No reviews for the last chapter? :(
Contains dialogue from 'Day Four' which I can't take credit for.
I also fiddled with a couple of scenes/smushed them together to fit this fic.
Chapter Four
In the study of UNIT's safe house, Seto sat in stunned silence which was mirrored by the London warehouse on the other side of the computer link-up. As a result of the bombshell that had been dropped by Jack's inconceivable revelation, it now had him and the others questioning the morality of the captain in their own solitary thoughts.
"1965, I gave them twelve children." The clarification was given with a heavy heart yet portrayed with a vacant manner once more.
"Why Jack?" Seto asked his friend. To be told 'as a gift' was not an explanation he was willing to except. There had to be more to it than that.
"Back then I worked as a freelancer for Torchwood." Jack went on. "One night I was strategically placed on an assignment to help the government deliver a ransom demand. And that demand just happened to be for twelve children."
Rhys failed to hold his tongue any longer and voiced his thoughts angrily towards the man he'd previously begun to admire. "That's bloody sick our government would do that! And the fact that you went along with it …!"
"Shhh!" Gwen gestured for her husband to be quiet as Clem still cowered and clung to her. Gently she eased him off and stepped forward. "Continue Jack. Surely there's more to it? Please tell me there is."
The five pairs of inquisitive hurt and infuriated eyes all fixed on the captain and unnerved him. It didn't show through his posture much, if at all, as he proceeded with his explanation. "There was an outbreak of a brand new strain of Indonesian flu at the time. Research predicted that it would quickly mutate and kill up to twenty-five million people if a cure wasn't found swiftly. The 456 agreed to give us the antivirus required in exchange for the children."
"You just handed them over and hoped for the best?" She was still finding it hard to side with her boss. Maybe if it had been something else besides children, adults even, then the shock factor wouldn't have distorted her reasoning from his?
"A dozen lives sacrificed to save millions; it seemed like a good deal." Jack wasn't sure what else to say to make them fully understand the situation he and the handful of others had been placed in that night. "Once they had the children the antivirus was handed over, as promised and as a result, not a single soul died from the flu epidemic after that."
The confused and stern glares were now beginning to melt. Except for the one man who battled with his burning anger. "You are in every nightmare I've ever had." Clem stated as he now stood by himself where Gwen had left him.
"I'm sorry." The captain's demeanour finally fell as he began to show his remorse towards the man whose life he'd ruined. "I'm really sorry."
Seeing his lover falter, Ianto stepped forward to offer his support. At the same time, Clem leapt at Gwen and snatched the gun she had tucked in her belt.
"Gwen!" Both Rhys and Seto called out their concerned warning at seeing the man draw the weapon from her.
BANG! The sound of the small blast ran through the air and echoed in the warehouse. Jack fell down as a result of accurately lucky aim of the spontaneous shot to his heart.
As though hypnotised for a moment each of them stared at the captain's lifeless form as it flopped down to the ground. This time around, knowing that his friend would revive, it didn't shock Seto nearly half as much as having seen the man's lifeless body sprawled out before the crimson Dalek. Still, it was startling to see such a thing happen and he guessed that his expression would have been almost identical to those worn by his two Welsh friends as he watched Ianto now sprint across to Jack.
Gwen managed to shake her stunned state and swiftly began to talk in an attempt to calm the shooter. "Okay, so…"
"Stay away!"
"Give me the gun Clem. Come on." She tried to coax him into handing the weapon over before more people got hurt.
"You're on his side!" He shouted hysterically and waved the gun in front of him.
"Give it to me." Gwen didn't even seem phased by the barrel now pointing directly at her. She knew that the man was merely shocked and scared by what he had just done.
"And he's on their side!" Clem gestured to the still greatcoated body as Ianto knelt down and cradled Jack's upper torso in his lap.
"Okay, it's over..." Still she tried to get through to him as he shouted over her words.
"You're all involved!"
"Let him go." Rhys called to his wife, his heart racing at the thought of something bad happening to her and their baby. "He's dangerous, man."
"I'm not dangerous!" Clem now turned the gun on the interfering Welshman.
Quicker than a flash, Gwen placed herself in the middle of the standoff. "We know! We know you're not."
Seto felt irritated with himself for being so helpless as he watched his friend willingly put herself at risk for her husband. If he had been there, he'd waste no time in jumping the old man to disarm him, so why didn't the idiot Welshman?
"We know that." She was pleased to see the anger drain from Clem's face as her talking paid off.
"But that's a lie. Isn't it? Isn't it?" The man began to stammer. "We both know it. I … killed a man." He looked over at Jack and Ianto before deciding, "I am dangerous."
A passing freight train could be faintly heard during the moment that Clem had fallen silent as the result of his actions sinking in to his mind at having killed the man who haunted his dreams.
Gingerly Gwen stepped forward to him. "Can I take that?"
There was no reply so she promptly took another couple of steps and snatched back her gun which she then held out for Rhys to collect whilst she comforted the man who fought to hold back his sorrow. "There we are."
The CEO's eyes wandered from the scene of console as he watched his friend's husband disappear to hide the gun someplace safe. They then flickered over to the couple huddled on the floor as he wondered just how long it would be before the captain revived.
"But it wasn't my fault." Clem tried to explain as he pulled back from the offering of a shoulder to cry on. He wearily looked upwards through the broken roof and out to the stars above. "There is something up there. They do want children." His view angled back to Jack and the painful memory of his youth repeated in his mind once more as he told Gwen, "That man held my hand … and took me to them."
