Heart and Soul – Secrets and Lies

Chapter 53

Ianto stood at the foot of the water feature He mentally went over what he was carrying. He was wearing thermals under modern jeans held up with a good leather belt. His belt held a gun holder and a Glock 17. Tucked inside out of sight was a small leather pouch filled with coins of the realm. He wore good strong walking boots, a plain black cotton tee shirt, along with a thick wool jumper. This was covered with a dark brown wool jerkin with a hood which was a practical item that was worn during the time they were travelling to and would not look out of place. Across his back he carried a long wide leather tube like pouch. This was filled with what he called the necessities of civilizations like a shaving kit and a few other items. Around his neck he wore a scarf he had found in the lockers as it looked useful so had added at the last moment. He had also added a woolen hat and gloves now also in the pouch. In his hand he held a quarterstaff, which he had read about and could also come in useful as walking stick and as a weapon.

He smiled as Owen joined him similarly dressed along with John who was dressed as he always was.

"Look this is my style, add or detract just doesn't feel right," he said as he saw the looks on their faces.

"Tough," Owen said as he threw a pack at him. "I've prepared this for you, it's got a first aid kit and some other useful bits and pieces we might need like food." John shrugged and placed it over his shoulder adjusting it so it fitted comfortably.

"Nice ring," John said to Ianto indicating the ring on his left thumb.

"Jack gave it to me," Ianto replied as Owen glanced over to see the plain gold band on his left thumb trying to recall if he had seen it before but not able to place it. In all the fuss of the last few days he admitted he could have missed it.

"Congratulations by the way," John said offering his hand.

"Thank you," Ianto said shaking the offered hand.

Owen rolled his eyes and shook his head as he checked his gear, and put the exchange down to another mad and inexplicable conversation between the pair of them. If he didn't know better he could swear they were speaking in code.

"Ok are you ready?" Tosh called down from her work station.

"When I get back babe you and I are going to make beautiful music together," John winked and called out to her as he threw here a kiss and was rewarded with a smile.

"Good luck," Gwen called out as Tosh began to withdraw the rift connection to John's wrist strap.

Ianto watched as John began to punch information into his wrist strap. He raised his finger to initiate the jump when all three of them were engulfed with a massive flash of orange light. Suddenly his brain felt like it was going to explode.

Tosh watched as the orange and pink haze surrounded then engulfed Owen Ianto and John. Then in what seemed like an explosion filled the Hub dazzling them both leaving behind a heavy smell of ozone and burning electrical wiring. As the flash occurred the Hub lighting flickered chaotically, and then disappeared leaving them in complete darkness.

"Are you all right?" Tosh called over to Gwen.

"Yeah, what happened?" Gwen called out to Tosh who now found her flashlight and was headed with speed towards the Hub's main power system controls.

"I am not sure?" Tosh replied as Gwen joined her. "I suspect a rift spike and it appeared to happen just as John was about to initiate the jump."

"What does that mean?" Gwen asked as they reached the board

"A massive spike of rift energy has overloaded the Hub systems," Tosh told her.

"I meant for the boys?" Gwen corrected her.

"I don't want to think about that right now ,let's just get the systems back online and we can check what happened," Tosh replied her entire focus on the board in front of her.

"Gray?" Gwen offered as she held up her light onto the board.

"No I don't think so," Tosh advised as she examined the board and began to re-initiate the power start up for the Hub.

"What makes you so sure?" Gwen asked holding up the light as Tosh worked.

"Too big, only the full force of the rift could have produced a surge big enough to knock out the entire Hub," she replied flicking switches and pulling fuses back into the on position. As she pulled down the main circuit breaker the lights came back on and they could hear their computers start to reboot.

Back at their computers they began to power up the server bringing it back on line. Several moments passed as they tapped away at their key boards.

"Did they make it?" Gwen asked trying to keep emotion out of her voice as she worked.

Tosh kept working not wanting to reply, running through the lines of information as took a deep breath.

"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Gwen asked terror in her voice.

"Massive rift spike." Tosh confirmed.

"Have we lost them?" Gwen cried out as tears ran down her face.

Tosh gasped as the lines continued, as they came to an end she sat back and took off her glasses and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "The spike overloaded John's vortex manipulator, he never got to start the sequence, the surge ripped through and tore the matrix apart," she paused as she came to terms with the information on her screen. "It scattered them into atoms," she heard herself say out loud.

