Abstract Psychopaths by Nemo Baker (Chapter 2)
Title: Abstract Psychopaths
Summary: How do you fight a killer that’s only alive when you can’t see it? The answer: Don’t turn your back, don’t look away, and don’t blink.
Characters/Pairings: Jack Harkness/Ianto Jones, Gwen Cooper, Toshiko Sato, Owen Harper
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: End of Days
Jack called everyone into the conference room after he, Gwen, and Tosh returned.
“That’s what we do in the face of the unknown?” Owen grumbled, having recently woken from his drug-induced sleep. “Have team meetings?"
“I know cooperation isn’t your strong point, but I think you’ll survive,” Ianto said.
“And that’s enough chit-chat,” Jack interjected. “We’ve got a bit of a crisis on our hands. Any luck on finding out what’s up with those spikes?”
“Not much,” Tosh said. “I was trying to analyze them in the SUV. The energy signatures all appear the same. They’re similar in size, and each one is focused on a very narrow fixed point. But there’s no consistency in the time intervals between them, or in their location.”
“Could they be new tears in the Rift?”
“I doubt it. We’ve already seen what happens when the Rift gets wider, and there hasn’t been any evidence of time periods collapsing into each other.”
“What do the spikes look like?” Gwen asked. “I mean, is it an explosion of energy, or something else?”
“More like a funnel cloud, or a lightning strike,” Tosh replied.
“So, very localized.”
“Yes.”
“Do you think someone could be messing with the Rift intentionally?”
“Torchwood should be the only place with the technology to do so. But I suppose it’s possible.”
“Not a comforting idea,” Jack muttered. “But one we should consider.”
“But why would anyone want to create Rift lightning?” Owen said incredulously. “They’re not bringing anything through, or the scanners would have picked up the traces of the objects. Even if they were moved off site. So what’s all this for?”
A thought struck Ianto. “Maybe they’re using the energy itself.”
Jack’s eyes widened. “Oh, I hope not.”
“Why? What would happen then?” Gwen asked.
“The Rift itself is almost entirely composed of potential energy. Powerful stuff, but also incredibly temperamental.”
“If too much of it were released, it could create a universal power imbalance,” Tosh explained.
“So, in short,” Owen said. “We’d start having a lot more bad days.
Gwen nodded. “What do we do?”
“We’re playing the waiting game,” Jack said grimly. “Tosh, you keep analyzing the readings we already have. Ianto, if another call comes in you’re with Gwen and I so Tosh can look at the new readings. Until then, I want you to see if we can figure out what that warehouse has to do with anything. Owen, you’re looking pale again. Take a nap.”
“I’m not a bloody toddler!”
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The rest of the work day passed without further incident. Unfortunately, there was also no further progress.
Ianto found the history of the building to be completely clear. And if Argall and Baines had been hiding something, they’d hidden it well. Tosh ran every configuration she could think of with no enlightening results.
“I think we need to take a break,” Jack said. “Go home. We’ll look at things after we’ve gotten a solid eight hours of shuteye.”
Everyone but Ianto mumbled in agreement. While the others packed their things and drifted toward the cog door, he instead followed Jack into his office. He waited in the doorway until he heard Gwen leave, and then approached the desk.
“You were planning on staying here, doing more research,” he stated.
Jack looked surprised. “Yes. How’d you know?”
“I know everything,” Ianto said. Then, indicated Jack’s computer screen. “And you’re logged into the Archive database.”
“Oh.”
“I’ll stay, too.”
“You don’t have to.”
“I am aware. I’ll be down at my station if you need me.”
“Thank you, Ianto,” Jack said, giving him a grateful smile.
“Of course.”
With that, he retreated to the Archives. There was still one more road of enquiry he wanted to pursue.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Jack.”
“Ianto. You got anything?”
“Yes. It’s about the victim.”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Laura B. Donovan. Columnist for the little-known Aberystwyth Community Journal back in the nineteen-thirties and forties. Mainly talked about the existence of the supernatural, and published blistering anti-war commentary regularly during World War II. She lived in Aberystwyth until she died at the age of eighty four.”
“What does she have to do with the modern-day Ms. Donovan?” Jack asked.
“At first, I thought the names were a coincidence,” Ianto explained. “But this is her picture that was published in the Journal.”
He showed Jack the scan of an old black and white photograph, and pulled up the snapshot from Donovan’s missing person’s file. Jack gaped.
“They’re identical.”
“Yep.”
“They’re… the same person?”
“That’s the conclusion I’ve drawn. There’s not much lineal information, or really any background at all on the older Donovan.”
“Which means there may not be any.”
Ianto nodded. “It’s as if she started existing at the age of thirty-five.”