Suddenly, the sound of a huge gasp erupted from the dead man's mouth and caused Clem to scream in fright.
"This is normal, okay? This is what he does. I told you he was going to be okay." Seto could hear Gwen's voice trying to calm the man once more as he too watched in stunned amazement at what he saw: knowing that his friend was immortal but having had never actually witnessed him coming back to life before. It was both fascinating and disturbing at the same time as Jack visibly shook with fear from the rebirth, trying to sit up and frantically gripping at the arms of his lover who restrained him with a firm yet comforting embrace.
"No! No!" Clem shouted his disbelief before bolting into the darkness of the night.
"Clem?" Gwen was quick to follow after him, leaving the two men alone on the warehouse floor and Seto on the other side of the visual link-up.
"Is he okay?" Seto asked the Welshman as he became concerned over the constant shaking of his immortal friend.
"Yes." Ianto nodded. "He'll be fine. Like Gwen told Clem, 'this is normal'." His hold became tighter and he pulled Jack closer to him.
Seto looked at the clock. It was getting extremely late, or extremely early depending on how you viewed the first few hours of the new day. For a while the thought of the 456's demand had left his mind as it'd become preoccupied with the warehouse drama, but now his stomach flipped at the mere thought of handing over more children to them. Surely Jack wouldn't do that again this time?
"You should get some rest." Ianto told him as he approached the computer, on his own without Jack and sat down in the chair. "It's even later there than it is here."
"I can't." Seto shook his head. "Not after what we now know about the children."
"Then just go be with Kisara." The Welshman urged. "I take it that the two of you didn't kiss and make up after your fallout?"
He didn't want to elaborate on the subject, just as he sensed that his friend didn't want to talk about the facts they'd uncovered with the help of the lenses Lois wore, but gave a partially defeated sigh as he admitted, "If I'm not careful then I'm going to lose her."
"So tell her about your involvement with Torchwood."
"Only if you tell Rhiannon about yours."
The two friends became locked in a stalemate conversation as neither of them was prepared to back down and break the truth to their loved ones.
Silently Jack came up behind Ianto and casually positioned himself on the table's ledge. The usually happy go lucky captain that had been present earlier that day was long gone as he sat with a morbid face and unable to look either of the younger men in the eye. Not a single word was spoken between the three friends as they continued to sit there in silence.
Eventually the Welshman spoke but made no attempt at eye contact with the captain. "Can't believe you didn't mention this before."
"They didn't speak through kids back then." Jack explained sombrely. "I didn't recognise the signs at first."
Ianto glanced up at his lover. "That's not what I meant." Swiftly he looked away again.
"Please Yantie, don't turn away from me." A hand gently rested on his shoulder. "You were the only one who stood by me after what happened to Jasmine. I need that same support again right now."
"So you want my support, but you're not willing to confide in me like I do to you, in order to gain it?" The Welshman scoffed. "Does our relationship have to be full of double standards?" He received no answer. "And just for the record; Jasmine was one child you gave up in order to save the whole of humanity. That I can understand, but I don't see how you could justify twelve children to save a fraction of our country's population."
"It wasn't easy for me to stand there and watch them go." Jack insisted as he fought to defend the decision that had been made over forty years ago. "To make it simpler I insisted that orphans were chosen so that they didn't leave behind anyone to question their disappearance or mourn for them once they'd gone." He stopped his validation as he remembered the CEO on the other side of the link-up and began to stutter with fright of the offence he may have caused the man who was once an orphan himself. "I didn't mean … The kids … I …"
"Forget trying to explain it." Seto aimed to ease his friend's conscience as he knew the situation had been tough for his friend to make the sacrifice in the first place. "It's a sad truth, but those kids weren't missed by any body. Better them than to tear twelve families apart."
"Thank you." Jack whispered with relief of still having the younger man's support. If only he could get Ianto to feel the same; somewhat unlikely right now as his lover was hurting from the lack of openness he'd been given.
Rhys appeared back on the scene. "They're coming back." He gestured to outside where Gwen and Clem slowly made their way closer towards the open warehouse door.
The captain stood up and prepared himself to face Clem once more.
"I can't believe that you're siding with him!" Ianto quietly hissed at Seto as Jack moved away from them.
"And what would you have done had you been there?" Seto asked with a questioning look as he diverted the course of conversation. He didn't want to get into an argument about favouring one friend over another.
"The only solution that works when it comes to bullies." The Welshman stared hard at his friend. "Stand up and fight them. That's what Jack should have done."
It was hard for Seto to disagree with what had been said. He'd come across his fair share of bullies during his life and the 456 weren't all that different once you took away the alien factor. Perhaps his friend was right with the simple solution? But how were they meant to take a stand? He stifled a tired yawn.
"Go." Ianto ordered his friend. "There's nothing more that you can do right now, so rest while you can." His fingers began to hammer at the keyboard as he wasn't prepared to take no for an answer.
Seto's monitor suddenly went blank as his link up was cancelled and then blocked from reconnecting to the Torchwood network. He cursed his friend for the act which would take him ages to rectify the connection using UNIT's outdated piece of equipment.
Being the stubborn man that he was and suppressing another show of drowsiness, Seto set straight to work at accessing the Torchwood network from scratch once more. Surely his Welsh friend was wrong. There had to be something he could do?
