Hello, hello! This is my first sci-fi related fanfic, so I hope I don't upset anyone, but this idea had come to me while watching Doctor Who. Though after watching Torchwood, I thought it fitted their storyline a little better. Eventually, I'll reveal and old Doctor Who friend, the Doctor will visit, Many idea's to work with. This is set after Jack's appearance in Doctor Who, with the Master, I'm hoping I kept in touch with the characters, but I'm not really sure, so I'm sorry if they're a bit OOC. Please enjoy, and don't forget to review!
Oh... I also know that one of the names is very cliche, but there is a reason for that and it will be revealed later on!
NOTE: This chapter has been slightly rewritten, so, please if you've already read it, read it again, though it's not totally necessary.
-T-O-R-C-H-W-O-O-D-
Not Another Gwen!
The Torchwood SUV pulled up outside Cardiff University. They'd picked up on a Police report about a man roaming the campus and shooting at students. Not their usual job, but the weapon described sounded like an energy blaster. Something Twenty-first century Earth didn't have yet. The scene around the campus was chaotic to say the least. Students stood huddled together behind the Police lines. Ambulance Officers were attending to student. Jack noted the coroner's van. Someone must've been killed by their mystery shooter.
"Owen," Jack started, "Go check with the coroner and the Ambulance Officers, see if the injuries really are from some sort of energy blaster."
Owen nodded and headed off, leaving the rest of them with Jack, "Toshiko, scan the area from any activity. Maybe we can find this guy. Gwen, Ianto, let's talk to the students."
Owen walked up to the Coroner, "Torchwood," he said.
The coroner looked up at him and sighed. They all knew about 'Special Ops.' It wasn't really surprising though. He couldn't identify the injuries. Owen knelt down beside him and pulled the sheet of the body. He sighed when he saw the young girl there. Looking over the wounds he could confirm that they had been caused by some sort of energy blaster, but he didn't recognize the pattern. The coroner handed him her wallet.
"Her name's Crystal Trent. Nineteen years old..."
Owen shook his head. This was the reason he didn't like working with patients. You always wound up getting hurt by them. Even now though, young victims got to him. He wasn't as cold and heartless as he lead everyone to believe.
Jack, Ianto and Gwen walked up to the officer in charge of the scene for a briefing of what had occurred, "So, 'Torchwood takes another of our cases," The officer said sarcastically.
"I don't have time for this," Jack said, "Just tell us what we need to know."
"Victim's name is Crystal Trent. She attended the University. She was walking with her friends to class when a madman opened fire," The officer pointed towards three girls, who were standing away from the rest of the crowds, "Trent is the only fatality, but there are some injuries."
Ianto looked towards the girls and realized he recognized one of them, "I'll start with the girls," He said.
"I'll come with you," Jack said, "Gwen, go talk to some of the other students."
Ianto and Jack walked over to the three girls, "Captain Jack Harkness and this is Ianto Jones."
The blond girl in the middle, looked up, recognizing Ianto's name, he smiled at her, "You deliver Pizza to us, remember?"
She nodded, "Yeah. I know."
"Can we ask you three some questions?" Jack asked.
One of the girls looked at him, "We already gave our statements to the police," She said.
"We know, but we're working the case too," Jack said.
The third girl smiled shyly, "Forgive us, Crystal is... was our roommate," She glanced towards the body of their friend, "What do you want do you want to know?"
"Your names first," Jack asked.
"I'm Astra Lifrey," The blond girl said, "Keely Forester," She said motioning to the girl who'd spoken first, "And Zoe Michaels."
"Ok girls, what can you tell us about the guy who was shooting at you?" Ianto asked.
"He was dressed really weird you know, like something from a Science Fiction convention," Zoe said.
"Can you describe the clothing?" Jack asked.
They nudged at Astra to describe it, she glared at her friends momentarily then sighed, "The outfit looked like something out of the book I'm writing... But the only ones that have read it or seen the pictures are the girls!" She said, tears falling down her face.