"Oh God," Gwen gasped as her legs failed her and she fell to the floor.

"They're dead," Tosh said staring blankly at the screen.

Tosh sat on the sofa her head against Gwen's shoulder tears falling down her face trying to come to terms with the disaster before them. Gwen was silent staring into the distance her arms around Tosh. The phone in Jack's office began to ring, and after several moments it stopped. After a short break it rang again, its ring echoing around the Hub then stopped. Gwen's mobile phone began to ring and she ignored it. After several moments it stopped then started again. Taking it out of her pocket she turned it off.

A few moments later the phone on Jack's desk began to ring again. Gwen swore and held Tosh closer and it stopped. A few moments passed and the phone rang again. Tosh stood up and walked across to Jack's desk, picked up the phone and ripped off the hand piece and threw it across the Hub.

Standing in front of the desk motionless as Gwen came to join her and guided her back to the sofa.

Approximately two hours later, they heard the proximity alarm. As the door rolled aside they stood ready to face whatever came through the door and were stunned to see Rhys.

"How did you know how to get in here?" Gwen burst out then raced over to Rhys and threw her arms around him.

"It's alright, what's happened?" he asked her gently.

"They're dead Owen, Ianto and John. Jack's trapped in the past, and…"she broke down in tears

"How did you know how to get in here?" Tosh repeated Gwen's question.

"Never mind that now Tosh, some woman called Martha Jones from UNIT called said she'd been trying to contact you for bloody hours, she said its urgent, very urgent." He handed her a piece of paper with a number on it call as Tosh pulled her phone out and punched in the numbers.

Moving with speed Tosh stood by her computer station watching the down load as Gwen watched from behind as the data flowed over screen.

"Will someone fill me in?" Rhys asked as he gently hugged Gwen as Tosh began to speak.

"At exactly the same time as the surge in rift activity, The Standing Stones of Emin pulsed with an incomprehensible amount of power. It burnt out every sensor we placed there, took out a geostationary satellite passing overhead and almost took out several others. The energy ripple was picked up as far away as Waikato University in New Zealand which is the other side of the world. It was so powerful, the ripple effect registered instantaneously on their equipment there. "

"What does it mean, are you saying the stones caused the rift flare?" Gwen asked.

Tosh blinked as she thought out loud. "Wrong energy signature so I don't' think so." She took a deep breath. "If the figures are correct we have underestimated the power here, by a factor of one million, maybe more. If I'm right then this release was only a tiny fraction of its actual capability."

"Are you saying that the energy released was the equivalent of someone flexing a finger? "Gwen asked

"Exactly, if this object wanted to, it could have taken out the moon," Tosh told her bluntly, "but it has lain quiescent for thousands of year holding back its power until now, why?" She took pause to think and bit her lip.

"You know the stones have done nothing but help all year. In fact they have an established history of helping. Isn't that what you told me?" Gwen asked.

"The question is why would the stones risk exposing their secret, because that's what they've done?" Tosh continued as she nodded in reply to Gwen's observation.

"Well this and the odd ping," Gwen added seeing the look on Rhys face.

"Ping?" Rhys repeated.

"I'll explain later," Gwen told him as she patted his chest.

"Exactly," Tosh replied. "It's exposed itself to all sorts of questions and scrutiny. The least of which is a team of UNIT investigators on their way there right now. It's clear this is an object of immense power clearly of alien origin. Why would it expose itself. …."

"Are you sure it was at the exact moment?" Gwen interrupted.

"To the nanosecond," Tosh replied.

"Look will someone tell me exactly what is going on?" Rhys asked insistently

"A few hours ago Owen, Ianto and John attempted a jump back on time, we were using the rift to recharge John's vortex manipulator. At the point he was going to start the jump there was a massive rift flare. We thought, we were certain, they'd been killed, lost to the rift." She explained not sure she trusted her voice.

"You don't think?" Gwen asked wide eyed and saw Tosh nodded. "So are you saying," Gwen asked looking at Tosh not fully trusting her own reasoning.

"Exactly, for whatever reason those stones used their power to counter the rift flare and enabled the jump. It's the only possible explanation that fits all the data and history, " Tosh said wrapping her hands around herself.

"So they made it," Gwen said her voice breaking "Oh my god Rhys they made it."

"And when this is over" Tosh continued her eyes sparkling, "I'm going to visit those stones and I don't care how crazy it's going to look, I am going to kiss each and every one. "