In an attempt to ignore the frustration caused by the non-complying hardware, his mind began to wander back to the behaviour of the gay couple that he'd just witnessed which had disturbed him a little. There was no doubt that the two men cared deeply for each other, - as had been currently proven by the Welshman's account of the hub explosion and the captain's revival, - but even still, after countless promises of vowing to let his lover closer and be more open, Jack still kept a great many things from Ianto. Watching them had provided Seto with an insight of what his relationship would be like with Kisara if he carried on the way he was right now. In fact, hadn't it already gotten to that point?
As Seto waited for the slow processing speed of the computer to carry out the command he'd given, he leaned back in his chair, thoughtfully weighing up the pros and cons for revealing his secret to his wife. It wasn't too long until he fell asleep before the task bar had even completed.
8888888888888888888888888888
"Hey, wake up." Rebecca's voice was soft as she prodded at her brother-in-law asleep in the chair.
It took a moment to have effect but slowly Seto opened his eyes. "Huh?" Without warning he suddenly sat upright. "I fell asleep?"
"Yep, and whatever it was you were doing on the computer timed out on you too."
"Why that no good piece of …!"
"Shhh, keep it down." Rebecca hissed. "People are still sleeping."
"What time is it?" He asked before assaulting the keyboard with his forceful typing.
"A little after nine." It was hard for her to decide whether or not the look she received was Seto disgusted with himself for waking up so late or the fact that others were still snoozing. "We were all up late last night and this is 'a vacation' after all. The only reason I'm up is because of the twins who are happily playing in the pen next door." She carefully tip-toed over the broken figurine fragments on the floor and perched on the desk top were the uneaten sandwiches still sat. "So what's the inside scoop with the possessed children?"
"You really don't want to know." Seto assured as he waited for the computer to response once more.
"Yes, I do." Rebecca retorted. "And since it's actual Torchwood business then I'd say I have the right to know."
He wasn't going to argue with her. It was pointless since she could be just as stubborn as him. Turning the chair on its pivot he faced her. "There's an alien in London which has issued an unreasonable demand. And since the British government tried to have Torchwood destroyed during their early contact phases with this thing for fear we'd intervene, the world is now powerless to stop it." Seto decided that she'd be better off not knowing about the details of the 456's demand or the captain's trade off secret. "I'm working with Jack and co to figure out our options."
"So that's why you've been cooped up in here." Rebecca nodded her understanding and looked at him considerately. "You always devote yourself so much to your work, whatever it may involve, but don't you think it's time to recruit more of a team to help share that weight?"
"I'm one step ahead of you there Becky. Once we return to Domino we'll have a new member."
"Really? Who?"
"Diana."
"Your secretary?" She didn't sound impressed.
"I've seen that woman's credentials, and I can tell you that she's wasted on that job. Plus she already has loyalty to me."
Rebecca wasn't quite convinced but she trusted his judgement. "Yeah, well, you're not as far ahead of me as you like to think you are. I've already compiled a list of possible candidates which I think you should take a look at; when this is over with of course." She gave a bit of a pause before adding, "And then hopefully, once we have a new addition to the team, things will become better between you can Kisara."
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Seto tried to shrug off his troubles as he had no desire to talk about them with her. "The two of us are just fine."
"Oh please!" Rebecca rolled her eyes. "I could overhear parts of your little disagreement last night, not to mention the phone conversation you had the other day after the all-nighter you pulled to update the T3 system." She watched as he ignored her words and returned to hammering the keyboard with added frustration. A sigh escaped her as she knew that it would be unlikely she'd get anything further out of him regarding his personal affairs. "Do you want me to talk to her? A quiet word from the wife of a CEO to another to help smooth this situation for you?"
Seto stopped his typing and scoffed. "I highly doubt that your experience of being married to my brother would match that of hers to me. For starters, mine and Mokuba's schedules and workloads differ greatly in comparison."
"That's only because he has a vast and trusty team of employees who share the job of helping him run KaibaLand according to his command, just like they're doing right now since you had him whisked away without warning. Whereas you on the other hand prefer to take on a heftier workload, thriving off your own efforts, so have very few staff to dispel it to once it becomes too much." She pointed out the differences which resulted in how much time each brother spent in their offices working and at home with their families.
Again her words were being ignored by the stubbornness of her brother-in-law. She wasn't getting anywhere with him on the personal matter so swung the conversation back into Torchwood territory regarding the alien in London. "What kind of demand has been made by this thing?"
"Children." Seto told the growingly aggravated emerald eyes peering at him through her spectacles. He figured that she'd be less likely to divert the conversation back to his married life if he gave her the 456 information. "They want children."
Rebecca gave a horrified gasp. "What for?"
"We don't know."
She wasted no time in reeling off her next question. "How many?"
"Ten percent."
"Of the UK's children?"
"No." He shook his head in response. "They want ten percent of the world's children."
Rebecca became speechless at hearing the actual demand that had been made. It took her a moment to find her voice again. "Nobody's touching my boys. I'll die protecting them if I have to."
"Since they weren't affected by the possession I think that they're exempt from their criteria. Besides, we're safe here. No one is going to take them." Seto assured, hoping that he wouldn't be proven wrong somehow if UNIT happened to turn on them. "If the British government quickly sees sense and lets Torchwood step in, then the demand will be quashed."
The sound of toys clashing together came from the other room where the twins were left playing and was then followed by the sound of one of them crying.
"I better go and see what they're up to." Rebecca got up to leave and go check that her sons weren't harming in each other as she now heard more petty squabbles of sibling rivalry. She gave Seto one last glance before she left the room. "I'll do my best with Kisara; keep her and Mokuba distracted so that you're left in peace and able to work on this case."