Ianto reached out to out a comforting hand on her shoulder, but she flinched away in pain. He glanced at the spot where his hand had been. Her jacket was slowly turning red, "You're injured."
The other girls looked at her, "Astra?"
"It's nothing... I was standing right next to Crystal..."
Jack looked around and noticed that Owen was done with the coroner, he waved him over. He looked back at the girls, "You need to get that looked at."
"What else can you tell us about the guy?" Ianto asked as Owen came up to them.
"I don't know, besides that he had a funny looking weapon... It wasn't like any gun I'd ever seen and my dad ran a gun store," Keely said.
Owen came up, "Yeah?"
"Owen, Astra here's been injured, would you take a look?" Jack asked.
Own lead Astra aside to a seat, "Here sit down." Astra did as she was told, "It's fine, really..."
He looked at her doubtfully, "Come on." Astra sighed and removed her jacket. The shirt underneath had been burnt by the blaster. It wasn't a big wound, but he was sure it hurt, "You don't feel that?"
She looked at her shoulder, suddenly realizing why Ianto and Jack had been so insistent, "I... Oh god..." She gulped. She felt it now. Her body had been in such a state of shock that she hadn't even noticed it. She'd just put her jacket on, because she'd felt cold.
"Ahh, you feel it now..." Owen said as he rummaged around in his kit. He patched up her shoulder and handed her off to one of the paramedics, "There you go."
"Thanks..."
Jack, who was still with Ianto and the girls looked at them, "Could you ask Astra to bring a picture of what this guy was wearing?"
Zoe nodded, "Sure. I'll ask her."
"You'll find the guy that did this right?" Keely asked.
Jack looked at her, "We'll try."
Gwen had been off, talk to other students, asking them what they'd seen, "Well, I was on the other side of the field, I saw the guy, but not good enough to tell you anything about him. But I saw Crystal go down... I ran over but the guy had already run off..." Gwen thanked the boy for his help and went on to the next person, but pretty much every story was the same. Strange guy, strange weapon and he ran off after shooting at the girls. She sighed and ran her hand through her hair.
She was about to join the others when a staff member approached her, "Excuse me, but you're asking about the man who did the shooting?"
"Yes, I am," Gwen replied.
The woman paused for a moment, "This might sound silly, but I was in my office working, when I saw a man running through the courtyard. I looked to see where he was coming from, but my office is near a courtyard, he couldn't have come from anywhere. Then he returned a little while later after everyone had started screaming... He disappeared in a strange blue light..."
Gwen nodded, "Thank you. That may just help."
Back at the SUV, Jack was collecting everyone's reports, "Tosh, what did you find?"
"There's evidence of a recent time shift, but it's closed now, there's only a residue left from it," She pointed to a map of the university.
"That might just fit what one of the staff members said. She said the a guy appeared from nowhere in a courtyard like the one Tosh is pointing yet, then came back and disappeared in a blue light," Gwen said, looking at Tosh's readings.
"So, we're not dealing with someone trying to be a book character then?" Ianto asked.
"It would seem not," Jack said.
"Both the victim and the girl you had me look at had burns from an energy blaster style weapon, but I don't recognize the pattern," Owen said, leaning against the car.
-T-O-R-C-H-W-O-O-D-
It was late evening and the team were still working on tracing the whereabouts of the guy from the University, but with no luck. They could all tell it was going to be a late night. They'd picked up some vague descriptions from the students, but most of them had been too shaken up to really take a good look.
Upstairs in Reception, Ianto had ordered Pizza to satisfy the team during another long night. He was surprised when Astra arrived with it, "How's your shoulder?" He asked.
"It's Ok," She replied, "The doctors said it was nothing to worry about."
"I didn't expect to see you working."
