Affairs of the Heart

Chapter 29

Tosh held the strange gold carved box turning over in her hand. "So according to the molecular breakdown this potentially complex alien artefact is in fact made of wood," she stated to Owen in disgust.

"Perhaps it fell in the crate by mistake, picked up meson energy with the other stuff in the crate Jack found," Owen tried to explain.

"I don't think so," Tosh answered sarcastically. " Adam brought it back from an excavation."

"I think Jack brought it in, I recall it was included in a box of various artefacts," he tried to explain, hurt by the disdainful look on her face.

"No, I'm sure Adam found it on an excavation some months back," she stated as Jack entered the room.

"No, I was sure it was you Jack, who brought in the box," Owen said to Jack expecting him to agree with him.

Jack took the box from Tosh and turned it over in his hands. "I don't recall bringing it in," he replied, examining it.

"Adam brought it in," Tosh argued.

"If he did it will be noted in the artefact log," Owen told her.

"No point looking," Tosh told them both. "Adam found it during an excavation."

Owen let out a sigh as he looked at Jack then glanced at his watch shaking his head, "I've had enough for one day, this argument can wait for tomorrow," Owen said as he turned to leave.

Tosh watched as Owen left and checked her cell phone and began to smile as she read the text message, "I've gotta go meet Adam," she said to no-one in particular , as she turned and made her way out towards the Hub exit.

Jack continued to examine the box. There was something compelling about it which he couldn't put his finger on. He looked up briefly as both Tosh and Owen left. "Think I'll go and check the log," he said to himself.

Jack walked into his office and put the box on his desk and sat down. Looking around for the artefact log, he pulled open the left top drawer. It was stuck as if it had been jammed shut. He gave it a hard sharp tug, as he did so the contents shot forward in a jumble. "Ha, here you are," he exclaimed as he saw his cell phone. He had looked everywhere for it and it had been in here all along.

He turned it on. There were 32 phone messages and an almost equal number of texts. How long since he had checked it? He looked at the date, ten days. Unconsciously he turned the phone off and began to put the phone back into the drawer. He stopped himself and turned the phone back on and scrolled through the list. As he did so, he again felt an overwhelming compulsion to turn off the phone, and felt himself begin to put the phone back into the drawer.

He hesitated. There were so many messages from the same number. Someone had obviously been trying to contact him. He heard a voice in his head telling him it was important he check his messages. Fighting the temptation to turn it off and return it to the drawer, he scrolled to the first message and began to listen.

Moving with speed Jack opened the small fridge in the lab; he pulled out the caddy of blood samples. Where was Adam's? He spun the caddy around checking each one, it was missing. Another vial in particular caught his attention, and he pulled it out, reading the name on the label his face became even darker. He put the samples back and went to Gwen's work station. Turning it on he began to search through all the CCTV footage from the previous days. If he was right Adam did not exist until approximately ten days ago.

He observed the extensive footage as Adam went through his memory routine touching along with the phrase, remember , remember ,remember. It was like he was recalling a man who didn't exist. He looked at the footage again as a deep rage began to build inside him.

Adam didn't exist, but Ianto Jones did. At first he had no recollection of him but as he had listened to each message the voice had literally resonated in his mind and his memory of Ianto returned.

The man he loved, and told he would only be gone for three days. He looked at his watch, 3.30am. He set up the system to check the trace on Ianto's car he had put there on his first visit to the university. He watched anxiously for it to indicate his location. His heart leapt in fear as he realised his car was not where he expected it to be. He looked again and he took in a sharp breath as he saw it was parked at his own apartment. He now let out the same breath, he knew the location of the car, but was Ianto there with it? He placed his palm over the icon. 'Please,' he prayed, ' let Ianto be ok.' He dialled the number and it rang- rang- rang- rang- rang- rang-rang-rang-rang at last he heard an anxious voice reply.

Rhys opened the door of the flat he shared with Gwen. "Gwen's gone, she just left, " he told Jack in a concerned whisper as he looked over Jack to check they were not being observed.

"I saw her leave," Jack replied as he followed Rhys down the hall into the main living area.

"What the hell is going on?" Rhys asked as they both stood by the sofa. "I don't like lying to Gwen."

" I need your help," Jack told him matter- of- factly.

"My help? You must be desperate," Rhys replied honestly.

Jack crossed his arms and explained what he had discovered.

"An alien," Rhys said in astonishment. "An alien who is feeding off every ones memories."

Jack nodded. "He plugs himself in by touch and creates false memories of himself and when he does it displaces the real ones," he explained.

"That's what happened to Gwen then?", Rhys asked.

"Yeah," Jack replied.

"How did you figure this out?" Rhys asked. "I mean it's been days."

"I found my phone full of messages from Ianto. He's been trying to contact me for ten days," he replied

"So he does exist," Rhys stated.

"Yeah," Jack agreed. "Long story... let's just say he is a person of significant importance to me and..."

"Is he ok?" Rhys asked, concerned.

"He's ok for now, worried sick for me. How he really is I won't know is until I get back," Jack said, recalling the phone call earlier on that morning.

Rhys walked into the kitchen. "Right," he said, filling up the kettle. "I need my Gwen back and you need to get back to Ianto. How do we sort the little sod out? " he asked.

Jack raised his eyebrows. "The first thing you need to know, is on no account let him touch you."

"Understood, " Rhys said nodding.