He nodded his thanks and then a thought hit him as he watched her prepare to close the door. "Becky?" He asked and got her attention. "That door was locked when I started working last night, so how did you manage to open it to get in here?"
"No matter how much advanced technology and gizmos you may have, some things can be easily overcome with a little bit of thought and dexterity." She gave the tiniest of smirks. "In other words, I picked the lock." The curve of her mouth disappeared and she gave Seto a solemn look. "You'll figure out a way to stop that thing. I know you will." And with that, she left the room completely and closed the door behind her.
For a moment Seto thought about what the blonde had said. She still had faith in him. The belief that he had been beginning to lose sight of himself after being so unequipped, isolated and detached from the friends so far away. Maybe he should take a leaf out of her book and re-examine the situation to find a solution?
Now with the little bit of newfound enthusiasm Seto turned back to the primitive machine and bashed away at he keys once more.
Almost two hours later he had managed to reconnect to the Torchwood network. There was no visual or audio link-up yet though as the computer was still performing that task.
Frustrated at having nothing to do during the wait for the connection with his friends to be restored, and aware that it was likely to slow the processing speed down further, - if that was at all possible for UNIT's piece of junk, - Seto searched through the backlog of footage that had been recorded via the undercover contact lenses. What he saw shocked and sickened him even more as the 456 invited the humans inside its tank with a video camera so that they could see what became of the children it had taken.
The cameraman, who was kitted up in a red hazard suit, entered into the tank and the form of the mysterious alien slowly came into view. It was one creature yet it had three heads, each on the end of an extremely long neck. There were no visible eyes on the winkled heads that had long antenna like crests and folds of skin forming down in snouts similarly shaped to insect pincers and covered in a green slime. The camera panned the alien and there strapped to the main body was one of the children who had been taken back in 1965. Multiple vine-like tubes entered into the boy whose mouth was covered and eyes staring wide open in what Seto assumed to be eternal sorrow whilst the 456 fed off him like some kind of parasite.
His empty stomach churned and Seto was glad of the distraction as a visual of his friends popped up on screen now that the computer program had successful regained video link-up. He watched his friends conversing with each other, completely unaware of his surveillance; obviously the computer hadn't gotten as far as linking them up with him yet. Still, he had no sound and pretty easily lost interest in trying to lip read the sombre faces, so returned to surveying the previously recorded footage to get up to date on the developments he'd missed.
What he now saw was a room full of British government officials gathered around a huge table as they discussed ways in which to deal with their alien visitor. After ruling out a possible attack on them as no further traces had be found, indicating that they were way beyond the technical abilities of the human race, it was then decided that they would hand over a bunch of children, - not as many as had been demanded, - but hoped that using the offspring of failed Asylum seekers would mean not sacrificing the country's own, yet still satisfy the 456 in the hope that they'd leave.
The CEO's blood boiled in anger at the way the bunch of men and woman calmly sat and condemned the innocent young lives.
"Nice to have you back with us Seto." The captain's voice came through the monitor as all visual and audio link-ups had been fully restored.
In the warehouse Gwen now sat in the chair in front of their screen. Rhys on her right, Ianto her left, Jack at the back and Clem could be seen pacing nervously behind them all.
Gwen studied their friend's face. "I take it that you're up to speed on the situation?"
"Yes." Seto replied through gritted teeth struggling to compress the rage within him. "How can those bastards sit there, decide and agree to hand over more children, especially after they've seen what happens to them?"
"I believe the term Herbert Spencer coined is 'survival of the fittest'." The young Welshman couldn't resist showing off his knowledge, even at a time like this. "Unfortunately, the majority of mankind would gladly see the most vulnerable members of society perish if it meant that they remained unaffected."
"Aw, that's bloody great!" Rhys moaned. He gestured to the screen where Lois stood in the conference room at Whitehall whilst she and the government officials viewed the TV screen displaying Frobisher submitting their offer to the 456 inside Thames House just a few streets away. "The lenses aren't picking up the camera talk."
"It's not like we need them to know what he's saying right now." The captain jeered. "We heard it all just a short while ago…"
"And we can always get her to use shorthand again if there's anything new to be said." Gwen interrupted the two men to avoid any bickering taking place.
Since Ianto had spoken with Jack in private a few hours ago he was very slowly getting back to be the boss he'd been before the secret that had been revealed the previous day. Whatever had been said between them had definitely made him more focused.
"Three, two, five, zero, zero, zero..." Clem suddenly began to chant. "…Three, two, five, zero, zero, zero…"
All eyes fell on the man in a trance like status. Clearly he was under the influence of the 456, but why?
"Coordinates? Grid reference maybe?" Rhys tried to be helpful with his suggestions as he watched his wife type the numbers into the Torchwood network.
"Seto, go check on Anathema." Jack ordered. "Quickly."
Doing as he was told, after setting up the fake figures and charts on his screen, the CEO got up and left the study to find his daughter.
It didn't take him long as he found her in the kitchen as she, Kisara and Rebecca were in the process of preparing a meal.
"One, seven, one, four, zero, zero, zero. One, seven, one, four, zero, zero, zero…"
His eyes widened with surprise that the number she chanted was different from that of the man in the London warehouse. What did it mean? "How long has she been like this?" He asked.
"A couple of minutes or so." Kisara replied with a casual sigh at having strangely gotten used to the random outbreaks. She looked at her husband. "Didn't Ianto say that this was all under control?"