"I wasn't going to, but I needed to get out of the apartment..." She sighed sadly, "Plus Zoe said Captain Harkness wanted to see one of my pictures... Of the clothes the guy was wearing..." She handed him a piece of paper, obviously taken from a sketch book, "Just one thing Ianto..."
"What?" He asked taking the picture from her.
"This is a visitor Information Center right? What are you doing investigating crimes?" She asked.
Ianto shifted uncomfortably as he handed her the money for the pizza, "That's two things."
"Well, I actually have a third..."
"Oh?"
"What's Torchwood? I heard the police complaining..." She asked.
He looked around, "Special Ops," He said. It was what they told the police, but he wasn't sure she was going to accept that as an answer. She he thought, he heard the door open and Toshiko walked in. She glanced around at the brochures that they held there for show, "Excuse me sir?" She asked walking up to the desk.
He glanced at Astra, "I have to work."
"Right... Of course... Sorry," Astra said heading back towards the door, "I'll see you next time then..."
As she walked out she heard the woman who'd entered ask about evening events around Cardiff. As soon as she'd gone, Ianto sighed in a relief, "Thank you Tosh!"
"You're welcome. Jack sent me up to find out what was taking so long," She grinned and grabbed the pizza boxes from him, "Well open up."
Ianto pushed the button behind the desk and the door opened. Tosh headed down, but he locked up and put the closed sign up before following.
The team gathered in the board room, to grab their dinner and have a break. This case had them stumped. If the staff member from the University was right, the shooter had disappeared and was long gone. Ianto handed Jack the picture, "Apparently that's what the guy was wearing."
Jack sat down in his chair, Pizza in one hand, picture in the other. He almost dropped his pizza when he got a good look at it. He put the pizza down on the plate in front of him and concentrated on the drawing. The clothes, were fifty-first century inspired. He knew that. He also knew that it was the Uniform worn by Cadets of the Time Academy. He still wore his, but what grabbed him the most was the face. He leaned back and stared into the face of a man he'd gone to the Academy with. He remained silent for some time, causing the rest of the team to wounder what was so interesting.
"Jack?" Gwen finally broke the silence. He didn't seem to hear her, so she tried again louder, "Jack?"
He looked up, "Oh... Sorry..."
"What is it?" Toshiko asked.
He put the picture down in the middle of the table, "We're looking for a man dressed like that," was all he said.
After they'd all gotten back to work, Jack came up behind Gwen, startling her, "Jack, you really shouldn't sneak up on people."
"Sorry, look can you do me a favor?"
"Sure."
"Find out everything you can on a girl called Astra Lifrey."
Gwen nodded, "The girl from the University?" He nodded, "It's an unusual name." She typed in the details, "No Welsh or English nationals by that name."
"Expand out of the country, particularly Australia."
Gwen widened the search, "Here, Astra Gayle Lifrey. Australian national, in Wales on a student Visa to study at Cardiff University. Works at our favorite Pizza joint."
"What about before coming to Cardiff?"
"Ok, quite some history here... Sydney Police found a sixteen year old girl wondering the streets with no memory of where she came from. The only thing she knew was her name. She lived in the foster system till she was eighteen and came here."
"No Idea on where she came from? Bring up the police report."
Gwen did, "She had only two personal items on her and clothes that didn't fit the area. A strange pocket watch that doesn't work, but she wouldn't let them look at and..." She glanced at the picture of the wrist band then at Jack, who looked at his own wrist band.
"No..."
"What exactly is it Jack?"
"It's given to Cadets who graduate from the Time Academy..."
"Time Academy?" She asked.
He ignored her question and went on, "But being found in Australia... that's nowhere near the rift... And at age sixteen there's no way she's a graduate..."
He leaned against Gwen's desk, "Who is she?"
"And we ask you you are..."
"This is different... I know exactly who I am..."
Gwen leaned back in her chair as he walked away, then suddenly turned back to her, "What did you say her full name was?"
"Astra Gayle Lifrey."
