Since Jack had arrived at Bowie Base one, to say he'd had an odd experience would be quite the understatement.
He'd struck up something of a strange team with Jenny and encountered a ghost from his own past. A ghost that wasn't a ghost. It wasn't something that easily settled in the mind, but it had to. A large part of him expected to open his eyes and wake up any day now.
He'd taken to patrolling certain parts of the building, in the hope that something might become clear. Maybe he'd find something he'd missed before.
So far, he hadn't.
So another morning and another corridor. He wasn't with Ianto, though it was hard to let him out of his sight in the fear he might simply disappear. He turned into a hallway and up ahead he saw a figure. Just a back, but he knew it. He recognised her almost immediately.
As Gwen walked down the silent corridor, she tried to reign in the growing fear and alarm in the pit of her stomach. So she wasn't expecting it, not in the least, when someone said her name.
Not someone. Because she knew that voice. That voice that had been comfort to her, a refuge, the voice of an ally. That voice she still heard, sometimes, in her dreams.
She spun around, her breath hitched in her throat, and when she saw Jack standing there, she didn't know weather to laugh or cry.
"Jack!" She sped back down the corridor towards him, as fast as she could move in bare feet and her current state. Without pause, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pushing back tears of relief. After a moment she pulled away, examining his face carefully. "God, you haven't changed a bit. What are you doing here? Where the hell are we?"
Jack's movement was immediate. He didn't step from where he stood (really, with her moving towards him as she was there was no need). He wrapped his arms around her, held her tightly for a moment (giving room for the rather large bump in front of her).
He didn't answer her question at first, he just looked at her. It had been a long time. He smiled at her, just a little, just the barest hint.
"You're looking good," he said, keeping one of his hands on her arm, just a gentle hold.
There was yet another pause before he gave any answer of substance, and it came with a straightening of his back and a slight shift in demeanour; more professional, almost.
"Mars," he said. "You're on Mars. Bowie Base one in the year 2059. Time is... wrong. Something's happened, I just haven't worked out what. But whatever it is, it's bad."
His next beat was purposeful. A silence that would add weight to his next words.
Gwen's brain hadn't had much time to process where they were - Mars? How the hell could they be on Mars? And time being "wrong," as vague of an answer as it was, it was made only worse by the fact she could sense it was less of Jack's normal need for constant mystery and more that he was just as confused as she was. And if anything scared Gwen, it was when Jack didn't even know what was going on.
But she'd barely had enough time to form coherent thoughts on any of that when he spoke again. Just the name was enough to make Gwen choke on tears, and she stared at him. "Jack," she said quickly, without thinking, but her voice was gentle, "Ianto died."
There was a pregnant woman in a dressing gown in the hallway when Harry walked past. Even though she was wearing a dressing gown and probably considered herself decent, Harry still considered that to be in a state of undress.
So he kept his eyes at the level of her face and noticed she looked confused. He would have walked on by and tried not to look at her at all, but he couldn't just ignore her.
Gwen hadn't been expecting to meet anyone, although, in retrospect, it only seemed to make sense that someone would be around. She paused, examining the older man carefully, and shook her head.
"Yeah, I think so," she answered honestly. Because besides being confused and rather annoyed, she was, physically, all right, as far as she could tell. "Where are we? I just woke up here."
"The signs say it's Bowie Base One. And it looks like Mars." Harry wasn't prepared to believe it was Mars until he had proof. Apart from the fact that it seemed unlikely, there were easier ways to get a barren red landscape than transporting people to another planet.
"I've only recently woken up here myself." Except that he was dressed - which was what came of not having been to bed. He didn't remember falling asleep, but since he remembered waking up, means he must have done.
"Mars?" Gwen frowned. "Just as I thought my life was gettin' simple again, I go to sleep in Cardiff and wake up on bloody Mars."
She crossed her arms, shaking her head and taking a better look at her surroundings. "What now, then? Do you have any idea who runs this place, or why we were brought here?"
Comments 46
He'd struck up something of a strange team with Jenny and encountered a ghost from his own past. A ghost that wasn't a ghost. It wasn't something that easily settled in the mind, but it had to. A large part of him expected to open his eyes and wake up any day now.
He'd taken to patrolling certain parts of the building, in the hope that something might become clear. Maybe he'd find something he'd missed before.
So far, he hadn't.
So another morning and another corridor. He wasn't with Ianto, though it was hard to let him out of his sight in the fear he might simply disappear. He turned into a hallway and up ahead he saw a figure. Just a back, but he knew it. He recognised her almost immediately.
He stood tall, shoulders back, and spoke.
"Gwen..."
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Not someone. Because she knew that voice. That voice that had been comfort to her, a refuge, the voice of an ally. That voice she still heard, sometimes, in her dreams.
She spun around, her breath hitched in her throat, and when she saw Jack standing there, she didn't know weather to laugh or cry.
"Jack!" She sped back down the corridor towards him, as fast as she could move in bare feet and her current state. Without pause, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pushing back tears of relief. After a moment she pulled away, examining his face carefully. "God, you haven't changed a bit. What are you doing here? Where the hell are we?"
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He didn't answer her question at first, he just looked at her. It had been a long time. He smiled at her, just a little, just the barest hint.
"You're looking good," he said, keeping one of his hands on her arm, just a gentle hold.
There was yet another pause before he gave any answer of substance, and it came with a straightening of his back and a slight shift in demeanour; more professional, almost.
"Mars," he said. "You're on Mars. Bowie Base one in the year 2059. Time is... wrong. Something's happened, I just haven't worked out what. But whatever it is, it's bad."
His next beat was purposeful. A silence that would add weight to his next words.
"And Gwen. Ianto's here."
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But she'd barely had enough time to form coherent thoughts on any of that when he spoke again. Just the name was enough to make Gwen choke on tears, and she stared at him. "Jack," she said quickly, without thinking, but her voice was gentle, "Ianto died."
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So he kept his eyes at the level of her face and noticed she looked confused. He would have walked on by and tried not to look at her at all, but he couldn't just ignore her.
"I say," he said. "Are you all right?"
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"Yeah, I think so," she answered honestly. Because besides being confused and rather annoyed, she was, physically, all right, as far as she could tell. "Where are we? I just woke up here."
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"I've only recently woken up here myself." Except that he was dressed - which was what came of not having been to bed. He didn't remember falling asleep, but since he remembered waking up, means he must have done.
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She crossed her arms, shaking her head and taking a better look at her surroundings. "What now, then? Do you have any idea who runs this place, or why we were brought here?"
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