"Yes." Seto nodded.
"Then why is this still happening?" She looked at him for reassuring answers but got none.
Rebecca placed a comforting hand on the silvery hair woman's shoulder. "I doubt Ianto would have given Seto the exact details of Torchwood's case." She played along to upload the lie started the previous day. "The work they do is highly classified after all, but I know he'd have called us back if anything else was seriously wrong."
"… One, seven, one, four, zero, zero, zero. One, seven, one, four, zero, zero, zero…"
Mokuba entered the kitchen holding one of the twins in his arms. "There's a report on the TV about children in the US chanting two, three, four, zero, zero, zero, zero." He registered his niece and then looked at his brother with a malicious glare. "This got anything to do with your pal Jack?"
"I wouldn't know." Seto shrugged. "I've been busy with Kaiba Corp business; only came out for a glass of water." He carefully made his way around his narked looking wife and sister-in-law, poured himself a drink from the jug inside the refrigerator and then squeezed pass them again.
"… One, seven, one, four, zero, zero, zero." Anathema stopped and continued with her task of helping her Mommy Kara and Auntie Becky.
"See, nothing to worry about." Seto smiled and then quickly headed back to the safety of the study before any of them had time to complain at him for locking himself away once more.
Seto locked the door and cancelled his cover screen so that he could see his friends inside the warehouse. "Anathema was saying one, seven, one, four, zero, zero, zero, and according to a TV report the children in the US are saying two, three, four, zero, zero, zero, zero." He informed them.
Ianto was swift to type the information into the system. "Yep, though so." He declared. "The figures that the kids are spouting out are ten percent of their county's child population."
"I'm betting that this is the 456's way of declining the offer just made to them and a little reminder of exactly what they want." Jack stated. "Too bad they won't be getting it whilst I'm still around."
"So you're not going to let them cave in to the demand?" Seto felt a flicker of rejoice at seeing his friend more like his usual self.
"Not sure how just yet." The captain admitted and gave his lover a quick glance. "But somebody has to stand up to these monsters." If it wasn't for Ianto's refusal to let him wallow in his own thoughts then he might never have found the will and support he required to view the situation optimistically.
"Okay, Frobisher's back in the room and the meeting is about to start." Gwen informed them all.
The team gathered around to view the room of government officials seated at a huge table. Lois was able to see each of the faces clearly for the lip reading software in her lenses to work properly, with the exception of Frobisher who was seated in front of and with his back to her. But that was no problem as her notepad and pen was at the ready.
"With regrets, ladies and gentlemen, I have to tell you that we're now facing the worst case scenario." The Prime Minister spoke to his cabinet. "And right now we don't have time for our discussion on ethics. I'm afraid the hand-wringing will have to wait. All we can do at the moment is to address a number of vital and practical questions."
"Namely, how do we select the ten percent who would go?" A man opposite him spoke up. "How would we transport them? And how could we sell it to the voters?"
"John?" The Prime Minister addressed Frobisher for the answers, or at least the suggestive prompting, he sought.
Well, the selection's not down to me. Seto read the shorthand that had been written and couldn't help wondering if the slight delay had been on Lois' part or the man whom it was becoming apparent to him was being made as the scapegoat. After all Frobisher was just a go between middleman, and that was the kind of fate which would likely befall him in the end.
"Nevertheless; practical solutions please."
Once the selection has been made then my department can arrange to bus all the children to the rendezvous points together, school by school. My staff are compiling various school databases. You just need to decide what criteria you'd use for selection. Which is out of my hands; over to you sir. Seto was impressed at the way the man sounded professional about the plans yet had handed the buck right back as it was fairly clear that he didn't want to make any decisions himself.
"Anyone?" Having not been given the resolution he'd hoped for, the Prime Minister opened up to suggestions from the rest of the room. "Might I remind you the clock is ticking?" He didn't care who it was making them just as long as it wasn't him.
"It would have to be random." A dark skinned man seated on his left answered.
"No one'll believe it was random, not unless some of us are seen waiting at the school gates for empty buses to return." A woman on the Prime Minister's right shot the idea down.
"If the criteria we use is demonstrably fair and entirely random, then at least we could defend ourselves…" The dark skinned man argued.
"So you're willing to risk your kids to make it look fair?" The woman seemed appalled by the mere thought of using their offspring as get off tickets.
"Then how else can we choose?" He argued back.
"We could do it alphabetically." The other man from before added his thought.
"Oh yes." Scoffed the woman. "Thanks Mr Yates."
"I didn't mean … I've got no kids … I wasn't trying to …"
"Yes, no kids and no consequences." The woman now turned on the Prime Minister. "And yours have already grown up."
"Let's keep this civil Denise." He retorted.
"Oh yes, let's discuss the loss of millions of innocent children and let's be civilised about it!"
"If you wouldn't mind, yes."
"Could we limit it to one loss per family?" The dark skinned man suggested to break up the petty arguing. "Every second-born child?"
That would take more time. Lois was speedy with her shorthand. More organisation. Time we don't have.
"So it would have to be one school at a time." He concluded.
Silence fell in the room and nobody dared to look up at each other.
"Look, I'm going to say what everyone else is thinking." It was Denise who broke the stillness. "If this…this lottery takes place, my kids aren't in it."
"I'm sure the families of Gold Command would be exempted anyway." The discussion continued. "In fact, isn't that official policy?"
