Of Gods, Men and Monsters
What Is There To Do In Cardiff...
Authors note:-
Originally I wanted to do a Vala based chapter with Captain Jack, but it was Teal'c's turn for a chapter and I had this idea. After thinking about it I decided this worked better.
Teal'c got out of the car and closed the door. Colonel Mitchell did the same on his side. 'This place gives me the screaming willies.'
'As you have said before Colonel Mitchell.' They were in the centre of the city know as Cardiff. Teal'c looked over at a large impressive building. It had a legend written in the native dialect across the front. Looking around Teal'c watched the people getting on with their live, as if the recent event's hadn't happened.
'I mean look around. Last three years England's been attacked half a dozen times. Just last week they had that ten story tall Godzilla thing running around killing people with it's shadow. Today kids play in the fountain. It's just not natural.'
'Are you worried that such action may prove reviling the Stargate's existence would be accepted by the people of this world.' The two of them walked further into the square.
'Woah there big guy. Giant outer space monster attacks are one thing, the Stargate is a whole different kettle of fish. We're talking war's, intergalactic empires...'
'Would they not be prepared for random attacks if they knew of the possibility of them.' Teal'c was deliberately avoiding the issue of other governments rebelling against the idea.
It was obvious so was Colonel Mitchell. 'People will not just shrug it off Teal'c. You tell these people they're cannon fodder for an interstellar war and they will panic.'
'Yet these people do not seem to be afraid of the random attacks no matter how frequently they seem to occur.' They stopped next to the fountain. The place they were told to meet this person. 'In fact I have thought about this for quite some time and I have grown extremely uncomfortable with the idea of hiding the truth from your people.'
'No one likes hiding the truth Teal'c. But you've seen it happen, we all have. If people aren't ready for it they won't just accept that they're safe. They'll panic.' Colonel Mitchell admitted.
'I still suspect not.'
'Ahh don't worry about it. People believe what they want.' A new voice said. A tall man with what the Tau'ri called "classic" features had simply appeared next to them. 'You must be Colonel Cameron Mitchell. Love the name. And tall, dark and handsome here must be Teal'c. Hello.' he smiled. The man's attitude was unlike anything Teal'c had encountered on this planet.
'Indeed.' he sketched a quick bow. The man facing him was as he had been described. Almost the same height as Teal'c and in a dark blue/grey overcoat. 'You would be Jack Harkness.'
'Cap'n Jack please.' he offered his hands to Teal'c and Colonel Mitchell. Oddly he offered his right hand to his left hand side and left to his right. At he same time, the effect was crossing his forearms.
'Colonel, please.' Mitchell attempted to "pull rank" as the Tau'ri called it.'Only Colonel? I though a good looking man like yourself could get anywhere he wanted in the ranks. I know I did.' The strange man made a clicking noise with the side of his mouth and winked at Teal'c.
Colonel Mitchell went into an extended fit of coughing. It was fairly obvious this man was both homosexual and extremely flirtatious. Quite why he had chosen Teal'c to flirt with was a mystery to the Jaffa but this wasn't what they were there for.
'You sent us a message explaining that required our assistance.' Teal'c rumbled at the extrovert young man.
'Like we said, we've got somebody for you.' he was right back to business. 'Get on.'
'On what?' Colonel Mitchell asked and Captain Harkness stepped up onto a large stone and just pointed. After a brief glance and a shrug Mitchell and then Teal'c himself followed.
The three of them on one stone Teal'c noticed that Captain Harkness was standing a little too close. 'Good hair, I was thinking about doing it myself a while ago. Didn't suit it.'
Colonel Mitchell failed to hide his smile and the whole stone shifted. 'What's...? Oh cool.' The stone was an open top elevator. Under the monument and public square was a large cavern, the base of operations for the group. Chains and foot bridges spanning the oversized room with what looked to be internal buildings. The centre piece was a continuation of the water feature that fed an underground lake.
The facility, unlike the SGC, was extremely untidy with many pieces of equipment seemingly put together quickly and left like that. Teal'c got the feeling this place was well lived in other than the SGC where only a few rooms looked occupied.
