 2 shirts and whining about their coats, I don’t want to get heat stroke. It’s only sensible, and not nearly as exciting or interesting as Jack seems to think it is.
I really would welcome a little rain right about now, although if it’s as bad in Cardiff at the moment as you say it is, I think I might just about take the stiflingly hot desert. Even if I do have to resort to a very unprofessional uniform of shorts and T-shirt.
If you haven’t found any Rift-related reason for the heavy rain yet then it’s fairly unlikely that there is one (or if there is one, that it will show up), but it’s a good idea to keep an eye out anyway. Although if it is more widespread than Cardiff and its surroundings (you never said) then it probably isn’t Rift related. Probably.
Hopefully none of the names you don’t recognise will call while we’re gone, Gwen. If they call, it is rarely, if ever, good news. Usually it’s very, very BAD news, actually. Well, except for Archie - I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned his name to you, but you’ll have heard of him. He is Torchwood Two (his ‘base’ is in his cellar, yes really). When he calls it is usually just extremely peculiar news. Or something about football. Keep your fingers crossed that none of them will call, anyway.
I’m glad to hear there haven’t been any major incidents yet, though. Even with UNIT’s backing (and you know already how suspicious I am of that) I can’t help but worry about you three. Three people isn’t very many when something big hits (as you might remember, Tosh).
We haven’t had anything major happen out here, either. Or anything much at all, actually. Jack’s even started muttering suspiciously about it all just being a ruse (I think he’s just being paranoid, but that’s Jack). Nothing that is showing up on any of the scans we’ve managed to get set up now has happened, anyway.
Although, a couple of the relay beacons don’t seem to be working properly anymore. Not since the sandstorm two days ago (really did not enjoy the sandstorm, even from inside our hut and only on the edge of the storm). Tosh, is it possible that sand could have gotten inside them in some way and disrupted something? I wouldn’t have thought it was, but that’s the only explanation I can think of - we haven’t been able to get out to check for ourselves yet as they’re on the farthest edges of the area we’re keeping under surveillance, and we were advised to give it at least a day to ‘calm down’ after a big sandstorm like that before venturing out into the wilds again.
Hopefully we can go and have a look this afternoon, but I’m not convinced that the problem will be immediately obvious. If you can think of anything, Tosh, please let us know.
Hoping to hear from you soon,
Ianto and Jack
Part Four