"Gang of Bastards!" Clem suddenly exclaimed and than stammered, "Isn't it?" Leaving Seto to momentarily wonder if the man had some kind of Tourette's syndrome.
"During a major civil emergency, we're also dealing with deeply debilitating personal grief…"
"Listen to them." He commented again.
"… I'm right, aren't I? It is official policy that our families get protection."
"Of course they bloody do." Gwen spoke out her bitter feelings.
The dark skinned man continued his case. "So, we could have a show of hands. I hate to be crass, but in the circumstances…"
"Well who votes?" Denise cut in. "Those with kids or those with no interest to declare?"
"No one votes." The Prime Minister declared. "It's down to me to make an executive decision."
"Do you need some time?" Yates asked him.
"No." He'd had several options proposed by them so it wouldn't make him out to be the bad guy if he was to put forward his initial plan of action. "Whatever happens, the children and grandchildren of everyone round this table will be exempt."
Silence.
"What about nieces and neph…"
"Don't push your luck!" He snapped to the woman by his side.
"You seriously expect me to look my brother in the eye…"
"We need to limit the number of people who know."
"… and what? Just give him a condolence card?"
"That's the responsibility of government Denise!"
"No, the first responsibility is to protect the best interests of this country, right?" Seto liked the way this woman was holding her own against the man. Of course he'd have liked it even more if she'd been fighting to get them to reconsider their other options which had been barely taken into account earlier that day. "Then let's say it. In a national emergency, a country must plan for the future and discriminate between those who are vital to continued stability and those who are not. And now that we've established that our kids are exempt, the whole principle of random selection is dead in the water anyway."
"Only so far as …" The dark skinned man tried to voice his views but was disregarded.
"Let me finish. Now look, on the one hand you've got the good schools, and I don't just mean those producing graduates. I mean the pupils who will go on to staff our hospitals, our offices, our factories; the workforce of the future. We need them. Accepted, yes? So, set against that you've got the failing schools, full of the less able, the less socially useful, those destined to spend a lifetime on benefits, occupying places on the dole queue, and frankly, the prisons. Now look, should we treat them equally? God knows we've tried and we've failed. And now the time has come to choose. And if we can't identify the lowest achieving ten percent of this country's children, then what are the school league tables for?"
There was more silence to accompany the personal afterthoughts of each person in that room.
"Anyone want to speak against that?" The Prime Minister asked.
There was no objection whatsoever to what had been said; his manipulation to get others to suggest his scheme having paid off better than expected by letting the woman at his side charge on in her fury. "Then there we have it." He turned to Frobisher. "John, you have your criteria. We've selected the ten percent."
One by one the people in the room began to rise from their seats now that the meeting was over.
"We've got enough evidence recorded here to destroy every person in that room." Gwen stated still in shock of the discussion she and the others had witnessed.
"And we can use it to force our way into Thames House; finally get face-to-face with this thing." Jack said as he felt the time was right to carry out the strategy they had discussed earlier. "Right, everyone know what they're doing?"
Those in the warehouse nodded.
"What if I can't get Lois to agree to this Jack?" Gwen asked.
"She hasn't let us down yet." He stated before turning towards the Welshman he now had respect for. "Rhys, okay?"
"Yeah." He nodded and then quickly changed his mind. "Well, actually no. I still don't like the plan."
"What plan is this?" Seto asked confused.
"One we discussed in your absence, but don't worry I'll inform you of your part in a minute." The captain assured before continuing his conversation with Rhys. "You've got nothing to worry about. Her negotiation skills are out of this world. She'll be fine, I promise you."
"Don't make that kind of promise when you're not even going to be here to keep it!" The Welshman snapped. "If she and Clem come under any threat then it's down to her and her alone to protect them both."
"That's exactly why she's the best person for the job." Jack remained calm with the man who was extremely concerned for the well being of his wife and unborn child. "She's more than capable of defending herself."
"Look Rhys, sweetheart, just let me do my job." Gwen pleaded. "Let me help save all those children who have just been condemned."
"Okay." Rhys nodded. "But it just feels like getting me out of harm's way, like you don't think I can hack it."
"You're the most important part of this whole plan." She got up and kissed her husband goodbye.
Seto's eyes wandered and he caught sight of Ianto who was half way into a conversation on his cell phone.
"… don't let anyone take David and Mica away from you, for whatever reason. This goes for you people listening in on the wire as well. Forget the Official Secrets Act. If you've got children or grandchildren, you need to hear this. And you need to tell every parent you know." The young Welshman was now aware that the rest of the team were waiting for him. "Look, I've gotta go. I love you. Don't let the kids out of your sight. I love them too. I'm even warming to Johnny a bit." He ended the call.
"All done?" Jack asked.
"Yep." Ianto avoided making eye contact with any of them as he pocketed his hand set and produced a gun intended for the captain. "They'd have traced that call, no problems, and should be on their way here even as we speak." He gave an apologetic look towards his lover. "Also Rhiannon knows what she has to do. I had to tell her. I'm sorry."
"Don't be." Jack said as he took the weapon now handed to him. He didn't blame the younger man for wanting to protect those he cared for. A new cartridge was loaded into the gun. Oh how he missed his Webley. "Look's like it's time for me to go and stand up to them."
"Yes sir." Ianto also loaded his own gun.
"What are you doing?" The captain asked inquisitively.
"I'm coming with you."
"No, you're not." Jack almost laughed hysterically. "You're going with Rhys."
"Change of plan; I'm not leaving you."
"No."
"You need me Jack."
