Chap 14
The two of them walk along. Can't tell if they're hurrying towards something or away. They've both figured out what's up. A beat, then Tosh breaks the silence, "Nobody deserves to die like that."
"No." Ianto says softly.
.
.
.
At mission control there's a general buzz of animated scientific debate. One voice cuts through/
"We've thawed out three and four-million-year-old organisms from the permafrost in Siberia and they've come back to life. It's possible." A scientist agrees.
"So even if there wasn't life there, there is now." Another asks.
"And we warmed the place up and sent it something to eat." Another said with glee.
"It could have sat there for millions of years since Mars cooled. Waiting. Rode in on a frozen meteorite from anywhere. And waited." A voice chimes in from the corner.
"Like sea monkeys. But not as friendly." Borokovski snorts.
They all consider that. Kinda bizarre but accurate.
.
.
.
Tosh and Owen trudge onward. Ianto checks his watch. It's time. Tosh hands him the radio. Walks ahead. Doesn't want to hear.
Jack just heard the news. It's like he's been punched. It takes him a moment to recover. "Copy that, Ground Crew."
Mission Control has heard as well.
The sun is way past its zenith. It hangs noticeably lower in the sky. Maybe four or five o'clock. They plod along. They're beat. There's no singing, there's no banter. They're just trying to keep moving.
Jack finds them again with 10m scope. Marks it. Computer analyses their position. The results aren't encouraging. Their average speed has been steadily dropping. There's only two hours left till dark. They've gone 79 kilometres. And they're projected to get 88.5 kilometres before nightfall. They're gonna miss getting to the Cosmos by about an hour.
It's worse. They're stumbling. Not keeping in all that straight a line. Having to constantly re-check their position.
"Ground Crew, this is Torchwood" Jack calls out to them, "How's it goin'?"
They look at each other. Is he kidding?
"We've just done a little over two marathons back to back. We haven't had anything to eat or drink in two days. There are these worms that want to eat us and a mad robot who wants to kill us. Why do you ask?" Ianto answers, he starts to laugh. For some weird reason Tosh joins him.
"You're not going to like what I have to say." Jack says as he wonders about the robot remark.
"You're going home?" Tosh pants, "Bring us some chicken."
They crack up anew.
"You have to pick up the pace." Jack warns.
They laugh. It's not funny, but they really laugh.
"We're not gonna make it?" Tosh giggles.
"At this pace, you'll make about ninety kilometres." Jack says sadly.
Tosh shakes herself. Digs into some deep reserve. Picks up her speed and shouts "We Sleep Till Brooklyn!"
She totters off towards the horizon.
"What was that?" Jack asks.
"Harper's been singing classic music. I don't know most of it." Ianto laughs as Owen would have loved Tosh's craziness.
"No Sleep Till Brooklyn!" Tosh yells agin.
"Neither does she. I think she knows one line from each song. We'll try to go faster. We really will..." he's trying to convince himself as well as Jack. But he does pick up the pace and push after Tosh.
.
.
.
Borokovski has listened in curiously to this exchange. "Why is she speaking of Brooklyn?"
"She's singing classic music to keep her spirits up." Andy replies and Borokovski looks him curiously.
"I studied it in college. It's the Beastie Guys. Most of the music we listen to today is based on the ground-breaking work they did before the turn of the century." Andy explains
.
.
.
40 Minutes later. They're stumbling. Literally. Ianto just stops.
"You know, I don't care if I weigh 60 pounds on Mars. I am one tired doggie." Ianto sits down on a rock. Tosh collapses nearby. They can't go any further. Tosh catches her breath.
"Ten K short." Tosh complains as she checks her readings.
The sun is a finger above the horizon. Redder than red, breathtakingly beautiful.
"It's pretty." She motions at the sunset.
"Too bad we're gonna be dead. I can't keep walking in circles. And there's nothing to keep us warm." Ianto grouses.
They look around unhappily. Ugly way to die.
"It's gonna be like trying to live on Mount Everest." Ianto looks for somewhere to settle.
"What would we do if we were on Mount Everest?" Tosh asks.
Ianto thinks a long time. "I would have brought a tent."
"If we didn't have a tent." Tosh askes, Ianto is so tired he's confused.
"We don't have a tent." Ianto repeats.
"Yeah. Yeah, I know."
"I'd guess you'd dig a snow cave. Use the snow for insulation. You've seen the 3Ds." Ianto frowns at her.
There's a funky-looking hillock nearby. Five feet high, as big around. Tosh totters to her feet. Goes over and kicks it. It's soft volcanic rock.
"Let's dig a snow cave." She demands.
"There's no snow." Ianto laughs.
Tosh kicks at it again. Gives. She takes out the entrenching tool, hacks at it. Knocks a piece free.
"Let's dig a snow cave or we're gonna fucking die." Tosh demands, she starts to wail on it. Ianto staggers over and joins her. The two of them start to flail away like a cross between prehistoric man and giant beavers, desperate.
The sun begins to set. 30 miles away, the terminus, the line where night turns to day, begins to advance across the planet towards them. In the dark of the shadow, the frost forms a dozen feet behind and follows growing, growling, the cold advancing towards them with a crackle and whine. It's as if the cold has a voice.
They can see the darkness approaching. Digging madly. Cackling. Losing their minds. Can't tell who is who as they're silhouetted against the sun, one now inside the hillock throwing rock back as the other clears.
The sun continues to drop. Terminus continues its pernicious HISSING and freezing approach.
Halfway inside now. On his knees, suit light on, Ianto chops away at the rock. When he's thigh-deep in debris, he backs out, dragging the leavings with him. Tosh leaps in, replacing him. Dripping in sweat, nutty, but at least they're doing something.
The last of the sun disappears. Their breath is in the air. The darkness and frost reaches them now. The sweat begins to freeze, ice in their hair and eyebrows and stubble. But they've dug most of the shelter. They continue to thrash and chop away. The frost is now everywhere.
Tosh climbs inside. Ianto drags a lava boulder over to seal the entrance. Climbs in, hooks his tool into the rock and seals it shut.