"Gayle Lifrey... " Gwen watched him as he went over something in his head, "No... Couldn't be..." Gwen stared at him, waiting for him to explain something, anything, but she should have known better. Jack never did explain what he meant.
-T-O-R-C-H-W-O-O-D-
The next day, classes had been canceled at the University due to what had happened the day before, but Jack had more questions for Astra. Particularly about the picture. He knocked on the door of her apartment and waited. A few minutes later, she answered the door, "Who is it?" She looked like she hadn't slept.
"Jack Harkness, we met yesterday."
She opened the door wider to let him in, "What can I do for you?"
Jack looked around the apartment. It was obvious that four very different girls lived there. Well, three now. But despite the fact that nothing really matched, it was still tasteful and homey. There were plenty of pictures of the flat mates together, some family pictures from the other girls, but he noticed no family pictures from Astra, "I wanted to ask you some more questions," He said, he also noted how quiet it seemed to be, "Where are the others?" He asked.
"They when to visit Crys's mum..." She replied, she motioned to a chair, "Please, sit."
Jack did so, on a comfy armchair, while noticing how clean everything was, considering that the apartment was lived in by four University Students. He waited till she'd sat herself down on the couch. She curled her legs up under her and waited for him to start, "You didn't go with your friends?" He asked.
"No... My shift didn't finish till one. I found a note telling me they'd gone."
He nodded then pulled out the picture from the pocket of his gray army coat, "What can you tell me about him?"
Astra took the picture from him, "Umm, he's a character from the book I'm writing," Jack nodded and indicated for her to go on, "Rhiley... That's his name, is a Cadet from the Fifty-first century. The main character finds herself trapped there and he falls in love with her. They both attend the Time Academy together along with their friends Boe and John. But I don't see what this has to do with Crystal?" She asked.
Jack frowned as she mentioned the guy's name. Rhiley. That's what he'd been afraid of, "Uhh, you said the guy who attacked you was dressed like him?"
She nodded, "Yeah... It was strange... Like I said yesterday, the only ones that have seen the pictures are the girls..." She glanced at Jack and sighed, "Captain?"
"Please, call me Jack," She nodded, somewhat nervous, "What is it?"
She bit her lip and looked at the floor for a moment before looking back up at him, "The guy... He... I don't know, maybe it was my imagination... Don't worry."
"No, go on," Jack insisted.
"I don't know... I just got this feeling that... Well, he had his sights intently on Crys..."
Jack nodded, "How'd you come up with the character of Rhiley?" He asked, curious.
Astra thought for a moment, biting her lip, "It's kind of silly... When I dream, I see these people. They're living this great life in the future and they're happy. Rhiley, Boe, John and Romana, they're such great friends. A bit like me and the girls here, just minus the romantic relationship and the awesome adventure. Romana is the main character."
Jack nodded, he wasn't quite sure what to think, "Ok, well, thank you," He said getting up.
Astra got up as he did, "How's the investigation going?" She asked as the walked to the door.
Jack paused, "We're working on it," He replied.
Astra nodded as she opened the door for him, "Well... I uhh, hope I could help..."
He stepped out of the apartment and just before she could close the door he turned back to her, "The main character, her name is Romana? Right?" Astra nodded. Jack nodded back at her, "Ok... I'll let you know if we figure anything out."
-T-O-R-C-H-W-O-O-D-
A few days later, there hadn't been any more sightings of their mysterious Time Agent. Ianto had created a cover story that a lunatic who'd read Astra's rough notes had become obsessed with the character and tried to kill her and her friends. It hadn't done much for Astra, who Jack had been watching. She felt guilty and had closed herself off from her friends. She refused to talk to anyone about Crystal's death. Ianto reported that when she delivered their pizza it was simply an exchange of money for goods, like it had been before.
"So," Owen said as he looked up from his latest alien autopsy, "I have no idea what it is."
"That's useful," Gwen huffed.