"No." He shook his head wildly. "Stick to what we agreed."
"What we 'agreed' was to be honest with each other." The Welshman shot back a reference to part of their conversation that they had had in private were he had practically forced the other man to confide in him.
"Honest? I'll give you honest!" Jack exclaimed, now regretting the piece of information he had revealed which had blinded his lover into standing by him right now. "How about the fact that I'm about to go storming into Thames House, - peacefully or guns blazing? I haven't decided yet, - and that's about as far as my plan goes. I have no idea what kind of reception will be there waiting for me when I arrive or how hostile this creature will be when confronted. The only thing I have to protect myself if things get out of hand is this gun, but hey, you know me; I'll live through anything, so to speak."
The two men remained in a stare out between each other.
"Tell me Ianto, it your past experiences with bullies, how hard do they strike back after the first stand you make against them?" Jack wasn't expecting an answer, just trying to make a point about the dangers he faced. His eyes widened when he next spoke. "Yes it's true; I need you. So how much do you think my world would shatter if something were to happen to you because of me?" His lip gave a slight tremble at the thought of losing the younger man. "I hope that's honest enough for you?"
There were tears forming in Ianto's eyes as he nodded his clearer understanding. "I'll go with Rhys." He stepped up to his lover and kissed him farewell before turning to the other Welshman. "We'd better get a move on."
"Right." Rhys agreed and picked up the closed laptop. He and Ianto gave one last look at the loved ones they were leaving behind and then exited the warehouse.
"Isn't it? Isn't it?" Clem stammered. "Isn't it?"
"Ooh, calm down there now Clem." Gwen reached out to comfort the older man as he twitched at each sound and movement he made. "It's alright, everything is going to be alright."
"But they know I'm here…"
"And you've got this beautiful woman right here who's going to be protecting you." Jack almost managed a grin. "Some guys have all the luck."
"Luck? You think it's luck that I can still hear their noise inside my head?"
"No, of course not." Gwen assured as she defended her boss and seated Clem down in the chair she had been occupying. "You just sit down and take a rest. We'll be having a few visitors around shortly." She gestured at Jack for him to leave.
"Whoa, hold on a second!" The sound of Seto's voice stopped the captain in his tracks. "What exactly am I meant to be doing in all this?"
"Ah, almost forgot about you." Jack doubled back to the computer. "You've got an extremely important task to fulfil."
"Which is?" The CEO pressed on, anxious to be assigned his role in the unknown plan.
"Take care of your family." The captain told him.
"What?" Seto sounded almost insulted.
"If they're rounding up the kids here, don't think that they won't be making plans elsewhere."
"But we're in one of UNIT's safe houses Jack." He argued. "Nobody is going to touch us here."
"Then good for you, your work is done."
"Seriously; that's it? There's got to be something more I can do?"
"By all means Seto, help Gwen gather more data on these corrupt officials, but other than that, there really is nothing more that you can do. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got my own task to carry out." Jack made his way across the warehouse to exit it.
"Don't you walk away from me!" Seto shouted over the link-up but the older man clearly chose to ignore him. "Jack!"
That was it now, the captain was gone.
Oh no you don't! Refusing to give up until he could get his friend to acknowledge that he could still do more, Seto pulled out his cell phone and dialled the new number he had been given. The line to Jack's phone rang twice and was then cancelled to put him through to the rightful owner's voicemail message. Cursing he hung up.
"Now, now, there's no need for language like that." Gwen jested but only received a narked glare in response.
"I can't believe that you guys schemed a plan without me."
"It was Jack's idea." She explained. "Didn't want you getting involved. You've got enough on your plate to deal with without having to worry about us and this creature." There was a pause and then she added. "Listen, if you really insist on helping further then why don't you have a go at hacking that camera they have set up in the room with that thing now? It'll help us gather more evidence if we have backed-up footage of Jack's negotiation with it."
"You must be joking." Seto snorted. "Me? Hack? Using this piece of crap? You'd have more luck at turning Jack straight before it times out on me again. Besides why can't you just use the footage you're recording now?"
"Because …"
"Isn't it? Isn't it?"
"Shhh." Gwen cooed as she gently stroked the older man's arm and then returned to answering her friend's question. "Because Ianto purposely used his mobile to give our location away and alert the government's hit team to us. Once they arrive here, they'll be shown their bosses' conspiring, and hopefully be won over onto our side. But if something happens to go wrong, say this equipment is destroyed, - or worse, - then at least you'd be able to make sure that Ianto and Rhys are given the evidence to add to that which they already have on the laptop."
"Okay, I'll try." Seto began to hammer the keyboard but also kept an eye on the footage from the contact lenses.
A short while later the feed from Lois displayed a front view of Frobisher as he delivered his rushed plan of action; "We need a cover story, to explain why the operation is happening and to encourage participation. So the suggestion is we announce that the children will be given some kind of inoculation, a jab to stop them speaking in unison…"
"People are too smart to fall for something like that." Seto grumbled aloud. He had chosen to give up on the slow processing speed of UNIT's computer and now keyed on his cell phone.
"…We stress that there's no immediate danger, that everyone will be seen in due course. Then when it goes wrong and the children disappear, we blame the aliens, claim ignorance and face the music."
"We say the 456 double-crossed us?" The dark skinned man asked.
Gwen's cell phone rang and she quickly answered it. "Jack?"
"I'm just about there." He told her. "Make sure Lois is ready."
"Okay."
"Did Seto give you any grief?"