'Welcome to Torchwood. It's our job to protect the human race from alien attack. Salvage their technology and prepare for the future. This is the twenty first century. When it all happens.' The elevator stopped at the bottom and everyone got off. Captain Harkness, after his speech nodded to one of the people in the base 'Ianto, our guest enjoy his tea?'
A man in a well tailored suit, but rich blue shirt underneath answered, 'No, he decided that I was an infidel and spent a whole minute trying to preach to me. It was worse than my mother.' The man's accent was also quite strange, but Teal'c had been briefed on what was known as the Welsh dialect. The only language that Daniel Jackson could not speak convincingly.
'Oh so you're the guy's who put a big old target on the planet. Thanks for that, because of you guys we have to work weekends.' A man in a white doctors coat decorated with childish buttons noted. 'Doctor Owen Harper.' he introduced himself waving with a bandaged hand.
'Come on we can introduce the rest of the gang later. Our guest awaits you.' Captain Harkness lead them from the main centre down into the facility.
'... And no one knows this place exists, how you pull that off?' Colonel Mitchell asked.
'Ohh it's sort of a public secret these days. Everyone knows Torchwood exists, most think we're just a part of the government dealing with terrorists and the like. We're able to pass off most alien attacks as such and that's, as you say, is that. As for this place, we've got a few tricks up our sleeves.
'Here you go.' The Captain pointed to an alcove.
'Release me! In the name of the Ori you will release me now!' It was a Prior, trapped in a prison cell that had been built into the brick work. He had no staff and some sort of collar around his neck Teal'c had never seen before.
'Be silent.' Teal'c growled at him.
'Where, in the name of my great aunt Emma, did this guy come from?'
'Ha, good question.' Captain Harkness bit with sarcasm. 'Cardiff is built with a rift in space and time slap bang through the middle. Sometimes things, sometimes people, get washed through and we have to clean up any problems. Your friend here we found preaching in the street. He didn't know where he was and thought he could convert the people of this fair city.
'That collar around his neck keeps his powers locked. So you guy's can take him off our hands right?'
'So this guy is flirting with Teal'c, and I mean I think this guy is going to start humping Teal'c's leg. I'm telling you Sam would have a fit in that place. ' Cam joked with Jackson and Vala. Teal'c was not happy as Cam just couldn't stop gloating.
'Speaking of, Sam learn anything from that collar thing? I know your busy packing for Atlantis but...'
The blond woman smiled at him, putting her tray down. 'Where did they say they got that?'
'They said they built it, why?'
Sam cocked an eyebrow in his direction. 'There's a couple of fail-safes built in. You know that locking mechanism? Bi-polar magnetic seal with no moving parts. Physically impossible to open it with out a key.'
'Cool, we could always use something like that.' Cam agreed
Vala waved a hand 'Why didn't you tell me you were testing the lock. I could have broken it.' she boasted.
Sam just pulled the thing out of her pocket and gave it to Vala. 'You try it. And don't bother playing with anything else.'
'Why not?' she asked, curiously.
Sam gave Cam a black look. 'Because it's powered by two energy crystals and if you try to mess with anything in there they're rigged to blow.'
"Blow as in...?'
'Half the mountain.' Sam smiled with some sarcasm at the other woman. Jackson neatly plucked the device from Vala's hands and threw it to Teal'c who pocketed the bomb. 'Just for fun,' she continued, 'It does more than block a priors powers, it's also has a teleport suppressor built in. When active you can't beam it, or anyone holding it, anywhere. We tried.
'Oh it's also got a remote relay built into it. Last time I saw anything like it was those bracelets you foisted off on Daniel. Someone believed in the word "fail-safe" a little too much.'
Cam whistled. 'Teal'c, we're going to have to talk with your boyfriend.'
'I'd like to come too.' Vala asked out of nowhere. 'That sounds like the sort of thing my ex-husband would come up with.'
Everyone looked at her.
Next:-
I've threatened it, I go with a Cameron Mitchell story and a clue to the villain is:- "I am the Alpha and the..."
