Index
Chapter 1: Break-In
Chapter 2: Sarah Jane Smith
Chapter 3: Answers
Chapter 4: Station Break
Chapter 5: Epilouge: A midnight visitor
Author's Notes: Slight spoilers for 'Ghost Machine' and 'Cyberwoman'.
Part 1: Break-In
Cardiff, Wales
August 15, 2007
1507 hours local time
As the Torchwood landrover sped along the streets of Cardiff, Jack Harkness looked over at Gwen Cooper from his position in the driving seat. She was taking it hard, he could tell. It had only been just over twelve hours since Ed Morgan had died, impaled on the knife Gwen had been holding. She'd been quiet for most of the day, moping around the hub. Jack had been relieved when the alert had come in ten minutes or so ago. Something a couple of miles down the coast was sending out a strong signal and it was Torchwood's responsibility to find out what it was.
"Tosh, any matches on past encounters?" Jack asked into the comm. The reply from Toshiko Sato at the hub came back a second later.
"Nothing, Jack. It doesn't match anything we've got in the database."
Jack skidded the landrover around a corner, provoking a cry from Owen Harper in the back seat.
"Where did you get your license?"
Jack flashed a confident grin at Owen.
"I passed, didn't I?"
They cleared the last set of traffic lights and Jack floored the accelerator, drawing even more power out of the souped-up engine. The landrover leapt forward.
****
Behind the Torchwood Three reception counter, Ianto Jones was keeping an ear on the mission. He couldn't duck down and visit Lisa, not with Toshiko in the building. His eyes, however, were on the pages of a novel. It was an old one, published in 1976. The title was Time Chase, its author Sarah Jane Smith. Ianto turned the page. It wasn't the first time he'd read it, but it was one of his favourites.
A thump against the outside of the door caught Ianto's attention. He slipped a piece of paper into the book to mark his page then closed it. He then turned his attention to the security monitor showing the feed from the CCTV camera watching the front door. It was the middle of the afternoon, and he didn't expect to see anything. Three men in suits were standing outside the door. All of them were bald, and with a slight shock, Ianto realised that they were all identical. They were watching a fourth man adjusting a device that had been placed up against the door. Ianto swallowed as he realised what the device was. The fourth man straightened up, revealing a timer ticking down on the top of the device and confirming Ianto's worst fears.
"Code Zero incursion. Repeat, we have a code zero incursion."
Ianto didn't wait for a reply. He activated the switch that opened the hidden door into the hub. Then he grabbed his pistol and ran.
****
In the landrover, Gwen sat up straight.
"Say that again, Ianto?"
Ianto's voice came back over the comm, but it wasn't directed at Gwen or the others in the landrover.
"Tosh, record the door fe-"
A dull boom echoed through the comms.
"That sounded like an explosion," Owen said slowly. Gwen and Jack exchanged a look, one filled with pure disbelief. A feeling of rage went through Jack. There were people breaking into his house. Well, not if he had anything to do with it.
"Hold on. Tight." the commander of Torchwood Three said grimly. He then flicked on his indicator. A second later, he threw the landrover into a screeching hairpin turn that would have done a Hollywood stunt driver proud. Even before the landrover had straightened up Jack pressed his foot to the floor. There was a screech of tires and the landrover began barreling back in the direction it had come, towards Cardiff.
He glanced over at Gwen. Despite the situation, a sense of relief went through him. She was alert, and the air of melancholy that had surrounded her up to that point seemed to have vanished.
"Gwen, there should be some weapons in the glovebox. Fingerprint activated."
Gwen pressed her finger to the pad on the glovebox. A second later there was a soft bleep and the glovebox popped open. There were five pistols inside, four automatics and a revolver. She handed one of the automatics back to Owen before taking one herself. She placed the revolver on the dashboard, ready for Jack to grab when he needed it.
"Tosh? Ianto?" Owen asked over the comm. Jack was concentrating on the driving, leaving Gwen and Owen to concentrate on the crisis.
"Tosh here. Ianto's not responding."
****
Halfway down the corridor, the heat of the explosion singed the hairs on the back of Ianto's neck. He turned and looked back down the corridor, towards the door leading out of reception. He'd closed it behind him, but it was only a matter of time before the intruders blasted through the second door. Ianto spoke into the comms.
"They've breached the outer door. I'll try to hold them off."
Jack's voice came back a second later.
"No heroics."
"No, sir."
Tosh's voice came over the comm.
"Jack, that signal in the bay's cut out."
"It was a ruse," Gwen commented.
Ianto didn't let the chatter distract him. Walking backwards down the corridor, he reached the elevator door at the end. He brought his pistol up, ready to fire. A soft click drifted down the corridor as the internal door from reception was opened, and one of the intruders stuck his head around. Ianto fired two shots, causing the intruder to duck back into the reception office. Keeping the pistol pointed down the corridor, Ianto reached back and called the lift leading down into the hub. It arrived a second later. He fired one more warning shot down the corridor, then stepped back into the lift.
"They've breached the internal door," he reported over the comm as the elevator descended.
"Ianto, Tosh, we're about ten minutes out. Always fucking traffic when you're in a hurry." Jack reported.
The elevator stopped and Ianto stepped out. He strode quickly into the hub.
"Stop!"
Ianto froze, just inside the circular door. He looked over, to see Tosh standing there, pistol in hand. He pointed his up.
"It's me."
Tosh lowered the weapon. There was a hum and the elevator began to rise. Ianto glanced over at Tosh.
"Can you cut power to the elevator?"
"Yes."
Tosh turned and ran, heading over towards the main switchbox. Ianto turned and brought his pistol up, covering the door. The hum of the elevator stopped for a second, then it began again.
"They're coming down," Ianto reported.
"I'm going as fast as I can!" Tosh exclaimed. She had to isolate the power conduit for the elevator before shutting it down. She couldn't put the base into lockdown, it would trap the intruders in there with them. The hum of the elevator stopped and Ianto swallowed nervously. The intruders had reached the hub.