Beginning, Next
Summary: How do you fight a killer that’s only alive when you can’t see it? The answer: Don’t turn your back, don’t look away, and don’t blink.
Characters/Pairings: Jack Harkness/Ianto Jones, Gwen Cooper, Toshiko Sato, Owen Harper
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: End of Days
Jack called everyone into the conference room after he, Gwen, and Tosh returned.
“That’s what we do in the face of the unknown?” Owen grumbled, having recently woken from his drug-induced sleep. “Have team meetings?"
“I know cooperation isn’t your strong point, but I think you’ll survive,” Ianto said.
“And that’s enough chit-chat,” Jack interjected. “We’ve got a bit of a crisis on our hands. Any luck on finding out what’s up with those spikes?”
“Not much,” Tosh said. “I was trying to analyze them in the SUV. The energy signatures all appear the same. They’re similar in size, and each one is focused on a very narrow fixed point. But there’s no consistency in the time intervals between them, or in their location.”
“Could they be new tears in the Rift?”
“I doubt it. We’ve already seen what happens when the Rift gets wider, and there hasn’t been any evidence of time periods collapsing into each other.”
“What do the spikes look like?” Gwen asked. “I mean, is it an explosion of energy, or something else?”
“More like a funnel cloud, or a lightning strike,” Tosh replied.
“So, very localized.”
“Yes.”
“Do you think someone could be messing with the Rift intentionally?”
“Torchwood should be the only place with the technology to do so. But I suppose it’s possible.”
“Not a comforting idea,” Jack muttered. “But one we should consider.”
“But why would anyone want to create Rift lightning?” Owen said incredulously. “They’re not bringing anything through, or the scanners would have picked up the traces of the objects. Even if they were moved off site. So what’s all this for?”
A thought struck Ianto. “Maybe they’re using the energy itself.”
Jack’s eyes widened. “Oh, I hope not.”
“Why? What would happen then?” Gwen asked.
“The Rift itself is almost entirely composed of potential energy. Powerful stuff, but also incredibly temperamental.”
“If too much of it were released, it could create a universal power imbalance,” Tosh explained.
“So, in short,” Owen said. “We’d start having a lot more bad days.
Gwen nodded. “What do we do?”
“We’re playing the waiting game,” Jack said grimly. “Tosh, you keep analyzing the readings we already have. Ianto, if another call comes in you’re with Gwen and I so Tosh can look at the new readings. Until then, I want you to see if we can figure out what that warehouse has to do with anything. Owen, you’re looking pale again. Take a nap.”
“I’m not a bloody toddler!”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The rest of the work day passed without further incident. Unfortunately, there was also no further progress.
Ianto found the history of the building to be completely clear. And if Argall and Baines had been hiding something, they’d hidden it well. Tosh ran every configuration she could think of with no enlightening results.
“I think we need to take a break,” Jack said. “Go home. We’ll look at things after we’ve gotten a solid eight hours of shuteye.”
Everyone but Ianto mumbled in agreement. While the others packed their things and drifted toward the cog door, he instead followed Jack into his office. He waited in the doorway until he heard Gwen leave, and then approached the desk.
“You were planning on staying here, doing more research,” he stated.
Jack looked surprised. “Yes. How’d you know?”
“I know everything,” Ianto said. Then, indicated Jack’s computer screen. “And you’re logged into the Archive database.”
“Oh.”
“I’ll stay, too.”
“You don’t have to.”
“I am aware. I’ll be down at my station if you need me.”
“Thank you, Ianto,” Jack said, giving him a grateful smile.
“Of course.”
With that, he retreated to the Archives. There was still one more road of enquiry he wanted to pursue.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Jack.”
“Ianto. You got anything?”
“Yes. It’s about the victim.”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Laura B. Donovan. Columnist for the little-known Aberystwyth Community Journal back in the nineteen-thirties and forties. Mainly talked about the existence of the supernatural, and published blistering anti-war commentary regularly during World War II. She lived in Aberystwyth until she died at the age of eighty four.”
“What does she have to do with the modern-day Ms. Donovan?” Jack asked.
“At first, I thought the names were a coincidence,” Ianto explained. “But this is her picture that was published in the Journal.”
He showed Jack the scan of an old black and white photograph, and pulled up the snapshot from Donovan’s missing person’s file. Jack gaped.
“They’re identical.”
“Yep.”
“They’re… the same person?”
“That’s the conclusion I’ve drawn. There’s not much lineal information, or really any background at all on the older Donovan.”
“Which means there may not be any.”
Ianto nodded. “It’s as if she started existing at the age of thirty-five.”
Beginning, Next