Toshiko looked over the Autopsy table from the upper level, "Well, Legend states that Faceless ones were able to scare a person to death. With looks of absolute horror and pain upon the faces of the victims."
"Would explain this..." Owen opened one of the freezer storages and revealed the body of a middle aged man, his face distorted by fear and pain.
"I still can't look at that one..." Gwen said, looking away.
"It's not a pretty sight, but it's a part of what we do. And hey, don't they say every legend has some sort of truth behind it? No one said it couldn't be an Alien," Jack said.
They continued on, discussing the validity of myths and legends, when Ianto came in, "Weevil sighting..."
Gwen groaned as the made their way to gather their stuff for the hunt. One part of the job that she hated, was Weevil hunts. Someone always wound up getting hurt.
The hunt brought them to the university. Though by now it was late evening and most of the campus was deserted, besides around the library, where students were making the best of the quiet hours.
"Well, when we get home, how about some of my mum's spaghetti?" A girl asked as they left.
The other with her laughed, "Sound's great Zoe."
They continued chatting about menial things, till something ran passed them, followed by the Torchwood team. The three girls stopped and watched. But there wasn't much to see as the chase went around a corner. Two of the girl's shrugged and went on towards their car, but the third, Astra, stayed, "Sorry, Zoe, I think I'll pass on the Spaghetti," then took off after the chase.
She watched as the team cornered the odd beast, with it's wrinkled face and sharp teeth. Most would've been scared by such a hideous creation, but she was intrigued. The team subdued the beast and lead it off to their SUV. Astra strapped on her helmet and started her motor cycle. She followed the team back to the Millennium center, where she watched most of them exit the car and walk towards the water tower. A fact she found odd, since the Information center wasn't there. She stopped her bike and flung the helmet over the handle bars. Following the team as discreetly as she could, till someone bumped into her. She apologized hurriedly and looked up just in time to see them all just disappear. She walked up to the tower and looked around. There was no where that the could've gone. She sat down on the stones and looked around. Something odd was going on, to say the least. As she got up, the stone moved, as if it was gong down. Not really knowing what to do, but always ready for an adventure, she got on it. What came next, blew her away.
-T-O-R-C-H-W-O-O-D-
The stone descended underground, revealing the Torchwood Hub. The team appeared to be going on with their usual jobs, unaware of her arrival. Astra looked at everything, trying to take it all in. It was like a scene from her book. That very thought almost brought tears to her eyes, but she looked around in awe. As the invisible elevator came to a stop, Jack suddenly stood behind her, "So, your curiosity got the better of you?"
"Huh?" Astra spun around to face him, "I... What is this place?"
"It's Torchwood."
He held out his hand like a gentleman and lead her off the elevator, "Ok... But what's Torchwood? I thought you worked for a Tourist Information center?"
Jack looked at her, "Really? You still thought that after the university attack? Or any of the others that you followed us to."
Her face went red with embarrassment, "I... Well, What was that thing at the University?"
Jack laughed, "Let me properly introduce you to the team before we talk about Weevils," He just smiled as she looked at him confused, "Toshiko Sato, Computer and math genius. Owen Harper, doctor with terrible bedside manner so dead Aliens do him well-"
"Aliens?"
He ignored her question and went on, "Gwen Cooper, resident newbie, Profiler and Police Liaison. And of course you already know our coffee god and general support man, Ianto Jones. Then there's me, Captain Jack Harkness, Boss around here."
Astra nodded, confused, "Right..."
"Jack, please tell me you're not pulling another Gwen..." Owen complained.
"So, what can we do for you?" Jack asked.
"Uhh..." Astra looked around, it was like she'd stepped into one of her stories, "What was that thing at the University?" She repeated.
"A Weevil," Jack said. He gave her one of his cocky grins when she looked at him, confused, "Come on, come meet him." He lead her towards the cells.