The circular door opened and the intruders stepped through, silently. It was the first proper look Ianto had gotten at the intruders, and then and there he realised that they weren't human, despite their appearance. Their faces were of men around his age, but their eyes were a bright, almost glowing yellow. He raised his pistol and took aim, but before he could fire, one of the intruders got off a shot with their own weapon. A bright orange beam shot out and enveloped Ianto, and he could feel it overwhelming him. He slumped to the floor, powerless, as his vision turned orange then black.
****
Eight minutes later, Jack brought the landrover to a screeching halt in the Torchwood Three garage. The engine had barely stopped before the three operatives jumped out, weapons in hand. Jack went first, punching in the emergency override code to open all doors between the garage and the central area of the hub. Jack stepped through the first door and glanced quickly around.
"Clear!"
The repeated the same at the second door. Jack paused outside the final door.
"We go in together. Gwen, you go to the right, Owen to the left. On my mark."
"Right."
"Mark."
They burst through the door, guns drawn and covering the angles Jack had outlined.
"Clear left!"
"Clear right!"
"Clear centre!"
They didn't lower their guns. There was always the possibility that it was a trap. Cautiously, maintaining a triangle formation, they moved into the centre of the hub.
Gwen was the first to spot one of their fallen teammates.
"It's Ianto."
"Owen, take a look. We'll cover you."
As Owen made his way over to Ianto's limp body, Jack and Gwen turned to provide covering fire if needed.
"Tosh is over by the switchbox," Jack pointed out.
"He's alright," Owen reported. Gwen glanced over.
"What hit him?"
"I dunno, but I'd say it was a stun beam of some sort. I'll check Tosh."
As Owen did so, Jack strode over to the main computer desk, keeping an eye out. He ran a scan for life signs, and only found the five of them in the hub. Although he didn't know it, the scanner hadn't picked up the Cyberwoman in the basement based on the fact that she wasn't breathing for herself, and so didn't meet the criteria for a 'living organism'.
"Gwen, help Owen with Tosh and Ianto."
"Of course."
As Gwen helped Owen carry first Tosh then Ianto over to the medical bay, Jack accessed the security recordings. He watched the whole thing, from the initial explosion to the departure of the four intruders. They'd been after something specific, and they'd gotten it.
Jack called up the file on the stolen object. It was half of a sphere, made out of some unknown ceramic and glowed a yellow colour. The same shade of yellow as the intruders' eyes, Jack noted. There was evidence to indicate that it was one half of an object that had been split some time in the past. Aside from this, the only other thing of note about the artifact was that it gave off a rather unusual six-phase energy signature that crossed a variety of spectrums.
"What have you found?" Gwen asked as she joined Jack.
"Whoever they were, they got what they were after. How are Ianto and Tosh?"
"Owen thinks he can revive them. He's working on it now."
Gwen pulled over an office chair and sat down, her police instincts taking over.
"What have we got to go on?"
"The stolen artifact emits a distinctive energy signature."
Jack indicated the visual representation of the signature on the screen.
"Should be easy enough to scan for. If it's on Earth, we'll find it."
Although it was primarily Tosh's domain, Jack knew how to work the equipment. He initiated the scan. The signal went out to any and all satellites in orbit. Telecommunications, television, military, everything in Earth's orbit with scanning capability was instantly slaved to the Torchwood computer. The program itself ran discreetly, not drawing too heavily on the resources of the satellites co-opted. It brought back a result in seconds. One screen showed a blinking dot on a map, the other a live feed of the energy signature detected. Jack leant back in his chair, satisfied.
"It's in London."
"That was a quick getaway."
Jack frowned.
"Why stop in London? With a ship that fast, they could be on the other side of the planet in half an hour."
Gwen was looking at the live feed of the energy signature detected, and there was something that struck her as odd. She looked from the live feed to the recording, then back to the live feed.
"It's not the same one."
Jack frowned.
"What?"
Gwen nodded to the screen.
"It's not the same signal. Two of the phases seem to be reversed."
Jack looked from the recording to the live feed, then nodded in agreement.
"You're right."
He paused for a second, then spoke slowly.
"The file on the artifact indicates that it seems to be one half of something."
Gwen nodded at the screen.
"Well, I think we've found the other."
"They must be masking the signal from the stolen one."
Jack accessed the GPS network, cross-referencing the coordinates of the signal detected with the national property database. After about a minute, they had a match.
"It's a private house. Owner's one Sarah Jane Smith."
Jack paused.
"Where have I heard that name before?"
"Whoever she is, she's in trouble. If those men go after her..."
Jack knew Gwen was right. They were trained professionals, used to dealing with alien threats. And they had had an advanced warning. But a private citizen with no warning whatsoever was a different story. Sarah Jane Smith was about to find herself in a whole world of trouble.
Part 2: Sarah Jane Smith
Jack paused for a second, then spoke slowly.
"The file on the artifact indicates that it seems to be one half of something."
Gwen nodded at the screen.
"Well, I think we've found the other."
"They must be masking the signal from the stolen one."
Jack accessed the GPS network, cross-referencing the coordinates of the signal detected with the national property database. After about a minute, they had a match.
"It's a private house. Owner's one Sarah Jane Smith."
Jack paused.
"Where have I heard that name before?"
"Whoever she is, she's in trouble. If those men go after her..."
Jack knew Gwen was right. They were trained professionals, used to dealing with alien threats. And they had had an advanced warning. But a private citizen with no warning whatsoever was a different story. Sarah Jane Smith was about to find herself in a whole world of trouble.
But he knew he'd heard that name somewhere before. Before he could pursue that train of thought any further, Owen joined him and Gwen.
"How are they?" Gwen asked.
"They're awake. They'll be a bit woozy for the next few hours, but they should make a full recovery."
Owen nodded to the screen.
"What've we got here?"
"The intruders stole an artifact, one half of a sphere. The other half's in London, in the house belonging to a Sarah Jane Smith," Jack explained. Owen frowned.
"I know that name. Heard it somewhere recently."
So it wasn't just himself, Jack noted.
"Was it written down?" Gwen asked, hoping to jog Owen's memory. He nodded.
"Yes, on a book or something..."
Owen snapped his fingers.
"Got it! Be back in a sec."
