"Our envy always last longer than the happiness of those we envy."
Heraclitus
Torchwood London; London, England
May 2038
Anwen Williams stood in the stables on a warm summer morning watching Michael groom her horse. With Rhosyn in a sling, Anwen didn't want to risk it. Silver was well-behaved, but any horse could get spooked. While she missed grooming, and riding, there would be time. When Rhosyn was old enough, they would visit the horse farms in western Wales. As she dreamed as a child, they would ride across open fields with their hair stretched in the wind behind them. The mental image made her smile.
"Dad heard a rumor you were getting married."
She'd wondered what secret Michael was keeping. "We're thinking about it. A big ceremony would be a political mess."
Michael laughed. It was good to hear. "Uncle Jack suggested the same place your parents got married."
"As a joke?" An alien went on a rampage and all the guests had to be drugged with retcon.
"Dad thinks the Cardiff Millennium Centre is a better idea. To limit political complaints. Cardiff is home. The hub's location is known, so it wouldn't surprise anyone. Solid security."
Anwen smiled, nodding. "Ianto asked you to promote the idea?"
"Yeah. Trefor and the general recommended Global. Fully contained. Security and military honors."
"That would work if they ever got married."
"That's what I told them." Michael laughed more. "Trefor looked nauseous."
Multiple hurried footsteps distracted them. Langford entered in front of security. "There were two separate security incidents. Only one injured. Freeney is in the infirmary."
Rhosyn started crying. "Is uh…" Anwen stammered. And comforted her daughter.
"She's safe and on the way home," Langford assured. "We need to get inside."
Torchwood Nigeria; Sokoto State, Nigeria
Friday, October 8, 2021
Idrissa Oliveira stood in the infirmary. Recruiters had psychics approach them over the years. Tasi had a teenage boy hand her a drawing of the compound room he wanted while she was waiting in line for coffee. Bobby Zhau rescued a nine-year-old girl after she approached him in Hong Kong and gave him an antique coin to transport her across the river. A reference to his nickname Charon the Ferryman. But they had never had a walk-in before. The facility was in a desert.
Dr. Kazadi walked over. "Minimal exposure and injuries." He spoke English with a Congolese accent. "Computer scans suggest India or Parkistan. Vijay said the man spoke Urdu when he first arrived." Pause. "A desert upbringing combined with a psychic ability could explain how he found us."
Idrissa knew there was more to it. While they stopped recruiting when the Fellowship was destroyed by the Refuge, they had contacts throughout the world. If he could find the compound itself, he could have approached any number of people closer to India or Pakistan. The Refuge had active recruitment and rescuers. More people knew about Torchwood, and they were the easiest of the options to contact.
The computer chimed.
"He regained consciousness."
Idrissa switched on the translator as he cross the room. Intake was often complicated. Before the Refuge, they often collected psychics with problems. There seemed to be a connection between psychic abilities and mental health difficulties.
The man looked up from the cot. "Where is the Prophet?" He asked in English, sounding disoriented. Not surprising after a long walk through an unfamiliar desert.
"Are you looking for the Fellowship?"
The man nodded. "The Prophet wants new, powerful acolytes. I am here to serve." Pause. "I will be part of the renewal after the great ship falls from the sky."
Idrissa turned and looked at the doctor. "What kind of medication was administered?"
The doctor shrugged. "An antibiotic."
"I am an acolyte."
Idrissa turned back. "Which Prophet?"
"Azrael, the ancient born of the labyrinth."
Keara Montfort, the youngest of the three, sat in the garden she identified by the monkey. With her eyes closed and her back against a back corner. It perched on her shoulder, leaning on her head. Like many of the residents, the tiny primate showed up one day and made itself at home. Rumors floated. She had no idea.
The faint sound of the door opening followed by an energy change. Keara smiled. Whatever form he took, she would always recognize the man who saved her. Despite an unfortunate misunderstanding, he'd always been there for her. The monkey chattered as if sensing him too.
Keara opened her eyes as he materialized. "I hear the pharaohs summoned your new acolyte."
"Life according to Rezene," Azrael said.
"He actually said the new man is your high priest, making you a pharaoh." She smiled. "Then he got that look on his face when his ability contradicts his problems. And he decided you were the reincarnation of a great Aztec or Mayan king. Not too many pharaohs from Brazil." She chuckled. "I think we're supposed to build you a pyramid now."
"What can you tell me about the newcomer?"
Keara didn't know where to start. "He's psychic." She shrugged. "An experience changed him before he suddenly decided he needed to travel. It increased his ability. And his delusion." Her humor faded as a comparison came to mind. "He's like Colin. He fixated on part of a vision. It gave him purpose and fit with his psychological problems."
"He told Idrissa a great ship would fall from the sky."
Tingling started in her face and expanded; the world spun. The monkey made an unhappy sound and hopped down. She leaned over as the nausea swelled and vomited on an unusual fern.
"Keara?" Azrael shift, crouching in front of her.
Shaky, Keara said, "An alien ship will arrive. Like the space station. But there is something wrong with it." The images flickered through her mind like a broken projector. "Oh my god." Horrified, she looked at Azrael. "The island explosion exposed us. Aliens will follow the stolen technology here."
The tingling sensation grew. She sensed Soldier Keara for the first time in a long time. "We need a defense fleet now," she said, not recognizing her own voice.
Azrael entered the infirmary. He needed more information. The ideal first step was determining the new psychic's identity and running an in-depth background check. It was rarely that easy. Depending on the level of his delusion, he might not be able to help them. Missing person reports might help. Reporting it required having someone to report it to. A pronounced mental illness could keep the family from making an official statement. Specifics could take time to acquire.
The man bowed his head as Azrael approached.
"I have questions."
"Ask."
"What is your name?"
"Sai."
Azrael suspected an alias. The name meant something. "Where are you from?"
"Thar."
A desert between Pakistan and India. It fit the medical scans. "How did you get here?"
"I walked."
Patience, Azrael reminded himself. Under other circumstances, newcomers were not interrogated. Sai needed time, space and psychiatric care. If he knew of an imminent threat, and Keara's extreme reaction supported it, questions could not wait.
"You have questions about the great ship." Sai closed his eyes. "It will fall through a hole in the heavens, bringing demons to Earth."
"Why is it great if it is filled with demons?"
"The walls hold knowledge of the past and the future." Sai's voice took on a religious fervor, making Azrael uneasy. "And great weapons to defeat the evil that follows." Pause. "When you defeat Earth's greatest threat, the faithless will bow at your feet."
No part of that sounded good. Filtering out the religious content, Azrael guessed an alien space ship would crash and result in some type of attack. They needed to salvage the ship to have the knowledge to defend Earth. Without knowing Sai's issues, accurate interpretation was impossible.
The door opened and Vijay stepped into the doorway. He motioned toward the hallway.
"Excuse me, I need to speak with him."
Sai nodded.
Azrael crossed the room and followed Vijay into the hallway. He closed the door behind them, looking concerned.
"What happened?"
"Navin Sahni escaped from a mental health facility," Vijay said quietly, his Punjabi accent thickening, as he motioned toward the infirmary. "He's criminally insane. Getting accurate records could be complicated."
"What did he do?"
"I don't know. He's reportedly schizophrenic and obsessed with Varaha, a Hindu myth."
Azrael explained what Sai told him.
Vijay nodded. "Vaguely similar. It involves the cosmic ocean, a demon and saving Earth from evil."
"I will keep him here. Arrange his transfer to the secured ward." Whatever problems Sai had, they could not dismiss Keara's reaction. "Tell the psychiatrist there is some validity in what he is saying. We need as much information as possible."