1
Morning.
Sunlight off white sheets. Everything glows. A face there, Jack, just awake, fuzzy-haired, blinking right back at him.
Ianto, wearing his full weather gear, hat, thermals, parka … lies on the bed across from him. He smiles, touches Jack, hand filthy, the colour of ground grease.
Jack smiles back, touching his hand, kissing it lightly. He cups his face, draws him to him. He kisses him softly. A shared gaze.
Jack's smile never changes as he draws his head slowly back and suddenly slams it forward- his skull smashing into his face...
BANG
Ianto's head bumps back and slaps the wall, he snaps awake. He blinks and then his head is thrown forward once more in a harder impact, a spine-shot-head-smack, tremors and teeth-buzzing as the Transporter drop-slides, jolts and now everybody's up rudely awake and scared as they look around the cabin of the Unit Transporter as it seems to skim the trees below.
"…the fuck was that?" a young soldier called Spike blusters as he pulls his harness tighter.
Ianto curses softly as he checks his own harness, this exercise has been one in futility. As per usual the supposed crash site was just another asteroid and Tosh was correct as always. Ianto is dreaming of Jack who went ahead with the rock in his hand and a mouth full of nasty for the General who sent out the alert. The supposed crate of zoo animals could not be found.
Those warm hands were lovely for a moment and he wishes he could drift back there.
Ianto hates the clean-up, always left to do the shitty work but does not complain. After all, he did sign up for this and it did get him something he never thought possible.
Jack.
Another shuddering drop and a squeak of fear to his left.
Ianto looks up at the flight-officer and she looks back frightened, fuck that terrified. He sees it.
BANG
Another ripping-wrenching sound as the Transporter tilts, rolls over upside-down- grown men scream shrilly.
Ianto is hanging by his harness, overhead bins pop, luggage dumps down. The Transporter twists over again, now right-side up, slide-dumps, the bottom drops out and everything lurches along with his stomach.
The Transporter catches air again for half-a-breath and the vessel groans/shudders metal frays… then the Transporter nosedives down.
Faster and steeper.
Debris flies front-to-rear, ransacked … colliding with Ianto, everybody else… bags/bottles/books… THE FLIGHT OFFICER… catapults by Ianto, arms up, girl in a tornado- her heel smacks Ianto in the face—ammonia floods his sinuses, vision pinholes...
Don't-pass-out
The Transporter tips deeper, end-over-ends, guys fly by, grabbing at seats, screaming still, the treble of pure terror, a sound like the end of the world...
The Transporter catches, rights, barely, then banks down again as it starts a slow rotating dive with everyone, everything spinning like a lotto-drum, Ianto braces.
The Transporter breaks loose, bulkhead collapsing- can't hold- bolted seats shear off and fly
Ianto's muscles are screaming, hammer-locked, holding fast-The spin stops abrupt, flying sideways now, bottom-dropping glide, limbs shoot through windows, torn free—plastic panels, metal pops, heads crack walls, carpet- then- BANG- hard impact- hitting the ground- shaking/jarring- steel grinds, splits, moonlight gaps through torn airframe- a white world racing by- Truck-loads of debris shoot forward- a bloody head spins by like a bowling ball- Seats crush accordion pancake/belly rolls/ spine/smack- lights pop- glass explodes—snow rushes in, white avalanche, freezing air hissing past
The Transporter in pieces still slapping-sliding and Ianto upside down now with all sides crushing in at sideways speed, g-forces pulling- Ianto clenches, trying to keep his head on his neck, Ianto's side of the Transporter tears loose and shoots out of the spin, he knows he is screaming too, Jack's name wrenched from his throat ….whip-crack- thrown into the dark- slams into banks of snow- ploughs through- plumes into the air- IANTO- spinning- upside-down- then everything stops
dead...buzzing... ...white...
...silent.
.
.
..
Owen is humming to Rhonda in his lap as he twirls slowly in the office chair. Jack is still roaring in the other tent as the wind whips around them and the cold air keeps invading the tent like a fucking thief stealing the comfort.
Owen watches the little one stop her laughter and cant her head, turning it towards the mountain.
"Uncle Ianto on his way is he?" Owen asks softly, "About fucking time. Maybe we can all go home and Uncle Jack can get a wee time out, yeah?"
Rhonda's little face turns to him with open confusion and then Owen hears the flurry of activity starting in the camp, voices rising and the occasional shout of fear.
Something has happened.
Gone wrong.
Owen watches his little one's face as those brown eyes widen and she slowly lets her lips roll back to show her teeth. She is trying to tell him something but this species don't speak as young, like humans they develop speech as they grow.
Something has scared her and Owen holds her close crooning as he feels the tendrils of that same fear ticking at his ball sack.
Then Jack roars.
Primal.
Owen closes his eyes and curses softly as he buries his face in her fur.
Ianto.