20
Ianto was watching the kids playing on the large landing pad of the Valiant, the balls rolling about as they ran like the wind. The fencing around the edges was working but he still worried about one falling over the side, a dog or cat falling off, random and silly things that he knew made no sense.
He had to admit to himself the real problem was the space. The air. The sky. He was feeling like this because they were outside. After being locked up for so long, they were used to the safely of the walls, the space within the rooms.
There was so much space that he felt… exposed.
.
.
"Agoraphobia" Owen said with open incredulity as he sat in his office "You. Really?"
"I'm sorry but… each time I step out there into that vastness I feel so exposed and unsafe."
Owen leaned back in his chair to look at the screen in his office that showed the CCTV camera currently trained on the kids playing in the outside playground. The light today had an almost pleasant yellow sheen to it instead of the deep red and it was clear that the sunlight was filtering though better each day. He considered and then he nodded "I hear that. The kids out there right now make me uneasy. They are so far off the ground that even a big cat can't reach them up here but still… like a dragon might sweep down and eat one. Ya know? We have got used to having them safe and any slight graze or bruise feels like a major thing. God forbid one breaks a limb, I think we will all panic."
"Exactly. We've got so used to being safe, having them cloistered away that they are not the only ones having to acclimatize to the outside world" Ianto agreed with a hand rising to rub at his face. "Letting them loose down there in the compound is the right thing to do but my butt puckers thinking about then being out of eyesight at times."
"Have you talked to Jack about this?"
"No, I came to you and thought you would be the one to scoff and shake me a bit. For you to agree… damn Owen." Ianto groaned "Some time to get a bedside manner with me ya prick."
"Look… it' going to rain tomorrow. An inside day for sure where we can use the time to council the kids on dangers out there. Kenneth the Man will be happy to help with that, he's champing at the bit. Steven and Luke are also old enough to start grooming as guards to the smaller ones. Kenneth as their leader?" Owen said a she rose from his chair. "Still not safe to let them loose, we are still preparing the buildings for cohabitation and I am not comfortable with the fences as our only defense either. I agree with that."
Ianto rose as well, seeing the logic to that "Yeah. Thanks Owen."
"Not at all brother" Owen clapped him on the shoulder, watching him head out and then as the door closed Owen sank back into his chair to consider things a bit more.
Ianto was right though, it was not safe out there even with the compound now. They had no idea until the first testing of the barriers if they were truly safe.
Owner set out to go find Jack and Johnny.
.
.
"Sooooo… what do you mean?" Jack frowned as Owen looked past him to John and started to talk like Jack had not just interrupted him. Ianto standing with Jack listening to the idea as he nodded with interest.
"I mean, we can have a few of the sheep there right? We can risk two or three?" Owen asked. He waved has hand behind him at the vast compound they were standing in, the paint on Jack's clothes showing he had been trying to gussy up some of the buildings before the move in.
John was nodding "Sure. If we stake them and then every two or three hours move them along the fences, any weakness will be tested and if there is a breach we will know where to shore it up more."
"Oi. We can NOT simply stake out some sheep or something like they are sacrifices to the gods then wait to see if something can get in to eat them!" Jack argued "after all, they lived this long in here, clearly they are safe!"
"Their enclosure is towards the back of the compound. Not front and center. Come on, we have no idea if the compound is truly safe until we test it" Ianto argued now, turning to Jack "Come on. Want a knock at the front door in the night?"
Jack sighed as he knew John was right. They had to be sure before they let those kids run rampant in the playground area of the tourist café.
He nodded.
.
.
They staked three of the sheep at intervals along the fence line, telling the kids it was so they could mow the grass along there while furtively looking at the far trees. With the large area cleared around the compound anything coming would likely set off the motion sensors. They would know soon enough if they were safe, if they had made the right decision and Ianto would spend the entire time sweating tacks at the thought that he had made a mistake getting Owen involved and he had placed them all in danger.
As always, Ianto was the one with the least faith in himself in the room.