OK… are you ready for me to get nasty?
10
The Huge Space Cruiser is moving within range of the planet. Ianto is on the flight deck of the large Planetary Space Hauler named Torchwood that is about to fly from the main hanger out into the outer limits to orbit the planet below, Toshiko (Mother) and Andy are crew that have flown with Ianto before (How Owen met him actually… through Tosh), as is the General seated next to him in the flight chairs with his hands gripping the arms.
Jack in the smaller Space Hopper named Spark inside SV Torchwood's belly. Jack's crew Suzie, John, and Clew is with him. Two more dust monkeys are along for the ride in the lower engine bay cabin where their manual labour is needed as mechanics. They know this is going to be a blast, Hewson and Jamie not realizing what a wild ride it will really be, even as the General on the Torchwood grips the arms more and grits his teeth. He hates this part. It's all up to Ianto now as he nods to the General who gives the order to fire up the main thrusters and begin departure.
The crew strap themselves to their seats.
Jack is still chewing over the hushed hissing contest he had with John as they boarded, John demanding to know why Jack was with a High Blood Clansman making Jack want to throttle him. Of course Ianto is more than he seems. The waistcoat is a dead giveaway to him being of the First Families. Jack saw this early on, is still a little freaked out but knows that if they pull this off the Collective will not only get off their arses but maybe… maybe with Ianto being of High Borne Blood … maybe … maybe next time there is a planetary diplomatic posting they might get it. Imagine… being planeteers again. Land. Room.
"Prepare for separation and orbital insertion of the cargo." Ianto says calmly as he rose from the flight deck and people watch the huge Junker that was to be for their next planetary incursion more delicately flown down the flight runway towards the outer blast doors than they thought one this size could be.
Lights flash as Toshiko taps her console and alarms sound as Ianto hits the button to open the door, allowing them to enter the 'space zone' which is the airlock between the inner and outer door, closing the inner doors behind them and preparing final checks as they count down the airlock's depressurization, to embark on the voyage down to the planet's orbit. Ianto again nods and the General is the one to push the button to open the outer doors once the lights flash green to tell them the venting is complete and Ianto moves his vessel as gracefully as he can into the black, then they start to let the planetary pull engage.
"Give me an EC Pressure reading Mother." Ianto asks.
"3.45 n/c m^2 squared" Toshiko answers, and then says softly "5 psia to the great unwashed."
"Shout if it changes. Deactivate probe retract system." Ianto nods.
"What about the pressure seal." The General asks.
Ianto hits appropriate switches as he ignores the question, showing that this is second nature to him. In the blood. "Now the probe-retract system."
Andy hits other equally appropriate switches. "Okay."
"Release captive hatches and disengage probes." Ianto demands.
Andy working switches and buttons. "Disengaged."
Ianto punches buttons of his own.
The Spark separates from Torchwood.
Ianto watches the Spark moving away on a view screen.
"All free and clear." Andy says like they can't see it, but for the purposes of the Collective listening to this broadcast to vitalize as much as possible they need to vocalise as much as possible.
"Toshiko. Are you there Mother?"
"Orbital insertion complete." Toshiko agrees as she checks the numbers and confirms that the Spark has breached the outer atmo.
"Okay. The Mother is safe. Let's take it down." Jack says as he sees the lights change to green, Torchwood disengaging its control.
Engines coughing to life. Spark begins its descent.
Below night's tide rolls across the planet's surface.
The view screen shimmers.
"Turbulence." Ianto says softly as he watches the vessel fall further from him.
Spark is hydroplaning downward. A set of brilliant lights switch on. Cut through the thick atmosphere.
Hewson and Jamie are tightly strapped in their seats. Begin rocking from the sudden, extreme turbulence. Hewson can see the dials and screen "Christ. Overloading. What the hell are we going through?"
"Dust fritzing the compressor." Jamie calls out.
"There goes the conversion stabilizer." Hewson calls out.
Jamie says softly as lights flash around them "I don't know if the digital solenoid..."
"Forget it. If we don't crash, dollars to your aunt's cherry we get an electrical fire..."
Up on the bridge Jack grunts as he struggles with the controls, John beside him mirroring his movements as they work in sync. The turbulence continues unabated.
John's eyes follow cross-plot gauges. "Drop begins...now. Fifteen kilometres and descending... twelve... ten... eight and slowing. Five. Three. Two. One kilometre and slowing."
"Lock tractor breams." Jack calls out.
A loud electrical hum.
"Locked." John yells.
"Killing drive engines." Jack demands, reaching for the switch.
The engines fall silent.
John calls out the numbers "Nine hundred meters and dropping. Eight hundred. Seven hundred."
A storm is blowing across the night-shrouded surface. The Spark hovers on glowing beams of light. Landing struts unfold like insect legs.
The ship slams down. Rocks heavily on massive shock absorbers.
"We're down." Jack confirms.
An enormous vibration.
The panels in the engine room flash simultaneously.
Lights go out.
Up on the Torchwood Ianto grunts with alarm as the screens displaying Spark's diagnostics flicker that then show multiple alarms shipwide. The Spark is in trouble down there.
He can only hope and wait.
Have faith in the man he is bonded to.