Owen headed over to the lift leading up to reception. Jack turned to the computer and called up the file on Sarah Jane Smith. He raised an eyebrow in surprise as the contents loaded.
"Wow! Her file's bigger than all of ours combined. She's been a busy woman."
Jack started looking through the contents, from the most recent events.
"Spotted at Deffry Vale high school around the same time as those UFO sightings. She's an investigative journalist. Several reports and awards...hel-lo!"
"What is it?"
"She's connected to UNIT."
"UNIT?"
Jack could have kicked himself. Gwen had been with Torchwood for three days now, and he still hadn't fully briefed her.
"The United Nations Intelligence Taskforce. Founded in the 1960s by Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart to combat 'new and unusual threats to mankind'."
"But that means they're doing the same thing as us?"
"Not exactly. When it comes to extraterrestrial affairs, they're the military and we're the CIA."
"I see."
Gwen leaned back in her chair.
"And we're above the UN."
Jack grinned.
"Exactly."
He turned back to the computer and continued to flick through Sarah Jane Smith's file. As he did, a sudden hope struck him. Sarah Jane Smith was connected to UNIT, as was the Doctor. Maybe she would be able to...no, it was too much to hope for. Jack needed the Doctor, that was why he was in Cardiff. But he also knew enough about life to know that opportunities like that didn't get handed to you on a silver platter.
"Jack?"
Gwen's gentle query cut through Jack's contemplation.
"Are you alright?"
Jack nodded reassuringly.
"I'm fine. Just lost in thought."
Gwen could understand. Owen joined them at that point, and there was an air of triumph about him.
"Knew I'd seen it somewhere. It's that book Ianto's reading."
He placed a book down on the table, and Jack saw that it was a novel. A sci-fi novel to be precise, and the name 'Sarah Jane Smith' was written down the spine.
"So she's an author, too," Jack commented as he picked up the book. He quickly read the first two pages. He then slowly closed the novel and placed it on the desk. It seemed like an imaginative piece of writing, but to those who knew the truth it was obvious. Sarah Jane Smith knew the Doctor. And with that, Jack knew what he had to do.
"We've got to warn her."
He caught a look of approval from Gwen. Jack turned back to the computer and called up the phone directory website, searching for Sarah Jane Smith in London. He then reached for the phone and dialed.
****
London, England
August 15, 2007
1523 hours local time
Sarah Jane Smith raced down the stairs, to get to the phone before the answering machine kicked in. She was expecting a call from the vice-president of the local TV station, in relation to the murder of one of the station's best newsreaders. She had been in the shower when the phone started ringing, and so she'd quickly wrapped a towel around herself and bolted for the phone. The answering machine picked up just as she reached the third step from the bottom.
"Hello, you've reached Sarah Jane Smith. I am unable to come to the phone at the moment, but if you leave your name and number I will call you back as soon as possible."
The beep sounded just as Sarah reached the bottom of the stairs. Much to her surprise, the voice that spoke was American.
"Ms Smith, this is Captain Jack Harkness of the Torchwood Institute. We're aware of your UNIT connections, and we've detected an artifact of extraterrestrial origin emitting a six-phase signal across the electromagnetic and other spectrums at your house. A similar artifact was stolen from our base less than half an hour ago, and I felt you should be warned. Consider this a heads-up."
There was a click and the machine beeped, indicating the end of the call. Sarah just stood there, stunned.
"Definitely not the call I was expecting. K-9!"
K-9 Mark 4 emerged from the living room and joined Sarah at the bottom of the staircase.
"Mistress?"
"K-9, there's a message on the answering machine. It's from a Jack Harkness. Are you able to trace the call?"
"Affirmative."
Without being asked, K-9 trundled over and plugged himself into a spare socket on the phone line. Sarah turned and headed back up the stairs, to get dressed.
Five minutes later and now fully clothed, Sarah rejoined K-9 at the bottom of the stairs.
"Location confirmed, mistress. Call was made from Cardiff."
"Cardiff?"
"Correct. Records indicate that the artifact referred to in message was acquired by you in Australia during May 1994."
Sarah closed her eyes and thought back into decades of memories. After a few seconds, she had it. A sort of hemisphere, glowing a bright yellow colour. It was obviously half of something, and the other half had just been stolen. Or so the mysterious Captain Harkness had claimed. A plan of action was forming in Sarah's mind, but there was something she needed to know.
"K-9, could you please establish a secure line to Colonel John Benton at UNIT?"
"Affirmative."
Sarah picked up the handset as K-9 established the connection. Benton answered after three rings.
"Colonel Benton, UNIT."
"John, it's Sarah Jane Smith."
There was a note of genuine delight in Benton's voice. He always enjoyed speaking to Sarah.
"Hello, Sarah. How are you?"
"Fine, thank you. How are things at UNIT?"
"Busy, as usual. I'm guessing this isn't a social call?"
Sarah had Benton's home number, and she usually called him after business hours if it was a social thing.
"It isn't. I've received a warning, of sorts. What do you know of an outfit called 'the Torchwood Institute'."
There was an intake of breath on the other end of the phone line.
"A fair bit, Sarah. Too much to talk about on the phone. I can have a courier bring a copy of the file to your house."
Although Sarah didn't have a security clearance, he knew she could be discreet. Since arriving back on Earth, she'd been involved in several adventures with UNIT and not one of them had been leaked.
"That won't be needed, John. I'll pick it up on my way to the airport. You're still under the Tower?"
"Yes. I didn't know you were leaving town?"
"I'll be on the next flight to Cardiff."
****
Cardiff, Wales
August 15, 2007
1734 hours local time
A couple of hours after he'd placed the phone call, Jack was still trying to justify it to Owen.
"I still can't see why you couldn't have pretended to be UNIT," Owen said for what must have been the fourth or fifth time. Jack sighed in exasperation.
"She has UNIT connections."
"Yeah, from the 1970s."
"She'd have called her old contacts and discovered the deception in minutes. The warning would be useless and she could end up dead."
"We don't know if she's acted on it," Gwen pointed out.
"We can find out," Jack replied, "Tosh?"
