42
Team Alpha approached the large doors. A tight disciplined group, dressed in black and armed to the teeth. If you find guns and body armour sexy, you just came.
Kev slid an ancient oak panel to one side, revealing a computer jack point. He flipped up the screen on his sleek wrist computer and jacks in.
Everyone watched as Ianto stalked the perimeter of the room, still buzzed from the lack of Z attack outside. No dogs. Archie's Dobermans are gone. Ianto was sure they would be but it still made him uneasy. Something had taken them? Or are they dead somewhere from starvation in a room they've not checked?
Kev looked up from his computer. Floating an inch above it is a detailed holographic schematic of the mansion. As the schematic slowly revolves, a flashing text streamer reads: TORCHWOOD HOUSE - STATUS – DEFENSIVE
"The house's primary defences have been activated. As we feared, he had done a secondary lockdown. This will take me longer." he sighed.
"OK Kev" Jack answered, and then turned to the others "You heard the man ... We may not be alone, secondary defences included some guard dogs of unknown origin. Also … six Dobermans."
Ianto nodded "Prep for entry to the Archives."
Kev flipped open a tile on the intricate floor mosaic. Revealing another jack point. "How often did he reference Resident Evil again?"
"Constantly. Good thing you like it too, consider a lot of his defences the same" Ianto warned him "He is mad enough to have used it as his template."
Kev's fingers stopped flying as he glanced up at him "Does that include those man eating zombie dogs?"
"Ah…" Ianto grimaced … "Maybe….something?"
"Shit" Kev snorted with amusement as he went back to hacking with the live link to Toshiko who worked back at the Dome as well, Ianto settling beside him with his own laptop to play interference.
"Entry to the Archives in three...two... one." Tosh's voice bounced off the walls. They watched the patterns on the floor. A giant Art Deco spiral that suddenly began to move. Arms of the spiral starting to unlock as a huge chunk of the floor began to sink beneath the ground.
Kitty watched amazed as the floor they are sitting on slips gracefully beneath the earth. Ancient wood panelled walls being replaced with polished high tech steel plates. "What the hell is going on here? I know you said he liked Resident Evil but shit … is this real?"
"How deep are we going?" Liam asked.
"Right to the bottom." Jack replied, "The secure Archives."
Billy set a clock on the PDA to 23 hours 00 minutes. The numbers began to count down. He picked up his Coms, but waited till the screen reads SECURE before sending a message.
Scotland to Holdfast ... Alpha Team has entered the Archives. All communications down. Awaiting hard wire response.
Roger Scotland. The clock is running.
The platform carrying the team came to rest in a vast underground cavern. This is a natural creation, but the hand of man is everywhere. As well as the hydraulics for the platform, there are also several temporary structures used for storage.
A set of runway lights are laid out on the stone floor. They lead to a pair of thick steel doors set in the cavern walls. The doors bear the logo of the TORCHWOOD HOUSE.
Liam glanced at the digital counter on his left wrist. It reads 02:58:24. The rest of the team carry identical timepieces. The seconds are ticking away. "Move out!"
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The Team had set up a piece of heavy industrial cutting gear. They are burning a hole in the locking mechanism of the large steel doors. Ianto stands at a distance, still working on the secondary shields with Tosh patched in, this is no walk in the park as Archie was a sly old dog who not only let technology rule his life, but alien tech as well.
"Jack, we've breached the Archives." Ianto smiled as Tosh finally whooped down the coms.
Jack winked at him as he chortled, "Breached, eh? I love good breaching."
"Stop it!" Ianto laughed as he started to pack up his things, preparing for the next part.
The heavy steel doors slid aside to reveal a familiar looking corridor. The ARCHIVES is a replica of the office building we had know well from Torchwood One. The blinds were closed, because there are no windows here. The whole structure is underground. A replica.
Mickey used a hand held device to sample the air and then turned to nod.
They forced open the doors to the shaft. Far below they can see the crumpled remnants of the cars and Ianto glanced at Jack as this means the fail safes kicked in, sealing the lower levels.
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Ianto stood by a set of heavy blast doors which are blocking their progress. He's working on the locking mechanism.
"How's it coming Tiger?" Jack asked.
"Most of these doors are magnetically sealed. We're not going to get them open till we sever the power" Ianto replied. "How's Randy going with that?"
"Almost there" the coms crackled in reply.
Almost in.
Ianto was not sure if he was excited or terrified.
Archie had gods knows what in there.
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OK, this is the only bonus chap you are getting Rambly ...well ... today.