1
It has been twenty years since the virus. Started as a flu that mutated as it grew, like a wave it took out people and even some animals as it grew greedy… It took over half the population within the first year, then in the next five it devoured those left it could reach.
The Virus… let me tell you how we got here. Lets go back to the beginning.
The scientists came up with a vaccine after that first year of horror … touted as the wondrous saving grace of the world only to find that those who did not react in a positive way reacted… well… The only way to protect was to isolate and Ianto was still a child of six when his family joined the Torchwood One Bubble six months after the virus outbreak. By the time the vaccine was in use and creating the secondary problem that left the virus itself in the dust, the Torchwood Hive were already isolated and safe. If you can call living in a self built prison like this safe.
It was in a valley, protected by the hills surrounding them... more like a bowl I guess where it was hard to get in or out. They had sentries, well they called them that. Security was actually pretty damned tight with Ianto never having seen a gun in real life until the day his father nervously drove through the checkout, handing over the papers that showed they were free of the first three strains and had been deemed clear.
They had then driven to a building where they were pulled from the vehicle and taken to separate rooms, stripped naked and chewed by a team of people who wore masks, gives and an air of indifference. On the other side, his mother was not waiting with his sister or father. This is how he learned that his lovely mother was not fully safe.
Isolation. That's what they called it. Two weeks were they would monitor and check her twice a day to see if she had the virus, was a carrier or about to get so sick… Ianto so afraid he shook as his sister took his hand and dragged him behind their father back to the vehicle.
They drove to a house on the hill overlooking the little village below. Ianto's father was needed as he could work the turbines for the hydro power plant. They were given the pick of houses and he had chosen this one. Two stories of boredom. Ianto would come to hate 'Torchwood Tower' with all his heart, especially as his mother was not there to make it a home. Rhiannon did try, don't get me wrong but she was not his mother and her attempts to control him only made him angrier.
Luckily on the eighth day he found a friend. Someone who lamented the fact they DID left his mother through and told Ianto he would gladly swap. Owen was a bloody nutter whose father was a doctor and that had assured them a place here too. Their friendship grew over the years to one of brotherhood.
Ianto's mother was finally released and declared to have high blood pressure…. Not shit Sherlock… things settled into a new life and this 'village' of about 500 souls shut themselves off from the outside world and the virus.
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"Going to study class?" Owen asked as he fell into step with Ianto.
"Yeah, Lisa is going to be there." Sixteen year old Ianto glanced at his eighteen year old friend, the two year difference not meaning anything as Owen was more immature than Ianto had ever been.
"Lisa. Right. You have this test backwards and out your arsehole mate. Of course I know you will go to drool over that beauty… I ask you though… has she even noticed you yet?" Owen replied, his sixteen year old body so much leaner and … well… Ianto called it spider-like… sometime that pissed Owen off as he had an unnatural fear of the things that made him scream like a girl. Something he was razed for and Ianto struggled to protect him from.
Ianto was about to tell him to shove his exercise book up his arse when the klaxons sounded and they started to run.
They made it to the bunker and all settled down there with open fear, some children crying as the teachers tried to comfort with shaky voices. Above them the sound of the large military grade helicopters going overhead to check out the perimeters. They listened for the sound of the large air guns.
Someone was trying to pop the bubble.
"How's your mother?" Owen asked after a while, everyone finally quietly talking as they wondered if it was just another drill after all.
"Failing. The doctors say there is nothing more they can do. Da is too busy drinking himself to oblivion to care. I don't think I will have her much longer" Ianto replied sadly "and Rhiannon getting married means it will leave just me to try and help her."
"Shitty deal mate." Owen reached out to pat his arm "Shitty fucking deal."
Ianto nodded, leaning his head back to listen to the distant thunder of battle, those trying to get in repelled with extreme force.
It was later in the day, both of them walking home when another child slid along beside them "Did you hear?"
"Hear what Gwen" Owen said with annoyance.
"It wasn't people trying to get in, not infiltrators at all" she hissed looking around furtively "I was a group trying to get out!"
Ianto stopped walking as Owen swung to block her path "What?"
"Yeah... apparently a group of five families tried to break out of the security bubble… I mean who mental would you have to be to want to get out… the virus is out there… those… things are out there. Here is the only safe place left." She snorted "I say they should have let them go… they deserve to die if they do not appreciate everything my father and his people have done for this place!"
"Gwen, stop saying your father is the bloody mastermind behind anything, he's just middle management" Rhys joined the little group, pulling his girlfriend back from the smouldering Owen "You are talking about stuff that we have no business even knowing."
"MY daddy is on the council, I know what I am talking about" she yanked her arm back with annoyance.
"Well… all I know for sure is that we are safe. The bubble is intact and whatever needed to be done… was done. Can we please just get home before evening prayers? I do NOT want get caught out again... last time Da almost thumped me one even with the notice from teacher to say I was kept back for an entire class infraction."
Class infraction… blowing up the lab was more than in infraction mate" Owen giggled, but knew Ianto was right as they knew if you were in the house or not… the cameras checked "Come on."
Ianto shook his head as he hurried home to his mother who could no longer cook the evening meal let alone kneel unaided in the prayer circle.