Tosh nodded and entered a command into the computer, searching for traces of Sarah Jane Smith's movements within the last couple of hours. The computer bleeped and brought up a result.
"We have something."
Gwen, Jack and Owen turned to look at Tosh as she opened up the single record the search had recovered.
"She boarded a British Airways flight from London to Cardiff."
Tosh turned away from the computer screen and met the gaze of her teammates.
"It landed five minutes ago."
All eyes turned to Jack.
"Don't look at me. I routed the call through five satellites and an exchange in Denmark. And I didn't mention where we were."
There was a critical note in Owen's reply.
"Well, she's found us."
Jack was impressed, despite himself. He hadn't met Sarah Jane Smith, but already he was beginning to like her.
They had to keep an eye out for her. And hopefully they'd be able to reach her before the aliens did.
"Tosh, keep an eye on the hotels."
Jack strode over to the intercom.
"Ianto, any sign of the visitors?"
Ianto was in the board room above the main command centre of the hub, keeping an eye on the CCTV feed from the cameras around Roald Dahl Plass and the Millennium Centre. The reception room was a mess, and the desk needed to be replaced.
"No sign, sir."
Jack nodded. He'd expected as much. The intruders had gotten what they'd come for. All the same, they needed to get to the bottom of this.
"Owen, did you manage to find out any more about that artifact?"
Owen shook his head.
"Not based on what we've recorded. Seems to be an energy storage of some sort."
"What sort of energy?" Tosh asked. Owen shrugged.
"I dunno. But it's not anything harnessed by man."
"Could it be something known to man but not harnessed, then?" Gwen asked. Jack nodded.
"That's always a possibility."
A bleep brought the four operatives' attention back to the computer.
"She's checked into a hotel, the Amadeus."
So she had some style then, Jack thought. The Amadeus was a five-star hotel, one of the best in the city.
"Room number?" Jack asked as he reached for the phone.
"Forty."
****
A few blocks away, Sarah had barely put her suitcase down before the phone began to ring. Assuming it was room service, she answered it.
"Hello?"
"Sarah Jane Smith?"
She recognised the voice.
"Yes. Captain Jack Harkness?"
"That's right."
"I got your message. I appreciate the warning."
"Glad to hear it. Now this may sound a little bit forward, but I think we need to meet."
Sarah considered it for a second. She'd read the UNIT file on Torchwood on the flight from London, and had been slightly shocked to find they'd listed the Doctor as an enemy. But on the other hand, the Doctor wasn't around to help her this time. And finding Torchwood was one of the reasons she'd come to Cardiff. She knew they'd have to work together, sooner or later, in order to get to the bottom of this.
"Agreed. Did you have a location in mind?" she asked.
"Roald Dahl Plass, just outside the Millennium Centre. There's a pillar with water cascading down it just in the middle of the square. I'll meet you as soon as you can get there."
"See you then."
Sarah hung up. She then picked up the bag she'd carried onto the plane with her and left the room.
****
Seven minutes later, Sarah reached the fountain Jack had described. She looked around in the early evening light. There weren't that many people around, most people were inside having dinner. There was noone near the fountain. She turned around slowly, scanning the area for any signs of danger.
"I can guess what brings you to Cardiff, Ms Smith."
The voice from behind startled her. She turned around and was surprised to see a young man standing behind her. He was wearing an outfit that wouldn't have looked out of place during the Second World War, despite the fact that he only appeared to be in his mid-thirties. She'd recognised his voice, having heard it twice before.
"You must be Captain Harkness."
He shot her a warm grin.
"Jack, please."
"You can call me Sarah."
Jack nodded in the direction Sarah had been looking.
"This way. The front door's a short walk away."
They walked side-by-side, Jack leading Sarah towards the entrance to the main reception office.
"How did you find us?" Jack asked.
"I traced the call."
Sarah paused for a moment, then reached into her bag and pulled out her artifact.
"You said you'd lost yours. I thought it might be easier to get to the bottom of this if we worked together."
Jack grinned.
"How could I refuse?"
The grin dropped from his face a second later.
"How much do you know about Torchwood?"
"Everything UNIT knows."
Jack nodded. He'd guessed as much. Meanwhile, Sarah noticed a figure step out in front of them. A man with no hair, wearing a black suit and with glowing yellow eyes.
"Jack, did the intruders look anything like that?"
Jack looked over and swore.
"That's them."
Jack turned, to see another of the aliens behind them. As he and Sarah looked around, another six of the aliens stepped out of the early evening shadows and formed a circle around them. They were trapped.
Part 3: Answers
Sarah noticed a figure step out in front of them. A man with no hair, wearing a black suit and with glowing yellow eyes.
"Jack, did the intruders look anything like that?"
Jack looked over and swore.
"That's them."
Jack turned, to see another of the aliens behind them. As he and Sarah looked around, another six of the aliens stepped out of the early evening shadows and formed a circle around them. They were trapped.
A second later, Jack clearly heard a shot boom out. He glanced back, to see the alien behind him collapse to the ground. He grabbed Sarah by the arm.
"Come on, run!"
She didn't need to be told twice. Jack took the lead, heading for the fountain.
"What just happened?" Sarah asked. Jack had been working for Torchwood long enough to see and hear straight through the perception filter, and so he could clearly see and hear the figure of Owen standing on top of the slab, the still-smoking pistol in his hand. To Sarah it seemed as though the bullet had come out of thin air.
"I didn't come alone," Jack replied, "we'll have to go in the back entrance."
Sarah glanced back, to see the remaining seven aliens taking off in pursuit. She looked forward, to see that Jack was leading them towards the fountain. She was expecting there to be some sort of concealed door in the fountain itself, so she was surprised when Jack stopped just in front of it. He nodded to the slab directly in front of the fountain.
"After you."
Sarah stepped up onto the slab, and she felt something reach out and help her up. There was a brief flitter at the edge of her perception, like she was passing though some sort of shield. And suddenly there was a young man on the slab in front of her. He had his hand on her arm, and she realised he was the thing she'd felt helping her up. In his other hand he held a pistol. He stepped back and allowed her to step forward, to make room for Jack.
"It's called a perception filter, Ms Smith," the man explained.