"He's pulling a Gwen alright..." Tosh said, coming up beside Owen.
"But she's just a kid," Gwen said, watching them.
"Jack's curious about her. And I agree, there is something odd about her," Ianto said, handing out coffee.
Jack lead Astra down to the cells and stopped in front of a weevil, "That's the one we caught at the university. It didn't get to kill anyone."
She nodded and looked at it curiously, "It looks sad," She said softly.
"He probably is, taken from his home then finding himself in a small cell."
Astra cocked her head to the side slightly and continued to look at the Weevil, "So, he can't find a way home and needs to survive, but to survive gets him locked away..." She sighed, "I don't envy him or his kind..."
Jack watched her, she was taking all this a lot better then he'd expected. Even better then Gwen, but he was caught off guard by what she said next.
"So it's all true..."
"What is?"
"That we're not alone, Canary Wharf and the attacks at Christmas, everything is real, it's not hallucinations, it's real..." A tear fell from her eye as she spoke.
"Astra?"
She put down her bag and pulled out her sketch book, opening it to a page, she showed Jack a picture of a Dalek and on the page next to it, a Cyberman, "I drew these two days before the attack at Canary Wharf," She flicked through the book again, "And I drew him two days before Crystal was killed..." She held out the picture of Rhiley Sparks.
Jack pulled a chair over and sat her down, then grabbed one for himself, "Daleks have existed, since, well, I don't know when, but a long time. A friend of mine probably knows more and Cybermen existed before Canary Wharf too."
She looked up at him, "How can you be so sure?"
"Because I know."
Astra sighed, "Why are you telling me this? Why are you showing me this? It doesn't make sense, Torchwood is obviously supposed to be secret."
Jack smiled and got up, "Why am I telling you? Because you would've found out anyway. You're too observant, like Gwen."
Astra grabbed her bag and followed him, "So? I got in the way, you tell me everything then kill me?"
Jack laughed, "No, that's not what we do."
"Right..."
"What? You don't believe me?" Jack asked innocently.
Astra shrugged, "I don't know what I'm supposed to think. It's like I've stepped into one of my stories and finally escaped life..." She said sadly.
Jack lead her back to the main hub, everyone paused momentarily, but then went back to what they were doing, "Come on," He lead her out the actual door to the lift, which took them to reception.
"I knew you guys were too weird to be a Tourist center..."
-T-O-R-C-H-W-O-O-D-
Jack sat with her in a bar, the perfect cover for the Retcon he had to give her, but he didn't want to yet, "Tell me about your book."
She shook her head, "I haven't written anything since Crystal died..."
"Please, tell me about Rhiley..."
"This is somewhere near the end actually... Rhiley was in love with Romana, till one day, she was attacked. By another friend of theirs, John. He was being controlled by something. Anyway, Rhiley saved her from the attack and she had him take her back to her ship. Like I said, she wasn't from there."
Jack watched her, "What happened to the girl?"
"She hid for a while, with Rhiley, she told him everything. Who she really was, where she was from. Another reality and that she was looking for someone, who could help a friend of hers."
They spoke a while longer then he ordered them drinks, it was now or never. He left her and went to the bar to collect them. He slipped the Retcon into her drink and sighed, He came back and gave it to her. She accepted it silently, as if lost in her own world of thought, "Astra?" He said after she'd taken some of the liquid, "You're not going to remember anything about Torchwood or me or the Weevil..."
She looked at him, "What? Why... Jack..."
"I'm sorry, I can't let you into this. It's too dangerous."
She shook her head, "Something great finally happens and I'm going to forget it? I already can't remember anything before I was sixteen..." She was almost crying.
Jack lead her out to his car, "Astra, I'm sorry. Go to school, live a normal life."
"There's nothing normal about dreaming every night about living someone else's life!"
He drove her back to her apartment. She went in and collapsed into her bed. Jack sat outside for a while, watching the apartment, then drove back to Torchwood.