The vid-screen flickered and Ianto knelt next to his mother and sister, the monotone of prayers staring as their leader looked impassively over them, her face one of serenity and love. No one really knew her, no one had ever really seen Yvonne Hartman in person, always on the screen as she gave her thanks for their safety and told them all that as their Bubble Mother, she was proud of them… blah… blah… blah.
Ianto's Da arrived during Prayer and knelt next to his wife, glancing over at Ianto before joining the stupid chanting. The light on the top of the vid-screen went from red to green as is agreed that all four bodies were now in view.
Five minutes later and he would have been too late, their parcel of food for that next week might have been docked as punishment for missing prayers. Such was this wonderful fucking world they lived in.
Ianto thought about those trying to get out as he mouthed the words he knew by heart. Why were they escaping? Who would want to get out when those outside the bubble would kill you? Those with the virus that the vaccine mutated into something else reduced to creatures of madness and disease? Those who did not die were left… deranged with their brains turned to mush in their skulls.
Everyone knows that.
It did not make sense.
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"Alright… why are we here?" Owen asked as he joined Ianto on the roof of his house, looking over the village below "Look… three more houses being built."
"Three more weddings about to happen, they need housing. In ten year's time where will everyone go? There are over thirty in our class alone… so.. at least fifteen more houses right? Will they build along the river next do you think?" Ianto asked.
"Not all of us need houses, we can keep the family ones as well… first born males keep the family home. Your sister is marrying Johnny the fucktard and they will move into his family's home right?" Owen asked "She gets to tend his parents … ewwww… his father is grosser than him."
"She Loorrrrrrrves him" Ianto rolled his eyes "I know. Gross."
"So... you and Lisa?"
"I don't know. Hot and cold, that one. One minute she wants to hold hands, the next she is over with Billy Revorie. I really don't know. Her father is on the council with Gwen's."
"Gwen" Owen turned and inspected the rooftop behind him for spiders then leaned back to stare at the sky "What do you think of her? I never know if she is just another bleeding heart or genuinely diabolical."
"I think her clothes are too tight and it cuts off blood supply to her brain" Ianto replied "She is betrothed to Rhys already. Man, you think they are… you know?"
"Breaking their personal bubbles together? Oh yeah... something is definitely popping there mate" Owen laughed.
"Why were they trying to escape" Ianto finally blurted.
"I have been wondering too… fucking weird right?" Owen said softly, both voices mere whispers like they might be heard "Like… where the fuck were they going to go. The Meaters are out there."
Ianto shivered as the talk of the cannibal Meaters always made him unconformable. Those packs of wild people that the virus changed, their brains changed in such a horrible way that they wanted to kill and eat anyone that was pure.
"Hey… we are joining classes at the end of the term with the other school's handpicked egg heads … since only a handful of us are going to the elite class, we will meet some of the toffs from the Council School" Owen changed the subject as he knew Ianto was becoming morose.
"Yeah. The children of those in the council… I wonder why Gwen didn't go to that school… or Lisa." Ianto pondered.
"Not all of them wanted their kids to go to private school… anyway… maybe their kids were not smart enough for the classes… look at Gwen" Owen said, then they laughed some more as they wondered what the kids from the up market private school would be like, those kids of the 'high and mighty' that controlled everything in the bubble.
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Ianto watched the other kids stream into the room. Owen, him, Rhys, Lisa and Gwen sat together with Andy from their class as the kids from other school's handpicked class entered the room. Gwen had only got in because her father had pulled stings and they knew they would have to carry her arse to get through this. God forbid Rhys be out of her eyesight for even a class.
Owen was the first to sit up and stare as a little girl entered that looked younger than them by far. Maybe twelve? Thirteen? Japanese descent. So petite and cute that Ianto looked too… then everything fell away as HE entered the room in full conversation with someone, his teeth perfect and his hair so… so.. floppy.
Ianto saw the man of his dreams.
As if feeling his eyes on him, the dark haired Adonis turned his head to look directly at him, then move towards him with interest, the pretty little girl following meekly. It registered to Ianto that he was carrying her bag for her like she was a little sister or something and as he came to a stop his eyes raked up and down Ianto who was rising from his seat to meet him, eye to eye.
He dropped both bags and stuck out his hand, never leaving Ianto's eye contact "Hi, Jack Harkness."
"Jones, Ianto Jones."
"Your Dad is Ifan? Form the Power Grid?"
"Yes. Yours is on the High Council right? Yvonne's … ah…."
"Watchdogs. It's OK… we call them the Lap Dogs" Jack laughed happily, then looked Ianto up and down again "And here I was, worried we would not find friendlies in here. What do you say Toshiko?"
She didn't answer, merely watched Owen reach out to pick up her bag for her and sheepishly smile.
And a new group was formed.
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Alright, so for those of you who want long chapters... these will be about three times the length of my usual story chapters and i will keep each segment short... like five chapters... so those who only read completed sections can also be happy. I have no idea where this is going... as i say.. this would usually be about a fifteen chapter story but i am trying to see if i can do this differently for a change.
Also... a name for the verse. Any ideas? So far i have it saved in my files as 'Escaping Torchwood' but have stated to call it 'Bubble' in my head. What you you all think?