"A cloaking device?"
"Something like that," Jack replied as he stepped onto the slab. He nodded to the other man.
"Sarah Jane Smith, Owen Harper."
Jack activated the control on his wrist computer, and with a slight jolt the lift began to descend.
"Doctor Owen Harper, actually," Owen corrected.
Sarah looked around curiously as the lift descended. The hub was laid out below her and she took note of all the alien flotsam and jetsam lying around. A screeching sound caught her attention and she looked up. Just above the elevator, a prehistoric bird swooped by.
"A pterodactyl?"
"We call him 'Fluffy'," Jack said. He then turned and began issuing orders.
"Tosh, cut power to the primary elevator and lock down all the doors. Seal off the staircase. Don't cut base power, we'll need the computers. Gwen, break out the weapons. Ianto, join us on the main floor."
He turned back to Sarah.
"Welcome to Torchwood, Sarah Jane Smith. I'm afraid we don't have time for a tour."
"I quite understand."
The elevator reached the bottom and the three of them climbed off. Jack performed the introductions, then turned to Ianto.
"How much time do we have?"
Ianto thought for a second.
"The main door was replaced with a temporary one. It's wood, would last about two seconds. Then there's one two-inch thick armour door, then they'll have to cut through the lift, descend through the shaft, then cut through a five-inch thick steel door. The elevator's made out of three-inch thick armour plating, it should slow them down a bit."
"Right."
They were standing in the main computer area, and Jack leant on the desk.
"We need to find out what that artifact is."
"What did you have on it already?" Sarah asked. It was Tosh who answered her question.
"Preliminary results seem to indicate it's a power source of some kind. But the energy is unlike anything we've ever seen."
Sarah remembered something she'd heard earlier. She glanced at Jack.
"Your message said something about the energy signature covering a variety of spectra?"
Tosh activated the recording they'd taken of their own artifact.
"Electromagnetic, biological and all other energy spectra known to man."
There was a loud clank from upstairs, and all six pairs of eyes looked upwards. Ianto glanced at the security feed.
"They've breached the outer and inner doors. Next stop's the lift."
Sarah's eyes turned from the ceiling to the image on screen. She had a suspicion as to what the energy might be, but it seemed a bit far-fetched. But it was better than nothing.
"Could it be emotional energy?" she asked.
She could feel five pairs of eyes turn to her.
"Emotional energy?" Gwen asked. Sarah noticed a note of fear in the younger woman's voice, which struck her as a bit odd. Jack, meanwhile, turned to Tosh.
"Can you call up the file on that device we recovered from Bernie Harris?"
"The ghost machine?"
Tosh turned to the computer and brought up the file Jack had asked for. Guessing her boss' intention, she compared the energy signature of the ghost machine with the energy signature of the stolen artifact. The phases were completely different, but everybody in the room saw that the range of spectra covered was the same.
"Emotional energy," Owen said thoughtfully.
"All those ghosts..." Gwen said in a voice tinged with sadness. Sarah looked at her curiously, then looked away when she noticed Owen shaking his head in her direction. She nodded to her half of the sphere, lying on the bench.
"So what do we have here?"
"It's a power source, we know that," Jack pointed out.
"Two parts, two poles? Like on a battery?" Tosh suggested. The others considered her suggestion.
"What about some sort of critical mass? Like in a nuclear bomb?" Ianto proposed. He glanced at the security monitors.
"They're inside the elevator."
There was a second's pause, then Sarah broke the silence.
"What do they hope to accomplish? Releasing emotional energy..."
She trailed off, and Jack realised exactly what the aliens were up to.
"Ianto and Gwen hit the nail on the head."
"What do you mean?" Gwen asked.
"Ianto's suggestion of a nuclear bomb. An explosive release of emotional energy-"
Gwen gasped as she grasped what Jack was getting at.
"The ghosts!"
Jack snapped his fingers.
"Exactly! The emotional echoes will become active, like those visions we saw with the ghost machine. Result, chaos."
"The perfect cover for an invasion," Sarah said grimly. The implications weren't lost on the Torchwood team. They were all that stood between the artifact and an invasion of the entire planet.
A loud clanging echoed through the hub, causing all six people to jump.
"What the bloody hell was that?" Owen asked. Ianto glanced at the feed from the inside of the elevator.
"That would be the floor of the elevator hitting the bottom of the shaft. They've cut through."
That galvanised Jack into action. He straightened up.
"Everybody, action stations. Sarah, you'd be best off in the board room."
Sarah appreciated his offer, but her mind was already working on a plan of action.
"Jack, I think I can get us out of this. I'll need Toshiko's help."
Jack paused. There were seven intruders and five of them, not counting Sarah. He'd need whatever firepower he could get. But at the same time, he knew Sarah wouldn't let him down. He'd read her file. And he knew that the Doctor only asked the best to go with him. He met her eyes and saw grim determination within them. That made up his mind.
"You've got it. Tosh, give her whatever she needs. Everybody else, defensive positions. Move!"
As the others moved into position to cover the final door leading into the hub, Sarah picked up the artifact and headed over to the workshop on the other side of the hub with Tosh.
Jack nodded to the walkway that ran around the hub.
"Ianto, go up there and provide covering fire."
"Yes, sir."
As Ianto turned and headed for the stairs, Gwen noticed a spot on the circular door beginning to glow red.
"Here they come."
"Spread out a bit. Keep moving."
They watched with horrified fascination as the red glow began to cut a circle in the door, moving slowly around. After about three minutes, the circle was complete. There was a thud as one of the aliens kicked the cut circle from behind. Jack fired before the circle of steel had hit the ground, his shot taking out one of the aliens. He ducked and rolled as the aliens returned fire, the beams of their weapons passing through the space he'd been less than a second before. Owen and Gwen fired almost simultaneously but missed, due to the aliens' movement. Jack sprung to his feet and came up firing, snapping off three shots in rapid succession. All three found their mark and one of the aliens went down. Gwen ducked as two of the aliens fired in her direction, then quickly fired off two shots. Too quickly, as both of them missed. As she ran across, she heard a shot boom out from above her and one of the aliens went down, a bullet from Ianto's gun in its head.