"Not really." She replied. "Oh, but we did find a way in which he could be useful."
"And how's that?" He sounded somewhat annoyed.
"Hacking into the camera inside the room to record further evidence in case it's required."
"Good idea." The captain praised. "Why didn't I think of that?"
"Forget the hacking. It's not going to work." Seto declared. "But tell Jack that if he can manage to adjust the camera's transmission settings I should be able to receive it on my cell phone no trouble at all."
She relayed the message.
"I'll see what I can do." Jack hung up.
"Thanks Seto." Gwen showed her gratitude to her friend before giving out a deep breath. "Here goes." She tapped on her keyboard to inform their insider of the captain's arrival at Thames House. Jack's in position. Let's do it.
Whilst she waited to see if Lois would come through for them and make an announcement of Torchwood's surveillance, the Welshwoman spoke to the CEO. "I can hear vehicles pulling up outside. That'll be our guests. I'll be cancelling our connection shortly, just in case the worst should happen, then they won't be able to trace you." She typed again; Jack is in position. Do it NOW.
"They can't trace me Gwen." Seto assured. "I've got UNIT's utmost protection."
"Well aren't you the lucky one." She retorted with a sarcastic smirk. "But then again I guess they do owe you …"
"Don't be ridiculous!" The sound of Frobisher's raised and startled voice interrupted Gwen's words.
"I think she's doing it. Good girl!" Gwen breathed out a sigh of relief just as the warehouse doors were kicked through and in came a dozen men with huge guns, all of them pointing at her and Clem. "Gotta go." She stated calmly as the man beside her cowered to the floor and Seto now found himself blocked from the Torchwood network for a second time.
Seto rubbed his head in frustration and silently prayed that there would be no causalities within the warehouse hideout. How his friend could remain so at ease with so many weapons locked onto her he'd never know. Thank goodness he and his family were safe from being under any kind of threat of any form right now.
Suddenly his cell phone began to rumble from the incoming surge of data as video footage of Jack stood in the room with the 456, appeared on its screen. And sure enough, the captain was standing his ground.
"… In the past, the numbers were so small they could be kept secret. But this time, that is not going to happen. Because we've recorded everything. All the negotiations, everything the politicians said, everything that happens in this room, and those tapes will be released to the public. Unless you leave this planet for good."
"You yielded in the past." The alien in the tank answered. "You will do so again."
"When people find out the truth, you will have over six billion angry human beings taking up arms to fight you. That might be a fight you think you can win, but at the end of it, the human race in defence of its children will fight to the death. And if I have to lead them into battle, then I will."
"This is fascinating, isn't it?"
Seto couldn't help but notice the 456's choice of phrase. 'Isn't it?' The same words which Clem had stuttered on multiple occasions, plus hadn't the man said that he could hear 'their noise' inside his head?
The strange being continued; "The human infant mortality rate is 29,158 deaths per day. Every three seconds, a child dies. The human response is to accept and adapt."
"We're adapting right now and we're making this a war." The captain stood there firm and in silence as he waited for a response.
Finally, one came. "Then the fight begins."
There was more silence.
"We're waiting for your reply." Jack stated and Seto could see his friend's body becoming slightly anxious with the wait.
"Action has been taken."
Red lights began to flash, alarms sounded and thunderous crashes could now be heard as the building went into lockdown mode and sealed itself like it had been programmed to do in case of chemical and biological warfare.
"What have you done?" Jack demanded.
"You wanted a demonstration of war." The 456 explained. "A virus has been released. It will kill everyone in the building."
Seto's eyes widened as he watched his friend run from the room all the while shouting warnings to the other people in the building, asking them to call for help, switch of the air conditioning and block vents, and to get gas masks and hazard suits as well as oxygen cylinders as precautions to save as many lives as possible from the poisoned air. All of them were trapped and condemned to die as a result of his confrontation.
Less than a minute later Jack returned into the room with his gun drawn and pointing at the tank. "You made your point, now stop this and we can talk. If not I'll blast that tank apart and we'll all die together."
"You are dying even now." It taunted.
Several bullets fired from Jack's gun as he lost his cool and anger took over him. All of them ricocheted off the glass with none of them having left the faintest mark of hitting it.
Next a loud screeching noise sounded out and the being inside the tank began to thrash wildly. It left huge splatters of green slime where it had struck the thick reinforced glass.
"You said you would fight." It taunted again as the captain stood there defenceless with a crushed will at not having even intimidated the alien.
"I take it all back." He spoke in barely a whisper. "Those people you're killing right now, they've done nothing to you."
"You said that the human race would stand as one. Therefore you will fall as one."
"No." Jack shook his head. " If anything it will make them determined to fight you more." He hoped that he sounded convincing through what was choked tears of remorse for the people dying downstairs because of his actions. With his strength now fading he slumped to the floor. "Let them go. Show me you're capable of mercy and we'll work something out."
"We will show you no mercy." The screeching increased even more. "The remnant will be disconnected."
"Remnant?" Seto mouthed out aloud. What was it talking about? Clem perhaps?
As suddenly as the noise started, it stopped. "You will die and tomorrow your people will deliver the children."
"We will… stop… you." Jack spoke angrily with his last breath before he could do the only thing that he had strength for; lay down and die.
Seto watched his friend's last moments and although he wanted to agree with Jack, he wasn't completely convinced that the 456 could be stopped. If they could kill a building full of people in under five minutes and had previously killed millions over the space of a couple of months, then what chance did the human race have for survival against these beings?
