Torchwood Three; Cardiff, Wales

Friday, September 20, 2019

"The Antarctic Observatory in the Falkland Islands is active," Ianto sat on the edge of Jack's desk with his back to the door holding his tablet. "Donnell Woodside sent a copy of his transfer orders. London assigned him for six months. When London fell, he had no replacement." A beat. "He's been there too long."

"Does he have London's records?" Jack asked.

"Yep."

Gwen stood between the door and the desk. "But?"

"He insists the order has to come from London."

Jack set a hand on Ianto's knee. "Can we remote access it?"

"Yes and no." Ianto smiled weakly. "It requires someone with command authorization."

"Who?"

"Anwen. Her profile lists her as Head of Torchwood Global. A glitch. John Hart caused it when he remote-accessed Torchwood for the location of the safe haven for psychics in Kenya."

"Can someone explain my daughter's connection to John?"

"If we can believe John, he was recruited when a general associated with Torchwood abducted him and bribed him with currency that came through the Rift. He worked for Torchwood for years."

"I have a theory." Ianto knew it wouldn't go over well. "Anwen likes cowboys. She idolizes her Uncle Jack and thinks James Bond has nothing on Time Agents. She knows the basics of what John did and has accepted he changed." A beat. "John knows about Anwen's connection to the Rift and its downside. A weakness she wouldn't share with someone she paid to run errands."

"No," Gwen onjected.

"Its plausible," Jack countered.

Gwen shook her head. "She's a little girl."

"John talks about 2049," Jack countered. "Anwen will be forty."

"Anwen and I need to talk about boys."

Jack laughed.

"What do you need me to do?" Anwen asked, entering the tourist office as her mother held open the door.

"Jack needs computer control. There's a glitch."

"I accidentally gave myself control of Torchwood?" Anwen doubted it. The wrist-strap appeared to be malfunctioning to begin with. If she had control of the hub, there was a reason for it.

"A system malfunction."

Yeah, right. "Why can't Uncle Jack fix it?"

"He only thinks he's can fix everything."

Anwen laughed. That much was true. Her uncle had no confidence problems.

The big door slid open revealing the hub she'd heard so much about, usually while eavesdropping. "Did it come with turtles?"

"What?"

"Its a sewer. Did it come with mutant turtles?"

Gwen shook her head slightly.

"Your decorating is awful," Anwen said as her uncle came down the stairs. "What do you call this? Sewer chic?"

There was something about Uncle Jack's expression.

"What?" Anwen wondered what she did.

"It's been called that before."

She suddenly wondered if it had something to do with John. Whatever happened between him and her uncle was bad. Worse than the stories she had heard.

"What do I do?"

"Chose a computer."

Anwen chose Tosh's previous station. She sat down and opened her wrist-strap. The computer recognized her and her Torchwood Global profile appeared on the screen.

Jack walked over and reached for the keyboard. The computer screen changed.

"Talk me through it." She couldn't help but think she was right. It wasn't a malfunction. She could only guess that meant her future self wanted to prevent Jack from doing something.

Three tries later, Anwen sat back. "I don't think this will work."

Anwen sat with a Kindle on the floor in the corner of the conference room. She'd overheard some of the problem. The glitch happened after John accessed the hub for information. Her uncle and mom were discussing whether it was somehow intentional. There was one person who might know that.

The only thing she could imagine doing differently than Jack involved John. Jack would remove his access from Torchwood the first chance he got. She wouldn't.

She flipped open her wrist-strap. "John Hart."

"Hey, darling." He didn't sound good.

"I need to ask something." A beat. "Do you have any idea why your remote Torchwood access triggered a computer glitch?"

John sighed. "How are you involved?"

"Mom and Uncle Jack brought me in to fix it. The computer won't let me."

"They can try setting up a separate system. Name it Torchwood London. Use it to remote authorize Jack for Torchwood Three."

"Okay." Anwen hesitated. "What's wrong? And don't give me the 'I won't understand' speech. You sound depressed. You need to talk to someone."

John hesitated. "Loneliness and guilt."

"Why guilt?"

"I made a promise I can't keep. Its irrational. But…"

"Emotional." A beat. "Mom's job forces her to suddenly change plans. She doesn't make promises because if an alien amoeba attacks Parliament on my birthday, she's going to miss the party."

"Alien amoebas." That must of reminded him of something amusing. "I made a promise to someone whose gone."

"Would she blame you for it?" Anwen had an idea what the problem was. She wished John could talk to Jack as he had experience dealing with time, loss and impossible situations.

"No."

"Then forgive yourself."

"Shouldn't you be playing with dolls and swooning over boys?"

"I'm in a super secret lair. Mom and Uncle Jack save the world on a regular basis. And I'm talking to a time traveling cowboy. Who has time for dolls and boys?"

John laughed.