"Thanks!"
"Not a problem."
Across the hub, Tosh handed Sarah's bag to her. She then led the older woman around the wall of the hub, until she reached a door with a keypad set into it. Tosh punched in the emergency override code, opening all the doors to the garage.
"The garage is through here."
She pulled a car key out of her pocket.
"I can't give you the landrover, only Jack's got the keys to that. You can take my car, the red BMW Z8."
She held out the key and Sarah took it.
"I'll be careful."
Tosh nodded. She knew it was for the best.
"There's a remote for the garage door in the glovebox."
"Thank you."
Sarah turned and headed down the passage, her bag banging gently against the side of her body.
Owen took two steps back as one of the aliens approached. As a doctor, he hated taking a life. But he would if he had to. He leveled his pistol at the alien's head.
"Don't make me do this."
The alien brought its own weapon up and Owen's finger tightened on the trigger.
"Freeze! Any movement and I'll break it!"
The aliens froze and Owen took the opportunity to look back. Tosh was standing in the middle of the hub, Sarah's half of the artifact in her hand. In her other hand she held her pistol, and it was aimed at the artifact. She addressed the aliens.
"You need this for something."
One of the aliens spoke, for the first time. He spoke in his native tongue, a harsh, grating sound, but the translation software build into the Torchwood comm systems was able to translate it.
"It is rightfully ours, stolen from our planet years ago."
Jack didn't buy it for a moment. These aliens, whoever they were, had tried to kill his team in order to retrieve this artifact.
"What are you going to use it for?"
"Conquest, of course. And you will not stand in our way."
They'd been right. The aliens were going to use it to launch an invasion. Even as he realised this, Jack noticed that only three of the four surviving aliens were in front of him. He turned around and spotted the fourth sneaking up behind Tosh.
"Tosh! Behind you!"
Tosh turned just in time to receive a blow across the face. As she staggered back, the alien reached out and lifted the other half of the artifact from her hands. Four pistols immediately turned and fired in his direction. He moved quickly, dashing past the Torchwood personnel and rejoining the three others. He handed the hemisphere to the one that seemed to be the leader. A smile crossed the alien leader's face, and he reached into his suit and pulled out the half that had been stolen from the hub just a few hours earlier. He ran his hands over the flat surface of both hemispheres, and he spoke again.
"The phases match. Begin the ceremony."
The other three formed a triangle around the leader and the four of them began to chant, a low, harsh sound that somehow echoed around the hub.
While this had been going on, Jack, Gwen, Owen and Tosh had surrounded the aliens. The air around the aliens began to shimmer, and the five members of Torchwood Three opened fire. The bullets sped out and vapourised in the shimmering air.
"Cease fire!" Jack ordered. It was pointless wasting ammunition when they may need it later.
"What is it?" Gwen asked. Jack shrugged.
"If I had to guess, I'd say it's a telepathic shield of some sort. Impenetrable."
"But they're joining the halves!"
Sure enough, the leader was bringing the two halves together. A sense of utter helplessness went though Jack. They'd failed, and there was nothing they could do.
The aliens chanted for several minutes, as the leader brought the two halves slowly together over his head. As the two halves clinked softly together, Jack realised he'd missed something important. Something that could mean the difference between life and death for the entire planet.
Part 4: Station Break
While this had been going on, Jack, Gwen, Owen and Tosh had surrounded the aliens. The air around the aliens began to shimmer, and the five members of Torchwood Three opened fire. The bullets sped out and vapourised in the shimmering air.
"Cease fire!" Jack ordered. It was pointless wasting ammunition, when they may need it later.
"What is it?" Gwen asked. Jack shrugged.
"If I had to guess, I'd say it's a telepathic shield of some sort. Impenetrable."
"But they're joining the halves!"
Sure enough, the leader was bringing the two halves together. A sense of utter helplessness went though Jack. They'd failed, and there was nothing they could do.
The aliens chanted for several minutes, as the leader brought the two halves slowly together over his head. As the two halves clinked softly together, Jack realised he'd missed something important. Something that could mean the difference between life and death for the entire planet. He shot a glance at Tosh, and noticed a victorious glint in her eye. Nothing had happened when the two halves had joined together. No ghosts coming to life, no energy release, nothing. The shock was enough to distract the aliens, and the telepathic shield disappeared as suddenly as it had appeared.
"Fire!"
A hail of bullets poured into the aliens and they dropped to the floor, dead. Owen was the closest, and he leapt in and caught the joined artifact before it would have shattered on the floor. He looked at it, uncomprehending.
"I don't get it. What happened?"
Jack glanced over at Tosh.
"Tosh?"
"We were able to drain the energy into a spare power core. Then we downloaded the recorded signature into a transponder, installed it in the artifact, then coated it in phosphorescent gel."
"You mean you faked it?" Gwen asked, disbelievingly. Tosh nodded.
"Exactly."
"The phases matched," Jack pointed out, "and they weren't supposed to, remember?"
"But where's the power core?" Gwen asked. Jack was looking around the hub and noticed something else.
"If I had to guess, I'd say Sarah Jane Smith has it."
Tosh nodded.
"She should have reached the highway by now."
"Right."
Ianto climbed down to the main level and began to make his way over to the bodies.
"Ianto, that can wait. We'll need whatever firepower we can get. Come on!"
Jack turned and led the other four members of Torchwood Three through the passageway into the garage. They climbed into the landrover and Jack floored the pedal, the vehicle jumping forward with a squeal of rubber. Even before they'd left the garage he began issuing orders.
"Tosh, see if you can trace Sarah. The power core might still be giving off a signal. Owen, call Sarah and warn her the aliens know about the deception. Gwen, call UNIT and tell them we may need air support. Ianto, scan for anything in low Earth orbit."
The Torchwood team set about their tasks, Ianto and Tosh using the landrover's onboard computers to access the systems they needed.
****
Sarah pulled into the right lane and accelerated, smoothly easing past the twenty-year-old Renault she'd been stuck behind. It was the first time she'd driven a BMW, and she was impressed by the handling and power of the vehicle. She felt slightly guilty about running away and leaving the Torchwood team to face the aliens, though. Sarah had actually suggested that Tosh be the one to get the energy core away from the hub but she had declined, saying that she had to stay behind and help her teammates. Sarah only hoped that none of them got killed.
As she slipped back into the left lane, her phone began to ring. Keeping her right hand on the wheel, she answered it.
"Sarah Jane Smith."
"Ms Smith, Owen Harper. You've been rumbled."
She'd known it would happen sooner or later.
"What about the aliens?"
"The ones at Torchwood were dealt with. There's some sort of shuttle entering the atmosphere five miles to the north. Tosh is picking up the energy core on the scanner, which means they can, too. Keep moving and we'll catch up to you as soon as possible."
A warning light flicked on on the speedometer, and its meaning was all too clear. A glance at the fuel gauge confirmed it.
"That might be a bit tricky. Can I speak to Toshiko?"
"I'll put her on."
****
Sandwiched between the figures of Ianto and Tosh in the back seat of the landrover, Owen passed his phone to Tosh.
"She wants to speak to you."
Tosh put the phone to her ear.
"Hello?"
"Do you usually put regular or premium fuel in this car?" Sarah asked. Tosh gasped as she remembered what she'd been planning to do on the way home.
"Oh no..."
"What is it?" Jack asked from the driver's seat. Tosh didn't reply. She brought up a street map of Cardiff and overlaid it on the tracking display.
"Take the next exit. There should be a service station two hundred metres down on your right. We'll be there as soon as we can."
"Thanks."
Tosh hung up and handed the phone back to Owen.
"She's out of gas?" Jack asked.
"Yes," Tosh replied, embarrassed.
"Okay, everyone hold on tight."
Jack floored the pedal and began weaving through gaps in the traffic.
****
Two minutes ahead, Sarah finished filling up the petrol tank and headed into the servo's shop to pay. She charged it to her credit card. She slipped the card back into her purse along with the receipt. She then pulled out her UNIT ID and showed it to the clerk. John Benton had been kind enough to see that she was issued with one, even though she'd never been officially part of the organisation.
"I'm with the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce. We have reason to believe that terrorists may try to blow up this service station."
"I'll have to get my manager."
"Quick."
The clerk ducked into the back of the shop and Sarah took an anxious look outside. The aliens hadn't arrived yet, and the cover story she'd just used should provide enough of an explanation.
"Excuse me?"
There was an older man standing behind the counter, and Sarah showed him her UNIT ID and repeated the cover story. The manager swallowed nervously.
"What do you need me to do?"
"Cut off all the pumps and close the station. Then get as far away as possible. There's a special ops team on the way in."
The manager nodded and turned to carry out Sarah's instructions.
There was a screech of tires and Sarah turned to see a black current-model landrover pull up outside the servo's shop. The doors opened and the Torchwood team poured out, guns drawn and ready to fire.
"Secure the perimeter." Jack ordered.
As Tosh, Gwen, Ianto and Owen spread out, Jack joined Sarah in the shop.
"You alright?"
Sarah nodded and patted her bag.
"The power core's in here."
"Right."
"Jack, we've got incoming," Gwen reported over the comm. There was a high-pitched whine and a bright orange energy beam slammed into the ground, narrowly missing Owen.
"Bloody hell!"
Jack knew they couldn't risk a firefight at a petrol station. One wrong move and the whole place could go up.
"Fall back. Everyone into the shop, now!"
The other Torchwood members began to fall back and Jack turned to Sarah.
"Give me the power core."
Sarah handed it over without hesitating. From what she'd seen of Jack Harkness, he valued the life of his friends. But at the same time, she had the feeling that he was hiding something. She only hoped that she'd made the right decision.
Ianto was the last to enter the shop, and the four of them turned and faced out the doors, guns at the ready. On the other side of the petrol pumps, the alien shuttle touched down. The door opened and five of the aliens stepped out. Jack took a step forwards, then a thought occurred to him.
"Owen, where did you put the artifact?"
"Under the passenger seat of the landrov-oh, shit."
"It's one of those days, isn't it?" Sarah sympathised. Owen nodded, slightly embarrassed. Jack turned and looked through the plate glass of the shop's front. The aliens were advancing slowly. He knew they couldn't risk a firefight, there was enough petrol around to blow the service station sky-high. But the aliens would have no such compunctions. He needed to end it here and now. He glanced back at the others.
"Get ready to duck."
Before they could reply, Jack tucked his revolver into the inside pocket of his overcoat, then turned and strode through the doors, holding the power core out in front of him.
He stared the lead alien in the eyes, holding his ground. There was no obvious communications between the five of them, but as one all the aliens came to a halt five metres away. Jack held up the power core.
"You want this?"
The alien leader nodded once, slowly.
"Then have it."
Jack threw the power core into the air, in a high arc that came within centimeters of hitting the roof above the pumps. As it arced down towards the alien leader, Jack reached into his coat and drew his revolver.
In the shop, Gwen was the first to realise her boss' intention.
"Get down!" she called. As a police officer, her first instinct was to protect civilians, and there was only one civilian in the room. Even before the warning was out of her mouth, Gwen took two running steps and tackled Sarah to the floor. Fortunately, the floor was covered in carpet. The others hit the floor a second later.
Jack fired two precisely aimed shots, both of which hit their mark. The power core shattered and Jack dived for cover as the emotional energy within was released. He knew it wouldn't set off the petrol, but he didn't want to find out what it would do to him. The bright yellow wave ripped through the aliens and they screamed in pain, putting their hands to their heads. They collapsed to the floor one by one, as the emotional overload became too much for them. Jack slowly walked over to their lifeless forms, watching carefully for any signs of life. A movement at the corner of his vision caught his attention and he looked over. The alien closest to the shuttle was stirring. Jack stepped over and reached down, helping the alien to its feet. He'd been hoping to find one alive.
"Can you understand me?" he asked. The alien nodded slowly, still a bit woozy from the explosion.
"Two of your advance parties have been destroyed by five, sorry six, of us. You go back to your ship and tell your superiors that this planet isn't worth the bloodshed. It is defended, and we will fight. Do you understand?"
The alien nodded again. Jack stepped back and covered the alien with his revolver.
"Good. Now get the fuck off our planet."
"We seem to be clear," Ianto observed. Gwen got to her feet and helped Sarah up. The Welsh woman peered closely at Sarah.
"Are you alright?"
Sarah nodded.
"I'm fine."
"You seem a little flushed."
Sarah glanced out the front of the shop, to see the alien shuttle lifting off and heading up into the atmosphere. Tosh headed out to the Torchwood landrover.
Jack joined them a second later.
"It's over."
Owen glanced at his watch.
"Just in time for dinner."
"There's a rather good Indian restaurant down the road," Ianto suggested. Jack considered it for a second then nodded.
"You go ahead in the landrover. Sarah and I will clean up here then follow on."
Tosh reentered the shop.
"They're leaving."
Owen, Ianto, Tosh and Gwen piled into the landrover and drove off. Inside the shop, Sarah turned to Jack.
"Now, what's the real reason you called me?"
"What makes you think I have another reason?"
"Why would the commander of a top-secret organisation invite a journalist into his headquarters just for a crisis? There was nothing to stop you taking the artifact from me and sending me off."
He met her eyes.
"You'd have gotten involved, anyway. Your file made that clear enough. But you're right."
Jack paused for a second.
"It's about the Doctor."
That did catch Sarah by surprise.
"The Doctor? I haven't seen him since Deffry Vale."
"I thought that was his handiwork. I was traveling with him and we got separated. I need to contact him."
Sarah considered it for a second, then nodded.
"I'll see what I can do."
After clearing things up with the petrol station's manager, Jack and Sarah climbed into Tosh's BMW.
"Jack, there's something I'd like to ask you."
"Go ahead."
She was going to do him a favour, it was only fair enough that there was a quid pro quo.
"If you ever need to go public, with information or disinformation..."
"You'll be the first person I call."
"And if any of you are in London, you're more than welcome to look me up."
"Thanks for the offer."
Jack knew that he, for one, would take up that offer if the opportunity presented itself. He wouldn't mind seeing more of Sarah Jane Smith, in the future. But right now, it was time for dinner.
Epilogue: A midnight visitor
Torchwood Three, Cardiff, Wales
August 15 2007
2356 hours local time
It was the middle of the night, and the hub was deserted aside from the lone figure of Jack Harkness. As he'd told Gwen, he lived at the hub and didn't sleep. He didn't need to anymore, not since the games station. He was sitting behind his desk, reading Ianto's copy of Time Chase. Sarah had confirmed that it was based on true events, and he was enjoying the story. As Jack went to turn the page, a breeze blew up and flicked the page out of his hand. Several pieces of equipment started beeping and the wind picked up. The darkness of the hub interior was illuminated as a light began flashing in mid-air, fading in and out of existence. A wheezing, groaning sound echoed throughout the Torchwood base and a thrill of excitement went through Jack. It was the moment he'd been waiting for. He reached out and flicked on the main lights, and was greeted by the sight of the hoped-for police box materialising in the middle of the hub.
He reached it before it finished materialising and stopped a couple of metres away. The TARDIS thumped into solidity and the doors opened. A woman stepped out. She appeared to be in her mid-thirties and had short, dark-reddish hair. Her eyes were a striking, deep green colour. She was wearing a dark green nylon tracksuit top and pants, and Jack could make out what appeared to be a black sports top underneath the tracksuit top. He recognised her immediately. He'd met this Doctor when he'd visited Raxacoricofallapatorius with the Ninth Doctor and Rose.
"You've changed your outfit since I last saw you."
"I didn't think the other one suited me anymore."
The Eleventh Doctor's original outfit, the one she'd worn on Raxacoricofallapatorius, had been as close as she could get to the Tenth Doctor's suit. She'd chosen it to remind her of who she was, as her regeneration had changed her more than usual. Once she'd settled into her new persona, she'd changed to the sporty outfit she now wore.
"I'm glad to see you."
The smile dropped from the Doctor's face. When she spoke, her tone was apologetic.
"I got Sarah's message."
Jack could tell that he wouldn't like what he was about to hear.
"And...?" he prompted gently.
"I can't tell you, not yet. The timing isn't right. You're supposed to rejoin my former incarnation and Martha. I'm sorry, Jack."
"But that's the way it has to play out. I understand that," Jack said, disappointed. As a former Time Agent, he understood the importance of maintaining the timeline.
But that didn't mean he couldn't catch up with his old friend.
"How about a drink?"
"I could use a cup of coffee."
Jack indicated for the Doctor to sit in front of the computers, then he headed over to his desk and pulled out a thermos. He grabbed two coffee cups from the computer desk and poured out two cups, one of which he handed to the Doctor. She sipped it and nodded approvingly.
"This is very good."
"I'll let Ianto know he's received Time Lord approval."
Jack paused for a second.
"That artifact we just dealt with..."
"I was monitoring events from the TARDIS. It alerted me when the halves came within five miles of each other."
"And you didn't stop by to help?"
The Doctor shot him a confident smile.
"You didn't need it. And yes, it was me who split it up and hid the two pieces. One in Siberia, one in Australia."
The Doctor took another sip and looked closely at her former companion.
"I'm surprised you told Sarah so much."
"You only take the best with you. That was enough of a reference. She's quite an interesting lady."
A reminiscent smile crossed the Doctor's face.
"Yes, she is that."
A slightly uncomfortable silence fell.
The Doctor finished her coffee and placed the cup on the desk.
"I suppose I'd better go."
Jack nodded once.
"Goodbye, Doctor."
The Doctor got to her feet and took two steps before turning back. She pulled a business card out of her pocket and handed it to Jack.
"These are my details. If you ever need to...shall we say, call for backup?"
Jack looked at the card. It was blank aside from the name 'Dr Jane Townsend' and a twenty-digit phone number.
"Thanks, Doctor."
The Doctor leant in and kissed Jack on the cheek.
"See you, Jack."
She crossed to the TARDIS and entered. The timeship dematerialised a few seconds later, and Jack was left on his own once more.